| Sati | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Power, Marital Felicity and Longevity | |
 Shiva mourns Sati, 19th-centuryKalighat painting | |
| Other names | Dakshayani, Dakshakanya |
| Devanagari | सती |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Satī |
| Affiliation | Devi |
| Abode | Kailasha |
| Texts | Puranas,Kumarasambhavam,Tantra |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Consort | Shiva |
Sati (/ˈsʌtiː/,Sanskrit:सती,IAST:Satī,lit. 'truthful' or 'virtuous'), also known asDakshayani (Sanskrit:दाक्षायणी, IAST:Dākṣāyaṇī, lit. 'daughter of Daksha'), is theHindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity, and is worshipped as an aspect of themother goddessShakti. Sati was the first wife ofShiva, the other beingParvati, who was Sati's reincarnation after her death.[1]
The earliest mentions of Sati are found in the time of theRamayana and theMahabharata, but details of her story appear in thePuranas. Legends describe Sati as the favourite child ofDaksha, who marries Shiva against her father's wishes. Later, when Daksha organises ayajna (fire-sacrifice) in which he doesn't invite her and her husband, Sati goes to attend it, only to be humiliated by her father. She then immolates herself to protest against him.[2] In Hinduism, both Sati and Parvati, successively play the role of bringing Shiva away from ascetic isolation into creative participation with the world.[3]
Sati's story plays an important part in shaping the traditions of two of the most prominent sects of Hinduism —Shaivism andShaktism. After Sati's death, Shiva carried her body around the world and started performingTandava, the celestial dance of destruction. As he did so, the other deities requestedVishnu to stop this and he did so by using hisSudarshana Chakra which divided Sati's body parts falling on the ground at 51 different places. These places are now known asShakti pithas, and they are sacred toHindus.
The name"Satī" means "truthful", "virtuous" or "noble" inSanskrit.[4][5] The word is derived from the"sat" which means "truth".[6]
She is known by various patronymics, though these names can be used for any of the daughters of Daksha. Some of these names include Dakshayani, Dakshakanya and Dakshaja.[7]
According to scholars William J. Winkins and David R. Kinsley, the Vedic scriptures (2nd millennium BCE) do not mention Sati-Parvati but hint to two goddesses associated withRudra —Rudrani and Ambika.[note 1] In theKena Upanishad, a goddess called Uma-Hemavati appears as a mediator between the gods and theSupreme Brahman.[note 2][8][9] Both the archeological and the textual sources indicate that the first major appearances of Sati-Parvati were during the period of theRamayana and theMahabharata (1st millennium BCE).[10][11]
TheMahabharata mentions the destruction ofDaksha yajna, the birth ofKartikeya, defeat theAsuraTaraka as well as some plays between Shiva and Uma (Parvati). Scholars believe that by the time of thePuranas (c. 4th - 13th century), legends of Sati and Parvati rose to prominence and these were adapted byKalidasa in his epic poemKumarasambhavam (c. 5th - 6th century).[10][12] Some of the Puranas which narrate Sati's story are theVayu Purana, theSkanda Purana, theBhagavata Purana, theKurma Purana, thePadma Purana, theLinga Purana, theShiva Purana, and theMatsya Purana.
Sati was the daughter ofDaksha—APrajapati (agent of creation) and the son of the creator godBrahma—andPrasuti—the daughter ofManu. In some alternate accounts found in theShiva Purana,Matsya Purana andKalika Purana, her mother is mention to beAsikni.[13][14] Sati is often mentioned as the youngest and the most beloved daughter of Daksha.[15][16][17] According to theShakta (goddess-oriented) texts includingDevi Bhagavata and theMahabhagavata Purana, before her birth, Brahma advised Daksha to meditate upon theGreat goddess and convince her to take anavatar as their daughter (Sati). The goddess agreed but warned that if he mistreated her, she would abandon her body.[18][19][20][11][21]
Even as a child, Sati adored the tales of Shiva and grew up an ardent devotee. As she grew to womanhood, the idea of marrying anyone else, as intended by her father, became unfair to her. It is believed that Brahma intended to get Sati married to Shiva and bring him into worldly affairs.[19][22][23]
Sati is described to be very beautiful but the legends emphasize her penance and devotion, which won the heart of the ascetic Shiva.[25][26] According to the legend, Sati left the luxuries of her father's palace and retired to a forest to devote herself to austerities of a hermetic life and the worship of Shiva. She was often tested by Shiva or his attendants. Finally, Shiva acceded to her wishes and consented to marry. Despite Daksha's unwillingness, the wedding was held in due course with Brahma serving as the priest. Sati moved with Shiva in Kailash.[25] Tension between Shiva and Daksha further arises when Daksha starts to dislike Shiva because of Shiva's odd appearance and behaviour.[3][27]
According to theBhagavata Purana, Daksha arranged Sati'ssvayamvara (self-choice ceremony), where all except Shiva were invited. When Sati did not find Shiva, she threw a garland in the air to choose her husband. Shiva manifested there and it fell on him, thus they were married.[20] In the 18th centurySvathani Katha, when Shiva asked Sati's hand in marriage, Daksha refused, claiming him unsuitable. Vishnu aided Shiva by disguising him as asannyasi and had him marry her.[note 3][27] While many versions of the tale mention Daksha's objections to the marriage, theShiva Purana does not mention any harsh opposition, though he starts to develop a deep hatred after the wedding.[27]
In a legend from theShiva Purana, Sati and Shiva were once wandering the earth. They passed through theDandaka forest, where they came acrossRama, accompanied byLakshmana, searching for his wifeSita after her abduction byRavana. Observing Rama's lament, Shiva bowed before him, following which he blessed the former with victory and revealed himself before him. Overcome bymaya, Sati asked her consort to whom he had bowed. Shiva informed her that Rama was a fullincarnation ofVishnu. Seeing that she was unconvinced, Shiva encouraged her to test Rama's divinity for herself. Sati did so by assuming the guise of Sita and appearing before him. Rama laughed, seeing through the goddess's disguise, wondering why she had assumed his wife's form. Her doubts fading, Sati asked Rama how he was worthy of being saluted by Shiva. Rama explained to her his true identity and circumstance and spoke to her of his devotion to Shiva, after which she praised him and returned to her consort.[28][29]
The most prominent legend associated with Sati is her self-immolation to protest against her father.[16][12][30] The first text to mention Daksha Yajna is theTaittiriya Samhita and it later appears in theRamayana and theMahabharata.[31] The narrative of Sati's self immolation appears in thePuranas,Tantra literature, and inKalidasa's lyricalKumarasambhava.[32]
According to the most popular narrative, Daksha organized ayajna (sacrifice) to which all the deities, except Sati and Shiva, were invited. Wanting to visit her relatives, Sati sought to rationalize this omission and reasoned that as family, such formality was unnecessary. Shiva tried to stop her as he knew that Daksha would humiliate her, but when she was not convinced, he sent her with hisgana attendants. Sati was received by her mother and her sisters, but Daksha was furious by her uninvited arrival and humiliated her and mocked Shiva. Wanting to break all ties with her father and uphold the honour of her husband, Sati self-immolated.[33][18][34]
Deeply hurt by the death of his wife, Shiva performed the destructiveTandava dance. He created two ferocious deities —Virabhadra andBhadrakali, who wreaked mayhem at the sacrificial place. Nearly all those present were felled overnight; Daksha was decapitated by Virabhadra. After that night, Shiva, who is considered the all-forgiving, restored the slain to life and granted them his blessings. Daksha was restored both to life and to kingship. His severed head was substituted with that of a goat.[16][35][3]
