Chapter 297

“Markandeya continued, ‘When the night had passed away, and the solar orbhad risen, those ascetics, having performed their morning rites,assembled together. And although those mighty sages again and again spakeunto Dyumatsena of the high fortune of Savitri, yet they were neversatisfied. And it so happened, O king, that there came to that hermitagea large body of people from Salwa. And they brought tidings of the enemyof Dyumatsena having been slain by his own minister. And they relatedunto him all that had happened, viz., how having heard that the usurperhad been slain with all his friends and allies by his minister, histroops had all fled, and how all the subjects had become unanimous (onbehalf of their legitimate king), saying, ‘Whether possessed of sight ornot, even he shall be our king!’ And they said, ‘We have been sent tothee in consequence of that resolve. This car of thine, and this armyalso consisting of four kinds of forces, have arrived for thee! Goodbetide thee, O King! Do thou come! Thou hast been proclaimed in the city.Do thou for ever occupy the station belonging to thy lather andgrand-father!’ And beholding the king possessed of sight and able-bodied,they bowed down their heads, their eyes expanded with wonder. Then havingworshipped those old and Brahmanas dwelling in the hermitage and honouredby them in return, the king set out for his city. And surrounded by thesoldiers, Saivya also accompanied by Savitri, went in a vehicle furnishedwith shining sheets and borne on the shoulders of men. Then the priestswith joyful hearts installed Dyumatsena on the throne with hishigh-souled son as prince-regent. And after the lapse of a long time,Savitri gave birth to a century of sons, all warlike and unretreatingfrom battle, and enhancing the fame of Salwa’s race. And she also had acentury of highly powerful uterine brothers born unto Aswapati, the lordof the Madras, by Malavi. Thus, O son of Pritha, did Savitri raise frompitiable plight to high fortune, herself, and her father and mother, herfather-in-law and mother-in-law, as also the race of her husband. Andlike that gentle lady Savitri, the auspicious daughter of Drupada, enduedwith excellent character, will rescue you all.”

Vaisampayana said, “Thus exhorted by that high-souled sage, the son ofPandu, O king, with his mind free from anxiety, continued to live in theforest of Kamyaka. The man that listeneth with reverence to the excellentstory of Savitri, attaineth to happiness, and success in everything, andnever meeteth with misery!”