Indian
mythology abounds with several stories of
Gods
and Goddesses and their avatars or manifestations; each for a
particular purpose; in order to teach devotees a lesson in story form. While
most of the Devi/Devata stories seem merely entertaining and regale us with
various anecdotes, there are those who are fierce, passionate and
self-determined beyond imagination. One such story is that of Devi Sati.
This month, we bring you the tale of Goddess
Sati
and how she came to be.
Shiva and Sati - Stories from Indian
Mythology
Sati, also known as Dakshayani, is a Hindu Goddess of longevity and marital
felicity. An aspect of
Parvati
or Goddess Adi Shakti, Dakshayani is the first consort of Lord Shiva. Sati
is known to be extremely fiery, with a frightening temper. However, she is
also loving and extremely benevolent by nature.
According to Hindu legend, both Sati and Parvati are aspects of the Devi,
who helped
Shiva
come away from his ascetic isolation and involve himself in Samsara (the
material world). Sati is famous (and sometimes, rather infamous) for the
fact that she immolated herself in the sacrificial fire, when she saw that
her husband was being humiliated. So intense was her love, loyalty and
passion for her husband, that she could not tolerate to live on when he was
being belittled by her own father.
Even today, the controversial practice of Sati is followed in several parts
of rural India – herein, a Hindu widow jumps into her husband's funeral
pyre, as a final act of commitment and loyalty towards her husband. This she
does, in order to uphold her own honor and that of her husband and his
family as well.
The Story of Goddess Sati
Queen Prasuti and her husband, King Daksha, had a desire to beget a
daughter. They approached Daksha's father,
Lord Brahma, for advice and he asked them to meditate on Goddess Adi
Parashakti. The couple immediately donned ochre robes and left the palace,
in order to appease the all-powerful Devi. Traveling deep into the forest,
they located a suitable spot and started meditating on the deity. They
braved harsh weather conditions and quietly sat in meditation, not minding
even the wild animals in the forest.
After testing them for a long time, Devi Adi Parashakti appeared before
them, in an effulgent form, with a thousand hands, holding infinite weapons.
She was draped in a blood red sari and was bedecked in ornaments carved
intricately, studded with gems; wearing a gold armor, a crown. The Devi was
pleased with the couple's devotion and granted them any boon they desired
from her.
Daksha told the Goddess about their long-time desire and asked her for a
daughter. The Devi granted them the boon, saying that she herself would be
born to them. But additionally, she warned them that if she were ever to be
insulted in any way, she would immediately take her original form, disown
everyone and leave their lives forever. Daksha and Prasuti agreed to the
Devi's conditions and, happy to have been granted their boon, returned to
the palace.
As per the boon, Adi Parashakti took human birth and was born to Daksha and
Prasuti. This is why she is known as Dakshayani – Daksha's daughter.
Brahma had so designed that Sati should grow up and marry Lord Shiva. It was
also Adi Parashakti's own will to bring Shiva out of his penance. Even as a
child, Sati adored Shiva and would love to hear stories and legends
associated with him. Sage
Narada
would often come to the palace and regale her with stories of Shiva. As time
went by, Sati's devotion for Shiva grew by leaps and bounds and she had
decided that she would marry only him. She received several proposals from
rich and valiant princes, but she had eyes only for the Lord of
Kailash,
the God of Gods,
Mahadeva.
Sati Wins over Shiva
In order to win over the ascetic Shiva, Sati left the comforts of the palace
and bade goodbye to her parents. Walking into the forest, she decided to
give up herself to severe austerities and the constant worship of Lord
Shiva. Going deeper into meditation, she started by renouncing food and
water. At one point of time, she would eat just one leaf per day. Then she
gave up even that. Her mother visited her in the forest and tried to coax
her to eat, but she refused to touch a morsel. This abstinence gave her the
name Uma. She also decided to do away with her clothing. She braved the
harsh cold and lashing rains in this condition, continuing to meditate only
on her Lord. This earned her the name Aparna.
Her penance finally bore fruit. Realizing the extent of her devotion to him,
Shiva decided to manifest in front of her. Acceding to her wishes, he agreed
to take her as his bride. Sati was happy beyond belief and then returned to
her palace, awaiting the day when Shiva would come and take her away with
him.
