Reading Notes: Sacred Tales of India, Part A

Image info: Held rose, Image info: Business insider

In the story “Snatched from Death” from the book Sacred Tales of India written by D. N. Neogi, the author writes about a collected story that can be related through Hindu traditions and rituals. Furthermore, the story “Snatched from Death” is probably by far one of my most favorite stories these past few weeks. The story is about a princess who does everything she can to be with the one she loves. With that being said, in the beginning of the story, Princess Savitri was cherished by her parents, even to the extent that her father allowed her to search for her future husband instead of holding a swayamvara. However, after finding out that his daughter had fallen in love with the son of a hermit, the king refused to allow his daughter to marry someone below her status. At this moment, Narada brings unfortunate news that Satyaban, the son of a hermit, was actually not the son of a hermit. Instead, the blind, old hermit used to be king Dyumatsena, in which his son was cursed to die within a year of his marriage. The princess, after hearing the news, explains that the moment she ha made her decision, she was already married to the man, in which she cannot marry another or that would be a sin.
Once the year had came up, Satyaban fell ill and quickly died in the arms of Savitri. However, the princess and her love for her husband was able to fool the King of the Dead as he returned him to her.
With that being said, I really enjoyed reading the story. The most important scene is probably when Savitri confronts the King of the Dead and fools him with her quick wit. Moreover, in my version of the story, I would probably change how the princess meets the love of her life.

Bibliography:

“Snatched From Death” by D. N. Neogi. Website: Freebookapalooza