King Samvarana Marries Tapati – Stories from Adi Parva

King Samvarana was an ancestor of the Pandavas who married Tapati (the river goddess), the daughter of Vivasvat (Surya Deva). 

Tapati was the younger daughter of Vivasvat, born after Savitri. She was a mesmerizing beauty with symmetrical features and an unblemished face. She was also known for her devotion to austerities. Surya Deva wanted to find a worthy groom for her when she reached the marriageable age. He searched among the devas, gandharvas, yakshas, and others only to find the right man on earth. Vivasvat zeroed in on King Samvarana, the son of Riksha of the Kuru lineage. Samvarana was a worshipper of the sun and performed many yagnas to ensure the prosperity of his kingdom. He was also a capable warrior and an efficient ruler. 

Once, Samvarana went on a hunt in a forest. He was tired, hungry, and thirsty. When his horse died, Samvarana climbed up a hill to search for food. Instead, he saw the most beautiful woman doing tapasya. She was so angelic that Samvarana thought he got a darshan of Goddess Lakshmi. The sun’s rays further enhanced her beauty. Samvarana fell in love with her. He asked her who she was and said he had never seen someone as ethereal as her. 

However, Tapati didn’t reply. He continued to talk to her but she vanished. Samvarana searched the entire region, hoping to find her in vain. When it didn’t happen, he was dejected and disappointed. His body was so exhausted that he fell unconscious. 

Tapati appeared to help him regain his consciousness. Samvarana was delighted to see her again and proposed marriage immediately. Tapati replied that her marriage would be her father’s decision. She said she would be happy to marry him but he should wait for the right time and approach Vivasvat to ask for her hand. She then rose high into the sky and disappeared again. The king fell unconscious again. 

A while later, Samvarana’s ministers arrived at the spot, searching for him. The minister helped the king sit and gave him water to drink. Once he recovered, the king sent everyone back to the kingdom and took a bath to purify himself. Then, he prayed to the family purohit and his guru, Rishi Vashishtha. Hearing his call, Vashishtha arrived at the site on the twelfth day. Samvarana bowed to the rishi and requested his help. Vashishtha agreed. He went to Vivasvat and recommended Samvarana as a suitable groom for Tapati. 

Surya Deva accepted the recommendation. He sent Tapati with the rishi to get her married to Samvarana. The king was overjoyed to find the rishi return to the hilltop with the lady. They got married according to the rituals and were blessed by Vashishtha. Samvarana sent a message to his ministers to take care of the kingdom. He stayed back in the forest with Tapati.

The couple spent happy times there for twelve years. However, the lack of a king’s presence affected the kingdom. There was no rain for the entire duration. Severe drought hit the land, and the citizens suffered. 

Vashishtha advised Samvarana and Tapati to return to the kingdom as it wasn’t right that the ruler stay away from his responsibilities. The rishi supervised the yagna conducted by the king. As soon as they entered the kingdom, the clouds began to rain. Very soon, the Kuru kingdom was prosperous and wealthy again. Samvarana and Tapati continued to rule for a long time.