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Satyavati's Sublimation from Deprivation towards Empowerment in the Game of Power and Politics | |||||||
Paper Id :
17510 Submission Date :
2023-04-03 Acceptance Date :
2023-04-21 Publication Date :
2023-04-25
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Abstract |
In India possibly every child brings up with the enchanting stories of the two major epics of Hindu's as Ramayana and Mahabharata. It has become the culture of Hindus to narrate these stories with great enthusiasm. These epics have charming and alluring females' characters like Sita, Kunti, Draupadi, Gandhari, Ganga, Satyavati emerges as a fascinating characters to the readers. The epic, Mahabharata is not only a story of war but it also reveals human's strength and weakness. Satyavati is to an incarnation of positive and negative characteristics. The novel “The Fisher Queen's Dynasty”throws light the strength and weakness of Satyavati's character and her dilemma and ambition for power. She makes some decisions in her life under the influence of her wishes and she paid the great cost of her desires, suffered a lot in her life but she tackled each and every situation with her intelligence.
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Keywords | Desire, Sublimation, Deprivation, Ambition, Wisdom, Power and Politics. | ||||||
Introduction |
To track her life's traits on her dilemma and ambition, fearless, a free willed, sexually assertive lady who is choosing to live her life on her conditions and terms. Finding in control of her life, she entwines a pattern of her life.
She starts the journey of her life from a common boat rower but finishes with a victorious queen mother of Karu Dynasty. “The fisher Queen Dynasty” is her life's journey which is perfectly narrated by Kavita Kane and the author reflects hers ambitions, desires, devotion, deprivation, intelligence strategic maneuver and distress behind the royal throne. This unnoticed and ignored character of Mahabharata directs a lot concerning politics. The novelist has tried to explore Satyavati's sublimation from disputation towards empowerment in the game of power and politics.
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Objective of study | This is the study of the most mesmarised and misunderstood character of Mahabharata. It is not only the story of war but it also reveals human's strength and weakness. Satyavati is to be an incarnation of positive and negative characteristics. |
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Review of Literature |
The novel 'The fisher Queen Dynasty' throws light the strength and weakness of Satyavati's character and her dilemma and ambition for power. She begins her journey from a common boat rower but concludes with a victorious queen-mother of Kuru dynasty. Her journey of life is shortly described here to reflect her dedication, deprivation, ambition, power, strategic plans and brilliance behind the royal throne. This unnoticed personality of the epic teaches a lot concerning politics. This paper attempts to search Satyavati's transformation from deprivation towards empowerment in the game of politics and authority. |
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Main Text |
Satyavati was the adopted child of the chief of the
fisherman's head, Dashraaj. The tale of her birth in very fascinating. A long
time ago, Indra, the king of lords, had gifted a crystalJewel in lead vehicle
to the king of Chedi. Through Vasu he could walk willingly in the upper area of
the heaven, so he was called as Uparicaravasu Once the king did free the river Suktimati.
