“Markandeya said, The powerful Satyavan then, accompanied by his wife,
plucked fruits and filled his wallet with them. And he then began to fell
branches of trees. And as he was hewing them, he began to perspire. And
in consequence of that exercise his head began to ache. And afflicted
with toil, he approached his beloved wife, and addressed her, saying, ‘O
Savitri, owing to this hard exercise my head acheth, and all my limbs and
my heart also are afflicted sorely! O thou of restrained speech, I think
myself unwell, I feel as if my head is being pierced with numerous darts.
Therefore, O auspicious lady, I wish to sleep, for I have not the power
to stand.’ Hearing these words, Savitri quickly advancing, approached her
husband, and sat down upon the ground, placing his head upon her lap. And
that helpless lady, thinking of Narada’s words, began to calculate the
(appointed) division of the day, the hour, and the moment. The next
moment she saw a person clad in red attire with his head decked with a
diadem. And his body was of large proportions and effulgent as the Sun.
And he was of a darkish hue, had red eyes, carried a noose in his hand,
and was dreadful to behold. And he was standing beside Satyavan and was
steadfastly gazing at him. And seeing him, Savitri gently placed her
husband’s head on the ground, and rising suddenly, with a trembling
heart, spake these words in distressful accents, ‘Seeing this thy
superhuman form, I take thee to be a deity. If thou will, tell me, O
chief of the gods, who thou art and what also thou intendst to do!’
Thereat, Yama replied, ‘O Savitri, thou art ever devoted to thy husband,
and thou art also endued with ascetic merit. It is for this reason that I
hold converse with thee. Do thou, O auspicious one, know me for Yama.
This thy lord Satyavan, the son of a king, hath his days run out. I
shall, therefore, take him away binding him in this noose. Know this to
be my errand!’ At these words Savitri said, ‘I had heard that thy
emissaries come to take away mortals, O worshipful one! Why then, O lord,
hast thou come in person?’
“Markandeya continued, ‘Thus addressed by her, the illustrious lord of
Pitris, with a view to oblige her, began to unfold to her truly all about
his intentions. And Yama said, ‘This prince is endued with virtues and
beauty of person, and is a sea of accomplishments. He deserveth not to be
borne away by my emissaries. Therefore is it that I have come
personally.’ Saying this, Yama by main force pulled out of the body of
Satyavan, a person of the measure of the thumb, bound in noose and
completely under subjection. And when Satyavan’s life had thus been taken
out, the body, deprived of breath, and shorn of lustre, and destitute of
motion, became unsightly to behold. And binding Satyavan’s vital essence,
Yama proceeded in a southerly direction. Thereupon, with heart
overwhelmed in grief, the exalted Savitri, ever devoted to her lord and
crowned with success in respect of her vows, began to follow Yama. And at
this, Yama said, ‘Desist, O Savitri! Go back, and perform the funeral
obsequies of thy lord! Thou art freed from all thy obligations to thy
lord. Thou hast come as far as it is possible to come’. Savitri replied,
‘Whither my husband is being carried, or whither he goeth of his own
accord, I will follow him thither. This is the eternal custom. By virtue
of my asceticism, of my regard for my superiors, of my affection for my
lord, of my observance of vows, as well as of thy favour, my course is
unimpeded. It hath been declared by wise men endued with true knowledge
that by walking only seven paces with another, one contracteth a
friendship with one’s companion. Keeping that friendship (which I have
contracted with thee) in view, I shall speak to thee something. Do thou
listen to it. They that have not their souls under control, acquire not
merit by leading the four successive modes of life, viz.,--celibacy with
study, domesticity, retirement into the woods, and renunciation of the
world. That which is called religious merit is said to consist of true
knowledge. The wise, therefore, have declared religious merit to be the
foremost of all things and not the passage through the four successive
modes. By practising the duties of even one of these four modes agreeable
to the directions of the wise, we have attained to true merit, and,
therefore, we do not desire the second or the third mode, viz., celibacy
with study or renunciation. It is for this again that the wise have
declared religious merit to be the foremost of all things!’ Hearing these
words of hers, Yama said, ‘Do thou desist! I have been pleased with these
words of thine couched in proper letters and accents, and based on
reason. Do thou ask for a boon! Except the life of thy husband, O thou of
faultless features, I will bestow on thee any boon that thou mayst
solicit!’ Hearing these words, Savitri said, ‘Deprived of his kingdom and
bereft also of sight, my father-in-law leadeth a life of retirement in
our sylvan asylum. Let that king through thy favour attain his eye-sight,
and become strong ‘like either fire or the Sun!’ Yama said, ‘O thou of
faultless features, I grant thee this boon! It will even be as thou hast
said! It seems that thou art fatigued with thy journey. Do thou desist,
therefore, and return! Suffer not thyself to be weary any longer!’
