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Story No 15-Satee

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15-Satee : Wife of Shiv
[This story appears in several books - Raamaayan, Shiv Puraan etc. The following version is from Bhaagvat Puraan, 4/2]

In the beginning of the Time, Brahmaa produced 10 Maanas Putra (mental sons) - Atri, Kratu, Kashyap, Pulaha, Pulastya, Mareechi, Bhrigu, Daksh, Vashishth, Naarad. Daksh Jee had 60 daughters. Out of them he married his one daughter, Satee, to Shiv Jee in spite of his unwillingness. Both Shiv and Satee lived happily.

Once Shiv Jee went to Agastya Muni's Aashram and talked to him about Raam for many days. Then he returned from there and started towards Kailaash Parvvat where he lived. He had known that his Isht Dev Raam had taken birth in Ayodhyaa, so he wanted to see Him in His Avataar Roop.

At the same time Raam was exiled by His father and mother for 14 years, and He was in the forest with His wife Seetaa and brother Lakshman. Raavan had kidnapped Seetaa and Raam and Lakshman were wandering around in the forest in search of Her. Shiv saw Him from a distance, greeted Him in his heart and went forward. Satee asked him - "All Devtaa, Asur, people greet you and you were greeting to this wandering man, who was He?" Shiv said, "He was Raam whose name I recite all the time, whose stories you have just heard from Agastya Muni."

Satee did not understand that why Shiv Jee, to whom all Devtaa greet, should greet an ordinary prince. She had all the doubts. Shiv Jee tried to explain her that He was the same Bhagavaan on whom he mediatate, but Satee's mind was baffled. At this Shiv Jee thought "This is Bhagavaan's Maayaa, nothing can be done to satisfy her." so he asked her to do whatever could satisfy her. He asked her to test Him if He was still Him and waited for her till she came back.

Satee went, and thinking how to test Him, she disguised herself in Seetaa's guise and started walking in front of Raam. When Lakshman saw Seetaa, he was surprised to see Her, but did not speak anything. Raam smiled in His heart and asked Satee - "Where is Shiv Jee? Why are you wandering alone in this forest?" Hearing this Satee got embarrassed and started walking fast. But then she saw Raam and Seetaa going in front of her. She got scared and started walking faster than before. Then she saw Raam, Lakshman and Seetaa everywhere. She got frightened and went back to Shiv Jee.

Shiv Jee asked her - "Tell me Satee, How did you test Him?" Satee lied - "I did not test Him, I also greeted like you and came here." But Shiv saw with his Yaugik powers what Satee did. He thought that since Satee had taken Raam's wife Seetaa's Roop he cannot live with Satee now, so he vowed in his heart not to be with her at least in this life. Devtaa knew his vow and said - "Bless you, Bless you, Who else can take such a difficult vow except you?" Satee asked him several times about his vow but Shiv did not tell him about it. Satee understood that it was the punishment for the lie she spoke to Shiv.

After they came to Kailaash, Shiv went for Tapasyaa and Satee lived on Kailaash Parvat. Shiv did Tapasyaa for 87,000 years and when he came back to Kailaash he started telling stories to Satee. But Satee was not happy with all this. Her heart was restless remembering Shiv Jee's secret vow. At the same time Brahmaa Jee declared Daksh as the Chief Prajaapati. This inspired Daksh to do a great Yagya and he invited all Devtaa and Rishi to take part in that Yagya. So all Devtaa and Rishi etc set off to take part in that Yagya.

When Satee saw Devtaa, Apsaraa, Rishi etc riding in their Vimaan in the sky, she asked Shiv Jee where they were going? Shiv Jee said - "Your father has been appointed as the Chief Prajaapati, that is why he is doing Yagya. He has invited everybody except us. So these people are going there to attend his Yagya. He has not invited even you because of his enmity with me." Satee was already sad, hearing this news she got a bit happy and asked Shiv Jee if she could go there for a few days to meet her parents and sisters. Shiv Jee said - "Although one can go to parents', Guru's, friends' houses without any invitation but in this case it is not apt for you to go there without the invitation." But since Satee was already very sad, she insisted to go there, so Shiv Jee sent her along with his Gan.

Satee's Immolation
As Satee came to her father's house, her father did not speak to her, her mother and sisters met her with affection but when she went to see the Yagya Shaalaa where the Yagya was going to take place, she did not find Shiv Jee's share. Seeing this insult of her husband she filled with rage and burned herself by Yog's fire. Seeing this Shiv's Gan started destroying Daksh's Yagya.

Naarad Jee told this news to Shiv Jee. Hearing this Shiv Jee filled with rage. He created a demon from his hair called Veerbhadra and sent him to destroy Daksh's Yagya. He immediately went there, destroyed the Yagya, cut Daksh's neck, and wrecked the place. Shiv Jee also did not sit quietly, he also came to Daksh's place. He lifted up Satee's body in his both arms and wandered around carrying it like an insane. Seeing him wandering like this Vishnu thought of a way to calm down Shiv Jee. He hurled His Chakra and cut Satee's body into 51 pieces by it. Satee's body fell on the Earth and when Shiv Jee felt his hands weightless he came to his senses. Feeling the weight gone, Shiv Jee withdrew to Kailaash Parvat and plunged into his penance once more. Wherever those 51 pieces fell on the Earth, those places became the Shakti Peeth.

After the Yagya was disturbed, Brahmaa Jee requested Shiv Jee to finish the Yagya and give life to dead. Shiv Jee said - "Daksh will live with goat's head." So a goat's head was joined to Daksh's body. Daksh prayed Shiv and the Yagya was completed.

After Satee had died, read how Shiv was married...

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on January 15, 2002
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 10/20/13