My Savitri work with the Mother

21 October 1960

The Mother arranged my first reading of Savitri with Ambalal Purani on 21' October 1960. She said:

I shall be there with you, I mean my Consciousness, while you read Savitri

I commenced my study of the Epic with Mr. Purani in his room on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Meanwhile the Mother asked me to do some Savitri paintings according to selected verses.

Later, in order to test me, the Mother asked me to do some paintings of Savitri. So I painted 6 or 7 paintings with full enthusiasm without asking the Mother's guidance, inspiration and instructions. But it was sheer folly on my part. Nevertheless, the Mother saw them and asked me to alter them. Thus she encouraged me. Then I realised my mistake, because I could not make head or tail out of these paintings. Afterwards I never attempted to repeat my stupidity, because I knew that this type of painting was beyond my capacity. I needed the Mother's direct help. Now my inner being warned me to wait for the Mother to teach me, to guide me according to her vision and will.

Mr. Purani came to my apartment and saw the paintings. Then he entered my meditation room, remained absorbed for a second or two and wept. Afterwards he took his leave in utter silence. Later he revealed to me: "I experienced in that room an overwhelming Peace, the concrete Presence of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother."

On 10th October during Dipawali time Pondicherry was shaken by violent storms. The sky was darkening rapidly as nimbus clouds spread across it. Lightning flashed, a loud terrifying crack of ear-splitting thunder broke. A fierce squall of rain drenched everything heedlessly, mercilessly, the skies emptying themselves without restraint. All roads were rivers. A howling, fitful wild wind battered down trees, plants and flowers. It wailed, whistled and thumped. The electric poles were bent down, huge trees were uprooted and flung yards away. Houses were greatly damaged. The rain continued with fluctuations for twenty days. Ferocious storms like this had occurred in 1943—this I came to know from some people. The roof of my kitchen leaked and the room turned into a swimming pool! Thunder clapped without pause, lightning blazed and sizzled—a long glittering revengeful blade shearing the dark sky. I shuddered and cried with fright and could not sleep a wink. I sat, my face sunk into my crossed arms, and trembled. I went into a tizzy. The cause of the cyclonic rain involved something occult. But I have observed that ever since that day we have never had such a horrifying tempest in Pondicherry. Perhaps there must be a pact between the Mother and the Spirit of Rain.

As always I went to the Mother at 4 p.m. I forgot to take flowers for her. She said:

Child, you have brought your heart. It is like a flower.

Then suddenly she remarked:

Have you noticed that nowadays women grow their nails very long and paint them red? Don't the nails look as if they were dripping blood? Disgusting! I don't like this modern style.

There were moments when the Mother touched various subjects including the most material in order to voice her view.