Tapatyopakhyana: The story of Tapati

That one in heaven who pervades by his light the whole firmament, the Sun, had a daughter named Tapati equal unto himself. Tapati, the daughter of the god Vivaswat, was the younger sister of Savitri, and she was celebrated throughout the three worlds and devoted to ascetic penances. There was no woman amongst the celestials, the Asuras, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Apsaras, and the Gandharvas, who was equal to her in beauty. Of perfect, symmetrical and faultless features, of black and large eyes, and in beautiful attire, the girl was chaste and of perfect conduct. Seeing her, Savitri the sun thought that there was none in the three worlds who, for his beauty, accomplishments, behaviour, and learning, deserved to be her husband. Beholding her attain the age of puberty and, therefore, worthy of being bestowed on a husband, her father knew no peace of mind, always thinking of the person he should select. At that time, Riksha's son, that bull amongst the Kurus, the mighty king Samvarana, was duly worshipping Surya with offerings of Arghya and flower-garlands and scents, and with vows and fasts and ascetic penances of various kinds. Indeed, Samvarana was worshipping Surya constantly in all his glory, with devotion and humility and piety. Beholding Samvarana conversant with all rules of virtue and unequalled on earth for beauty, Surya regarded him as the fit husband for his daughter, Tapati. Vivaswat then resolved to bestow his daughter on that best of kings, Samvarana. As Surya himself in the heavens fills the firmament with his splendour, so did king Samvarana on earth fill every region with the splendour of his good achievements. All men, except Brahmanas, worshipped Samvarana. Blessed with good luck, king Samvarana excelled Soma in soothing the hearts of friends and Surya in scorching the hearts of foes. Tapana Surya himself was resolved upon bestowing his daughter Tapati upon king Samvarana, who was possessed of such virtues and accomplishments.

Once on a time, king Samvarana, endued with beauty and immeasurable prowess, went on a hunting expedition to the under-woods on the mountain-breast. While wandering in quest of deer, the excellent steed the king rode, overcome, with hunger, thirst and fatigue, died on the mountains. Abandoning the steed, the king, began to wander about upon the mountain-breast on foot and in course of his wandering the monarch saw a maiden of large eyes and unrivalled beauty, That tiger among kings, himself without a companion, beholding there that maiden without a companion, stood motionless gazing at her steadfastly. For her beauty, the monarch for some moment believed her to be the goddess Sri herself. Next he regarded her to be the embodiment of the rays emanating from Surya. In splendour of her person she resembled a flame of fire, though in benignity and loveliness she resembled a spotless digit of the moon. Standing on the mountain-breast, the black-eyed maiden appeared like a bright statue of gold. The mountain itself with its creepers and plants, because of the beauty and attire of that damsel, seemed to be converted into gold. The sight of that maiden inspired the monarch with a contempt for all women that he had seen before. By beholding her, the king regarded his eye-sight truly blessed. Nothing the king had seen from the day of his birth could equal, he thought, the beauty of that girl. The king's heart and eyes were captivated by that damsel, as if they were bound with a cord and he remained rooted to that spot, deprived of his senses. The monarch thought that the artificer of so much beauty had created it only after churning the whole world of gods Asuras and human beings. Entertaining these various thoughts, king Samvarana regarded that maiden as unrivalled in the three worlds for wealth of beauty.

The monarch of pure descent, beholding the beautiful maiden, was pierced with Kama's shafts and lost his peace of mind. Burnt with the strong flame of desire the king asked that charming maiden, still innocent, though in her full youth, saying, “Who are you and whose? Why also do you stay here? O you of sweet smiles, why do you wander alone in these solitary woods? Of every feature perfectly faultless, and decked with every ornament, you seem to be the coveted ornament of these ornaments themselves! You seem not to be of celestial or Asura or Yaksha or Rakshasa or Naga or Gandharva or human origin. O excellent lady, the best of women that I have ever seen or heard of would not compare with you in beauty! O you of handsome face, at sight of you lovelier than the moon and graced with eyes like lotus-petals, the god of desire is grinding me.”