Sati's arrogant father Daksha, though, was far less than pleased by this
turn of events. He was a staunch Vaishnavite (devotee of
Vishnu)
and could not bear the fact the fact that his favorite daughter was to wed
someone lowly (in his opinion) such as Shiva. In any case, Sati was firm on
her decision to marry Shiva. She became his wife and then left for Kailash
to be with her husband. Daksha, in the meantime, could not reconcile to the
fact that Shiva was his son-in-law. Hence, he decided to excommunicate his
daughter from the rest of the family.
Daksha Insults Sati and Shiva
Soon after the wedding, Daksha organized a grand yagna (sacrificial ritual)
at his palace, where he invited all Kings, princes, Gods and Goddessees to
attend. He, however, decided not to invite Sati or Shiva. He was still
unhappy about his daughter getting married to who he thought was his arch
enemy and so, he planned to insult them both.
On learning about the yagna, Sati begged Shiva to go with her. Shiva refused
to give in to her wishes. An upset Sati was determined to attend the grand
event and, defying Shiva's wishes, left alone to her father's kingdom. Shiva
had warned her against going there, knowing she would be insulted and
humiliated. However, when Sati would not listen to what he had to say, he
sent his own troops to escort her there.
On seeing her arrive at the yagna, Daksha was furious and started shouting
and yelling at her, hurling insults at her and Shiva. He made it very clear
that neither she nor her husband were ever welcome there. Sati tried to
speak with her father and placate him, relating what a wonderful husband
Shiva was and how happy their marriage was. However, Daksha turned a deaf
ear to all this and just kept shouting at her and humiliating her and Shiva
in front of one and all present there.
Finally, Sati could take it no more. She had warned Daksha and Prasuti in
the past, before she was born to them, that she would desert them if she was
insulted in any way. Accordingly, she flew into a rage and took the form of
Goddess Adi Parashakti. Her family and the kings, saints, sages, Gods and
Goddesses present there were frightened by her terrible form. She introduced
herself to Daksha, saying that she was the Eternal Power and stated that she
would be giving up her mortal life by jumping into the sacrificial fire. She
further cursed Daksha that he would be destroyed by her husband, Shiva. Thus
saying, she entered the sacred fire and ended her own human life.
Shiva Destroys All
Learning about all that happened at Daksha's palace; also deeply saddened by
Sati's death; an enraged and grief-stricken Shiva entered the location of
the yagna and rendered the terrible
Tandava,
the Dance of Destruction. His dance activated the negative cosmic energy to
the extent of destroying everything around.
Later, he pulled out a couple of locks of his hair and threw them on the
ground. From one lock arose Veerabhadra, Shiva's destructive incarnation. He
was dark and frightful, having eight hands, each holding a weapon. From the
second lock of hair arose Bhadrakali, a dark and extremely violent
incarnation of the Supreme Goddess. She had a terrible form with eighteen
hands, each holding weapons such as the trident, discus, spear, mace,
dagger, sword, vajra, conch, bow and arrow and so on.
Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali were a couple, working in tandem to destroy
everything in sight. They were collectively known as Manbhadra. They were
assisted by eight other Goddesses, namely,
Chamundai,
Ishaani, Mundamardini, Bhadra,
Kali,
Katyayani,
Vaishnavi and Twarita. The angry Shiva ordered them to start the process of
destruction.
This is how each of the terrible Goddesses appeared:
1. Kali manifested with four hands, holding a trident, sword, severed demon
head and a drinking vessel.
2. Katyayani, who was riding a lion, had four hands, holding a trident,
sword, lotus and the other hand indicating a gesture of destruction.
3. Chamundai had sixteen hands, holding a trident, sword, discus, conch,
scimitar, mace, skull mace, snake, drum, battle-axe, shield, bow, arrow,
spear, vajra (thunderbolt), drinking vessel, thunderbolt, and severed demon
head.
4. Bhadra had eight hands, holding a sword, hook, trident, discus, conch,
battle-axe, drinking vessel and vajra.
