Satyabhamaसत्यभामा

Satyabhama (सत्यभामा) is one of the chief queens of Krishna at Dwarka, remembered in the Puranas as beautiful, imperious and fearless — the queen who accompanies her husband to war. In some South Indian traditions she is regarded as a form of Bhudevi, the earth goddess, complementing Rukmini's identification with Lakshmi. Her temper, played against Rukmini's serenity, gives the Krishna cycle much of its domestic drama.

The jewel and the marriage

Her story begins with the Syamantaka, a jewel of fabulous yield belonging to her father Satrajit. When the jewel disappeared, suspicion fell on Krishna, who traced it through the wilderness to the cave of the bear-king Jambavan, fought him, and returned with both the jewel and Jambavan's daughter as a bride. A chastened Satrajit gave Krishna the jewel and his daughter Satyabhama in marriage; Krishna kept the bride and returned the jewel.

Warrior and rival of heaven

Satyabhama's defining scene is the campaign against the demon Narakasura, when she rides beside Krishna into battle; in several tellings, particularly beloved in the south, it is her arrow that brings the demon down. On the return journey Krishna visits Indra's heaven, and at Satyabhama's insistence carries off the celestial parijata tree for her garden at Dwarka, facing down Indra himself — an episode the Puranas relate with evident relish at her audacity. The later tulabharam legend completes her portrait: attempting to weigh Krishna against her gold, she is outdone by Rukmini's single leaf of tulsi, and pride learns its lesson.

In performance

Satyabhama has flourished on the stage. She is a signature role of the classical dance-drama traditions of Andhra and Tamil country, where her vanity, jealousy and final surrender to Krishna are elaborated with affectionate irony. Few figures in the Krishna story are drawn with such human colour.