7/24/2019 Savitri Fascicle: Book Three, Canto One (1946)
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SRI UROBINDO
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S A V I T R I
Legend
and a
Symbol
S R I
A U R O B I N D O
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P u b l i s h e r :
S R I A U R O B I N D O A S H R A M
P O N D I C H E R R Y
ll Rights Reserved
F i r s t E d i t i o n 1946
7 3 ^ 3 s -
I m p r i m e r i e
d e S r i A u r o b i n d o A s h r a m
P o n d i c h e r y
W . D . N o . 1 7 7 1 0 9 4 6 5 0 0
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BOOK
THREE
The Book of the Divine Mother
7/24/2019 Savitri Fascicle: Book Three, Canto One (1946)
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S VITRI
B O O K T H R E E
CANTO I
T H E
P U R S U I T O F T H E U N K N O W A B L E
A L L is t o o
l i t t l e t h a t
t h e w o r l d ca n g i v e :
I t s p o w e r a n d k n o w l e d g e a r e t h e g i ft s o f T i m e
A n d
c a n n o t
f i l l
t h e s p i r i t s
s a c r e d th i rs t .
A l t h o u g h
o f One
th e se
f o rm s of greatness are
A n d
b y i t s b r e a t h o f
grace
o u r l i v e s a b i d e .
A l t h o u g h , m o r e n e a r t o u s t h a n nearness-se l f .
I t is
some u t t e r t r u t h
o f w h a t w e a r e ,
H i d d e n
b y i t s o w n w o r k s i t
seemed
far o f f .
I m p e n e t r a b l e , o c c u l t , voiceless,
obscure
T h e Presence w a s l os t b y w h i c h a l l t h i n g s h a v e c h a r m .
T h e G l o r y l a c k e d o f w h i c h t h e y a r e d i m s ig n s.
T h e w o r l d l i v e d o n
m a d e
e m p t y of i t s
cause,
L i k e
L o v e w h e n t h e
Beloved s face
is
gone.
T h e l a b o u r t o k n o w
seemed
a v a i n s t r i f e o f
M i n d ;
A l l
k n o w l e d g e
e n d e d
i n t h e U n k n o w a b l e :
T h e e f f o r t t o r u l e
seemed
a v a i n p r i d e o f
W i l l ;
A t r i v i a l
a c h i e v e m e n t s c o r n e d b y T i m e ,
A l l
p ow e r r e t i r e d i n t o t h e O m n i p o t e n t .
A
cave o f d ar kn es s gu ar d s t h e e t e r n a l
L i g h t .
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S A V I T R I
B O O K I I I C A N T O
I
A s il ence s e t t l e d on h i s s t r i v i n g h e a r t ;
A b s o l v e d f r o m t h e
voices
o f t h e w o r l d s d e s ir e
H e
t u r n e d
t o t h e I n e f fa b l e s tim e l e s s
c a l l .
A
B e i n g
i n t i m a t e
a n d u n n a m e a b l e ,
A w i d e co m p e l l i n g e c sta s y a n d peace
F e l t
i n h i m s e l f a n d a l l a n d y e t t m g r a s p e d ,
A p p r o a c h e d a n d f a d e d f r o m h i s s ou l s p u r s u i t
As i f f o r ev er l u r i n g h i m b e y o n d .
N e a r , i t r e t r e a t e d ; f a r , i t c a l le d h i m s t i l l
N o t h i n g c o u l d s a t is fy b u t i t s d e l i g h t :
I t s
absence
l e f t
t h e g r e a t e s t a c t i o n s
d u l l .
I t s presence
m a d e t h e s m a l l e st seem
d i v i n e .
W h e n
i t w a s th e r e , t h e h e a r t s abyss w a s f i l l e d ;
B u t w h e n t h e u p l i f t i n g D e i t y
w i t h d r e w .
E x i st e n c e l o st i t s a i m i n t h e I n a n e .
T h e o r d e r o f t h e im m e m o ri a l p l a n e s .
T h e g o d l ik e f u l ln e s s o f t h e i n s t r u m e n t s
W e r e t u r n e d t o p ro p s fo r a n i m p e r m a n e n t
scene.
B u t w h o t h a t m i gh t i n e s s w a s h e k n e w n o t y e t .
I m p a l p a b l e ,
y e t f i l l ing a l l t h a t is ,
I t
m a d e a n d b l o t t e d o u t a
m i l l i o n
w o r l d s
A n d
t o o k a n d l o st a t h o u s a n d
shapes
a n d n a m e s .
I t
w o r e t h e gu ise o f a n in d i s c e r n i b l e V a s t ,
O r w a s a su b t l e k e r n e l i n t h e s o u l :
A d i s t a n t g r ea tness
l e f t
i t h u ge a n d d i m ,
A
m y s t i c
closeness
s h u t i t sw e e t l y i n :
I t seemed s om e t im e s a f ig m e n t o r a r o b e
A n d
seemed s om e t im es h i s ow n col ossa l sha de .
