Savitri has accepted the challenge of destiny. She refuses to submit to the blind law of fate. But for that she must discover the Power that can change the fixed scheme of things here. This is what is now being revealed to us.
In her own self she found her high recourse; She matched with the iron law her sovereign right: Her single will opposed the cosmic rule.
In her own self
That Power is within man; the Power that can alter the fixed fronts of fate. It is there lying dormant and unused. It is best expressed by the two words ‘will’ and ‘faith’ These are the two Powers that emerge from our soul and can change the fixed front of fate. Savitri is armed with this sovereign ‘will’ that can overcome and master the entire range of cosmic powers that determine our fate.
To stay the wheels of Doom this greatness rose.
To stay the wheels of Doom
Once again we are brought in touch with a powerful aspect of Savitri — her inner strength and courage, her steadfastness, her sincerity of purpose. She is conscious of her mission and is ready to face any amount of challenges and difficulties in the process. Now she wakes up to the challenge posed by death and fate.
At the Unseen’s knock upon her hidden gates Her strength made greater by the lightning’s touch Awoke from slumber in her heart’s recess.
The Unseeen’s knock
It is the hour of God that comes in our life when all outer support is taken away from us, so that a hidden inner door may open. Those who turn within during such moments discover their hidden strength that had been asleep till then. This is what Savitri has come to show by her own example.
It bore the stroke of That which kills and saves.
That which kills and saves
In the hour of God, our ego-self is slain but the soul grows mightier and stronger.
Across the awful march no eye can see, Barring its dreadful route no will can change, She faced the engines of the universe; A heart stood in the way of the driving wheels: Its giant workings paused in front of a mind, Its stark conventions met the flame of a soul.
Flame of a soul
The march of Time is relentless, the only certainty is change. The world moves on changing as it moves, and yet it repeats old movements mechanically and habitually, thereby keeping us tied to old errors and their consequences. It is only when our heart and mind are aligned to the inmost soul that we can rise above change, undo past habits and free ourselves from the entanglements of fate.
A magic leverage suddenly is caught That moves the veiled Ineffable’s timeless will: A prayer, a master act, a king idea Can link man’s strength to a transcendent Force.
The magic leverage of the soul
The soul within is the magic lever that can call down the Grace that changes destiny. A sincere prayer in the heart, a persistent will to give oneself to the Divine, or even an idea or contemplation of the Divine is sometimes enough to bring down the Transcendent’s intervention in our life.
Then miracle is made the common rule, One mighty deed can change the course of things; A lonely thought becomes omnipotent.
The miracle is made the common rule
Once our soul steps out in the front, governing our mind, heart and will, life becomes a perpetual miracle and a constant unfolding of the Grace.
Closing remarks
Savitri once again shows us the way, the way to true freedom and mastery. She has come to show us that man need not be subject to the blind determinism of fate. Destiny can be changed, but for that we must awaken our soul within and call down the Grace from above.
The Strength Within, pp. 19-20
In her own self she found her high recourse;
She matched with the iron law her sovereign right:
Her single will opposed the cosmic rule.
To stay the wheels of Doom this greatness rose.
At the Unseen’s knock upon her hidden gates
Her strength made greater by the lightning’s touch
Awoke from slumber in her heart’s recess.
It bore the stroke of That which kills and saves.
Across the awful march no eye can see,
Barring its dreadful route no will can change,
She faced the engines of the universe;
A heart stood in the way of the driving wheels:
Its giant workings paused in front of a mind,
Its stark conventions met the flame of a soul.
A magic leverage suddenly is caught
That moves the veiled Ineffable’s timeless will:
A prayer, a master act, a king idea
Can link man’s strength to a transcendent Force.
Then miracle is made the common rule,
One mighty deed can change the course of things;
A lonely thought becomes omnipotent.