Shloka 18
Dharma-pratyabhijñāna and Vara-pradāna (धर्मप्रत्यभिज्ञानम्—वरप्रदानम्)
मार्कण्डेय उवाच एवं सम्भाषमाणाया: सावित्र्या भोजन प्रति । स्कन्धे परशुमादाय सत्यवान् प्रस्थितो वनम,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर! जब सावित्री भोजनके सम्बन्धमें इस प्रकार बातें कर रही थी, उसी समय सत्यवान् कंधेपर कुल्हाड़ी रखकर (फल-फूल, समिधा आदि लानेके लिये) वनकी ओर चले
Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca: evaṃ sambhāṣamāṇāyāḥ Sāvitr̥yā bhojana-prati, skandhe paraśum ādāya Satyavān prasthito vanam.
Mārkaṇḍeya said: While Sāvitrī was speaking in this manner about the meal, Satyavān, taking an axe upon his shoulder, set out toward the forest (to gather fruits, flowers, and fuel). The scene quietly underscores household duty and simplicity, setting the stage for Sāvitrī’s steadfast commitment to dharma in the events that follow.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ordinary duty and disciplined living—Satyavān goes to the forest for necessary provisions—preparing the ethical backdrop for Sāvitrī’s later steadfast adherence to dharma and marital devotion.
As Sāvitrī is discussing the meal, Satyavān lifts an axe onto his shoulder and departs for the forest to collect items like fruits, flowers, and fuel, moving the story toward the decisive forest episode.