Satî

See also: Sati

In the Hindu epopee of the Mahâbhârata, Satî , which bears also the name of Dakshayani , is elder girls of Prasuti and Daksha. She likes Shiva, but her father, Daksha, which is disputed with the god, prohibited to them Mariage.

Satî passes in addition to and Daksha is avenged by inviting all the gods except Shiva with a sacrifice dedicated to Vishnou. Satî is thrown in sacrificial fire to wash the affront made with her husband. Shiva, having learned it, precipitates with the palate, kills a great number of guests and decapitates Daksha, replacing to him later the head with that of a Chèvre. Satî reappears then in the form of Pârvatî and thus finds her husband.

The satî is, consequently, also the name of the Sacrifice of the widows who throw themselves in the crematory Bûcher of their husband.

It will be noticed however that Satî is not widowed when it is thrown in fire. Moreover, in the Atharva-Veda, the fourth Veda , where the rites of the funerary ceremony are exposed, it is not made any mention, nor especially regulation, of the satî : it indicates that the widow must go up on roughing-hew it funerary, to lie down near her husband, then to go down again before the cremation does not start.

The wives of the warriors Rajpout be were familiar of the “ satî ”. One often discovers at the entry of the forts of the the Rajasthan of the symbols of hands indicating the number of widows of high ranking having practiced the satî at the time of an historical event related to the history of this fort (15 at the height of Jodhpur for example).

1812 sees official the initial reaction of the English administration which, by the person of sound General governor, lays down the following rules bound for the police officers:

to prevent, as much as possible, all the pressures exerted on the Hindu women on behalf of their close relations, of the Brahmans or other people, aiming inciting them with immoler,
to prevent the criminal uses of drugs and liquors for the achievement of this object,
to make sure that the woman has well the minimum age required by the “Hindu laws” for the sacrifice,
to get information, as far as possible, about a possible pregnancy of the woman
and at preventing the cremation in this case of it.

However, in 1818, one does not count less than 839 cases of satî to the Bengal, including 544 in the sector of Calcutta, which was regarded as a “epidemic” of satî in reaction to the claim of the British to interfere into the religious practices. The colonial power then will adopt a position in withdrawal concerning the religious problems while observing the possible evolutions of the Indian company which could go in its direction. The ten years which follow precisely see the formation of two camps opposed on the problem of the satî , Mrityunjay Vidyalankar and the social reformer RAM Mohan Roy joining that of the adversaries of this practice. The December 4th 1829, the General governor Lord William Bentick of the Presidency of Bengal, constant RAM Mohan Roy, promulgates the Sati Prevention Regulation Act prohibiting the practice. It is quickly followed by the other presidencies of the India, Madras and Bombay.

Discusses on the origin of the sati

The legend of Sati, marries of Shiva or that of Sita, marries Rowed are often evoked to justify the origin of the sati. However, it will be noticed that Sati as Sita are not widowed when they decide to go up on roughing-hew it.

Nevertheless, Savitri offers its carnal envelope so that its atman joins that of her husband.

The Véda do not mention sacrifice of the widows. The Arthava Veda which exposes the rite of the cremation of deaths, precise that the widow was to go up on roughing-hew it, to lie down near his/her husband, then to go down again.

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