Satyavati: The Queen Who Shaped the Destiny of the Kurus by Rupeen Popat
My take on the book:
Satyavati lived on the banks of Yamuna with her father Dasharaj and ferried people on her small boat between both the banks. A prophecy in her childhood predicted that she would become Queen in the future and her father was very hopeful that the prophecy would come true. When King Shantanu of Hastinapur travelled in Satyavati’s boat, he instantly started liking Satyavati.
When Dasharaj found out about this secret friendship between Shantanu and Satyavati, and Shantanu expressed interest to take this relationship to marriage, Dasharaj had a condition — that Satyavati’s children should be the heirs of the kingdom. Shantanu already had a son Devavrata from his earlier marriage to Ganga, whom he declared as heir to the throne. For the sake of his father’s happiness, Devavrata decides to remain unmarried for life and hence make Satyavati’s children the heirs to the throne.
After this sacrifice, Devavrata is known as Bhishma but the quick deaths of his father Shantanu and then of Satyavati’s two sons leave the Kuru dynasty without any successors. Will Bhishma live by his oath of lifelong celibacy and how did Satyavati sustain the Kuru lineage, forms the rest of the story.
This is the story of Satyavati as narrated from her point of view, beginning from her time ferrying people on a small boat till the time Sage Vyasa advised her to retreat to the forest before the inevitable war can happen. While this is a well-known preface to the Kurukshetra war, many retellings either praise Satyavati’s decisions or criticize her, and that is exactly the difference this book makes — the author narrates the story in a balanced manner without passing his own critique on Satyavati.
Unlike other Princesses who grew up in their palaces learning about politics and administration, Satyavati suddenly became a Queen from being a commoner. Though her destiny brought her luck, challenges outweighed her fortune. This book brings an interesting perspective of circumstances that forced Satyavati to make certain decisions which shaped the future of Kuru dynasty. Her resilience is what stands out throughout the story.
The story also narrates about Bhishma in his younger days, the demi-god who could win any war single-handedly, his political acumen, his bond with Satyavati but also his aggression and mistakes. The narration flows easily, making the reader engrossed in the story. The author deserves applaud for bringing forth the nuances of Satyavati who is often misunderstood or treated as a secondary character.
With a narrative filled with emotions, social dilemmas, loyalty and legacy, this is a mythological retelling that will appeal to readers who would like to read about complex characters.
My rating:
4/5.