Sati Savitri

Sati Savitri

 

Long time ago, in the palmy days of Hindustan there lived a Prince, Aswapathi, ruling over the kingdom of Madra. For years after his Royal Wedding with Queen Malavi, he did not have a child. He thereupon invoked Savitri, his favourite deity, and through her grace, he had a daughter who bore the same name as the goddess. As years went by, little Savitri grew into a lovely maiden and was always playing in the palace and in the forest with her companion Vasantika.

She often used to relate her dreams to her companion and once she portrayed in words the form and beauty of her beloved.

One day her pet deer escaped into the forest, and both Savitri and Vasantika ran after the creature but found that she was held and kept in captivity by Prince Satyavantha, son of king Dyumatɛena, who was collecting fruits and flowers along with his comrade Saradvata. Savitri then recalled the features of the young man whom she saw in the dream and intimated the fact to her companion, Vasantika. Eventually she got her deer back but could not forget Satyavantha.

She went back to the palace and made a portrait of her beloved, and was worshipping it daily.

In the meantime her parents were anxiously contem- plating her marriage when Narada, the celestial musician, paid a visit to them and strongly prevailed upon them to have a matrimonial alliance with Satyavantha.

The marriage was celebrated with all religious for- malities but Savitri knew through Sage Narada that her husband would not live long. As the destined day was ap- proaching, she counted the days and the hours and the minutes and was keenly and closely watching his move- ments accompanying him wherever he went.

Three days before the fateful moment, she commenced her fast and went into the forest with her lord where he would hew wood. When the sun reached the zenith, Satyavantha complained of head-ache and fell down, his head reeling. Within a few minutes, Yama, the lord of death, dropped into the earthly plane, seated on his Mahisha Vahan and relentlessly wrenched the life out of Satya- vantha's body.

Seeing Yama depriving her of her lord's presence, she questioned and argued with the mighty Lord of Death his authority to deal with a lady of spotless chastity and affection in the inanner he did. Yama alternately appealed to her and threatened her and even opened up the scenes of hell with its terrors and dire punishments, but nothing daunted, she pursued him, crossed the Vaitarani and com- pelled him to restore the life of her beloved Satyavantha. Greatly pleased with her wisdom, courage and chastity, in addition to the life of her husband, he gave her many a boon which conferred among others progeny to Aswapathi and kingdom to Dyumatsena.