Opening Remarks
The ruthless voice of Death ceased and the heart of Savitri spoke from the depths of Silence.
Stir of thoughts
As ceased the ruthless and tremendous Voice,
Unendingly there rose in Savitri,
Like moonlit ridges on a shuddering flood,
A stir of thoughts out of some silence born
Across the sea of her dumb fathomless heart.
The tremendous and ruthless Voice of Death ceased and Savitri experienced a stir of thoughts arising out of some silence across the sea of her fathomless heart as moonlight dancing on a shuddering flood.
She spoke
At last she spoke; her voice was heard by Night:
“I bow not to thee, O huge mask of death,
Black lie of night to the cowed soul of man,
Unreal, inescapable end of things,
Thou grim jest played with the immortal spirit.
At last she spoke and her voice was heard by the night. Thus spoke Savitri to the Night: “I bow not to thee, O huge mask of death (implying that death is a mask, an appearance).” She further addressed him as the black lie of night to intimidate the soul of man to bow before him, unreal, inescapable end of things, grim jest played with the immortal spirit.
Conscious of immortality
Conscious of immortality I walk.
She asserts that she is conscious of her immortality.
A victor spirit
A victor spirit conscious of my force,
Not as a suppliant to thy gates I came:
Unslain I have survived the clutch of Night.
Savitri reminds Death that she is a victor spirit conscious of her force. Savitri asserts that she has not come as a suppliant to the gates of Death, rather, she has survived unslain the clutch of Night.
Statued soul
My first strong grief moves not my seated mind;
My unwept tears have turned to pearls of strength:
I have transformed my ill-shaped brittle clay
Into the hardness of a statued soul.
She reveals that her first strong grief moves not her seated mind. Her unwept tears have turned to pearls of strength. She has transformed the brittle clay of her body into the firmness of a statued soul.
Obstinate and strong
Now in the wrestling of the splendid gods
My spirit shall be obstinate and strong
Against the vast refusal of the world.
Obstinate and strong her spirit has entered into the wrestle of the splendid gods against the vast refusal of the world.
I stoop not
I stoop not with the subject mob of minds
Who run to glean with eager satisfied hands
And pick from its mire mid many trampling feet
Its scornful small concessions to the weak.
Thus introducing herself, Savitri reveals that she is not the one who would stoop like the mob-mind. This subject mind runs with eager unsatisfied hands to glean and pick from its mire mid many trampling feet crowding to pick their dole its scornful small concessions to the weak.
Labour of the gods
Mine is the labour of the battling gods:
Imposing on the slow reluctant years
The flaming will that reigns beyond the stars,
They lay the law of Mind on Matter’s works
And win the soul’s wish from earth’s inconscient Force.
Savitri further reveals that hers is the labour of the battling gods imposing on the long passage of slow reluctant years the flaming will that reigns beyond the stars. They impose the force of Mind on the body and win the soul’s wish from earth’s inconscient Force.
I demand
First I demand whatever Satyavan,
My husband, waking in the forest’s charm
Out of his long pure childhood’s lonely dreams,
Desired and had not for his beautiful life.
After giving this background she demands from Death whatever her husband Satyavan desired and had not for his beautiful life, as he walked lonely amidst the charm of the forest out of his long pure childhood’s dreams.
Give, if thou must
Give, if thou must, or, if thou canst, refuse.”
Finally, she asks Death to give these things if he can or if he cannot then refuse.
Closing Remarks
Thus Savitri introduces herself and demands the fulfilment of the dreams of Satyavan.
