Sati in India: Marital Devotion and Female Power

Monday, March 19, 2001

Basic sati Useful resource:

Catherine Weinberger-Thomas, Ashes of Immortality

widespread denunciation sati defined colonial rule and sati The Roop Kanwar case

of 1987

The genuineness of satis

Distinguish from dowry murder

17th century account 1985 photo

Looking at sati via fictional film

1984 British film the background story

Sati as expression of marital devotion

identification/unification with the soul of the husband

accompaniment to the husband’s soul expiation of sin from earlier life

Becoming a shakti goddess

Satimata as source of fertility satimata as healer satimata as guardian satimata as diviner

Shushu’s wedding attire

Shushu is dressed for a wedding, not a funeral

The mixing of ashes on the conjugal bed the building of satimata power

Shushu’s handprint

Bright red vermilion paste: auspicious Right hand is auspicious creates relic of devotion creates sacred place of shakti power cries of “satimata”

Shushu removes her jewelry

To become sacred relics, part of her shrine

Shushu intones the name of Ram

Ram invoked as supreme deity as mantra, ensures the liberation of her

atman (soul) crowd respons with “Ram nam saty hei”:

“All is illusion in the world except for the name of the Lord”

Shushu seizes coconuts and distributes them

The symbolism of coconuts: the human head/body

the piling of coconut on many sati pyres: release of soul (milk) through destruction of body

leaving “prasad” for the relatives

Shushu’s circum-ambulation of the pyre

The symbolism of seven circuits in clockwise direction– not funerary– echo of a wedding

Shushu invokes god of fire (Agni)

Casts ghee (clarified butter) into the pyre Agni as god of transport Agni as god of domestic protection Agni as the sun Agni as god of sat