King Samvarana thus addressed that damsel in the forest, who however, spoke not a word unto the monarch burning with desire. Instead, like lightning in the clouds, that large-eyed maiden quickly disappeared in the very sight of the monarch. The king then wandered through the whole forest, like one out of his senses, in search of that girl of eyes like lotus-petals. Failing to find her, that best of monarchs indulged in copious lamentations and for a time stood motionless with grief.

When that maiden disappeared, that feller of hostile ranks deprived of his senses by Kama himself fell down on the earth. As the monarch fell down, that maiden of sweet smiles and prominent and round hips appeared again before him, and smiling sweetly, said unto that perpetuator of Kuru's race these honeyed words, “Rise, rise, O chastiser of foes! Blessed be you; it beholds you not, O tiger among kings, to lose your reason, a celebrated man as you are in the world.” Addressed in these honeyed words, the king opened his eyes and saw before him that selfsame girl of swelling hips. The monarch who was burning with the flame of desire then addressed that black-eyed damsel in accents, weak with emotion, and said, “Blessed be you O excellent woman of black eyes! As I am burning with desire and paying you court, accept me! My life is ebbing away. For your sake it is, that Kama is incessantly piercing me with his keen shafts without stopping for a moment! I have been bitten by Kama who is even like a venomous viper. Have mercy on me! My life now depends on you! Without you, I am unable to live! Kama is piercing me incessantly! Be merciful unto me! It becomes you not to cast me off; it beholds you to relieve me from such affliction by giving me your love! At first sight you have attracted my heart. My mind wanders! Beholding you I like not to cast my eyes on any other woman! Be merciful! I am your obedient slave--your adorer! Accept me! At the sight of you, the god of desire has entered my heart, and is piercing me with his shafts! The flame of desire burns within me! Extinguish that flame with the water of your love poured on it! By becoming mine, pacify you the irrepressible god of desire that has appeared here armed with his deadly bow and arrows and that is piercing me incessantly with those keen shafts of his! Wed me according to the Gandharva form, for, of all forms of marriage the Gandharva has been said to be the best.”

Hearing those words of the monarch, Tapati made answer, “O king, I am not the mistress of my own self! Be it known that I am a maiden under the control of my father. If you really entertain an affection for me, demand me of my father. You say that your heart has been robbed by me. But you also has, at first sight, robbed me of my heart; I am not the mistress of my body, and therefore, I do not approach you; women are never independent. What girl is there in the three worlds that would not desire you for her husband, as you are kind unto all your dependents and as you are born in a pure race? Therefore, when the opportunity comes, ask my father Aditya for my hand with worship, ascetic penances, and vows. If my father bestows me upon you, then, I shall ever be your obedient wife. My name is Tapati and I am the younger sister of Savitri, and the daughter of Savitri, of Sun the illuminator of the universe.”

