Maha-bharata Part 14

Forest Life

In the dark and pathless forest long the Pandav brothers strayed, In the bosom of the jungle with the fair Draupadi stayed,

And they killed the forest red-deer, hewed the gnarled forest wood, From the stream she fetched the water, cooked the humble daily food,

In the morn she swept the cottage, lit the cheerful fire at eve, But at night in lonesome silence oft her woman's heart would grieve,

Insults rankled in her bosom and her tresses were unbound,-- So she vowed,--till fitting vengeance had the base insulters found!

Oft when evening's shades descended, mantling o'er the wood and lea, When Draupadi by the cottage cooked the food beneath the tree,

_Rishis_ came to good Yudhishthir, sat beside his evening fires, Many olden tales recited, legends of our ancient sires.

Markandeya, holy _rishi_, once unto Yudhishthir came, When his heart was sorrow-laden with the memories of his shame,

"Pardon, rishi!" said Yudhishthir, "if unbidden tears will start, But the woes of fair Draupadi grieve a banished husband's heart,

By her tears the saintly woman broke my bondage worse than death, By my sins she suffers exile and misfortune's freezing breath!

Dost thou, sage and saintly _rishi_, know of wife or woman born, By such nameless sorrow smitten, by such strange misfortune torn?

Hast thou in thy ancient legends heard of true and faithful wife, With a stronger wife's affection, with a sadder woman's life?"

"Listen, monarch!" said the _rishi_, "to a tale of ancient date, How Savitri loved and suffered, how she strove and conquered Fate!"

II

The Tale of Savitri

In the country of the Madras lived a king in days of old, Faithful to the holy BRAHMA, pure in heart and righteous-souled,

He was loved in town and country, in the court and hermit's den, Sacrificer to the bright G.o.ds, helper to his brother men,

But the monarch, Aswapati, son or daughter had he none, Old in years and sunk in anguish, and his days were almost done!

Vows he took and holy penance, and with pious rules conformed, Spare in diet as _brahmachari_ many sacred rites performed,

Sang the sacred hymn, _savitri_, to the G.o.ds oblations gave, Through the lifelong day he fasted, uncomplaining, meek and brave!

Year by year he gathered virtue, rose in merit and in might, Till the G.o.ddess of _savitri_ smiled upon his sacred rite,

From the fire upon the altar, which a holy radiance flung, In the form of beauteous maiden, G.o.ddess of _savitri_ sprung!

And she spake in gentle accents, blessed the monarch good and brave, Blessed his rites and holy penance and a boon unto him gave:

"Penance and thy sacrifices can the powers immortal move, And the pureness of thy conduct doth thy heart's affection prove,

Ask thy boon, king Aswapati, from creation's Ancient Sire, True to virtue's sacred mandate speak thy inmost heart's desire."

"For an offspring brave and kingly," so the saintly king replied, "Holy rites and sacrifices and this penance I have tried,

If these rites and sacrifices move thy favour and thy grace, Grant me offspring, Prayer-Maiden, worthy of my n.o.ble race!"

"Have thy object," spake the maiden, "Madra's pious-hearted king, From SWAYMBHU, Self-created, blessings unto thee I bring!

For HE lists to mortal's prayer springing from a heart like thine, And HE wills,--a n.o.ble daughter grace thy famed and royal line!

Aswapati, glad and grateful, take the blessing which I bring, Part in joy and part in silence, bow unto Creation's King!"

Vanished then the Prayer-Maiden, and the king of n.o.ble fame, Aswapati, Lord of coursers, to his royal city came,

Days of hope and nights of gladness Madra's happy monarch pa.s.sed, Till his queen of n.o.ble offspring gladsome promise gave at last!

As the moon each night increaseth, chasing darksome nightly gloom, Grew the unborn babe in splendour in its happy mother's womb,

And in fulness of the season came a girl with lotus-eye, Father's hope and joy of mother, gift of kindly G.o.ds on high!

And the king performed its birth-rites with a glad and grateful mind, And the people blessed the dear one with their wishes good and kind,

As _Savitri_, Prayer-Maiden, had the beauteous offspring given, Brahmans named the child _Savitri_, holy gift of bounteous Heaven!

Grew the child in brighter beauty like a G.o.ddess from above, And each pa.s.sing season added fresher sweetness, deeper love,

Came with youth its lovelier graces, as the buds their leaves unfold, Slender waist and rounded bosom, image as of burnished gold,

_Deva-Kanya!_ born a G.o.ddess, so they said in all the land, Princely suitors struck with splendour ventured not to seek her hand!

Once upon a time it happened on a bright and festive day, Fresh from bath the beauteous maiden to the altar came to pray,

And with cakes and pure libations duly fed the Sacred Flame, Then like SRI in heavenly radiance to her royal father came,

Bowed unto his feet in silence, sacred flowers beside him laid, And her hands she folded meekly, sweetly her obeisance made,

With a father's pride, upon her gazed the ruler of the land, But a strain of sadness lingered, for no suitor claimed her hand.

"Daughter," whispered Aswapati, "now, methinks, the time is come, Thou shouldst choose a princely suitor, grace a royal husband's home,

Choose thyself a n.o.ble husband worthy of thy n.o.ble hand, Choose a true and upright monarch, pride and glory of his land,

As thou choosest, gentle daughter, in thy loving heart's desire, Blessing and his free permission will bestow thy happy sire!

For our sacred _sastras_ sanction, holy Brahmans oft relate, That the duty-loving father sees his girl in wedded state,

That the duty-loving husband watches o'er his consort's ways, That the duty-loving offspring tends his mother's widowed days,

Therefore choose a loving husband, daughter of my house and love, So thy father earn no censure or from men or G.o.ds above!"

Fair Savitri bowed unto him, and for parting blessings prayed, Then she left her father's palace, and in distant regions strayed,