Matsyagandha Satyavati

Satyavati

Krishna talks about Satyavati

If I start narrating the story of Mahabharata, it would start with this enigmatic lady- Matsyagandha Satyavati, who changed the fate of the Kuru dynasty-the first matriarch of Aryavarta.

In life, certain stages become turning points. Our decision, our choice at these junctures determines the flow of our lives and often the lives of the people who are closely associated with us. But this lady's decision, her adamant nature changed the destiny of the greatest and most powerful dynasty of Aryavarta. Was it only due to that one decision of hers? Or was it her life-long pursuit, struggle to keep alive the flame of desire in her heart? Did she herself burn in her desires?

Satyavati was born to king Ugrasena. He accepted her twin brother but gave her up to Dasharaj, the leader of the fisher folks' tribe. She learnt about her birth as a young adult. Did this parental rejection plant the seeds of desire in her heart? To gain what she deserved but was denied?

As she looks back at her life today, she would speak from her heart- the heart she had concealed from everyone- the heart where she nurtured her aspirations. She earned the condemnation of many, especially Kashi princess Amba, her daughter-in-laws Ambika and Ambalika. She never flinched once she decided to do something, however despicable it may be for others. She triumphed in the game of politics, and despite the censure from many people around her, she earned flabbergasting reverence from the person who was the sole victim of her unending desires- Bhishma.

Did she ever repent? Did she ever look back to those days of youth where her unwavering desires and decisions set off the sequence of events, sowing the seeds of vengeance that eventually led to Bhishma's death? Yes, she didn't live to see that. But couldn't she feel in her heart how things would turn when Amba swore to be Bhishma's nemesis? Wasn't it her decision that led to this? Yet Bhishma bore the consequences. Would Satyavati's life have been the same or her desires been fulfilled had it not been for Bhishma's vow and lifelong devotion towards her?

We shall listen to the story of the unrepentant, determined, strong-willed grand matriarch of Hastinapur, her true self which she had always veiled from everyone in her lifetime.

The Woman of Ambition

The rope was getting strained...I have to keep pulling harder. This is a huge fish. If I manage to catch it somehow, it would fetch a lumpsome of money in the market. The giant fish pulled with all its strength, almost tossing the boat and us into the river. Poor creature! It doesn't know that the way I have struck it will kill it sooner or later. No matter how much it tries, it can't escape me...it can't escape its destiny. And I write my own destiny! Ever since I gained my consciousness, I am the master of my own destiny. I am the one in charge of my wills, desires and fate. As for this tussle and for any other challenge I face in life, I have decided that I shall win!

My biological father, who happened to be a king, had rejected me at birth. Yes, I was not born out of any royal wedlock, rather was born in the lower caste fisher folk. But he didn't hesitate to accept my twin brother. "What use is a daughter?" he might have thought, "especially to a royal dynasty? Can she bring any glory to the kingdom or go out on military expeditions to expand his territories or conquer the enemies' kingdoms? No! What can a daughter bring to the family?"

Luckily, Dasharaj, my foster father had accepted me whole-heartedly. I have no idea who my mother was. But I was certainly born out of a woman. There's a myth around my birth- they say Dasharaj found me and my brother inside a fish he had caught in the river. Was that fish even larger than this one I am trying to catch now? Perhaps! But I do not believe this story. However when people gossip about this story and I pass by, they stare at me with awe. I won't lie, I enjoy that attention.