Mahabharata 3.278.1-10

Devanāgarī

मार्कण्डेय उवाच
अथ मद्राधिपो राजा नारदेन समागतः ॥
उपविष्टः सभामध्ये कथायोगेन भारत ॥
ततो ऽभिगम्य तीर्थानि सर्वाण्य् एवाश्रमांस् तथा ॥
आजगाम पितुर् वेश्म सावित्री सह मन्त्रिभिः ॥
नारदेन सहासीनं दृष्ट्वा सा पितरं शुभा ॥
उभयोर् एव शिरसा चक्रे पादाभिवन्दनम् ॥
नारद उवाच
क्व गताभूत् सुतेयं ते कुतश् चैवागता नृप ॥
किमर्थं युवतीं भर्त्रे न चैनां संप्रयच्छसि ॥
अश्वपतिर् उवाच
कार्येण खल्व् अनेनैव प्रेषिताद्यैव चागता ॥
तद् अस्याः शृणु देवर्षे भर्तारं यो ऽनया वृतः ॥
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
सा ब्रूहि विस्तरेणेति पित्रा संचोदिता शुभा ॥
दैवतस्येव वचनं प्रतिगृह्येदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
आसीच् छाल्वेषु धर्मात्मा क्षत्रियः पृथिवीपतिः ॥
द्युमत्सेन इति ख्यातः पश्चाद् अन्धो बभूव ह ॥
विनष्टचक्षुषस् तस्य बालपुत्रस्य धीमतः ॥
सामीप्येन हृतं राज्यं छिद्रे ऽस्मिन् पूर्ववैरिणा ॥
स बालवत्सया सार्धं भार्यया प्रस्थितो वनम् ॥
महारण्यगतश् चापि तपस् तेपे महाव्रतः ॥
तस्य पुत्रः पुरे जातः संवृद्धश् च तपोवने ॥
सत्यवान् अनुरूपो मे भर्तेति मनसा वृतः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
atha madrādhipo rājā nāradena samāgataḥ ||
upaviṣṭaḥ sabhāmadhye kathāyogena bhārata ||
tato 'bhigamya tīrthāni sarvāṇy evāśramāṃs tathā ||
ājagāma pitur veśma sāvitrī saha mantribhiḥ ||
nāradena sahāsīnaṃ dṛṣṭvā sā pitaraṃ śubhā ||
ubhayor eva śirasā cakre pādābhivandanam ||
nārada uvāca
kva gatābhūt suteyaṃ te kutaś caivāgatā nṛpa ||
kimarthaṃ yuvatīṃ bhartre na caināṃ saṃprayacchasi ||
aśvapatir uvāca
kāryeṇa khalv anenaiva preṣitādyaiva cāgatā ||
tad asyāḥ śṛṇu devarṣe bhartāraṃ yo 'nayā vṛtaḥ ||
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
sā brūhi vistareṇeti pitrā saṃcoditā śubhā ||
daivatasyeva vacanaṃ pratigṛhyedam abravīt ||
āsīc chālveṣu dharmātmā kṣatriyaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ ||
dyumatsena iti khyātaḥ paścād andho babhūva ha ||
vinaṣṭacakṣuṣas tasya bālaputrasya dhīmataḥ ||
sāmīpyena hṛtaṃ rājyaṃ chidre 'smin pūrvavairiṇā ||
sa bālavatsayā sārdhaṃ bhāryayā prasthito vanam ||
mahāraṇyagataś cāpi tapas tepe mahāvrataḥ ||
tasya putraḥ pure jātaḥ saṃvṛddhaś ca tapovane ||
satyavān anurūpo me bharteti manasā vṛtaḥ ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

