Savitri
Family: Madras · Role: daughter of Aswapati · First appears: Book V (Woman's Love) · II. The Tale of Savitri
In Book V (Woman's Love) · II. The Tale of Savitri, Markandeya tells of Savitri’s birth to Aswapati and his queen. When Aswapati asked her to choose a husband, Savitri left his palace to seek one. In Book V (Woman's Love) · III. The Fated Bridegroom, she chose Satyavan and declared, “Brave Satyavan is my husband, he my heart and troth hath won!” Aswapati agreed, and Savitri and Satyavan married.
In Book V (Woman's Love) · IV. Overtaken by Fate, Satyavan died in the forest as Savitri held him. In Book V (Woman's Love) · V. Triumph over Fate, Yama granted her requests for her husband’s father to regain his sight, vigour, wealth and kingdom, for her to have sons with Satyavan, and for Satyavan to live again. In Book V (Woman's Love) · VI. Return Home, Yama vanished; Savitri returned to Satyavan, and her touch brought him back to waking life.
Relationship record
Life events
- In Markandeya's tale, Aswapati's queen gave birth to a daughter, who was named Savitri.(Book V (Woman's Love) · II. The Tale of Savitri)
- With: Aswapati
- “And in fulness of the season came a girl with lotus-eye, Father's hope and joy of mother, gift of kindly gods on high! And the king performed its birth-rites with a glad and grateful mind, And the people blessed the dear one with their wishes good and kind, As Savitri, Prayer-Maiden, had the beauteous offspring given, Brahmans named the child Savitri, holy gift of bounteous Heaven!”
- In Markandeya's tale, Aswapati told Savitri to choose a husband, and she left his palace to seek one.(Book V (Woman's Love) · II. The Tale of Savitri)
- With: Aswapati
- “Fair Savitri bowed unto him, and for parting blessings prayed, Then she left her father's palace, and in distant regions strayed, With her guard and aged courtiers whom her watchful father sent, Mounted on her golden chariot unto sylvan woodlands went.”
- In Markandeya's tale, Savitri chose Satyavan as her husband and declared her troth to him.(Book V (Woman's Love) · III. The Fated Bridegroom)
- With: Satyavan
- “Long his life or be it narrow, and his virtues great or none, Brave Satyavan is my husband, he my heart and troth hath won!”
- In Markandeya's tale, Aswapati agreed to Savitri’s choice, and she married Satyavan.(Book V (Woman's Love) · III. The Fated Bridegroom)
- In Markandeya's tale, Satyavan dies in the forest while Savitri holds him.(Book V (Woman's Love) · IV. Overtaken by Fate)
- With: Satyavan
- “Clasped him in her beating bosom, kissed his lips with panting breath, Darker grew the lonesome forest, and he slept the sleep of death!”
- In Markandeya's tale, Yama granted Savitri's request that her husband's father regain his sight and vigour.(Book V (Woman's Love) · V. Triumph over Fate)
- With: Yama
- “Duteous daughter,” Yama answered, “be thy pious wishes given, And his eyes shall be restored to the cheerful light of heaven,”
- In Markandeya's tale, Yama granted Savitri's request that her husband's father regain his wealth and kingdom.(Book V (Woman's Love) · V. Triumph over Fate)
- With: Yama
- “‘Loving daughter!’ Yama answered, ‘wealth and kingdom I bestow, Turn, Savitri, living mortal may not with King Yama go!’”
- In Markandeya's tale, Yama granted Savitri sons with Satyavan and promised that Satyavan would live again.(Book V (Woman's Love) · V. Triumph over Fate)
- In Markandeya's tale, the Sable Monarch vanishes as Savitri returns to where Satyavan lies.(Book V (Woman's Love) · VI. Return Home)
- With: Yama
- “Vanished then the Sable Monarch, and Savitri held her way Where in dense and darksome forest still her husband lifeless lay,”
- In Markandeya's tale, Satyavan awakens after Savitri's touch.(Book V (Woman's Love) · VI. Return Home)
- With: Satyavan
- “And that touch of true affection thrilled him back to waking life, As returned from distant regions gazed the prince upon his wife!”
Book V (Woman's Love) · II. The Tale of Savitri
- parent: Aswapati “And in fulness of the season came a girl with lotus-eye, Father's hope and joy of mother, gift of kindly gods on high!”
Book V (Woman's Love) · III. The Fated Bridegroom
- parent: Aswapati “Tell me, questioned Aswapati, for I may not guess thy thought, Wherefore is my daughter's action with a sad disaster fraught?”
- married with Satyavan “Narad wished him joy and gladness, blessed the loving youth and maid, Forest hermits on their wedding every fervent blessing laid.”
Book V (Woman's Love) · IV. Overtaken by Fate
- married with Satyavan “Long I wished to see the jungle where steals not the solar ray, Take me to the darksome forest, husband, let me go to-day!”
Book V (Woman's Love) · V. Triumph over Fate
- married with Satyavan “What befalls the wedded husband still befalls the faithful wife, Where he leads she ever follows, be it death or be it life!”
Book V (Woman's Love) · VI. Return Home
- married with Satyavan “Have I lain too long and slumbered, sweet Savitri, faithful spouse? But I dreamt a Sable Person, in a noose took forth my life!”
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Extracted from the original text of Maha-bharata, The Epic of Ancient India. Made with Rho MD.