Laurel · Vyasa · The Mahabharata (condensed)

The Tale of Savitri

Vyasa (about 400 BC), translated by Romesh Chunder Dutt · 1899

trochaic octameter · rhyming couplets · 82 lines · from The Mahabharata (condensed)

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 gods, 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 gods 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 goddess of savitri smiled upon his sacred rite,

From the fire upon the altar, which a holy radiance flung,In the form of beauteous maiden, goddess 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 noble 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 noble 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 noble fame,Aswapati, Lord of coursers, to his royal city came,

Days of hope and nights of gladness Madra's happy monarch passed,Till his queen of noble 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 gods 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 goddess from above,And each passing 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 goddess, 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 noble husband worthy of thy noble 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 gods above!"

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

With her guard and aged courtiers whom her watchful father sent,Mounted on her golden chariot unto sylvan woodlands went.

Then in pleasant woods and jungle wandered she from day to day,Unto asrams, hermitages, pious-hearted held her way,

Oft she stayed in holy tirthas washed by sacred limpid streams,Food she gave unto the hungry, wealth beyond their fondest dreams!

Many days and months are over, and it once did so befall,When the king and rishi Narad sat within the royal hall,

From her journeys near and distant and from places known to fame,Fair Savitri with the courtiers to her father's palace came,

Came and saw her royal father, rishi Narad by his seat,Bent her head in salutation, bowed unto their holy feet.

Words in this poem 28

madras n.: A large silk-and-cotton kerchief, usually of bright colors, such as those often used by negroes for turbans.
sacrificer n.: One who sacrifices.
lifelong a.: Lasting or continuing through life. [Life + long. Cf. Livelong.]
beauteous a.: Full of beauty; beautiful; very handsome. [Mostly poetic] -- Beau"te*ous*ly, adv. --
boon n.: A prayer or petition. [OE. bone, boin, a petition, fr. Icel. b; akin to Sw. & Dan. b, AS. b, and perh. to E. ban; but influenced by F. bon good, fr. L. bonus. Ban, Bounty.]
pureness n.: The state of being pure (in any sense of the adjective).
sire n.: A lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.]
inmost a.: Deepest within; farthest from the surface or external part; innermost. [OE. innemest, AS. innemest, a double superlative form fr. inne within, fr. in in. The modern form is due to confusion with most. See In, and cf. Aftermost, Fore]
saintly a.: Like a saint; becoming a holy person.
favour n.: Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
gladsome a.: Pleased; joyful; cheerful.
darksome a.: Dark; gloomy; obscure; shaded; cheerless.
nightly a.: Of or pertaining to the night, or to every night; happening or done by night, or every night; as, nightly shades; he kept nightly vigils.
unborn a.: Not born; no yet brought into life; being still to appear; future.
babe n.: An infant; a young child of either sex; a baby. [Cf. Ir. bab, baban, W. baban, maban.]
splendour n.: Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
womb n.: The belly; the abdomen. [OE. wombe, wambe, AS. wamb, womb; akin to D. wam belly, OS. & OHG. wamba, G. wamme, wampe, Icel. vömb, Sw. v&mb, Dan. vom, Goth. wamba.]
bounteous a.: Liberal in charity; disposed to give freely; generously liberal; munificent; beneficent; free in bestowing gifts; as, bounteous production. [OE. bountevous, fr. bounte bounty.]
deva n.: A god; a deity; a divine being; an idol; a king. [Skr. d. Cf. Deity.]
meekly adv.: In a meek manner.
sadness n.: Heaviness; firmness.
suitor n.: One who sues, petitions, or entreats; a petitioner; an applicant.
methinks v.: It seems to me; I think. See Me. [AS. þyncan to seem, me þynceedh, me þuhte, OE. me thinketh, me thoughte; akin to G. dünken to seem, denken to think, and E. think. See Me, and Think.]
wedded a.: Joined in wedlock; married.
went n.: Course; way; path; journey; direction.
jungle n.: A dense growth of brushwood, grasses, reeds, vines, etc.; an almost impenetrable thicket of trees, canes, and reedy vegetation, as in India, Africa, Australia, and Brazil. [Hind. jangal desert, forest, jungle; Skr. ja desert.]
stayed a.: Staid; fixed; settled; sober; -- now written staid. See Staid.
wealth n.: Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

The Tale of Savitri is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Mahabharata (condensed), Project Gutenberg ebook #19630, the Romesh Chunder Dutt translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Vyasa, The Tale of Savitri, in The Mahabharata (condensed) (1899), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #19630, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/mahabharata/the-tale-of-savitri.html, id L15785.

Form and metre

The Tale of Savitri is 82 lines in 41 stanzas of 2 lines each. It is in rhyming couplets. The metre is trochaic octameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%). 96% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 15.1 syllables. 5 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending.

