is head upon her lap. And that helpless lady, thinking of Narada's
words, began to calculate the (appointed) division of the day, the hour,
and the moment. The next moment she saw a person clad in red attire with
his head decked with a diadem. And his body was of large proportions and
effulgent as the Sun. And he was of a darkish hue, had red eyes, carried
a noose in his hand, and was dreadful to behold. And he was standing
beside Satyavan and was steadfastly gazing at him. And seeing him,
Savitri gently placed her husband's head on the ground, and rising
suddenly, with a trembling heart, spake these words in distressful
accents, "Seeing this thy superhuman form, I take thee to be a deity. If
thou will tell me, O chief of the gods, who thou art and what also thou
intendst to do!" Thereat, Yama replied, "O Savitri, thou art ever
devoted to thy husband, and thou art also endued with ascetic merit. It
is for this reason that I hold converse with thee. Do thou, O auspicious
one, know me for Yama. This thy lord Satyavan, the son of a king, hath
his days run out. I shall, therefore, take him away binding him in this
noose. Know this to be my errand!" At these words Savitri said, "I had
heard that thy emissaries come to take away mortals, O worshipful one!
Why then, O lord, hast thou come in person?"'

"Markandeya continued, 'Thus addressed by her, the illustrious lord of
_Pitris_, with a view to oblige her, began to unfold to her truly all
about his intentions. And Yama said, "This prince is endued with virtues
and beauty of person, and is a sea of accomplishments. He deserveth not
to be borne away by my emissaries. Therefore is it that I have come
personally." Saying this, Yama by main force pulled out of the body of
Satyavan, a person of the measure of the thumb, bound in noose and
completely under subjection. And when Satyavan's life had thus been
taken out, the body, deprived of breath, and shorn of lustre, and
destitute of motion, became unsightly to behold. And binding Satyavan's
vital essence, Yama proceeded in a southerly direction. Thereupon, with
heart overwhelmed in grief, the exalted Savitri, ever devoted to her
lord and crowned with success in respect of her vows, began to follow
Yama. And at this, Yama said, "Desist, O Savitri! Go back, and perform
the funeral obsequies of thy lord! Thou art freed from all thy
obligations to thy lord. Thou hast come as far as it is possible to
come." Savitri replied, "Whither my