Satyabhama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Satyabhama is the third wife of Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums.

[edit] Marriage

Satyabhama was the daughter of Satrajit who owned the Syamantaka jewel. Satrajit, who secured the jewel from Surya, and would not part with it even when Krishna the Lord of Dvaraka, asked for it saying it would be safe with him. Shortly thereafter, Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was killed by a lion. Jambavan, known for his role in the Ramayana, killed the lion and gave the jewel to his son to play with. When Prasena did not return, Satrajit falsely accused Krishna of killing Prasena for the sake of the jewel.

Krishna, in order to remove the stain on his reputation, set out in search of the jewel and found it in Jambavan's cave, with his child. Jambavan attacked Krishna thinking him to be an intruder who had come to take away the jewel. They fought each other for 28 days, when Jambavan, his whole body terribly weakened from the hammering of Krishna's fists, finally recognised Him as Rama and surrendered.

I now know You. You are the life in all creatures, virility, grit and strength. You are Vishnu, the Primeval Lord, All-prevailing, the Supreme Lord (of the worlds). (Bhagavata 10.56.26)

As repentance for his having fought Krishna, Jambavan gave Krishna the jewel and also his daughter Jambavati in marriage. Krishna returned the jewel to Satrajit, who in turn repented for his false accusation. He promptly offered to give Krishna the jewel and his daughter Satyabhama in marriage. Krishna accepted Satyabhama as His wife but did not accept the jewel.

[edit] Narakasura's Killing

Narakasura was a demon king, ruling Pragjothishyapur, a southern province in the present day Nepal. He gained a boon from Brahma that he would die only in the hands of a woman. Armed with the boon, he ruled like a despot. Narakasura was infamous for his wicked ruling and high disregard for demigods and women.

Addicted to power, he defeated Lord Indra, king of demigods, and abducted 16,000 women and imprisoned them in his palace. He stole the earrings of Aditi, the heavenly mother goddess, and usurped some of her territory. Aditi was a relative of Satyabhama. When she heard of the Narakasuara's ill treatment of women and his behaviour with Aditi, she was enraged. Satyabhama approached Lord Krishna for permission to wage a war against Narakasura. Krishna not only agreed, but also offered to drive her chariot in the battlefield.

On the day of the war, Satyabhama fought Narakasura bravely, but she was no match to his trained skills. After a few days days, when Narakasura got a chance, he took aim at Krishna, hurting him lightly. Krishna fainted in a preordained divinely plan adopted to empower Satyabhama. Seeing this Satyabhama was furious. She doubled her attack on the demon king and killed him finally. Her victory on Narakasura translated into freedom for all his prisoners and honoring of Aditi. Having rescued the 16,000 women, Krishna was compelled to marry them per the customs of the day.

The killing of Narakasura was a victory of good over evil and is celebrated as Naraka Chaturdasi by Hindus every year with lot of fun, frolic, and fire works.

[edit] Tulabharam (weighing by scale)

The Sri Krishna tulabharam is an incident in the life of Satyabhama, that reveals the extent to which devotion is worth more than material wealth.

Satyabhama prides herself about the love Krishna has for her and her grasp over his heart. Rukmini, Krishna's first queen, on the other hand is a devoted wife, humble in her service of her Lord. Her devotion is her real inner beauty. On one contrived occasion, Rishi Narada arrives in Dwaraka and in the course of conversation hints to Satyabhama that the love that Krishna exhibits towards her is not all that real and in fact it is Rukmini has the real control over his heart. Unable to bear this, Satyabhama challenges Narada to prove it. Narada, with his way with words, tricks her into accepting a Vrata (ritual) where she has to give Krishna away in charity to Narada and reclaim him by giving the weight of Krishna in wealth. Narada lures her into accepting this vrata by telling her that Krishna’s love to her will increase many folds if she succeeds in performing this Tulabharam. He also instigates her ego by hinting that her wealth may not be sufficient to equal the weight of Krishna. With Satyabhama's ego duly raised, she tells Narada that she can mobilize so much wealth that it is a child’s play for her to outweigh Krishna. Narada warns her that if she is not able to do this, Krishna will become his slave to be done with as he pleases.

The scene is soon set for the vrata. Satyabhama gives Krishna away in charity (dana) in spite of the other wives’ pleadings. Krishna, always the mischievous cowherd, meekly submits to this drama. After donating Krishna to Narada, Satyabhama arranges for a big scale to be put up and sends with all assurance for her huge treasure of gold and jewellery. All that she has is soon put on the scale, but it doesn’t budge. Narada starts taunting her and threatening her that if she can’t put enough gold or diamonds, he will be forced to auction Krishna as a slave to someone else. Satyabhama swallows her pride and begs all the other wives to give their jewels. They agree out of love for Krishna, it is of no use.

Krishna remains a mute witness to all this drama and rubs salt into the open wounds of Satyabhama’s ego that he has now to become a slave to some cowherd and will have to suffer the separation from his dear wife. Narada suggests to Satyabhama that Rukmini may be able to get her out of the predicament. She finally swallows her pride and appeals to the devoted first wife of Krishna. Rukmini comes and with a prayer to her husband puts a single leaf of the sacred Tulasi on the scale (tula). Lo and behold, the scales become all at once so heavy that even after removing all the jewels, the scales are weighed down on the side of the Tulasi leaf.

While there are different versions in different texts as to why the weighing was arranged, the story of the Tulsi leaf placed by Rukmini being worth more in weight than that of Satyabhama's wealth is a common ending. This story is oft repeated to enunciate the significance of Tulsi and how a humble offering to God is greater than any material wealth.