SOURCE: "Sri Aurobindo's Savitri: A Key to Integral Perfection," in Indian Readings in Commonwealth Literature, edited by G. S. Amur, and others, Sterling Publishers Private Limited, 1985, pp. 59-70.

In the following essay, Deshpande interprets Savitri as a guide to transforming mortal nature into divine nature through Aurobindo's system of yoga.

Sri Aurobindo's Savitri is both a legend and a symbol. Through the legend he tries to convey the most ancient tradition of the realization of the Integral Self and through the symbol all the mystic processes connected thereto. The poem reveals a philosophical wisdom and mystical inspiration and promises the highest kind of life to those who are prepared to sacrifice a limited reward for the blessed promise of fullness.

Sri Aurobindo holds a distinctive view with regard to the place of poetry in the scheme of human evolution, echoed by Satyawan in Savitri. Satyawan gropes for the...