Maha-bharata Part 17

Since with woman's full affection thou hast loved thy husband dear, Hence before thee, faithful woman, YAMA doth in form appear,

But his days and loves are ended, and he leaves his faithful wife, In this noose I bind and carry spark of his immortal life,

Virtue graced his life and action, spotless was his princely heart, Hence for him I came in person, princess, let thy husband part."

YAMA from Satyavan's body, pale and bloodless, cold and dumb, Drew the vital spark, _purusha_, smaller than the human thumb,

In his noose the spark he fastened, silent went his darksome way, Left the body shorn of l.u.s.tre to its rigid cold decay.

Southward went the dark-hued YAMA with the youth's immortal life, And, for woman's love abideth, followed still the faithful wife.

"Turn, Savitri," outspake YAMA, "for thy husband loved and lost, Do the rites due unto mortals by their Fate predestined crost,

For thy wifely duty ceases, follow not in fruitless woe, And no farther living creature may with monarch YAMA go!"

"But I may not choose but follow where thou takest my husband's life, For Eternal Law divides not loving man and faithful wife!

For my love and my affection, for a woman's sacred woe, Grant me in thy G.o.dlike mercy farther still with him I go!

Fourfold are our human duties: first, to study holy lore; Then to live as good householders, feed the hungry at our door;

Then to pa.s.s our days in penance; last to fix our thoughts above; But the final goal of virtue, it is Truth and deathless Love!"

"True and holy are thy precepts," listening YAMA made reply, "And they fill my heart with gladness and with pious purpose high,

I would bless thee, fair Savitri, but the dead come not to life, Ask for other boon and blessing, faithful, true and virtuous wife!"

"Since you so permit me, YAMA," so the good Savitri said, "For my husband's banished father let my dearest suit be made,

Sightless in the darksome forest dwells the monarch faint and weak, Grant him sight and grant him vigour, YAMA, in thy mercy speak!"

"Duteous daughter," YAMA answered, "be thy pious wishes given, And his eyes shall be restored to the cheerful light of heaven,

Turn, Savitri, faint and weary, follow not in fruitless woe, And no farther living creature may with monarch YAMA go!"

"Faint nor weary is Savitri," so the n.o.ble princess said, "Since she waits upon her husband, gracious Monarch of the dead,

What befalls the wedded husband still befalls the faithful wife, Where he leads she ever follows, be it death or be it life!

And our sacred writ ordaineth and our pious _ris.h.i.+s_ sing, Transient meeting with the holy doth its countless blessings bring,

Longer friends.h.i.+p with the holy purifies the mortal birth, Lasting union with the holy is the bright sky on the earth!

Union with the pure and holy is immortal heavenly life, For Eternal Law divides not loving man and faithful wife!"

"Blessed are thy words," said YAMA, "blessed is thy pious thought, With a higher purer wisdom are thy holy lessons fraught,

I would bless thee, fair Savitri, but the dead come not to life, Ask for other boon and blessing, faithful, true and virtuous wife!"

"Since you so permit me, YAMA," so the good Savitri said, "Once more for my husband's father be my supplication made,

Lost his kingdom, in the forest dwells the monarch faint and weak, Grant him back his wealth and kingdom, YAMA, in thy mercy speak!"

"Loving daughter!" YAMA answered, "wealth and kingdom I bestow, Turn, Savitri, living mortal may not with King YAMA go!"

Still Savitri, meek and faithful, followed her departed lord, YAMA still with higher wisdom listened to her saintly word,

And the Sable King was vanquished, and he turned on her again, And his words fell on Savitri like the cooling summer rain,

"n.o.ble woman, speak thy wishes, name thy boon and purpose high, What the pious mortal asketh G.o.ds in heaven may not deny!"

"Thou hast," so Savitri answered, "granted father's realm and might, To his vain and sightless eyeb.a.l.l.s hast restored their blessed sight,

Grant him that the line of monarchs may not all untimely end, That his kingdom to Satyavan's and Savitri's sons descend!"

"Have thy object," answered YAMA, "and thy lord shall live again, He shall live to be a father, and your children too shall reign,

For a woman's troth abideth longer than the fleeting breath, And a woman's love abideth higher than the doom of Death!"

VI

Return Home

Vanished then the Sable Monarch, and Savitri held her way Where in dense and darksome forest still her husband lifeless lay,

And she sat upon the greensward by the cold unconscious dead, On her lap with deeper kindness placed her consort's lifeless head,

And that touch of true affection thrilled him back to waking life, As returned from distant regions gazed the prince upon his wife!

"Have I lain too long and slumbered, sweet Savitri, faithful spouse?

But I dreamt a Sable Person, in a noose took forth my life!"

"Pillowed on this lap," she answered, "long upon the earth you lay, And the Sable Person, husband, he hath come and pa.s.sed away,

Rise and leave this darksome forest if thou feelest light and strong, For the night is on the jungle and our way is dark and long."

Rising as from happy slumber looked the young prince on all around, Saw the wide-extending jungle mantling all the darksome ground,

"Yes," he said, "I now remember, ever loving faithful dame, We in search of fruit and fuel to this lonesome forest came,

As I hewed the gnarled branches, cruel anguish filled my brain, And I laid me on the greensward with a throbbing piercing pain,

Pillowed on thy gentle bosom, solaced by thy gentle love, I was soothed, and drowsy slumber fell on me from skies above.

All was dark and then I witnessed, was it but a fleeting dream, G.o.d or Vision, dark and dreadful, in the deepening shadows gleam!

Was this dream my fair Savitri, dost thou of this Vision know?

Tell me, for before my eyesight still the Vision seems to glow!"