सावित्र्युपाख्यानम्। - The Tale Of Savitri - Vraja Loka Astro Spiritual Center

 

 

 

सावित्र्युपाख्यानम्।
सावित्र्युवाच।
धर्मामर्मविधानज्ञ! सर्वधर्मप्रवर्त्तक!।
त्वमेव जगतो नाथः प्रजासंयमनो यमः ।। २१३.१ ।।

कर्मणामनुरूपेण यस्माद्यमयसे प्रजा-।
तस्माद्वै प्रोच्यसे देव! यम इत्येव नामतः ।। २१३.२ ।।

धर्मेणेमाः प्रजाः सर्वा यस्माद्रञ्जयसे प्रभो!।
तस्मात्ते धर्मराजेति नाम सद्भिर्निगद्यते ।। २१३.३ ।।

सुकृतं दुष्कृतं चोभे पुरोधाय यदा जनाः।
त्वत्सकाशं मृता यान्ति तस्मात्त्वं मृत्युरुच्यसे ।। २१३.४ ।।

 

 

कालं कलार्द्धं कलयन् सर्वेषां त्वं हि तिष्ठसि।
तस्मात् कालेति ते नाम प्रोच्यते तत्त्वदर्शभिः ।। २१३.५ ।।

सर्वेषामेव भूतानां यस्मादन्तकरो महान्।
तस्मात्त्वमन्तकः प्रोक्तः सर्वदेवैर्महाद्युते! ।। २१३.६ ।।

विवस्वतस्त्वं तनयः प्रथमं परिकीर्तितः।
तस्माद्वैवस्वतो नाम्ना सर्वलोकेषु कथ्यते ।। २१३.७ ।।

आयुष्ये कर्मणि क्षीणे गृह्णासि प्रसभञ्जनम्।
तदा त्वं कथ्यसे लोके सर्वप्राणिहरेति वै ।। २१३.८ ।।

तव प्रसादाद्देवेश! सङ्करो न प्रजायते।
सतां सदा गतिर्देव! त्वमेव परिकीर्तितः ।। २१३.९ ।।

जगतोऽस्य जगन्नाथ! मर्यादापरिपालकः।
पाहिमां त्रिदशश्रेष्ठ! दुःखितां शरणागताम्
पितरौ च तथैवास्य राजपुत्रस्य दुःखितौ ।। २१३.१० ।।

यम उवाच।
स्तवेन भक्त्या धर्मज्ञे! मया तुष्टेन सत्यवान्।
तव भर्ता विमुक्तोऽयं लब्धकामा व्रजाबले! ।। २१३.११ ।।

राज्यं कृत्वा त्वया सार्द्धं वत्सराशीतिपञ्चकम्।
नाकपृष्ठमथारुह्या त्रिदशैः सह रंस्यते।। २१३.१२ ।।

त्वयि पुत्रशतञ्चापि सत्यवान् जनयिष्यति।
ते चापि सर्वे राजानः क्षत्रियास्त्रिदशोपमाः ।। २१३.१३ ।।

मुख्यास्त्वन्नाम पुत्राख्या भविष्यन्ति हि शाश्वताः।
पितुश्च ते पुत्रशतं भविता तव मातरि ।। २१३.१४ ।।

मालव्यां मालवी नाम शाश्वताः पुत्रपौत्रिणः।
भ्रातरस्ते भविष्यन्ति क्षत्रियास्त्रिदशोपमाः ।। २१३.१५ ।।

स्तोत्रेणानेन धर्मज्ञे! कल्पमुत्थाय यस्तु माम्।
कीर्तयिष्यति तस्यापि दीर्घमायुर्भविष्यति ।। २१३.१६ ।।

एतावदुक्ता भगवान् यमस्तु प्रमुच्य तं राजसुतं महात्मा।
अदर्शनं तत्र यमो जगाम कालेन सार्द्धं सह मृत्युना च ।। २१३.१७ ।।

 

There are several phenomenal aspects to the tale of Pativrata Savithri.

The tale of Savithri is praised and explained by the Supreme Lord Himself to King Manu.

