Love By Moonlight

As the campers settled, they noticed a silvery shiny aura coming their way. Instincts would tell them to be afraid, but for some reason they stayed frozen, almost mezmerized. The moon was coming down to tell them his stories. No one asked questions, they just listened....

There was never a love so great or so devoted as that of dear Savitri and her Satyavan….



Savitri was an extraordinary woman. The kind of woman who any man would be lucky to be married to. When she met and fell in love with Satyavan she knew what she was getting herself into but she did not care. He only had one year left to live. The first instant she saw him she loved him and wanted to be his wife.

 She was determined not only to make that the best year of his life, but she was also determined to heal him through the power of love. They spent their days taking long walks in the gardens. They spent their nights lying under the moonlight and looking into each other’s eyes. It pained Savitri to watch Satyavan’s body slowly deteriorate, but she never gave up hope that she had the power to heal him with her love. She ended each night by looking up at the sky, closing her eyes and willing him to stay alive.

So the dreaded day came when Savitri knew her husband had to die. She awoke that morning knowing something was different. The air no longer smelled of sweet lilac and lilies. The birds no longer sang. It was the first morning when she awoke to darkness. Usually the playful sunlight would dance upon their faces to wake them up. It was almost as if the sun was waking them up early so they could spend more time together. This morning, however, the sun let them sleep. It was as if the sun knew Savitri would need her strength for the hard day ahead.

Satyavan awoke with a smile, and then solemnly walked out into the forest. Savitri insisted on following him. She wanted to spend every last moment with him. She sat quietly as he chopped wood. Suddenly Savitri’s heart skipped a beat and  Satyavan fell to the ground. She scooped up his head in her hands as he lay practically lifeless in her arms. She kept repeating in her head, I love you, I love you, I love you….

Suddenly, Yama, the god of death, appeared and she knew it was time. She fought back tears because she knew she needed to stay strong. She pleaded with Yama, stating that her love would go to waste if he took Satyavan because she would never love anyone again. She told Yama of her willingness to do anything to save his life. She also told him how she knew she could heal him through her love and devotion. Yama knew all of these things. He had watched Savitri every night and day and was touched by her devotion to Satyavan.

Yama slowly took Satyavan’s spirit and began walking deeper into the forest. Savitri followed him, unwilling to give up hope. Yama was so impressed with her dedication that he agreed to grant her anything she wished, except for the life of her husband.

Savitri quickly thought of the perfect idea. She asked for one hundred sons. She knew this would force Yama to give back her husband’s life. She pleaded with Yama and decided she had to make a bargain. She asked Yama to cut her years short so that her beloved could have half of her life.  Yama was so pleased with Savitri’s determination that he granted her boons and returned her husband's life.

As Satyavan slowly awoke, Savitri ran her fingers through his perfect, dark hair. She thought of how wonderful and powerful love is. Savitri felt like she could do anything in the world now, as long as Satyavan was by her side.

After the story ended Anna felt as if this story was meant for her and Taylor. She looked at Taylor in the eyes and knew from that moment on that everything would be okay as long as they continued to love eachother and fight together....


Author’s Note: This is one of my favorite stories of all time. Savitri was cautioned by everyone not to marry Satyavan because he only had one year to live. She married him anyways and pretty much willed him to live. She fought for his life by agreeing to never give up the hope that he might live forever. She chose right from the beginning to not focus on negativity, and instead focused on love, which is the most powerful thing in the world. She knew if she asked Yama for sons, he would have to restore Satyavan’s life.

Coverpage
Introduction
Story Two
Story Three


Bibliography:

Buck, William. Ramayana. Berkeley: University of California Press, Ltd., Ltd., 1976. 182-189. "Immortal Love Legends: Savitri and Satyavan". March 1, 2009.