In the land of India, in Chandanagar of Hooghly, was born a merchant named Joydhor Sadagar. He had three sons—Madan, Kamdev, and Sundar.
Before his death, Joydhor called his elder two sons, Madan and Kamdev, and entrusted them with the care of their youngest brother, Sundar. After Joydhor passed away, the three brothers performed his last rites together.
Some time passed. Then, Madan and Kamdev decided to set out for distant lands to trade. Before departing, they left their younger brother Sundar in the care of their wives, Sumoti and Kumoti. At that time, Sundar was attending a traditional village school (paathshala) to study.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Madan and Kamdev set sail on the river to begin their trading journey.
“Incense and sandalwood burn, while conch shells loudly blow,
With prayers to their guardian deity, they set their boats afloat.
‘Bravo! Bravo!’ cried the merchants with pride,
At the king’s command, the anchors they untied.”
For six long months, the boats drifted along the waters.
Eventually, they reached the kingdom of a certain king, where they docked their boats.
Stepping ashore, they entered the royal court and began trading goods with the king.
Thus, many days passed in that distant land.
Meanwhile, there was something no one knew—Sumati and Kumati, the wives of the merchants, were not ordinary women. They were dakinis, sinister beings with magical powers. That’s why they never left the house during the day. But as soon as night fell, they would chant spells and ride off on tree branches, flying to distant lands.
One night, young Sundar suddenly woke up and noticed his sisters-in-law were not at home. He grew deeply anxious—where could two young women possibly go in the dead of night? But just before dawn, they returned. They sweet-talked Sundar and lulled him back to sleep.
However, Sundar was a clever boy. He soon realized the truth—that his sisters-in-law were, in fact, dakinis. Fearing that Sundar had uncovered their secret, Sumati and Kumati plotted to kill him.
One day, they lovingly cooked a meal for him. After feeding him, they struck his chest with a blood-drenched arrow. Blood gushed from his mouth in spurts. Believing him dead, the two sisters-in-law took Sundar’s lifeless body and threw it deep into the forest.
By the boundless grace of Satyapir, the holy saint appeared in the jungle beside Sundar’s broken body. Using his divine powers, he gently revived the boy. Sundar stirred back to life once more and, miraculously restored, returned home.
Seeing Sundar alive again, Sumati and Kumati were stunned.
“How did he survive again?!” they gasped in disbelief.
Terrified that their secret might finally be exposed, they hatched yet another cruel plan—this time, to cut Sundar into two pieces.
One night, while Sundar lay peacefully asleep, the two sisters-in-law crept into his room, took a blade, and severed his head from his body. They carried the parts deep into the forest and left them there, believing the boy gone forever.
**“Weeping bitterly, Sundar cried to Satyapir—
‘Sumati and Kumati took a knife to my neck, dear!’
With both hands, they split me—cold and unfair,
Left me in pieces, scattered in despair.”**
But once again, by Satyapir’s compassion, Sundar’s body was made whole. The saint’s blessings breathed life back into him—and the boy opened his eyes, alive for the third time.
When Sundar returned home once again, the two witches—Sumati and Kumati—were completely shocked.
How could he still be alive after everything they had done?
That night, as Sundar slept, they crept into his room once more.
This time, they cut him into seven pieces, carried his body deep into the forest, and buried the parts under the earth.
But even then, when Sundar remembered Satyapir in his heart, the holy saint appeared once again and restored him to life.
Having come back from death yet again, Sundar finally made a decision—
He no longer wanted to return home.
What was the point of going back
to a house that only waited
with death at the doorstep,
again and again?
He would rather become a companion of the Pir, choosing to stay by his side than return to a home filled with betrayal.
Hearing this, Satyapir spoke gently to Sundar,
“There is a beautiful maiden named Bimla, daughter of King Giridhar of the distant land of Kaur Desh.
Her swayamvara is to be held today, and I shall arrange your marriage with her.”
Saying this, the Pir took Sundar to a magical tree, and hid him within its enchanted bark, preparing for the moment of destiny.
Meanwhile, Sumati and Kumati also heard whispers of Bimla’s swayamvara.
Curious and eager to witness the royal wedding, the two witches decided to travel to Kaur Desh as well.
“When the night deepens and the stars are high,
The witches climb the tree with a sly, dark eye.
Spells on their tongues, their hearts full of schemes,
Riding the winds, chasing wicked dreams.
With chants and mantras they summon their might,
The tree soars through air like a bird in flight.”
Satyapir, cloaked in the guise of a humble sannyasi, took Sundar with him to the royal court.
By the grace of the Pir, Sundar’s beauty doubled,
as if the moonlight itself had settled upon his face.
His radiance left everyone awestruck—no one had seen a young man quite like him before.
As the grand swayamvara began, Goddess Bhagavati herself appeared before Bimla, shimmering with divine light.
She whispered to the princess,
“Why do you worry, dear child?
Look closely—there sits your destined husband beside the sannyasi.
I have written your fate long ago.
Place the garland around Sundar’s neck—he is the one.”
With trembling hands and a heart full of wonder, Bimla obeyed the Goddess’s command.
