Amish Tripathi defended the stance on Sati: ‘Where are the widows in Indian epics?’

You have second cooperation with Discovery Plus after the ‘Legends of Shiva’ ‘Legends of Ramayana’. What aspects of Shiva are you looking for in the entire series, and where and all have you traveled all?

We have traveled to all ends of the subcontinent. Pashupatinath ji from Kedarnath ji and Kalin Chowk in Nepal and Varanasi. In the west, we went to Kailash Temple, Mahakaleshwar Temple, Khandoba in Madhya Maharashtra and to Unakoti in Tripura in the east. In Tamil Nadu, we went to Chidambaram, Arunachaleshwar, Ardhanareshwar Temple. We saw Lord Shiva in various forms including Isha Ashram in Coimbatore, a modern view for Mahadev.

We spoke to people in all social classes and age groups; Not only the temples that follow the attitude of the scripture, but also follow the people who follow folklore. There are many transgender individuals who are Shiva devotees and many local temples which have strong traditions.

Which aspects of your books (The Meluha series) will be reflected in the show?

In many ways Lord Shiva is an inclusive God. On the surface, it appears that there are a lot of contradictions but my book series was in a linear story. What we are doing here is coming to him through various forms of it – as the lord of the elements of time, as the lord of the elements, in the Panchbhuthas, Tamil Nadu temples, as the God of animals in Pashupatinath. It is getting closer to the same subject (as books), but in a more non-contact manner.

Recently, you were involved in a debate about Sati because you said that it was not widespread in the subcontinent and does not have the basis in Hinduism. Sanjay Leela Bhansali also faced a similar criticism when he painted Jauhar Views as a brave task PadmavatIt reduces the fear of helplessness and social exile that these women faced.

Let us contact different approaches. The concept of Sati, if you look at our ancient scriptures, you do not get that word. You make a list of widows in the Ramayana and Mahabharata and the truth stare at us on the face.

But Madri (King Pandu’s wife) killed herself …

It is said in the Mahabharata, why did he do it. She believed that she was the cause of her husband’s death. She used to feel guilty and even at that time, the sages who were around, were telling that it is not because who will take care of your children. The word used for this ritual suicide was not Sati but Sagamana or Anugamana. It is worth asking that when the British wrote their interpretation about this and why they did not use the word Sagamana or Anugamana, which is a gender neutral word.

Are you saying that husbands killed themselves after the death of their wives?

In Raj Tarangini, when the queen died, her male attendants and bodyguards also caught fire because she felt that she did not do her duty. Even when Arjun felt that he could not protect Abhimanu, he was ready to enter the fire. It is Sagamana or Anugamana.

But it is mixing historical stories with historical documents …

Madri and Arjuna are the same example from Mahabharata. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama left the mortal body through water samadhi in the Saryu river. Bindu, like today, you have euthanasia in the west that both men and women do it. Does this mean that all the western people are killing their elders?

But this is from the order and choice of a court. Sati was an ideal in pre -independence India by historical fact.

I would like to debate this and I feel feelings, which is completely appropriate. I am not saying that India was perfect. One of our biggest problems was the caste system, against which I speak firmly. But it almost seems that white masters have done their work. When slaves believe that they told us, they are the winners. The entire history is written by them; That we were a barbaric people. See our epic yourself, where are the widows? In Abraham cultures, suicides were considered a crime against God, but not so much in religious cultures. But it was actively discouraged.

Since you mention the caste system, in your books, you have suggested its source as a business-based classification system. In ‘Meluha’, newborns are adopted by the state and then classified on the basis of merit, business, skill. However, this system became corrupted. Do you think that’s really happened?

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that he made four or else, but did not mention the birth. Published in 1946, Dr. Ambedkar’s book ‘Hu R de Shudras?’ In, he presents a theory. Remember that genetic studies were not available at that time. Therefore, based on the evidence of the scripture, he shows that the Shudra used to be a ruler and over time the situation of various ruling tribes fell. Like the Maurya who ruled North India, but now the prescribed caste. He also said that till 1500 years ago there was a huge interaction between different groups in IE Inter-Cast Marriageing. Then, for some reason, it stopped. Why did this happen? I think it has not done enough research. Genetic evidence and Dr. Ambedkar’s principle proves that the caste system was not as rigid, but had become rigid about 1,500 years ago.

Published – March 06, 2025 03:59 PM IST