Publisher's Synopsis
Here is an attempt for cyclic or repetitive reading of Savitri adopting the traditional method of Vedic recitation of ancient Sanskrit scriptures. There are eleven modes, but the most complex and rich in volume of sound with a reverberating-absorbing insistence is what is called Ghana Path. If the elements in it are designated as A B C D E F..., then groups of three can be formed in the order ABC BCD CDE DEF, and so on. The recitation of these groups follows the sequence AB-BA-ABC-CBA-ABC=BC-CB-BCD ... Our proposal is to bring this chanting to the poetic compositions in English, a language in its kind or intrinsic nature, swabhava, altogether different from Sanskrit, one being accent-based in contrast to the classical with the quantity of sound each syllable holds in it. We shall see to what degree of acceptability this can be applied to Sri Aurobindo's epic Savitri. As Savitri is essentially an end-stopped pentametic blank verse composition, the obvious choice in defining the elements falls on taking its lines as these ABCs. It is on this basis we propose to do Ghana Recitation of representative passages from the great epic that is already a rich orchestra of heard and unheard notes, swaras, of softly loud and subtle sounds. New octaves of rendition can come into play in their surprising abundance and variation. It is expected that this cyclic or repetitive recitation will bring resonating and pervasive sounds to the accent-based medium for its measure of rhythmic movement. We could even have sound carrying the preciousness of substance.In the present work we have made rather a restricted selection of passages for this Ghana style of recitation. Although making such a selection is by itself a difficult task, in fact quite a perilous one, that however seems to be the only practical way of proceeding with the experiment. We have here, in Part One of Savitri, the first three Books, The Book of Beginnings, The Book of the Traveller of the Worlds, and The Book of the Divine Mother, with 24 Cantos in it, 11674 lines. Out of this huge number of lines our Ghana formulation is for 60 passages only, running merely into some 1500 lines or so, just 12% of the total. The selection certainly depends upon the partialities and penchants of the picker or chooser. Besides, he himself might have other ideas if he is to do it again in another frame of locus, in another mood. We should therefore treat this entire business only as a working draft, a draft that may need several revisions, revisions in several respects.Our consideration in Ghana recitation is to let the multi-tonal vibrations be built up, these entering our being, these bringing volumes of sound, repetitive sounds, they speaking to every part of us, within and without, every part, their force in its intensity, in its weight, in its gleaming lustrous massiveness working in us, working on us. It should be the sweep of a multi-stringed harp tuned to harmony of the multi-sounding vibrancy of the sweet and the melodious and the perfect and the powerful. It is the sound that starts building up the sense, the sound that starts building up the sense, the sound that starts building up the sense, and understanding, brings a finer sentience. It is the sound that starts building up the sense, and with that comes understanding. It is this we are looking into. This has to be the central æsthesis of sense and sound coming together in the Ghana recitation.
