Story of Satyavatī

The mother of Vyāsa.

A short history.

Satyavatī was the daughter of the celestial maid Adrikā. Because of a curse she lived as a fish in the river Ganges. Once the semen of King Uparicaravasu happened to fall in the Ganges and this fish swallowed it in consequence of which it became pregnant. A fisherman caught this fish and cut it. He got two human babies, male and female from the stomach of the fish. The fisherman gave the two infants to the King who took the male child. This child later became the Matsya King. The female child had the smell of fish. The King called her Matsya-Gandhī (She who has the smell of fish) and gave her back to the fisherman, who took the child to his hut and brought her up as his daughter. As the child was dark in complexion the fisherman called her Kālī. Thus the girl was known by two names Kālī and Matsyagandhī. Later she got the name Satyavatī also.

The fisherman was engaged in the work of ferrying people across the river. Matsyagandhī helped her father in this work. She became a full-bloomed young woman. One day the hermit Parāśara came by that way and when he saw Matsyagandhī, he fell in love with her. She ferried the hermit across the river. In the middle of the river Parāśara created an artificial fog inside which Parāśara took Matsyagandhī as his wife. From that moment Matsyagandhī became Kastūrīgandhī (she who has the smell of Kastūrī (musk). Kālī became pregnant and delivered instantly. Parāśara, left the place after having blessed her that she would not lose her virginity.

The son born to Kālī, immediately grew up to be a youth. After promising his mother that he would come to her when she thought of him, the youth went to the forest for penance. The name of the son was Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa later became famous by the name Vyāsa. Satyavatī again engaged herself in helping her father.

One day Śantanu, a King of the lunar dynasty came to the forest for hunting. The fragrance of musk emanating from the body of Kastūrīgandhī spread throughout the whole forest. The King walked on through the forest tracing the origin of the smell of musk and reached the fisherman’s hut. The King fell in love with Satyavatī. The King had a son named Bhīṣma by his first wife Gaṅgā. Bhīṣma made it easy for the King to marry Satyavatī. Two sons Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya were born to Śantanu by his wife Satyavatī. Citrāṅgada was killed in his boyhood. Vicitravīrya became a youth and married Ambikā and Ambālikā the daughters of the King of Kāśī. Vicitravīrya met with untimely death before a child was born to him. When Satyavatī saw that the family was about to become extinct, she thought of her son Vyāsa, who instantly arrived at the palace. From Vyāsa, Ambālikā got the son Pāṇḍu and Ambikā, the son Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Both the sons Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu got married. Pāṇḍu died. The death of her son struck heavily at the heart of Satyavatī. She did not wish to live much longer after this. She mentioned about the fearful things yet to happen. Then taking her daughters-inlaw Ambikā and Ambālikā with her, Satyavatī went to the forest to do penance and finally attained heaven. (Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 127). (For further details see under Adrikā, Vyāsa and Śantanu).

Names.

Dāśeyī, Gandhakālī, Gandhavatī, Kālī Satyā, Vāsavī, Yojanagandhā and such other words are used in the Mahābhārata as the synonyms of Satyavatī.