The river was very happy, she offered him her children. They were twince as one
is son and other is daughter.Satyavati and his brother was born from the belly
of a fish. The fish was apsara, Adhika who was free from her curse was after
giving the birth of twin human children and left the river forever. The boy is
kept by the king Uparicaravasuand the girl was handed overto the fisher chief,
Dasaraaj. The king accepted the boy because he was childless at that time and
he refused to keep the girl baby with him. Dasaraaj brought up her and named
her Mataya-Gandha [The girl who smelt of fish]. Dasaraaj had informed her about
the injustice and discrimination done by her father to her. After hearing which
was this, she stated firmly: "I wasborn just a princess. I am a King's daughter. Just
like my twin brother who is now I hearthe King of Matsya, the new Kingdom
carried out from Chief.He roome the country of his chariot, it's a silk white
flag embossed with a (broad it) shimmering golden fish flying aloft, while I
sell fish and ferry people! Why was I denied my rights?" [Pg No. 31]. She was full of hatred for everyone like her father, men and
society and by the side of she was full of ambition and desire to gain the
position that snatched away from her. As she murmured confidently 'born to
rule'. Her growth for being a common fisherwoman, disgraced and annoyed for her
ugly physical appearance and intolerable body sting to fetching a beautiful and
much looked for after woman with attractive body for fragrance who goes on to
be the queen of an authoritative kingdom of Hastinapur is the commendable
one. On the other side her resolution to
take the control and commend of her personal life thoroughly and also wants to
help her whole community of fisher folk with a better life after fetching the
crown of Hastinapur. As she said restlessly: “I want more I could
have demanded marriage, too, but I don't
want to be a rishi's life and leave in as ashram. I was born a princess and I
shall be Queen someday”(Pg No.28). Satyavati has all the qualities but due to her birth her body
stenches like fishy smell did not left her, she was teasted by the name of
Matsyagandha. When she grew up as a young girls, she didn't want to miss any
chance in her life, beauty of her high ambitions and she was well versed in
seizing every chance of life. First, she was not agreed to be united with sage
Parasara was immediately agreed with these conditions and he still empasized
her by arresting that after meeting with her bad body smelly aura would be
transformed in the good fragrance called by everyone from her new name
Yojangandha. One day the king Shantanumoved to a forest on the bank of river
Yamuna while wondering across the river, He got the aroma of Yojangandha and he
encountred by the beauty, charm and fragrance of her. she falls in love with
her opportunity appeared have struck Yojnagandha to preserve her long pending
desire.Yojnagandha stated that her marriage based on her father's
judgement Her father Dashraaj, drops no time in astonishing a daily with
Shantanu. He was agreed for the marriage of her daughter under a deal. Dashraaj
claims that neither and the king Shantanu's for going multi talented fighter's
son and the heir apparent, Devavrat to the some in future, against the generation
of Shantanu and Yojangandha. The old and desperate king returned to his capital
calmly. But his son noticed that his father is seemed very upset nowadays. The
intelligent Devavrat finds out the real reason of his father's sadness and went
to Dashraaj's house for asking the hand of his daughter for marriage. The
fisherfolks chief told his desire that after the death of Shantanu, my daughter
wants the kingship of her and king's son. Her desire and ambition had made her
compromise on her worth and behaviour, effending ethics and righteour
standards. The virtuous, Devavrat agrees to these conditions and he takes his
terrible oath by rising his right arm and he states : "I bow to you, sir, I shall never marry, and henceforth
shall dedicate my life to celibacy and unbroken chastity. I swear that I shall
never be with a woman, nor father, children. May my mother, Ganga, and the
nevar to be witness to my promise to you
IDevavrat, the son and Shantanu pledge never to children with any woman.
I shall remain without wife and child till my last breath. That is my promise
to you!"(Pg.No.91) Yojanagandha was very upset with Bhishma's oath she never
imagined that a young boy would take such a huge bow for his father's small
wish. Yojanagandha performs the most pivotal role of the deal very attentively.
On given an opportunity to live as a queen and also represent the people in the
court of Kuru Dynasty. She agreed with this offer immediatedly. She does not
want to think a moment later. She claims her right an independent lady and
commands to live her life on her terms with honor and pride. The controlling
mode of resistance is over voicing herself and her denial to live a life of
anonymity. The king Shantanu visibly is in a dilemma over the demands of her
father. At the end, she is very clear about her plans that if is referred to a
choice between herself and her accommodation.She would not shift from her
demand. It is a very appreciable that she firmly and clearly designed on
inclusive scheme of hers progress with her father for the better settlement of
her life. She becomes administrator, demands and combats not just as
individual quest for seeking a life of self-pride and also wants to be a spoken
person for the walfare of her existence. She is a strong woman, ambitious with
a clear and foresight idea of progress. Her ideas become successful and Kali
who was Matsayagandhaand later Yojangandha now she becomes Satyavati, the royal
queen of Hastinapur. On the one hand Kali frankly enters into the male
stronghood. She is now sub-equivalent of
her father. She represents as the son and her of her father in the community
Fisher Folk. First of all, she earns the livelihood by ferring the people in
her boat and includes that in the income of family which is the cultural role
of a son. Secondly, very soon she enters
in the male's world by performing the role of
a son and an heir both of which crack the patriarchal stereotypes. In
her transformation from Kali to Satyavati. She emerges and develops constantly.
