Savitri

 II

'The Kingdom of Subtle Matter'

      From the kingdom of gross matter or the material cosmos of order and harmony, though lacking "the sole timeless word", Aswapati crosses to the world of subtle material existence where "dwell earth-nature's shining origins". This is the world of physical mind, or, in other words, the world of matter shot through by the mind:

      The golden issue of mind's labyrinth plots,

      The riches unfound or still uncaught by our lives,

      Unsullied by the attaint of mortal thought

      Abide in that pellucid atmosphere.⁴⁴

 It is "the brilliant roof of our descending plane", it is an intermediate power-house or reservoir; almost a world of archetypes, its location and function are best described thus:

      A heaven of creative truths above,

      A cosmos of harmonious dreams between,

      A chaos of dissolving forms below,

      It plunges lost in our inconscient base.⁴⁵

The descent of God from his heights to the depths of gross terrestrial existence implying nescience and inconscience is but one half of the divine play, for this has, as in a rebound, created the possibility -—the necessity—for a corresponding ascent as well. A truly mighty partnership is at work here. The plunge into the depths has obscured, not wholly extinguished, the light from above. At present it is true enough that earth-life is tainted by the shadows of defeat. Passion flames up for a while, but an end comes soon—all too soon—to the "sacred orgy of delight". Love fails us, power fails us, and even knowledge fails us. But there is no cause for despair. Rather should we remember that it is an unfinished tale and the best is yet to be:

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       Here in a difficult half-finished world

       Is a slow toiling of unconscious Powers;...⁴⁶

 Genuine effort at self-exceeding must succeed because it will be met by an answering adequate response from above; the call shall not be in vain, and "the Light now distant shall grow native here". Intimations come even now from the remote halls of Immortality, but as yet they are only:

      .. .brief magnificent reminiscences

      And high splendid glimpses of interpreting thought,

      But not the utter vision and delight.⁴⁷

What we need is "a fourth dimension of aesthetic sense" that will ultimately "re-align" our souls to the cosmic wideness. The full possibility of realisation is rendered difficult now because of a blinding or obscuring veil, but even this will be pierced or broken through in the fullness of time.

      The world of subtle matter is compact of delight and beauty and love and sweetness,

      .. .a miracle of symmetric charm,

      A fantasy of perfect line and rule.⁴⁸

By resolved limitation, it has achieved a limited perfection; there is no looking before and after or a pining for what is not; there is no striving for what is beyond the reach, no hugging of excess and the sad recoil of satiety,⁴⁹ all is order and completeness and contentment:

      In their narrow and exclusive absolutes

      The finite's ranked supremacies throned abide;...⁵⁰

This is a stage on Aswapati's journey, not the final destination; and so he looks "beyond for greater light" and resolutely leaves behind "that fine material paradise".

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