See other poems in rhyming couplets, other poems in trochaic octameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 AA old^A · souled^A
2 AA den^A · men^A
3 AA none^A · done^A
4 AA conformed^A · performed^A
5 AA gave^A · brave^A
6 AA might^A · rite^A
7 AA flung^A · sprung^A
8 AA brave^A · gave^A
9 AA move^A · prove^A
10 AA sire^A · desire^A
11 AA replied^A · tried^A
12 AA grace^A · race^A
13 AA king^A · bring^A
14 AA thine^A · line^A
15 AA bring^A · king^A
16 AA fame^A · came^A
17 AA passed^A · last^A
18 AA gloom^A · womb^A
19 AA eye^A · high^A
20 AA mind^A · kind^A
22 AA above^A · love^A
23 AA unfold^A · gold^A
24 AA land^A · hand^A
25 AA day^A · pray^A
26 AA flame^A · came^A
27 AA laid^A · made^A
28 AA land^A · hand^A
29 AA come^A · home^A
30 AA hand^A · land^A
31 AA desire^A · sire^A
32 AA relate^A · state^A
33 AA ways^A · days^A
34 AA love^A · above^A
35 AA prayed^A · strayed^A
36 AA sent^A · went^A
37 AA day^A · way^A
38 AA streams^A · dreams^A
39 AA befall^A · hall^A
40 AA fame^A · came^A
41 AA seat^A · feet^A

