Summary on Savitri by Dr. M.P Pandit

Book Nine Canto II: The Journey in the Eternal Night and the Voice of the Darkness

All pause for a while on the edge of the dark Night. Then Savitri steps forward to journey through that eternal Night. A mysterious terror closes on her from all sides. Savitri vanishes into the dark. There is no path, no goal; yet she moves on. She loses sight of the God of Death as well as of Satyavan. But she does not lose heart; she continues to live and move.

Slowly a faint gleam appears. It throws the Night into a bolder relief. The giant head of Nothingness tries to stifle the ray, but in vain. The light prevails and Savitri recovers her lost self. Once again she hears the steps of the god and out of the darkness, Satyavan shows as a luminous shade.

Then is heard the lethal voice of Death proclaiming that this dark Night, this Nothingness is the end and the source of all. Where in this stark emptiness is there place for life and love? the voice asks mockingly.

Savitri refuses to answer. She gazes into her soul and knows that she is eternal. Then Death, the dire god, opposes her with his endless night and calls:

“Thou hast survived the void and won a victory, but to what purpose? Thou canst only live for a little while without Satyavan. Man is a fragile creature with death prowling round him in all directions. The gods have burdened him with a mind and sown in his heart an incurable unrest. He is the Cattle of the shepherd gods. If thou still hopest to live, to love, return to the earth. But do not hope to win back Satyavan. Still, thy unique strength deserves a reward. Choose what thou wilt, I shall give.”

Savitri answers:

“I bow not to thee, master of Death, thou a black lie of Night, a grim jest upon the immortal spirit. I am conscious of the immortality of my force; I am no supplicant at thy gates. Mine is the labour of the battling gods. If thou must give, demand all that Satyavan had desired in his childhood.”

Death scornfully grants back to Satyavan’s father his royal trappings and his eyesight that he had lost and then warns Savitri to hasten back to the earth lest the laws she has violated turn upon her in wrath.

Savitri answers in disdain:

“I am immortal. I fear not the eyes of Law and Fate. Give me back Satyavan so that with him I may follow the earth’s path that leads to God. Otherwise I shall pursue, whatever may befall on the way.”

Death is unmoved. He cries out scornfully:

“Dost thou forget that thou art a mere mortal? I, Death, have created all and I destroy all. I reward, I punish. Flee back lest the Furies strike at thee.”

But Savitri replies with equal scorn:

“My God is not the God of thy imagination. My God is Love that sweetly suffers all. To him who is irresistible I have offered my life. He is supreme, he shall remake thy universe, Death.”

For a while they journey in silence in that trackless night. Then again Death speaks:

“Wilt thou claim immortality, thou who art but a sparkling ferment in life’s sunlit mire? Only I am eternal, I am the Vast. I am He, there is no other God. Man has no other help than myself. I am his final refuge. Even if there were a being witnessing all, sole and absolute, neither Satyavan nor Savitri exists beside him. There is no Love there, nor Time nor Space. Forget Satyavan, be thou alone and sufficient to thy soul till I, Death, shall rescue thee from life.”

Savitri replies:

“O Death, thou reasonest, I do not reason, I am, I love, I act, I will.”

Death answers:

“Know also. When thou wilt know, then thou shalt cease to love and accept the impermanence of things.”

Savitri replies:

“Only when I have loved for ever, shall I know. Love in me knows the unchanging truth behind all change. I know the transcendent God above, the Lord of the universe, God the Indweller. I know my coming was a wave from God. I know that man was born with a mind and heart to conquer thee.”

Death does not answer again. Compelled by Savitri, the three glide through the long fading night.