On Savitri
THEME/S
The Grief-Stricken Parents, the Rishis Consoling Them and Giving Them Assurances, the Return of Satyavan and Savitri, and Savitri's Narration of the Reasons for their Coming Back Late.
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Markandeya said:
At about the same time the mighty King Dyumatsena got back the sight, clear and pellucid, with which he began seeing everything very well.
But, O Yudhishthira, greatly perturbed as he was, for his son, he along with his wife Shaibya went to the several hermitages enquiring about him.
That night they, husband and wife, went to the several ashramas and to the river-banks and to the lakes around, in different parts of the forest, looking for him.
Whenever they heard any voice, they believed, expectantly, that it was their son's; they spoke, cheering each other, that Satyavan was coming with Savitri.
With their feet having become stiff, with the blades of grass and the thorns piercing their bodies, bruised and bleeding, they were running hither and thither, raving in madness.
Then all the learned and elderly ashram-dwellers gathered around them and gave them comforting assurances; they then took them back to their hermitage.
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The elders, grown rich in tapasya, narrated to the grieving couple, encouraging and consoling them, several meaningful stories of the ancient kings.
In spite of these repeated assurances, possessed as they were by the single thought of seeing their son, . they sorrowed greatly and began remembering his childhood.
They were wailing aloud, without cease and in deep anguish, crying: Woe to us! Our son, our virtuous daughter-in-law, where are you now, where? Then one of the Brahmins, the speaker of the Truth-Word, began telling them this wise.
Suvarchas said:
His wife Savitri, I know, is engaged in tapasya, and has control over the senses, and is of a good well-poised conduct; from that I can proclaim that Satyavan is alive.
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Gautama said:
I have studied the Vedas and all their six limbs, accumulated great might of askesis, observed the strictest celibacy from my early youth, and pleased well my preceptors and the Fire-God.
I have completed, with the power of concentration, all the vows and in former times I had observed meticulously the fasting-rites by nourishing myself with the air only.
I can, by the strength of these faultless austerities, know all the movements of others; take, therefore, what I assert to be true, that Satyavan is living.
The Disciple said:
Whatever is uttered by my revered Teacher, those words never can turn out to be false; yes, Satyavan must be living.
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Some Rishis said:
His wife Savitri is endowed with all those excellent and virtuous qualities that dispel widowhood; this must mean that Satyavan is living.
Bharadwaj said:
His wife Savitri, I know, is engaged in askesis, and has ; mastered the senses, and is well-poised in her manner of action; I can hence affirm that Satyavan is living.
Dalbhya said:
By the token that you have suddenly started seeing, and by the reckoning how Savitri was observing the
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vow, and by the fact that she went with him without breaking her fast, it is clear that Satyavan is living.
Apastamba said:
The manner in which in these tranquil benign surroundings the beasts and the birds are finding voice, and the manner in which you have been doing the things befitting a king, all this goes to show that Satyavan is living.
Dhaumya said:
As your son is rich in merit, and is handsome, as he is dear to everyone, and as he has the marks of a person with long life, from that it is clear that Satyavan is living.
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In this manner those speakers of the Truth-Word established in austerities, gave cheering assurances to him; he respecting them and listening to them became somewhat quiet, and composed himself.
Then, a short while after, Savitri with her husband Satyavan arrived there in the night, entering the ashram-premises, greatly happy.
The Brahmins said:
O Lord of the Earth, we jubilate in your meeting with the son and, possessed with sight as
we see you, we invoke and mark progress and good fortune for you in these happenings.
Union with your son, seeing Savitri herself present here, and your regaining eyesight all these three portend high prosperity for you.
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The words that we had uttered, all those came true in the exact manner and about that there is no doubt; the future also will soon be, again and again, of great thriving for you.
O Yudhishthira, then lighting in the open a bright fire, all those twice-born and holy sat around, with King Dyumatsena, the Lord of the Earth.
Shaibya, and Satyavan and Savitri who were standing farther at one end, also took their seats when directed to do so by everybody, now griefless.
O Yudhishthira, all those Dwellers of the Wood, sitting with the King, began asking several questions to the prince, his son, being eagerly desirous of knowing everything.
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The Rishis said:
Why is it that you, along with your wife, did not arrive"* much earlier than this? Why at such an odd hour in the night? Was there any obstacle or difficulty that came in the way?
By your delay in this manner you have caused, O prince, such distress to both your parents and to all of us; we are unable to understand anything and hence tell us in detail whatever has happened.
Satyavan said:
Obtaining permission from my father I had gone,
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Savitri accompanying me, to the forest; there, while chopping the pieces of wood, I suddenly had a severe headache.
Afflicted by that piercing agony I fell asleep for too long, I suppose; never did I sleep in this manner any time earlier.
On waking up I decided to return immediately despite the growing night, realising that you would be all worried about me; and for the delay there is no other reason.
But your father Dyumatsena got his eyesight so unexpectedly, its cause you do not seem to know; Savitri will be able to tell us about it.
O Savitri, I am eager to hear of it from you; you know, O Savitri, all that is far and near, that belongs to the past and to the future; you understand it, one
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like Goddess Savitri herself as you are, with 1? effulgence.
Surely, you have the knowledge of its cause and its' purpose, and therefore speak the truth of it; if there is nothing in it to hide from us, tell us all of it.
Savitri said:
What you are all soliciting of me is quite just and your wish, understandably, cannot be otherwise; besides there is nothing in it that I have to hide. Listen to
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what I am going to narrate in proper detail.
Narad, the high soul, had foretold to me my husband's death long before; this was to happen today and for that reason I did not leave him alone.
When he fell asleep Yama himself came there, accompanied by his assistants; he subdued him and tied him and started moving in the direction of the departed, the abode of the forefathers.
Then to the eminent God I offered, with the utterances of the Truth, gratifying eulogies; he granted me five boons about which you will presently hear from me.
Vision and regaining his kingdom were the first two boons I obtained for my father-in-law; one hundred sons for my father and another hundred for myself were the next two I received.
By the last I got my husband Satyavan back, with a life of four hundred years; it was precisely for the return of the life of my husband that I had undertaken the vow.
I have thus explained in detail to you all the real reason of the delay; this great sorrow which I had to I bear has at last turned into happiness.
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The House of the King was plunging more and more into darkness, assailed by misfortunes; but you of noble birth and a virtuous wife, sweet and amiable in nature, and an observer of the vows, one given to meritorious conduct, redeemed the family from doom.
Thuswise the Rishis, who had assembled there, spoke respectfully, and adoringly about her, the excellent among women; then, with the permission of the King, and of his son, they took their leave and went back, in great happiness, to their respective cottages.
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