SATI
The origin of Sati is not
definitely known, but generally it has been ascribed to the self-immolation
of God Shiva's wife, Sati. She, on finding that her husband was not invited
by her father, Daksha, for some Yaga, to which he had invited all the other
deities, created a fire out of her innate powers and immolated herself in front
of the guests.
Sati is
of great antiquity but was not favored from ancient times by all legists.
All the ancient scriptures disagree with sati and say that one should not
die before ones' destined time. Sati was mentioned by Vishnu (100-200 A.D.)
as the other alternative for a woman after her husband's death if she is
not able to lead a chaste life.
In spite of the
disapproval, we find that in the Mahabharatha, that Madri burnt herself
on the funeral pyre of her husband. In the sixth century, Sati was practiced
in the South as well. In the Tamil literary work Silapathikaram, it is mentioned
that Kanaki went with her husband to Madurai. There Kovalan was wrongly
accused of stealing one of the anklets of the Queen. The king, without further
enquiry ordered the man to be prosecuted.
When Kanaki heard of this,
she committed Sati after cursing the city. During the Chola period in the South,
women voluntarily committed Sati saying that if they lived after their husband's
death they would be enslaved by their co-wives, or would be misused by the men
of their place and so on. But pregnant woman were not allowed to commit sati.
Sati appears to have continued
during the Mughal rule too, and Akbar tried to abolish this system but in vain.The
ritual of Sati goes on like this; When a man dies, his corpse is taken to the
cremation ground, his wife accompanying it, attired in the best garments with
her friends and kindred. Once
the crematorium is reached, a fire was lit and after circumambulating the spot,
she sits near the body and wails for her husband and then rejoices on the act
that she is able to accompany her husband in death.
Then the people tie her
on the pile and throw oil and dry sticks over it once the pyre is lit.
In the town of Surat, even
girls below 10 years who had child marriages were forced to perform sati just
because the man to whom they were betrothed has been dead. Law at last after
so many centuries abolished the usage of sati on December 4, 1829, in British
India but it still seems to be there with one or two cases having been reported
after the enforcement of the law.
JAUHAR
Hindu women, to escape
from the hands of the invaders, particularly the Muslims, resorted to Jauhar,
with whom they did not want to have any contact. This is a variation of Sati,
in that, in Sati, the woman is forced to die whereas in the case of Jauhar,
the woman voluntarily vows to die.
Women often executed Jauhar when
they were besieged and their men decide to face their foes and fight to death.
But like sati it was not made compulsory, for many Rajput women, among those
who suffered by an enemy confrontation did not commit Jauhar.
TULAPURUSHADANA
The Tulapurushadana or the
royal weighment was a ceremony observed by kings and also by lesser people.
It implied a gift, equal to the weight of a man in gold and later with precious
metals and other objects. It was one of the sixteen great gifts, which have
been mentioned in the Puranas.
Rukmini placing a Tulsi
leaf in a weighing scale while Krishna sat in the other pan is an example of
this in mythology. This ceremonious gift of the Tulapurushadana is also referred
in the Tamil classic, Silapathikaram.This practice is observed even today by
the common in fulfilling a vow made for the sake of children or some sickness
or some sin, etc, in holy places and shrines. Akbar, during his solar anniversary
was weighed against gold, silver, silk, perfumes, copper, drugs, ghee, iron,
rice, seven kinds of grain and salt. These items were then distributed to the
courtiers or the poor and beggars or prisoners, as a means of keeping away the
royal person free from bodily and mental harm.
DHAMA
A system of coercion to
exact or enforce one's demands in private and public life has been known in
India from antiquity. It was called by Indian legists, ACHARITA or as it is
now called in a new garb, Gherao. Sitting at the door of a debtor, or fasting
or the creditor starving him to death can be taken as an example for the act
of Dharna. Sometimes bribes could break up a dharna no matter how powerful it
had been. Not only the common people but even the ruler, the ministers, the
courtiers sometimes resort to dharna to have their demands met. Sitting on the
door of the debtor and starving oneself to death may frighten the debtor as
he would think that the creditor may die and his ghost shall haunt his house.
Sometimes the creditor may try to immolate himself near the debtor or at times
may carry a heavy unbearable stone on him until the debtor arranges some way
to repay. Dharna is very much in vogue today with various unions and establishments
going to the streets with out taking any food or without doing any work until
their demands are met.
SVAYAMVARA
Svayamvara means choosing
one's husband, oneself, in an open assembly. These days though women have the
right to choose their husbands according to their own wish, it can't be termed
svayamvara, as it is not the practice of choosing from a wide choice of men
on one go. Such a selection is often made after a grand exhibition of strength,
skill and such things, which marked out the candidate in a large crowd of eligible
competitors. The maiden is usually a full-grown woman who could make her own
choice, using her own free will, discretion and judgment. Such a system of choosing
one's mate has been in vogue in India from antiquity.
In India, the svayamvara
has been known from the days of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. In the former
epic, we learn how the great hero and bowman Arjun won in an open tourney, the
hands of Draupadi. The same epic tells about the choice of Damayanti, who, in
an open assembly, selected her husband, the great Nala, preferring him to the
gods Agni, Varuna and Indra. In the Ramayana, Rama won Sita; the daughter of
King Janaka, in an open competition by bending the great bow, the weapon of
god Shiva which none could bend.
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