मार्कण्डेय उवाच अथ मद्राधिपो राजा नारदेन समागतः ॥ उपविष्टः सभामध्ये कथायोगेन भारत ॥ ततो ऽभिगम्य तीर्थानि सर्वाण्य् एवाश्रमांस् तथा ॥ आजगाम पितुर् वेश्म सावित्री सह मन्त्रिभिः ॥ नारदेन सहासीनं दृष्ट्वा सा पितरं शुभा ॥ उभयोर् एव शिरसा चक्रे पादाभिवन्दनम् ॥ नारद उवाच क्व गताभूत् सुतेयं ते कुतश् चैवागता नृप ॥ किमर्थं युवतीं भर्त्रे न चैनां संप्रयच्छसि ॥ अश्वपतिर् उवाच कार्येण खल्व् अनेनैव प्रेषिताद्यैव चागता ॥ तद् अस्याः शृणु देवर्षे भर्तारं यो ऽनया वृतः ॥ मार्कण्डेय उवाच सा ब्रूहि विस्तरेणेति पित्रा संचोदिता शुभा ॥ दैवतस्येव वचनं प्रतिगृह्येदम् अब्रवीत् ॥ आसीच् छाल्वेषु धर्मात्मा क्षत्रियः पृथिवीपतिः ॥ द्युमत्सेन इति ख्यातः पश्चाद् अन्धो बभूव ह ॥ विनष्टचक्षुषस् तस्य बालपुत्रस्य धीमतः ॥ सामीप्येन हृतं राज्यं छिद्रे ऽस्मिन् पूर्ववैरिणा ॥ स बालवत्सया सार्धं भार्यया प्रस्थितो वनम् ॥ महारण्यगतश् चापि तपस् तेपे महाव्रतः ॥ तस्य पुत्रः पुरे जातः संवृद्धश् च तपोवने ॥ सत्यवान् अनुरूपो मे भर्तेति मनसा वृतः ॥mārkaṇḍeya uvāca atha madrādhipo rājā nāradena samāgataḥ || upaviṣṭaḥ sabhāmadhye kathāyogena bhārata || tato 'bhigamya tīrthāni sarvāṇy evāśramāṃs tathā || ājagāma pitur veśma sāvitrī saha mantribhiḥ || nāradena sahāsīnaṃ dṛṣṭvā sā pitaraṃ śubhā || ubhayor eva śirasā cakre pādābhivandanam || nārada uvāca kva gatābhūt suteyaṃ te kutaś caivāgatā nṛpa || kimarthaṃ yuvatīṃ bhartre na caināṃ saṃprayacchasi || aśvapatir uvāca kāryeṇa khalv anenaiva preṣitādyaiva cāgatā || tad asyāḥ śṛṇu devarṣe bhartāraṃ yo 'nayā vṛtaḥ || mārkaṇḍeya uvāca sā brūhi vistareṇeti pitrā saṃcoditā śubhā || daivatasyeva vacanaṃ pratigṛhyedam abravīt || āsīc chālveṣu dharmātmā kṣatriyaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ || dyumatsena iti khyātaḥ paścād andho babhūva ha || vinaṣṭacakṣuṣas tasya bālaputrasya dhīmataḥ || sāmīpyena hṛtaṃ rājyaṃ chidre 'smin pūrvavairiṇā || sa bālavatsayā sārdhaṃ bhāryayā prasthito vanam || mahāraṇyagataś cāpi tapas tepe mahāvrataḥ || tasya putraḥ pure jātaḥ saṃvṛddhaś ca tapovane || satyavān anurūpo me bharteti manasā vṛtaḥ ||The king of the Madras sits in council and converses with Narada; Savitri, having gone round all the tirthas and hermitages, returns with her ministers to her father's house, sees him seated with Narada, and bows to both; Narada asks where the daughter had been, whence she has come, and why the king does not give the young woman to a husband; Ashvapati answers that she was sent on precisely this errand and has returned this very day, and asks Narada to hear what husband she has chosen; at her father's bidding Savitri relates that among the Shalvas there was a righteous king, Dyumatsena, who later went blind; when he lost his sight and his son was still a child, an old enemy, seizing on this weakness, took away his kingdom; Dyumatsena went to the forest together with his wife and infant son and devoted himself to austerity; his son, born in the city and grown up in the forest of penance, is Satyavan, chosen by her in her heart as a fitting husband.

Translation

The king of the Madras sat in the assembly, conversing with Narada. Savitri, having gone round all the tirthas and hermitages, returned with her ministers to her father's house, saw him seated with Narada, and bowed to them both. Narada asked, "Where has your daughter been, O king? Whence has she come? Why do you not give this young woman to a husband?" Ashvapati answered, "It was precisely on this errand that she was sent, and she has returned this very day. Hear, divine sage, what husband she has chosen." At her father's bidding, Savitri related: "Among the Shalvas there was a righteous king, Dyumatsena. Later he became blind. When he had lost his sight and his son was still a child, an old enemy, seizing on this weakness, took away his kingdom. Dyumatsena went to the forest together with his wife and young son and devoted himself to austerity. His son Satyavan, born in the city and grown up in the forest of penance, is the one I have chosen in my heart as a fitting husband."

Commentary

Savitri chooses not a kingdom but a quality of person. Satyavan is outwardly stripped of power, but not of truth, and it is truth that her heart discerns.

Version

832441384651 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:32:14 PM UTC

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