Shiva Sati story (What the Shiva Purana actually says)

February 17, 2002

Namaste to adi_shakthi and everyone in the group!

>colin, dear one, thanks for doing all the 'leg' work on the

>authencity of the web version of the SAti story.

I'm glad that what I wrote was of interest.

>here are some questions i want to ask all of you?

>1) what do you learn from the 'sati' story.

I think that there is more than one meaning or lesson here. How each of us

reads it depends on which character we focus on (Daksha, Shiva, or Sati

herself),I as well as on which version(s) of the story we look at, and on

our own interests and concerns.

I'll focus now on Sati herself. To understand what her response to Daksha's

yajna, I think it's necessary to look at where she is coming from -- her

life up till that point. And also at where she is going to, in her next

incarnation as Parvati.

In all versions of the story that I know of, Sati's early life is one of

great self-discipline, expressed in fasting, meditation and yogic

austerities. The point of her yoga is not renunciation of all desire, but

attainment of her desire for Shiva. According to the Kalika Purana, Shiva

is originally very averse to the idea of loving of woman. Sati does win

Shiva's love, they marry, and they are very happy together.

(I must say here that I don't find the anecodote from the Ramayana very

relevant. It may tell us how Shiva and Sati have been seen by devotees of

Rama and Sita. But I am much more interested in how they have been seen by

_their own_ devotees. So I would give much greater weight to the Shiva

Purana and the Kalika Purana.)

When Sati gives up her life, it can been seen as a continuation of her

yogic austerity. The Shiva Purana in fact says that she burned her body to

ashes 'by yogic means'. It is a remarkable act, because she not only

renouncing her own present happiness, she is also taking away (for the

present) the happiness of her beloved husband. Yet when she leaves the

world she is determined to return to it. She is going to come back as

Parvati. Again she will win the love of Lord Shiva. The difference is that

the couple will be fully accepted by Parvati's relatives.

The nuclear family, husband and kids, is not all that Sati desires. She

needs to be part of a harmonious extended family, a community based on

kinship. Daksha's position makes it impossible for her, as Sati, to realize

this aspiration. She will realize it as Parvati.

Looked at this way, the great theme of the Sati story is the _power of resolve_.

>2) should a woman defend her husband's honor at all costs?

What a woman should do depends on her values and her beliefs.

There's a conversation in _Alice in Wonderland_. Alice asks one of the

other characters (I forget who) "Which way should I go?" The character

replies: "That very much depends on where you want to get to."

>3) how does a man grieve for his beloved wife?

Do you mean "how does he" or "how should he"? In the Kalika Purana version,

Shiva's way of grieving involves destructiveness and apparent loss of

control. I would be reluctant to say a man _should_ grieve like this. Men

_do_ grieve like this very often.

However, early in the Kalika Purana version of the story, Lord Brahma makes

a very important speech to Shiva. He says that Shiva's very tranquility

could stop Shiva from fulfilling his destined role in the universe, as one

of the three great gods. He argues that Shiva needs to accept the love of a

woman and experience all kinds of emotion.

So Shiva's spectacular grieving can be seen as part of the path he is

destined to walk.

>4) finally, are these myrths or legends or cock-and bull stories?

I see myths like this as _meaningful stories_.

I take a similar view of the miraculous events described in the Christian

Bible -- Eve and the Serpent, Noah and his Ark, the Virgin Birth and the

Resurrection.

>COLIN, you are indded an asset to this cyber shrine . please keep

>sharing your views - keeps this temple pulsating with 'energy'

You are very kind. I hope this posting has not disappointed. Please tell me

now what you think about these questions.

Love,

Colin.

February 17, 2002

colin, dearest, it is so fascinating to read all your well-documented

response. between you and abvasa, we never have a 'dull' moment! .

you keep us on our toes. in the process, we also get 'en-lightened'

smiles!

yes, how did u know 'alice in wonderland' was my favorite story - i

have long since graduated from my 'lewis carroll' days - i also feel

like 'adi in cyber wander-land' sometimes. sometimes i feel 2inches

tall and sometimes a 6 footer! depends on whom i am with at the

moment!!!!

dear colin , i can understand how you view ramayana - but please

allow me to share something on this great epic. it is said, lord

shiva wanted to experience the 'dasya' bhava of bhakti and that is

why he incarnated as lord hanumann and serve lord rama as his loyal

and faithful servant. and....

