Mahabharata 3.281.100-108

Devanāgarī

मार्कण्डेय उवाच
सावित्री तत उत्थाय केशान् संयम्य भामिनी ॥
पतिम् उत्थापयाम् आस बाहुभ्यां परिगृह्य वै ॥
उत्थाय सत्यवांश् चापि प्रमृज्याङ्गानि पाणिना ॥
दिशः सर्वाः समालोक्य कठिने दृष्टिम् आदधे ॥
तम् उवाचाथ सावित्री श्वः फलानीह नेष्यसि ॥
योगक्षेमार्थम् एतत् ते नेष्यामि परशुं त्व् अहम् ॥
कृत्वा कठिनभारं सा वृक्षशाखावलम्बिनम् ॥
गृहीत्वा परशुं भर्तुः सकाशं पुनर् आगमत् ॥
वामे स्कन्धे तु वामोरूर् भर्तुर् बाहुं निवेश्य सा ॥
दक्षिणेन परिष्वज्य जगाम मृदुगामिनी ॥
सत्यवान् उवाच
अभ्यासगमनाद् भीरु पन्थानो विदिता मम ॥
वृक्षान्तरालोकितया ज्योत्स्नया चापि लक्षये ॥
आगतौ स्वः पथा येन फलान्य् अवचितानि च ॥
यथागतं शुभे गच्छ पन्थानं मा विचारय ॥
पलाशषण्डे चैतस्मिन् पन्था व्यावर्तते द्विधा ॥
तस्योत्तरेण यः पन्थास् तेन गच्छ त्वरस्व च ॥
स्वस्थो ऽस्मि बलवान् अस्मि दिदृक्षुः पितराव् उभौ ॥
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
ब्रुवन्न् एवं त्वरायुक्तः स प्रायाद् आश्रमं प्रति ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
sāvitrī tata utthāya keśān saṃyamya bhāminī ||
patim utthāpayām āsa bāhubhyāṃ parigṛhya vai ||
utthāya satyavāṃś cāpi pramṛjyāṅgāni pāṇinā ||
diśaḥ sarvāḥ samālokya kaṭhine dṛṣṭim ādadhe ||
tam uvācātha sāvitrī śvaḥ phalānīha neṣyasi ||
yogakṣemārtham etat te neṣyāmi paraśuṃ tv aham ||
kṛtvā kaṭhinabhāraṃ sā vṛkṣaśākhāvalambinam ||
gṛhītvā paraśuṃ bhartuḥ sakāśaṃ punar āgamat ||
vāme skandhe tu vāmorūr bhartur bāhuṃ niveśya sā ||
dakṣiṇena pariṣvajya jagāma mṛdugāminī ||
satyavān uvāca
abhyāsagamanād bhīru panthāno viditā mama ||
vṛkṣāntarālokitayā jyotsnayā cāpi lakṣaye ||
āgatau svaḥ pathā yena phalāny avacitāni ca ||
yathāgataṃ śubhe gaccha panthānaṃ mā vicāraya ||
palāśaṣaṇḍe caitasmin panthā vyāvartate dvidhā ||
tasyottareṇa yaḥ panthās tena gaccha tvarasva ca ||
svastho 'smi balavān asmi didṛkṣuḥ pitarāv ubhau ||
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
bruvann evaṃ tvarāyuktaḥ sa prāyād āśramaṃ prati ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

