Among the Not So Great

Dara

Cling to the One who clings to nothing;
And clinging, cease to cling.

Tiruvalluvar KuraL

Dara was born into an aristocratic family of Hyderabad (on 24 October 1902). Hyderabad was then a princely state ruled by the Nizam. He was named Aga Sayed Ibrahim. When Aga was born, his grandfather consulted a soothsayer, to predict about the child’s future. The soothsayer said “E apka ghar todega” (He will destroy your house). The grandfather thought “if he breaks this house, it is to build a more magnificent one.” Aga — later as Dara — found it a great joke and remarked “how mistaken he (the grandfather) was.” He came to Pondicherry for the first time in 1926. He was hooked, yet he went back several times, but finally settled here. Other members of the family too came here — around 1927 — Dara’s step-mother Tazdar Begum (a very beautiful woman), sisters Mehdi Begum and Zahara Begum and brothers Aga Sayed Ishaque and Aga Syed Yaqoob. Only Dara and one sister Mehdi Begum lived here, and served the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, till they breathed their last.

They were all given “Ashram names” by Sri Aurobindo — Sayed Ibrahim was renamed Dara. He was in one of his previous births Aurangzeb’s elder brother Dara Shukoh of the Moghul dynasty whom Aurangzeb imprisoned and killed. Dara Shukoh was a scholar. He translated the Gita and the Vedas into Persian. Dara Shukoh was, in a much earlier birth, in the 5th century B.C., Darius Hystaspes of Persia. He was the greatest of his dynasty. Tazdar Begum remained Tazdar, Mehdi Begum became Chinmayee and Zahara Begum was changed to Sudhira. The brothers Ishaque and Yaqoob were named Prashanto and René.

When Sri Aurobindo first saw Dara, He addressed him as “Dara”, the latter corrected Sri Aurobindo saying “I am Ibrahim.” Sri Aurobindo just smiled. Later we learn that the entire historical family of the Moghul Aurangzeb had come back. Of course we know Ibrahim was named Dara after Dara Shukoh.

I have not seen Sudhira or Tazdar. They and the others, when they arrived, were lodged in the part of the Ashram (main building) which is now the Mother’s Store Room (near the Rosary Gate, to the East — ground floor). Later, of course, changes took place. Tazdar and Chinmayee lived for a time in the corner house North East of the School block. Pourna lives there now.