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic octameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
In the country of the Madras lived a king in days of old,	15	··/˘··/˘·······
Faithful to the holy BRAHMA, pure in heart and righteous-souled,	15	/˘··/˘/˘····/˘·
He was loved in town and country, in the court and hermit's den,	15	······/˘····/˘·
Sacrificer to the bright gods, helper to his brother men,	14	/˘˘····/˘··/˘·
But the monarch, Aswapati, son or daughter had he none,	15	··/·······/˘···
Old in years and sunk in anguish, and his days were almost done!	15	······/˘····/··
Vows he took and holy penance, and with pious rules conformed,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘·˘/
Spare in diet as brahmachari many sacred rites performed,	15	··/˘·····//˘·˘/
Sang the sacred hymn, savitri, to the gods oblations gave,	15	··/˘···········
Through the lifelong day he fasted, uncomplaining, meek and brave!	15	··//··/˘·······
Year by year he gathered virtue, rose in merit and in might,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘···
Till the goddess of savitri smiled upon his sacred rite,	15	··/˘········/˘·
From the fire upon the altar, which a holy radiance flung,	15	··/···/˘··/˘/˘·
In the form of beauteous maiden, goddess of savitri sprung!	16	····/˘˘/˘/˘·····
And she spake in gentle accents, blessed the monarch good and brave,	15	····/˘/˘··/····
Blessed his rites and holy penance and a boon unto him gave:	15	····/˘/˘·······
"Penance and thy sacrifices can the powers immortal move,	15	/˘··/˘·˘··/˘/˘·
And the pureness of thy conduct doth thy heart's affection prove,	15	··/˘··/˘···˘/˘·
Ask thy boon, king Aswapati, from creation's Ancient Sire,	16	·········˘/˘/˘/˘
True to virtue's sacred mandate speak thy inmost heart's desire."	16	··/˘/˘/···/˘·˘/˘
"For an offspring brave and kingly," so the saintly king replied,	15	··/···/˘··/˘·˘/
"Holy rites and sacrifices and this penance I have tried,	15	/˘··/˘·˘··/˘···
If these rites and sacrifices move thy favour and thy grace,	15	····/˘·˘··/˘···
Grant me offspring, Prayer-Maiden, worthy of my noble race!"	14	··/··/˘/˘··/˘·
"Have thy object," spake the maiden, "Madra's pious-hearted king,	15	··/˘··/˘/˘/˘/˘·
From SWAYMBHU, Self-created, blessings unto thee I bring!	14	····˘/˘/˘·····
For HE lists to mortal's prayer springing from a heart like thine,	14	····/˘·/˘·····
And HE wills,--a noble daughter grace thy famed and royal line!	15	····/˘/˘····/˘·
Aswapati, glad and grateful, take the blessing which I bring,	15	······/˘··/˘···
Part in joy and part in silence, bow unto Creation's King!"	15	······/˘···˘/˘·
Vanished then the Prayer-Maiden, and the king of noble fame,	15	/˘˘···/˘····/˘·
Aswapati, Lord of coursers, to his royal city came,	15	······/˘··/˘/˘·
Days of hope and nights of gladness Madra's happy monarch passed,	15	······/˘/˘/˘/··
Till his queen of noble offspring gladsome promise gave at last!	15	····/˘/·/˘/˘···
As the moon each night increaseth, chasing darksome nightly gloom,	15	·····˘/˘/˘/˘/˘·
Grew the unborn babe in splendour in its happy mother's womb,	15	··//··/˘··/˘/˘·
And in fulness of the season came a girl with lotus-eye,	15	··/˘··/˘····/˘·
Father's hope and joy of mother, gift of kindly gods on high!	15	/˘····/˘··/˘···
And the king performed its birth-rites with a glad and grateful mind,	15	···˘/·······/˘·
And the people blessed the dear one with their wishes good and kind,	15	··/˘······/˘···
As Savitri, Prayer-Maiden, had the beauteous offspring given,	16	·····/˘··/˘˘/·/˘
Brahmans named the child Savitri, holy gift of bounteous Heaven!	16	········/˘··/˘˘/
Grew the child in brighter beauty like a goddess from above,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘···
And each passing season added fresher sweetness, deeper love,	15	··/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘·
Came with youth its lovelier graces, as the buds their leaves unfold,	16	·······/˘·····˘/
Slender waist and rounded bosom, image as of burnished gold,	15	/˘··/˘/˘/˘··/˘·
Deva-Kanya! born a goddess, so they said in all the land,	15	/˘····/˘·······
Princely suitors struck with splendour ventured not to seek her hand!	15	/˘/˘··/˘/˘·····
Once upon a time it happened on a bright and festive day,	15	······/˘····/˘·
Fresh from bath the beauteous maiden to the altar came to pray,	16	····/˘˘/˘··/˘···
And with cakes and pure libations duly fed the Sacred Flame,	15	········/˘··/˘·
Then like SRI in heavenly radiance to her royal father came,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘/˘·
Bowed unto his feet in silence, sacred flowers beside him laid,	15	······/˘/˘/˘/··
And her hands she folded meekly, sweetly her obeisance made,	15	····/˘/˘/˘·˘/˘·
With a father's pride, upon her gazed the ruler of the land,	15	··/˘······/˘···
But a strain of sadness lingered, for no suitor claimed her hand.	15	····/˘/˘··/˘···
"Daughter," whispered Aswapati, "now, methinks, the time is come,	15	/˘/˘·····˘/····
Thou shouldst choose a princely suitor, grace a royal husband's home,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘/˘·
Choose thyself a noble husband worthy of thy noble hand,	15	·˘/·/˘/˘/˘··/˘·
Choose a true and upright monarch, pride and glory of his land,	15	····/·/···/˘···
As thou choosest, gentle daughter, in thy loving heart's desire,	16	··/˘/˘/˘··/˘·˘/˘
Blessing and his free permission will bestow thy happy sire!	16	/˘···˘/˘·˘/·/˘/˘
For our sacred sastras sanction, holy Brahmans oft relate,	15	·//˘··/˘/˘···˘/
That the duty-loving father sees his girl in wedded state,	15	··/˘/˘/˘····/˘·
That the duty-loving husband watches o'er his consort's ways,	15	··/˘/˘/˘/˘··˘/·
That the duty-loving offspring tends his mother's widowed days,	15	··/˘/˘/···/˘/˘·
Therefore choose a loving husband, daughter of my house and love,	15	····/˘/˘/˘·····
So thy father earn no censure or from men or gods above!"	15	··/˘··/˘·······
Fair Savitri bowed unto him, and for parting blessings prayed,	15	··········/˘/˘·
Then she left her father's palace, and in distant regions strayed,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘/˘·
With her guard and aged courtiers whom her watchful father sent,	15	·····/˘˘··/˘/˘·
Mounted on her golden chariot unto sylvan woodlands went.	15	/˘··/˘/˘··/˘/··
Then in pleasant woods and jungle wandered she from day to day,	15	··/˘··/˘/˘·····
Unto asrams, hermitages, pious-hearted held her way,	15	····/˘˘˘/˘/˘···
Oft she stayed in holy tirthas washed by sacred limpid streams,	15	····/˘····/˘/˘·
Food she gave unto the hungry, wealth beyond their fondest dreams!	15	······/˘····/˘·
Many days and months are over, and it once did so befall,	15	/˘···········˘/
When the king and rishi Narad sat within the royal hall,	15	············/˘·
From her journeys near and distant and from places known to fame,	15	··/˘··/˘··/˘···
Fair Savitri with the courtiers to her father's palace came,	15	······/˘··/˘/˘·
Came and saw her royal father, rishi Narad by his seat,	15	····/˘/˘·······
Bent her head in salutation, bowed unto their holy feet.	15	············/˘·

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

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The Mahabharata (condensed)