Sati is one of the most uncomfortable topics for Indians. My school textbooks told me that this was an evil practice ended by benevolent British officers who ruled us. It gave me the impression that every woman burnt on her husband’s pyre. I looked at my widowed grandmother, the person I was closest to, and wondered if she was saved because of the law enacted by the Britishers.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was another figure that my textbooks told me to be thankful to. So, I grew up believing all this. As I traveled around, I discovered Sati stones in many museums across the country. They had one of their hands raised in Abhay mudra. There were many of them but still not enough for every woman who would have followed her husband. I mean if every woman was committing Sati, and a stone was erected for each of them, our country should be full of such stones. I knew something was amiss.
Then, I happened to visit some Sati Temples. Here, I heard and read the stories of the women who were being worshipped as Kula Devis or as Dadi Satis. Most of them were not burnt alive with their husbands. However, each of them had done some heroic deed that kept the Kula or the family alive. Some lost their lives in the process and some lived on. So, Satis were essentially heroic women who were being worshipped by their descendants.
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At one of these temples, I spoke to some people who had witnessed the last known Sati committed by Roop Kanwar in Rajasthan, in the 1980s. They said the young lady was determined to commit Sati and no amount of persuasion could dissuade her. She did not scream or make any discomfort visible while doing the Sati. This is just one data point I had from a witness of Sati.
Slowly, I realized, I just have glimpses of Sati Pratha or practice, and not enough data to have an opinion on Sati. Then, I read the story of Sati Savitri in Mahabharat. She was called Sati not because she burnt herself on her husband’s pyre but because she brought her husband back from Yama, the devata of death who was taking him away.
The word Sati itself comes from Sati – the daughter of Daksha Prajapati who married Shiva against her father’s wishes. She then burnt herself in a Yagna where her husband was not invited. She did it not to follow her husband but to defend his honour and respect. Her body is till now worshipped as Shaktipeethas.
So, this created image of women burning on their husbands’ pyres started crumbling in my head. There was much more to it. Then, I came across the book Sati by Dr. Meenakshi Jain, whose earlier books on Ram and Ayodhya & Flight of Deities had made a considerable impact on me. I picked up the book to know more about the subject.
Sati during the Colonial Era
The book focuses only on the colonial times. Based on the hundreds of chronicles written by British officers, she collects data and questions the numbers quoted by the British to enact a law prohibiting Sati. She argues that the numbers were randomly thrown to make a case for prohibition.
I understand it may be very disturbing for someone not from the culture to see an alive person burning with their partner. It may be nearly impossible to believe that such an act is completely voluntary. Couple it with their history of witch-hunting, and you have a correlation. I also understand their curiosity to visit several Sati incidents around them.
Why would they quote numbers far higher than actual incidents? Was it a part of a political move to govern India or was it a part of a conversion strategy? Well, I will let you read the book to find answers.
Rare Incidents
Dr. Jain also points out that the incidents of Sati were rare. Not counting exceptions, the families of the woman who decided to commit Sati did all they could to pursue the lady to not go ahead. They made her aware of her responsibility towards her children or others in the family. However, once decided, they rarely changed their decision.
The book is full of first-hand witness accounts from British officers who witnessed the Sati. Many officers spoke to the women, and most of them clearly told them that if not allowed to die with their husbands, they would starve themselves to death. Many of them also showed their resolve by keeping their finger or arms on a burning flame without blinking an eye as their flesh melted. There was a time when they needed to take permission to commit Sati. Officers tried to delay the permission, but it never deterred the lady.
Understanding the Practice
Recently, I heard one of the ladies of one of the royal families of Rajasthan on TV saying this – ‘If someone is being forced to commit Sati, I will do everything to stop that. But, if the lady wants to commit Sati because of the ‘Sat’ that has manifested in her, I will respect her and pay my respects’. I think she beautifully summed up the state or the society’s reaction as it would have been practiced.
I have some clarity on the origin, history, and journey of Sati practice in India. This book zoomed in on the colonial period when all the laws of the day had their origin. It in fact includes the laws as they exist today. I wonder how many of us are aware of it just like many other laws.
Read it if you want to understand the genesis and legal framework of Sati practice.
