Sati (practice)

The practice of Sati (also sometimes unphonetically written suttee) was a Hindu funeral custom in which the widow immolated herself alive on her husband?s funeral pyre.

Justifications

Madhvacharya, who was prominent in the development of the dvaita schools of Hinduism, eulogised the practice, according to Shastri (see references).

Related Topics:
Madhvacharya - Dvaita

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Law books

These are relatively late works. Justifications for the practice are given in the Vishnu Smriti and in the later work of the Manu Smriti. Both date from the first millenium CE. The Manu smriti is often regarded as the culmination of classical Hindu law, and hence its position is important. Both these works permit and praise sati, although neither require it of the widow.

Related Topics:
Vishnu Smriti - Manu Smriti

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It is repeatedly lauded in the later works as exemplary conduct in pious women. The act was sometimes deemed an act of peerless piety, and was said to purged the couple of all accumulated sin, guarantee their salvation and ensure their reunion in the afterlife.

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Scriptures

Although the legend of the goddess Sati is that of a woman who dies by her own volition on a fire, this is not a case of the practice of sati. The goddess was not widowed, and the legend is quite unconnected with the justifications for the practice.

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The puranas have examples of women who commit sati, though there is no suggestion in them that this was considered desirable or praiseworthy. It is notable that in the Ramayana, Tara, in her grief at the death of husband Vali, wishes to commit sati. Hanuman and Rama attempt to dissuade her and she finally does not immolate herself. Examples of Sati in the puranas include:

Related Topics:
Puranas - Ramayana - Tara - Hanuman - Rama

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• In the Mahabharata, Madri, the second wife of Pandu, commits sati. She holds herself responsible for the death of her husband, who had been cursed with death if he ever had intercourse. He died while performing the forbidden act with Madri, who blamed herself for not having rejected his advances, although she was well aware of the curse.
• In the Ramayana, Mandodari, virtuous widow of the villainous Ravana, commits Sati, an act interpreted in some versions as an attempt on her part to expiate the sins of her husband.

The Tantras strictly condemn the practice.

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Argument that the Rig Veda sanctions sati

It is often claimed that this most ancient text sanctions or prescribes sati. This is based on X.18.7, part of the verses to be used at funerals. Whether they even describe sati or something else entirely, is disputed, and there are differing translations of the passage. The translation below is one of those said to prescribe it.

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Let these women, whose husbands are worthy and are living, enter the house with ghee (applied) as corrylium ( to their eyes). Let these wives first step into the pyre, tearless without any affliction and well adorned. (Kane)

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Decked with fair jewels, tearless, free from sorrow, first let the dames go up to where he lieth. (translation by Griffith, at http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10018.htm)-->

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The text clearly does not mention widowhood, and other translations differ in their translation of the word here rendered as 'pyre'; for instance as 'house'. In fact the next verse explicitly states that the widow should return to her house. A reason given for the discrepancy in translation and interpretation is that one consonant in a word that meant house, yomiagre, was deliberately changed by those who wished claim scriptural justification, to a word that meant fire, yomiagne. .

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