5. Vaishnavi had six hands, holding a sword, lotus, bow and arrow, discus,
conch and mace.
6. Mundamardini had two hands, holding a sword and drinking vessel.
7. Ishaani had eight hands, holding a trident, spear, mace, sword, bow and
arrow, scimitar and battle-axe.
8. Twarita had eight hands, each holding weapons such as the trident, mace,
sword, discus, conch, arrow and shield. This terrible Goddess also rode a
lion.
Daksha was decapitated by Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali. The other eight
Goddesses felled all of Daksha and Bhrigu's armies, Gods, saints and all the
others present there. This horrific destruction continued all night, after
which Shiva finally relented and restored all that was destroyed and brought
back to life all those he had slain. He even brought Daksha back to life and
restored his kingdom. Shiva then substituted Daksha's decapitated head with
that of a goat. Daksha was humbled by both Shiva's show of strength as well
as his grace. He completely changed and became an ardent devotee of Lord
Shiva.
Shiva with Sati's Corpse on His Shoulders
In the meantime, a totally grief-stricken Shiva, carried
Sati's
charred body on his shoulder and roamed all around the world with it.
According to one legend,
Vishnu
dismembered Sati's body, cutting it into 51 pieces, with his Sudarshan
Chakra (discus). He named each one of them Shakti Peethas. As Vishnu
continued cutting them, they fell onto the earth, scattering across
different parts of India. Each of these body parts was a manifestation of
the Supreme Deity, Adi Parashakti. Shiva, who later regained his equanimity,
incarnated as Lord Bhairava, in order to complete the huge task of
protecting and preserving each one of these Peethas.
Several of these holy Shakti Peethas have now become major places of
pilgrimage, pulling in scores of devotees all the year through. These
centers are considered particularly sacred by the Shaktas (sects who
consider Goddess Sakthi as the Supreme Godhead). Some other minor Shakti
Peethas too, such as Bindudham, have become famous, as they are supposed to
have emerged in the places where the Devi's blood drops fell onto the earth.
Shiva, Parvati,
Ganesha and Kartikeya
After this task was completed successfully, Sati was reborn as Parvati, the
daughter of Himavan, King of the Mountains, and his wife Menavati. In this
incarnation, Parvati's father, unlike Daksha, was already an ardent devotee
of Shiva. Right from childhood, Parvati grew to adore and love Shiva and was
always devoted to his worship. In due course of time, she married Shiva
again; then giving birth to the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha and the
spear-wielding Lord Kartikeya.
The Shakti Peethas in Detail
As mentioned above, the Shakti Peethas are places of worship dedicated to
Goddess Shakti or Sati, the Sacred Feminine in Hindu philosophy. She is also
the main deity for those in the Shakta sect. These sacred Peethas are strewn
all over the Indian subcontinent.
The Legend of the Shakti Peethas
Legend has it that Lord Brahma conducted a yagna to please Shakti and Shiva.
Shakti
emerged, as a separate entity from Shiva, in order to help Brahma create the
Universe. Once that was done, Brahma decided to give back Shakti to Shiva.
He therefore asked his son Daksha to perform yagnas to obtain Shakti, with a
view to finally getting her reunited with Shiva. In accordance with his
father's wishes, Daksha performed those yagnas and was graced by Shakti, who
was born to him as Sati.
Unfortunately, Brahma had been cursed by Shiva, because the former had lied
to him. According to the curse, his fifth head would be cut off in front of
Shiva. Due to this, Daksha ended up hating Shiva and so, he refused to let
Sati marry him. Sati, however, was determined that she would marry only
Shiva and had her will. This further incensed Daksha, who insulted both Sati
and Shiva at his yagna, thereby resulting in the ensuing destruction and the
resultant installation of the Shakti Peethas, as mentioned above.
In each of these sacred places, Shakti is accompanied by her consort, Lord
Bhairava, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Shakti, a manifestation of the
Supreme Adi Parashakti, is sometimes considered to be the Mother of the
Trimurti (the Divine Trinity).
