Satyavati | Mahabharata Painting

Satyavati was supposed to be the most lovable or powerful matriarch in Indian Mythology. But the fate ruined her dreams and eventually she was faded out.

The Birth

Satyavati’s birth was a tragic one. She was one of the twin babies. She was abandoned by her biological father, king Uparichara. I understood the story of her birth like this. The King might be having an affair with a lady in fishermen tribe. It might have been dual babies. King might have accepted the male baby. But he might have rejected the girl baby.

Whatever it is, Satyavati’s brother was accepted as the successor of the king. So she was forced to live in a fisherman’s house as a boat rider. She used to help people to cross the river Ganga. She was called Satyavati or Matsyagandha.

Foggy ordeal with Parachara

One day she ferried sage Parachara across the river. Here comes another sabotage of women. The sage wanted to make love with her and give a birth to a child. She was worried about the consequences. He ensured that he will form a screen around them with fog so that none will know what happened. In addition, he ensured she will get back her virginity.

Satyavati with Parachara. Picture credit: indianquarterly.com

Using his strength of dhavam (meditation), he will make her to smell so pleasantly, so that nobody can resist her in the future. She accepted. Stories say she gave a birth to a male child in one of the islands of river Ganga. He is Krishna Dvaipayana or the Veda Vyasa, who wrote the Mahabharata.

Shantanu with Satyavati

It was Parachara’s boon that made Satyavati as a sweet-smelling woman. It fascinated Shantanu. He wanted to marry her at his later age. This was discussed in detail in my previous posts about Shantanu and Devavrata.

o great-souled one! I belong to the fisherman tribe. Following the dharma prescribed for us, I ply a boat on the instructions of my father, who is the king of the fishermen.

Tamil Translation:
ஓ மகா ஆன்மா கொண்டவரே! நான் மீனவர் இனத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவள். எங்களுக்கு விதிக்கப்பட்ட தர்மத்தைப் பின்பற்றி, மீனவர்களின் தலைவரான என் தந்தையின் அறிவுறுத்தலின் பேரில் நான் படகு ஓட்டுகிறேன்.
Satyavati to Shantanu, The Mahabharata 1, translated by Bibek Debroy

Post-Shantanu Period – Satyavati and her vortex

Satyavati gave birth to two sons – Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Shantanu died later. Chitrangada was crowned as king. Bhishma took care of Hastinapur and his step mother and brothers after his father’s demise. Satyavati’s urge to become a super matriarch made her to search for wives for his sons. but fate played its game. Chitrangada died with his fight with a Gandharva. His death made Satyavati and Bhishma shocked and upset. Bhishma made Vichitravirya as the successor.

Vichitravirya is not as brave as his elder brother. He was weak and pale. It was believed that he could not be a fit to be a husband. But, the determined Satyavati asked Bhishma to abduct the princess for her son. So here comes the episode on a woman’s exploitation on other women.

The Three princesses

King of Kashi conducted swayamvara for his princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. He did not agree to invite Vichitravirya, knowing his conditions. Some believes that Bhishma was engaged to a Kashi princess earlier. He did not consider her before taking vow as Brahmacharya. She is nothing but sister of Kashya, father of these three princesses. So he might have wanted to shame Bhishma by not inviting Hastinapur to Swayamwara.

As Satyavati advised Bhishma took his chariot, started a small war and abducted all princesses.

Bhishma's fight in Swayamvara — Bhishma’s fight in Swayamvara

Amba’s humiliation and curse

Amba loved king Shalva. She wanted to wear the garland to him in Swayamvara. But Bhishma abducted all three of them. Amba expressed Bhishma about her love on Shalva. Both Bhishma and Vichitravirya accepted her to go back.

But Shalva refused to accept her. King Shalva told her that he can not accept a woman who was abducted and returned to him as a charity.

She came back to males of Hastinapur. Vichitravirya was ready to accept her. But she refused. She argued that it was Bhishma who abducted her. So, she can not accept his half-brother as her husband. But Bhishma refused pointing at his vow.

I had already chosen the king of Soubha as my husband to be… But now I can never do so. This is your doing. You appear to be a man who knows Krushan. Therefore I ask that you decide what is the right course of action for me to follow under Krushan law.

