Sati Tradition In Hinduism

According to Hinduism, sati tradition is a practice where a widow or the women whose husband died must commit suicide willingly or unwillingly. Sati can happened in many forms including being buried alive beside their husband’s corpse or drowning, but the most well known is to jump into fire and burn to death. The origin, role, and portrayal of sati play an important role and shape the indian culture.

The name “sati” come from Dakshayani, one of Shiva’s wives. It all started because Shiva got humiliated by her father and because Dakshayani could not stand it she sacrifice herself. The first Sati ever mentioned is in CCE in Eran, the tradition became more popular, and more popular mostly among the Southern India, and especially in the higher

However it was still being practiced.It was said to be done privately and it is told that this act is shameful. From the time Indian got independence from England until the middle of the 19th century,40 Sati have already been done.One major incident that boost up the popularity of Sati is The Deorala Sati. The wife, Roop Kanwar, who is only 18 years old , dressed up in wedding gown and sit with her husband’s head on her lap and burnt herself with her husband. This event and others religious influences in India cause people to argue between the supporting side and the opposing side.The Supporting side said that it is a tradition that should be preserved and women is considered to be honorable and worthy if they became a Sati giving themselves opportunity to pay for the husband’s karma.The opposing side say that widow have long been the prey for this tradition , it is their right whether they want to sacrifice themselves or not. To point out that Sati is not the only way and the correct way to honor their husband the opposing side came up with the Hindu scripture, Mahanirvana Tantra, which show the idea that goes against how the Hindu people view sati tradition. It says a women committing suicide is considered a serious karma. It also gives example of those who did not became a sati after the husband died, instead she seized the opportunity by converting herself into a preacher and preached about her husband’s teaching to those who respect her husband- her name is Sarada.Now a days a bystander is made to be illegal by law, but some still practiced the sati especially, in the rural area. Research says that the number of people commiting sati will probably increase more because the law cannot simply bend the beliefs of people especially the one with clean and pure