She walked to Sundar, eyes locked with his, and gently placed the garland around his neck.
The court gasped in amazement.
King Giridhar, seeing the divine hand in this union, arranged a grand wedding ceremony,
with music, lights, lavish gifts, and celebration that echoed through the entire kingdom.
After the wedding, Sundar and his bride Bimla returned to their chambers.
Exhausted from the day’s grandeur and joy, they soon fell into a deep sleep, wrapped in each other’s embrace.
Meanwhile, Sumati and Kumati, who had come riding on the magical tree to witness the ceremony,
prepared to return home under the cover of night.
But just then, Satyapir appeared in Sundar’s dream.
“Sundar,” he said gently,
“if you do not return to the magical tree now,
you will never find your way back home again.”
Startled, Sundar woke up.
He looked at his sleeping wife—peaceful, radiant even in slumber.
Not wanting to leave her without a clue,
he took a bit of kohl from her own eyeliner and wrote on the edge of her sari’s pallu:
“I am Sundar, son of Joydhur Soudagor,
born in Chandannagar,
I will return—wait for me.”
With a heavy heart, he stepped away.
At that moment, Satyapir returned, cloaking him once more in invisibility.
He took Sundar and hid him inside the hollow of the magical tree,
just as Sumati and Kumati were preparing for their homeward journey.
Sumati and Kumati returned home after leaving the magical tree in its place, feeling confident about their plans.
But as soon as they entered the house, they were astonished to find Sundar back home.
How could this be?
Even after they had cut him into seven pieces, he was still alive. They couldn’t comprehend why Sundar wouldn’t die, no matter what they did.
Frustrated, they came up with a new scheme: they would turn Sundar into a bird.
They fetched medicinal roots and fed them to Sundar, casting a spell. As soon as he consumed the roots, Sundar transformed into a bird.
The bird, with a flap of its wings, soared into the sky, flying away to Satyapir’s abode.
“With the medicinal roots,
they bound him with magical threads,
transforming him into a bird,
and Sundar flew away,
carried by Satyapir to his sacred abode.”
Now, Sundar was beyond their reach.
He flew towards Satyapir and would no longer be under the control of Sumati and Kumati.
Bimla woke up and found her husband, Sundar, missing from her side. She immediately began crying uncontrollably. Her tears were so intense that her maids rushed to her side, and even the queen came running in to see what had happened.
After listening to Bimla’s tale of sorrow, the queen also started crying.
But suddenly, the queen noticed something strange: on Bimla’s saree, there were beautifully written details of Sundar’s full description. It was written neatly, indicating that Sundar had some divine connection.
This revelation silenced them for a moment. After seeing the saree and realizing that it could be a clue, the queen and Bimla decided to consult the king.
The king, after hearing the full story, was deeply troubled but could not find any immediate solution.
In an effort to help, Bimla insisted, “I want to go to my husband’s land. Please arrange for me to be sent there.”
Moved by her plea, the king arranged a boat for Bimla and sent her off with various gifts and provisions.
With the help of the royal escort, Bimla was sent on her journey to Chandannagar, where she hoped to reunite with her husband Sundar.
Bimla arrived in Chandannagar and immediately sought information about Sundar’s whereabouts. But to her sorrow, Sumati and Kumati informed her that Sundar was not at home and no one knew where he had gone. Overwhelmed by grief, Bimla began crying uncontrollably.
At that moment, a white fly appeared out of nowhere and landed on her shoulder. To her surprise, the fly began to speak, revealing itself to be Satyapir in disguise.
The white fly spoke comfortingly to Bimla:
“Do not cry, dear daughter. Your husband, Sundar, is here, and he will return to you very soon.”
The fly, in the form of Satyapir, reassured her and gave her hope that her husband was not lost, and that she would reunite with him soon.
Bimla calmed down after hearing Satyapir’s comforting words. She decided to stay at Sumati and Kumati’s house, hoping that Sundar would return soon, as promised by the divine intervention.
Meanwhile, Sundar, who had turned into a golden bird and was hiding in the forest, was unknowingly being targeted by some bird hunters. As the hunters scoured the forest, Satyapir used his mystical powers to hide all the birds among the leaves of the trees.
When the hunters were about to leave, disappointed by the lack of birds, Satyapir appeared before them. He directed them towards Sundar, who had taken the form of a golden bird, and said:
“There, see that golden bird. Take it with you. You can sell it for a lot of money in the market.”
The hunters, seeing the golden bird, were overjoyed. They thanked Satyapir profusely and captured Sundar (in his bird form), locking him in a cage before heading towards the market, unaware that they were dealing with the transformed Sundar.
Madan and Kamdev were on their way home when they passed through the market and saw the golden bird. The sight of it instantly reminded them of their younger brother Sundar, who had once expressed a desire to bring home such a bird. Realizing that this golden bird could be the one he was referring to, they decided to buy it.
They paid 1,000 rupees for the bird, which was a large sum, and with the precious golden bird now in a cage, they set off for home in their boat.
