Savitri and Satyavan

"The childless king of Madra, Ashwapati, lives ascetically for many   years and offers oblations to Sun God Savitr.  His consort is Malavi. He wishes to have a son for his lineage. Finally, pleased by the prayers, God Savitr appears to him and grants him a boon: he will soon have a daughter.   The king is joyful at the prospect of a child. She is born and named Savitri in honor of the god.  Savitri is born out of devotion and asceticism, traits she will herself practice.  Savitri is so beautiful and pure, she intimidates all the men in the vicinity.  When she reaches the age of marriage, no man asks for her hand, so her father tells her to find a husband on her own. She sets out on a pilgrimage for this purpose and finds Satyavan, the son of a blind king named Dyumatsena, who after he had lost everything including his sight, lives in exile as a forest-dweller. Savitri returns to find her father speaking with Sage Narada who announces that Savitri has made a bad choice: although perfect in every way, Satyavan is destined to die one year from that day. In response to her father's pleas to choose a more suitable husband, Savitri insists that she will choose her husband but once. After Narada announces his agreement with Savitri, Ashwapati acquiesces.  Savitri and Satyavan are married, and she goes to live in the forest.

Satyavan's Visit, oil on gesso panel 650 mm x 800 mm

Immediately after the marriage, Savitri wears the clothing of a hermit and lives in perfect obedience and respect to her new parents-in-law and husband. Three days before the foreseen death of Satyavan, Savitri takes a vow of fasting and vigil. Her father-in-law tells her she has taken on too harsh of a regimen, but Savitri replies that she has taken an oath to perform these austerities, at which Dyumatsena offers his support.   The morning of Satyavan's predicted death, Savitri asks for her father-in-law's permission to accompany her husband into the forest.  Since she has never aksed for anything during the entire year she has spent at the hermitage, Dyumaysena grants her wish.

They go and while Satyavan is splitting wood, he suddenly becomes weak and lays his head in Savitri's lap. Yama himself, the Death, comes to claim the soul of Satyavan. Savitri follows Yama as he carries the soul away. When he tries to convince her to turn back, she offers successive formulas of wisdom. First she praises obedience to Dharma, then friendship with the strict, then Yama himself for his just rule, then Yama as King of Dharma, and finally noble conduct with no expectation of return.  Impressed at each speech, Yama praises both the content and style of her words and offers any boon, except the life of Satyavan. She first asks for eyesight and restoration of the kingdom for her father-in-law, then a hundred sons for her father, and then a hundred sons for herself and Satyavan. The last wish creates a dilemma for Yama, as it would indirectly grant the life of Satyavan. However, impressed by Savitri's dedication and purity, he offers one more time for her to choose any boon, but this time omitting "except for the life of Satyavan". Savitri instantly asks for Satyavan to return to life. Yama grants life to Satyavan and blesses Savitri's life with eternal happiness. Satyavan awakens as though he has been in a deep sleep and returns to his parents along with his wife.

Dancing with Death oil on gesso panel

Meanwhile at their home, Dyumatsena regains his eyesight before Savitri and Satyavan return. Since Satyavan still does not know what happened, Savitri relays the story to her parents-in-law, husband, and the gathered ascetics. As they praise her, Dyumatsena's ministers arrive with news of the death of his usurper.  Joyfully, the king and his entourage return to his kingdom."

The story of Savitri and Satyavan is found in "The Book of the Forest" of the Mahabharata. Article from Wikipedia 2010.

Titles of art work

Savitri's Spine

Satyavan's Visit

Dancing with Death

Studio Altar

Skull

Kete

Monstrance

Satyavan's Visit

Mountain

Koru

No chickens have been hurt in this installation!   In my studio I have an altar.   I pray before this altar when I arrive and when I finish and leave for the day.  My studio altar consists of objects found or made.   Each object has a meaning or memory which I hold close to my heart. 

SKULL - This papier mache piece was made by me at a Day of the Dead workshop with Marcela Montoya.   It represents death.   I find the day of the Dead festival a wonderful way to acknowledge death.  It is something we all have to face whether it be our own or someone else’s.  In 2008 I spent a wonderful day working with the Linares family in Mexico city.  The Linares are renowned for their papier mache work of skulls and skeletons and alebrijes used in the Day of the Dead festivities.   Some of their work can be seen in the British Museum. 

KETE - The Kete (bag) is made out of flax.  This one was made by my Auntie Betty and holds my incense and charcoal.    It was her first kete she had made.  To me it is a family heirloom.    

MONSTRANCE - A liturgical vessel used in Churches a monstrance  is designed to hold a consecrated host.  Here I have inserted a picture of a fish.   As a child I had an ambition to visit the Great Barrier Reef.   When I was 18 I travelled to Australia and up to Cairns catching a ride on a fishing boat out to the outer reef.   The first time I put my head under the water I saw I was surrounded by a huge school of tropical fish of all shapes, sizes and colours swimming around me.   As well as fish there were huge clams, beautiful coral, manta ray and reef sharks.  It was absolutely stunning and a dream come true.  

SATYAVAN’S VISIT - The backdrop to the altar is a painting titled Satyavan’s visit.  This is named after a friend who introduced me to some Shamanic teachings.  Satyavan’s name is taken from the story of Savitri and Satyavan.   When Satyvan dies and Death comes to take him his wife Savitri follows asking Death to return her beloved husband to her. Eventually after much journeying Death is moved by Savitri’s dedication and devotion.  He grants Savitri her wish and gives her husband back for them to live a long and prosperous life together.  

MOUNTAIN - Last year I had a number of dreams about mountains.  I grew up near mountains so it is not so surprising but the shape of the mountains in my dreams were quite unique and their presence seemed quite mystical.   Inspired by the dreams I made a mountain out of papier mache and gesso.   Later in the same year I travelled to Peru and visited Machu Pichu.  The peaks around this amazing place reminded me of my dream mountains.  

KORU - The Koru is an important motif for me.  I have been drawing it for years and it appears in much of my work including some icons.  This is a piece I carved a couple of years ago. The Koru represents the constant unfolding of time past and present.   

Studio Altar