Sati, the Blessing and the Curse

Several years ago in Rajasthan, an eighteen-year-old woman was burned on her husband''s funeral pyre and thus became sati. Before ascending the pyre, she was expected to deliver both blessings and curses: blessings to guard her family and clan for many generations, and curses to prevent anyone from thwarting her desire to die. Sati also means blessing and curse in a broader sense. To those who rev...