Pativrata Anusuya

 The name Anusuya means "free of jealousy ".

Devi Anusuya ashram is located in Chitrakuta,Madhya Pradesh near the Mandakini river where she lived with her husband Atri Rishi and her children. She is one of the seven Pativrata wives. Among Pativrata wives she occupies the highest position in Teeno lok means-Devloka( among all Gods)Manavlok-Dharti ( Earth),and Rakshasalok( Asuras-demons). She was very pious and always practiced austerities and devotion. This allowed her to attain miraculous powers.

The seven Pativrata wives include Devi Anusuya( Atri Rishi's wife),Devi Sita( wife of Lord Rama), Draupadi( wife of 5 Pandavas),Tara( wife of Sugriva), Ahilya( Gautam Rishi's wife),Mandodari( Ravana's wife) and Savitri( King Satyavahan's wife).

Meaning of Pativrata

Pativrata is a term used in Hindu culture and traditions to refer to a married woman who is faithful and loyal to her husband.

Pativrata literally means a virtuous wife who has made a vow (vrata) to her husband (Pati) of her devotion and protection. The belief is that if a wife is devoted to her husband and protects him, then he will prosper and will bring good fortune to her and their family. If not, then there might be misfortune and death. A pativrata protects her husband in two ways. Firstly, she attends to his personal needs and encourages him to do his duty (dharma). Secondly, she undertakes various rituals and fasts to please the deities, hoping that the Gods will protect her husband from harm and grant him a long life. Sati is often used as a synonym for a Pativrata -one who preserves her purity (sattva)- physically, mentally and emotionally. It is also used to denote a woman who immolates herself on the funeral pyre of her dead husband. According to Brhaspati, a law-giver who lived during the Vedic age - "She is someone whose state of mind reflects that of her husband. She shares his distress, his delight, grows sickly and dresses unattractively in his absence, and dies when he does."

Legend and detailed story of Devi Anusuya

Anusuya was the daughter of sage Kardama and his wife Devahuti.Devahuti was the daughter of Swyambhu Manu and had one son Kapila and nine daughters including Anusuya who married various Saptarishis. Kapila was a sage,brother and teacher of Anusuya.

Devi Anusuya got married to Sage Atri.Atri Rishi is putra son of Lord Brahma. Atri Rishi also known as Saptarishi alongwith Marichi,Angiras,Pulaha,Kratu,Pulastya and Vasishtha. Atri is one of the Saptarishis ( seven great sages). Rishi Atri composed a large number of Vedic hymns to Agni,Indra and other deities.

To get a SON Rishi Atri and Devi Anusuya did great penance severe Tapasya and meditation on Riksh Parvat mountain.

Pativrata Anusuya

Valmiki describes in the epic Ramayana that at one time there was no rain in Chitrakuta for ten years. There was a severe famine and nothing was left to eat or drink for animals and birds. Sati Anusuya was a great Pativrata Woman and she performed hard and intensive austerities and got the river Mandakini down on earth. This led to the greenery and forests to grow which removed the sufferings of all sages and the animals.

Devi Anusuya was a great Pativrata Wife and even the wives of Gods Brahma,Vishnu and Maheshwar were jealous of her. To test her Pativratya dharma wives of these three Gods send their husbands to her kutiya where she lived. The three Gods Brahma Vishnu Maheshwar(Shiva) took the form of Sanyasis and reached her kutiya finding out in the absence of her husband Rishi Atri and asked for " Nirvana Bhiksha".Devi Anusuya fell into a dilemma.