Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts)

by Debroy, Bibek

  573(276)

  ‘Markandeya said, “Thus did the mighty-armed Rama, whose energy was infinite, confront misfortune and live in the forest in earlier times. O tiger among men! Do not grieve. O scorcher of enemies! You are a kshatriya. On the basis of the valour of your arms, you are traversing a road that is blazing in its resolution. Not even the slightest bit of sin is to be found in you. Even Indra, and the gods and the asuras, may become despondent along this path. Together with the Maruts, the wielder of the vajra killed Vritra, the invincible Namuchi and the rakshasi Dirghajihva.158 Everything in this world stays with those who have aides. Who cannot be overcome in battle by someone who has Dhananjaya as his brother? Bhima is terrible in his valour and is foremost among strong ones. Madri’s two twin sons are young and great archers. O scorcher of enemies! With such aides, why do you grieve? With such aides, you can vanquish the soldiers of the wielder of the vajra, together with the Maruts. O bull among the Bharata lineage! With such great archers as aides, who are the equals of the gods, you will vanquish all your enemies in battle. Look at Droupadi Krishna. She was abducted forcibly by the evil-souled Saindhava, who was intoxicated with his valour. But these great-souled ones accomplished the difficult task of obtaining her back, after vanquishing and subjugating King Jayadratha. Rama got Vaidehi back without any such allies. Through his terrible valour, he killed the rakshasa Dashagriva in battle. O king! Use your own intelligence to think about this. Monkeys and black-faced bears were his allies, creatures from a different species. O best of the Kurus! O bull among the Bharata lineage! Therefore, do not sorrow. O scorcher of enemies! Great-souled ones like you do not sorrow.”’

  Vaishampayana said, ‘Thus consoled by the intelligent Markandeya, the king discarded his weakness of spirit and spoke again.’

  574(277)

  ‘Yudhishthira asked, “O great sage! I do not grieve for myself, or for my brothers, or for the loss of the kingdom, but for Drupada’s daughter. When we were oppressed by those evil-souled ones at the game of dice, we were saved by Krishna. But she was again forcibly abducted from the forest by Jayadratha. Have you ever seen, or heard of, a woman as immensely fortunate and as devoted to her husbands as Drupada’s daughter?”

  ‘Markandeya said, “O king! O Yudhishthira! Hear about the great fortune of a lady born in a high lineage. The princess Savitri obtained everything. There was a king in the land of Madra. He had dharma in his soul and was extremely devoted to dharma. The great-souled one was devoted to brahmanas, was united with the truth and had conquered his senses. That king had the name of Ashvapati. He performed sacrifices, was generous in giving and was skilled. He was the beloved of the citizens and the inhabitants of the countryside. He was engaged in the welfare of all beings. He was forgiving and truthful and had conquered his senses. He had no offspring. Because he was advancing in years, he was concerned. In order to obtain offspring, he resorted to severe rites. When it was time to eat, he restricted his food. He became a brahmachari and conquered his senses. O supreme among kings! He offered a hundred thousand oblations to Savitri.159 He ate in limited quantities and skipped every sixth meal. He lived with these rules for eighteen years. When eighteen years were over, Savitri was pleased. O king! She arose from the agnihotra,160 and with great delight, showed herself to the king. The one who grants boons then spoke these words to the king. ‘O king! I am satisfied with your brahmacharya, purity, self-control, rituals and your wholehearted devotion. O Ashvapati! O king of Madra! Ask for whatever boon you desire. But do not make the mistake of disregarding dharma.’ Ashvapati replied, ‘I am desirous of dharma and have observed these rites because I desire offspring. O goddess! May I have many sons who extend my lineage. O goddess! If you are pleased with me, then I ask for this boon. The brahmanas have told me that obtaining offspring is the supreme dharma.’ Savitri said, ‘O king! Knowing of your intentions in advance, I have already spoken about your objective of obtaining sons to the grandfather.161 O pleasant one! Through the favours granted to you on earth by the self-creating one, an energetic daughter will soon be born to you. You need not make any reply to this.162 I am delighted and am telling you this on behalf of the grandfather.’ The king acknowledged Savitri’s words and requested that, through her favours, this might occur soon. When Savitri had disappeared, the king returned to his own house. He lived happily in his kingdom and protected the subjects according to dharma.

