The significance of "Karadayan Nonbu". The story of Savitri and Satyavan.

Karadayan Nonbu is performed by married women in the South India, by fasting and by praying to God Mother on the day and time when the Tamil month "Maasi" ends and the Tamil month "Panguni" begins. Basically it’s the confluence of the Tamil months Maasi and Panguni. In the English Calendar, it’s the mid-March. The married women  basically pray for the longevity and welfare of their husbands' lives. They wear the yellow thread with a piece of turmeric in it called "Manja Saradu".  They prepare kara adai (salted) and vella adai (sweet). Basically it's the fresh rice flour mixed with water, lentil beans (Lobia), coconut scrapings and molten jaggery and then steamed like Idlis. 

Savitri is a princess and the only daughter of king Ashwapati, who ruled the kingdom of Madra (Madra Desam) in the Bharatha Desam. King Ashwapati was not blessed with any sons to succeed him as his heir. Savitri was brought up with lot of love and affection, as she was the only daughter. When Savitri attained  the marriageable age, the King wanted to perform her Swayamvaram as per the Kshatriya practice. In fact the Kshatriya princesses are allowed to exercise their choice and choose their husbands, who they wish to marry. The Kshatriya Kings would accept their choice and perform their Swayamvaram. King Ashwapati granted that choice to his daughter. Savitri by her extremely good nature wanted to choose a husband, who was undergoing struggle in his life and facing the trials and tribulations of his life. She wanted to genuinely help her husband to overcome the struggle and trials in his life. With this noble intention in her mind, Savitri started screening the prospective husbands.

She came across a Prince called Satyavan. Satyavan is the son of the King Dhyumatsena, who once ruled the Kingdom of Chaalpa (Chaalpa Desam) in the Bharatha Desam. King Dhyumatsena became blind and lost his eyesight. His evil minded villainous Ministers took advantage of the King and threw him out of the Kingdom and captured the power and they themselves started ruling the Kingdom in a chaotic manner.  After losing the kingdom, King Dhyumatsena along with his family started living in the forests as a commoner along with many sages, sadhus and rishis. Satyavan too lived with his parents in the forest and was helping them by cutting woods in the forest every day.

One day Savitri openly expressed her deep desire to marry Satyavan. King Ashwapati regretted her decision and felt sorry for her. He tried to reason with her to change her decision. But she remained firm in her decision. When this argument was going on between the king and his daughter, Sage Narada landed there by divine grace. He noticed what was going on there between the father and the daughter. Sage Narada suddenly prophesied and announced his shocking view that Satyavan  is destined to die within one year.  He will live just exactly for one year from now on. He advised Savitri to reconsider her decision and marry someone else instead of Satyavan. But Savitri was very firm in her decision and replied that after internally accepting and realizing  Satyavan as her husband, she is in no mood to change her decision. She will marry only Satyavan and none else. Sage Narada realized her "Pathivratha" attitude even before her marriage and blessed her immediately that her dharma would save and protect her in her life. After this incident, King Ashwapati got her daughter Savitri married to Satyavan.

Post her marriage to Satyavan, Savitri accompanied her husband and unhesitatingly went to the forests to live with him. She was very much devoted to her husband and respected him and helped him in his daily chores. She also willingly served her In-laws and took care of them as well. Satyavan too whole-heartedly reciprocated his love and affection to Savitri for her great sacrifice and service. Life was going on like this and the one year dead line on the life of Satyavan was nearing. Savitri was very conscious of this passage of time and kept track. She did not divulge the information about the impending death of Satyavan to him or to his parents. She kept this secret to herself and was undergoing self-torture every day. Finally the D-day for Satyavan arrived and Savitri only knew about it.

Savitri performed Karadayan Nonbu Pooja by fasting and praying to the God Mother (Jagan Matha), on the day when the Tamil month "Maasi" ends and the Tamil month "Panguni" begins (Mid-March). She expected the response of God Mother for her prayers. In the meanwhile, as per the daily practice, Satyavan started to leave for the forests for cutting wood. Savitri wanted to accompany her husband to the forest on that day . Satyavan objected to her and advised her not to accompany him as she  has not broken her fast. But Savitri in a very subtle manner requested Satyavan not to object to her and allow her to accompany him on that day. Satyavan's parents also supported Savitri and recommended to their son Satyavan to take Savitri with him to the forest. Both Satyavan and Savtri enjoyed roaming together in the forest. Savitri made sure to satisfy the desires of Satyavan on that day. But she was fearing inside her mind the end  moment to happen for her husband, as prophesied by Sage Narada.

Suddenly Satyavan fell down unconscious in the forest. Savitri immediately put her husband on her lap and started praying. She could realize Satyavan breathing his last and passing away. His soul and spirit was taken away by Lord Yama Dharma Raja in front of the eyes of Savitri. Since Savitri was "Pathivratha Choodamani", she could have the darshan of  Lord Yama with her naked eyes.

She immediately started to follow the Lord of Death and pleaded to him to give back the life of her husband Satyavan.  But Lord Yama said it is his dharma to take away the life of humans and he cannot return any life back. He advised her not to follow him. But Savitri replied to Yama that she is following him because he is taking the life of her husband and Lord Yama is visible to her naked eyes. She also said that when humans follow Sages and Sadhus they will be benefited and blessed. Lord Yama said to Savitri that she is putting forth her case well, so he said he will grant her a boon, except the life of her husband and asked her to request for a boon. Savitri immediately requested that her parents were not blessed with any son as heir to her king father and asked Lord Yama to grant a male progeny in her parent's family. The boon was granted by Lord Yama.

