I'll be the first to admit that the poem Savitri by Sri Aurobindo can be hard to get into. The first few times I tried to read it, I had no clue what I was reading. Of course, I had been told that the poem is a mantra, and that it contains amazing truth and wisdom. But words like "supernal" and "palimpsest" had me searching for a dictionary. And what in the world is an "eidolon"? Those early attempts ended after a couple hundred pages, when I decided to go read something I could understand.

Then one day I was meditating and a copy of the book was nearby.  On a whim I picked it up and let it fall open where it would.  I read this:

Descend to life with him thy heart desires.
O Satyavan, O luminous Savitri,
I sent you forth of old beneath the stars,
A dual power of God in an ignorant world,
In a hedged creation shut from limitless self,
Bringing down God to the insentient globe,
Lifting earth-beings to immortality. (p. 702)

Whoa.

That was an actual sentence that made sense, with words I could understand!  I read on, all the way to the end of p. 710 ("This earthly life become the life divine.") It was the first time I can remember that I actually cried from the beauty of the written word and from the truth it contained.

Thus began my love of this amazing book. One time I heard Aadil tell the story of the book, and the entire work came alive for me. Savitri is a character, a woman, whose tale of love conquering death is mentioned in the Mahabharata (an ancient Indian legend). Sri Aurobindo based his poem on her tale. Not long after, I found a book that told this ancient tale and passages that never made sense before now had context. "Oh, this is the part where Savitri sees Satyavan for the first time", and so on.

I teach the Intro to Savitri workshop to help bring to others the accessibility to the poem that I have found. As I found out, knowing the story can help unlock the meaning of the poem and its symbolism. The subtitle of the book is "A legend and a symbol".In the workshop, I'll talk about the legend. The symbol is best discovered on your own.

What to Do: Look for "broad spectrum" sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation, in SPF 30 or better.  The body actually needs some sunlight, so spend about 15 minutes a day in the sun without sunscreen. This supports your body's production of Vitamin D.  Sunscreens with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are best, but avoid aerosol versions.