  ‘“Some time passed. The king, who was regulated in his vows, impregnated the womb of his eldest queen, who was devoted to dharma. O bull among the Bharata lineage! The embryo in the womb of the princess of Malava grew,163 like the lord of the stars164 in the sky during shuklapaksha. At the right time, she gave birth to a daughter who had eyes like a lotus. The king happily performed the rites for her. Because she had been given by Savitri when oblations with savitri165 had been rendered, the brahmanas and her father gave her the name of Savitri. The king’s daughter grew, like Shri166 personified. In due course of time, the girl became a maiden. Her waist was slender and her hips were broad. She was like a golden image. On seeing her, people thought that they had obtained a celestial maiden. Her eyes were like the petals of a lotus, blazing in their energy. On seeing that energy, no one dared to marry her. On an auspicious day, having washed her hair and having fasted, she approached the gods and offered oblations into the fire, according to the prescribed rites and accompanied with recitations by brahmanas. When this was over, the goddess who was like Shri in her form, took the remaining flowers and went to her great-souled father. Bowing at her father’s feet, she first offered the remnants to him. Then, joining her hands in salutation, the one with the beautiful hips stood by the side of the king. On seeing that his daughter had grown up and looked like a goddess, the king was unhappy that no one had wished to marry her yet.

  ‘“The king said, ‘O daughter! The time to give you away has arrived. But no one is asking me. Therefore, you yourself look for a husband, with qualities that are like your own. If you desire a man, tell me about him. Marry whom you wish. After deliberations, I will give you away. O fortunate one! I have heard what brahmanas have recited from the sacred texts. Listen to these words, as I recount them. “A father who does not give his daughter away is condemned. A husband who does not cohabit at the right time is condemned. A son, who does not protect his mother when her husband is dead, is condemned.” On hearing my words, swiftly go and look for a husband. Act in a way so that we are not condemned by the gods.’”

  ‘Markandeya said, “Thus addressing his daughter, he assigned aged ministers to her, for the arrangements, and asked her to go. Having learnt of her father’s instructions, the intelligent one bowed bashfully at her father’s feet and departed without any hesitation. She was seated on a golden chariot and was surrounded by the aged advisers. She went to the beautiful hermitages of the rajarshis. She showed her homage at the feet of the revered elders who were there. O son! She visited all the forests, one after another. At all the tirthas, the king’s daughter gave away riches to the foremost among brahmanas and went from one region to another.”’

  575(278)

  ‘Markandeya said, “O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On one occasion, Narada visited the king of Madra and was seated in the midst of the assembly hall, conversing with him. At that time, after visiting all the tirthas and all the hermitages, Savitri, together with the ministers, returned to her father’s abode. On seeing her father seated with Narada, the beautiful one lowered her head at their feet.

  ‘“Narada asked, ‘O king! Where did your daughter go and where has she returned from? Why do you not give this maiden away to a husband?’

  ‘“Ashvapati replied, ‘I sent her out on that task and she has returned now. O devarshi! Now hear from her whom she has chosen as a husband.’”

