SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA A celebrated Brahmana attached to the White Yajur-veda, and ascribed to the Rishi Yajnawalkya. It is found in two sakhas, the Madhyandina and the Kanwa. This is the most complete and systematic as well as the most important of all the Brahmanas. It has been edited by Weber.

SATA-RUPA ‘The hundred-formed.’ The first woman. According to one account she was the daughter of Brahma, and from their incestuous intercourse the first Manu, named Swayam-bhuva, was born. Another account makes her the wife, not the mother, of Manu. The account given by Manu is that Brahma divided himself into two parts, male and female, and from them sprang Manu. She is also called Savitri. See Viraj and Brahma.

SATATAPA An old writer on law. 

SATA-VAHANA A name by which Sali-vahana is some-times called. 

SATI A daughter of Daksha and wife of Rudra, i.e., Siva. The Vishnu Purana states that she "abandoned her body in consequence of the anger of Daksha. She then became the daughter of Himavat and Mena; and the divine Bhava again married Uma, who was identical with his (Siva's) former spouse." The authorities generally agree that she died or killed herself in consequence of the quarrel between her husband and father; and the Kasi Khanda, a modern work, represents that she entered the fire and became a Sati. See Pitha-sthana. 

SATRAJIT, SATRAJITA Son of Nighna. In return for praise rendered to the sun he beheld the luminary in his proper form, and received from him the wonderful Syamantaka gem. He lust the gem, but it was recovered and restored to him by Krishna. In return he presented Krishna with his daughter Satya-bhama to wife. There had been many suitors for this lady's hand, and one of them, named Sata-dhanwan, in revenge for her loss, killed Satrajit and carried off the gem, but he was afterwards killed by Krishna. 

SATRU-GHNA 'Foe destroyer.' Twin-brother of Lakshmana and half-brother of Rama, in whom an eighth part of the divinity of Vishnu was incarnate. His wife was Sruta-kirtti cousin of Sita. He fought on the side of Rama and killed the Rakshasa chief Lavana. See Dasa-ratha and Rama. 

SATYA-BHAMA Daughter of Satrajita and one of the four chief wives of Krishna. She had ten sons, Bhanu, Su-bhanu, Swar-bhanu, Prabhanu, Bhanumat, Chandrabhanu, Brihadbhanu, Atibhanu, Sribhanu, and Pratibhanu. Krishna took her with him to Indra's heaven, and she induced him to bring away the Parijata tree. 

SATYA-DHRITI Son of Saradwat and grandson of the sage Gautama. According to the Vishnu Purana he was father by the nymph Urvasi of Kripa and Kripi. 

SATYAKI A kinsman of Krishna's, who fought on the side of the Pandavas, and was Krishna's charioteer. He assassinated Krita-varma in a drinking bout at Dwaraka, and was himself cut down by the friends of his victim. He is also called Daruka and Yuyudhana; and Saineya from his father, Sini. 

SATYA-LOKA See Loka.

SATYAVAN See Savitri. 

SATYA-VATI 1. Daughter of Uparichara, king of Chedi, by an Apsaras named Adrika, who was condemned to live on earth in the form of a fish. She was mother of Vyasa by the Rishi Parasara, and she was also wife of King Santanu, mother of Vichitra-virya and Chitrangada, and grandmother of the Kauravas and Pandavas, the rivals in the great war. The sage Parasara met her as she was crossing the river Yamuna when she was quite a girl, and the offspring of their illicit intercourse was brought forth on an island (dwipa) in that river, and was hence called Dwaipayana. (See Vyasa.) She was also called Gandha-kali, Gandha-vati, and Kalangani; and as her mother lived in the form of a fish, she is called Dasa-nandini, Daseyi, Jhajhodari, and Matsyodari, ‘fish-born.’ 2. A daughter of King Gadhi, wife of the Brahman Richika, mother of Jamad-agni and grandmother of Parasu-rama. She was of the Kusika race, and is said to pave been transformed into the Kausiki river. See Richika and Viswamitra. 

SATYA-VRATA 1. Name of the seventh Manu. See Manu.

2. A king of the Solar race, descended from Ikshwaku. He was father of Haris-chandra, and is also named Vedhas and Trisanku. According to the Ramayana he was a pious king, and was desirous of performing a Sacrifice in virtue of which he might ascend bodily to heaven. Vasishtha, his priest, declined to perform it, declaring it impossible. He then applied to Vasishtha's sons, and they condemned him to become a Chandala for his presumption. In his distress and degradation he applied to Viswamitra, who promised to raise him in that form to heaven. Viswamitra's intended sacrifice was strongly resisted by the sons of Vasishtha, but he reduced them to ashes, and condemned them to be born again as outcasts for seven hundred births. The wrathful sage bore down an other opposition, and Tri-sanku ascended to heaven. Here his entry was opposed by Indra and the gods, but Viswamitra in a fury declared that he would create “another Indra, or the world should have no Indra at all.” The gods were obliged to yield, and it was agreed that Tri-sanku, an immortal, should hang with his head downwards, and shine among some stars newly called into being by Viswamitra.

The Vishnu Purana gives a more simple version. While Satya-vrata was a Chandala, and the famine was raging, he supported Viswamitra's family by hanging deer's flesh on a tree on the bank of the Ganges, so that they might obtain food without the degradation of receiving it from a Chandala : for this charity Viswamitra raised him to heaven.

