01Born of a fish
King Uparichara Vasu of Chedi sent his seed to his queen by a hawk; another hawk attacked it over the Yamuna and it fell into the water, where the apsara Adrika, cursed to live as a fish, swallowed it. Fishermen caught the fish and found twins inside, a boy and a girl. The boy became King Matsya; the girl was given to the chief of the fishermen. She smelled of fish and was called Matsyagandha, and she plied a boat on the Yamuna. Parashara, crossing with her, asked for her love. He gave her a fragrance that carried a yojana and restored her maidenhood, and their son was Vyasa.
02Queen of the Kurus
Her father gave her to Shantanu only after Bhishma had sworn away the throne and marriage. She bore two sons. Chitrangada was killed by a Gandharva king of the same name; Vichitravirya married Ambika and Ambalika and died of consumption, childless. Satyavati first asked Bhishma to give the line sons, or to take the throne himself, and he would not break his vow. Then she told him of her first son, born on the island, and with his blessing called Vyasa to Hastinapura. So the Kuru line went on through Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura.
03Into the forest
She saw her grandson Pandu die in the forest and his sons brought home by the rishis. After the funeral rites Vyasa came to her and said that the good days were behind them; the earth had lost her youth, and the times ahead would be full of deceit and ruin for the Kurus. She should not stay to watch her line destroyed. Satyavati took Ambika and Ambalika with her and went to the forest, and there the three queens did tapas until they left their bodies.