In the Savitri-Legend: The Dialogue of Yama and Savitri

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.9.27.1)

श्रीनारायण उवाव स्तुत्वानेन सोऽश्वपतिः सम्पूज्य विधिपूर्वकम् । ददर्श तत्र तां देवीं सहस्रार्कसमप्रभाम्

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāva stutvānena so'śvapatiḥ sampūjya vidhipūrvakam | dadarśa tatra tāṁ devīṁ sahasrārkasamaprabhām

Sri Narayana said: Having praised her with this hymn and worshipped her according to rule, that Ashvapati beheld there the goddess, radiant as a thousand suns.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.9.27.2)

उवाच सा च राजानं प्रसन्ना सस्मिता सती । यथा माता स्वपुत्रं च द्योतयन्ती दिशस्त्विषा

uvāca sā ca rājānaṁ prasannā sasmitā satī | yathā mātā svaputraṁ ca dyotayantī diśastviṣā

She, pleased and gently smiling, that virtuous one, lighting up the quarters with her radiance, spoke to the king as a mother speaks to her own son.

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.9.27.3)

सावित्र्युवाच । जानाम्यहं महाराज यत्ते मनसि वाञ्छितम् । वाञ्छितं तव पत्न्याश्च सर्वं दास्यामि निश्चितम्

sāvitryuvāca | jānāmyahaṁ mahārāja yatte manasi vāñchitam | vāñchitaṁ tava patnyāśca sarvaṁ dāsyāmi niścitam

Savitri said: O great king, I know what you desire in your heart. I shall surely grant all that you and your wife desire.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.9.27.4)

साध्वी कन्याभिलाषं च करोति तव कामिनी । त्वं प्रार्थयसि पुत्रं च भविष्यति क्रमेण च

sādhvī kanyābhilāṣaṁ ca karoti tava kāminī | tvaṁ prārthayasi putraṁ ca bhaviṣyati krameṇa ca

Your virtuous wife longs for a daughter, and you long for a son — both, in due course, shall come to pass.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.9.27.5)

इत्युक्त्वा सा तदा देवी ब्रह्मलोकं जगाम ह । राजा जगाम स्वगृहं तत्कन्याऽऽदौ बभूव ह

ityuktvā sā tadā devī brahmalokaṁ jagāma ha | rājā jagāma svagṛhaṁ tatkanyā''dau babhūva ha

Having said this, the goddess then departed for Brahmaloka. The king returned to his own home, and there, first of all, a daughter was born.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.9.27.6)

आराधनाच्च सावित्र्या बभूव कमला परा । सावित्रीति च तन्नाम चकाराश्वपतिर्नृपः

ārādhanācca sāvitryā babhūva kamalā parā | sāvitrīti ca tannāma cakārāśvapatirnṛpaḥ

Through the worship of Savitri, a supreme, Lakshmi-like daughter was born. King Ashvapati named her Savitri.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.9.27.7)

कालेन सा वर्धमाना बभूव च दिने दिने । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना शुक्ले चन्द्रकला यथा

kālena sā vardhamānā babhūva ca dine dine | rūpayauvanasampannā śukle candrakalā yathā

In time she grew, day by day, endowed with beauty and youth, like the crescent moon waxing in the bright fortnight.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.9.27.8)

सा वरं वरयामास द्युमत्सेनात्मजं तदा । सत्यवन्तं सत्यशीलं नानागुणसमन्वितम्

sā varaṁ varayāmāsa dyumatsenātmajaṁ tadā | satyavantaṁ satyaśīlaṁ nānāguṇasamanvitam

She then chose as her husband the son of Dyumatsena — Satyavan, truthful in nature, endowed with many virtues.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.9.27.9)

राजा तस्मै ददौ तां च रत्नभूषणभूषिताम् । सोऽपि सार्धं कौतुकेन तां गृहीत्वा गृहं ययौ

rājā tasmai dadau tāṁ ca ratnabhūṣaṇabhūṣitām | so'pi sārdhaṁ kautukena tāṁ gṛhītvā gṛhaṁ yayau

