Re: sati or suttee
Originally Posted by
rainycity
I'm just wondering how common this practice was, its origins, and if it was approved by saints or gurus?
There was no practice of sati in ancient india.If you read historians (even though most of indian historians are anti-hindu communists), you will never find any one mentioning sati pratha before medieval age.Above all if you read buddhist and jain scriptures of ancient India, you will still not find any mention of sati.Its origin ? well It was as simple as that, barbarians (arabs and muslims) who usually lived on stealing and loot often invaded india, sometimes if all of males( soldiers) would die in battle, their wives would commit sati, to save their honour. Hindus and sikhs alike.Initially it was like this, though it did became common practice in few parts of the country for sometime.Apart from that there is no mention of sati in any authentic hindu scriptures.
Originally Posted by
rainycity
I know there is a legend about one of shiva's consorts immolating herself through the fire of her own yoga, but was this written to explain or justify sati or did the practice of sati derive from this story?
This part of you post is completely wrong and it seems you have read a anti-hindu site or something like that.The legend of Uma devi's self immolation has nothing to do with sati pratha, the one you are talking about.
1. Shiva has only one wife -his eternal half shakti, and she is supreme ruler of this universe.
2.In Sati pratha of medieval age, women immolated themselves after death of their husband, when did shiva died that his wife would commit sati? Uma devi (shakti's incarnation) immolated herself because her father disrespected shiva, by inviting everyone excluding shiva in his yagya.That was one of her ways to teach a lesson to daksha her father, which he latter did and repented.
When the light has risen, there is no day, no night, neither existence nor non-existence; Siva alone is there. That is the eternal, the adorable light of Savitri, - and the ancient wisdom proceeded thence (Svetasvatara Upanishad IV-18). :)
Bookmarks