The Mother of Might

I have come down into the human world

And the movement watched by an unsleeping Eye

And the dark contrariety of earth’s fate

And the battle of the bright and sombre Powers.

I stand upon earth’s paths of danger and grief

And help the unfortunate and save the doomed.

To the strong I bring the guerdon of their strength,

To the weak I bring the armour of my force;

To men who long I carry their coveted joy:

I am fortune justifying the great and wise

By the sanction of the plaudits of the crowd,

Then trampling them with the armed heel of fate.

My ear is leaned to the cry of the oppressed,

I topple down the thrones of tyrant kings:

A cry comes from proscribed and hunted lives

Appealing to me against a pitiless world,

A voice of the forsaken and desolate

And the lone prisoner in his dungeon cell.

Men hail in my coming the Almighty’s force

Or praise with thankful tears his saviour Grace.

I smite the Titan who bestrides the world

And slay the ogre in his blood-stained den.

I am Durga, goddess of the proud and strong,

And Lakshmi, queen of the fair and fortunate;

I wear the face of Kali when I kill,

I trample the corpses of the demon hordes.

I am charged by God to do his mighty work,

Uncaring I serve his will who sent me forth,

Reckless of peril and earthly consequence.

I reason not of virtue and of sin

But do the deed he has put into my heart.

I fear not for the angry frown of Heaven,

I flinch not from the red assault of Hell;

crush the opposition of the gods,

Tread down a million goblin obstacles.

I guide man to the path of the Divine.

(Sri Aurobindo: Savitri)