The story of Sati holds immense significance in Hindu mythology, literature,
art and culture. It led to the existence of the Shakti Peethas and the
strong emergence of the Shakta cult. Sati is also a precursor to the
emergence of Parvati as a grihastashrami (householder) and the mother of
Ganesha
and
Kartikeya.
Four Adi Shakti Peethas
Some of the major religious treatises such as the
Shiva
Purana, Devi
Bhagavata, Kalika Purana and Astashakti talk of four major Shakti
Peethas. These centers include Bimala (Pada Khanda – inside the Puri
Jagannath
temple, Odisha), Tara Tarini (Sthana Khanda – near Berhampur,
Odisha), Kamakhya Temple (Yoni Khanda – near Guwahati, Assam),
Dakhina
Kalika (Mukha Khanda – at Kolkata, West Bengal).
The 51 Shakti Peethas
Apart from these major centers, there are 51 Shakti Peethas recognized by
all religious texts. These 51 Shakti Peethas link to the 51 alphabets in the
Sanskrit language. Temple locations, however, vary from text to text. Some
treatises state that the body parts were sprinkled all over India, Sri
Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet, Bhutan and Pakistan.
The list of 51 Shakti Peethas are as follows:
1. |
Amarnath |
Jammu and Kashmir |
Throat |
2. |
Attahas |
West Bengal |
Lips |
3. |
Bahula |
West Bengal |
Left Arm |
4. |
Bakreshwar |
West Bengal |
Between the Eyebrows |
5. |
Bhairavparvat |
Madhya Pradesh |
Elbow |
6. |
Bhabanipur |
Bangladesh |
Left Anklet |
7. |
Chinnamastika |
Himachal Pradesh |
Feet |
8. |
Gandaki |
Nepal |
Temple |
9. |
Bhadrakali |
Maharashtra |
Chin |
10. |
Hinglaj or Hingula |
Pakistan |
Brahmarandhra |
11. |
Jayanti |
Meghalaya |
Left Thigh |
12. |
Jessoreswari |
Bangladesh |
Palms and Soles |
13. |
Jwalaji |
Himachal Pradsesh |
Tongue |
14. |
Kalipeeth |
West Bengal |
Right Toes |
15. |
Kalmadhav |
Madhya Pradesh |
Left Buttock |
16. |
Kamgiri |
Assam |
Genitals |
17. |
Kankalitala |
West Bengal |
Bones |
18. |
Kanyashram |
Tamil Nadu |
Back |
19. |
Karnat |
Himachal Pradesh |
Both Ears |
20. |
Kireet |
West Bengal |
Crown |
21. |
Anandamayee |
West Bengal |
Right Shoulder |
22. |
Bhramari |
West Bengal |
Left Leg |
23. |
Manas |
Tibet |
Right Hand |
24. |
Manibandh |
Rajasthan |
Wrists |
25. |
Mithila |
Nepal |
Left Shoulder |
26. |
Nainativu |
Sri Lanka |
Silambu or Anklets |
27. |
Near Pashupatinath |
Nepal |
Both Knees |
28. |
Chandranath Hill |
Bangladesh |
Right Arm |
29. |
Panchsagar |
Uttarakhand |
Lower Teeth |
30. |
Prabhas |
Gujarat |
Stomach |
31. |
Prayag |
Uttar Pradesh |
Finger |
32. |
Kurukshetra |
Haryana |
Ankle Bone |
33. |
Ramgiri |
Uttar Pradesh |
Right Breast |
34. |
Sainthia |
West Bengal |
Necklace |
35. |
Sarvashail |
Andhra Pradesh |
Cheeks |
36. |
Naina Devi |
Uttarakhand |
Eyes |
37. |
Shondesh |
Madhya Pradesh |
Right Buttock |
38. |
Shri Parvat |
Andhra Pradesh |
Right Anklet |
39. |
Shri Shail |
Bangladesh |
Neck |
40. |
Shuchi |
Tamil Nadu |
Upper Teeth |
41. |
Sugandha |
Bangladesh |
Nose |
42. |
Udaipur |
Tripura |
Right Leg |
43. |
Ujaani |
West Bengal |
Right Wrist |
44. |
Varanasi |
Uttar Pradesh |
Earring |
45. |
Vibhash |
West Bengal |
Left Ankle |
46. |
Virat |
Rajasthan |
Left Toes |
47. |
Vrindavan |
Uttar Pradesh |
Ringlets of hair |
48. |
Jalandhar |
Punjab |
Left Breast |
49. |
Baidyanath Dham |
Jharkhand |
Heart |
50. |
Biraja Temple |
Odisha |
