Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (70 page)

‘“On seeing him, she gently placed her husband’s head on the ground and arose. With a trembling heart, she spoke miserably to him. ‘From your superhuman appearance, I know that you are a god. O god! If it pleases you, tell me who you are and what you desire here.’ Yama replied, ‘O Savitri! You are devoted to your husband and have the power of austerities. It is for that reason that I will reply to you. O fortunate one! Know me to be Yama. The life of Satyavan, your husband and the son of a king, has run out. I will bind him and take him. That is my intention.’ Having said this, in order to please her, the illustrious lord of the ancestors revealed everything about his wishes and said, ‘This handsome one is an ocean of qualities and is united with dharma. That is the reason I have come myself and have not sent one of my servants to take him.’ Then Yama forcibly took out from Satyavan’s body a being that was as long as a thumb and binding him with the noose, controlled him. With the life being taken out, the body faded and lost its breath. The body became motionless and was unpleasant to behold. Binding him thus, Yama proceeded in a southern direction.
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‘“Distressed, Savitri followed Yama. The immensely fortunate one was restrained in her vows and faithful to her husband. Yama said, ‘O Savitri! Go back. Perform the last rites for your husband. Your
debt to your husband has been discharged. You have come as far as you possibly can.’ Savitri replied, ‘I must go wherever my husband is going, of his own volition, or if he is being taken. That is the eternal dharma. Because of austerities, devotion to elders, love towards my husband, vows and your favours, nothing will be able to obstruct my path. The learned ones, enlightened about the truth, have said that friendship is established by walking seven steps with another.
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Placing this friendship at the forefront, I will tell you something. Listen. Those who are not in control of their souls do not observe dharma, right abode and right endeavour, even when they live in the forest. Those who are learned about dharma, extol it. Therefore, the learned say that dharma is the most important. By following the single dharma identified by the learned, we attain all the different paths. I do not wish for a second or a third mode. Hence, the learned have said that dharma is the most important.’ Yama said, ‘Go back. I am delighted with the words you have spoken. They have the right vowels and consonants and are full of reason. Ask for a boon, other than his life. O unblemished one! I will grant you any boon that you desire.’ Savitri replied, ‘My father-in-law has been dislodged from his kingdom and dwells in the forest. His eyes have been destroyed and he is in a hermitage. Through your favours, let the king regain his sight and become strong, resplendent like the sun and the fire.’ Yama said, ‘O unblemished one! I will grant you those boons, exactly as you have asked. I notice that you are tired from the journey. Refrain and go back. Otherwise, you will become exhausted.’ Savitri replied, ‘How can there be exhaustion when I am with my husband? I must certainly follow the path that my husband takes. I must go where my husband is being taken. O lord of the gods! Listen again to my words. It is said that a meeting with the virtuous is desirable. It is said that friendship with them is even better. Communion with the virtuous is never fruitless. Therefore, one should always associate with the virtuous.’ Yama said, ‘The words spoken by you are favourable and extend the intelligence of the intelligent. Your words ensure welfare. O beautiful one! Other than Satyavan becoming alive, ask
for a second boon.’ Savitri replied, ‘My wise father-in-law has been robbed of his own kingdom earlier. May the king get it back. May that elder of mine never stray from his own dharma. That is the second boon that I ask from you.’ Yama said, ‘He will soon obtain his own kingdom back. The king will never deviate from his own dharma. O daughter of a king! Your desire has now been satisfied. Refrain and go back. Otherwise, you will become exhausted.’ Savitri replied, ‘You control all the beings through your rules. You follow the rules, and not your own caprices. Therefore, you are famous as the god Yama.
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Now listen again to my words. The eternal dharma of the righteous is non-violence towards all beings in deeds, thoughts and words and kindness and benevolence. In this world, men are usually kind only up to their capacity. The righteous exhibit compassion even when their ill-wishers arrive.’ Yama said, ‘Your words are as satisfying as water to one who is thirsty. O beautiful one! Other than Satyavan’s life, ask again for any boon that you desire.’ Savitri replied, ‘My father, the king, is without any sons. Let my father have a hundred sons as my brothers. Let them extend his lineage. That is the third boon that I crave from you.’ Yama said, ‘O beautiful one! Your father will have a hundred radiant sons who will extend the lineage. O daughter of a king! Your desire has now been satisfied. Return. You have come too far along the road.’ Savitri replied, ‘Since I am with my husband, it has not seemed like a long distance to me. My mind travels a greater distance. As you travel, listen to my words. Listen again to the words that I will speak. You are Vivasvat’s powerful son.
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The wise therefore call you Vaivasvata. You please and control all beings through dharma. O lord! That is the reason you are the king of dharma. One does not trust oneself as much as one trusts the virtuous. Therefore, people are especially affectionate towards those who are virtuous. Friendship towards all beings engenders trust. That is the reason people are especially trustful towards those who are virtuous.’