The Supreme Lord explains this story to illustrate the greatness of women, their virtues, the greatness of the institution of marriage, the importance of Gruhasthashram and the ease with which women can attain emancipation  and how can women attain to a spiritual altitude where they get worshiped by the Lord Yama Dharma himself and thus become worship-able to the entire creation.

This story is an epitome of the sacred position given to women in our Vedic tradition. It is an illustration that a woman with very simple virtues can attain unimaginable spiritual heights.

 

Goddess Savithri who is the wife of Lord Brahma, is worshiped by king Ashwapathi for a progeny. After 10 months of worship, the Goddess is pleased and confers a boon of a girl child.  

The king names her after the Goddess herself.

Princess Savithri grows up and attains youth. She gets the alliance of Satyavan, who is the Son of King Dyumatsena. Then Maharshi Narada appears and warns them that Satyavan is short lived and sure to die very soon.

But as the word was given and the King had started the talk of the alliance, he does not break the word and gets his daughter married to Satyavan.

 

Savithri serves her father and mother in law with due respect and takes care of their every need and so of her husband. But she worries about her husband’s fate always. And so, the day said by Maharshi Narada arrives.

That day, for the daily rtual, Satyavan goes to the forest to get Samit and fruits and vegetables. Savithri takes the consent of her father in law, the king and follows her husband to the forest.

Looking at her slightly dull and lackluster face, Satyavan describes the beauty of the forest all through as they walk to cheer her up.

And finally, they rest at a place close to the river. There Satyavan begins to cut a tree for firewood. Savithri thinks, any moment he could be dead. Satyavan complains of headache and requests to lie on her lap. She takes his head on her lap and that moment she sees the Lord Yama Dharma himself.

 

Its not possible for ordinary humans to see Lord Yama. But as Savithri was pure at heart and extremely pious, she could see the lord of Dharma. As Satyavan was extremely pious too, the Lord Dharma himself had come to fetch his body.

As Lord Dharma took away the Linga Sharira of Satyavan, Savitri left the physical body and started to walk behind Lord Dharma. She was able to do this, because of her flawless heart and devotion to her marriage.

Lord Yama breaks the silence and asks her to return. But she praises him and speaks words full of Dharma and she says, she is not afraid to be in his company. The Lord Yama gets pleased and grants her a boon of anything other than her husband’s life. She asks for the eye sight and empire of her father in law.

 

She continues to walk to the higher world, where even Yaksha and Gandharvas cannot reach. At this point, Yama asks her to return to earth for conducting the final rights of her husband’s body. She further speaks of how he is able to punish those whom even the Nava Grahas and the demiGods cannot punish.

It is the fear of death and the punishment that he bestows that Dharma still persists on earth – she says. Yama grants her the second boon of - anything other than her husband’s life. Savithri asks for a hundred sons to her father who was childless and had no sons. This boon is also granted by Lord Yama.

 

Savithri follows him further. Then Yama says, the further worlds are horrific and not suitable for a woman to walk. She praises him as the protector of the innocent lives and says that his presence will protect her. Yama is pleased again with her understanding of Dharma and her devotion and confidence. He grants her the final boon after which he says she must return. The boon should be anything other than her husband’s life.

At this point, Yama would have reached close to a place where he couldn’t take anyone else along with him, other than his own servants. Savithri knew all this, with her powers of true heart and her virtuous dedication towards the institution of marriage.

At this point, Savithri very intelligently asks for a hundred sons. Yama has to oblige that as she has asked for something other than her husband’s life. When Savithri further follows him and pleads to protect her virtues and her respect in society. She is married already and her husband is dead. So for Yama’s words to be true, Satyavan has to be back to life. Else, Lord Yama’s words become a lie, which is an impossible thing to happen.

Lord Yama could have turned down the boon saying, Savithri was indirectly asking for her husband’s life. The Lord of Dharma didn’t do that , as Savithri deserved that boon and he was in fact pleased with her true virtues and the respect for marriage. He , as the protector of Dharma on earth, wanted to set this example of Savithri to the entire women creation.

So, as internally guided by the Supreme Lord Krishna, Lord Yama blesses Savithri with the life of Satyavaan so her virtue stays unblemished and his boon of a hundred sons to her comes true too.

All those who read this story in the early morning twilight, get blessed by Lord Yama with longevity and great Dharmic wisdom.