As Karva Chauth rolls around, we can expect the usual crowd of feminists to start their hate campaign against it. We will hear calls about how fasting on Karva Chauth is ‘Patriarchal’, ‘Regressive’, and ‘Brahmanical’, and no modern educated woman should ever fast for her husband’s long life. We also get amusing stories of husbands fasting for their wives and other assorted foolishness. Why does Karva Chauth incense the woke feminist crowd so much? There is something much deeper that threatens all feminists and lights their fuse. Let us explore what it is.

Story of Savitri and Satyavan

My favorite Karva Chauth story is that of Savitri and Satyavan. As the story goes, Savitri was a princess who was born to a king after he sought blessings from Devi Savitri. The princess Savitri was so beautiful and radiant that she was regarded as divine. No man dared to ask for her hand in marriage. Sounds familiar?

Her father, the king, asked her to choose a husband with suitable qualities on her own. She, unfortunately, chose an exiled prince named Satyavan as her husband. The unfortunate Satyavan, in addition to being the son of an exiled blind king, was also destined to die one year from the day Savitri chose him. Savitri being a fierce independent woman, who was born from the boon of a Devi, declared she had made up her mind. She turned down her father’s pleas to choose a different husband and left him no choice but to agree.

Fast forward, Savitri is married to Satyavan, and they are living in the forest. Her newfound happiness is filled with dread at the approaching date of her husband’s death. As the day drew closer, Savitri began to observe a vow of fasting and stood for three days and nights. This worried her father-in-law that she had taken on too harsh a regimen, but Savitri remained steadfast. On the day of her husband’s predicted demise, Savitri performed Yajanas and prayed to the Devatas.

She then joined Satyavan as he went to the forest to chop wood. Midway, he lays down to take a nap, and Savitri places his head on her lap. Just then, Yama, the god of death, personally arrived to collect the soul of Satyavan with his noose. Savitri followed Yama as he carried her husband’s soul away. Yama tried to convince her to turn back, but she countered him with fierce logic using the shastras.

First, she discussed the significance of adherence to dharma, followed by association with the virtuous, the righteousness of compassion, the trustworthiness of the virtuous, and finally, the conduct of the virtuous. Impressed at her deep spiritual knowledge, Yama praised both the content and diction of her words. He offered to grant her any boon of her choice except the life of Satyavan.

First, Savitri asked that her father-in-law’s sight be restored, and then she asked that his kingdom be returned to him. Both are granted. Next, she asked Yama that she be the mother of a hundred sons, fathered by Satyavan. Yama granted this boon partially, excluding the second component of her request. Finally, while offering a boon after hearing her next homily, he omitted the phrase “except for the life of Satyavan”. Savitri instantly asked for Satyavan to be restored to life. Yama granted life to Satyavan and blessed both of them with a long life.

This story always filled me with awe. Savitri knew of Satyavan’s impending death but still chose him to be her husband when she could have chosen anyone. She then invoked divine power through austerities and used them to challenge Yama. She humbled Yama in the debate by using her knowledge and intellect!!! She then brings her husband back to life and restores her father-in-law’s sight and his kingdom and the fortunes of the whole clan. Which husband, family, and clan would not want a wife and daughter-in-law like Savitri? Savitri is what every modern feminist woman aspires to be but tragically fails to be as they find victimhood more lucrative.

Feminists’ hatred for Karva Chauth

Feminism originated in the West, where the Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions hold women to be inferior. According to that tradition, Adam was created first, and then Eve was created from the “Rib of Adam”. As per the Bible, Eve was the source of the “original sin” of eating an apple from the “Tree of Knowledge”. This then led to humanity being expelled from the Garden of Eden. The Christian Church has, since its inception, held women in contempt for being of inferior status and forever being in a state of sin. Modern feminism in the West was a reaction to the status of women in Judeo-Christian traditions.

Importing Feminism to the land of Sanatan Dharma, where Shakti is worshipped, is as bizarre as importing Snow to Antarctica. But logic has never been the strong point of Feminists since victimhood is so intoxicating. Sanatana Dharma worships Shakti as equal to Shiva, with both being necessary for creation and sustaining this world. This is why we worship Shakti during Navratri, with each day honoring a different form of Devi Durga. 

Karva Chauth makes Feminists realize that Hindus revere women as fierce warriors who can challenge Yama, the fierce Deva of Death. These fierce warriors can not only challenge Yama but also humble him by using their intellect and knowledge and restore the fortunes of the whole family.

Karva Chauth is the opposite of everything the Feminists say it is – instead of being patriarchal; it actually celebrates the power of the feminine divine. Instead of being regressive – Karwa Chauth celebrates a reality where Women are equal to men in courage and intellect!! This is the real reason why Karva Chauth scares Feminists. They realize that the ideology of Feminism, born in the West out of the struggles with the Christian Church, has no place in Bharat. Feminists hate Karva Chauth as it threatens their business of victimhood!!! Karva Chauth Celebration is a “Dukan Bandh” moment for the feminist movement.

So Hindu Women, please go ahead and celebrate Karva Chauth to bless your husband’s lives; for only the Shakti in you has the power to do so. 

Just savor the added bonus if it threatens the very existence of feminism and lights their fuse……..