Vyāsa (attributed) · Complete work
Chapter 4 (Mahābhārata 3.296)
Chapter 4 (Mahābhārata 3.296) of 8. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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296.1 मार्कण्डेय उवाच।अथ कन्याप्रदाने स तमेवार्थं विचिन्तयन्।समानित्ये च तत्सर्वंभाण्डं वैवाहिकं नृपः ।।
296.2 ततो वृद्धान्द्विजान्सर्वानृत्विक्सभ्यपुरोहितान्।समाहूय दिने पुण्ये प्रययौ सह कन्यया ।।
296.3 मेध्यारण्यं स गत्वा च द्युमत्सेनाश्रमं नृपः।पद्भ्यामेव द्विजैः सार्धं राजर्षिं तमुपागमत् ।।
296.4 तत्रापश्यन्महाभागं सालवृक्षमुपाश्रितम्।कौश्यां बृस्यां समासीनं चक्षुर्हीनं नृपं तदा ।।
296.5 स राजा तस्य राजर्षेः कृत्वापूजां यथाऽर्हतः।वाचा सुनियतो भूत्वा चकारात्मनिवेदनम् ।।
296.6 तस्यार्ध्यमासं चैव गां चावेद्यस धर्मवित्।किमागमनमित्येवं राजा राजानमब्रवीत् ।।
296.7 तस्य सर्वमभिप्रायमितिकर्तव्यतां च ताम्।सत्यवन्तं समुद्दिश्य सर्वमेव न्यवेदयत् ।।
296.8 सावित्री नाम राजर्षे कन्येयं मम शोभना।तां स्वधर्मेण धर्मज्ञ स्नुषार्थे त्वं गृहाण मे ।।
296.9 द्युमत्सेन उवाच।च्युताः स्म राज्याद्वनवासमाश्रिता-श्चराम धर्मं नियतास्तपस्विनः।कथं त्वनर्हा वनवासमाश्रमेसहिष्यति क्लेशमिमं सुता तव ।।
296.10 अश्वमतिरुवाच।सुखं च दुःखं च भवाभवात्मकंयदा विजानाति सुताऽहमेव च।न मद्विधे युज्यतेवाक्यमीदृशंविनिश्चयेनाभिगतोस्मि ते नृप ।।
296.11 आशां नार्हसि मे हन्तुं सौहृदात्प्रणतस्य च।अभितश्चागतं प्रेम्णा प्रत्याख्यातुं न माऽर्हसि ।।
296.12 अनुरूपो हि युक्तश्च त्वं ममाहं तवापि च।स्नुषां प्रतीच्छ मे कन्यां भार्यां सत्यवतस्ततः ।।
296.13 द्युमत्सेन उवाच।पूर्वमेवाभिलवितः संबन्धो मे त्वया सह।भ्रष्टराज्यस्त्वहमिति तत एतद्विचारितम् ।।
296.14 अभिप्रायस्त्वयं यो मे पूर्वमेवाभिकाङ्क्षितः।स निर्वर्ततु मेऽद्यैव काङ्क्षितो ह्यसि मेऽतिथिः ।।
296.15 ततः सर्वान्समानाय्य द्विजानाश्रमवासिनः।यथाविधि समुद्वाहं कारयामासतुर्नृपौ ।।
296.16 दत्त्वा सोऽश्वपतिः कन्यां यथार्हं सपरिच्छदम्।ययौ स्वमेव भवनं युक्तः परमया मुदा ।।
296.17 सत्यवानपि तां भार्यां लब्ध्वा सर्वगुणान्विताम्।मुमुदे सा रच रतं लब्ध्वा भर्तारं मनसेप्सितम् ।।
296.18 गते पितरि सर्वाणि संन्यस्याभरणानि सा।जगृहेवल्कलान्येव वस्त्रं काषायमेव च ।।
296.19 परिचारैर्गुणैश्चैव प्रश्रयेण दमेन च।सर्वकामक्रियाभिश्च सर्वेषां तुष्टिमादधे ।।
296.20 श्वश्रूं शरीरसत्कारैः सर्वैराच्छादनादिभिः।श्वशुरं देवसत्कारैर्वाचः संयमनेन च ।।
296.21 तथैव प्रियवादेन नैषुणेन शमेन च।रहश्चैवोपचारेण भर्तारं पर्यतोषयत् ।।
296.22 एवं तत्राश्रमे तेषां तदा निवसतां सताम्।कालस्तपस्यतां कश्चिदपाक्रामत भारत ।।
296.23 सावित्र्याग्लायमानायास्तिष्ठन्त्यास्तु दिवानिशम।नारदेन यदुक्तं तद्वाक्यं मनसि वर्तते ।।
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Sanskrit, passage for passage, covering the whole Savitri episode of the Mahabharata (Book 3, chapters 293–300 of the vulgate), 321 verses.
296.1 Markandeya said:With his daughter's marriage in mind, the kingassembled all the goods needed for the wedding.
296.2 Summoning the venerable brahmins, officiants, councilors and priests,he set out with his daughter on an auspicious day.
