Page 7, Savitri (A Legend, Symbol, the Mantric Epic of Sri Aurobindo), Lines 250 to 255:
"Thus trapped in the gin of earthly destinies,
Awaiting her ordeal’s hour abode,
Outcast from her inborn felicity,
Accepting life’s obscure terrestrial robe,
Hiding herself even from those she loved,
The godhead greater by a human fate."
A gin trap was a horrible trap that was not only used to trap animals such as rabbits for food but even to catch poor men by the landlords in UK so they could break their leg in order to not let them move. In that way Sri Aurobindo says: Savitri is caught in a dreadful trap of her earthly mission (which we shall see later is to save Satyavan, a fallen soul of humanity lost in materialism). She cannot free herself, but only wait to face the torture of her trial when Satyavan will face his end. She is thrown away from that innate joy and bliss which is her inborn right, accepting life's uncertain material coat. By not fully revealing her true divine nature and her mission, she is hiding herself even from those she loves. Yet the torture and trial of a human life is already making the divine messenger greater. Huta paints Savitri thrown out from her divine abode waiting for her trial all alone.
Sri Aurobindo's symbolic words reminds us of the sacrifice of a Divine Messenger: Helena Blavatsky (trapped in the earthly destiny of establishing theosophical society, guiding humanity towards Synthesis of religion, philosophy and science and finishing "The Secret Doctrine" ) -
"... The next day there was a consultation between the two doctors. The Belgian doctor said that he had never known a case of a person with the. kidneys attacked as H.P.B. 's were, living as long as she had done, and that he was convinced that nothing could save her. He held out no hope of her recovery. Mr. Ellis replied that it was exceedingly rare for anyone to survive so long in such a state. He further told us that he had consulted a specialist before coming to Ostend who was of the same opinion, but advised that, in addition to the prescribed medicine, he should try massage, so as to stimulate the paralysed organs.
Madame Gebhard suggested that, as H.P.B. was so near death, she ought to make her will, for if she died in-testate in a foreign country there would be no end to confusion and annoyance about her property, as she had no relations near her. She added that she had already consulted with H.P.B., who had told her that she was wiling to sign a will, that she wished all her property to be left to me, and that she would give me private directions how I was to dispose of it. Later on H.P.B. told me exactly what I was to do with her property, which, however, amounted to but little — consisting only of her clothes, a few books, some jewelry, and a few pounds in cash ; but still it was thought advisable that the will should be made, and the lawyer, the two doctors, and the American consul, were to be present.
The night passed quietly, and several times the following day Mr. Ellis massaged her until he was quite exhausted; but she got no better, and to my horror I began to detect that peculiar faint odour of death which sometimes precedes dissolution. I hardly dared hope that she would live through the night, and while I was sitting alone by her bedside she opened her eyes and told me how glad she was to die, and that she thought the Master would let her be free at last. Still she was very anxious about her Secret Doctrine. I must be most careful of her manuscripts and hand all over to Col. Olcott with directions to have them printed. She had hoped that she would have been able to give more to the world, but the Master knew best. And so she talked on at intervals, telling me many things. At last she dropped off into a state of unconsciousness, and I wondered how it would all end.
It seemed to me impossible that she should die and leave her work unfinished ; and then, again, the Theosophical Society .... what would become of it ? How could it be that the Master who was at the head of that Society should allow it to crumble away. True, it might be the outcome of the Karma of the members, who through their false-heartedness and faint-heartedness had brought the Theosophical Society to such a point that there was no more vitality in it, and so it had to die out, only to be revived in the course of the next century. Still the thought came to me that the Master had told H. P. B. that she was to form a circle of students around her and that she was to teach them. How could she do that if she were to die ? And then I opened my eyes and glanced at her and thought, was it possible that she who had slaved, suffered and striven so hard should be allowed to die in the middle of her work ? What would be the use of all her self-sacrifice and the agony she had gone through if the work of her life was not to be completed ? Day after day she had suffered tortures, both of mind and body: of mind through the falsity and treachery of those who had called themselves friends and then had slandered her behind her back, casting stones at her while they in their ignorance thought she would never know the hand that had thrown them ; and of the body, because she was compelled to remain in a form which should have disintegrated two years previously in Adyar, if it had not been held together by occult means when she decided to live on and work for those who were still to come into the Theosophical Society. None of those who knew her, really understood her. Even to me, who had been alone with her for so many months, she was an enigma, with her strange powers, her marvellous knowledge, her extraordinary insight into human nature, and her mysterious life, spent in regions unknown to ordinary mortals, so that though her body might be near her soul was often away in commune with others. Many a time have I observed her thus and known that only the shell of her body was present.
Such were the thoughts which passed through my mind, as I sat hour after hour that anxious night, watching her as she seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. A wave of blank despondency came over me, as I felt how truly I loved this noble woman, and I realised how empty life would be without her. No longer to have her affection and her confidence would be a most severe trial. My whole soul rose in rebellion at the thought of losing her, . .
I gave a bitter cry and knew no more.
When I opened my eyes, the early morning light was stealing in, and a dire apprehension came over me that I had slept, and that perhaps H. P. B. had died during my sleep — died whilst I was untrue to my vigil. I turned round towards the bed in horror, and there I saw H. P. B. looking at me. calmly with her clear grey eyes, as she said, " Countess, come here." I flew to her side. 'What has happened, H. P. B. — you look so different to what you did last night." She replied, " Yes, Master has been here ; He gave me my choice, that I might die and be free if I would, or I might live and finish The Secret Doctrine. He told me how great would be my sufferings and what a terrible time I would have before me in England (for I am to go there); but when I thought of those students to whom I shall be permitted to teach a few things, and of the Theosophical Society in general, to which I have already given my heart's blood, I accepted the sacrifice, and now to make it complete, fetch me some coffee and something to eat, ... "
- From the Book "Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine."
Was Savitri's (HPB's) mission indeed in vain as Sri Aurobindo describes ? At least not for the souls who inwardly are in search of real light !
Image: Gin trap from British Museum, The book from where an account of HPB's ordeal is reproduced.
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