The Winds of Wonder

These small purlieus of mind

Yogi Aswapati is in the realm of little life where prove inadequate science and religion and all human endeavours. The result is our spirits depart discarding futile life, accept death’s passport to enter into immortality. But all this is only a “provisional scheme”.

There is a deeper seeing from within

And, when we have left these small purlieus of mind,

A greater vision meets us on the heights

In the luminous wideness of the Spirit’s gaze. ||47.3||

At last there wakes in us a witness Soul

That looks at truths unseen and scans the Unknown;

Then all assumes a new and marvellous face. ||47.4||

The world quivers with a God-light at its core,

In Time’s deep heart high purposes move and live,

Life’s borders crumble and join infinity. ||47.5||

Our short-lived seekings do serve a limited purpose in a broader scheme, even as at last awakes the witnessing soul. With it there is the possibility of all this assuming a new and marvellous face; there is the quivering entry of God-light in our world.

Let us scan these lines:

There is| a deep|+er see|+ing from| with+in|

And, when| we have left| these small| pur+lieus| of mind,|

A great|+er vi|+sion meets| us on| the heights|

In the lu|+mi+nous wide|+ness of the Spir|+it’s gaze.| 47.3

At last| there wakes| in us| a wit|+ness Soul|

That looks| at truths| un+seen| and scans| the Un+known;|

Then all| as+sumes| a new| and mar|+vel+lous face.| 47.4

The world| quiv+ers| with a God|-light at| its core,|

In Time’s| deep heart| high pur|+pos+es move| and live,|

Life’s bor|+ders crum|+ble and join| in+fin|+i+ty.| 47.5

But what is “purlieus”?Dictionary gives the following: environs or neighbourhood; a place where one may range at large; confines or bounds; a person’s haunt or resort; an outlying district or region, as of a town or city; a piece of land on the edge of a forest, originally land that, after having been included in a royal forest, was restored to private ownership, though still subject, in some respects, to the operation of the forest laws.