A Look at the Symbol Dawn

Sri Aurobindo’s epic Savitri opens with the Symbol Dawn and immediately in the first two sentences poses the problem of this creation. It says that the Gods are not yet awake and that the mind of Night is standing in the way of the divine Event. The divine Event is the manifestation of a new creation upon earth, manifestation in the mortal world. If that is to happen then the mind of Night should be first dislodged from the path. It is only then that the transforming Gods will set themselves into action. The Event will proceed not with the waking of the Gods but with the removal of the mind of Night. That is crucial, significant.But what is this mind of Night? It is the physical’s mind receiving and holding in it the charge of the inconscient Darkness; she receives her and shapes her ideas and objects. All this happens before the Gods awake—It was the hour before the Gods awake. Obviously in the presence of the mind of Night no transforming Gods will awake, will act. However, in this inscrutable Night’s darkness there is something that wishes to know but knows not how to be. There is the urge straining to look for absent light. In response to it a message arrives from other side of the luminous boundlessness. It calls the adventure of consciousness and joy. A thought is sown, memory quivers. Hope is kindled. Indeed if the god-touch is there then what is it that cannot be done? There is the glory of the unseen sun, and the celestial vision moves in the wake of the dawn. The sky is lit with magnificent hues; in that early hour are planted crimson seeds of grandeur. The things which were promised long ago are going to get fulfilled.But, sadly, the bright omniscient Goddess who wished to come and stay could not. She would have been here and done what was to be done, but she…