"उदीर्ष्वनार्यभिजीवलोकंगतासुमेतमुपशेषएहि |
हस्तग्राभस्यदिधिषोस्तवेदंपत्युर्जनित्वमभिसम्बभूथ ||"
"Rise, come unto the world of life, O woman — come, he is lifeless by whose side thou liest. Wifehood with this thy husband was thy portion, who took thy hand and wooed thee as a lover."
- RV 10.18.8
And too many hands spoil nature’s handiwork with unneeded make-up and tons of jewelry. It was all the jewelry she possessed; it weighed heavy…
They said she would be cursed by the goddess, her husband’s soul would not have a happy afterlife, she would be a bad wife, they said it would be sinful...They said a great many things as they decked her up.
The hands tie a black and gold noose around her neck; ‘mangalsutra’ they call it; it weighed heavy…
She was a strong woman. She knew her purpose; determination a fire in her eye. She wasn’t doing it for society, not for what they said or thought, not as an escape from the torturous widowhood, but for the hand that held hers as she took the seven rounds of the holy fire. She would not leave that hand in the face of death. They would face death together, holding hands, for she knew death was only the passage to the next life. They had seven lives to live together…Saaton janam ka saath…
And many hands adorn her wrists with crimson red, glass bangles; they weighed heavy…
A man saw the black charred bodies of a couple amidst the golden flames. And when it was all over, nothing remained but the ashes and the black and gold mangalsutra that she once wore. It remained intact as a testimony to the binding promise of togetherness…her last sacrifice…
He picked up this last link, filled with the loving memories of his dear bhabi. The broken pieces of red glass bangles crunched under his feet as he walked away…
* * *
She saw the face of her lover; the face death’s icy lips had kissed. Her courage failed her and fear gripped her fragile heart as it pumped crimson red blood at an increasingly fast pace. But she still felt cold and numb and she regretted that day…
A tear escaped the long lashes and she was slapped because of it. The tears would inhibit the ritual they said. But she couldn’t stop the tears that flowed uncontrollably, washing away the cake of make up to reveal a panic stricken face. Two dilated pupils situated in wide eyes, glistened. They seemed to be the deep dark abyss of unfathomable grief and terror.
She had felt these feelings all those years ago on her wedding day;the fear and apprehension of a new home and the grief of leaving her loved ones behind. But this was much worse and she regretted that day…
The priest recited the marital rites that she remembered following years ago. But she could not follow them today; not with the hand that allayed her fears all those years ago now lifeless. She needed him now more than ever. But he just lay there still.
A shove pushed her towards his direction but she seemed to have frozen. Rooted to the spot, she would not budge. The hands grabbed her roughly and dragged her towards the pyre. She, cried, she screamed, she begged mercy; she tried to flee but to no avail. She could not fulfill her vow; she hadn’t the strength to follow it through. She wondered whether he would have wanted this for her…and she regretted that day…
The orange flames danced before her, as if mocking her efforts to run. They seemed far more intimidating than the fire round which she walked seven times all those years ago, with him holding her hand securely.
Searing pain coursed through her as they forced her into the flames with a long wooden pole. And she lay on the marital bed that was decorated with roses all those years ago; now it was made of hard sticks and thorns as she lay next to her life partner and she regretted that day…
As the coldness of death soothed away the burning pain of her body, she left the hand beside her. She broke the bond. She hadn’t the strength to hold on any longer…
“इमानारीरविधवाःसुपत्नीराञ्जनेनसर्पिषासंविशन्तु |
अनश्रवो.अनमीवाःसुरत्नाआरोहन्तुजनयोयोनिमग्रे ||”
“Let these women, whose husbands are worthy and are living, enter the house with ghee (applied) as collyrium (to their eyes). Let these wives first step into the pyre, tearless without any affliction and well adorned.”
- RV 10.18.7
* * *
* * *
“Viceroy, Lord Bentick, passes a law abolishing the practice of sati in Bengal. According to this law any mover or passive witness of the act of sati is considered guilty and can be prosecuted by law.
It is rumoured that the driving force behind this act, Raja Ramohan Roy, was greatly impacted by his sister-in-law’s death, allegedly caused by forced sati.
‘This law will improve the status of a majority of Indian women.’ claim authorities influential in passing the bill, ‘We hope this socially mobilizing law will be accepted by the public and will bring about a healthy change and progress in the country.”
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