Maha Sati Anasuya Stories
Maha Sati Anasuya, the wife of Arti Maharishi was famous for her chastity and her devotion to her husband – an embodiment of a Hindu wife. She could perform miracles by sprinkling the ‘Paatha Theertham’ (water with which she washed her husband’s feet) to bring rain to a parched earth or to transform objects to her desire.
When the three Devis, – Goddesses Laxmi (also spelt as Lakshmi), Saraswati and Parvati heard through Sage Narada the powers of this earthly woman they wanted to test her chastity. They approached their husbands Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Siva to test Maha Sati Anasuya’s devotion to her husband.
The three Gods transformed into three old mendicants and went to the hermitage where Maha Sati Anasuya was living and sought alms from her.
When Maha Sati Anasuya was about to serve them food they told her that they had taken a vow whereby they could not accept alms from a person wearing clothes. As it was a sin to refuse alms to mendicants she prayed to her Lord and sprinkled a little ‘Paatha Theertham’ on the three old Sannyasins. They were all immediately transformed into babies and throwing off her clothes she fed them food.
The Goddesses learning what had happened pleaded with Maha Sati Anasuya to grant them ‘Maangalya Biksha’ (gift of married life) and to give them back their husbands. Maha Sati Anasuya showed them the three babies.
The Devis ran to the cradle and picked one baby each. Maha Sati Anasuya then prayed to her Lord Arti Maharishi to restore them back to their original form.
The three Goddesses Laxmi (also spelt as Lakshmi), Saraswati and Parvati accepted that Maha Sati Anasuya’s fame as the chastest woman on earth was justified.
Lord Rama and his brother Laxman pay their respects to Atri Maharishi. It is said that Rama and his brother Laxman along with Sita had visited this place to meet Maharishi Atri and Maha Sati Anusuya in their ashram in Chitrakoot.
The story is Sati Narmda suffers many hardships on her way but Maha Sati Ansuya always helps her. One Mandavya Rishi who is angry on Sati Narmada’s husband, curses her that her husband will die before the Sunrise. Sati Narmada stops the sun from rising by her powers., due to her Pativrata Dharma. There is chaos everywhere and on the advice of Maha Sati Ansuya, Sati Narmada sets the Sun free. Her husband dies, but Maha Sati Ansuya make him alive again and also cures him of his physical defects.( he was a blind hunch back).
Prince Bharat ( Brother of Lord Ram) accompanied by people of Ayodhya which is the city of Lord Ram and the people of Janakpur which is the city of Goddess Sita seeks the permission from Sage Atri Maharishi and Maha Sati Anusuya for using holy water from the Ganga for the coronation ceremony of Lord Ram.