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Markandeya tells the story of Savitri and Satyavan to Yudhishthira in Mahabharatha. It is such a great story in which a woman named Savitri brings the kingdom and vision to her father-in-law, life to her husband, and sons to her father through rituals. It seems to be a more powerful story than others. It starts from here and ends here in Pativrata-mahatmya Parva of Vana Parva.

The phalasruthi for listening to the story is as follows

The man that listeneth with reverence to the excellent story of Savitri, attaineth to happiness, and success in everything, and never meeteth with misery.

Although Mahabharatha's story of Nala and Damayanti is popular, many other scriptures contain the story. Is it the case with the story of Savitri and Satyavan also? I want to know whether the story of Savitri and Satyavan is present in any other scriptures.

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The Devi Bhagavata Purana also has the story.

The chaste Sâvitrî, too, followed him. Unfortunately Satyavâna fell down from a tree and died. Yama, the God of Death, saw his soul as a Purusa of the size of one’s thumb and took it and went away. The chaste Sâvitrî began to follow Him. The high souled Yama, the Foremost of the Sadhus, seeing Sâvitrî following Him, addressed her sweetly :-- O Sâvitrî! Whither are you going in your this mortal coil? If you like to follow after all, then quit your this body.


Here ends the Twenty-seventh Chapter of the Ninth Book on the birth, etc., of Sâvitrî in S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.


On the story of Sâvitrî

1-4. Nârâyana said :-- O Nârada! Hearing the words of Yama, the chaste intelligent Sâvitrî, replied with great devotion :-- “O Dharmarâjan! What is Karma? Why and how is its origin? What is the cause of Karma? Who is the embodied soul (bound by Karma)? What is this body? And who is it that does Karma? What is Jñâna? What is Buddhi? What is this Prâna of this embodied Jîva? What are the Indriyas? And what are their characteristics? And what are the Devatâs thereof? Who is it that enjoys and who is it that makes one enjoy? What is this enjoyment (Bhoga)? And what is the means of escape from it? And what is the nature of that State when one escapes from enjoyment? What is the nature of Jîvatmâ? And what of Paramâtmâ? O Deva! Speak all these in detail to me.”

Details of interactions between Savitri and Lord Yama are found spread in various chapters.

Chapter XXX On the conversation between Sâvitrî and Yama and on the fruition of Karmas

  1. Sâvitrî said :-- “O Dharmarâjan! Kindly tell me in detail about those works that lead the meritorious persons to the Heavens and various other spheres

The chaste woman having husband and sons who worships the World Mother Mûla Prakriti, whether in Yantra, or in Mantra or in image, enjoys all pleasures in this world; and, in the end, goes to the Devîloka or Mani Dvîpa. O Child! The worshipper Sâdhaka (one who is in one’s way to success) must worship all the manifestations of the Devî, day and night. At all times one must worship the omnipresent Durgâ, the Highest Îsvarî. There is no other way to attain blessedness than this. Thus saying, Dharmarâja went to His own abode. Sâvitrî, too, with her husband Satyavân went to her home. Both Sâvitrî and Satyavân, when they reached home, narrated all their stories to their friends and acquaintances. In time, by the blessing of Yama, Sâvitrî’s father got sons and father-in-law recovered his eye-sight and kingdom and Sâvitrî Herself got sons.

Many chapters of the 9th Book of the Purana have the story of Savitri and her interactions with Yamaraja.

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Yes. It is at least mentioned in four major Puranas, and one Upa-purana.

1. In the Skanda Purana 7.1.166. it is referenced.

Yama said:

  1. I am Yama, who controls and restrains, the terror of all the worlds.

  2. This husband of yours has come to the end of the span of his life. Yet, O chaste lady, in your presence, he cannot be led away by my servants. Hence I have come personally.

  3. After saying thus, Yama extracted forcibly the thumbsized inner soul from the body of Satyavrata (Satyavān) by means of his noose.

  4. Then he began to proceed along the path resorted to by Pitṛs. The beautiful lady Sāvitrī too closely followed him.

  • 61-62. Yama spoke to her who was never tired, thanks to the power of her fidelity to her husband. “O Sāvitrī, go back you have traversed here for a Muhūrta. O lady of large eyes, this pathway cannot be traversed by anyone.”

Sāvitrī said:

  1. I have no fatigue, I am not tired. Following my husband is never tiresome especially in the presence of an exalted person (like you).

  2. Good people are the only resort unto good people, none else. Husband is the permanent resort unto women. The Veda is the sole resort unto all the castes and stages of life and preceptor is the ultimate resort unto disciples.

  3. There is a place of rest and refuge on the earth for all living beings. But excepting the husband alone, there is no place of resort unto women.

  4. The son of the Sun-god (Yama) was pleased with these and such other equally sweet words couched in righteousness. He spoke to Sāvitrī:

....

English Translation by G.V. Tagare.





2. The story is also referenced in the Matsya Purana - Chapter 208.




3. Brahmavaivarta Puran.

  • Also mentioned in the Brahmavaivarta Purana - Chapter 24, Prakriti Khanda. (Sanskrit Text + English) translation may be accessed from here & the Gita Press only Hindi version from here (page 206).



4. Vishnudharmottara Purana:



To Conclude -

  • Besides Mahabharata, and other Puranas, the story of Satyavan-Savitri finds mentioned in:
    • Skanda Purana,
    • Matsya Purana, and
    • Brahmavaivarta Purana,
    • Vishnudharmottara Purana, and
    • Devi Bhagavatam, (already answered on this thread)
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