See How Satyavati Became Queen Because Of Bhishma’s Vow
Satyavati was once referred to as Matsyagandha, meaning “one who smells like fish.” However, because of a boon, she transformed into Yojanagandha, or “one whose sweet fragrance can be sensed from afar.”
Perhaps, this boon signified her evolution from being the daughter of a fisherman to the queen of the formidable Kuru dynasty.
In the Mahabharta, Satyavati was the adopted daughter of a chief from a fishing tribe. By marrying the Kuru king, Shantanu, Satyavati rose to the rank of queen. However, this transformation in her destiny came with its own set of challenges. Shantanu’s son, Bhishma, made considerable sacrifices to ensure this union could take place.
Who Was Satyavati?
Satyavati was born to a woman named Adrika, who belonged to the fishermen community. Her father was King Uparichara of the Chedi kingdom.
According to legend, one day, King Uparichara went on a hunting trip. His mind was on his wife, Girika, which stirred his excitement. He knew his wife was in her fertile period so he collected the resulting seed.
After some thought, Uparichara entrusted his seed to a hawk. He instructed it to deliver his seed to Girika. The hawk agreed to the task. However, during its flight, it was attacked by another hawk. This lead to a struggle that caused the seed to fall into River Yamuna.
In this river lived Adrika, an apsara. Adrika had been transformed into a fish due to a curse from Brahma. She swallowed the seed. Ten months later, a fisherman’s net captured her. When they cut her open they saw two human babies inside her belly.
When the king learned of this, he accepted the children as his own. Later, the boy became the king of the Matsya dynasty. The girl was raised as a fisherman’s daughter. She was named Satyavati.
Satyavati Meets Parashara
As Satyavati grew up to be a beautiful and charming young lady, fate had something unexpected in store for her.
One day, while plying her father’s boat, she caught the attention of the great sage Parashara. Parashara pursued her very aggressively.
Parashara convinced Satyavati to have a short affair with him. As a result of which, Satyavati gave birth to a baby boy. Her son was named Krishna Dwaipayana, later known as Veda Vyasa. He was the author of this great epic.
Parashara's Boon
It was not an easy decision for Satyavati to get involved with Parashara. She was concerned about how it would affect her reputation. But, she feared the consequences of refusing a powerful sage such as him more.
To ease her worries, Parashara assured her of his discretion.
He promised:
- she would regain her virginity after giving birth to their child.
a boon that eliminated the fishy odor that clung to her. Instead, she would smell delightful.
Parashara transformed Satyavati from Matsyagandha intto Yojanagandha. People could detect her sweet fragrance from miles away.
In fact, it was this lovely fragrance that first caught the attention of King Shantanu!
(One Yojana – approximately four to ten miles.)
A few years later…
Satyavati And Shantanu Fall In Love
One day, King Shantanu strolled along the banks of the Yamuna River. He was suddenly engulfed by a sweet fragrance in the air. Intrigued, he followed the scent, which led him directly to Satyavati.
Satyavati was working on her father’s boat. Shantanu struck up a conversation with her and they spent a lot of time together.
Shantanu fell in love with her at first sight and desired to marry her. 💕 He went to Satyavati’s father to ask for her hand in marriage.
Shantanu's Proposal Was Refused
Ever since the chieftain of the fishermen’s tribe adopted Satyavati, he had known she was destined for great things.
Satyavati’s father was thrilled with the prospect of his daughter marrying the king. But he wanted to make sure his future grandsons were protected. So he told Shantanu that he will agree to the proposal, but he had a condition. “Promise me the son born to Satyavati will be made your heir,” he demanded.
This demand was impossible to fulfill. Shantanu already had an heir–his son with Ganga, Bhishma. When Shantanu told the chieftain that was not possible, the chief turned down his proposal.
Watch Bhishma’s Story Here 👇🏽
Bhishma’s Vow And Sacrifice
A dejected and heartbroken Shantanu returned to his palace in Hastinapura. Filled with sadness, he pined for Satyavati.
When Bhishma learnt the reasons for his father’s sadness, he immediately decided to act. Determined to help, he went to Satyavati’s father, accompanied by a few advisors.
Bhishma did everything in his power to convince Satyavati’s father. He assured him that Satyavati’s son would be made king.
The chief remained unconvinced. He argued that Bhishma may not want the throne now but his children may feel differently.
Finally, Bhishma did the one thing that he knew would convince Satyavati’s father.
In a selfless act to ensure his father’s happiness, Bhishma promised to take up Brahmacharya:
- He pledged to never marry or have children.
- He took a vow of celibacy and made a promise to never ascend the throne.
Satyavati Was Queen
Bhishma’s vow changed everything.
The chief was pleased and finally agreed to give Shantanu his daughter’s hand in marriage. As a result, Satyavati became the queen of Kuru. She had two sons and heirs–Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.
Tragically, shortly after Shantanu’s death, both of Satyavati’s sons passed away in quick succession. To make matters worse, they left no heirs behind, putting the Kuru dynasty at risk of extinction.
Despite her grief, Satyavati knew she had no time to waste. As a senior member of the family, it was her duty to ensure the survival and prosperity of the Kuru clan. She had to be strong. Satyavati devoted herself to doing everything possible to ensure the Kuru clan continued.
Bhishma’s vow and sacrifice was crucial to the start of Satyavati’s journey.
Nevertheless, Satyavati transformed the destiny of the Kuru dynasty to ascend to the throne as queen. As grandmother of Pandu and Dhritarashtra, and the great-grandmother of the Pandavas and Kauravas, her influence was profound. Her role in the story of the Mahabharata was undeniably significant.
💡 What do you think of Satyavati’s journey? Do you think Satyavati’s transformation was symbolic of her journey?
💡What would you have done in Bhishma’s place? Do you believe Bhishma’s sacrifice was a little excessive?
References:
The Mahabharata 1: Complete and Unabridged; translated by Bibek Debroy. (2015). Penguin Random House India. (Original work published 2010)
Images:
Raja Ravi Varna, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ramnadayandatta Shastri Pandey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons