Satyavati: A Woman of Myth and Majesty
Satyavati, the queen of the Kuru kingdom, played a pivotal role in the Mahabharata, the ancient Indian epic. Born as the daughter of a fisherman chieftain named Dasharaja, she grew up along the Yamuna River, known for a peculiar odor due to a curse that transformed her celestial nymph mother into a fish. This earned her the name Matsyagandha, or “She who smells like fish.” As a young woman, she encountered the sage Parashara, who fathered her son Vyasa. Blessed with a musky fragrance, Satyavati later married King Shantanu, bearing him two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Despite unscrupulous means, her strategic prowess and ambition shaped the destiny of the Kuru lineage.
After Shantanu’s death, Satyavati’s sons ruled with the assistance of Bhishma, and she orchestrated the niyoga practice to ensure the continuation of the royal lineage through Vyasa. The resulting heirs, Dhritarashtra and Pandu, became the ancestors of the Kauravas and Pandavas. Following Pandu’s demise, Satyavati retreated to the forest, concluding a life marked by both praised foresight and criticized ambition.
Literary Sources and Names
Satyavati is a character in the Mahabharata, and in later stories like the Harivamsa and Devi-Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Devi Bhagavatam), more details about her are revealed. She goes by various names such as Daseyi, Gandhakali, Kali, Matysyagandha, Satya, Vasavi, and Yojanagandha. “Daseyi,” a term used by her stepson Bhishma, means part of the Dasa or Kaivartta clan. Vasavi signifies “daughter of King Vasu,” while her birth name Kali reflects her dark complexion. Satyavati, meaning “truthful,” and Matsyagandha, or Matsyagandhi, were names associated with her earlier life, and in later years, she was known as Gandhakali, Gandhavati, Kastu-gandhi, and Yojanagandha.
Birth and Early Life
In a previous life, Satyavati was Achchoda, the daughter of ancestors, cursed to be born on Earth. The Mahabharata, Harivamsa, and Devi Bhagavata Purana tell a tale of her being the offspring of Adrika, a celestial nymph turned fish due to a curse. During a hunting expedition, King Vasu had a dream of his wife, leading to a nocturnal emission sent by an eagle. In a mid-air battle, the semen fell into the Yamuna river, swallowed by the cursed Adrika-fish, which later became pregnant.
A fisherman caught the pregnant fish, discovering two babies inside – a boy and a girl. The king kept the boy, Matsya, who grew up to establish the Matsya Kingdom. The fisherman raised the girl, Matsya-gandha, also called Kali, due to her dark complexion. Eventually named Satyavati, she helped her father, a ferryman, in his boat. Despite attempts to link her to Kshatriya origin, Satyavati’s origins remained rooted in this captivating tale of royal lineage and mystical beginnings.
Seduction by Parashara and Birth of Vyasa
Long ago, according to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, a sage named Parashara needed to cross the river Yamuna. Satyavati, a ferrywoman, assisted him. However, Parashara, driven by lust, tried to persuade Satyavati. Despite her initial resistance, she agreed, urging him to wait until they reached the other side. Parashara’s persistence led Satyavati to make a unique request – that their encounter should be pleasurable and her body transformed. Miraculously, she became Yojanagandha, exuding the fragrance of musk, earning the name Kasturi-Gandha.
To maintain her virginity, Satyavati extracted promises from Parashara, including the secrecy of their union. The Mahabharata simplifies the story, mentioning only two wishes – her virginity and everlasting sweet fragrance. Satisfied with the encounter, Satyavati gave birth the same day on a Yamuna island to a son named Krishna, later known as Vyasa. He matured instantly and pledged to aid his mother whenever she called. Vyasa went on to become a revered figure, compiling the Vedas, writing the Puranas, and crafting the Mahabharata, fulfilling the sage’s prophecy. After this, Satyavati returned home to assist her father.
Marriage with Shantanu
Once upon a time, Shantanu, the king of Hastinapur, ventured into the forest for a hunting expedition. The enchanting fragrance of musk led him to Satyavati’s dwelling, where he fell deeply in love with her at first sight. Determined to make her his queen, Shantanu approached Dashraj, the fisherman-chief and Satyavati’s father, seeking her hand in marriage. However, Dashraj imposed a unique condition – he agreed only if Satyavati’s sons were to inherit the throne.