Navel |
51. |
Jugaadya |
West Bengal |
Big Toe |
The 18 Maha Shakti Peethas
While the exact number and locations of Shakti Peethas are yet in dispute,
there are some Maha Shakti Peethas that are absolutely certain. These are as
follows:
1. |
Sankari Peetham |
Trincomalee |
Heart |
2. |
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham |
Kanchipuram |
Eyes |
3. |
Pradyumna Peetham |
West Bengal |
Stomach |
4. |
Krounja Peetham |
Mysore |
Hair |
5. |
Yogini Peetham |
Telangana |
Upper Teeth |
6. |
Srisaila Peetham |
Srisailam |
Part of Neck |
7. |
Shri Peetham |
Kolhapur |
Left Hand |
8. |
Renuka Peetham |
Maharashtra |
Part of Back |
9. |
Ujjaini Peetham |
Ujjain |
Tongue |
10. |
Pushkarini Peetham |
Andhra Pradesh |
Peeta |
11. |
Oddyana Peetham |
Odisha |
Right Hand |
12. |
Draksharama Peetham |
Andhra Pradesh |
Navel |
13. |
Kamarupa Peetham |
Guwahati |
Genitals |
14. |
Prayaga Peetham |
Prayag |
Fingers |
15. |
Jwalamukhi Peetham |
Himachal Pradesh |
Part of Head |
16. |
Gaya Peetham |
Gaya |
Part of Breast |
17. |
Varanasi Peetham |
Varanasi |
Throat |
18. |
Saraswati Peetham |
Kashmir |
Lips |
The Shakti Peethas at Kamakhya, Gaya and Ujjain are considered the most
important, because they symbolize the most vital aspects of the Supreme Adi
Parashakti, namely, Creation (Kamarupa), Preservation (Sarvamangala) and
Annihilation (Mahakali).
The Sharada Peetham is now no longer in existence and lies in ruins near the
LoC (Line of Control) between India and Pakistan. Instead, the Sringeri
Sharada Peetham in Karnataka is doing the work of propagating the worship of
the Goddess. This, though, is not one of the Shakti Peethas.
In Hindu Literature and Worship
- According to the Ramcharitmanas, during the Treta Yuga, Shiva and
Sati together visited Rishi Agastya. The sage narrated to them the story
of Lord Rama, one of the major avatars of Shri Maha Vishnu. Shiva wanted
to meet Rama, but Sati, who did not realize his true divinity, wondered
why her husband was so keep to meet a mere human being.
Shiva soon got a glimpse of Rama and was overtaken with love and
adoration for him. Though Sati did not say anything at the time, she
wondered why Shiva was so overwhelmed seeing this handsome prince.
However, Shiva, being omniscient, understood what was going on in Sati's
mind. He asked her to go ahead and test Rama's divinity.
Rama, in the meantime, realized that Sati was planning to test him and
was amused thinking of what was to come next. Sati assumed the form of
Sita, Rama's wife, and approached him. Rama, however, merely smiled at
her and asked her how Shiva was doing and why she was roaming in the
forest alone, without her husband. After that incident, Sati beat a
hasty retreat and returned to Shiva. She was sad and repentant that she
had doubted both her husband and Rama.
Knowing that Sati was sad, Rama
decided he would entertain her and bring her back to her usual cheerful
mood. He gave Sati a darshan of himself along with Sita and his brother,
Lakshmana. Sati saw them walking in front of her. She turned back
hearing a sound and found them at the back as well. Wherever she looked,
Sati found Rama, all the deities and the entire creation within him.
This opened her eyes and made her realize the divinity that was Rama.
Happy again, she returned to Shiva, also adoring Rama for life.
