CWSA Set of 37 volumes
Early Cultural Writings Vol. 1 of CWSA 784 pages 2003 Edition
English
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Early essays and other prose writings on literature, education, art and other cultural subjects including 'The Harmony of Virtue', 'The National Value of Art'...

Early Cultural Writings

Sri Aurobindo symbol
Sri Aurobindo

Early essays and other prose writings on literature, education, art and other cultural subjects. The volume includes 'The Harmony of Virtue', Bankim Chandra Chatterji, essays on Kalidasa and the Mahabharata, 'The National Value of Art', 'Conversations of the Dead', the 'Chandernagore Manuscript', book reviews, 'Epistles from Abroad', Bankim – Tilak – Dayananda, and Baroda speeches and reports. Most of these pieces were written between 1890 and 1910, a few between 1910 and 1920. (Much of this material was formerly published under the title 'The Harmony of Virtue'.)

The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo (CWSA) Early Cultural Writings Vol. 1 784 pages 2003 Edition
English
 PDF   

Things Seen in Symbols - I

28-November-1920

There are Four who are Beyond and they rule the mighty game of evolution. It is they who build the universe with their thoughts and imaginations. Vishnu or Virat put them in front each in turn, and they govern each a cycle. All the sons of immortality come forth from them and return to them, all the children of earth are their portions. One stands in front, the others incarnate to help him. They are God Himself in His fourfold manifestation. Once in each chaturyuga they come down together,—the chaturvyuha, Srikrishna, Balarama, Pradyumna, Aniruddha.


Srikrishna contains all the others and puts them out from His being. He is Ishwara, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu. Lordship is His manifestation, Might and Wisdom are His gunas. Balarama is the second Power. Force is His manifestation; strength and wrath are His attributes. Pradyumna is the third Power. Love is His manifestation; sweetness and delight are His attributes. Aniruddha is the fourth Power. Desire is His manifestation; bodily enjoyment and worldly reason are His attributes.


Srikrishna is the Brahmin served by the Kshatriya. He has the divine knowledge and uses His might under the guidance of the Knowledge. Balarama is the Kshatriya. He allows Srikrishna in Him to guide His strength and wrath, but He does not guide them Himself, He enjoys them. He is Rudra. Pradyumna is the Vaishya. He is for dana, prema, karuna. He gives Himself to men and buys their love in exchange. He is the universal philanthropist. He is the sweet and throbbing heart in things. Aniruddha is the Sudra. He is the kamin, the bhogin, the scientist, the

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user of material means, the democrat, the leveller.


The Satya is full of Srikrishna; it is the golden Age when men are full of might and wisdom. The Treta is full of Balarama; the Chakravarti Raja is the incarnation of the Treta; it is full of great wars and mighty sacrifices. The Dwapara is full of Pradyumna; He prepares in the Dwapara the love which supports men through the Kali. Aniruddha, the Sudra, reigns in the Kali; He breaks the ancient moulds, He shatters to pieces the achar; He questions everything, destroys everything, levels everything, rebuilds everything. He is a Sudra and has the passion for work and service; He puts off lordship in order to become the divine Slave of humanity.


For each of Them is not simple in Himself, but contains the other three and their attributes; only His own are usually foremost. Each is not a part but God Himself in His fullness. They are not different, but the same, Four who are One, One who is Four. That one is Srikrishna.

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