Satyavān of Tejahpura

Satyavān was the king of Tejahpura. He was the son of King Ṛtambhara, who had no child and gained him through pūjā of the cow, on the advice of the ṛṣi Jābāli. The Padma Mahā Purāṇa calls Satyavān a jīvanmukta (one freed while alive) and a devoted bhakta of Rāma.

This Satyavān is a different person from the well-known Satyavān, the husband of Sāvitrī.

Birth and character

King Ṛtambhara honoured the cow with many vows, on the advice of Jābāli, and Satyavān was born to him. He is described as adorned with many virtues and having great charm.

Sumati, the minister of Śatrughna, described him in these words. He is a king who is freed while living. He is a bee that rests on the lotus of Rāma’s excellent feet. He knows the yajñas and all their parts, he performs yajñas, and he is a great protector.

The city of Tejahpura

Satyavān ruled Tejahpura, a city of great spiritual feeling on the banks of the Gaṅgā. Monasteries full of ascetics made the city beautiful. The Gaṅgā flowed past it, carrying swans and ducks, and hosts of ṛṣis came to its banks. In every brāhmaṇa house, the smoke of the sacred fire purified those whose minds were full of pāpa (sin). The temples of the devas shone throughout the city.

Meeting with Śatrughna

When Rāma’s Aśvamedha horse came to Tejahpura, it was received with great honour. Śatrughna saw the righteous beauty of the city and asked his minister, “Whose city is this, which gives joy to my mind because it is protected by dharma?” Sumati told him of Satyavān’s lineage and qualities. Śatrughna then received Satyavān with honour.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapters 30–32