Part 14: Queen Ammakā’s satī

As he was entering there, Viṣṇu was informed compassionately by his mother’s female door-keeper, who appeared before him in tears: “O prince, help! help! Even while the king is living, the queen contemplates a terrible thing.” When he heard that, Viṣṇu, agitated, went to his mother’s house and saw his mother as she was saying:

“All the great heaps of jewels that originated in my husband’s favor, all the endless gold, all the piles of silver, all the thousands of collections of ornaments—pearls, diamonds, genuine jewels, and miscellaneous, and whatever other treasure there may be, present all that to the seven fields.^[1] For that is the first viaticum of those set out on the long journey. I cannot endure at all to be a widow at my husband’s death. I shall go before him. So let the fire be prepared quickly.”

Hari approached his mother, the mother of a wealth of sorrow, as she was saying this, bowed, and said with sobs, “Mother, mother, why do you also abandon me unfortunate? Alas! fate is hostile to me since the queen does this.”

Queen Ammā said: “Hari, this fatal disease of your father’s that has developed has been thoroughly examined by experts. I can not bear hearing the word ‘widow’ even for a moment. Consequently, I, wearing safflower,^[2] shall go ahead of your father. My birth had its purpose accomplished by my husband, King Śiva, and by you, a son, the fifth Ardhacakrin, son. At my husband’s death, my life will depart of its own accord. I shall abandon it by entering the fire. May my courage not be deficient. O son, do not be an obstacle to me now even from affection, as I observe the custom of warrior-families. You, son, and Sudarśana, rejoice with my blessing. I shall precede my husband by the sole road of fire. I make this last request of you today, prince. Do not say anything hindering this ceremony.”

After saying this, afraid to hear of her husband’s death, she went to enter the fire, the city-gate to the next world.

His body feeble from pain joined to pain, like yokes, his feet stumbling even on level ground, Hari went to his father’s side. Recalling his mother and seeing his father ill, too, unable to produce any remedy, thinking himself helpless, Viṣṇu fell to the ground. Though suffering from inflammatory fever, the king assumed firmness and said:

“What is this, son? Fear is not suitable for your house. This earth is your queen to be supported by your arm. Are you not ashamed to fall on her because of the lack of courage! Do not show by giving up your courage that I behaved ignorantly when I gave you the special name ‘Puruṣasiṃha.’”

Consoling Śārṅgin in this way, King Śiva, the abode of happiness, died in the evening. Who is able to escape death?

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The ‘seven fields’ are Jain shrines, statues, scriptures, monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen. PH, s.v. sattakhittī; Rājendra, s.v. sattakhettī.

[2]:

A safflower sārī seems to have been the usual garment of a satī. Technically, she would not be a satī, as her husband was still living, but it amounts to the same thing.