The Winds of Wonder

The inexorable peril

The princess has come down from her youthful chariot,

Of speed and songfulness, a bright proud beauty,

She yet a thundering storm of conquering will

Entering into the falsehood that afflicts life;

Now a fancy blossoms in the rich grove of joy,

Oh a dream of wandering wind through the trees!

But soon this unwounded wonder must vanquish death,

Under the kingly tree, at the formidable moment.

27 January 2025

Let us look into the opening text of Canto One Book Six, the Book of Fate. Narad the heavenly sage from Paradise pays a very special visit to King Aswapati’s Palace in Madra to set destiny free in the most opportune hour. Savitri was bidden to find for herself her life’s partner as none had dared to claim her hand in marriage. She meets young imperial Satyavan in the far lonely Shalwa Woods and they pledge to be united. She returns to the palace in the beauty and triumph of her finding the immortal love. But Narad is cautioning her about the peril that lurks unknown to the young bride, that Satyavan is decreed to die exactly one year after the marriage. Savitri remains firm. She had found love; she must also meet death to remove all the falsehood that is present because of him. For that she must do the Yoga of Triumph  by establishing the Divine Power in her soul and body. Narad has initiated her into the Yoga.

Here is the cautious hinting disclosure made by the Sage.

Thou comest like a silver deer through groves

Of coral flowers and buds of glowing dreams,

Or fleest like a wind-goddess through leaves,

Or roamest, O ruby-eyed and snow-winged dove,

Flitting through thickets of thy pure desires

In the unwounded beauty of thy soul. ||106.35||

These things are only images to thy earth,

But truest truth of that which in thee sleeps. ||106.36||

For such is thy spirit, a sister of the gods,

Thy earthly body lovely to the eyes,

And thou art kin in joy to heaven’s sons. ||106.37||

O thou who hast come to this great perilous world

Now only seen through the splendour of thy dreams,

Where hardly love and beauty can live safe,

Thyself a being dangerously great,

A soul alone in a golden house of thought

Has lived walled in by the safety of thy dreams. ||106.38||

What feet of gods, what ravishing flutes of heaven

Have thrilled high melodies round, from near and far

Approaching through the soft and revelling air,

Which still surprised thou hearest? They have fed

Thy silence on some red strange-ecstasied fruit

And thou hast trod the dim moon-peaks of bliss. ||106.29||

Let us scan this:

What feet| of gods,| what rav|+ish+ing flutes| of heav+en|

Have thrilled| high mel|+o+dies round,| from near| and far|

Ap+proach|+ing through| the soft| and rev|+el+ling air,|

Which still| sur+prised| thou hear|+est? They| have fed|

Thy si|+lence on| some red| strange-ec|+sta+sied fruit|

And thou| hast trod| the dim| moon-peaks| of bliss.| 106.29

The featured painting is by Huta, VI:I #6.

Savitri Book 6 Canto 1 – The Word of Fate