The Ascent of Sight in Sri Aurobindo's Savitri

4. Divine's Self-Vision:

The ascending march of sight continues even beyond the supramental gnosis and arrives at the point where the cosmic manifestation has not yet begun and the static Sachchidananda is still absorbed in himself. What is the nature of sight there?

By adapting what Sri Aurobindo has said in his commentary on the Isha Upanishad we may venture to say that we arrive, in the status of non-manifestation, at the light of the supreme superconscient in which even the intuitive knowledge of the truth of things based upon the total and integral vision — so characteristic of the supramental sight - passes into self-luminous self-vision of the one Existent. This status of sight is referred to by the following verses from Sri Aurobindo's Savitri:

(1)"Inspired by silence and the closed eyes' sight" (36)

(2)"Watched by closed eyes, mute faces of the Un-

born" (80)

(3)"All light is but a flash from his closed eyes"

(681)

(4)"The eyes with their closed lids that see all things"

(41)

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We remember here that significant utterance of the Katha Upanishad: "For all that is bright is but the shadow of His brightness and by His shining all this shines." (Sri Aurobindo's translation of the Upanishadic verse: tameva bhāntam anubhāti sarvam tasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti.)

Then Sachchidananda "decides" to initiate manifestation and opens his eyes. How does his supreme gaze look like? Let the Savitri verses speak:

(1)"His gaze was the regard of eternity" (682)

(2)"A diamond purity of eternal sight'' (297)

(3)"... the Omniscient's eyes" (691)

Sachchidananda becomes the "sole Seer" {ekarsi, Isha Upanishad); he is the only drastā, "He alone who sees". To cite a telling aphorism of Patanjali: tadā drastur svarupe avasthānam, "The Seer dwells then in His own status." His unblinking Eye shines extended in the heavens: div'iva caksurātatam {Rig-Veda). Here are some relevant Savitri verses:

(1)"A still all-seeing Eye above" (493)

(2)"And intolerant flames the lone all-witnessing Eye"

(343)

(3)"The movement watched by an unsleeping Eye"

(509)

(4)"... in the vigil of a deathless gaze" (99)

(5)"And guards the world with its all-seeing gaze"

(317)

(6)"An Eye immense regarding all things done" (322)

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