Shloka 12
Araṇi Lost to the Deer: Pāṇḍavas Pursue to Preserve Agnihotra (अरणी-हरण प्रसङ्गः)
(सा तमश्वपतिं राजन् सावित्री नियमे स्थितम् ।।) राजन! तब मूर्तिमती सावित्रीदेवीने अग्निहोत्रकी अग्निसे प्रकट होकर बड़े हर्षके साथ राजाको प्रत्यक्ष दर्शन दिया और वर देनेके लिये उद्यत हो अनुष्ठानके नियमोंमें स्थित उस राजा अश्वपतिसे इस प्रकार कहा ।। सावित्रयुवाच ब्रह्मचर्येण शुद्धेन दमेन नियमेन च । सर्वात्मना च भक्त्या च तुष्टास्मि तव पार्थिव,सावित्री बोली--राजन! मैं तुम्हारे विशुद्ध ब्रह्मचर्य, इन्द्रियसंयम, मनोनिग्रह तथा सम्पूर्ण हृदयसे की हुई भक्तिके द्वारा बहुत संतुष्ट हुई हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | (sā tam aśvapatiṁ rājan sāvitrī niyame sthitam ||) rājan! tadā mūrtimatī sāvitrī-devī agnihotrāgnitaḥ prakaṭībhūya mahāharṣeṇa rājānaṁ pratyakṣaṁ darśanaṁ dadau, vara-pradānāya udyatā anūṣṭhāna-niyameṣu sthitaṁ taṁ rājānam aśvapatiṁ evam uvāca || sāvitrī uvāca | brahmacaryeṇa śuddhena damena niyamena ca | sarvātmanā ca bhaktyā ca tuṣṭāsmi tava pārthiva ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O King, then the goddess Sāvitrī, taking visible form and emerging from the fire of the Agnihotra, appeared before King Aśvapati with great joy. Ready to grant a boon, she addressed that king, who was steadfast in the disciplines of his rite, as follows.” Sāvitrī said: “O ruler, I am greatly pleased with you—by your pure celibate discipline, by self-restraint, by observance of sacred vows, and by wholehearted devotion.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Disciplined living—especially purity of conduct (brahmacarya), restraint (dama), faithful observance of vows (niyama), and wholehearted devotion (sarvātmanā bhakti)—is presented as the ethical and spiritual basis that draws divine grace and makes one worthy of receiving boons.
During King Aśvapati’s sustained ritual observance, the goddess Sāvitrī manifests bodily from the Agnihotra fire, grants him a direct vision, and—pleased with his disciplined practice—announces her satisfaction and readiness to bestow a boon.