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Eternal India
encyclopedia
LIFESTYLES
force, they told me, was intended not only to intimidate the
unhappy victim in case the terror of her approaching death might
induce her to run away, but also to overawe any person who
might be moved by a natural feeling of compassion and
sympathy, and so tempted to prevent the accomplishment of the
homicidal sacrifice.
“At length, the purohit Brahmin gave the fatal signal. The
poor widow was instantly divested of all her jewels and dragged,
more dead than alive, to the pyre. There she was obliged,
according to custom, to walk three times round the pile, two
of her nearest relatives supporting her by the arms. She
accomplished the first round with totterring steps; during the
second her strength wholly forsook her, and she fainted away
in the arms of her conductor, who were obliged to complete the
ceremony by dragging her through the third round. Then, at last,
senseless and unconscious, she was cast upon the corpse of
her husband. At that moment the air resounded with noisy
acclamations. The Brahmins, emptying the contents of their
vessels on the dry wood, applied their torches, and in the
twinkling of an eye the whole pile was ablaze. Three times
was the unfortunate woman called by her name. But, alas! she
made no answer.”
The next
sati
concerns the wives of the last king of Tanjore
who died in 1801. “The Brahmins decided that two of his four
wives should be burnt with the body of their husband and
selected the couple that should have the preference. On reaching
the spot where their untimely fate awaited them, the victims
were required to perform the ablutions and other ceremonies
proper on such occasion; and they went through the whole of
them without hesitation and without the least sign of fear.
When, however, it came to walking round the pile, it was
observed that their features underwent a sudden change. Their
strength seemed well-high to forsake them in spite of their
obvious effort to suppress their natural feelings. During this
interval the body of the king had been placed on the top of the
pyramid of sandalwood. The two queens, still wearing their rich
attire and ornaments, were next compelled to ascend the pile.
Lying down beside the body of the deceased prince, one on the
right and other on the left, they joined hands across the corpse.
The officiating Brahmins then recited in a loud tone several
mantras,
sprinkled the pile with their
tirtam
or holy water, and
emptied the jars of ghee over the wood, setting fire to it at the
same moment. This was done on one side by the nearest relative
of the king, on another by his guru, on others by leading
Brahmins. The flames quickly spread and the props being
removed, the whole structure collapsed, and in its fall must have
crushed to death the two unfortunate victims. Thereupon all the
spectators shouted aloud for joy. The unhappy women’s
relatives standing around the pile then called to them several
times by name, and it is said that, issuing from amidst the
flames, the word Yen? (what?) was heard distinctly pronounced.
A ridiculous illusion, no doubt of minds blinded by fanaticism;
for it could never be believed that the unfortunate victims were
at that moment in a condition to hear and to speak.”
The practice was declared illegal and punishable by courts
in 1829 by the Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck.
Dhritarashtra's Burning Body - Gandhari (entering the fire). On the husband's body being burnt by fire with the hut made of leaves (in which
he is living), the virtuous consort (of Dhritarashtra) from outside, shall follow that husband by entering into the fire.