296.3 Reaching the sacred forest and Dyumatsena's hermitage,the king approached that royal sage on foot with the brahmins.
296.4 There he found the noble, sightless kingseated on a mat of kusha grass beneath a shala tree.
296.5 That king honored the royal sage as he deserved,then spoke with measured words and introduced himself.
296.6 The king who knew dharma offered him welcome-water, a seat and a cow;“What brings you here?” one king asked the other.
296.7 He disclosed all his intention, and what he wished to do,explaining everything concerning Satyavan.
296.8 “Royal sage, my beautiful daughter is named Savitri.Accept her, knower of dharma, as your daughter-in-law in keeping with our dharma.”
296.9 Dyumatsena said:“Driven from our kingdom, we have taken refuge in forest life;self-restrained ascetics, we live according to dharma.How will your daughter, unaccustomed to life in a forest hermitage,bear such hardship here?”
296.10 Ashvapati said:“My daughter and I both know that joy and painare born of fortune and its loss.Words such as these are not fitting for a man like me;I have come to you resolved, king.
296.11 You should not extinguish the hopes of one who bows to you in friendship;do not turn away one who has come to you with love.
296.12 You are a fitting match for me and I for you;accept my daughter as your daughter-in-law, as Satyavan's wife.”
296.13 Dyumatsena said:“I had long wished to join our families,but hesitated because I had lost my kingdom.
296.14 May the wish I have cherished from the beginningbe fulfilled today. You are a guest I have longed to welcome.”
296.15 Then they gathered all the brahmins living in the hermitage,and the two kings had the marriage performed according to the rites.
296.16 Ashvapati gave his daughter with the proper gifts and possessions,then went home filled with supreme joy.
296.17 Satyavan rejoiced to have a wife endowed with every virtue;she rejoiced to have the husband her heart desired.
296.18 When her father departed she laid aside all her ornamentsand took up bark garments and the ocher robe.
296.19 By service, virtue, deference and self-control,and by meeting every need, she pleased them all.
296.20 She cared for her mother-in-law's body with clothing and every comfort;she honored her father-in-law like a god and guarded her speech.
296.21 With loving words, skill and composure,and private attentions, she delighted her husband.
296.22 As those good people lived and practiced austerity in the hermitage,some time passed, descendant of Bharata.
296.23 But Savitri wasted away, standing watch by day and night:the words Narada had spoken remained in her mind.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the Sanskrit, covering the whole Savitri episode of the Mahabharata (Book 3, chapters 293–300 of the vulgate), 321 verses.
296.1 Markandeya said:“When the time came to give his daughter in marriage, the king thought about this matterand gathered everything needed for the wedding.
296.2 He called all the elderly priests, officiants, court members, and family priests,and on an auspicious day he set out with his daughter.
296.3 The king went to the sacred forest and reached Dyumatsena's retreat.He approached the royal sage on foot, with the priests.
296.4 There he saw the respected, blind kingsitting on a grass mat beside a shala tree.
296.5 The king offered the royal sage the honor he deserved.Speaking carefully, he introduced himself.
296.6 The king who knew what was right offered him water for a guest, a seat, and a cow,and asked the other king why he had come.
296.7 Ashvapati explained everything he intended and what he wanted to doconcerning Satyavan, leaving nothing out.
296.8 ‘Royal sage, this beautiful daughter of mine is named Savitri.Take her as your daughter-in-law in the proper way, you who know what is right.’
296.9 Dyumatsena said:‘We have lost our kingdom and live in the forest,following our duties with the strict discipline of forest dwellers.How can your daughter, who is not used to life in a forest retreat,endure these hardships?’
296.10 Ashvapati said:‘My daughter and I both understand that life bringshappiness and unhappiness, prosperity and loss.You should not say this to someone like me.I came to you after making a firm decision, king.
296.11 You must not disappoint my hopes when I have approached you as a friend and bowed before you.I have come to you with affection; don't turn me away.
296.12 We suit each other well, you and I.Accept my daughter as your daughter-in-law and as Satyavan's wife.’
296.13 Dyumatsena said:‘I had wanted our families to be joined before.But I held back because I had lost my kingdom.
296.14 Let what I wanted from the start happen today.You are a welcome guest to me.’
296.15 The two kings called together all the priests who lived in the retreatand had them perform the marriage according to custom.
296.16 Ashvapati gave his daughter away with suitable possessionsand went home filled with great joy.
296.17 Satyavan was delighted to gain a wife with every good quality.She was just as happy to gain the husband she had wanted.
296.18 After her father left, she put away all her jewelryand took up clothing made of bark and dyed cloth.
296.19 By serving them, behaving well, showing respect and self-control,and doing everything they needed, she pleased them all.
296.20 She cared for her mother-in-law's bodily needs, including clothing,and honored her father-in-law like a god, taking care with what she said.
296.21 She also pleased her husband with kind words and skill, calmness,and her care for him when they were alone.
296.22 As these good people lived in the retreatand followed their disciplined lives, some time passed, descendant of Bharata.
296.23 But Savitri grew weak. Day and night, as time went on,Narada's words stayed in her mind.”