The king gave her to him, adorned with jeweled ornaments; and he too, with delight, took her and went to his home.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.9.27.10)

स च संवत्सरेऽतीते सत्यवान् सत्यविक्रमः । जगाम फलकाष्ठार्थं प्रहर्षं पितुराज्ञया

sa ca saṁvatsare'tīte satyavān satyavikramaḥ | jagāma phalakāṣṭhārthaṁ praharṣaṁ piturājñayā

When a year had passed, Satyavan, true in valor, went joyfully, at his father's bidding, to gather fruit and firewood.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.9.27.11)

जगाम साध्वी तत्पश्चात्सावित्री दैवयोगतः । निपत्य वृक्षाद्दैवेन प्राणांस्तत्याज सत्यवान्

jagāma sādhvī tatpaścātsāvitrī daivayogataḥ | nipatya vṛkṣāddaivena prāṇāṁstatyāja satyavān

By fate's design, the virtuous Savitri followed after him. By destiny, at the tree, Satyavan gave up his life.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.9.27.12)

यमस्तं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा बद्ध्वाङ्गुष्ठसमं मुने । गृहीत्वा गमनं चक्रे तत्पश्चात्प्रययौ सती

yamastaṁ puruṣaṁ dṛṣṭvā baddhvāṅguṣṭhasamaṁ mune | gṛhītvā gamanaṁ cakre tatpaścātprayayau satī

O sage, Yama, beholding that man, bound him — thumb-sized — and, having seized him, set off; and the virtuous woman followed after.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.9.27.13)

पश्चात्तां सुदतीं दृष्ट्वा यमः संयमनीपतिः । उवाच मधुरं साध्वीं साधूनां प्रवरो महान्

paścāttāṁ sudatīṁ dṛṣṭvā yamaḥ saṁyamanīpatiḥ | uvāca madhuraṁ sādhvīṁ sādhūnāṁ pravaro mahān

Then Yama, lord of Samyamani, seeing that fair lady following behind, being himself the great and foremost of the righteous, spoke sweetly to the virtuous woman.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.9.27.14)

धर्मराज उवाच । अहो क्व यासि सावित्रि गृहीत्वा मानुषीं तनुम् । यदि यास्यसि कान्तेन सार्धं देहं तदा त्यज

dharmarāja uvāca | aho kva yāsi sāvitri gṛhītvā mānuṣīṁ tanum | yadi yāsyasi kāntena sārdhaṁ dehaṁ tadā tyaja

Dharmaraja said: O Savitri, where are you going, still bearing this human body? If you wish to go together with your beloved, then you must abandon your body.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.9.27.15)

गन्तुं मर्त्यो न शक्नोति गृहीत्वा पाञ्चभौतिकम् । देहं च मम लोकं च नश्वरं नश्वरः सदा

gantuṁ martyo na śaknoti gṛhītvā pāñcabhautikam | dehaṁ ca mama lokaṁ ca naśvaraṁ naśvaraḥ sadā

A mortal, still bound to this body of the five gross elements, cannot come into my realm — for this body is perishable, ever perishable.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.9.27.16)

भर्तुस्ते पूर्णकालो वै बभूव भारते सति । स्वकर्मफलभोगार्थं सत्यवान् याति मद्गृहम्

bhartuste pūrṇakālo vai babhūva bhārate sati | svakarmaphalabhogārthaṁ satyavān yāti madgṛham

Your husband's allotted time has come to its fullness while yet in Bharata. To experience the fruit of his own karma, Satyavan must go to my abode.