  ‘Markandeya said, “The beautiful one was instructed by her father to recount everything in detail. She obeyed, and driven by destiny, spoke these words. ‘There is a kshatriya king in the land of Shalva and he has dharm
a in his soul. He is famous by the name of Dyumatsena. Later, he became blind. The intelligent one lost his eyesight and his son was still young. Because of old enmity, a neighbour spotted the weakness and seized the kingdom. With his young son and wife, he left for the forest. Having left for the great forest, great in his vows, he performed austerities there. His son was born in the city, but grew up in the hermitage. His name is Satyavan and in my mind, I have accepted him as my husband.’ Narada replied, ‘O king! In her ignorance, Savitri has committed a grave error, by choosing the virtuous Satyavan. His father speaks the truth. His mother speaks the truth. Therefore, brahmanas gave him the name of Satyavan.167 When he was young, he loved horses and fashioned them out of clay, painting them. He was therefore known as Chitrashva.’168 The king asked, ‘Is the king’s son energetic and intelligent? Is he forgiving and brave? Is he truthful and devoted to his father?’ Narada replied, ‘He is as energetic as the sun-god and as intelligent as Brihaspati. He is as brave as the great Indra and as forgiving as the earth.’ Ashvapati asked, ‘Is the king’s son, Satyavan, generous towards brahmanas? Is he handsome and large-hearted? Is his appearance pleasant?’ Narada replied, ‘According to his own ability, in generosity, he is the equal of Rantideva, the son of Samkriti.169 In devotion to brahmanas and truthfulness, he is like Shibi, the son of Ushinara.170 He is like Yayati in his generosity.171 He is as pleasant to behold as the moon. Dyumatsena’s powerful son is as handsome as one of the Ashvins. He is self-controlled, mild, brave, truthful and in control of his senses. He is friendly, without malice, modest and forbearing. To state it briefly, those who have grown old in austerities and conduct always say that he is established in uprightness and righteousness.’ Ashvapati asked, ‘O illustrious one! You have spoken to me about all his qualities. Now tell me about his faults, if he has any.’ Narada replied, ‘He has only one blemish. His life is short. One year from now, Satyavan will give up his body.’

  ‘“The king said, ‘O Savitri! O beautiful one! Go and choose another one as your husband. This is a great blemish that overshadows all his qualities. The illustrious Narada is worshipped by the gods and he has told me that his life is short. He will give up his body within a year.’

  ‘“Savitri said, ‘The die is cast only once. The daughter is given away only once. “I give her away,” is pronounced only once. All these three occur only once. Whether his life is long or short, whether he possesses qualities or is without qualities, I have chosen him as my husband once and will not choose a second one. Having made up my mind, I have voiced it in words. The act occurs thereafter. My mind has been made up.’

  ‘“Narada said, ‘O best of men! Your daughter Savitri’s mind is firmly made up. It is impossible to dislodge her from the way of dharma. The qualities that Satyavan possesses do not exist in any other man. Therefore, it seems to me that your daughter should be given to him.’

  ‘“The king said, ‘O illustrious one! The words that you have spoken are true and should not be disregarded. O illustrious one! Since you are my preceptor, I will do as you say.’

  ‘“Narada said, ‘May your daughter Savitri be given away without any impediments. I will have to go away now. May all of you be fortunate.’”

  ‘Markandeya said, “Having said this, Narada soared up into the sky and went to the region of the thirty gods. The king began to make arrangements for his daughter’s marriage.”’

  576(279)

