लक्ष्मीमायाकामपूर्वं मन्त्रमष्टाक्षरं विदुः । माध्यन्दिनोक्तं स्तोत्रं च सर्वकामफलप्रदम्
They know the eight-syllabled mantra of Lakṣmī, Māyā, and Kāma as preceding, and the midday hymn, which grants the fruits of all desires.
विप्रजीवनरूपं च निबोध कथयामि ते । कृष्णेन दत्तां सावित्रीं गोलोके ब्रह्मणे पुरा
Hear from me the account of the sustenance of the brāhmaṇas: formerly, in Goloka, Kṛṣṇa gave the Sāvitrī to Brahmā.
नायाति सा तेन सार्धं ब्रह्मलोके च नारद । ब्रह्मा कृष्णाज्ञया भक्त्या तुष्टाव वेदमातरम्
O Nārada, she did not go with him to Brahmaloka; then, by Kṛṣṇa's command, Brahmā worshipped the Mother of the Vedas with devotion.
तदा सा परितुष्टा च ब्रह्माणं चकमे पतिम् । ब्रह्मोवाव सच्चिदानन्दरूपे त्वं मूलप्रकृतिरूपिणि
Then, being satisfied, she chose Brahmā as her husband. Brahmā said: 'You are of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, the embodiment of primal nature.'
हिरण्यगर्भरूपे त्वं प्रसन्ना भव सुन्दरि । तेजःस्वरूपे परमे परमानन्दरूपिणि
You are of the form of Hiraṇyagarbha; be gracious, O beautiful one, you who are the essence of light, supreme, and the embodiment of supreme bliss.
द्विजातीनां जातिरूपे प्रसन्ना भव सुन्दरि । नित्ये नित्यप्रिये देवि नित्यानन्दस्वरूपिणि
You are the origin of the twice-born; be gracious, O beautiful one, O eternal, beloved of the eternal, O Goddess, embodiment of eternal bliss.
सर्वमङ्गलरूपे च प्रसन्ना भव सुन्दरि । सर्वस्वरूपे विप्राणां मन्त्रसारे परात्परे
You are the form of all auspiciousness; be gracious, O beautiful one, you who are the essence of all, supreme among mantras for the brāhmaṇas.
सुखदे मोक्षदे देवि प्रसन्ना भव सुन्दरि । विप्रपापेध्मदाहाय ज्वलदग्निशिखोपमे
Giver of happiness and liberation, O Goddess, be gracious, O beautiful one, blazing like a flaming fire to burn away the sins of brāhmaṇas.
बह्मतेजःप्रदे देवि प्रसन्ना भव सुन्दरि । कायेन मनसा वाचा यत्पापं कुरुते नरः
Bestower of great brilliance, O Goddess, be gracious, O beautiful one; whatever sin a person commits by body, mind, or speech,
तत्त्वत्स्मरणमात्रेण भस्मीभूतं भविष्यति । इत्युक्त्वा जगतां धाता तस्थौ तत्रैव संसदि
By merely remembering you, it will be reduced to ashes. Having spoken thus, the Creator of the worlds remained there in the assembly.
सावित्री ब्रह्मणा सार्धं ब्रह्मलोकं जगाम सा । अनेन स्तवराजेन संस्तूयाश्वपतिर्नृपः
Sāvitrī, together with Brahmā, went to Brahmaloka; O King, having been praised with this royal hymn,
ददर्श तां च सावित्रीं वरं प्राप मनोगतम् । स्तवराजमिमं पुण्यं सन्ध्यां कृत्वा च यः पठेत् । पाठे चतुर्णां वेदानां यत्फलं लभते च तत्
He saw Sāvitrī and obtained the boon he desired in his heart. Whoever, having performed the twilight worship, recites this meritorious royal hymn, attains the fruit that comes from reciting the four Vedas.
सावित्र्युपाख्याने यमसावित्रीसंवादवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाव स्तुत्वानेन सोऽश्वपतिः सम्पूज्य विधिपूर्वकम् । ददर्श तत्र तां देवीं सहस्रार्कसमप्रभाम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Having praised her with this hymn and worshipped her according to the prescribed rites, Aśvapati beheld that Goddess there, radiant as a thousand suns.
उवाच सा च राजानं प्रसन्ना सस्मिता सती । यथा माता स्वपुत्रं च द्योतयन्ती दिशस्त्विषा
She, pleased and smiling, spoke to the king, shining upon him as a mother upon her own son, illuminating all directions with her brilliance.
