Book Eight with its single Canto titled Canto Three marks the end of Part Two of Savitri. It also joins the story from the flashback starting from Book One Canto Three which includes the story of Savitri’s birth following the long inner journey and the tremendous tapasya of Aswapati, the birth and growth of Savitri, her choice of Satyavan and Narad’s prophecy subsequent to which Savitri engages in yoga to take on the challenge of Destiny and Death. Book Eight Canto Three therefore becomes the logical extension of Book One Canto One and Two. The numbering of the Canto remained unchanged possibly due to an earlier draft that ran in conjunction with Book One Canto One and Two but was never revised and hence the number remained unchanged.
Closing Remarks for Part Two
Part Two of Savitri begins from Book Four with the birth of Savitri. The circumstances of her birth and the tapasya of Aswapati are the subject of Part One. Part Two takes us through the story of Savitri growing first into a beautiful noble princess who is asked by her father, the seer king Aswapati to go and find her partner to be wedded for life. Savitri travels far and wide whereupon she meets kings and royalties, sages and strong men, men of wisdom as well as ascetics and seers until destiny takes her to the destined place where her eyes fall upon Satyavan and her soul chooses him. Satyavan reciprocates with his heart and soul and his entire being before Savitri returns to her palace to convey her choice to her father and king Aswapati.
Meanwhile Narad, the celestial singer and sage arrives on the scene and is asked to bless Savitri’s choice. Pondering over her choice, Narad, shares his deep and profound wisdom about the workings of Fate even as he reveals that though Satyavan is a rarest jewel among men he is chased by an adverse fate that has taken away his kingdom and his father’s sight and will soon take him away as well into the realm of Death. One year is all that he shall live is the grim verdict. But Savitri stands steadfast with her choice despite knowing the adverse fate that would follow her following the early death of Satyavan.
Savitri rises to the challenge and undertakes the yoga that would arm her with the power to change destiny and face and battle against the law of death. Armed fully with the powers of her innate divinity, she waits keeping a vigil over Satyavan until the fated day arrives when Satyavan must die. Death does arrive and draws the soul of Satyavan out of his body as he is in the forest. Savitri has accompanied him and must now face the engines of Fate and the law of Death which is the subject of Part Three of Savitri.
About Savitri | B1C1-21 The Shadow over Earth (pp.9-10)