An appreciation on Savitri
Book II The Book of the Traveller of the Worlds
Canto V The Godheads of the Little Life
Words within inverted commas are Aurobindo’s
‘A thinking puppet is the mind of life:
Its choice is the work of elemental strengths’
‘For none can see the masked ironic troupe
To whom our figure-selves are marionettes,
Our deeds unwitting movements in their grasp,
Our passionate strife an entertainment’s scene.’
‘Ignorant themselves of their own fount of strength
They play their part in the enormous whole.’
‘Agents of darkness imitating light,
Spirits obscure and moving things obscure,
Unwillingly they serve a mightier Power.’
‘Tools of the Unknown who use us as their tools, ‘
‘toss the lives of men from hand to hand’
‘Against all higher truth their stuff rebels; ‘
‘Inordinate their hold on human hearts,
In all our nature’s turns they intervene.’
‘These slight illusion-makers with their masks,
Painters of the decor of a dull-hued stage
And nimble scene-shifters of the human play,
Ever are busy with this ill-lit scene.’
Thus they inflict their little pigmy law
And curb the mounting slow uprise of man,
Then his too scanty walk with death they close.
‘This is the ephemeral creature’s daily life.
As long as the human animal is lord’
‘An incurable littleness pursues his days.’
‘A gross content prolongs his fallen state;
‘Hardship and toil are the heavy price he pays
For the right to live and his last wages death.’
‘A sleep that imitates death is his repose.’….
…………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 thereso, let Savitri in my self arise
Aroused thereso be knowledge and fortune
Leave a Reply