In 1966,The Mother asked Sunil Bhattacharya to compose the musical accompaniment for Her readings of Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri. He continued to compose music for Savitri (and for the New Year) till his passing in 1998.
In his compositions for Savitri and for the New Year, Sunilda incorporated chantings of mantras from the Vedas, the Upanishads and various Stavas and Stotras, invoking the diverse Godheads of India. To him, the Mother and Sri Aurobindo were the Supreme as well as all the Goddesses and Gods of Indian mythology. As a result, we often find him replacing the names of the different deities mentioned in the originals with the names of the Mother or Sri Aurobindo.
MANTRAS IN SUNILDA'S SAVITRI MUSIC
SAVITRI BOOK 02 CANTO 13
रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः। विश्वा अधि श्रीयोऽधित ।
ओर्वप्रा अमर्त्या निवतो देव्युद्वतः। ज्योतिषा बाधते तमः॥
निरु स्वसारमस्कृतोषसं देव्यायती। अपेदु हासते तमः॥
सा नो अद्य यस्या वयं नि ते यामन्नविक्ष्महि। वृक्षे न वसतिं वयः॥
उप मा पेपिशत् तमः कृष्णं व्यक्तमस्थित। उष ऋणेव यातय॥
उप ते गा इवाकरं वृणीष्व दुहितर्दिवः। रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे॥
Night spreads wide, she comes everywhere, a Goddess with shining eyes – she looms over these glories as their overlord.
The Immortal Goddess fills up the Vast above and below. She compels the darkness with her light.
The Goddess comes and veils her sister, the Dawn, and glows through the blackness.
She is now that to us wherein we shall rest even as birds do on a tree.
Black darkness clings to me all around, it stands here firm. O Dawn ! Clear it even as you do my debts.
Daughter of Heaven ! A Herd of light is this hymn of victory that moves towards you. I have made it for your sake. Do thou Accept it, O Night.
Rig Veda 10.127.1,2,3,4,7,8.
Translation by Nolini Kanta Gupta
CWNKG, Vol 5, pp 145-46.
