Savitri and Satyavan
The oldest known version of the story of Savitri is a tale from the third book of the great epic Mahabharata . Markandeya told the legend of Savitri, daughter of the blind king of Madras , Yudhishthira , the firstborn of the Pandavas .
The king's daughter Savitri ( Sanskrit सावित्री sāvitrī ) had chosen the prince Satyavan (सत्यवान् satyavān, also सत्यवत् satyavat), the son of Dyumatsena , as her husband. Both are blameless and have always fulfilled the duties of dharma . And yet Satyavan is supposed to die in a year. At least that is how it is prophesied to the father of Savitri, King Aswapati, by the messenger of the gods Narada . Aswapati then wants Savitri to revise her decision and make another choice. But she insists on her choice and says, “I made my decision with my mind; I announced it with my speech and I will fulfill it in the future through my actions. "
Immediately after her wedding and the departure of her father, she takes off her jewelry and the robes of an ascetic. She practices asceticism and yoga all year round. Three days before the prophesied date of her husband's death, she intensified her asceticism and made the vow (vrata) to stand and fast continuously. Although she was weakened from fasting after three days, she asked her blind father-in-law for permission to accompany her husband into the forest. Since this is the first time she has made a wish, he is happy to grant it.
On the evening of the third day, after sunset, Satyavan beats wood to build the sacrificial fire. Exhausted from the exertion, he sinks passed out on Savitri's lap. As appears Yama , the god of death and wants to tear down of Satyavan the "soul man" and take it into the realm of death. But Savitri follows him and does not let Yama turn her away. When he asks her to stay behind, she speaks words full of wisdom and praises him as the King of Dharma. Impressed by the content and style of the words, he offers Savitri help; but he does not want to give back the life of Satyavan. First she wishes for her father-in-law to have eyesight back, then sons for her father and finally sons for herself and Satyavan. Eventually Yama, the god of death, offers his help - without exception - and Savitri chooses the life of Satyavan. The story ends with the words: So Savitri herself, her father, her mother, her mother-in-law, her father-in-law and the entire family of her husband were dragged out of their misery by Savitri.
By appealing to the law of Dharma, Savitri was able to convince even the god of death of her right.
See also
- Sri Aurobindo (Section 2.2, Epic Savitri )
literature
Savitri in: Wilfried Huchzermeyer , Yogis, Yoginis and Ascetics in the Mahabharata. Karlsruhe 2008, ISBN 978-3-931172-26-8 , pp. 43-66 (full translation of the episode)