Opening remarks
Death opposes Savitri’s resolve and will by presenting himself as the last word, the final sentence, the ultimate decree upon all things.
Immutable decree
But to her claim opposed, implacable,
Insisting on the immutable Decree,
Insisting on the immitigable Law
And the insignificance of created things,
Out of the rolling wastes of night there came
Born from the enigma of the unknowable depths
A voice of majesty and appalling scorn.
Death opposes Savitri’s claim on the life of Satyavan insisting upon the unchanging decree and the Law that does not allow any mitigation. He rather points out the insignificance of created things built out of the rolling wastes of night. Creation was born out of the Inconscience says Death. It is born as a voice of majesty and appalling scorn from the enigma of the unknown depths of the Night.
The cry of universal Death
As when the storm-haired Titan-striding sea
Throws on a swimmer its tremendous laugh
Remembering all the joy its waves have drowned,
So from the darkness of the sovereign night
Against the Woman’s boundless heart arose
The almighty cry of universal Death.
Out of the darkness of the sovereign night, universal and almighty Death’s cry rose against Savitri’s boundless heart as a sea throws its waves like a striding storm-haired Titan, its last tremendous laugh, upon a swimmer whose joys it has already drowned.
Has thou god-wings
“Hast thou god-wings or feet that tread my stars,
Frail creature with the courage that aspires,
Forgetting thy bounds of thought, thy mortal role?
Death asks mockingly if Savitri has god-wings or feet that can walk with the stars below her feet. He mocks her courage reminding her that she is a frail creature that aspires forgetting her bounds of thought and her role within mortal limits.
All things I have built and destroy
Their orbs were coiled before thy soul was formed.
I, Death, created them out of my void;
All things I have built in them and I destroy.
Death claims that the material universe was created before her soul was formed. He claims that he (Death) has created them out of his void and it is he who has built things and destroys them.
I made the worlds
I made the worlds my net, each joy a mesh.
Death claims that it is he who has made the worlds as his net with each joy as a mesh to trap the soul.
Life that devours
A Hunger amorous of its suffering prey,
Life that devours, my image see in things.
Death identifies himself with images of the Hunger that loves to swallow its suffering prey, as the Life that devours.
Pierced by my pangs
Mortal, whose spirit is my wandering breath,
Whose transience was imagined by my smile,
Flee clutching thy poor gains to thy trembling breast
Pierced by my pangs Time shall not soon appease.
Death says condescendingly that Savitri, like any other mortal is gifted with life by his wandering breath whose transience was imagined by his smile. He warns her to flee away clutching the little gifts she has received from him. She can hold these poor gains to her trembling breast pierced by the arrows of adversity inflicted by Time that shall not soon appease.
Blind slave
Blind slave of my deaf force whom I compel
To sin that I may punish, to desire
That I may scourge thee with despair and grief
And thou come bleeding to me at the last,
Thy nothingness recognised, my greatness known,
Turn nor attempt forbidden happy fields
Meant for the souls that can obey my law,
Lest in their sombre shrines thy tread awake
From their uneasy iron-hearted sleep
The Furies who avenge fulfilled desire.
He scorns her and humanity as blind slave of his deaf force (material nature) whom he compels to err and sin so that he may punish. He compels the human heart to desire so that he may whip with despair and grief so that man may come to him bleeding at last. Thus must all recognise his greatness and the nothingness of man and turn nor attempt forbidden joys meant only for souls that can obey his grim laws. To enter forbidden fields may awaken the iron-hearted Furies from their uneasy sleep by the tread of man. These furies once awake avenge fulfilled desire by inflicting suffering and pain.
Dread lest in skies
Dread lest in skies where passion hoped to live,
The Unknown’s lightnings start and, terrified,
Lone, sobbing, hunted by the hounds of heaven,
A wounded and forsaken soul thou flee
Through the long torture of the centuries,
Nor many lives exhaust the tireless Wrath
Hell cannot slake nor Heaven’s mercy assuage.
Death once again cautions Savitri to dread the Furies lest in the skies the Unknown’s lightnings start and chase her who would then wander terrified and alone, sobbing, hunted by the hounds of heaven. She would then flee with her wounded and forsaken soul through the long torture of the centuries through many lives. Yet the tireless wrath of these furies will not be exhausted and Hell would not slacken nor Heaven’s mercy assuage.
Depart in peace
I will take from thee the black eternal grip:
Clasping in thy heart thy fate’s exiguous dole
Depart in peace, if peace for man is just.”
Finally he promises Savitri that if she flees, he would take away from her his dark eternal grasp of the black night. She must therefore depart now clasping in her heart the dole given by Death and depart in peace if peace is just for man.
Closing Remarks
Death persuades Savitri to turn back through fear and favour.
