28. The Custom of Sati

Suttee mindedness is an extreme form of the mancentred attitude of Hindus. It may be said to represent man's supreme achievement in subjugating woman to his service 162 Altekar A.S.: Op. Cit., P. 135. 163 Strinam Punarvinahasty devarat patrasam tatil Svatantryam ca kaliyuge kartavyam na Kadacana 11 Br.1. quoted by Apararka, P.97, Kane P.V., Op.Cit.,P.606. 164 Jadi sa balamidhana balaktyaktathava kracit I tack bhuyasta samskarya cerita yena kenarit 11 Brahma Purana quoted by Apararka P. 97, Kane P.V., Op.Cit., P.612.

375 and it is an overwhelming symbol of the meaninglessness of her life apart from her husband.165 The ancient vedic literature and the Grhyasutras do not show any sign of this custom, therefore, it seems to have arisen in Brahmanical 166 India a few centuries before Christ. The Brahma Purana strongly emphasises the practice of Sati. It states that it is the highest duty of the woman to immolate herself after her husband and this path for women in enjoined by the vedas and is greatly reputed in all the worlds. 167 Angiras also argued that the only course which religion has prescribed for a widow is that of Sati. 168 The Brahma Purana maintains that the wife can purify ber husband from the deadliest of sins, if she burns herself after her husband. Just as a snake charmer forcibly drags out the snake from a hole, so does a wife who follows her husband goes to heaven. lives with her husband in heaven for as many years as there are pores on the human body, i.e. for three and a half crores of years.169 Farasara also says the same thing in almost the 165 21 Oliver Cromwell Cox., Op.Cit., P. 102 166 Kane P.V., Op.Cit., P. 625 167 168 169 She (80.75). Strinameyam Paro dharmo yadhharturanuvesnam / Vede ca vihito Margah sarvalokesu pujitah | Sadhvinamiha narinamagniprapatanadryte 1 nanyo dharmosti vijneyo mpte bhartari kutrachit I quoted by Apararka at Yaj.1.87 Vyalagrahi yatha vyalan bila duddharate balat 1 evam tvanugata nari saha bhartrallivan vrajet || Tisrah kotydrdhakoti ca yani romani manuse | tavatkalam vasetsvarge bhartaram ya 'nugacehati || 80.76,77

376 sano words (IV.31-33). According to Altekar, the passage in Parasara is an interpolation, because two verses earlier Parasara permits a widow to remarry. 170 The Brahma Purana states that eight queens of krsna, Fulmini and others burnt themselves along with his body (200.2)171 The Vishnupurana also says the same thing whereas the Mbh. states that Rukmini, Gandhari, Saibya, Haimavati, Jambavati among the consorts of krena burnt themselves along with his body and other queens like Setyabhama went to a forest for tapas, (salaparva 7.78-74). Revati also embraced the body of Balarama and immolated herself (212.3). Devaki and Rohini, the wives of Vasudeva also burnt themselves (212. 4). Pratitheyf, the wife of the sage Dadhici, circumambulated fire after holding the sacrificial vessel in her hand and entered fire after knowing about the death of her husband (110.72). There is also another instance of a very devoted female pigeon entering fire after the death of her husband and both went to the heaven in a shining aeroplane (80.80-82). The Mbh. also relatos how a KapotakI (female pigeon) entered fire on the death of her husband, the pigeon (Santiparve Ch. 148). The Mitaksard on Yajnavalkyasnrti (1.86) quotes this passage of the Hbh. in support of the plea that SatI is 170 Altekar A.B., Op.Cit., P. 148. 171 Astau mahisyah kathita Rukminipramikhastu jah | Upagrya Hareidehon vividusta hutadanan (212.2) - For the same words vide Visnu-Purana (V. 38.2).

377 enjoined and leads to great bliss in the other world.172 The earliest historical instance of Sat is that Both the wives of the of the wife of the Hindu general Keteus, who died in 316 B.C. while fighting against Antigonos. general were anxious to accompany their husband on the funeral pyre, but as the elder one was with child, the younger one 173 alone was allowed to carry out her wish. The Brahma Purana also states that a pregnant woman was requested not to become a Sati. Thus Yadavi, the wife of king Bahu, was pregnant when king Bahu died. Inspite of her condition, she determined to follow her husband but the sage Aurva requested her not to become a Sati and afterwards she gave birth to a child who was known as Sagara (8.39,40). Apararka quotes Brahma-Purana stating that anumurana occurs when, after her husband is cremated elsewhere and she of learns his death, the widow resolves upon death and is burnt with the husband's ashes or his Padukas. 174 172 Kane P.V., Op.Cit., P.626 - f.n.1467. 173 Altekar A.S., Op.Cit., P.142. 174 Des'antaramrte taominsadhvi tat Padukadwayam I Nidhayorasi Samsddha Pravis' es sata vedasam 11 Rgvedavadatsadhvi stri na thanedat maghatini tryahaschauce the nirvrtte saddham praproti ssratam " Brahma Purana quoted by Apararka, P. 111.