The ancestors of the Kuru Dynasty used to give preference to Karma, but during
the reign of Shantanu preference- was given to Janam and so he let it happen.
The cause of his death was his deep embarrassment and handing over the kingdom
to the wrong hands. After the death of Shantanu's, she emerges as the most
powerful queen of that time. She has a very strong mindset to handle the every
situation. She faces many obstacles being a queen of Kuru Dynasty but in her
transformation Kali to Satyavati, she develops and grows constantly through her
quick decision making, wit and foresight. She discusses all the political
issues and strategies with Devavrat and tries to give the solution of the
problems as far as possible. Once Satyavati asks Devavrat to search a princess
for his son named Vichitravirya and she said very clearly: “Eligible in the political context too, 'she reiterated,
throwing him a hard look. I don't want just a pretty face. She should have
enough political clout to consolidate the kurus as the most influential
empire”(Pg.no 204).
Her both son got married to Shalva's princess Ambika and
Ambalika but Chitrangad and Vichitraviryawere died without producing any heir
for the Kuru lineage. It was a big dilemma, the wise Satyavati asks Bhishma to
break the oath of celibacy and got married to his half brother's widows for the
shake of the next heir of her dynasty. Bhishma refused her proposal due to his
firm bow. After this hearing she opened a secret of his son Krishnadwaipayan
(who was born through Parasara). She starts to find her son with a single
minded chasing to see him. Finally,she searches and finds her and determines on
the practice of 'Niyoga' to make sure that her daughter-in-law named Ambika and
Ambalika creat children through Krishna. Her compulsion with the continuity of
our breed is extremely patriarchal and
her. She introduces herself as a high power of supremacy that once again
indicates the extraordinary intelligancy. She is such a powerful queen that
even after losing everything one by one she has an adamant desire to get back
everything by her wit and quick decision making. She appears to utilize the
same system and practice to patriarchy to make sure that her breed continuous
to govern Hastinapur is her manner of resisting the patriarchy tacts. Her
belief on women as creators being mechanical in presering their breeds is a
very radical deviation from patriarchal facts and notions. This is a very
strong interpretation which shakes the very basics of patriarchy and draws in the pivotal role of
woman as maker in comparison to the traditional patriarchal conception of me
being responsible for the creation and regulation of the bread or race family. |
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Conclusion |
Although Satyavati does not present in the epic for a long period but her personality is very prominent. Her tale is full of desire and hope, determination and ambition. She was brought up by fisherman and doing a low-grade job for her family's bread and butter like a son. But after coming in the power and be a queen, she demostrated her intelligency and capability. Bhishma honored her and discussed her on administrative and family issues. She was very curious about the welfare of the empire, and situating aside her sadness and grief, took decision in the continuation of her disappearing lineage. She is powerful enough to acquire her ambitions and she captures every opportunity to switch her destiny. Unlike Kunti, she never delays in adopting her son from an extramarital meet with Rishi Parasara. Satyavati not only influences the folk around her but also manipulates the situations to achieves her goals. Her candided nature emphasized the readers of the modern feminist tradition. She only REQUESTS from sage Parasara what she demands at that time, no another requests or engagement like the live in relationships of the contemporary scenerio. Satyavati transformes her position from a lower caste girl to a mother queen of the entire empire. She fixed not only her status but also of her successors. Satyavati tolerates a lot in her whole life due to her ambition, desire and choice of becoming a queen but she achieved an honoured status in the heart of all due to her intelligency and wit. |
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References | 1. The Fisher Queen's Dynasty. New Delhi: Westland Publications, 2017.
2. The Fisher Queen's Dynasty by Kavita Kane Good reads.
3. The Un roriquished Queen: Book Review of the Fisher Queen's Dynasty.
4. The fisher Queen's Dynasty by Kavita Kane. Feminist Quill.
5. Desire, Sufferings and Wisdom: A Critical Study of Satyarati's Character from The Mahabharata.
6. Satyavati- Journey of A women, from an Ordinary Boat Rower to a Powerful King Maker: An Analytical Approach.
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