Introduction
Satyavati is the daughter of the Chedi king Uparichara Vasu and the apsara Adrika, raised by a fisher chief. She is the mother of Vyasa by Parashara, and of Chitrangada and Vichitravirya by Shantanu.
This article primarily follows the Mahabharata. Where a well-known detail comes from a Puranic or later source, the article identifies it.
Family
- Father: Uparichara Vasu
- Mother: Adrika
- Husband: Shantanu
- Sons: Vyasa, Chitrangada (son of Shantanu), Vichitravirya
Birth
Uparichara Vasu's seed was swallowed by a fish, who was the cursed apsara Adrika. The fish was caught and a boy and a girl were found inside. The boy became a king, and the girl, Satyavati, was raised by the fisher chief (Dasharaja). She smelled of fish, and was called Matsyagandha.
Parashara and Vyasa
Parashara fell in love with her while she was ferrying him across the river. Their son Vyasa was born on an island. The sage changed her smell to a fragrance and restored her virginity.
Queen
Shantanu fell in love with her, and her father agreed on the condition that her son would be king. Bhishma gave up his claim to make this possible. She had two sons, who died young without children.
The niyoga
She asked Vyasa, and Bhishma agreed, to father heirs with Vichitravirya's widows. Later, she left for the forest with Ambika and Ambalika and died there.