  ‘Markandeya said, “The king reflected about the objectives behind the bestowal of his daughter and began to make all the arrangements for the marriage. On an auspicious lunar day, he invited all the brahmanas, all the officiating priests172 and all the priests, and set out with his daughter. The king went to Dyumatsena’s hermitage in the sacred forest, and accompanied by the brahmanas, approached the rajarshi on foot. He saw the immensely fortunate and blind king seated there, on a mat of kusha grass, under a shala tree. In accordance with what is prescribed, the king worshipped the rajarshi and introduced himself with a few restrained words. The king who was learned in dharma offered the king173 an arghya,174 a seat and a cow, and asked him why he had come. He175 then told him everything about his wishes and intended course of action and about Satyavan. Ashvapati said, ‘O rajarshi! This is my beautiful daughter, named Savitri. O one learned in dharma! In accordance with your own dharma, accept her as your daughter-in-law.’ Dyumatsena replied, ‘Dislodged from our kingdom, we have resorted to living in the woods. We are controlled and practise the dharma of ascetics. Your daughter does not deserve a state of living in the forest. How will she be able to bear that hardship?’ Ashavapati said, ‘Both My daughter and I know that happiness and unhappiness may exist or they may not exist.176 Therefore, you should not utter such words to someone like me. O king! I have come here after making up my mind. I have honoured you affectionately as a well-wisher and you should not kill my hopes. Since I have come here out of love, you should not refuse me. In this alliance, you are my equal and I am yours. Therefore, accept my daughter as your daughter-in-law and as Satyavan’s wife.’ Dyumatsena replied, ‘Earlier, I had desired to have an alliance with you. But dislodged from my kingdom, I did not think about it again. Let my cherished desire be accomplished today itself. You are a guest that I have wished for.’ Then the two kings summoned all the brahmanas who lived in the hermitage and in accordance with the rites, arranged for the wedding.

  ‘“Having given his daughter away in the appropriate fashion,177 with garments, Ashvapati happily returned to his own house. Having obtained a wife who possessed all the good qualities, Satyavan was delighted. She was also happy at having obtained the husband her heart had wanted. When her father had departed, she gave up all her ornaments. She donned bark and garments that were red.178 Through her servitude, qualities, affection and self-control and attending to all the wishes, she satisfied everyone. By tending to her body and all her garments and other objects, she satisfied her mother-in-law. Through her restrained words and worship of the gods, she satisfied her father-in-law. In a similar way, through her pleasant words, skilfulness, equanimity and tending to him in private, she satisfied her husband. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Those virtuous ones lived in that hermitage for some time and performed austerities. But whether lying down or standing, during day and at night, in her mind, Savitri kept thinking about the words that Narada had spoken.”’

  577(280)

  ‘Markandeya said, “O king! After a long period of many days had elapsed, the time of Satyavan’s death arrived. Savitri counted every day that passed and Narada’s words were always present in her heart. Having determined that his death would occur on the fourth day, for three nights, the beautiful one observed a vow of fasting and remained standing, day and night. Hearing about this difficult vow, the king was unhappy. He arose and consoled Savitri with these words. ‘O daughter of a king! The vow that you have adopted is extremely severe. It is extremely difficult to remain standing for three nights.’ Savitri replied, ‘O father! Do not grieve over this act. I will complete the vow, which has been adopted with resolution. Resolution is the cause.’179 Dyumatsena said, ‘Under no circumstances can I ask you to give up your vow. Those like us should speak to you so that you complete it.’ Having said this, the great-souled Dyumatsena refrained. Savitri remained standing, as if she had been made of wood. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Thinking that her husband would die the next day,180 Savitri remained standing and the day passed in misery. ‘Today is the day.’ Thinking this, she offered oblations into the blazing fire. She performed her morning rites when the sun had arisen four measures.181 She bowed down before all the aged brahmanas and her mother-in-law and father-in-law, in due order, and restrained, stood standing before them with hands joined in salutation. For the sake of Savitri’s welfare, all the residents of the hermitage and all the holy ascetics pronounced the benediction that she might never become a widow. Savitri, who was immersed in the yoga of meditation, wished in her mind that it might be this way and silently accepted the wo
rds of the ascetics. The king’s daughter waited for the hour and the moment, thinking grievously about the words that Narada had spoken. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! The king’s daughter was standing alone and her mother-in-law and father-in-law affectionately told her, ‘You have perfectly completed the vow, as has been prescribed. It is now time to eat. After that, do whatever else remains to be done.’ Savitri replied, ‘I will eat when the sun has set and I have accomplished my desire. This is the resolution I have made in my mind about the time.’ When Savitri was conversing in this way about food, Satyavan grasped an axe. He placed it over his shoulder and proceeded to leave for the forest.