There are varying accounts of this event. TheDevi-Bhagavata Purana adds the reason behind Daksha's harsh behaviour. Shortly after Sati's marriage, Daksha polluted a sacred flower garland and as a result, he was cursed to hate his beloved daughter.[19] At the sacrificial place, after Daksha discarded Sati's gifts and humiliated her, she used her cosmic powers and burnt her body.[34] Some texts suggest that before Sati's death, Shakti promised that she will be reborn to a father who merits her respect and remarry Shiva.[36] TheMahabhagavata Purana presents Sati as a fierce warrior. When Shiva prevented Sati from visiting the event, she transformed into the ten fearsomeMahavidya goddesses led byKali, and surrounded him from the ten cardinal directions.[16][37] Seeing his wife's powers, Shiva allowed her.[38] Sati, transformed as Kali, went to the sacrifice and split herself into two entities — one real but invisible and another justChhaya (shadow or clone). Chhaya Sati destroyed the sacred event by jumping into the sacrificial fire, while the "real" Sati is reborn as Parvati.[39][18][40][41] TheBrihaddharma Purana (c. 13th century) narrates the creation of the Mahavidyas but there is no mention of Sati splitting into two. She retains her calming nature after Shiva allowed her.[41][42] The most drastic change in this text is the absence of the self-immolation of Sati. Instead, the text mentions that she cursed her father and quit her body in a Himalayan cave.[41][18] TheKalika Purana does not mention Sati going to the event, instead it is found that Sati left her body using ayogic process, after her niece, Vijaya informed her about the yajna.[18][34]
Another important legend associated with Sati is the formation of theShakta pithas. Shakta pithas are shrines of the Mother Goddess, believed to have enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati. It is believed that an enraged Shiva performed the Tandava dance with Sati's charred body, which led her body to come apart and the pieces fell at different places on earth.[43][44] In a more detailed narration found in some texts, Shiva, crazed with grief, roamed with Sati's corpse throughout the universe, causing universal imbalance. The divinities called upon the godVishnu to restore Shiva to normalcy and calm. Vishnu used hisSudarshana Chakra (discus weapon) to dismember Sati's cadaver, following which Shiva regained his equanimity.[3]
The legend ends with Sati's body being dismembered into many pieces which fell on earth at various places. Several different listings of these holy places, known asShakta pithas, are available; some of these places have become major centres of pilgrimage as they are held by the Goddess-orientedShakta sect to be particularly holy. Besides main Shakta pithas, some small peethas likeBindudham came into existence which are due to Sati's fallen blood drops.
A depressed Shiva returned to his ascetic world while Sati was reborn asParvati, daughter ofHimavat, king of the mountains and personification of theHimalayas, and his wife, Mena. Himavat appreciated Shiva ardently. Consequently, Parvati like Sati, won Shiva over by her penance and married him.[22][45]
The legend ofDaksha Yajna and Sati's self-immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and even had impact on the culture of India. It led to the development of the concept ofShakta pithas and there by strengtheningShaktism. Many stories in Puranas took theDaksha yajna as the reason for its origin. It is an important incident inShaivism resulting in the emergence of goddessParvati in the place of Sati and making Shiva a grihastashrami (house holder) leading to the origin ofGanesha andKartikeya.[47][41]
There are very few shrines in India dedicated to Sati Devi, and Kottiyoor is one of them.The ancientKottiyoor temple inKottiyoor,Kannur, Kerala, is one of the only places in India where Goddess Sati is worshiped as she is. Next to temple's swayambhu linga is theAmmarakallu(അമ്മാറക്കല്ല്), a raised platform with a natural rock structure surrounded by a circular stone boundary, with a brass lamp placed under a traditional palm leaf umbrella. It is believed to be where the goddess immolated herself during the Daksha Yaga. During theshiveli(a temple ritual consisting of “offering food to the members of the [deity's] retinue"), the goddess'sthidambu (the decorated replica of the deity in a temple that is usually taken outside for the purposes like festivals and poojas) is taken to the Ammarakallu in a procession. The Goddess is also venerated during the famedKottiyooor Vyshaka Mahotsavam. The Ammarakallu has also come to be associated with the GoddessParvati, thereby representing both incarnations of the Goddess.
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