Book XII—Epilogue

Canto 1

The Return to Earth

Happy life rushed in bird and beast and tree

And on diamond haste ran dreaming joys of men

And the rishis in the forest felt a change

As though the past had vanished into fire

Of the yajna kindled to make wide the world.

Satyavan and Savitri tended the flames,

Flames whose tongues would bear expression of the true,

Hold in their leaping zest newborn greatnesses.

Moon-lotuses bloomed for the crimson bright

And Soma and Indra and Agni and Vayu

Came in their auspicious forms to celebrate

The birth of Savitr ̣in this creation.

The Epilogue in the Vyasa story of Savitri runs briefly as follows: Yama has departed and Savitri comes to the place where the dead body of Satyavan was lying. He regains his consciousness and makes enquiries about the terrifying figure who had dragged him with him to a strange world. Savitri mentions that it was the Ordainer of the Worlds himself who had come, but hastens to add that it was now all over. They prepare to quickly get going to the hermitage, as it was getting pretty dark in the night. In the meanwhile, the old parents of Satyavan are concerned for his having not returned yet to the cottage. The wise and elderly Rishis in the forest try to dispel their natural apprehension with assuring words. Soon arrive Satyavan and Savitri. They are questioned as to why they were late in coming back, belatedly in the night. Satyavan tries to answer something, but he is unable to do so in proper detail. At the pleading of Gautama, Savitri narrates everything. She begins with the prophecy made by Narad and the purpose of her accompanying Satyavan that day to the forest. She narrates about her encounter with Yama and how she received several boons from him. The mighty God, she tells, was immensely pleased with her utterances of the Truth and, finally, among several boons granted a life of four hundred years to them. The Rishis speak great, again and again, about the extreme good fortune or mahābhāgyam of Savitri and depart to their cottages.

“To feel love and oneness is to live”,—that is the mantra of life in Sri Aurobindo’s epic Savitri. In it the primordial Night, dreaming in silver peace, guards the mystic light and a greater dawn is awaited.