The One Self

A poem by Sri Aurobindo

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 sonnet  Circa 1945-47  Published posthumously  Different versions

The One Self

All are deceived, do what the One Power dictates,
     Yet each thinks his own will his nature moves;
The hater knows not 'tis himself he hates,
     The lover knows not 'tis himself he loves.

In all is one being many bodies bear,
     There Krishna flutes upon the forest mood,
There Shiva sits ash-smeared, with matted hair.
     But Shiva and Krishna are the single God.

In us too Krishna seeks for love and joy,
     In us too Shiva struggles with the world's grief.
One Self in all of us endures annoy,
     Cries in his pain and asks his fate's relief.

My rival's downfall is my own disgrace,
I look on my enemy and see Krishna's face.

 sonnet  Circa 1945-47  Published posthumously  Different versions

The One Self

All are deceived, do what the One Power dictates,
    Yet each thinks his own will his nature moves;
The hater knows not 'tis himself he hates,
    The lover knows not 'tis himself he loves.

In all is one being many bodies bear;
    Here Krishna flutes upon the forest road,
Here Shiva sits ash-smeared, with matted hair.
    But Shiva and Krishna are the single God.

In us too Krishna seeks for love and joy,
    In us too Shiva struggles with the world's grief.
One Self in all of us endures annoy,
    Cries in his pain and asks his fate's relief.

My rival's downfall is my own disgrace:
I look on my enemy and see Krishna's face.



Part VII : Pondicherry (Circa 1927-1947) > Sonnets from Manuscripts (Circa 1934-1947)   



How to read the color-coded changes below? 1. SABCL version : lines with any changes & specific changes 2. CWSA version : lines with any changes & specific changes

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  1. Sri-Aurobindo/books/collected-poems/the-one-self.txt +4 -4
Sri-Aurobindo/books/collected-poems/the-one-self.txt CHANGED
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ All are deceived, do what the One Power dictates,
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  Yet each thinks his own will his nature moves;
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  The hater knows not 'tis himself he hates,
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  The lover knows not 'tis himself he loves.
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- In all is one being many bodies bear,
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- There Krishna flutes upon the forest mood,
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- There Shiva sits ash-smeared, with matted hair.
6
+ In all is one being many bodies bear;
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+ Here Krishna flutes upon the forest road,
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+ Here Shiva sits ash-smeared, with matted hair.
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  But Shiva and Krishna are the single God.
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  In us too Krishna seeks for love and joy,
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  In us too Shiva struggles with the world's grief.
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  One Self in all of us endures annoy,
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13
  Cries in his pain and asks his fate's relief.
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- My rival's downfall is my own disgrace,
14
+ My rival's downfall is my own disgrace:
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  I look on my enemy and see Krishna's face.

NOTES FROM EDITOR

Circa 1945-47. One handwritten manuscript, undated, but in the almost illegible handwriting of the late 1940s.





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 sonnet  Published posthumously  Different versions  SABCL & CWSA  Only CWSA