Week 11 Storytelling: Savitri Outsmarts Death

Savitri was incredibly smart and kind. She always had been the smartest person in her class, ever since she was little. She would never admit to it or brag about it, but everyone knew. It was no different for her when she started medical school. She was among some of the brightest minds in the nation, but she still outshined all of her classmates. Savitri had always been single, and this was one purpose. She didn’t see the need for a relationship before she had established herself.  It was well known among her classmates that she wasn’t interested in romance.
In her third year of medical school, Savitri confided in her best friend that she might be ready to find love. Well, Savitri’s friend told a couple people… and they told a couple people, and after a few days the whole school knew that Savitri might be ready to date. Savitri asked a few boys out for dinner, and they were all very nice. However, none of the first dates led to a second. That was until she met Satyavan.
Satyavan was wise, thoughtful, and kind. He was unlike any man she had ever met. The two began going on dates almost every weekend. Before long, Savitri knew that she had found the man she would marry. As Satyavan started to realize that their relationship was getting more serious, he knew he had to be completely honest with her. He pulled her aside one day and sat her down in private to talk. He told her about the rare disease he was diagnosed with a few months before they started dating. Unfortunately, his doctors said he only had one year to live.
Savitri was devastated, but it didn’t prevent her from loving him. The two were married the following week and began their life together. Savitri dedicated her life to her work. She was working on a big research project- she hoped to find the cure for Satyavan’s disease. She had a sense of urgency that her colleagues couldn’t replicate- her intensity was unparalleled. She researched, experimented, and developed a treatment for animal trial within 8 months. The treatment was successful, but it would take many more months, if not years, for the FDA to approve a human trial. Savitri was running out of time, and Satyavan grew weaker with each passing week. Savitri knew what she had to do. It went against all of the rules, but at this point she didn’t care. She began administering the treatment to Satyavan in secret in their home on the day that his year would’ve been up. Slowly but surely, Satyavan began to rebuild his strength. His doctors were amazed by his progress, and claimed that it had to have been a miracle that saved his life. Satyavan grinned, and glanced over at his wife. “I couldn’t agree more,” he responded.
In the following year, Savitri’s treatment was approved made available to the public. Savitri and Satyavan went on to live a long and happy life together.

Illustration of a hypodermic needle,

Author: zeimusu, Date: Not listed, Source: Free Stock Photos

Author’s Note:

In the original story Savitri gets to take her pick of who will be her husband, and she chooses a man who only has one year to live. These details of the story have remained the same. However, this version of the story takes place in a modern setting. Instead of Savitri literally outsmarting the lord of death, she uses her smarts to prevent the death of her husband by creating a cure for his disease. 

Bibliography:

Mahabharta retold by William Buck and illustrated by Shirley Triest, 1973. Print.

Week 11 Reading Diary B: Stories within Stories

As I continue reading William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata, I find myself discovering new stories that are told within the plot of the epic. For example, the story of Savitri and Satyavan was new to me. It was told by Vyasa to the Pandava brothers and Draupadi out of inspiration for their love. Savitri could have chosen anyone in the world to be her husband, and she allowed herself to fall in love with a man who had only a year to live. They enjoyed their year together, and when the time came, Savitri somehow managed to negotiate/trick the lord of death into reviving her husband. As if that weren't enough, she also managed to restore her father-in-law's vision and kingdom. Draupadi is similar to Savitri. After her husband gambled everything away (including her) she received favor from King Dhritarashtra which drastically improved their situation.

Savitri and Satyavan,

Author: R. Varma, Date: between 1848 and 1906, Source: Wikimedia

Another story I enjoyed was the story of the part-deer-part-boy Rishyasringa and his love for Santa. Rishyasringa had a very strict father who kept him isolated from the world and its pleasures. In fact, Rishyasringa had never really seen other people before. That's why when he met Santa for the first time, he thought she was a boy! He hadn't even learned about women before! The story of their first encounter was so sweet, and his descriptions of his new friend to his father were so innocent. Since he didn't really know how to explain love, he merely said he wanted to be the closest of friends with him (her) for his whole life. I was so relieved and happy that the two ended up together and that, ultimately, the father was supportive.

I look forward to reading more stories within this story, and hope to finish this book within the next couple of weeks!

Week 11 Reading Diary A: Same Epic in a New Way

This week, I am continuing to read William Buck’s retellingof the Mahabharata. One detail in this version of the Mahabharata that was left out of other versions I’ve read/watched was Draupadi’s behavior in the dice game. In this version, she literally punched Duhsasana who attempted to un-robe her. I loved it.

Another story included in this version that I was unfamiliar with was the story of Nala and Damayanti. This was a fascinating love story filled with unexpected twists and turns. One common thread between the story of Nala and Yudhishthira is there inability to turn down a gambling challenge. This frustrates me when I’m reading. Their inability to refuse a challenge (aka their pride/ego/etc) somehow seems to justify their stupid actions. Basically, what I’m saying is, I don’t feel sorry for Nala or Yudhishthira when they lose all of their possessions in a gambling match. In fact, it makes me pretty angry at their character. If I was their wife or family member, I would find it very difficult to forgive them.

One thing that confuses me about the references to dice games in this story is, first of all, how Yudhishthira managed to lose every single throw and second of all how anyone can learn the “science” of dice. I find myself craving more details about the dice used… were they weighted? Did they have magnets in them? Was it an illusion? I think the answer to this question could make for an interesting retelling of the dice match in a storytelling assignment.

The ordeal of Queen Draupadi,

Author: Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936; Goble, Warwick, Date: 1913, Source: Wikimedia