- Rishi Markandeya composed the Devi Saptashati, containing seven
hundred hymns, extolling the virtues of the Goddess presiding the Shakti
Peetha in Nashik. They say that the idol there is also leaning a little
to the left, in order to listen to the sage's composition. These set of
"Durga Stutii" hymns constitute an integral part of Vedic Shakti
worship.
- Another legend has it that the third eye of Goddess Sati fell below a
tree in a mortuary in the Ishan corner of Vakreshwar. Here, the deity is
referred to as Chandi Bhagwai Ugra Tara. This Shakti Peetha is called Tarapith
and is located in Birbhum district of West Bengal. The Devi's consort,
Bhairava, gives darshan in the form of Chandrachur in this temple.
- Some believe that the 64 Peethas of the Devi actually preserve the
mortal remains of some great, unknown, ancient female saint or yogic
practitioner. According to these sources, the legend of Kali could have
evolved from her story and then merged with the current Hindu
Purusha-Prakriti (static-dynamic; male-female) concept of Shiva and
Shakti.
- The Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam is a 27-day yagna festival, which is
conducted in the jungle area in North Kerala. This festival commemorates
the Daksha Yaga. It is believed that this was the location of the actual
yagna of Daksha and that Devi Sati self-immolated on this very spot. The
poojas and other rituals conducted here were prescribed by
Shri Adi Sankaracharya himself.
Sati's Perception of Life
Why did Sati have to take her own life? Why could she not have walked away
when her father insulted her and her husband? Was it all really worth her
taking her own life for such a seemingly insignificant reason?
There are several versions and even more interpretations on the story of
Devi Sati. Each one of these versions also contains a hidden lesson one
could probably learn from. It all depends on how we look at it; from what
perspective.
Sati's life was one which involved tremendous self-discipline and performing
severe austerities, such as meditation, fasting and adhering to yogic
vidhis. However, the difference between her and other yogis/yoginis was that
she did not want to renounce anything. Quite on the contrary, she wished to
attain her desire – that of marrying Lord Shiva. At the time that Sati was
longing for him, Shiva was against material love in any form and actually
detested the idea of falling in love. He was an ascetic, who had given up
the samsara in its entirety.
Daksha was very much averse to Sati marrying Shiva. He did not like the
latter's appearance, behavior and the way in which he carried on with his
life. Daksha was only devoted to Vishnu and hated Shiva. He was also highly
materially inclined and loved to enjoy the various luxuries that samsara had
to offer. He was highly religious and hence, Sati grew up in a religious,
orthodox environment. However, she was drawn towards asceticism from a very
young age and finally went on to marry an ascetic, who shunned any and all
forms of religion. Hence, her entire function in this story was to bring the
two opposing forces together.
Daksha and Shiva never saw eye-to-eye on anything. Eventually, however, it
was Sati's death; her ultimate self-sacrifice; that ended the conflict
between her father and her husband. Her death, which may have seemed like a
negative occurrence, was the one that finally restored peace on earth.
Hence, Sati giving up her own life can be viewed as a sort of extension of
the yogic inclinations, which she had held on to, all her life. The Shiva
Purana mentions that she did not actually burn in the fire, but rather, let
the "yogic fire" present in her, consume her. When she was taking her own
life, she was well aware how much she would be hurting her beloved husband.
However, she also knew that she would come back in another life as Parvati
and that she would again unite with Shiva. In this way,
She knew that her death was one with purpose and that each part of her
severed body would serve to protect the dharma, and sanctify places as they
fell onto the earth. In this way, the earth itself could be seen as the
embodiment of Devi Sati. As the Universal Supreme Mother, Devi Sati is
responsible for maintaining the process of creation, preservation and
destruction. Her life symbolizes the philosophy that what is born must die
and death ultimately goes on to create new life. By punishing Daksha for his
pride and impudence, she also reinstates dharma back on earth.
Lastly, Sati is responsible for luring
Shiva
from his ascetic isolation and actively into samsara. However, once she had
achieved that goal, she remained an ascetic at heart; in spite of continuing
to enjoy marital bliss. In both life and in death, she worked to get the
male-female forces of Purusha and Prakriti together, in order to restore
balance in the cosmos.