Tamil Translation:
நான் ஏற்கனவே சௌப நாட்டின் அரசரை என் கணவராகத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்திருந்தேன்… ஆனால் இப்போது என்னால் அவ்வாறு செய்ய முடியாது. இது நீர் செய்த செயல். நீர் தர்மம் அறிந்த மனிதராகத் தோன்றுகிறீர். எனவே, தர்மத்தின் கீழ் நான் பின்பற்றுவதற்கான சரியான நடவடிக்கை என்ன என்பதை நீர் தீர்மானிக்குமாறு கேட்கிறேன்.
Amba to Bhishma

To avenge for her humiliation, Amba requested many warriors to stand up for her. But everyone feared Bhishma. Finally she sought the help of Parashurama, who was Bhishma’s teacher. Bhishma and Parashurama started the fight. It was a war between two equal forces. So the war went on. Finally Parashurama gave up. He told Amba that that war will never end.

Amba took a vow finally. She meditated without food or sleep. Her stubborn made Lord Shiva to appear before her and tell her that she will be the reason for Bhishma’s death in her rebirth. Amba committed suicide by jumping into fire. She was reborn as Shikandi in Drupada’s palace. Though she born as a woman, Drupada raised her as a man. He joined in Kurukshetra war and killed Bhishma.

Satyavati, the matriarch

Ambika and Ambalika married Vichitravirya. Vichitravirya died without any children. So the fate challenged Satyavati again. She did not give up. She asked Bhishma to get her daughters-in-law pregnant. By law, they will be considered as sons of Vichitravirya. He refused to break his vow.

supreme among those who hold up dharma! Therefore, I am depending on you. I will ask you to perform an act. When you have heard it, please do it. O bull among men! My valorous son was your brother and you loved him a lot. He has ascended to heaven, though but a child. Your brother’s queens are the fortunate daughters of the king of Kashi and they possess youth and beauty. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! They yearn for sons. O immensely fortunate one! Therefore, so that the lineage continues, beget offspring on them. At my request, perform this act of dharma. Instate yourself on the throne and rule over the kingdom of the Bharata-s. In accordance with dharma, take a wife and do not immerse your ancestors in hell.

Tamil Translation:
தர்மத்தை நிலைநாட்டுபவர்களில் உயர்ந்தவனே! நான் உன்னைச் சார்ந்திருக்கிறேன். ஒரு செயலைச் செய்யச் சொல்வேன். நீங்கள் அதைக் கேட்டவுடன், தயவுசெய்து அதைச் செய். மனிதர்களில் காளையே! என் வீரம் மிக்க மகன் உன் சகோதரன், நீ அவரை மிகவும் நேசித்தாய். அவன் ஒரு குழந்தையாக இருந்தாலும் அமரர் உலகம் சென்றுவிட்டான். உன் சகோதரனின் ராணிகள், காசி மன்னனின் அதிர்ஷ்ட மகள்கள், அவர்கள் இளமையும் அழகும் உடையவர்கள். பரத பரம்பரையில் வந்தவனே! அவர்கள் மகன்களுக்காக ஏங்குகிறார்கள். ஓ மகத்தான அதிர்ஷ்டசாலியே! எனவே, பரம்பரை தொடர, அவர்களிடமிருந்து சந்ததிகளைப் பெறு. என் வேண்டுகோளின்படி இந்த தர்மத்தை செய். நீ அரியணையில் அமர்ந்து, பரதர்களின் நாட்டை ஆட்சி செய். தர்மத்தின்படி மனைவியை அழைத்துக்கொள். முன்னோர்களை நரகத்தில் ஆழ்த்தாதே.
Satyavati to Bhishma, Adi parva, The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes

Then Satyavati sought help of his first son Krishna Dvaipayana, who was born to Parachara. He pointed out that he lived as a sage with tangled hair and coarse skin. Impatient Satyavati ordered him to go and ensured that her daughter in laws will welcome him.

Krishna Dvaipayana fathered Dhritarashtra with Ambika and Pandu with Ambalika. Both were considered as sons of Vichitravirya. But fate did not allowed Satyavati to take pride. The Dhritarashtra was blind and Pandu was pale and impotent.

The descent

The sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu did not get along. Enmity between them was growing day by day. The royal teacher Drona organized an event to show case the martial skill sets of the Kuru princess. Satyavati watched the enmity between them was so transparent and unavoidable. Satyavati was forced to watch this. The basement of Hastinapur started shaking and its decline started.

The powerful lady Satyavati decided that she could not take it further. She got retired from politics and went to forest with her daughter in laws and eventually died there.

The perfuming lady’s vortex, Bhishma’s vow were proved wrong. The curse by Amba took its own revenge on Hastinapur.

References / Gratitude: