Satyavati, Satyavatī: 12 definitions

Introduction:

Satyavati means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Tamil. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Satyavati in Purana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Bhagavata Purana

1) Satyavatī (सत्यवती):—Daughter of king Gādhi (son of Kuśāmbu). She married sage Ṛcīka and they had a son called Jamadagni. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.15.4-11)

2) Satyavatī (सत्यवती):—Daughter of Uparicharavasuby the womb of a fisherwoman known as Matsyagarbhā. She was later raised by a fisherman. She gave birth to Citrāṅgada by the semen of her husband Śāntanu (one of the three sons of Pratīpa). Before her marriage to Śāntanu however, she gave birth to Bādarāyaṇa (also known as Vyāsadeva), who was begotten by Parāśara Muni. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.22.20-24)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Satyavatī (सत्यवती).—The mother of Vyāsa. A short history. Satyavatī was the daughter of the celestial maid Adrikā. Because of a curse she lived as a fish in the river Ganges. Once the semen of King Uparicaravasu happened to fall in the Ganges and this fish swallowed it in consequence of which it became pregnant. A fisherman caught this fish and cut it. He got two human babies, male and female from the stomach of the fish. The fisherman gave the two infants to the King who took the male child. This child later became the Matsya King. The female child had the smell of fish. The King called her Matsya-Gandhī (She who has the smell of fish) and gave her back to the fisherman, who took the child to his hut and brought her up as his daughter. As the child was dark in complexion the fisherman called her Kālī. Thus the girl was known by two names Kālī and Matsyagandhī. Later she got the name Satyavatī also. (See full article at Story of Satyavatī from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

2) Satyavatī (सत्यवती).—The sister of Viśvāmitra. (See under Jamadagni; Para 2).

3) Satyavatī (सत्यवती).—A princess of the country of Kekaya. She was the wife of Triśaṅku and the mother of Hariścandra. (Mahābhārata, Dākṣiṇātyapāṭha, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 12).

4) Satyavatī (सत्यवती).—It is mentioned in Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva, Chapter 117, Verse 15, that one Satyavatī was the wife of Nārada.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Satyavatī (सत्यवती).—A wife of Parāśara, and mother of Vyāsa;1 in her previous birth Acchodā the mind-born daughter of the Pitṛs; now born as a fisherwoman, of Adrikā Matsya at the confluence of the Gangā and the Yamunā;2 her son Vyāsa, compiled the 18 purāṇas and the bhārata.3

  • 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa II. 7. 36: I. 3. 21: XII. 6. 49: Vāyu-purāṇa 1. 2:
  • 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 10. 73-4: Matsya-purāṇa 14. 19. Vāyu-purāṇa 73. 21-2.
  • 3) Matsya-purāṇa 53. 70.

1b) (see Rūka) a daughter of Gādhi and wife of sage Ṛcīka. As the caru intended for her was taken by her mother, she gave birth to an unrighteous son, and on her appeal the sage changed him to an unrighteous grandson. Mother of Jamadagni; she became converted into the river Kauśikī; other sons were Śunakśepa and Śunahpuccha;1 compared to Dakṣiṇā in yāga.2

  • 1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 15. 5-12: Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 66. 36-59: Vāyu-purāṇa 65. 93: 91. 66, 85, 92. Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 7. 12, 32, 33-4.
  • 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 1. 96: 21. 22.

1c) A daughter of Kratu and daughter-inlaw of Parvaśa.*

  • * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 11. 38.

1d) The queen of Śantanu and mother of Vicitravīrya and Citrāngada;1 at her command Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana begot Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu on the widows of Vicitravīrya.2

  • 1) Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 20. 34.
  • 2) Ib. IV. 20. 38.
Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Satyavatī (सत्यवती) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.63.55, I.63, I.90.51) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Satyavatī) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: ISKCON Press: Glossary

Satyavatī (सत्यवती).—The daughter of the fisherman King. She was the mother of Vyāsadeva by Paraśara Muni. She later married Mahārāja Śantanu and begot two children, Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya.

Vaishnavism book cover
context information

Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

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Kavyashastra (science of poetry)

Source: Shodhganga: Bhismacaritam a critical study

Satyavatī (सत्यवती) figures as a female character in the Bhīṣmacarita (Bhishma Charitra) which is a mahākāvya (‘epic poem’) written by Hari Narayan Dikshit.—Satyavatī was the queen of the Kuru King Śāntanu and the great-grandmother of the Pāṇḍava and Kaurava princes, principal characters of the Mahābhārata. According to the Purāṇas, she was born to the Cedi King Vasu (also known as Uparicara Vasu) and a fish, who was actually a celestial lady, Adrikā. But she was nevertheless brought up as a commoner, an adopted daughter to a ferryman or fisherman or a dāśeyī. She was also known as Matsyagandhā (one who has the smell of fish) in her earlier life and Yojanagandhā in her later life. Another name for her was Kali. She was sweet by her speech.

When Satyavatī grew older, Satyavatī took to ferrying pilgrims across the river Yamunā. Once she was taking the Sage Parāśara in her boat. Smitten by her charm he wanted to make love to her. Parāśara told her that she was destined to give birth to a very great person from this liaison. She placed three conditions before him. The first was that no one on shore should see what they were doing, so Parāśara created an artificial mist around them. The second was that she should retain her virginity. Parāśara assured her that after she gave birth she would again become a virgin and when she got married her husband would not know. Being born from a fish, she had retained a fishy smell. Hence she was sometimes called by the derogatory name Matsyagandhā or the one who smells like a fish. She wanted this to be replaced by an intoxicating fragrance. Parāśara agreed to this as well. He said that a divine aroma would emanate out of her, which could be sensed for a yojana, a distance equal to nine miles. She would then be known as Yojanagandhā meaning one whose fragrance spreads for a yojana.

As a young woman, Satyavatī met the wandering sage Parāśara, by whom she had a son, Vyāsa. His birth took place in secret on an island in the river Yamunā. Later, King Śāntanu of Hastināpura saw her and asked her to marry him. Her father allowed her to marry on condition that their children would inherit the throne. Their children were Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya. After Śāntanu’s death, she with her princely sons ruled the kingdom. Although both these sons died childless, she arranged for her first son Vyāsa to father the children of the two wives of Vicitravīrya (Ambikā and Ambālikā).

Kavyashastra book cover
context information

Kavyashastra (काव्यशास्त्र, kāvyaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian tradition of poetry (kavya). Canonical literature (shastra) of the includes encyclopedic manuals dealing with prosody, rhetoric and various other guidelines serving to teach the poet how to compose literature.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

[«previous next»] — Satyavati in Hinduism glossary
Source: Apam Napat: Indian Mythology

Satyavati was born inside a fish. (The story of her birth is told in more detail here.) This fish was caught by the chief of fishermen, who adopted her as his own daughter, as he had no children. Since she was born inside a fish, she had an odor of fish about her. She assisted her father by running a ferry service across the river.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Satyavatī (सत्यवती): A fisherman's daughter who possessed uncommon beauty and emanated a divinely sweet fragrance and king Santanu became enamored of her, married her and made her his queen. The wife of Bhishma's father, Shantanu.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

[«previous next»] — Satyavati in Jainism glossary
Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Satyavatī (सत्यवती) is the daughter of Varuṇa (king of sea-animals), according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.2 [Rāvaṇa’s expedition of conquest] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, “[...] Varuṇa gave his daughter, Satyavatī, to Hanumat. For, indeed, such a son-in-law, whose worth has been seen by one’s self, is hard to find. Rāvaṇa went to Laṅkā and, delighted, gave Candraṇakhā’s daughter, Anaṅgakusumā, to Hanūmat. Sugrīva gave Padmarāgā to him; Nala gave Harimālinī; and others gave him their daughters to the number of a thousand. Then Hanumat, lord of the powerful, was dismissed joyfully by Daśamukha with a close embrace and he went to Hanupura. [...]”;

General definition book cover
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Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Satyavati in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Satyavatī (सत्यवती):—[=satya-vatī] [from satya-vat > satya > sat] f. Name of the wife of Parāśara (Śāṃtanu) and mother of Vyāsa, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Purāṇa; Pañcarātra]

2) [v.s. ...] of a daughter of Gādhi and wife of Ṛcīka (fabled to have become the Kauśikī river), [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Rāmāyaṇa; Purāṇa]

3) [v.s. ...] of the wife of Nārada, [Mahābhārata]

4) [v.s. ...] of the wife of Śiva-rāja-bhaṭṭa, [Vāsavadattā, [Introduction]]

5) [v.s. ...] of a river = acchodā, [Catalogue(s)]

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Satyavati in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Satyavati (ಸತ್ಯವತಿ):—[noun] = ಸತ್ಯವಂತೆ [satyavamte].

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Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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Tamil dictionary

[«previous next»] — Satyavati in Tamil glossary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil Lexicon

Satyavati (ஸத்யவதி) noun < satya-vatī. Woman who speaks truth; உண்மை பேசுபவள். [unmai pesupaval.]

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Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.

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