सावित्र्युवाच जानाम्यहं महाराज यत्ते मनसि वाञ्छितम् । वाञ्छितं तव पत्न्याश्च सर्वं दास्यामि निश्चितम्
Sāvitrī said: O great king, I know what you desire in your heart; what your wife wishes as well—I will certainly grant all of it.
साध्वी कन्याभिलाषं च करोति तव कामिनी । त्वं प्रार्थयसि पुत्रं च भविष्यति क्रमेण च
Your virtuous wife desires a daughter, and you yourself pray for a son; in due course, both shall be fulfilled.
इत्युक्त्वा सा तदा देवी ब्रह्मलोकं जगाम ह । राजा जगाम स्वगृहं तत्कन्याऽऽदौ बभूव ह
Having thus spoken, the Goddess departed then to Brahmā's world; the king returned to his own house, and in time, that daughter was born.
आराधनाच्च सावित्र्या बभूव कमला परा । सावित्रीति च तन्नाम चकाराश्वपतिर्नृपः
By worship of Sāvitrī, the supreme Lakṣmī was born; and the king, Aśvapati, gave her the name Sāvitrī.
कालेन सा वर्धमाना बभूव च दिने दिने । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना शुक्ले चन्द्रकला यथा
With time, she grew day by day, endowed with beauty and youth, like the bright digit of the moon in the white fortnight.
सा वरं वरयामास द्युमत्सेनात्मजं तदा । सत्यवन्तं सत्यशीलं नानागुणसमन्वितम्
Then she chose as her husband Dyumatsena's son, Satyavān, true in conduct and endowed with many virtues.
राजा तस्मै ददौ तां च रत्नभूषणभूषिताम् । सोऽपि सार्धं कौतुकेन तां गृहीत्वा गृहं ययौ
The king gave her, adorned with jeweled ornaments, to him; and he, joyfully, took her home.
स च संवत्सरेऽतीते सत्यवान् सत्यविक्रमः । जगाम फलकाष्ठार्थं प्रहर्षं पितुराज्ञया
After a year had passed, Satyavān, steadfast in truth, went to gather wood for fuel, at his father's command, with delight.
जगाम साध्वी तत्पश्चात्सावित्री दैवयोगतः । निपत्य वृक्षाद्दैवेन प्राणांस्तत्याज सत्यवान्
That virtuous wife, Sāvitrī, followed after him by divine arrangement; and by fate, Satyavān fell from a tree and gave up his life.
यमस्तं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा बद्ध्वाङ्गुष्ठसमं मुने । गृहीत्वा गमनं चक्रे तत्पश्चात्प्रययौ सती
Yama, seeing that man, bound his thumb-sized soul, and taking it, set out; the devoted wife followed after.
पश्चात्तां सुदतीं दृष्ट्वा यमः संयमनीपतिः । उवाच मधुरं साध्वीं साधूनां प्रवरो महान्
Then, seeing that beautiful woman, Yama, the lord of justice, spoke sweetly to the virtuous one, the foremost among the righteous.
धर्मराज उवाच अहो क्व यासि सावित्रि गृहीत्वा मानुषीं तनुम् । यदि यास्यसि कान्तेन सार्धं देहं तदा त्यज
Dharmarāja said: Ah, Sāvitrī, where are you going, bearing a mortal body? If you wish to go with your beloved, then abandon your body.
गन्तुं मर्त्यो न शक्नोति गृहीत्वा पाञ्चभौतिकम् । देहं च मम लोकं च नश्वरं नश्वरः सदा
A mortal cannot go, taking the body of five elements; both my realm and the body are perishable, always subject to decay.
भर्तुस्ते पूर्णकालो वै बभूव भारते सति । स्वकर्मफलभोगार्थं सत्यवान् याति मद्गृहम्
The appointed time for your husband has come, O noble lady; for the enjoyment of the fruits of his deeds, Satyavān goes to my abode.
कर्मणा जायते जन्तुः कर्मणैव प्रलीयते । सुखं दुःखं भयं शोकः कर्मणैव प्रणीयते
By action a being is born, and by action alone does it perish; happiness, sorrow, fear, and grief—all are governed by action.
कर्मणेन्द्रो भवेज्जीवो ब्रह्मपुत्रः स्वकर्मणा । स्वकर्मणा हरेर्दासो जन्मादिरहितो भवेत्
By action, a being may become Indra; by his own actions, a son of Brahmā; by his own actions, a servant of Hari, or one without birth and beginning.