Guest guest Posted February 13, 2002 Report Share Posted February 13, 2002 nora, dear one! i like to share with you something on the practice of *SUTTEE* which i came across recently. please read on.... SUTEE OR SATI---Widows jumping into funeral pyre of the fallen husbands ====================================================================== ====== By Ed Viswanathan arvind-4 ====================================================================== ====== SATI or SUTEE is the most horrendous act of widows killing themselves jumping into the funeral pyre of their dead husbands, sometimes willfully and sometimes forcefully by others. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SUTEE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HINDUISM. TO SAY SATI IS PART OF HINDUISM, IS LIKE SAYING SALEM WITCH HUNT AND SPANISH KILLING OF MAYANS HAS TO DO WITH TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST. ====================================================================== ====== There is not even one scriptural statement in thousands of Hindu scriptures concerning SATI. On the contrary, according to the funeral hymns in RIGVEDA, there is a ceremony of widow sleeping next to the corpse of the dead husband and then being allowed to marry anyone she pleases. ====================================================================== ====== In the epic Ramayana, after Lord Rama's father king Dasaratha died, none of his three wives practiced SATI. In Ramyana, when the monkey- king BALI died, his wife TARA married his brother SUGREEVA. When the demon king RAVANA got killed, his wife MANDODHARI did not kill herself. SUTTEE has nothing to do with the self-immolation of SATI, consort of Lord Siva [ King Daksh's daughter]---SUTTEE has nothing do with the sucide of MADRI, wife of King Pandu in Mahabharata. ====================================================================== ====== There are not even one act of SATI in the whole epic poem of MAHABHRATA where thousands of men got killed. I CHALLENGE ANYONE OUT THERE TO SHOW ME ONE INCIDENT OF SUTTEE IN THE HINDU SCRIPTURES. The act of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna killing themselves after the demise of Krishna have nothing to do with SUTTEE. ====================================================================== ====== THEN WHERE DID SUTTEE CAME FROM? Sutee has its roots in Greece. Pyre services similar to Sutee were prevalent among Germans, Slavs and other races besides Greeks. The practice of SUTEE came to India through KUSHANS in 1 A.D. ====================================================================== ====== WHO PRACTICED SUTEE IN INDIA? It was RAJPUTS a warrior tribe who were descendants of KUSHANS and who were very fanatic Hindus and who were extremely monogamous who practiced SUTEE. ====================================================================== ====== WHY DID THEY PRACTICE? Rajputs were in constant wars within themselves and were also war with Moslems. So there were thousands of young widows and they feared that it is dangerous to have thousands of young, extremely beautiful widows running around and they went were the extreme measure of eliminating them. MOSLEMS had the same problem and they solved that by POLYGAMY, having four wives. ====================================================================== ====== WHAT HAPPENED SUTEE? In 1829, British government in India, outlawed SUTEE as a criminal offense. Sutee was never ever practiced in South India. Copycats appear now and then, but believe me vast majority of people have nothing to do with SUTEEE. ====================================================================== Even though Rajputs are Aryans, they only a minute section of Aryans. Rajputs lived in Northwestern parts of India. Rajputs was a very fanatical Hindu tribes who practiced VERY STRICT MONOGAMY and at the same time in constant wars with Moslems. Rajputs lost many young men in wars and they had a big population of very young widows. ********************************************************************** According to Hindu theologians sacrifices similar to Sati was prevalent among some Greek tribes, Germans and Slavs. Many believe that Sati came to India, when Kushans, a central Asian tribe attacked India in 1 A.D. As far as I know, Sati was never practiced in South India. You may still hear occasional reports of Sati, that are stupid "copy-cats" trying to bring up that stupid ancient custom for their own personal material needs. ====================================================================== ed vishwanathan- am i a hindu! ********************************************************************** i am not supporting the crude practice of 'suttee' - it is by no means justified. it is unholy and criminal! shri raja roman mohan roy, a social reformer was instrumental in 'baNNing' this cruel custom. MY WHOLE POINT IS- lord shiva and his divine consort 'sati' are inseperable- they are 'united;' in flesh and spirit! ********************************************************************** i really liked the second part of your post -beautiful -great ! keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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