JOIN USThe brown girl and the prince
A commoner marrying into royalty is the stuff of fairy tales. Recent news about the discussion on the possible colour of Meghan and Harry’s first child when Meghan was still pregnant has interesting undertones. Such a discussion, while totally inappropriate, is commonplace in Indian homes. Indian folklore, however, is replete with stories of well-respected people of dark complexion. The story of the brown girl and the prince I’m referring to is not about Meghan and Harry, but about Satyavati and Shantanu.
Satyavati was a fisherwoman, an adopted daughter of Dashraj, the chief of a fishing community living on the banks of the Yamuna. She grew up known as Kali, the dark one, because of her complexion. Beautiful, she was courted by the rishi Parasara when she ferried him across the Yamuna to an island. Succumbing to the forcefulness of Parasara’s desire as they reached the island, she bore a child from the one-time union. The child was named Krishna Dvaipayana, the dark child (Krishna) born on an island (Dvaipayana). Parasara soon bid adieu, continuing his quest for knowledge.
Krishna Dvaipayana grew up (apparently very quickly) and followed in the footsteps of his father. Mythologically, it is said that Parasara used his divine powers and enabled Satyavati to deliver the baby immediately and grow him into an adult instantly. Dvaipayana went on to be Veda Vyasa, the compiler of the Vedas and also the author of Mahabharata.
Satyavati went back to being the fisherwoman she was, living with her father. Later, Satyavati, still the beauty, was courted by Shantanu, the Kuru king of Hastinapura. Shantanu asked Dashraj for Satyavati’s hand in marriage. Dashraj demurred, saying that Shantanu already had a son from an earlier liaison and that Satyavati and her children would always be second-class members of the Kuru royal family. Shantanu went back to the palace distraught.
Devavrata, Shantanu’s son, seeing his father pining away, investigated and learnt of the reason for Shantanu’s sorrow. He went to Dashraj and ceded his right to the Kuru throne. Dashraj persisted further, saying that Devavrata’s future children would still be treated as the rightful heirs to the throne despite Devavrata’s promise. Devavrata then took the ultimate vow to never marry or bear children. Devavrata hence came to be called Bheeshma, the one who took the onerous oath. Satyavati was then happily married off to Shantanu. Bheeshma and the royal family welcomed Satyavati and treated her with the highest esteem. Satyavati became the matriarch and the architect of the Kuru family, even calling upon Krishna Dvaipayana to father heirs to the royal throne when her children from Shantanu died childless. Thus, the Kauravas and the Pandavas of the Mahabharata are biologically the descendants of the dark-complexioned fisherwoman, Satyavati, and the rishi, Parasara.
Mythologically, it is said that Satyavati was the biological daughter of a Yadava king on travel duty and an Apsara who was in the form of a fish! Setting aside the mythological layer of assigning royal lineage to Satyavati, she was a dark, beautiful, fisherwoman who grew up ferrying people across the river along which she was found and adopted. She mothered both the spiritual and political leaders around whom the epic of Mahabharata has been written.
Satyavati’s story is interesting at many levels, throwing light on the culture of her times, including courtship, pre-marital relationships, pre-nuptial agreements, and the making of royal lineages. Not much has changed culturally, and many lessons of the day translate well to modern times. Meghan and Harry may have a thing or two to learn from Satyavati!