Science, Culture and Integral Yoga

Transcriptions of 'Savitri' quotes in the Mother's Voice are now available

ronjon — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:55:21 -0700

When I started listening seriously to the quotes of the Mother's voice located here on SCIY, I realized that I often couldn't understand all of her words. I also wanted to be able to hear them in the context of the parts of Savitri that she was reading and this wasn't easily accessible on Narad's excellent "SavitribySriAurobindo.com" website.

So, I've now posted transcriptions of each of the Mother's Savitri quotes. You can view them by going to SCIY's list of:

"Direct links to contents of each of "Short Stanza" folders"

At this location, each of the Mother's quotes are organized by Savitri's Books and Cantos. Clicking on any of the Cantos will bring you to a list of "Stanzas," the actual recordings of the Mother's voice reading short Savitri segments aloud. You can listen to each one via the included audio players.

To read the typed transcription of each of the quotes as you listen to them, simply click on the "more >" link as indicated. I've started each transcription with the Mother's quoted words, generally the first one or two sentences. In many cases, I've continued the quote for a few additional sentences, to provide context for the Mother's words.

Enjoy,

~ ron

A Talk of the Mother on Savitri

RY Deshpande — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:45:31 -0800

On the 18th January 1960; when a young sadhak met the Mother for a personal interview, She said to him: "I shall give you something special; be prepared." The next day, when he again met Her, She spoke in French first about how to kindle the psychic Flame and then in this connection started speaking about Sri Aurobindo`s great epic Savitri and continued to speak at length. The sadhak, after returning from the Mother, wanted to note down immediately what She had said, but he could not do so because he felt a great hesitation due to his sense of incapacity to transcribe exactly the Mother`s own words. After nearly seven years, however, he felt a strong urge to note down what the Mother had spoken; so in 1967 he wrote down from memory a report in French. The report was seen by the Mother and a few corrections were made by her. To another sadhak who asked Her permission to read this report She wrote: "Years ago I have spoken at length about it [Savitri] to Mona Sarkar and he has noted in French what I said. Some time back I have seen what he has written and found it correct on the whole." (4.12.1967)

"How Savitri illumines Om Namo Bhagavate," a talk & reading by Rod at Auroville

ronjon — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:23:30 -0800

Rod asked me to post his following talk, which is related to a popular article he posted on SCIY a year ago.

...first I would like to make a few observations about "Savitri" and the Mother’s mantra. (I would be surprised if no one has made these before, but they seem original to me because I haven’t read them anywhere yet.) You might remember that the Mother elaborated on her mantra to Satprem in 1965, and at that time she said:

“Of all the formulas or mantras, the one that has the most direct effect on this body is the Sanskrit mantra: OM NAMO BHAGAVATE. ...

from: Book Eleven, Canto One, p.710-711, "The Eternal Day: The Soul's Choice and the Supreme Consummation"

ronjon — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:07:54 -0700

"For knowledge shall pour down its radiant streams
And even darkened mind quiver with new life
And kindle and burn with the Ideal's fire
And turn to escape from mortal ignorance.
The frontiers of the Ignorance shall recede,
More and more souls shall enter into light,
Minds lit, inspired, the occult summoner hear
And lives blaze with a sudden inner flame
And hearts grow enamoured of divine delight
And human wills tune to the divine will,
These separate selves the Spirit's oneness feel,
These senses of heavenly sense grow capable,
The flesh and nerves of a strange ethereal joy
And mortal bodies of immortality. ..."

from: Book Ten, Canto Four, p.656, "The Dream Twilight of the Earthly Real"

ronjon — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:05:37 -0700

"The Woman answered to the mighty Shade,
And as she spoke, mortality disappeared;
Her Goddess self grew visible in her eyes,
Light came a dream of heaven into her face.
"O Death, thou too art God and yet not He,
But only his own black shadow on his path
As leaving the Night he takes the upward Way
And drags with him its clinging inconscient Force. ..."

from: Book Nine, Canto One, p.577, "Towards the Black Void"

ronjon — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:03:59 -0700

"At first in a blind stress of woods she moved
With strange inhuman paces on the soil,
Journeying as if upon an unseen road.
Around her on the green and imaged earth
The flickering screen of forests ringed her steps.
Its thick luxurious obstacle of boughs
Besieged her body pressing dimly through
In a rich realm of whispers palpable,
And all the murmurous beauty of the leaves
Rippled around her like an emerald robe. ...

from: Book Seven, Canto Five, p.524, "The Finding of the Soul"

ronjon — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:01:51 -0700

"An awful dimness wrapped the great rock-doors
Carved in the massive stone of Matter's trance.
Two golden serpents round the lintel curled,
Enveloping it with their pure and dreadful strength,
Looked out with wisdom's deep and luminous eyes.
An eagle covered it with wide conquering wings.
Flames of self-lost immobile reverie,
Doves crowded the grey musing cornices
Like sculptured postures of white-bosomed peace.

from: Book Four, Canto Four, p.384, "The Quest"

ronjon — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:00:21 -0700

"As floats a sunbeam through a shady place,
The golden virgin in her carven car
Came gliding among meditation's seats.
Often in twilight mid returning troops
Of cattle thickening with their dust the shades
When the loud day had slipped below the verge,
Arriving in a peaceful hermit grove
She rested drawing round her like a cloak
Its spirit of patient muse and potent prayer. ..."

from: Book One, Canto Four, p.46, "The Secret Knowledge"

ronjon — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 10:57:15 -0700

"On a height he stood that looked toward greater heights.
Our early approaches to the Infinite
Are sunrise splendours on a marvellous verge
While lingers yet unseen the glorious sun.
What now we see is a shadow of what must come.
The earth's uplook to a remote unknown
Is a preface only of the epic climb
Of human soul from its flat earthly state
To the discovery of a greater self
And the far gleam of an eternal Light. ..."

The Great Adventure, Savitri: Book 1, Canto One, p.1, "The Symbol Dawn"

ronjon — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 15:00:00 -0700

Click this to hear the Mother's actual voice reading this excerpt.

"It was the hour before the Gods awake. ..."