Re: question on 'sati'
From the Bhakti List Archives
• November 30, 1999
The writings of Sri Samkaracharya and Sri Ramanujacharya represent only a tiny fraction of what they knew or spoke about. If their writings are silent on the status of widows or the correctness of Sati, it does not diminsh from their glory. Everyone is not expected to speak on every topic. Plus, it is doubtful if Satis were forced. I read a book "India in the eyes of early Muslim travellers" in which a traveller clearly states that Satis were voluntary. Hinduism as such does not have such a blanket negative attitude towards suicide as the current judicial system (the anglo-saxon prejudices against suicide derive from the code of Emperor Justinian) although it is certainly looked down upon by our Smriti Nibandhakaras like Medhatithi. Form the Vedantic perspective, the "Wise do not grieve over the living or the dead" and so Sati cannot be justified. Vishal In a message dated 11/30/99 11:02:19 AM Pacific Standard Time, sampathkumar_2000@yahoo.com writes: << It still however leaves my question unanswered as to why great "achAryA-s" like adi Sankara or SriRamanujAchArya remained silent on the issue! Is it because they too like us in the present times felt that the Vedas did not have anything definitive to say on the subject? Is their silence reflective of what seems to us now as one of those examples of Vedic "equivocation" on the whole subject? "sati" was outlawed in India by the passing of the famous "Sarada Act", I think. Wonder if the transcripts of the parliamentary debates (if one can lay hands on them) leading to that historic enactment could possibly throw some light on this. adiyen really wonders. dAsan, Sampathkumaran >>
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