Aranyaka Parva›The Story of Savitri and Satyavan

Yudhishthira Asks Markandeya About Draupadi's Fortune

Why "Minor"?

Causal ReachTop 92%

Character WeightTop 94%

State ChangeTop 95%

Narrative RecallTop 50%

~1 min read

Yudhishthira, still raw from Draupadi's abduction by Jayadratha, turns to the ancient sage Markandeya. He does not ask about the war to come, or about dharma, or about the kingdom he lost. He asks: have you ever seen or heard of a woman as fortunate and devoted as Drupada's daughter?

Yudhishthira asked: "O great sage! I do not grieve for myself, or for my brothers, or for the loss of the kingdom. I grieve for Drupada's daughter. When we were oppressed by those evil-souled ones at the game of dice, we were saved by Krishna. But she was again forcibly abducted from the forest by Jayadratha. Have you ever seen, or heard of, a woman as immensely fortunate and as devoted to her husbands as Drupada's daughter?" Markandeya said: "O king! Hear about the great fortune of a lady born in a high lineage. The princess Savitri obtained everything." And he began the story.

Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 574