Devavrata, Shantanu’s son from Goddess Ganga, was already named the heir, leading to a dilemma. Distressed by his father’s predicament, Devavrata learned about Dashraj’s condition and hastened to the fisherman-chief’s abode. Pleading on behalf of his father, Devavrata faced rejection as Dashraj insisted that only Shantanu was worthy of Satyavati, who had turned down even Brahmarishis like Asita.
In a selfless act, Devavrata renounced his claim to the throne, paving the way for Satyavati’s future son to ascend. However, Dashraj expressed concern that Devavrata’s children might contest his grandson’s right to rule. In a moment of intense determination, Devavrata took a solemn vow of Brahmacharya, embracing celibacy to eliminate any future disputes. Henceforth known as Bhishma, meaning “the One whose vows are terrible,” he was granted Satyavati’s hand in marriage.
Satyavati, now the queen of Hastinapur, was presented to Shantanu by Bhishma. In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, it is revealed that Satyavati’s first-born, Vyasa, laments his abandonment by his mother immediately after birth. Driven by a desire to reunite with her, Vyasa returns to Hastinapur, discovering that Satyavati has ascended to the throne as queen.
Birth of Children and Grandchildren
After Shantanu and Satyavati’s marriage, they had two sons: Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Following Shantanu’s death, Bhishma, in the Harivamsa, faced a challenge from Ugrayudha Paurava, who demanded Satyavati in exchange for wealth during the mourning period. Bhishma defeated Ugrayudha, who lost his power due to his inappropriate desires. The Mahabharata, however, doesn’t mention this event, focusing on Bhishma crowning Chitrangada as king. Chitrangada later died at the hands of a gandharva.
After Chitrangada’s death, Vichitravirya, his younger brother, became king with Bhishma ruling on his behalf. Vichitravirya married Ambika and Ambalika, princesses won by Bhishma in a Swayamvara. Unfortunately, Vichitravirya died young from tuberculosis, leaving no heir. Satyavati requested Bhishma to marry the widows and rule, but Bhishma, bound by a vow of bachelorhood, refused. Satyavati then revealed her past encounter with Parashara to Bhishma and urged him to call her son Vyasa for help.
Satyavati persuaded Vyasa to practice niyoga with the widows for the dynasty’s sake. In the Mahabharata, Vyasa agreed immediately, while in the Devi Bhagavata Purana, he initially refused, considering it a sinful act. Satyavati, emphasizing the dynasty’s preservation, convinced Vyasa to agree reluctantly.
Vyasa first approached Ambika, and during coitus, she closed her eyes, resulting in her son Dhritarashtra being born blind but strong. Satyavati deemed this heir unworthy and asked Vyasa to have niyoga with Ambalika. Ambalika, pale with fear of Vyasa’s appearance, bore Pandu. Satyavati, dissatisfied, sent Vyasa again to Ambika, but she substituted a Shudra maid. This maid, unafraid and respectful, bore Vidura. Vyasa revealed the deception to Satyavati before disappearing.
This complex sequence of events showcases the intricate family dynamics and struggles for succession in the Mahabharata.
Last Days
Dhritarashtra, due to his blindness, and Vidura’s unconventional birth, led to Pandu becoming the king of Hastinapur. However, a sage cursed Pandu, rendering him unable to have children. Consequently, Pandu renounced the kingdom, seeking the forest with his wives Kunti and Madri. In the woods, Kunti invoked gods through niyoga, and thus, the Pandavas, or “sons of Pandu,” were born. Tragically, Pandu passed away in the forest, and Madri chose to end her life alongside her husband.
Returning to Hastinapur, Kunti brought the Pandavas with her. Satyavati, grief-stricken by her grandson’s premature death, no longer wished to live. Following Pandu’s funeral rites, Vyasa, a sage, forewarned Satyavati of impending doom in the dynasty, causing her great distress. Upon Vyasa’s advice, Satyavati, along with her daughters-in-law Ambika and Ambalika, embarked on penance in the forest.
In the midst of their solitude, Satyavati passed away and ascended to heaven, soon followed by her daughters-in-law. Vyasa’s foresight had indicated that the dynasty’s happiness would be short-lived, paving the way for tragic events and the ultimate destruction of her kin.
