r is firmly seated on his brow.' Hearing
this, Aswapati said, 'O reverend sage, thou tellest me that he is
possessed of every virtue! Do thou now tell me his defects if, indeed, he
hath any!' Narada then said, 'He hath one only defect that hath
overwhelmed all his virtues. That defect is incapable of being conquered
by even the greatest efforts. He hath only one defect, and no other.
Within a year from this day, Satyavan, endued with a short life will cast
off his body!' Hearing these words of the sage, the king said, 'Come, O
Savitri, go thou and choose another for thy lord, O beautiful damsel!
That one great defect (in this youth) existeth, covering all his merits.
The illustrious Narada honoured by even the gods, sayeth, that Satyavan
will have to cast off his body within a year, his days being numbered!'
At these words of her father, Savitri said, 'The death can fall but once;
a daughter can be given away but one; and once only can a person say, I
give away! These three things can take place only once. Indeed, with a
life short or long, possessed of virtues or bereft of them, I have, for
once, selected my husband. Twice I shall not select. Having first settled
a thing mentally, it is expressed in words, and then it is carried out
into practice. Of this my mind is an example!' Narada then said, 'O best
of men, the heart of thy daughter Savitri wavereth not! It is not
possible by any means to make her swerve from this path of virtue! In no
other person are those virtues that dwell in Satyavan. The bestowal of
thy daughter, therefore, is approved by me!' The king said, 'What thou
hast said, O illustrious one, should never be disobeyed, for thy words
are true! And I shall act as thou hast said, since thou art my
preceptor!' Narada said, 'May the bestowal of thy daughter Savitri be
attended with peace! I shall now depart. Blessed be all of ye!'

"Markandeya continued, 'Having said this, Narada rose up into the sky and
went to heaven. On the other hand, the king began to make preparations
for his daughter's wedding!'"

SECTION CCLXLIII

"Markandeya said, 'Having pondered over these words (of Narada) about his
daughter's marriage, the king began to make arrangements about the
nuptials. And summoning all the old Brahmanas, and Ritwijas together with
the priests, he set out with his daughter on an auspicious day. And
arriving at the asylum of Dyumatsena in the sacred forest, the king
approached the royal sage on foot,