Shloka 52
Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment
सावित्रयुवाच न ते5पवर्ग: सुकृताद् विनाकृत- स्तथा यथान्येषु वरेषु मानद । वरं वृणे जीवतु सत्यवानयं यथा मृता होवमहं पतिं विना,सावित्रीने कहा--मानद! आपने मुझे जो पुत्र-प्राप्तिका वर दिया है, वह पुण्यमय दाम्पत्य-संयोगके बिना सफल नहीं हो सकता। अन्य वरोंकी जैसी स्थिति है, वैसी इस अन्तिम वरकी नहीं है। इसलिये मैं पुनः: यह वर माँगती हूँ कि ये सत्यवान् जीवित हो जायाँ; क्योंकि इन पतिदेवताके बिना मैं मरी हुईके ही समान हूँ
Sāvitrī uvāca: na te ’pavargaḥ sukṛtād vinākṛtaḥ, tathā yathāny eṣu vareṣu mānada. varaṃ vṛṇe jīvatu Satyavān ayaṃ, yathā mṛtā ’ham iva ahaṃ patiṃ vinā.
Wika ni Sāvitrī: “O tagapagkaloob ng dangal, ang biyayang ibinigay mo—pagkakaroon ng supling—ay hindi mamumunga kung wala ang marangal at banal na bigkis ng pag-aasawa. Ang huling biyayang ito’y hindi tulad ng iba. Kaya muli kong pinipili ang biyayang ito: mabuhay si Satyavān. Sapagkat kung wala ang aking panginoong asawa, ako’y gaya na ring patay.”
यम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights pativratā-dharma and moral reasoning: a boon (like offspring) is ethically and practically meaningless if the righteous marital bond is destroyed. Sāvitrī argues that true fulfillment depends on dharma—life with one’s rightful spouse—so she prioritizes her husband’s life over secondary gains.
After Yama has granted earlier boons, Sāvitrī points out that the boon of sons cannot be realized if Satyavān remains dead. She therefore requests, as her chosen boon, that Satyavān be restored to life, declaring that without her husband she is effectively dead.