ho thou art and what also thou intendst to do!'
Thereat, Yama replied, 'O Savitri, thou art ever devoted to thy husband,
and thou art also endued with ascetic merit. It is for this reason that I
hold converse with thee. Do thou, O auspicious one, know me for Yama.
This thy lord Satyavan, the son of a king, hath his days run out. I
shall, therefore, take him away binding him in this noose. Know this to
be my errand!' At these words Savitri said, 'I had heard that thy
emissaries come to take away mortals, O worshipful one! Why then, O lord,
hast thou come in person?'

"Markandeya continued, 'Thus addressed by her, the illustrious lord of
Pitris, with a view to oblige her, began to unfold to her truly all about
his intentions. And Yama said, 'This prince is endued with virtues and
beauty of person, and is a sea of accomplishments. He deserveth not to be
borne away by my emissaries. Therefore is it that I have come
personally.' Saying this, Yama by main force pulled out of the body of
Satyavan, a person of the measure of the thumb, bound in noose and
completely under subjection. And when Satyavan's life had thus been taken
out, the body, deprived of breath, and shorn of lustre, and destitute of
motion, became unsightly to behold. And binding Satyavan's vital essence,
Yama proceeded in a southerly direction. Thereupon, with heart
overwhelmed in grief, the exalted Savitri, ever devoted to her lord and
crowned with success in respect of her vows, began to follow Yama. And at
this, Yama said, 'Desist, O Savitri! Go back, and perform the funeral
obsequies of thy lord! Thou art freed from all thy obligations to thy
lord. Thou hast come as far as it is possible to come'. Savitri replied,
'Whither my husband is being carried, or whither he goeth of his own
accord, I will follow him thither. This is the eternal custom. By virtue
of my asceticism, of my regard for my superiors, of my affection for my
lord, of my observance of vows, as well as of thy favour, my course is
unimpeded. It hath been declared by wise men endued with true knowledge
that by walking only seven paces with another, one contracteth a
friendship with one's companion. Keeping that friendship (which I have
contracted with thee) in view, I shall speak to thee something. Do thou
listen to it. They that have not their souls under control, acquire not
merit by leading the four successive modes of life, viz.,--celibacy with
study, domesticity, retirement into the woods, a