A g i a n t d o u b t o ve r s h a d o w e d h i s a d v a n c e .
Across a n e u t r a l a l l - s u p p o r t i n g V o i d
Whose b l a n k n e s s n u r s e d h is lo n e i m m o r t a l s p i r i t ,
A l l u r e d
t o w a r d s
some
r e c o n d i t e S u p r e m e ,
[
a ge
T w o ]
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S A V I T R I
B O O K I I I C A N T O
I
A i d e d ,
coerced
b y e n i g m a t ic P o w e r s,
A s p i r i n g a n d h a l f - s i n k i n g a n d u p - b o r n e .
I n v i n c i b l y
h e ascended
w i t h o u t
pa use .
A l w a y s a s i g n l e s s v a g u e I m m e n s i t y
B r o o d e d ,
w i t h o u t
a p p r o a c h , b e y o n d r e sp on se ,
C o n d e m n i n g f in it e t h i n g s t o n o t h i n g n e s s .
F r o n t i n g
h i m
w i t h
t h e i n c o m m e n s u r a b l e .
T h e n
t o t h e a s c e n t t h e r e
came
a m i g h t y t e r m :
A
h e i gh t w a s re a c h e d w h e r e n o t h i n g m a d e c o u l d
l i v e ,
A
l ine
w h e r e e v e r y hope a n d s e a r c h m u s t
cease
N e a r e d some
i n t o l e r a n t
b a r e R e a l i t y ,
A
zero f or m e d p r e g n a n t w i t h bound l ess cha ng e .
O n a d i z z y v erge wh e re a l l d isgu is es
fai l
A n d h u m a n
m i n d
m u s t a b d i ca t e i n
L i g h t
O r d ie
l i k e
a m o t h i n t h e n a k e d bl a ze o f T r u t h ,
H e s t o o d c o m p e l l e d t o a t r e m e n d o u s choice.
A l l h e h a d been a n d a l l t h a t s t i l l h e w a s
M u s t n o w b e
l e f t
b e h i n d o r
else
t r a n s f o r m
I n t o a se l f o f T h a t w h i c h h a s n o n a m e .
A l o n e a n d f r o n t i n g a n i n t a n g i b l e Force
W h i c h o ffe r e d n o t h i n g t o t h e g ra s p o f T h o u g h t ,
H i s sp ir i t f a ce d t h e a d v e n t u r e of t h e I n a n e .
A b a n d o n e d b y t h e w o r l d s o f f o r m h e s t r o v e .
A f r u i t f u l w o r l d - w i d e I g n o ra n c e fo u n d e r e d t h e r e ;
T h o u g h t s l o n g f a r - c i r c l i n g j o u r n e y t o u c h e d i t s close
A n d i n e f fe c t iv e p a u s e d t h e a c to r W i l l .
T h e s y m b o l
modes
o f b e i n g h e l p e d n o m o r e ,
T h e s t r u c t u r e s Nescience b u i l d s c o l l a p s i n g f a i l e d .
A n d e v e n t h e sp i r i t tha t h o l d s t h e u n i v e r s e
F a i n t e d i n l u m i n o u s i n s u f f i c i e n c y .
I n a n a b y s m a l la p se o f a l l t h i n g s b u i l t
T r a n s c e n d i n g e v e r y p e r is h a b l e s u p p o r t
[ age T h r ee ]
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S A V I T R I
B O O K I I I C A N T O I
A n d j o i n i n g a t l a s t i t s m i g h t y o r ig in ,
T he s e p a ra t e s e l f m u st m e l t o r be r e born
I n t o
a
T r u t h
b e y o n d t h e m i n d s a p p e a l .
A l l g l o r y o f o u t l i n e , sweetness o f h a r m o n y ,
R e j e c t e d l i k e a grace of t r i v i a l not es .
E x p u n g e d f r o m B e i n g s
s i l ence
nu d e , a u s t e r e ,
D i e d i n t o a f ine a n d bhss f u l N ot h i ng ne ss .
T h e D e m i u r g e s l o s t
t h e i r n a m e s
a n d f orm s .
T h e g r e a t schemed w o r l d s t h a t t h e y h a d p l a n n e d
a n d w r o u g h t
Passed,
t a k e n a nd a bo l ishe d one b y one .
T h e u n iv e rs e r e m ov e d i t s co l ou re d v e i l .
A n d a t t h e u n i m a g i n a b l e e n d
O f th e h u g e r i d d l e o f cr e a t e d t h i n g s
A p p e a r e d t h e fa r -s e e n G o d h e a d o f t h e w h o l e .
