The debate on Sati Pratha is nothing new. It is one among the most favorite topic discussed by H¡ndu-bashers. But is it true? off course not, H¡ndu scriptures does not mention anywhere about the practice of the burning or burial of widows with their dead husbands.
In मनुस्मृति 2/6 Maharishi Manu said: वेदोऽखिलो धर्ममूलं स्मृतिशीले च तद्विदाम् । Means Vedas are the final authority in case of "Dharma".
There is not a single mantra in the entire four Vedas that supports Sati Pratha. Not even give a hint of supporting Sati Pratha.
Vedas advise a widow to return from her Husband’s corpse and live a happy life in her remarriage (if she wants).
Dharma sutras or smrithis mentioned the duties of a wife but do not recommend sati pratha. Maharishi Manu describes wives as worthy of being worshipped that lamps lit the households and manu also says the wife is legal heir of the husband property after his death.
Manu Smriti 5.89 prohibits libation of water to those who commit suicide. Medhatithi, the eminent classical commentator of Manu Smriti, considers Sati as being against the Vedas precisely because Sati is suicide.
Suicide is classified as a bad death in Hindu scriptures.
As far as I know no one has ever refuted Medhatithi’s criticism of the Sati Pratha. It is also remarkable that Medhatithi does not accept direct scriptural support for Sati Pratha.
Atharvaveda 18.3.1 is mostly quoted as Vedic Mantra which supports Sati Pratha but this mantra speaks about continuation of worldly affairs by Women in this world after her husband’s death. The Correct interpretation of this Mantra is:
It is usually believed that Mādrī committed satī after the death of Pāṇḍu in Mahabharatam. However, it is not so well known that immediately after this shloka we have another one.
But The latter shloka directly contradicts what is said in the preceding shloka. Acc. to this shloka the sages who, after the death of Pāṇḍu, brought Kuntī and the Pāṇḍavas to Hāstinapura, also brought with them the two dead bodies of Pāṇḍu and Mādrī.
They handed them over to the elders of the Kauravas and asked them to perform the due funeral rites ( Antim Sanskara).
Both these shlokas could not be true at the same time. Either Pāṇḍu was cremated on the Śataśṛṅga mountain and Mādrī mounted the funeral pyre, or cremation did not take place and the dead bodies were brought to Hāstinapura.
Clearly here, as in the above case, we have conflation of two different Shloka of the same incident. so according to my above analysis Madari never performed Sati. This is probably a later interpolation.
If Sati had indeed been a practice prevalent at that time then other queens of the Kuru vansh would have done the same after their husbands’ deaths.
For instance neither Satyavati nor Ambika and Ambalika committed Sati after their husbands King Shantanu and King Vichitravirya respectively.
Even there are no instances of sati practice in Ramayana and after the death of Dasaratha also his 3 wives did not commit sati.
In reality Sati Pratha is nowhere mentioned in Hindu scriptures. There is no advice of forceful widow burning in Vedas or other Dharmic shastra.
Among various Rishies who were seers of the secrets of the Vedas, there were many rishikas (women seers) whose names appear in the Rigveda as indicated in the following table:
Livestock as a whole is estimated to be responsible for around 18 to 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Animal agriculture and meat industry is the reason for at least 60% of the biodiversity loss.
Meet production requires 10 times more water and 50 times more land than plant production, leading to water scarcity and deforestation.
The leather industry is the cause of millions of tons of liquid waste in water bodies and one of the major reasons for soil pollution.
The meat industry is the reason for 100% of the total world hunger.
So if you cannot talk about the environment for the rest of the days of the year, cannot stop eating meat and cannot stop using leather, then
If we respect a motherly women to be the symbol of valor and all Devī that we possess, our world would be paradise. Her Valor is not brutal but that inspired by emotional & spiritual intelligence. Let us review few Mantras on valor.
O women, you are a lioness. destroy the enemies of ignorance, immaturity, negativity and savagery for the welfare, purity & happiness of all.
– (Yajurveda 5.10)
O women, u r a lioness. We resolve to do everything for ur respect & glory. U r a lioness that leads to the birth of great legends in society, that nurtures intelligence & bravery, who provides bliss & prosperity. we appoint u for the welfare of all living beings.(Yajurveda 5.12)
The Unforgotten Tale Of Bravery (When Akbar begged a Hindu Kshatrani to spare his life.)
Kiran Devi was the daughter of Shakti Singh who was the brother of Maharana Pratap.
Akbar was perverted. To satisfy his lust, every year he would arrange for an exhibition in Delhi. It was known as the ‘Nouroz Mela’.The Hindu Queens, as well as the other women from Delhi, paid a visit to this exhibition in order to buy goods and jewelry.
No men were allowed in there. Akbar disguised as a woman encroached the place every year to hunt for the woman in order to satisfy his desire.
One day Kirandevi came to the exhibition to see its pompous and offerings. Akbar had an eye on Kirandevi for a long time.
Rigveda 10.85 is on Surya, the sun (an analogy for the spiritual source of our intelligence). Btw where do you pick up these kinds of translations? The colonìal mìssìonaries like Gríffíth?
The Rig Veda hymn (10•85•44/45), the wedding prayer, indicates the rights of a woman as wife. It is addressed to the bride sitting next to bridegroom. It touches upon few other issues as well. Here is the correct translations of these mantras:
”Come, O desired of the Devas, beautiful one with tender heart, with the charming look, good towards your husband, kind towards animals, destined to bring forth heroes. May you bring happiness for both our quadrupeds and bipeds.” (Rig Veda 10.85.44/45)
Buddha did not reject Vedas. If you review the basic precepts of Buddhism, they are simply Vedic teachings reworded. The famous Buddhist chant of Om Mani Padme Hum speaks for itself on glory of Om (ओम्)– that originates from Vedas and is integral part of Hinduism.
For a snapshot of Buddha’s teachings I give quotes from the Dhamma-pada–
Just as a brahman priest reveres his Yajna, even so should one devoutly revere the person from whom one has learned the Dharma taught by the Buddha. (392)
In Sutta Nipat 503 Buddha says that–
“One should support a person who is master of Vedas, contemplative, intelligent, helpful if you desire to inculcate similar traits.”