Long long ago, there ruled a king named Ashvapati. He was a pious and virtuous man. However, he had no offspring. To acquire the same he resorted to a rigorous regimen of discipline, which included eating only a minimal amount of food at a specific time of the day and keeping the mind and body under strict control. Every day he would pour offerings into the sacred fires, accompanied by a hundred thousand chantings of the Gayatri mantra. After eighteen years, the goddess Gayatri was finally pleased with his devotion and manifested herself before him saying: "King! I am happy with your self-discipline and control over the senses. Ask whatever boon you want.”
The king replied: "Kindly grant me a son to carry on my family name forward. The goddess gave an intriguing reply: "Dear king, I have already spoken to Lord Brahma regarding your desire for a son. However, he has instructed me to instead grant you a daughter who will outshine the world with her qualities. We should not question nor doubt Brahma’s judgement.” The king bowed and with folded hands accepted the divine plan laid out before him.
Soon a daughter was born to him, whom he named Savitri, another name for goddess Gayatri, by whose grace he had been blessed. Savitri grew up to be so beautiful that anyone who saw her took her for a divine being rather than human. Her personality was powerful and luminous, so much so that she outshone all princes who thought of winning her hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment