Opening Remarks for Part Three and Book Nine

Opening Remarks for Part Three

Part Three is the penultimate part of Savitri and consists of Book Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve. It covers the third and final part of the story of Savitri wherein Savitri debates with Death and wins back her husband along with the other boons. Here again Sri Aurobindo reveals to us the deeper symbol behind this portion of the story. Death here represents the shadow of the Divine and His four aspects of Light or Truth, Consciousness, Life or Force, and Delight. Death represents all that is not only the opposite but the very negation and denial of the Divine Truth. Death represents the Inconscient, the last result of the involution. As long as the human soul remains a captive to the Inconscient, there is no possibility of its redemption. At best there can be an escape for a few souls but the earthly life will always remain a life riddled with death and evil, unconsciousness, falsehood, suffering and pain. For the redemption of earthly life the Inconscient must be transformed. The powers of the Divine that have fallen as the result of the involution and therefore resist the deliverance of earth nature must be restored to their original status. Thus alone the law of Death will change into the law of Truth establishing upon earth the reign of Truth and along with it the reign of Divine Love and Peace and Harmony and Bliss upon earth. The progressive transformation of Death and following it the boons that Savitri wins for earth and men is the theme of this part.

Part Three consists of Four Books. The first two, Books Nine and Ten are about the journey of Savitri through the realms of Death, her debate with Death and the eventual victory. Book Eleven is about the promise of the future consequent to the boons that Savitri wins. Book Twelve now ties all the threads of the story, brings us back to earth and the scene where the epic was unfolding. It summarises the essence of the story.

Opening Remarks for Book Nine

Book Nine has two Cantos that describe Savitri’s journey through the Night and her first victory as she is able to navigate successfully through the chill dark realm of Death undeterred by the cry of terror. To be a claimant to the cup of immortality, one must be free of all fear and steadfast in faith and aspiration, sincere in the resolve. Above all surrender oneself in the hands of the Divine Mother as Satyavan surrenders himself in the hands of Savitri.