Eighteen Years of Offerings

A king who offered ten thousand oblations every day for eighteen years was told by the goddess Savitri — not a son, but a radiant daughter will be yours

Eighteen years of vows

Wishing for offspring, Ashvapati took up rigid vows — celibacy, frugal fare, mastery over his senses. Every day he offered ten thousand oblations to the fire and recited mantras in honour of the goddess Savitri, eating temperately just once, around the sixth hour of the day. He kept this vow for eighteen full years.

When the eighteen years were complete, the goddess Savitri was pleased. She appeared to the king in embodied form, straight out of the sacrificial fire, and said — "I am gratified by your celibacy, your purity, your self-restraint, and your devotion. Ask for the boon you desire, Ashvapati — but never show disregard for virtue."

Ashvapati said — "It is for the sake of virtue that I undertook this vow. O goddess, may many sons worthy of my line be born to me — the twice-born have told me that great merit lies in having offspring."

A daughter, not a son

The goddess Savitri answered — "King, I had already spoken to the Grandsire about this very wish of yours. By Brahma's own favour, a daughter of great energy will soon be born to you on earth. Do not question this — I tell it to you, pleased, and at the Grandsire's own command."

Ashvapati said "So be it," and thanked the goddess once more, saying "May this happen soon." The goddess vanished, and the king returned to his own city, and ruled his subjects righteously.

Some time later his queen Malavi conceived, and in time bore a daughter with eyes like lotus petals. That best of kings joyfully performed the customary rites for her. Since this gift had come through the oblations offered to the goddess Savitri, both her father and the Brahmins named the girl Savitri.

The one none dared approach

Princess Savitri grew up as radiant as the goddess Sri herself. When she reached the age of youth, her beauty was such that people said — "We have beheld a goddess."

But overwhelmed by her radiance and splendour, not a single prince found the courage to ask for her hand.

On the day of a festival, after fasting and bathing, she presented herself before the family deity and had the Brahmins offer oblations at the sacred fire with due rites. Taking the flowers offered to the god, that lady, beautiful as Sri herself, went to her exalted father. Reverencing his feet and offering him those flowers, she stood beside the king with joined hands. Seeing his own daughter, who resembled a celestial maiden, arrived at youth and still unsought, the king grew sad.

Note: This episode is clear in Ganguli's translation — ten thousand oblations every day, an eighteen-year vow, and a daughter granted in place of a son, all appear exactly as written in the original. The king's not questioning the goddess — she says plainly that this comes by Brahma's own command, and that he should not question it — is also directly from the text. The English dialogue lines are flowing paraphrases of the Sanskrit verses, not word-for-word translations.

Source: Mahabharata, Vana Parva — Pativrata-mahatmya Parva, Eighteen Years of Offerings