STORY OF SAVITRI AND SATYAVAN

V. SUNDARAM I.A.S

Tomorrow (15 March 2011, Tuesday), is the festival of Karadaiyar Nombu in Tamil Nadu. This festival is also celebrated in Andhra and Karnataka. Karadayar Nombu or Savitri Nombu is a time-honoured sacred Tamil observance in which a married woman prays for the well being and long life of her beloved husband. This day is observed on that particular day when the transition between the Tamil months of Maasi and Panguni takes place. Karadai Nombu Adai is the name of a unique nivedya (holy dish) prepared on this day. Nombu means Vratam or upvasam (fasting).

The historic legend relating to Savitri Nombu is quite fascinating. According to Hindu traditions, King Aswapati was the father of Savitri the famous princess of Madra. Savitri became the lover (and later, wife) of the famous Salwa prince Satyavan. Aswapati's wife belonged to a minor tribe known as Malava. She was known as Maalavi. The sons of Aswapati and Maalavi, later became the powerful Malava kings. They spread their kingdom as far as Avanti (Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh). Thus the royal line of Malavas originated from the Madra King Aswapati. Aswapati was the ruler of Madra Desa.

Map of Madra Desa, the birth place of Princess Savitri

Madra Desa.—The country of the Madras, mentioned in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription, roughly corresponds to the modern Sialkot and the surrounding regions between the Ravi and the Chenab rivers, presently in Pakistan. These areas of Madra Desa are all part of Akhand Bharat, our ancient Motherland.

Grammarian Panini refers to Madra in his Astaddhyayi (4.1.176, 4. 2.131, 4. 2.108). Patanjali also refers to it in his Mahabhashya {I, 1. 8, p. 345; 1. 3. 2, p. 619; 2. 1. 2, p. 40; 4. 2. 108). The capital was Sakala, 1 identified with Sialkot. Sakala or Sagala (Pali) was a great centre of trade and commerce in Ancient Bharat for several centuries. It was situated in the delightful Madra Desa or Madra country and it was well-watered and hilly. It contained many hundreds of alms-halls of various kinds. The old town of Sakala according to the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang who visited India in the 7^th century AD during the time of Harsha, was a large and sprawling town spread over an area of more than 20 sq miles. There was a monastery in Sakala with about 100 priests of the Hinayana school, and a stoopa to the north-west of the monastery, about 200 ft. high, was built by Samrat Asoka.

The people of Madra Desa were an ancient Ksatriya tribe of Vedic times. The Madra were a corporation of warriors and enjoyed the status of rajas. Sakala came under the sway of Alexander the Great, in 326 B.C. About 78 A.D., Menander (Pali: Milinda), a powerful Greek king, ruled at Sakala. According to the Milindapanha this king was converted to Buddhism. Even before Menander's time, Sakala seems to have come under Buddhist influence (see Mrs. Rhys Davids, Psalms of the Sisters, p. 48; Psalms of the Brethren, p. 359). In the fourth century A.D. the Madra paid taxes to Samudragupta. (For further details, see B. C. Law, Tribes in Ancient India, Cli, VII).

SAVITRI NOMBU FESTIVAL IS OBSERVED IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE SATYVAN – SAVITRI LEGEND. A PRINCESS, SAVITRI THROUGH HER SUPREME DEVOTION SAVED HER HUSBAND, SATYVAN, FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH. THIS LEGEND IS VERY POPULAR IN ALL PARTS OF INDIA. DESPITE CONSIDERABLE DIVERSITY BETWEEN REGIONS IN MATTERS OF RITUAL AND OTHER OBSERVANCES, YET ONE CAN DISCERN AN UNDERLYING SPIRIT OF UNITY LINKING ALL PARTS OF INDIA TO THE SAME DEATHLESS LEGEND OF SAVITRI-SATYAVAN. KARADIYAR NOMBU IS CELEBRATED AS VAT SAVITRI PUJA IN VARIOUS PARTS OF NORTHERN INDIA.

While Karadiyar Nombu in the South is celebrated at the beginning of the Tamil Month of Panguni (Phalgun in North) in the month of March, every year, Vat Savitri is celebrated in the Month of June in Northern India.

On Karadiyar Nombu day, married women fast and break the fast by eating the Karadai preparation with butter. The preparation is known as Karadai Nombu Adai - the festival Karadai takes its name from the unique Kara Adai dish. It is believed that Savitri cooked such a dish and offered it to the Lord along with unmelted butter as a sort of thanksgiving for sparing her husband’s life.

Another important ritual is the wearing of the Kaaradai nombu saradu, which is a yellow thread, around the neck.

The vrata on Karadiyar Nombu day or Vat Savitri day has been named after Savitri. Savitri was the beautiful daughter of King Aswapati of Madra Desa. She selected Satyawaan as her life's partner, a prince-in-exile who was living in the forest with his blind father King Dyumatsena of Salva. According to Mahabharata, Salva country was situated near Kurukshetra. The capital of Salva Desa was called Salvapura or Soubhaganagara.  Salva country probably occupied the area which was occupied by the Kingdom of Alwar in the 19th century. Princess Savitri left her father’s palace and lived with her husband and his parents in the forest. As a devoted wife and daughter in-law she displayed extraordinary devotion in taking care of all of them.

One day while cutting wood in the jungle Satyawaan suddenly felt giddy and he fell down from the tree and expired on the lap of his beloved wife, Savitri. Then appeared Yamraj, the God of Death to take away the soul of Satyavan from his body. Savitri, deeply grieved by her young husband’s sudden death, pleaded fervently with Yamraj that she should not be separated from her beloved husband. Yamraj, moved by the devotion of Savitri returned the life of her husband. Satyaban came to life again and both of them lived happily thereafter.

Customs and Rituals

All Hindu women observe this festival worshiping and propitiating Savitri as a Devi. On this day, early in the morning the women take a purificatory bath and wear new clothes, new bangles and apply vermilion on the fore-head. Then Goddess Savitri is worshiped. Wet pulses and rice, mango, jack fruit, lemon, banana and several other fruits are offered as Bhoga (offering). After observing fasting for the whole day they simply take the Bhoga. In the afternoon when all formalities of worship are over, they offer their obeisance to their respective husbands and elderly people in the family.

Vat vriksh (Banyan Tree)

Women gather together at the nearby banyan trees and they tie red threads around the banyan tree and pray for the long life of their husbands. Women also offer fruits and flowers to the banyan tree on this day.

Observance of Vat Savitri Rituals Around the Banyan Tree

Hindu Women also read “Savatri Katha” in the evening and do ritual worship (puja) to Goddess Savitri.

Thus concludes the Sacred Legend of Maha Saadhvi Savitri:

Tasmaad Saadhwyaha Striyah Pujyaah Satatam,

Taasaamtu vakyam bhavateeha midhya na jaatu lokeshu charachareshu/

Tasmaat sadaa taah pari pujaneeyaah, Kaamaan Samagraanabhi kaamayaanaih/

Women of High Virtue ought to be honoured since the Three Lokas are preserved due to their Grace. The voices of Pativratas like Savitri should never be ignored as they are worthy of veneration.