Savitri said, ‘What weariness can I feel in the presence of my husband?
The lot that is my husband’s is certainly mine also. Whither thou
carriest my husband, thither will I also repair! O chief of the
celestials, do thou again listen to me! Even a single interview with the
pious is highly desirable; friendship with them is still more so. And
intercourse with the virtuous can never be fruitless. Therefore, one
should live in the company of the righteous!’ Yama said, ‘These words
that thou hast spoken, so fraught with useful instruction, delight the
heart and enhance the wisdom of even the learned. Therefore, O lady,
solicit thou a second boon, except the life of Satyavan!’ Savitri said,
‘Sometime before, my wise and intelligent father-in-law was deprived of
his kingdom. May that monarch regain his kingdom. And may that superior
of mine never renounce his duties! Even this is the second boon that I
solicit!’ Then Yama said,--‘The king shall soon regain his kingdom. Nor
shall he ever fall off from his duties. Thus, O daughter of a king have I
fulfilled thy desire. Do thou now desist! Return! Do not take any future
trouble!’ Savitri said, ‘Thou hast restrained all creatures by thy
decrees, and it is by thy decrees that thou takest them away, not
according to thy will. Therefore it is, O god, O divine one, that people
call thee Yama! Do thou listen to the words that I say! The eternal duty
of the good towards all creatures is never to injure them in thought,
word, and deed, but to bear them love and give them their due. As regards
this world, everything here is like this (husband of mine). Men are
destitute of both devotion and skill. The good, however, show mercy to
even their foes when these seek their protection. Yama said, ‘As water to
the thirsty soul, so are these words uttered by thee to me! Therefore, do
thou, O fair lady, if thou will, once again ask for any boon except
Salyavana’s life!’ At these words Savitri replied, That lord of earth, my
father, is without sons. That he may have a hundred sons begotten of his
loins, so that his line may be perpetuated, is the third boon I would ask
of thee!’ Yama said, Thy sire, O auspicious lady, shall obtain a hundred
illustrious sons, who will perpetuate and increase their father’s race!
Now, O daughter of a king, thou hast obtained thy wish. Do thou desist!
Thou hast come far enough.’ Savitri said, ‘Staying by the side of my
husband, I am not conscious of the length of the way I have walked.
Indeed, my mind rusheth to yet a longer way of. Do thou again, as thou
goest on, listen to the words that I will presently utter! Thou art the
powerful son of Vivaswat. It is for this that thou art called Vaivaswata
by the wise. And, O lord, since thou dealest out equal law unto all
created things, thou hast been designated the lord of justice! One
reposeth not, even in one’s own self, the confidence that one doth in the
righteous. Therefore, every one wisheth particularly for intimacy with
the righteous. It is goodness of heart alone that inspireth the
confidence of all creatures. And it is for this that people rely
particularly on the righteous.’ And hearing these words, Yama said, ‘The
words that thou utterest, O fair lady, I have not heard from any one save
thee; I am highly pleased with this speech of thine. Except the life of
Satyavan, solicit thou, therefore, a fourth boon, and then go thy way!’
Savitri then said, ‘Both of me and Satyavan’s loins, begotten by both of
us, let there be a century of sons possessed of strength and prowess and
capable of perpetuating our race! Even this is the fourth boon that I
would beg of thee!’ Hearing these words of hers, Yama replied, ‘Thou
shalt, O lady, obtain a century of sons, possessed of strength and
prowess, and causing thee great delight, O daughter of a king, let no
more weariness be thine! Do thou desist! Thou hast already come too far!’