The story is differently told in the Hari-vansa. Satya-vrata or Tri-sanku, when a prince, attempted to carry off the wife of a citizen, in consequence of which his father drove him from home, nor did Vasishtha, the family priest, endeavour to soften the father's decision. The period of his exile was a time of famine, and he greatly succoured the wife and family of Viswamitra, w1lowere in deep distress while the sage was absent far away. He completed his twelve years' exile and penance, and being hungry one day, and having no flesh to eat, he killed Vasishtha's wondrous cow, the Kama-dhenu, and ate thereof himself, and gave some to the sons of Viswamitra. In his rage Vasishtha gave him the name Tri-sanku, as being guilty of three great sins. Viswamitra was gratified by the assistance which Satya- vrata bad rendered to his family; “he installed him in his father's kingdom, ...and, in spite of the resistance of the gods and of Vasishtha, exalted the king alive to heaven.”

SATYAYANA Name of a Brahmans. 

SATYA-YAUVANA A certain Vidya-dhara. 

SAUBHA A magical city, apparently first mentioned in the Yajur-veda. An aerial city belonging to Haris-chandra, and according to popular belief still visible occasionally. It is called also Kha-pura, Prati-margaka, and Tranga. In the Maha-bharata an aerial or self-supporting city belonging to the Daityas, on the shore of the ocean, protected by the Salwa king.  

SAUBHARI A devout sage, who, when he was old and emaciated, was inspired with a desire of offspring. He went to King Mandhatri, and demanded one of his fifty daughters. Afraid to refuse, and yet unwilling to bestow a daughter upon such a suitor, the king temporised, and endeavoured to evade the request. It was at length settled that, if anyone of the daughters should accept him as a bridegroom, the king would consent to the marriage. Saubhari was conducted to the presence of the girls; but on his way he assumed a fair and handsome form, so that all the girls were captivated, and contended with each other as to who should become his wife. It ended by his marrying them all and taking them home. He caused Viswa-karma to build for each a separate palace, furnished in the most luxurious manner, and surrounded with exquisite gardens, where they lived a most happy life, each one of them having her husband always present with her, and believing that he was devoted to her and her only. By his wives he had a hundred and fifty sons; but as he found his hopes and desires for them to daily increase and expand, he resolved to devote himself wholly and solely to penance and the worship of Vishnu. Accordingly, he abandoned his children and retired with his wives to the forest. See Vishnu Purana. 

SAUDASA Son of King Sudas. Their descendants are all Saudasas. See Kalmasha-pada. 

SAUNANDA A club shaped like a pestle, which was one of the weapons of Bala-rama. 

SAUNAKA A sage, the son of Sunaka and grandson of Gritsa-mada. He was the author of the Brihad-devata, an Anu-kramani, and other works, and he was a teacher of the Atharva-veda. His pupil was Aswalayana. There was a family of the name, and the works attributed to Saunaka are probably the productions of more than one person. 

SAURA PURANA See Purana.  

SAURASHTRAS The people of Surashtra. 

SAUTI Name of the sage who repeated the Maha-bharata to the Rishis in the Naimisha forest. 

SAUVIRAS A people connected with the Saindhavas or people of Sindh, and probably inhabitants of the western and southern parts of the Panjab. Cunningham says that Sauvira was the plain country.

SAVARNA, SAVARNI The eighth Manu. The name it used either alone or in combination for all the succeeding Manus to the fourteenth and last. See Manu. 

SAVARNA Wife of the sun. “The female of like appearance,” whom Saranyu, wife of Vivaswat, substituted for herself when she fled. (See Saranyu.) Manu was the offspring of Savarna. This is the version given in the Nirukta. In the Vishnu Purana, Savarna is daughter of the ocean, wife of Prachinabarhis, and mother of the ten Prachetasas. 

SAVITRI ‘Generator.’ 1. A name used in the Vedas for the sun. Many hymns are addressed to him, and he is some- times distinguished from that deity. 2. One of the Adityas. 

SAVITRl 1. The holy verse of the Veda, commonly called Gayatri 2. A name of Sata-rupa, the daughter and wife of Brahma, who is sometimes regarded as a personification of the holy verse. 3. Daughter of King Aswa-pati, and lover of Satyavan, whom she insisted on marrying, although she was warned by a seer that he had only one year to live. When the fatal day arrived, Satyavan went out to cut wood, and she followed him. There he fell, dying, to the earth, and she, as she supported him, saw a figure, who told her that he was Yama, king of the dead, and that he had come for her husband's spirit. Yama carried off the spirit towards the shades, but Savitri followed him. Her devotion pleased Yama, and he offered her any boon except the life of her husband. She extorted three such boons from Yama, but still she followed him, and he was finally constrained to restore her husband to life. 

SAVYA-SACHIN ‘Who pulls a bow with either hand.’ A title of Arjuna. 

SAYANA Sayanacharya, the celebrated commentator on the Rig-veda. “He was brother of Madhavacharya, the prime minister of Vira Bukka Raya, Raja of Vijaya-nagara, in the fourl6enth century, a munificent patron of Hindu literature. Both the brothers are celebrated as scholars, and many important works are attributed to them; not only scholia on the Sanhitas and Brahmanas of the Vedas, but original works on grammar and law; the fact, no doubt, being that they availed themselves of those means which their situation and influence secured them, and employed the most learned Brahmans they could attract to Vijaya-nagara upon the works which bear their name, and to which they also contributed their own labour and learning; their works were, therefore, compiled under peculiar advantages, and are deservedly held in the highest estimation.”-Wilson.

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