Aurobindo 124 Savitri Book 8

An appreciation on Savitri- Book Eight:The Book of Death Canto Three*:Death in the Forest Words within inverted commas are Aurobindo's * The Book of Death was taken from Canto Three of an early version of Savitri which had only six cantos and an epilogue. It was slightly revised at a late stage and a number of new lines were added, but it was never fully worked into the final version of the poem. Its original designation, ``Canto Three'', has been retained as a reminder of this.-(As given in the book) 'By her still sleeping husband lain she gazed Into her past as one about to die' 'The whole year in a swift and eddying race Of memories swept through her and fled away Into the irrecoverable past.' Then silently she rose and, service done, Bowed down to the great goddess simply carved By Satyavan upon a forest stone.' 'What prayer she breathed her soul and Durga knew. Perhaps she felt in the dim forest huge The infinite Mother watching over her child, Perhaps the shrouded Voice spoke some still word.' Out of stress always cries the heart Ma At last she came to the pale mother queen. She spoke but with guarded lips and tranquil face 'All else she pressed back into her anguished heart' 'One year that I have lived with Satyavan Line 28 to Release me now and let my heart have rest.' Line 43 'I have not gone into the silences Of this great woodland that enringed my thoughts With mystery, nor in its green miracles' 'Now has a strong desire seized all my heart To go with Satyavan holding his hand Into the life that he has loved' O'my heart do not grieve, for Savitri is sure to win.. Such Thou words are bouffant with pathos o'Guru She answered: 'Do as thy wise mind desires, ' 'I hold thee for a strong goddess who has come Pitying our barren days; so dost thou serve' 'Like the strong sun that serves earth from above.'... ............My consciousness this moment, O'Guru, I'm in awe....in invincible heights Ineffable Thee embellishing poetic creation My inquisitive apprehension, erring Thee may opine May there so, let Savitri in my self arise Aroused there so be knowledge and fortune ============================================= Note; Some more inspiring descriptive and informative lines from Book8 Canto 3 Page561 Looks back upon the sunlit fields of life Where he too ran and sported with the rest, Lifting his head above the huge dark stream Into whose depths he must for ever plunge. Page562 Here on the emerald edge of the vast woods In the iron ring of the enormous peaks Under the blue rifts of the forest sky, I have not gone into the silences