The Banyan tree is an evergreen fig which is known in Hindu mythology as the wish-fulfilling tree and the tree of life and fertility. Every year, in many parts of India, the festival of Vat Purnima¹ is observed. During those three days, women fast and pray for the well-being of their husbands, as they walk around a chosen Banyan tree and tie a thread around its trunk. This festival is associated with the legend of Savithri.
The legend of Savithri
The noble king Aswapati reigned over Madra, a prosperous country. As the years rolled by, worry gripped his mind, for he had no children. With the aim of seeking a boon, Aswapati undertook austerities and prayed to the goddess Savithri to appear before him. After eighteen years of penance, one fine day the goddess Savithri appeared and offered to grant the king a favor.
When Aswapati asked for many sons worthy of his lineage, the goddess Savithri smiled and said that he would soon beget a daughter of great energy. Saying so, she disappeared. Soon, the king's wife had a daughter, and he named her Savithri in honor of the goddess who had bestowed the gift.
When she came of age, Savithri resembled a celestial being, but she also possessed such a burning splendor that no man came forward to marry her. Ultimately, her exasperated father Aswapati told Savithri to find a partner for herself. Taking her father's words as a command, Savithri set forth on a journey to find her life partner.
In a distant forest, Savithri came upon a handsome young woodcutter. He was graceful in limb, tall, broad-shouldered, gifted with the strength of mad elephants, and free from fear or affliction. He had sparkling eyes and great sensitivity. It was love at first sight.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Conscience with Love for Peace - Loveforce can be learned, and I guide people to experience it in the "Be the Love"
Sofia Stril-Rever shares her experience of the Mahotsav in Kanha Shanti Vanam at the United Nations, during International Day of Conscience with Love for Peace on April 5, 2024. Her call to action is to turn planet Earth into planet love.
A Model City of PEACE AND HARMONY
MUHAMMED HANIFF ABDUL RAZAK, Coordinator at the Multi-Faith Multicultural Center and Pure Land Learning College, shares how their organization has been involved in building social and cultural harmony in diversity in the city of Toowoomba in Australia. Their vision for peace is practical and based on the vision of the Venerable Master Chin Kung A.M. who founded their organization.
Wings of Gratitude
SARA BUBBER shares a story about shifting from misery to joy through a simple practice of gratitude. She then shares some tips on gratitude and asks us to do some fun activities.
expressing the inexpressible
On May 14, 2024, at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, DAAJI was interviewed by GUILA CLARA KESSOUS, the UNESCO Artist for Peace, and Ambassador for Peace of the Universal Circle of Ambassadors of Peace (Geneva) about art.
Becoming Nature
EMILIE MOGENSEN rekindles a correspondence with her father, THOMAS MOGENSEN, which she started in her youth. Years later, she now asks him about what truly matters to him after a lifetime of meditation, spirituality, and living in the world.
Unveiling the Power of Chyavanprash with Astavarga
SRAVAN BANDA presents one of the most common household remedies used throughout India today, Chyavanprash. Although ancient, it is just as popular now, and is well-known for boosting the immune system.
Exploring the Topic of Care In Literature
Professor LAURA OTIS of Emory University shares with KASHISH KALWANI the list of books chosen for the course \"Representation of Care in Literature,\" and why those particular books are significant.
Right, Wrong, and the Morals of Ethics
PAUL WOLPE lives and breathes ethics. He speaks with one of his ex-students and one of our editors, KASHISH KALWANI, about how we rely on ethical decision in everyday life-at work, in our families, and also for ourselves. Professor Wolpe also discusses how ethics, values, and morals are connected and how they are very rarely about right and wrong.
Collaborative Leadership
DR. ICHAK ADIZES presents an overview of his recent book, The Power of Collaborative Leadership: Tested Practices for Today's World. It includes the key organizational concepts of the Adizes methodology, but in their next generational form based on mutual trust and respect in action. He also invites us to join him in sharing this journey toward collaboration and synergy @work.
INVISIBLE Gardens
PIR ZIA INAYAT KHAN, the esteemed Sufi scholar and a key luminary of the 2024 Global Spirituality Mahotsav at Kanha Shanti Vanam, describes the Sufi concept of the \"Invisible Gardens\" of our lives.
