Having offered the prescribed substances with care and devotion, the wise would then recite the sacred hymn. This hymn should be chanted with the Savitri mantra, using its form that ends in the fourth grammatical case and concludes with the words “born from fire.” With the seed-syllables Śrīṃ, Hrīṃ, Klīṃ, and the invocation “Svāhā to Savitri,” the ritual is performed. Listen, for I shall now explain how the Brahmins are to be sustained through this sacred act. Long ago, in the celestial realm of Goloka, Krishna bestowed the Savitri mantra upon Brahma. At Krishna’s command, Brahma, filled with devotion, circled around the Mother of the Vedas, honoring her. Thus, the mantra was established, to be used in the sacred rites. The worshiper then prays: “O beautiful one, be pleased—manifest as the birth of the twice-born. O eternal, beloved goddess, whose very nature is endless bliss. O embodiment of all forms, essence of every mantra for the Brahmins, supreme among the supreme. To burn away the sins of Brahmins, you shine like a blazing flame of fire. Whatever sin a Brahmin may commit—by body, mind, or speech—let your power purify them.” Having spoken thus, the creator of the worlds, Brahma, remained seated in the assembly, his words echoing in the hearts of all present. By this king of hymns, the lord of horses is praised, O king. Whoever recites this auspicious king of hymns at the three sacred junctions of the day is greatly blessed. Then, Nārāyaṇa continued the tale. There, the king beheld the goddess herself, radiant as a thousand suns. Pleased and smiling, the goddess spoke to the king: “Whatever you and your wife desire, I shall certainly grant. Your beloved also wishes for a virtuous maiden.” Having given her blessing, the great goddess Sāvitrī departed for the abode of Brahma. By her grace, from the king’s own wealth, Kamalā—the artful one—was born. Day by day, Kamalā grew, blossoming with each passing moment. In due time, Kamalā chose as her husband the son of Dyumatsena. The king gave his daughter to him, adorned with jewels and ornaments befitting her beauty and virtue. After a year had passed, Satyavān, steadfast in truth and valor, became her devoted husband. Sāvitrī herself arrived there, by divine arrangement, at the destined moment. O sage, Yama, the lord of death and restraint, came and bound Satyavān’s living soul, reducing it to the size of a thumb. As Yama prepared to depart with the soul, he beheld the beautiful Sāvitrī standing resolute. Yama addressed her: “If you wish to go together with your beloved, then you must abandon the body. A mortal cannot depart while still clinging to this body of five elements. The time allotted to your husband in the land of Bharata has now come to its end. “By actions, a creature is born, and by actions alone, it perishes. By one’s own actions, one attains all accomplishments and even immortality. By actions, one becomes a Brahmin, and by actions, one attains liberation. By actions, one may become a great sage, or an ascetic. By actions, one becomes a Shudra, or even of the lowest birth. By one’s own actions, one may become a foreigner—there is no doubt. “Through actions, one may become a mountain, or a tree. By actions, one may be born as a small creature, or even a worm. By actions, one may become a rakshasa, or a kinnara. By actions, one may become a ghost, or a vampire. By actions, one may become a daitya, a danava, or even an asura.” Thus, Yama spoke, revealing the inexorable law of karma and the power of righteous action, while Sāvitrī stood firm in her devotion, the goddess’s blessings shining upon her and her beloved.