Her name was Anasuya, wife of the sage Atri, and her wisdom and strength were famous across the three worlds. Curious, and perhaps a little envious, the goddesses sent their husbands, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, to test her.

The gods arrived at her hermitage disguised as wandering sages and asked to be fed. Then came the catch: she must serve them in a way meant to shame her. If she refused, she would break the sacred duty of hospitality. If she obeyed, she would lose her dignity.

Anasuya did neither.

She sprinkled a few drops of holy water over her guests, and the three gods became three tiny infants. Then she fed them lovingly, like a mother, and rocked them to sleep.

In the end, the goddesses themselves had to come to her door and ask for their husbands back.

Years later, when a young princess named Sita passed through that forest on her way into exile, it was Anasuya who welcomed her. Before Sita left, the old woman gave her a garland and jewels with a blessing: their beauty would never fade, whatever lay ahead.

Traditional jewellery has always travelled from one woman to the next: a grandmother’s temple necklace, a mother’s kundan set, a kemp choker or an antique haar saved for the day it’s needed. With the jewellery comes something you can’t see: the wisdom of the women who wore it first.

Anasuya’s is the lesson worth inheriting. When life hands you two choices and both are wrong, you don’t have to pick one. Find your own way, and walk out with your head held high.

Anasuya by Moonelle. Rise to every occasion.