Among all the chaste women in India, Sati Ansuyaa is held in high esteem. She was born in a noble family. Her father was Maharshi Kardam, the son of Swayambhuva Manu was and her mother was Devhuti. Sage Kapil was her younger brother.

Ansuyaa imbibed all the good qualities of her clan like truthfulness, religiousness, good conduct, forgiveness etc. She was married to the great hermit Atri and won his heart with her chastity, faithfulness and devotion towards him. She always used to engage herself in his service.

Ansuyaa was not only completely faithful towards her husband but had practised austerity of a very high order. She believed that a woman's total faithfulness and devotion towards her husband brings benediction.

Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahesh became so pleased by her total devotion towards her husband that all of them played in her lap after being transformed into children, by her tremendous powers achieved by her devotion.

While Lord Rama was going into exile, He had visited sage Atri's hermitage. Sita and Lakshmana too went along with Him. Lord Rama sent Sita to Ansuyaa to receive lessons on the duties of a woman.

Sage Atri, while describing the qualities of Sati Ansuyaa, said to Shri Rama: " O Ram! This is Ansuyaa. She is like your mother. Sita must pay her a visit for she (Ansuyaa) is revered by all the living beings." Who can describe about the greatness of Ansuyaa, whom even sage Atri praises himself.

When Sita went inside the hermitage and paid respect by touching Ansuyaa's feet, Sati Ansuyaa gave a discourse on the duties of a woman saying: " O Sita! I am very much pleased to know that your sight is always fixed on the path of Dharma. It is your good fortune that you have decided to live with your husband even in the forest. If a woman accepts her husband irrespective of his good or bad qualities, unmindful of his living in a city or a forest, attains heaven after her death. A husband is like a deity to his wife, even if he is of wicked nature or a poor man. Sita! I don't find any friend better than the husband. Just as doing a penance gives definite results, similarly the service done towards the husband yields definite results."

Thus, giving many an advice to Sita on the duties of a woman concluded, Sati Ansuyaa gave many ornaments and other herbal cosmetics to Sita, so that she could retain her beauty even in the harsh conditions of the forest, a life full of hardships that she had decided to lead along with her husband.