“Is then the spirit ruled by an outward world?
O seer, is there no remedy within?
But what is Fate if not the spirit’s will
After long time fulfilled by cosmic Force?
I deemed a mighty Power had come with her;
Is not that Power the high compeer of Fate?”
But Narad answered covering truth with truth:
“O Aswapati, random seem the ways
Along whose banks your footsteps stray or run
In casual hours or moments of the gods,
Yet your least stumbling are foreseen above.
Infallibly the curves of life are drawn
Following the stream of Time through the unknown;
They are led by a clue the calm immortals keep.
This blazoned hieroglyph of prophet morns
A meaning more sublime in symbols writes
Than sealed Thought wakes to, but of this high script
How shall my voice convince the mind of earth?
Heaven’s wiser love rejects the mortal’s prayer;
Unblinded by the breath of his desire,
Unclouded by the mists of fear and hope,
It bends above the strife of love with death;
It keeps for her her privilege of pain.
A greatness in thy daughter’s soul resides
That can transform herself and all around
But must cross on stones of suffering to its goal.
Although designed like a nectar cup of heaven,
Of heavenly ether made she sought this air,
She too must share the human need of grief
And all her cause of joy transmute to pain.
Savitri by Sri Aurobindo, Book VI: The Book of Fate, Canto II: The Way of Fate and the Problem of Pain Page 456-457
Inspired Reflections
Aswapati has expressed his doubts and confusion as are commonly faced by us. Are we puppets in the hands of destiny ? This is the eternal question man has asked for himself. Do we not have any solution to our ‘bondage’ to the outer world ? Can we not have a solution by ‘going inside’ ourselves ? Is it also not true that the Fate is nothing else but the will of the spirit ? If this be so, then it is just the simple matter of ‘willing’ a ‘desirable outcome’ – and the problem of Fate will get solved automatically.
There is also another paradox we face in our life. This is about the suffering of the holy men, saints and the seers ? Why do they suffer ? Do they have not the power to change their fate ?
I deemed a mighty Power had come with her;
Is not that Power the high compeer of Fate?
This is a very interesting question. Naradmuni answers this question by ‘covering truth with truth’.
This single phrase has a world of meaning in it. The epic poem of Savitri by Sri Aurobindo contains the key to all of our lifes riddles. However, we are also likely to encounter the apparently ‘contradictory’ statements in it. At one place we are told that the Fate is the will of the Spirit. At other place we are told that
Yet your least stumbling are foreseen above.
Infallibly the curves of life are drawn
Following the stream of Time through the unknown;
How to reconcile these two contradictions ? Is it not that only one of them can be true ? How can both the contradictions be true ? On the other hand, if we accept that one of them is true, then it naturally follows that the other one is untrue. This is a very perilous conclusion because it implies that not all that the book contains is to be taken at face value. This will not be acceptable. The phrase
But Narad answered covering truth with truth:
Has a way out of this dilemma. What we see as contradictions are only the two aspects of the truth at different levels of our understanding. They both are TRUE. Our level of understanding needs to be refined and developed.
It bends above the strife of love with death;
It keeps for her her privilege of pain.
How can it be that the pain and suffering be called a PRIVILEGE? Who would ever in his wildest dream wish to have pain and suffering for himself ? Where is the question of privilege here ? It is a bondage and not the privilege.
And here we get the clue to our dilemma:
A greatness in thy daughter’s soul resides
That can transform herself and all around
But must cross on stones of suffering to its goal.
The greatness and the Power of Savitri is unquestionable. She does indeed has the power to transform herself and the world. However, before she does that, she
must cross on stones of suffering to its goal
There is indeed NO FREE LUNCH with God and Destiny ! Jesus suffered on cross but made a lasting impact for better on this world for ages to come. Why did he have to suffer ? The answer is given above.
She too must share the human need of grief
And all her cause of joy transmute to pain.
The physical suffering of these great souls has the result of ‘sowing the seeds’ of peace and harmony in this world.
…….. Dedicated at the lotus feet of My Guru Shri Aurobindo and Mother