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.9.27.17)

कर्मणा जायते जन्तुः कर्मणैव प्रलीयते । सुखं दुःखं भयं शोकः कर्मणैव प्रणीयते

karmaṇā jāyate jantuḥ karmaṇaiva pralīyate | sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ śokaḥ karmaṇaiva praṇīyate

By karma a being is born, and by karma alone it perishes. Happiness, sorrow, fear, and grief — all are brought about by karma alone.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.9.27.18)

कर्मणेन्द्रो भवेज्जीवो ब्रह्मपुत्रः स्वकर्मणा । स्वकर्मणा हरेर्दासो जन्मादिरहितो भवेत्

karmaṇendro bhavejjīvo brahmaputraḥ svakarmaṇā | svakarmaṇā harerdāso janmādirahito bhavet

By karma a soul becomes Indra; by his own karma, a son of Brahma; and by his own karma, a servant of Hari, freed from birth and the rest.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.9.27.19)

स्वकर्मणा सर्वसिद्धिममरत्वं लभेद् ध्रुवम् । लभेत्स्वकर्मणा विष्णोः सालोक्यादिचतुष्टयम्

svakarmaṇā sarvasiddhimamaratvaṁ labhed dhruvam | labhetsvakarmaṇā viṣṇoḥ sālokyādicatuṣṭayam

By his own karma he surely attains every siddhi and immortality; by his own karma he attains the fourfold state beginning with sālokya, nearness to Vishnu.

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.9.27.20)

सुरत्वं च मनुत्वं च राजेन्द्रत्वं लभेन्नरः । कर्मणा च शिवत्वं च गणेशत्वं तथैव च

suratvaṁ ca manutvaṁ ca rājendratvaṁ labhennaraḥ | karmaṇā ca śivatvaṁ ca gaṇeśatvaṁ tathaiva ca

By karma a man attains godhood, the rank of a Manu, and the status of a great king; by karma also the state of Shiva, and likewise that of Ganesha.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.9.27.21)

कर्मणा च मुनीन्द्रत्वं तपस्वित्वं स्वकर्मणा । स्वकर्मणा क्षत्रियत्वं वैश्यत्वं च स्वकर्मणा

karmaṇā ca munīndratvaṁ tapasvitvaṁ svakarmaṇā | svakarmaṇā kṣatriyatvaṁ vaiśyatvaṁ ca svakarmaṇā

By karma, the rank of a great sage; by his own karma, the state of an ascetic; by his own karma, the status of a kshatriya, and by his own karma, that of a vaishya.

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.9.27.22)

कर्मणैव च म्लेच्छत्वं लभते नात्र संशयः । स्वकर्मणा जङ्गमत्वं शैलत्वं च स्वकर्मणा

karmaṇaiva ca mlecchatvaṁ labhate nātra saṁśayaḥ | svakarmaṇā jaṅgamatvaṁ śailatvaṁ ca svakarmaṇā

By karma alone he attains the state of an outcaste — of this there is no doubt. By his own karma, the state of a moving creature, and by his own karma, the state of a mountain.

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.9.27.23)

कर्मणा राक्षसत्वं च किन्नरत्वं स्वकर्मणा । कर्मणैवाधिपत्यं च वृक्षत्वं च स्वकर्मणा

karmaṇā rākṣasatvaṁ ca kinnaratvaṁ svakarmaṇā | karmaṇaivādhipatyaṁ ca vṛkṣatvaṁ ca svakarmaṇā

By karma, the state of a rakshasa; by his own karma, the state of a kinnara; by karma alone, sovereignty; and by his own karma, the state of a tree.

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.9.27.24)

कर्मणैव पशुत्वं च वनजीवी स्वकर्मणा । कर्मणा क्षुद्रजन्तुत्वं कृमित्वं च स्वकर्मणा

karmaṇaiva paśutvaṁ ca vanajīvī svakarmaṇā | karmaṇā kṣudrajantutvaṁ kṛmitvaṁ ca svakarmaṇā

By karma alone, the state of a beast; by his own karma, life as a forest-dweller; by karma, the state of a lowly creature, and by his own karma, the state of a worm.

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.9.27.25)

दैतेयत्वं दानवत्वमसुरत्वं स्वकर्मणा । इत्येतदुक्त्वा सावित्रीं विरराम स वै यमः

daiteyatvaṁ dānavatvamasuratvaṁ svakarmaṇā | ityetaduktvā sāvitrīṁ virarāma sa vai yamaḥ

The state of a Daitya, a Danava, or an Asura — all these too by one's own karma. Having said this much to Savitri, Yama then fell silent.