“Whoever gives a thousand rupees will own this golden bird, ”Madan and Kamdev thought, and upon hearing this, They gave a thousand rupees, and bought the bird, And took it home, keeping it safe inside the cage.”
Madan and Kamdev returned home with the golden bird and immediately inquired about their younger brother, Sundar. However, when they asked Sumati and Kumati about him, they were met with an unexpected and shocking response.
Sumati and Kumati claimed, “Since you left, Sundar has gone astray. He sleeps during the day and sneaks around peeking into girls’ windows at night. One day, he even married a rakshasi (a demoness) and brought her home. Eventually, it was that rakshasi’s poison that took his life.”
Upon hearing these devastating words, Madan and Kamdev were struck with disbelief and sorrow. Overcome with grief, they collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably. The news of Sundar’s death crushed their hearts, and the brothers were unable to comprehend how such a tragic fate had befallen their beloved sibling.
As Sumati and Kumati told Madan and Kamdev about Sundar’s fate, they also gave them one final piece of advice: “What good is it to keep crying? Sundar’s wife is still alive, and this golden bird belongs to her. Take it to her, let her care for it, and perhaps it will remind her of Sundar.”
In a state of deep sorrow and confusion, Madan and Kamdev took the golden bird and went to Bimla, Sundar’s wife, delivering the bird to her along with their message. Upon receiving it, Bimla’s heart shattered. She wailed in grief, the loss of her husband Sundar consuming her entirely. She cursed her fate and hit her head in despair, overwhelmed by the pain of being widowed.
As Bimla cried, Satyapir, the mystical figure, appeared to her in a dream. In her dream, he spoke, “That golden bird is Sundar himself. There is a magical root tied to the bird’s head. If you remove it, Sundar will regain his human form.”
Waking up in shock from the dream, Bimla hurriedly took the bird’s cage and gently removed the magical root tied to its head. In an instant, the bird transformed back into Sundar, standing before her, alive once more.
Bimla’s joy knew no bounds as she embraced her beloved Sundar, thanking the gods and Satyapir for the miracle that had reunited them.
**“On his head was bound a magical root,
At that moment, the princess of the king removed it,
By the power of the medicine, the saint turned into a bird,
As soon as the root was undone, the saint returned to human form.”**
Sundar, now back in his human form, stood before Bimla, who, overwhelmed with emotions, fell at his feet and began crying. Seeing her grief, Sundar shared with her everything that had happened, explaining the magical transformations, the battles with death, and his journey back to life.
After hearing Sundar’s story, Bimla couldn’t hold back her sorrow. She once again tied the magical root around Sundar’s head, transforming him into a bird to protect him, as she feared the wrath of Sumati and Kumati.
That night, Bimla invited Madan and Kamdev to dinner. As the two brothers sat down to eat, Bimla questioned them about Sundar’s whereabouts. Upon hearing this, Madan and Kamdev broke into another round of heartbreaking tears. But Bimla, determined to end their sorrow, reassured them, saying, “I know where Sundar is. Just wait here, I will bring him back.”
Bimla’s resolve was clear. With hope in her heart, she set out to reunite her beloved Sundar with his brothers and put an end to the suffering.
Bimla, with determination and hope, took the birdcage and removed the magical root from Sundar’s head. Instantly, Sundar transformed back into his human form. Overwhelmed with joy and relief, Madan and Kamdev embraced Sundar, tears streaming down their faces. They asked him everything, and Sundar, now ready to reveal the truth, shared all the hidden secrets of Sumati and Kumati.
Upon hearing the full story from Sundar, Madan and Kamdev were filled with rage and fury. In a fit of anger, they ordered the servants to dig a large pit in the yard. Once the pit was ready, the two brothers went to Sumati and Kumati, warning them, “Tonight, there may be thieves in the house. Gather your precious belongings and hide in the pit.”
Panicked, Sumati and Kumati quickly gathered their gold and jewelry and hid in the pit. However, as soon as they were inside, Madan and Kamdev signaled to the servants, who threw logs over the pit and set them on fire. The two sisters, trapped in the pit, screamed in agony as they were burned alive.
The end of Sumati and Kumati marked the final chapter in the story of Sundar’s suffering. The brothers, who had been tormented by the deception and cruelty of their sisters, finally found peace.
The two brothers, Madan and Kamdev, had finally dealt with the wickedness of Sumati and Kumati. After the tragic end of their sisters, they gathered around the pit where the sisters had perished and set up wooden logs in an orderly fashion. They then set the logs on fire, as a symbolic act of retribution for all the suffering caused by the deceitful duo.
To honor the divine intervention that had helped them, Madan and Kamdev performed a grand Satyapir worship, making offerings and preparing sweets for the poor people of the country. They shared their blessings with the community, and this act of kindness filled the hearts of all who witnessed it. From that moment on, they lived their lives in peace, blessed by Satyapir, whose name was revered by many as Satyanarayan.
As a result of their newfound faith and the blessings of the Satyapir, the brothers prospered, and the people of the land were grateful for the generosity and respect they showed to others. Satyapir’s name became sacred, remembered by all as a symbol of truth and divine justice.