महाभारतम् — ३.२७९

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ।

अथ कन्याप्रदाने स तमेवार्थं विचिन्तयन् ।
समानिन्ये च तत्सर्वं भाण्डं वैवाहिकं नृपः ॥

M N Dutt Markandeya said : The monarch, reflecting on the words (of Narada) with regard to his daughter's marriage, began to make preparations for the wedding.

३.२७९.२

ततो वृद्धान्द्विजान्सर्वानृत्विजः सपुरोहितान् ।
समाहूय तिथौ पुण्ये प्रययौ सह कन्यया ॥

M N Dutt Then, inviting all the old Brahmanas and the Ritvijas together with the priests, the king accompanied by his daughter set out on an auspicious day.

३.२७९.३

मेध्यारण्यं स गत्वा च द्युमत्सेनाश्रमं नृपः ।
पद्भ्यामेव द्विजैः सार्धं राजर्षिं तमुपागमत् ॥

M N Dutt Having reached the hermitage of Dyumatsena (situate) in the sacred forest, the king (Ashvapati) accompanied by the Brahmanas advanced on foot to meet that royal sage.

३.२७९.४

तत्रापश्यन्महाभागं शालवृक्षमुपाश्रितम् ।
कौश्यां बृस्यां समासीनं चक्षुर्हीनं नृपं तदा ॥

M N Dutt And there (in the hermitage) he saw that highly wise and old king seated on a mat of Kusha grass under a Sala tree.

३.२७९.५

स राजा तस्य राजर्षेः कृत्वा पूजां यथार्हतः ।
वाचा सुनियतो भूत्वा चकारात्मनिवेदनम् ॥

M N Dutt The King (Ashvapati) having in conformity with usage, paid his respects to that royal sage, introduced himself (to him) by an appropriate speech and the king (Dyumatsena) versed in religion, having offered to the monarch (Ashvapati) a seat, (the oblation called) Arghya and a cow asked him what brought him there,

३.२७९.६

तस्यार्घ्यमासनं चैव गां चावेद्य स धर्मवित् ।
किमागमनमित्येवं राजा राजानमब्रवीत् ॥

M N Dutt The King (Ashvapati) having in conformity with usage, paid his respects to that royal sage, introduced himself (to him) by an appropriate speech and the king (Dyumatsena) versed in religion, having offered to the monarch (Ashvapati) a seat, (the oblation called) Arghya and a cow asked him what brought him there,

३.२७९.७

तस्य सर्वमभिप्रायमितिकर्तव्यतां च ताम् ।
सत्यवन्तं समुद्दिश्य सर्वमेव न्यवेदयत् ॥

M N Dutt He (Ashvapati) then expressed all his intentions and purposes in detail with regard to Satyavana.

अश्वपतिरुवाच ।

३.२७९.८

सावित्री नाम राजर्षे कन्येयं मम शोभना ।
तां स्वधर्मेण धर्मज्ञ स्नुषार्थे त्वं गृहाण मे ॥

M N Dutt Ashvapati said : O royal sage, this fair damsel, named Savitri, is my daughter. O virtuous one, do you accept her for your daughter-in-law in conformity with the usage of your order.

द्युमत्सेन उवाच ।

३.२७९.९

च्युताः स्म राज्याद्वनवासमाश्रिता
श्चराम धर्मं नियतास्तपस्विनः ।
कथं त्वनर्हा वनवासमाश्रमे
सहिष्यते क्लेशमिमं सुता तव ॥

M N Dutt Dyumatsena said : Exiled from my kingdom we have taken refuge in the woods and have been, like ascetics, practising virtue with subdued passions. How will (therefore), your daughter, unworyour of a forest life, put up with (its) hardships living in the forest?

अश्वपतिरुवाच ।

३.२७९.१०

सुखं च दुःखं च भवाभवात्मकं
यदा विजानाति सुताहमेव च ।
न मद्विधे युज्यति वाक्यमीदृशं
विनिश्चयेनाभिगतोऽस्मि ते नृप ॥

M N Dutt Ashvapati said : Neither happiness nor misery has any permanence. My daughter and myself are aware of this. Therefore, O king, you should not use such words towards me. Having (previously) made up my mind. I have come here.

