Shloka 19
Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment
यमस्तु त॑ं ततो बद्ध्वा प्रयातो दक्षिणामुख: । सावित्री चैव दुःखार्ता यममेवान्वगच्छत । नियमव्रतसंसिद्धा महाभागा पतिव्रता,यमराज उस जीवको बाँधकर साथ लिये दक्षिण दिशाकी ओर चल दिये। सावित्री दुःखसे आतुर हो यमराजके ही पीछे-पीछे चल पड़ी। वह परम सौभाग्यवती पतित्रता राजकन्या नियमपूर्वक व्रतोंके पालनसे पूर्णतः सिद्ध हो चुकी थी। (अतः निर्बाध गतिसे सर्वत्र आने-जानेमें समर्थ थी)
yamastu taṁ tato baddhvā prayāto dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ | sāvitrī caiva duḥkhārtā yamam evānvagacchata | niyamavratasaṁsiddhā mahābhāgā pativratā ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Yama, having bound that soul, set out facing south, leading it away. Sāvitrī, stricken with grief, followed Yama himself step by step. That supremely fortunate princess—steadfast in wifely fidelity (pativratā)—had been perfected through disciplined observances and vows, and thus could proceed unhindered wherever she chose.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steadfast dharma—especially disciplined vows (niyama, vrata) and unwavering marital fidelity (pativratā-dharma)—creates inner power and moral authority, enabling one to confront even death with clarity, restraint, and purpose.
Yama seizes and binds the departing life and proceeds southward, the traditional direction associated with the realm of the dead. Sāvitrī, overwhelmed with grief yet strengthened by her vows, follows Yama closely and unhindered, setting the stage for her dialogue and eventual recovery of her husband’s life.