Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.119

v1.c5.119

Satyavatī, the mother of the famous Vyāsa, held to be the compiler of the Vedas and author of the Mahābhārata, offers less resistance than the maidenly Kuntī. She had come into being in the belly of a fish in an extraordinary way, to be referred to later, and had come out when the creature, really a bewitched Apsaras, had been cut open. She was given by her maker to a fisherman, and was wondrous fair; only she had a fish-like smell. Her foster-father had a ferry-boat over the Yamunā, and she took over its working for him. Then there came one day the Ṛishi or holy man Parāçara to be ferried over. He at once fell in love with the lovely-thighed one, and without waiting made her his proposal: “Be joined with me, lovely one!” She spoke: “See, O holy man, the Ṛishis are standing on the other shore. How could we unite while they see us?” Thus addressed by her, the holy and glorious, the mighty one, brought about a mist by which that whole neighbourhood was changed, as it were, into one stretch of darkness. But when she now saw this mist, made by the excelling Ṛishis, the maiden was greatly astonished and ashamed, poor girl. Satyavatī spoke: “Know, O holy man, that I am a maid, and still subject to my father. Through a union with thee my maidenhead would be lost, O blameless one. And if my maidenhead is harmed, how shall I be able, O Ṛishi, best of the twice-born, to go home? I cannot then live, O wise man. Think over this, O glorious one, and then do what lies next to hand.” To her thus speaking, said the best of the Ṛishis, filled with joy and love: “When thou hast done me this favour, then shalt thou become a maid again.¹ And choose thyself, thou fearful one, a favour thou wouldst have, O fair one. For never up to now has my goodwill been without result, thou with the bright smile.” Thus spoken to, she chose the loveliest sweet scent in her limbs, and the holy man gave her what she yearned for above all. After she had won the favour, filled with joy, and decked with the greatest gift of woman (a sweet smell), she united herself with the wonder-working Ṛishi. Hence her name Gandhavatī (the fragrant one) came to be renowned on earth. The scent of her was smelt by men here below a Yojana (“mile”) away. Therefore her other name is Yojanagandhā. Thus was Satyavatī joyful, having received the incomparable favour, and united herself with Parāçara and bore at once the fruit of her body" (i, 63.67 ff.). Satyavatī herself tells this tale shorter (i, 105.5 ff.) There she says that the fear, too, of the holy man's curse, not only this gracious gift, had influenced her, and that the Ṛishi enjoyed her in the boat, and bade her expose the child on an island in the river; and that thereupon she had become a maid again.