cious and chaste lady, is thy
husband freed by me! Thou wilt be able to take him back free from
disease. And he will attain to success! And along with thee, he will
attain a life of four hundred years. And celebrating sacrifices with due
rites, he will achieve great fame in this world. And upon thee Satyavan
will also beget a century of sons. And these Kshatriyas with their sons
and grandsons will all be kings, and will always be famous in connection
with thy name. And thy father also will beget a hundred sons on thy
mother Malavi. And under the name of the Malavas, thy Kshatriya brothers,
resembling the celestials, will be widely known along with their sons and
daughters!' And having bestowed these boons on Savitri and having thus
made her desist, Yama departed for his abode. Savitri, after Yama had
gone away, went back to the spot where her husband's ash-coloured corpse
lay, and seeing her lord on the ground, she approached him, and taking
hold of him, she placed his head on her lap and herself sat down on the
ground. Then Satyavan regained his consciousness, and affectionately
eyeing Savitri again and again, like one come home after a sojourn in a
strange land, he addressed her thus, 'Alas, I have slept long! Wherefore
didst thou not awake me? And where is that same sable person that was
dragging me away?' At these words of his, Savitri said, 'Thou hast, O
bull among men, slept long on my lap! That restrainer of creatures, the
worshipful Yama, had gone away. Thou art refreshed, O blessed one, and
sleep hath forsaken thee, O son of a king! If thou art able, rise thou
up! Behold, the night is deep!'"

"Markandeya continued, 'Having regained consciousness, Satyavan rose up
like one who had enjoyed a sweet sleep, and seeing every side covered
with woods, said, 'O girl of slender waist, I came with thee for
procuring fruits. Then while I was cutting wood I felt a pain in my head.
And on account of that intense pain about my head I was unable to stand
for any length of time, and, therefore, I lay on thy lap and slept. All
this, O auspicious lady, I remember. Then, as thou didst embrace me,
sleep stole away my senses. I then saw that it was dark all around. In
the midst of it I saw a person of exceeding effulgence. If thou knowest
everything, do thou then, O girl of slender waist, tell me whether what I
saw was only a dream or a reality!' Thereupon, Savitri addressed him,
saying, The night deepens. I shall, O prince, relate