Saying this, Tapati of faultless features, ascended the skies. The monarch thereupon again fell down on the earth. His ministers and followers searching for him throughout the forest at length came upon him lying on that solitary spot, and beholding that excellent king, that mighty bowman, thus lying forsaken on the ground like a rainbow dropped from the firmament, his minister-in-chief became like one burnt by a flame of fire. Advancing hastily with affection and respect, the minister raised that best of monarchs lying prostrate on the ground and deprived of his senses by desire. Old in wisdom as in age, old in achievements as in policy, the minister, after having raised the prostrate monarch, became easy in mind. Addressing the king in sweet words that were also for his good, he said, “Blessed be you, O sinless one! Fear not, O tiger among kings!” The minister thought that the monarch, that great feller of hostile ranks in battle, had been lying on the ground overcome with hunger, thirst, and fatigue. The old man then sprinkled over the crownless head of the monarch water that was cold and rendered fragrant with lotus-petals. Slowly regaining his consciousness, the mighty monarch sent away all his attendants with the exception of his minister only. After those attendants had retired at his command, the king sat upon the mountain-breast. Having purified himself duly, the king sat upon that chief of mountains, and began, with joined palms and upturned face, to worship Surya. King Samvarana, that smiter of all foes, thought also of his chief priest Vasishtha, that best of Rishis. The king continued to sit there day and night without intermission. The Brahmana sage Vasishtha came there on the twelfth day: that great Rishi of soul under perfect command knew at once by his ascetic power that the monarch had lost his senses in consequence of Tapati. That virtuous and best of Munis, as soon as he knew this, desirous of benefiting the monarch who was ever observant of vows, addressed him and gave him every assurance. The illustrious Rishi, in the very sight of that monarch, ascended upward to interview Surya, himself possessed of the splendour of that luminary. The Brahmana then approached with joined hands the god of a thousand rays and introduced himself cheerfully unto him, saying, “I am Vasishtha.” Then Vivaswat of great energy said unto that best of Rishis, “Welcome are you, O great Rishi! Tell me what is in your mind. O you of great good fortune, whatever you demand of me, O foremost of eloquent men, I will confer on you, however difficult it may be for me!” Thus addressed by Surya, the Rishi of great ascetic merit, bowing unto the god of light, replied, saying, “O Vibhavasu, this your daughter, Tapati, the younger sister of Savitri, I ask of you for Samvarana! That monarch is of mighty achievements, conversant with virtue, and of high soul. O firmament-ranger, Samvarana will make a worthy husband for your daughter.” Thus addressed by the Rishi Vibhakara, resolved upon bestowing his daughter upon Samvarana, saluted the Rishi, and replied unto him, saying, “Oh, Samvarana is the best of monarchs, you are the best of Rishis, Tapati is the best of women. What should we do, therefore, but bestow her on Samvarana?” With these words, the god Tapana, made over his daughter, Tapati, of every feature perfectly faultless, unto the illustrious Vasishtha to bestow her upon Samvarana. And the great Rishi then accepted the girl, Tapati, and taking leave of Surya, came back to the spot, where that bull amongst the Kurus, of celestial achievements, was. King Samvarana, possessed by love and with his heart fixed on Tapati, beholding that celestial maiden of sweet smiles led by Vasishtha, became exceedingly glad. Tapati of fair eyebrows came down from the firmament like lightning from the clouds, dazzling the ten points of the heavens. The illustrious Rishi Vasishtha of pure soul approached the monarch after the latter's twelve nights' vow was over. It was thus that king Samvarana obtained a wife after having worshipped with like the full moon.

Samvarana, with due rites took Tapati's hand on that mountain-breast which was resorted to by the celestials and the Gandharvas. The royal sage, with the permission of Vasishtha, desired to sport with his wife on that mountain. The king caused Vasishtha, to be proclaimed his regent in his capital and kingdom, in the woods and gardens. Bidding farewell unto the monarch, Vasishtha left him and went away. Samvarana, who sported on that mountain like a celestial, sported with his wife in the woods and the under-woods on that mountain for twelve full years. And, the god of a thousand eyes poured no rain for twelve years on the capital and on the kingdom of that monarch. Then, when that season of drought broke out, the people of that kingdom, as also the trees and lower animals began to die fast. During the continuance of that dreadful drought, not even a drop of dew fell from the skies and no corn grew. The inhabitants in despair, and afflicted with the fear of hunger, left their homes and fled away in all directions. The famished people of the capital and the country began to abandon their wives and children and grew reckless of one another. The people being afflicted with hunger, without a morsel of food and reduced to skeletons, the capital looked very much like the city of the king of the dead, full of only ghostly beings. On beholding the capital reduced to such a state, the illustrious and virtuous and best of Rishis, Vasishtha was resolved upon applying a remedy and brought back unto the city Samvarana, along with his wife, after the latter had passed so long a period in solitude and seclusion. After the king had entered his capital, things became as before, for, when that king came back to his own, the god of a thousand eyes, the slayer of Asuras, poured rain in abundance and caused corn to grow. Revivified by the foremost of virtuous souls the capital and the country became animated with extreme joy. The monarch, with his wife, Tapati, once more performed sacrifices for twelve years, like the lord Indra (god of rain) performing sacrifices with his wife, Sachi.