The Winds of Wonder

Savitri growing up to have her life-partner

The following passage is from Savitri Book Four Canto One, The Birth and Childhood of the Flame. She, Savitri the daughter of King Aswapati, is there with the splendour of her native royalty, aishwarya, asking for it in the objects around her, her greatness and her sweetness and her bliss, her might to possess and her vast power to love. That will make earth a stepping-stone to conquer heaven. She alone can do it, and the strength in her has to wake up to remove all that forbiddingly stands in the path. Soon she will grow into her majestic conquering maidenhood to join her life’s partner, the companion soul waiting for the mighty adventure.

A nectarous haloed moon her passionate heart

Loved all and spoke no word and made no sign,

But kept her bosom’s rapturous secrecy

A blissful ardent moved and voiceless world. ||94.46||

Immense and various like a universe. ||94.48||

The body that held this greatness seemed almost

An image made of heaven’s transparent light. ||94.49||

Its charm recalled things seen in vision’s hours,

A Proud, swift and joyful ran the wave of life

Within her like a stream in Paradise. ||94.47||

Many high gods dwelt in one beautiful home;

Yet was her nature’s orb a perfect whole,

Harmonious like a chant with many tones,

golden bridge spanning a faery flood,

A moon-touched palm tree single by a lake

Companion of the wide and glimmering peace,

A murmur as of leaves in Paradise

Moving when feet of the Immortals pass,

A fiery halo over sleeping hills,

A strange and starry head alone in Night. ||94.50||

“A moon-touched palm tree single by a lake”: A painting by Huta, Savitri Book Four Canto One # 10

The featured image is of a small cutting from the Palm Tree, with its countless green-coloured fruits, “single”,  present at the entrance of the Meditation Hall in Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry India. It stands vertically tall about 8m.