But Savitri continued to follow Lord Yama and he again objected to this. Savitri chanted another sloka meaning that Sadhus help and bless sadhus, Sadhus also help and bless evil minded villains in real life to salvage them. But villainous and evil minded people never help anyone in life.  Lord Yama was pleased with this sloka too and said he will grant her a second boon, except her husband's life and encouraged her to ask for the second boon. Immediately Savitri pleaded to Lord Yama to restore the eye sight to her Father-in-law King Dhyumatsena and also restore back the lost kingdom to him.

Savitri further pleaded to Lord Yama that he was so kind to grant male progeny to her parents, now he should be very kind enough to grant male progeny for her also for vamsavrudhhi. Lord Yama granted her this boon also and blessed her that she will beget one hundred sons. When Savitri further followed Lord Yama, he raised objections and said that he has already granted her the desired boons and she should stop following him allow him to perform his dharma. Immediately Savitri retorted that Oh Lord Yama, when you have granted me the boon of one hundred sons, how can you take away my husband? Lord Yama realized his folly in granting this boon and felt that Savitri has the blessings of Lord Iswara that made him commit this folly. Instantly Lord Yama gave back the life of Satyavan to Savitri and blessed her and disappeared.

Satyavan woke up as if he had a long sleep. Savitri did not utter any word to him about what had happened to him and that she only saved his life. Satyavan's father King Dhyumatsena got back his eye sight and also his kingdom back as the evil minded villainous Ministers started fighting with each other and after realizing that the King's eye sight was restored, they handed over the kingdom back to him. Satyavan was coroneted as the Prince and Savitri was coroneted as the Princess of Kingdom of Chaalpa (Chaalpa Desam) and they all lived happily thereafter.

Shankar Subramanian

 Source: "Sati Vijayam" by Sri Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal

P.S. Sri Aurobindo has written a book on Savitri in a poetic narrative and it contains a detailed account of the conversation between Savitri and Lord Yama.

Success & Happiness

Everyone seeks success and happiness (s & h) in life. But no one knows the correct path which leads to success and happiness. Take the Road less traveled.

We all go after the materialistic things in life and think that we would find s & h in it. But in the end we tend to get disappointed. Even assuming we succeed in getting what we wanted partially, we realize it doesn't give us enduring s & h. Then we tend to develop some sort of fear to preserve and retain whatever s & h we achieved. This series of experiences......partial satisfaction, disappointment, and later fear goes on and on endlessly in our life.

We should clearly understand that s & h can be achieved only with the combination of Human Efforts + Divine Blessings. Vishaka Hari in her upanyasams/musical discourses often used to say "Manushya Muyarchiyum Deivaanukoolyamum irundhaal mattum"...... a man can achieve success and happiness.

Efforts are in our hands. We are responsible for our efforts. Then how to seek and get divine blessings? Should we have to do any penance or become orthodox and perform long pujas, or recite veda mantras , or do homams to invoke divine blessings?

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together"....Vincent Van Gogh.

Small and simple things like chanting the names of God within ourselves, wherever and whenever we find time, for example..... while bathing, while sitting, while driving, while standing, while walking, while eating......can we not chant "Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare". or "Om Namashivaya", or "Om Namo Narayanaya" "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" "Om Sakthi" "Om Muruga" "Om Saravanabhava" "Jai Hanuman" Sriram Jayaram Jayajayaram" "Rama Rama" "Radhekrishna" "Vittala Panduranga" etc. Is it very difficult to do this? Do you need any extra time for this?

"Jo Naam chaaho Woh naam bolo. "Yeh naam saare jeevan sahare" "Bhav se bolo Prem se bolo". "Govinda bolo Gopala bolo" sings Udayalur Kalyanarama Bhagavathar in one of his soulful bhajans in Bhakti Mala.

Sri Vittal Das (JKD) in his mahabhaktha vijayam upanyasam says only when we are healthy, we will be able to devote our body, mind and time and participate in Namasankeerthanam Bhajans. Later on we cannot guarantee our health. So it's better to do it early in our life than postpone it later in our lives.

He extols that in this Kaliyug, the only way to attain God is through "Bhakthi" marg. To develop, grow, and retain bhakthi, we need to:- a) either listen to Namasankeerthanam bhajans or participate in Namasankeerthanam bhajan concerts, and Bhagavatha Melas whenever time permits and wherever it's convenient, b) visit Temples to have darshan of Lord, and c) visit Guru's Mutts, which were established by the legengary gurus, who have lived a meaningful life there. This will definitely take us safely across the ocean of life.

If you study history, in every state of India, lots and lots of Gurus and Saints from time to time have taken birth on this planet Earth, to spread the message of God to people, by setting an example themselves and leading a principled life. The question is do we devote any small time in our life to attend/listen to spiritual discourses/upanyasams of the present day gurus, who tell us the stories and great achievements of yesteryears' Gurus? There is a lot to learn from their lives. The present day gurus have spent lot of time and their life in studying the epics and the scriptures and have sharpened their learning and skills and are coming out to spread the message. We need to respect them. Without a Guru's help, you cannot understand or reach God.

It is sad to observe that a majority of the present day youth is wasting their time indulging in materialistic things to find success and happiness. I am not against their indulgence. Let them enjoy their youth. But they should be balanced and be more responsible. Can the present day youth also not spend their little time in pursuing the above things? Let them not think that it's relevant only for their old age. It's a wrong notion.

When you fall outside, you fall. When you fall inside, you rise. Without attaching to the higher, you cannot detach from the lower. You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.

Miles to go before I sleep miles to go before I sleep..........

Shankar Subramanian (Shanky)
03-July-2010