ptor!" Narada said, "May the bestowal of thy
daughter Savitri be attended with peace! I shall now depart. Blessed be
all of ye!"'

"Markandeya continued, 'Having said this, Narada rose up into the sky
and went to heaven. On the other hand, the king began to make
preparations for his daughter's wedding!'"

SECTION CCLXLIII

"Markandeya said, 'Having pondered over these words (of Narada) about
his daughter's marriage, the king began to make arrangements about the
nuptials. And summoning all the old Brahmanas, and _Ritwijas_ together
with the priests, he set out with his daughter on an auspicious day. And
arriving at the asylum of Dyumatsena in the sacred forest, the king
approached the royal sage on foot, accompanied by the twice-born ones.
And there he beheld the blind monarch of great wisdom seated on a
cushion of _Kusa_ grass spread under _Sala_ tree. And after duly
reverencing the royal sage, the king in an humble speech introduced
himself. Thereupon, offering him the _Arghya_, a seat, and a cow, the
monarch asked his royal guest,--_Wherefore is this visit?_--Thus
addressed the king disclosed everything about his intentions and purpose
with reference to Satyavan. And Aswapati said, "O royal sage, this
beautiful girl is my daughter named Savitri. O thou versed in morality,
do thou, agreeably to the customs of our order, take her from me as thy
daughter-in-law!" Hearing these words, Dyumatsena said, "Deprived of
kingdom, and taking up our abode in the woods, we are engaged in the
practice of virtue as ascetics with regulated lives. Unworthy of a
forest life, how will thy daughter, living in the sylvan asylum, bear
this hardship?" Aswapati said, "When my daughter knoweth, as well as
myself, that happiness and misery come and go (without either being
stationary), such words as these are not fit to be used towards one like
me! O king, I have come hither, having made up my mind! I have bowed to
thee from friendship; it behoveth thee not, therefore, to destroy my
hope! It behoveth thee not, also, to disregard me who, moved by love,
have come to thee! Thou art my equal and fit for an alliance with me, as
indeed, I am thy equal and fit for alliance with thee! Do thou,
therefore, accept my daughter for thy daughter-in-law and the wife of
the good Satyavan!" Hearing these words Dyumatsena said, "Formerly I had
desired an alliance with thee. But I hesitated, being subsequently
deprived of my kingdom. Let this wish, therefore