Lesser known saga of Maharani Taramati

• Refer Markandeya Purana

Maharaja Harishchandra was put to test by Vishwamitra for his generosity & truthfulness. Well, this is what became of his wife.

She had to be sold to become a maid & a concubine of a priest. The King himself was deployed as a Chandala– Keeper of Crematoriums. As a part of this test, Taramati lost her son because of snake-bite. As her (ill)- fate would have it, she took her child to the same Crematorium where the King was deployed. Even though he was sorrow striken, he refused to cremate the child until the Fee had been paid. He was just doing his Duty, please don’t blame him. He had gone ahead and had asked Taramati to give away her clothes to fulfil the Obligation..

Wasn’t the king also a father to this child and a husband to this woman?

He then lived to become a God.

Of course, he had to. The irony of this society is that the more torturous a man becomes; his greatness is increased in form of a Halo.

• What about the Lady?
• Don’t you think that she was forced to take more than she could?
• Didn’t she contribute enough to be idolized?
• Or become God- like?
• Infact, all men should be made to bow before her image the 1^st thing in the morning & be reminded that we too are women and HUMAN (perhaps)

I wonder why she could not choose to lead her own life and move on if this was how her husband was to lead his life. She was only standing by him.. May be; but then, isn’t there a limit? It’s better to leave the left rather than to get rubbed.

She herself chose to lead a ruined life and has setup benchmark for the Modern Day Women.