Thus addressed, Savitri said, ‘They that are righteous always practise
eternal morality! And the communion of the pious with the pious is never
fruitless! Nor is there any danger to the pious from those that are
pious. And verily it is the righteous who by their truth make the Sun
move in the heaven. And it is the righteous that support the earth by
their austerities! And, O king, it is the righteous upon whom both the
past and the future depend! Therefore, they that are righteous, are never
cheerless in the company of the righteous. Knowing this to be the eternal
practice of the good and righteous, they that are righteous continue to
do good to others without expecting any benefit in return. A good office
is never thrown away on the good and virtuous. Neither interest nor
dignity suffereth any injury by such an act. And since such conduct ever
adheres to the righteous, the righteous often become the protectors of
all.’ Hearing these words of hers, Yama replied, ‘The more thou utterest
such speeches that are pregnant with great import, full of honeyed
phrases, instinct with morality, and agreeable to mind, the more is the
respect that I feel for thee! O thou that art so devoted to thy lord, ask
for some incomparable boon!’ Thus addressed, Savitri said, ‘O bestower of
honours, the boon thou hast already given me is incapable of
accomplishment without union with my husband. Therefore, among other
boons, I ask for this, may this Satyavan be restored to life! Deprived of
my husband, I am as one dead! Without my husband, I do not wish for
happiness. Without my husband, I do not wish for heaven itself. Without
my husband, I do not wish for prosperity. Without my husband, I cannot
make up my mind to live! Thou thyself hast bestowed on me the boon,
namely, of a century of sons; yet thou takest away my husband! I ask for
this boon, ‘May Satyavan be restored to life, for by that thy words will
be made true.’”
“Markandeya continued, ‘Thereupon saying,--So be it,--Vivaswat’s son,
Yama, the dispenser of justice, untied his noose, and with cheerful heart
said these words to Savitri, ‘Thus, O auspicious and chaste lady, is thy
husband freed by me! Thou wilt be able to take him back free from
disease. And he will attain to success! And along with thee, he will
attain a life of four hundred years. And celebrating sacrifices with due
rites, he will achieve great fame in this world. And upon thee Satyavan
will also beget a century of sons. And these Kshatriyas with their sons
and grandsons will all be kings, and will always be famous in connection
with thy name. And thy father also will beget a hundred sons on thy
mother Malavi. And under the name of the Malavas, thy Kshatriya brothers,
resembling the celestials, will be widely known along with their sons and
daughters!’ And having bestowed these boons on Savitri and having thus
made her desist, Yama departed for his abode. Savitri, after Yama had
gone away, went back to the spot where her husband’s ash-coloured corpse
lay, and seeing her lord on the ground, she approached him, and taking
hold of him, she placed his head on her lap and herself sat down on the
ground. Then Satyavan regained his consciousness, and affectionately
eyeing Savitri again and again, like one come home after a sojourn in a
strange land, he addressed her thus, ‘Alas, I have slept long! Wherefore
didst thou not awake me? And where is that same sable person that was
dragging me away?’ At these words of his, Savitri said, ‘Thou hast, O
bull among men, slept long on my lap! That restrainer of creatures, the
worshipful Yama, had gone away. Thou art refreshed, O blessed one, and
sleep hath forsaken thee, O son of a king! If thou art able, rise thou
up! Behold, the night is deep!’”
“Markandeya continued, ‘Having regained consciousness, Satyavan rose up
like one who had enjoyed a sweet sleep, and seeing every side covered
with woods, said, ‘O girl of slender waist, I came with thee for
procuring fruits. Then while I was cutting wood I felt a pain in my head.
And on account of that intense pain about my head I was unable to stand
for any length of time, and, therefore, I lay on thy lap and slept. All
this, O auspicious lady, I remember. Then, as thou didst embrace me,
sleep stole away my senses. I then saw that it was dark all around. In
the midst of it I saw a person of exceeding effulgence. If thou knowest
everything, do thou then, O girl of slender waist, tell me whether what I
saw was only a dream or a reality!’ Thereupon, Savitri addressed him,
saying, The night deepens. I shall, O prince, relate everything unto thee
on the morrow. Arise, arise, may good betide thee! And, O thou of
excellent vows, come and behold thy parents! The sun hath set a long
while ago and the night deepens. Those rangers of the night, having
frightful voices, are walking about in glee. And sounds are heard,
proceeding from the denizens of the forest treading through the woods.
These terrible shrieks of jackals that are issuing from the south and the
east make my heart tremble (in fear)!’ Satyavan then said, ‘Covered with
deep darkness, the wilderness hath worn a dreadful aspect. Thou wilt,
therefore, not be able to discern the tract, and consequently wilt not be
able to go!’ Then Savitri replied, ‘In consequence of a conflagration
having taken place in the forest today a withered tree standeth aflame,
and the flames being stirred by the wind are discerned now and then. I
shall fetch some fire and light these faggots around. Do thou dispel all
anxiety. I will do all (this) if thou darest not go, for I find thee
unwell. Nor wilt thou be able to discover the way through this forest
enveloped in darkness. Tomorrow when the woods become visible, we will go
hence, if thou please! If, O sinless one, it is thy wish, we shall pass
this night even here!’ At these words of hers, Satyavan replied, ‘The
pain in my head is off; and I feel well in my limbs. With thy favour I
wish to behold my father and mother. Never before did I return to the
hermitage after the proper time had passed away. Even before it is
twilight my mother confineth me within the asylum. Even when I come out
during the day, my parents become anxious on my account, and my father
searcheth for me, together with all the inhabitants of the sylvan
asylums. Before this, moved by deep grief, my father and mother had
rebuked me many times and often, saying,--Thou comest having tarried
long! I am thinking of the pass they have today come to on my account,
for, surely, great grief will be theirs when they miss me. One night
before this, the old couple, who love me dearly, wept from deep sorrow
and said into me, ‘Deprived of thee, O son, we cannot live for even a
moment. As long as thou livest, so long, surely, we also will live. Thou
art the crutch of these blind ones; on thee doth perpetuity of our race
depend. On thee also depend our funeral cake, our fame and our
descendants! My mother is old, and my father also is so. I am surely
their crutch. If they see me not in the night, what, oh, will be their
plight! I hate that slumber of mine for the sake of which my unoffending
mother and my father have both been in trouble, and I myself also, am
placed in such rending distress! Without my father and mother, I cannot
bear to live. It is certain that by this time my blind father, his mind
disconsolate with grief, is asking everyone of the inhabitants of the
hermitage about me! I do not, O fair girl, grieve so much for myself as I
do for my sire, and for my weak mother ever obedient to her lord! Surely,
they will be afflicted with extreme anguish on account of me. I hold my
life so long as they live. And I know that they should be maintained by
me and that I should do only what is agreeable to them!’
“Markandeya continued, ‘Having said this, that virtuous youth who loved
and revered his parents, afflicted with grief held up his arms and began
to lament in accents of woe. And seeing her lord overwhelmed with sorrow
the virtuous Savitri wiped away the tears from his eyes and said, ‘If I
have observed austerities, and have given away in charity, and have
performed sacrifice, may this night be for the good of my father-in-law,
mother-in-law and husband! I do not remember having told a single
falsehood, even in jest. Let my father-in-law and mother-in-law hold
their lives by virtue of the truth!’ Satyavan said, ‘I long for the sight
of my father and mother! Therefore, O Savitri, proceed without delay. O
beautiful damsel, I swear by my own self that if I find any evil to have
befallen my father and mother, I will not live. If thou hast any regard
for virtue, if thou wishest me to live, if it is thy duty to do what is
agreeable to me, proceed thou to the hermitage!’ The beautiful Savitri
then rose and tying up her hair, raised her husband in her arms. And
Satyavan having risen, rubbed his limbs with his hands. And as he
surveyed all around, his eyes fell upon his wallet. Then Savitri said
unto him, ‘Tomorrow thou mayst gather fruits. And I shall carry thy axe
for thy ease.’ Then hanging up the wallet upon the bough of a tree, and
taking up the axe, she re-approached her husband. And that lady of
beautiful thighs, placing her husband’s left arm upon her left shoulder,
and embracing him with her right arms, proceeded with elephantic gait.
Then Satyavan said, ‘O timid one, by virtue of habit, the (forest) paths
are known to me. And further, by the light of the moon between the trees,
I can see them. We have now reached the same path that we took in the
morning for gathering fruits. Do thou, O auspicious one, proceed by the
way that we had come: thou needst not any longer feel dubious about our
path. Near that tract overgrown with Palasa tree, the way diverges into
two. Do thou proceed along the path that lies to the north of it. I am
now well and have got back my strength. I long to see my father and
mother!’ Saying this Satyavan hastily proceeded towards the hermitage.’”