H is fe e t fi rm-ba se d on Li f e s s tupe ndous w ings ,
O m n i p o t e n t o r l o n e l y
seer
o f T i m e ,
I n w a r d ,
i n s c r u t a b l e w i t h d i a m o n d gaze.
A t t r a c t e d
b y t h e u n fa t h o m a b l e r e g a rd
T he u nso l v e d s l ow cycles t o t h e i r f o u n t r e t u r n e d
T o r i s e a g a i n f rom t h a t i nv i s i b l e s e a .
A l l f r o m h i s pu issance b o r n w a s n o w u n d o n e ;
N o t h i n g r e m a i n e d t h e
cosmic M i n d conceives.
E t e r n i t y p r e p a r e d t o
f ade
a n d seemed
A
h u e a n d i m p o s i t i o n o n th e V o i d ,
Space was the f l u t t e r i n g o f a d re a m t h a t sank
B e f o re i t s e n d i n g i n t o N o t h i n g s
deeps.
T h e
sp ir i t
t h a t
d i e s
n o t a n d th e Godhead s se l f
Seemed m y t h s p r oje c t e d f r o m th e U n k n o w a b l e ;
F r o m I t a l l s p r a n g , i n I t is c a l le d t o cease.
B u t
w h a t T h a t w a s , n o t h o u g h t o r s ig h t c o u l d
t e l l .
O n l y
a f ormless Form of se l f was l e f t ,
[
age
o u r ]
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S A V I T R I
B O O K I I I C A N T O I
A t enuous g hos t o f som eth i ng t h a t h a d
b e e n ,
T h e l a s t e x p e r ie n c e o f a l a ps i ng wa v e
Be fore i t s ink s i n to a
b o u r n e l e s s
sea,
A s i f i t k e p t e v e n o n t h e b r i n k o f N o u g h t
I t s ba re f e e l i ng o f the ocean w h e n c e i t came.
A V a s t n e s s b r o o d e d
f r e e f rom
sense
of Space,
A n E v e r l a s t i n g n e s s c u t o f f f r o m T i m e ;
A s t r a n g e s u b l i m e u n a l t e r a b l e Peace
S i l e n t
r e j e c t e d f r o m i t w o r l d a n d s o u l .
A s t a r k c o m p a n i o n l e s s R e a l i t y
A n s w e r e d a t l a s t t o h i s
s o u l s
pass ionate se ar ch :
Passionless ,
word l ess ,
a b s o r b e d
i n f a t h o m l e s s peace,
K e e p i n g t h e m y s t e r y
no ne
w o u l d e v e r p i e r c e ,
I t b r o o d e d
i n s c r u t a b l e a n d i n t a n g i b l e
F a c i n g h i m
w i t h
i t s d u m b tr e m e n d ou s c a l m .
I t h a d n o k i n s h i p w i t h t h e u n i v e r s e ;
T h e r e w a s n o a c t , n o m o v e m e n t i n i t s V a s t :
L i f e s qu e s ti on m e t b y i t s
s i l ence
d i ed on h er l i ps ,
T h e w o r l d s e f f or t ceased con v icte d o f ignorance
F i n d i n g no sa nct i on o f superna l L i g h t :
T h e r e w a s n o m i n d t h e r e
w i t h
i t s
n e e d
t o k n o w .
T h e r e w a s n o h e a r t t h e r e
w i t h
i t s
n e e d
t o l ov e .
A l l p e rson pe r ishe d i n i t s namelessness.
T h e r e w a s n o second, i t h a d n o p a r t n e r o r
p e e r ;
O n l y
i t se l f w a s r e a l t o it s e l f .
A p u r e
e x is t e nce
safe f r o m t h o u g h t a n d m o o d ,
A consciousness o f u n s h a r e d i m m o r t a l b l is s,
I t
dw e l t a l oo f i n i t s ba re
i n f i n i t e .
O ne a n d u n i q u e , u n u t t e r a b l y
sole.
A Be i ng form less , f ea ture l e ss a nd m ute
T h a t
k ne w i t s e l f by i t s own t im e l ess s e l f .
A w a r e f o r
e v e r
i n i t s m ot i on l ess de pth s .
[
age i v e
]
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S A V I T R I B O O K I I I
C A N T O
Z
U n c r e a t i n g , u n c re a t e d a n d u n b o r n .
T h e O n e b y w h o m a l l l i v e , w h o l i v e s b y n o n e ,
A n i m m e a s u r a b l e l u m i n o u s
secrecy
G u a r d e d b y t h e v e i l s o f t h e U n m a n i f e s t ,
Above t h e c h a n g i n g cosmic i n t e r l u d e
Abode s u pre m e , i m m u t a b l y t h e
s a m e ,
A s i l e n t
Cause
o c c u l t, i m p e n e t r a b l e ,
I n f i n i t e ,
e t e r n a l , u n t h i n k a b l e , a l o n e .
E N D O F
C A N T O
O N E
[ age S i x ]
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