if you go to india, please visit The island of Rameshwaram is one of

the most venerable temple towns in India, the pilgrimage ofevery a

devout Hindu. It was here that Lord Rama prayed to Lord Shiva to

forgive his sin of killing Ravana, thereby making it a sacred site

for both Shaivites and Vaishnavites. as you know, ravana was a great

shiva bhakta.

so, for me all epics, puranas are 'sacred' - i learn something from

each one of them.

yes, the story of sati is fascinating - i liked the phrase 'the power

of resolve. ' yes, once a woman makes up her mind , nothing can stand

in her way! Our chaste 'sati' incarnated as the beautiful 'parvati'

to win the hand of shiva. did you know what austerities and 'tapas'

she had to peform to be shiva's consort? in fact, young women in

india are always advised to pray to lord shiva if they want to marry

a man of their choice. being a 'romantic' by

nature, 'kumarasambhavam' -the timeless classic of kalidasa (the

shakespear of india) was one of my favorites.... here kalidasa

beautifully decribes a lovelorn 'parvati' pining for her beloved the

ascetic shiva....,

also in this incarnation, parvastti becomes the 'proud' mother of two

sons ganesha and karthikeya - in fact, the birth of karthikeya has a

special significance as it was believed that only a 'child' born to

shiva-parvati cdouls slay the demon taraka. so, here is another

reason for sati's incarnation -to complete he family circle.

as a woman, i always like the eternal and blissful union of shiva and

shakti, radha and krishna and narayana and narayani, rama and

sita ... to me, the concept of who is superior or inferior does not

arise at all... they are equal- one indivisible whole ! can you

worship the father without the mother? who gives birth to our father?

mother of course! who gave birth to jesus- virgin mary, of cousre!

and whose son is jesus- his father's son, of course! similarly, when

you worship ganesha , you are worshipping parvati and parameshwwera

and when you are worshipping parvati you are also worshipping shiva

and vice-versa!!!

so coming to the next point, definitely i would not want any man to

grieve like shiva did for sati but by the same token i would not like

my man to jump into 'bed 'with another woman even before my coffin

is cold... even in the animal kingdom, there is a 'mourning'

period... we women like our men tto be 'loyal.' at least sleep with

the 'memories' for sometime before making another commmitment - that

is why the character of lord rama is so 'appealin' -the one woman

man! (eka-pani vrata)

but in all fairness, i luved your statement

"the point of her yoga was not renunciation of all desire , but

attainment of her desire for Shiva."

i luv this very well put.

in her next incarnation, parvati knew who shiva was but shiva did not

know parvati was 'sati' - so when shiva tried to dissuade parvati

from posing as a brahmachari and asked parvati not to marry

shiva 'who was just an ascetic, a beggar who did not know where his

next meal came from' - parvati stood on firm ground and said 'in

birth after bort, i will only marry shiva' - such was her 'love.'

like you colin, i love stories -all kinds of stories. in fact, that

is the beauty of hinduism - that is why it is fascinating... there

are stories to illustrate all kinds of 'truths'....

colin, you never disappoint us- rather, we look forward eagerly to

your input--- in fact, i am missing my other friend, gene ! where is

he?

thank you so much once more for all the 'energy' !!!

******please see photo album for a picture describing the amorous

love scene of parvati and parameshwara -where lord shiva is

decorating the braid of parvati by placing a flower on it... "

reminds me of the 'madurya bhava' of radha and krishna! enjoy the

imagery!!! i am sure our beloved devi_bhakta would love this painting

fot its aesthetic beauty -

p.s. we cannot wait for devi_bhakta to join us... it is gettin a

bit 'lonely' here without him ...

sorry, for my ramblings...

love and more love

..

Om Namha Shivaya · May 20, 2012

no doubt, Lord Shiva is powerful. He regranted dakshyas life. So, could he make his wife live again. when Sita couldn't be burned by fire, how could a demigod agni could burn the AAdi Shakti? Why Sati need to sacrifice her life if there was any purpose.

March 22, 2014

no doubt, Lord Shiva is powerful. He regranted dakshyas life. So, could he make his wife live again. when Sita couldn't be burned by fire, how could a demigod agni could burn the AAdi Shakti? Why Sati need to sacrifice her life if there was any purpose.

Nowhere in the Scriptures is it mentioned that Sati was burnt by Agni.

Sati invoked the Yogic fire from within herself, which devoured her because Agni denied her request of burning her.