Savitri/Satyavan legend

[Yaroslav Vassilkov]

The earliest version of the story of SAvitrI is contained in the
MahAbhArata, but its roots are to be found in the Vedic Mythology of
SAvitrI/GAyatrI (the goddess - personification of the mantra - steals
the soma=amRta from heaven in order to prolong the lives of the gods;
in the Initiation ceremony the mantra SAvitri 'revives' the initiate,
ensures his 'second birth', etc.).
However, in the course of time the "mythological background" of the tale
was changed; in the PurANas it got connected with the
vaTasAvitrIvrata rite and relevant mythology.
See: S.A.Dange. Legends in the MahAbhArata. Delhi, 1969, pp.226-228;
S.A.Dange. Glimpses of Puranic Myth and Culture. Delhi, 1987, pp.59-66.
V.Aklujkar. SAvitrI: old and new //Essays on the MahAbhArata / Ed. by
Arvind Sharma. Leiden, 1991, pp.324-333.

All the best,
                                        Ya.V.

Thu, 06 Apr 100 23:39 +0300 MSK Narayan S. Raja wrote to INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK:

> References to the story of Savitri and Satyavan are
> found in classical Sanskrit texts such as the Mahabharatha
> as well as the Ramayana.  How old is this legend, i.e.,
> what is the earliest text in which there is
> a reference to this specific legend?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
> Raja.
>
---
Yaroslav Vassilkov (yavass at YV1041.spb.edu)
Fri, 07 Apr 2000 23:24 +0300 MSK