‘“Yama said, ‘O beautiful one! O fortunate one! I have never heard words, from anyone else, like the ones that you have spoken. I am
extremely pleased. Other than his life, ask for a fourth boon. And then, go.’ Savitri replied, ‘Let me have one hundred strong, brave and righteous sons through Satyavan’s loins, so that they please us and extend the lineage. This is the fourth boon that I choose from you.’ Yama said, ‘O beautiful one! You will have one hundred strong, brave and righteous sons and they will please you. O daughter of a king! Do not get exhausted. Return. You have come too far along the path.’ Savitri replied, ‘The virtuous are always devoted to dharma. The virtuous do not tremble. Nor do they suffer. A union between the pious and the virtuous is always fruitful. The virtuous do not have any fear from the virtuous. The virtuous make the sun move through their truth. Through their austerities, the virtuous bear up the earth. O king! The virtuous determine the past and the future. The virtuous have no lassitude when they are in the midst of the virtuous. This is known to be the eternal conduct practised by aryas. The virtuous work for each other, without any expectations. Favours done by virtuous men are never fruitless. They do not destroy the objective, or honour. Since the virtuous always display such conduct, the virtuous are always the protectors.’ Yama said, ‘The more you speak, the more your words are full of dharma, pleasant to the mind, well articulated and full of deep meaning. O excellent one! The more am I inclined towards respecting you. O one controlled in vows! Ask for an unmatched boon.’ Savitri replied, ‘O one who gives respect! You have not made an exception to your favours, as you did with the other boons.
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Therefore, I ask for the boon that Satyavan should live. Without my husband, I am like one who is dead. Without my husband, I do not desire any happiness. Without my husband, I do not desire heaven. Without my husband, I do not desire prosperity. Without my husband, I do not desire life. You have granted me the boon that I will have one hundred sons. Despite that, you are taking my husband away. I ask for the boon that Satyavan should live. It is then that your words will come true.’ Then Vaivasvata Dharmaraja Yama agreed to this and freed the noose. He cheerfully told Savitri,
‘O fortunate one! O one who delights your lineage! Look. I have freed your husband. Take him with you. He is free from disease and will be successful in his objectives. Together with you, he will live for four hundred years. Through his rites, sacrifices and dharma, he will attain fame in the world. Satyavan will beget one hundred sons on you. All of those kshatriyas will be kings, together with their sons and grandsons. Your names will be eternally famous on earth. Your father will beget a hundred sons on your mother Malavi. Their sons and grandsons will be eternally famous as the Malavas. Like your kshatriya brothers, they will be the equals of the thirty gods.’ Having bestowed those boons on her, the powerful Dharmaraja made Savitri return and left for his own abode.

‘“When Yama had left, having obtained her husband back, Savitri returned to the spot where her husband’s corpse was lying. On seeing her husband lying down on the ground, she approached him and embraced him. She sat down on the ground and raised his head onto her lap. Having regained his consciousness, he repeatedly looked at her with great love, as if having returned from a journey. Satyavan told Savitri, ‘I have slept for a long time. Why did you not wake me up? Where is the dark-complexioned man who was dragging me away?’ Savitri replied, ‘O bull among men! You have indeed slept for a long time on my lap. The illustrious god Yama, the controller of all beings, has departed. O immensely fortunate one! O son of a king! You are rested and have awoken from sleep. If you can, arise. Look. The night is now deep.’ Having regained consciousness, Satyavan arose, as if from pleasant slumber. Glancing at the woods in all the directions, Satyavan said, ‘O slender-waisted one! I set out with you, to gather fruits as food. Then, as I was chopping wood, I suffered from a headache. Tormented by the pain in my head, I could no longer stand up and lay down on your lap and slept. O beautiful one! I remember all this. In your embrace, sleep overcame my mind. I then saw a terrible and dark being, with great energy. O slender-waisted one! If you know, tell me if that was a dream. Or was it reality?’ At that, Savitri told him, ‘O son of a king! The night is deepening. Tomorrow, I will tell you everything, exactly as it happened. O fortunate one! Arise. Arise. O one good in your vows. See your parents.
The night is deep now and the sun has gone down. The ones who wander around in the night are happily roaming around, with harsh voices. The sounds of leaves can he heard, as animals roam around in the forest. Stationing themselves in the south-west direction, jackals are howling terribly. They are making my heart tremble.’ Satyavan said, ‘The forest is covered with a terrible darkness and looks fearsome. Therefore, you will not be able to determine the path that we should follow.’ Savitri replied, ‘The forest has been burnt down. There is a dry tree that is still blazing. The flames fanned by the wind can be seen here and there. Bringing some fire from there, I will light a fire in all the directions. There is plenty of wood here. So remove all anxiety from your heart. I can see that your head is aching. You will not be able to determine the path in this forest enveloped in darkness. If you are unable to go, with your permission, we will go tomorrow morning, when the forest is visible. O unblemished one! If it so pleases you, we will spend the night here.’

