Practice Of Sati

How did this practice get its name from the practice of sati?

The name of this practice is derived from the name of Goddess Sati. She was the daughter of King Daksha. King Daksha gave them. He was forbidden to marry Mahadev. He insulted Mahadev. Seeing all this, Goddess Sati gave her life by jumping into the fire of Yagya.

But if this practice had started from Goddess Sati, then when Goddess Sati had given up her life. Her husband was alive then. So it is a lie that the practice of Sati started from Goddess Sati.

This practice started after the end of Dwapara Yuga when Kali Yuga started. Then it became more popular. Because in the Vedic era, there is no such special evidence of Sati practice. If this had happened even in Tretayuga, then after King Dasharatha, all three of his wives would have been sati, which did not happen. She was alive. Hinduism does not support this practice in any way. 

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It is not written that after the death of the husband, the wife has to lay down her life with him. It is not written anywhere in the Vedas of Hinduism. But some people have changed many places to show that the practice of Sati is a part of Hindu religion.

Historians believe that this practice of sati started becoming prevalent during 510 AD (in the Gupta period). By the time of the medieval period, this practice had reached its climax. The outside kings used to attack here and take away the things here. Women were also included in this.  There was prostitution of women. After the death of the kings here, their queens started doing Johor. Meaning she started giving her life by jumping into the burning fire.

When Alauddin Khilji attacked Chittor in the medieval period, he deceived and killed Maharaja Ratna Singh. Then Mata Padmavat did Jauhar along with all the Rajput women. The condition of women in the medieval period was very bad. Women faced a lot of customs due to external attacks. Sati system, purdah system, slavery system.

This practice encouraged the injustice done to women. When a woman’s husband died, that woman had to die along with her husband. Because of this, many children were taken away from their mother. Many families were ruined. It was a big blot on the society.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy has an important role in ending this practice. when his brother died. Then at that time people had forcibly burnt his sister-in-law along with his brother. From that time onwards, Roy had become an opponent of the practice of sati. Roy said that there is no religious but economic reason behind this practice.

The families should not have to spend on the maintenance of the widow. They were also taken away from property rights. Roy also wrote many books to improve the condition of women and to make them aware. On 4 December 1829, with the efforts of Roy and others, the government of that time banned this practice.

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Did this practice really stop after that? 

No, in the year 1987, such a case came up in Rajasthan. In which a young girl Roop Kanwar had died of water along with her husband. Roop Kanwar was a girl from a Rajput family. She was married to Mal Singh Shekhawat, a boy from Devrala village. A few months after the marriage, Mal Singh became seriously ill. He was also admitted to the hospital, but he could not survive.

Mal Singh was cremated on 4 September 1987. Due to the practice of Sati, his wife Roop Kanwar was also burnt alive on his pyre. After death, Roop Kanwar became the mother of Sati. The place where he was burnt is today a temple. In which people worship Goddess Roop Kanwar.  This case shows that along with the change of law, it is necessary to change the mindset of the society and the people.