Savitri/Satyavan legend

[Venkatraman Iyer]

<<
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.
>>

Dear Professor,

Pl. see the detailed study in the volume,
Changing patterns of Family and Kinship in South Asia, Helsinki,
1998, p.167-312.

Asko Parpola, SAvitrI and Resurrection: The Ideal of
Devoted Wife, Her Forehead mark, SatI, and Human Sacrifice
in Epic-PurANic, Vedic, Harappan-Dravidian and Near Eastern
Perspectives.
   1. The ideal of wife fully devoted to her husband
   2. The SAvitrI legend
   3. The vaTa-sAvitrI-vrata
     (a) Ritualistic descriptions
     (b) The vaDasAvittImahUsava in RAjazekhara's KarpUramaJjarI
   4. The brahma-sAvitrI-vrata
   5. BrahmA's sacrifice and his two wives SAvitrI and GAyatrI
   6. The theme of death and resurrection and the ancient
      Near East
   7. CilappatikAram and the cult of Goddess Patti_ni
      '(faithful) wife'
   8. SAvitrI verse as the `mother' of the `twice-born'
      Vedic student
   9. SAvitrI and the twlight adoration
   10. Sacrifice to Brahman at sunrise
   11. SAvitrI verse, the sacred syllable om, and the
       `mystical utterences'
   12. The `utterences' bhUr bhuvaH svaH and the beginnings
       of Brahmanism
   13. Formation of the middle Vedic culture of the BrAhmaNa
       texts and rituals
   14. The historical and geographical background of the
       SAvitrI legend
   15. Inanna-Ishtar and SAvitrI/RohiNI as the light of
       early morning
   16. Agnihotra at sunset and sunrise: fire and night,
       sun and day
   17. Decapitation of God BrahmA and his resurrection through
       SAvitrI
   18. Vedic creator god PrajApati as the dying and revived
       primeval man
   19. `Asura' origin of beheading and ritual
   20. SAvitrI, the Vedic marriage hymn, and resurrection of
       the moon
   21. SItA SAvitrI, the moon, and the forehead mark of
       married women
   22. RohiNI and the moon
   23. RohiNI and the rising sun (Rohita)
   24. The red forehead mark, the sun, and RohiNI
   25. RohiNI as the star of Goddess Durga
   26. Harappan and Dravidian origin of the red forehead mark
   27. The banyan tree and its association with Yama and VaruNa
   28. Dravidian vaTa `banyan tree' and vaTa-mIn 'north star'
   29. ArundhatI, cem-mI_n, and RohiNI
   30. Pole star and the heavenly banyan tree
   31. 'Siva's castration at the hermitage of seven sages
   32. The death and resurrection of KAma
   33. SItA and RAma, and SIta SAvitrI and Bala-RAma
   34. SAvitrI and 'SraddhA as the elder and younger wives
       of the moon
   35. SAvitrI as protypal satI
   36. AkSaya-vaTa: Death in a sacred banyan tree
   37. Human sacrifice beneath the banyan tree in the
       VetAla-PaJcaviM'satikA
   38. The sacred victim and the sun
   39. Shattered heads VidyAdharas and Gandharvas
   40. Sacred trees, caityas, citis and stUpas
   41. Consummation of marriage and human sacrifice
       under a fig tree
   42. Rohita, Rudra and the human sacrifice
   43. Severed heads and rituals of revival
   44. Sprouting of grains and the `Adonis garden'
   45. Conclusion
   References.

Best,
V. Iyer


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