Sukala

The city of Varanasi is located on the banks of the river Ganga. In that sacred city, there lived a vaishya named Krikala. (The vaishyas constitute the third of the three classes (varna). Their primary duties were agriculture, animal hushandry and trade.)

Krikala’s wife was Sukala. She was a sati, she was devoted to her husband. She was also an extremely religious and honest woman who meticulously followed all that the shastras prescribed.

Krikala had learnt of the punya that could be acquired by visiting tirthas and decided that he would set out on a pilgrimage.

Sukala expressed a desire to accompany her husband on his travels. “You are my husband,” she said. “It is my duty to be at your side all the time. Take me with you; how can I survive without you? Dutiful wives must always be with their husbands. Blessed is the wife who regards her husband’s right foot as the tirtha Prayaga and his left foot as the tirtha Pushkara. Blessed is the wife who bathes in water that has been used for washing her husband’s feet. Please take me with you.”

Kirkala thought about this and decided that he could not take his wife him. She would not be able to bear the rigours of the journey. But Sukala would most certainly not let him go alone. While Sukala had gone to a temple to worship the gods, Kirkala set out on his travels without telling her that he had left.

Sukala was miserable to find her husband missing. “Where has my husband gone?” she asked her friends.

“He has left on pilgrimage and will return,” replied her friends. Do not be despondent.”

“Very well then,” said Sukala. “I shall sleep on the ground until my husband returns. I will give up all good food and will eat only one a day until he returns. On some days, I will fast. Cursed am I that my husband has deserted .”

“He has not deserted you,” retorted the friends. “He has only gone on a pilgrimage and will return. What purpose will torturing your body serve?”

“You do not understand the wisdom of the Vedas,” said Sukala. “The shastras state that a husband is his wife’s only tirtha. Nothing avails a woman whose husband has deserted her. Do you not know the story of Sudeva?”