३.२७९.११

आशां नार्हसि मे हन्तुं सौहृदात्प्रणयेन च ।
अभितश्चागतं प्रेम्णा प्रत्याख्यातुं न मार्हसि ॥

M N Dutt You should not dishearten me since I have saluted you through friendship. As I have come here actuated by love, you ought not to refuse me.

३.२७९.१२

अनुरूपो हि संयोगे त्वं ममाहं तवापि च ।
स्नुषां प्रतीच्छ मे कन्यां भार्यां सत्यवतः सुताम् ॥

M N Dutt You are my and I am your equal; and we are suitable to each other. Be pleased, (therefore) to accept my daughter as your daughter-in-law and wife of good Satyavana.

द्युमत्सेन उवाच ।

३.२७९.१३

पूर्वमेवाभिलषितः संबन्धो मे त्वया सह ।
भ्रष्टराज्यस्त्वहमिति तत एतद्विचारितम् ॥

M N Dutt Dyumatsena said: Formerly, I cherished a desire of forming an alliance with you. (But) deprived of my kingdom (afterwards) I hesitated (to do it).

३.२७९.१४

अभिप्रायस्त्वयं यो मे पूर्वमेवाभिकाङ्क्षितः ।
स निर्वर्ततु मेऽद्यैव काङ्क्षितो ह्यसि मेऽतिथिः ॥

M N Dutt Let, what I desired before, be accomplished this very day. You are a welcome guest to me.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ।

३.२७९.१५

ततः सर्वान्समानीय द्विजानाश्रमवासिनः ।
यथाविधि समुद्वाहं कारयामासतुर्नृपौ ॥

M N Dutt Then, those two monarchs, inviting all the Brahmanas dwelling in the hermitages, caused the wedding to be celebrated agreeably to the usage.

३.२७९.१६

दत्त्वा त्वश्वपतिः कन्यां यथार्हं च परिच्छदम् ।
ययौ स्वमेव भवनं युक्तः परमया मुदा ॥

M N Dutt Having given away his daughter with suitable robes, Ashvapati with a merry heart left for his own abode.

३.२७९.१७

सत्यवानपि भार्यां तां लब्ध्वा सर्वगुणान्विताम् ।
मुमुदे सा च तं लब्ध्वा भर्तारं मनसेप्सितम् ॥

M N Dutt Satyavana having obtained a wife graced with all the (noble) qualities and she (Savitri) too having got a husband after her own heart, rejoiced exceedingly.

३.२७९.१८

गते पितरि सर्वाणि संन्यस्याभरणानि सा ।
जगृहे वल्कलान्येव वस्त्रं काषायमेव च ॥

M N Dutt Her father having departed, she cast off all her ornaments and put on barks of trees and cloths dyed red.

३.२७९.१९

परिचारैर्गुणैश्चैव प्रश्रयेण दमेन च ।
सर्वकामक्रियाभिश्च सर्वेषां तुष्टिमावहत् ॥

M N Dutt By her ministrations, good qualities, affections, self-control and good services to all, she pleased every one.

३.२७९.२०

श्वश्रूं शरीरसत्कारैः सर्वैराच्छादनादिभिः ।
श्वशुरं देवकार्यैश्च वाचः संयमनेन च ॥

M N Dutt By ministering to her physical comforts and by (covering her with) all sorts of robes, she delighted her mother-in-law. And she pleased her father-in-law by worshipping him as a god and by controlling her words.

३.२७९.२१

तथैव प्रियवादेन नैपुणेन शमेन च ।
रहश्चैवोपचारेण भर्तारं पर्यतोषयत् ॥

M N Dutt Similarly, by agreeable words, by skillfulness, by sweet disposition and by ministering to him in private she delighted her husband.

३.२७९.२२

एवं तत्राश्रमे तेषां तदा निवसतां सताम् ।
कालस्तपस्यतां कश्चिदतिचक्राम भारत ॥

M N Dutt Thus, O Bharata, these good people engaged in asceticism continued to dwell for some time in that hermitage.

३.२७९.२३

सावित्र्यास्तु शयानायास्तिष्ठन्त्याश्च दिवानिशम् ।
नारदेन यदुक्तं तद्वाक्यं मनसि वर्तते ॥

M N Dutt And Savitri too, whether asleep or awake, could not forget the words of Narada which were present in her mind day and night.