मार्कण्डेय उवाच सावित्री तत उत्थाय केशान् संयम्य भामिनी ॥ पतिम् उत्थापयाम् आस बाहुभ्यां परिगृह्य वै ॥ उत्थाय सत्यवांश् चापि प्रमृज्याङ्गानि पाणिना ॥ दिशः सर्वाः समालोक्य कठिने दृष्टिम् आदधे ॥ तम् उवाचाथ सावित्री श्वः फलानीह नेष्यसि ॥ योगक्षेमार्थम् एतत् ते नेष्यामि परशुं त्व् अहम् ॥ कृत्वा कठिनभारं सा वृक्षशाखावलम्बिनम् ॥ गृहीत्वा परशुं भर्तुः सकाशं पुनर् आगमत् ॥ वामे स्कन्धे तु वामोरूर् भर्तुर् बाहुं निवेश्य सा ॥ दक्षिणेन परिष्वज्य जगाम मृदुगामिनी ॥ सत्यवान् उवाच अभ्यासगमनाद् भीरु पन्थानो विदिता मम ॥ वृक्षान्तरालोकितया ज्योत्स्नया चापि लक्षये ॥ आगतौ स्वः पथा येन फलान्य् अवचितानि च ॥ यथागतं शुभे गच्छ पन्थानं मा विचारय ॥ पलाशषण्डे चैतस्मिन् पन्था व्यावर्तते द्विधा ॥ तस्योत्तरेण यः पन्थास् तेन गच्छ त्वरस्व च ॥ स्वस्थो ऽस्मि बलवान् अस्मि दिदृक्षुः पितराव् उभौ ॥ मार्कण्डेय उवाच ब्रुवन्न् एवं त्वरायुक्तः स प्रायाद् आश्रमं प्रति ॥mārkaṇḍeya uvāca sāvitrī tata utthāya keśān saṃyamya bhāminī || patim utthāpayām āsa bāhubhyāṃ parigṛhya vai || utthāya satyavāṃś cāpi pramṛjyāṅgāni pāṇinā || diśaḥ sarvāḥ samālokya kaṭhine dṛṣṭim ādadhe || tam uvācātha sāvitrī śvaḥ phalānīha neṣyasi || yogakṣemārtham etat te neṣyāmi paraśuṃ tv aham || kṛtvā kaṭhinabhāraṃ sā vṛkṣaśākhāvalambinam || gṛhītvā paraśuṃ bhartuḥ sakāśaṃ punar āgamat || vāme skandhe tu vāmorūr bhartur bāhuṃ niveśya sā || dakṣiṇena pariṣvajya jagāma mṛdugāminī || satyavān uvāca abhyāsagamanād bhīru panthāno viditā mama || vṛkṣāntarālokitayā jyotsnayā cāpi lakṣaye || āgatau svaḥ pathā yena phalāny avacitāni ca || yathāgataṃ śubhe gaccha panthānaṃ mā vicāraya || palāśaṣaṇḍe caitasmin panthā vyāvartate dvidhā || tasyottareṇa yaḥ panthās tena gaccha tvarasva ca || svastho 'smi balavān asmi didṛkṣuḥ pitarāv ubhau || mārkaṇḍeya uvāca bruvann evaṃ tvarāyuktaḥ sa prāyād āśramaṃ prati ||Sāvitrī rises, binds up her hair, and lifts her husband, holding him with her arms; Satyavān rises, wipes his body with his hand, looks about him, and notices the basket; Sāvitrī says that tomorrow he will bring the fruits, but today, for his well-being, she herself will carry the axe; she makes a bundle of the basket and hangs it on a branch, takes her husband's axe, and returns to him; placing his arm on her left shoulder and embracing him with her right arm, she walks with a gentle step; Satyavān says that from habit he knows the roads, and in the gaps between the trees he can see the moonlight; they came by the path where they gathered fruit, and must go back the same way without doubting; at the thicket of palāśa the road forks in two, and they must take the northern path and hurry, because he is well, strong, and wishes to see his parents; speaking thus in haste, he goes toward the hermitage.

Translation

Sāvitrī rose, bound up her hair, and lifted her husband, taking hold of him with her arms. Satyavān stood up, wiped his body with his hand, looked about in every direction, and caught sight of the basket. Sāvitrī said, "Tomorrow you will bring the fruits from here. For your well-being, today I will carry the axe." She made a bundle of the basket and hung it from a branch, took her husband's axe, and returned to him. Placing his arm upon her left shoulder and embracing him with her right arm, she walked with a gentle step. Satyavān said, "From long practice I know these paths, and in the gaps between the trees I can make out the moonlight. We came by the way where we gathered the fruit; go back as we came, without doubting. At this thicket of palāśa trees the path forks in two: take the northern trail and hurry. I am well, I am strong, and I long to see both my parents." Speaking thus in haste, he set out toward the hermitage.

Commentary

Sāvitrī carries the axe and supports her husband: a great victory turns into a quiet walk home. Dharma shows itself as much in a cosmic contest as in a simple step taken side by side.

Version

248070ab8858 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:33:40 PM UTC

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