Satyavati, known as the “fishermaid queen”, was the matriarch of the Kuru dynasty. Born of a fisherman but destined for greatness, she married King Shantanu after securing that her children alone would inherit the throne. Mother of Vichitravirya and stepmother to Bhishma, she invoked sage Vyasa (her son from Parashara) to father heirs when Vichitravirya died childless, continuing the Kuru line. Her decisions, though pragmatic, sowed the seeds of future conflicts. Satyavati represents ambition, foresight, and the complex role of women in dynastic survival.
