Greater than the Gods [the legend of Sati Anasuya]

The gods are great but greater than the gods is the human soul. In the human soul is seated all the glories and powers and greatness of the gods. The soul passes at first, in the early beginnings of its journey, through the Titanic worlds and the Titanic states; in the middle it tastes the glory and the splendour of the gods, the nectar of bliss that is also the nectar of Immortality, the Soma wine of the Vedas; but in the end, it rises beyond both evil and good, vice and virtue, sinfulness and righteousness, indeed beyond all dualities and opposites into the utter Unspeakable Truth from which all else is born. This is beautifully revealed in an interesting story, the legend of Sati Anasuya.

Sati, as the word signifies would mean one who is wedded to Truth. In later years as many words with a deep psychological and spiritual significance, such as yajna, āditya, varna, dharma etc got distorted, this profound word also came to assume a rather limited and fixed meaning. During periods of decline it first assumed the meaning of a total commitment and fidelity to the husband irrespective of what he did or how he treated the woman. An extreme result of this change was that a woman was supposed to die along with her husband if he were to die first. She was supposed to burn herself alive along with his dead body in the pyre. Those who could do so were declared as ‘Sati’ and worshipped or revered. Those who could not do so were looked down upon and had to remain largely indoors. They were regarded as inauspicious. The fallout of all this was that women started wishing to die before their husbands, even considering it as something sacred and blessed if she were to die before the man she loved and lived with. Whatever be the sentimental side of this last romantic wish, the actual custom of Sati was no doubt a grotesque and cruel thing which Vibhutis like Raja Rammohan Roy rightly fought to change. It is also possible that later the custom got enforced by social pressures arising from the invasions that India suffered through the Hindukush. Whatever be the reasons, the ancients did not mean this when they used the word Sati as a sign of reverence before a woman’s name. The steadfastness to Truth was the one thing, the absolute fidelity to the husband in thought, word and act was a secondary element quite naturally flowing out of the first. The story of Shakuntala is itself an indicator that Truth was greater than anything else and it is that to which both man and woman had to be faithful to.

And Truth is powerful, as we find in the story of Sati Anasuya who could humble even the gods by the power of Truth within her.

Like Lopamudra, Arundhati, Gargi, Anasuya [without jealousy] is a realized being. She is wife to another great rishi, Atri.

It so happens that one day Narada calls upon the three great goddesses, consorts of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, that is Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati and praises Anasuya’s steadfastness to Truth. The praise is in such terms that even the goddesses feel a touch of jealousy, – ‘How can a mere mortal be greater in consciousness and conduct than the gods?’ Though time and again the gods have been humbled when they let pride creep inside them, yet the lesson of humility is forgotten. They forget in their pride that however high and great these celestial beings may be, man has in him ‘something’ that can make him even greater than the gods. That is because unlike gods who are typal beings fixed to the role and function, man is an evolutionary being. Man carries in himself a spark or seed of the Divine Himself and if this seed is nurtured by vigilance and watered by spirituality, it will blossom and make him greater than the gods. But he has lent his heart and brain to the untruths of the Titans.

But Anasuya is different. She has grown in her inner stature greater than the gods. So they decide to test her. The three great gods, the trinity, visit her house in a Brahmin’s appearance and ask for food. Now Brahmins, in ancient India were meant to gather the deeper and higher knowledge. This required tremendous askesis, time and concentration. They could not afford to spend their energies in livelihood and the elaborate framework of life. Therefore the arrangement in the old social order was this that the Brahmins shared their knowledge and wisdom thus gathered with the society while, the society in turn took care of their earthly requirements. This was a neat arrangement, each giving his best for the good of all; the Shudra, his craftsmanship and service, the Vaishya his wealth and opulence, the Kshatriya his courage and strength to protect and the Brahmin the very highest gift, the gift of Knowledge. He looked after the most important of all needs, the spiritual needs of the society. In turn the society expressed its gratitude by looking after the material needs of such men of great learning and wisdom. That the whole thing degenerated later like many other things is another matter. But this was before the decline.

The gods concealed as Brahmins asked for food and Anasuya responded with a ‘yes’ asking them to come in and take their seats till she prepared to lay some food for them.

When the preparations were made and the food was ready to be served the Brahmins suddenly made a strange request: ‘You have promised to offer food to us and we are extremely pleased. We have a request to make. You have to serve us food by making us sit in your lap undressed’.

Pausing to note her reaction they added: ‘You may go back on your word and not feed us. We will go away quietly. But if you would still keep your promise and honour your word then this is our condition’.

Now Anasuya was a Sati. She was wedded to Truth, – Truth in speech, Truth in feelings, Truth in thoughts and Truth in actions. The gods knew that such a person would not go back upon her word. At the same time, to concede to this strange demand may be for her a deviation from another dimension of Truth, – a total fidelity to her aim and also to the sage to whom she had completely committed herself.

As was the way with these yogis and rishis, she invoked the very power of Truth with which she had lived to come to her rescue. This power, the power of Truth gave her the capacity to see behind appearances. Ansooya clearly saw who these beings were in reality and what their purpose was. She also saw in the Light of this Truth within her heart as to what should be her response. Turning to the gods in disguise, she said with a smile: ‘Yes, I would certainly keep to my word and your condition. By the law of Truth that has built this world and keeps in order a mother can feed her child on her lap without a piece of cloth to cover either’. Thus saying and invoking the Truth that she had practised all her life, she commanded: ‘May you become like babies so I may feed you as you wish’.

No sooner did she utter these words that the gods came as if under a spell. They became like children and started behaving like little babies since their consciousness was reduced to that of a human babe. It is said that one who always speaks the Truth, his words and thoughts carry such a power that they come true because they embody the vibration of Truth in the person.
No sooner did the gods become a babe, Anasuya fed them making them sit in her lap. Then she caressed them as one does to a child affectionately and put them to sleep.

Meanwhile the three goddesses, the consorts of the Trinity started to wonder as to why so much time has elapsed since their departure to earth. As they descended from their immortal seats to the mortal sphere, they could feel the agony and pain that the mortals bear. That itself is a humbling experience. But they were in for more and they had asked for it surely. When no trace of their divine counterparts could be felt or sensed they approached Sati Anasuya to find out if they came and what had happened. The great and luminous being of Anasuya replied: ‘Yes they are there, sleeping inside as little babes. You may go inside and carry them back after recognizing them.’

The goddesses were surprised and stunned. Their consorts could not be recognized as they had become just like babies. Ashamed at their deed they approached Anasuya with humility, requesting her to release the gods from her divine spell. She smiled compassionately and had to simply utter ‘So be it’ and the gods returned back to their original form. They too bowed before the power of Truth in the woman’s heart and knew that man will one day surpass the gods. For they could sense in the being of Anasuya the future type of humanity, free inwardly and governed by truth. She is the prototype and the forerunner of a greater being who would one day arise out of a man and surpass even the greatest of gods.