‘“Satyavan said, ‘My headache has gone and I can see that my limbs are fine. If it pleases you, I wish to go and see my mother and my father. Earlier, I have never returned to the hermitage at the wrong time. My mother restricts me, even before evening has set in. My elders are anxious, even when I go out during the day. With all the other residents of the hermitage, my father will be looking for me. On several occasions before this, my mother and father have been unhappy and have rebuked me, saying that I have been out too long. Thinking about me, I wonder about the state they will be in now. On not seeing me, they must be sorely afflicted. One night, some time ago, the aged ones were extremely miserable on my account. With great love, they told me in a flood of tears, “O son! Without you, we cannot be alive for an instant. O son! We can certainly bear life as long as you are alive. You are the crutch for these aged and blind ones. Our lineage is based in you. Our funeral oblations, our fame and our offspring are established in you.” My mother is old. My father is old. I am their crutch. What state will they be reduced to, if they do not see me tonight? I blame that sleep. It is responsible for my father and my mother being anxious on my account, fearing harm and that I am in danger and a calamity confronts me. I have no interest
in living without my mother and my father. I am sure that my blind father, who has the sight of wisdom, is anxious and despondent. He is asking all the residents of the hermitage about me. O beautiful one! I am not sorrowing on account of my own self. I am thinking about my father and my weak mother, who is devoted to him. They will now be in supreme distress because of me. I will live if they live, and they must be supported by me. I know that I must only perform tasks that bring them pleasure.’ Having said this, the one with dharma in his soul, devoted to his elders and loved by his elders, raised his arms in grief and began to lament loudly. Savitri followed the course of dharma. On seeing that her husband was overcome with grief after speaking in this way, she wiped the tears from his eyes and said, ‘If I have observed austerities, if I have offered oblations, this night will be safe for my mother-in-law, my father-in-law and my husband. I do not remember having spoken a falsehood, even in jest. By virtue of that truth, let my parents-in-law remain alive today.’ Satyavan said, ‘O Savitri! I wish to see my parents. Let us start, without any delay. O one with the beautiful hips! If I see that something unpleasant has happened to my mother and my father, I swear truthfully that I will no longer be alive. If your intelligence is devoted to dharma, if you wish to see me alive, if you wish to do that which ensures my pleasure, let us return to the hermitage.’ Then the beautiful Savitri arose and tidied her hair. She grasped her husband by the arms and made him arise. Having arisen, Satyavan wiped his limbs with his hand.

‘“He looked in all the directions and saw his vessel.
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Savitri told him, ‘Collect fruit tomorrow. I will carry the axe, for the sake of obtaining that which you want.’ She hung the vessel from the branch of a tree. Grasping the axe, she returned to her husband. The one with the beautiful thighs then placed her husband’s left hand on her shoulder. Embracing him with her right hand, the one whose gait was gentle, began to walk. Satyavan said, ‘O timid one! I come here often and the paths are known to me. Besides, through the moonlight shining between the trees, I can make out. O beautiful one! Without
any hesitation, walk along the path we came by in the morning, to gather fruit. The road branches into two near that palasha clump. Swiftly follow the path that heads in a northern direction. I am well. I am strong. I wish to see my parents.’ Having said this, he quickly proceeded towards the hermitage.”’