The letters reveal Nirod's unique relationship with his guru. The exchanges are suffused with a special humour.
Sri Aurobindo : corresp.
Nirodbaran's correspondence with Sri Aurobindo began in February 1933 and continued till November 1938, when Sri Aurobindo injured his leg and Nirod became one of his attendants. The entire correspondence, which was carried on in three separate notebooks according to topics - private, medical, and literary - is presented in chronological order, revealing the unique relationship Nirod enjoyed with his guru, replete with free and frank exchanges and liberal doses of humour. Covering a wide range of topics, both serious and light-hearted, these letters reveal the infinite care Sri Aurobindo devoted to the spiritual development of his disciple.
THEME/S
The last two lines of the poem are too long, perhaps? Oh, N complains of evening fever 100°, for the last few days.
Part of your poetry? Can't scan it.
I have read Dilip's poem—there is the force of a new inspiration in the language and the building and turns of thought, something more intense and gathered together. I think there is something less mental, a new and more vibrant note.
I have gone through Surawardy. He has certainly a fine poetic vein, but his success is less than his capacity—The two poems, China Sea and Asoca Tree are very fine—the rest are in a lower pitch; there are fewer deliberate descents into the commonplace than in the old man poems, but also not so frequent, intense felicities of expression and powerful lines.
... You have perhaps said somewhere that when the Supra-mental descends, everything will be comparatively easier. Do you mean sex-conquest too?
This force seems to have been pushing strongly in recent days—for there are others who have been stumbling—luckily the stumble gave them a reaction which has made them more awake to the necessity of "no-indulgence".
August 1, 1937
The notion of "equality" seems to be a bugbear to people who have personal ties, though the giving up of them will be more than compensated by getting the Divine within, for, after all, what are these human ties of ego or sex?
The Yoga cannot be done if equality is not established. Personal relations must be founded on the relation with the Divine in himself and the Divine in all and they must not be "ties" to pull one down and keep bound to the lower nature but part of the higher unity.
What is your idea of special relationship? Won't predict?
There is nothing to predict. I have been saying the same thing all along (what I say above) and if there is to be any fulfilment of this work, it can be on no other basis. As for founding it on this [...]172, it can't be done.
...There are situations when one is faced with either telling a lie or the truth, and one can't decide which. Sri Krishna says in the Mahabharata that lies are permitted at times, and that they are as good as truths, e.g. a truthful Muni, by showing the robbers the hiding place of travellers and causing their death, went to Hell. What's your opinion?
Naturally—nobody is called upon to expose others to death by telling a truth like that. But the lie was not the best way from the spiritual point of view.
You say physical sex action must be avoided by all means. Why so strict on it while tolerating vital-physical lapses?
Because the physical action breaks a law without which the Asram cannot stand and the work cannot be done. It is not a personal matter, but a blow aimed at the very soul of the Mother's work.
Outside sadhaks indulge and get a child, e.g. Y and others. Mother disapproves and the man who does it has no longer the same grace as before, but he is not in the Asram and his lapse hurts only himself and his wife.
The last portion of your remark173 is rather cryptic. "This force" means the Supramental Force?
What the devil! I was speaking of the sex force.
Is it descending, then?
The sex force? By God it is, descending and ascending too.
What did you mean by giving them "a reaction"? Physical reaction?
I meant that they got so alarmed at the closeness to a precipitous fall that they stopped indulging the vital physical.
Have I any chance, Guru, of coming out of this vital struggle?
Of course.
If you are with me, I shall be all right. But don't be with me as with X. You couldn't keep him here; forces took him away! Doubt!
I repeat that he took himself away. No Force can take a man away, who really wants not to go and really wants the spiritual life. X wanted the "Divine Response" only, not spiritual life—his doubts all rose from that.
Why do you lay so much stress on our writing everything to you? Can't we pray to you and ask for help? Isn't it as good as writing?
Not writing means trying to conceal. That is a suggestion of the vital.
August 2, 1937
Consciousness and intensities can rhyme?
Not that I know of, but all things are possible in a world of infinite possibility.
K's pus in the eye is not getting less; better inject gomenol and then vaccine, if not cured. So?
You know best—or at least can try.
August 3, 1937
A's liver again! He has finished 3 Takadiastase bottles. He finds good effect from it. We require another bottle now. Should we buy it?
Buy the take-a-distaste and keep his liver quiet for God's sake. He shows signs of starting his lamentations again. The bottle to keep the baby quiet!
[The following report was written by Dr. Becharlal:] D has pain in the abdomen, liquid motions, vomiting... He has no teeth, so its very difficult to masticate the food, hence the tendency to indigestion... He eagerly wishes to be instructed by my Holy Mother, what food he should take tomorrow: usual food or only milk and whey?
Is it not the rule so long as the teeth are not replaced to take only liquid food?
August 4, 1937
I don't know about Ekalavya's epidermis. Can he be compared to a বনদেব174 without being one? But Gods and Goddesses are supposed to be fair, no?
Who says? Krishna was নীল,175 other gods have different colours red, white, black, yellow and green. If he had নীলোৎপল আঁখি176 what prevents him from being like a বনদেবতা?177
August 5, 1937
If you have no light, let these poems remain, Sir.
I have plenty of light and to spare.
Why the devil is this sex force descending and ascending so vehemently now, in place of the Supramental?
If people want it..., what else can you expect than that it should rise?
I don't know what you mean by descending. It is not a high force from above that it should descend—It is a force from below or around.
Judging by the degree of vehemency, shall I say that the Supramental Force is vehemently coming down in this form? Or it is at least some Divine Force, giving a last kick at the Sex Force?
The Divine Force has nothing to do with it. It is the sex and other lower forces that are attacking in order to make it impossible for the Divine Force to do its work, or the Supramental to descend. They hope to prevent it altogether or, if by some miracle, it still descends, to limit its extension and prevent anything more than an individual achievement.
August 6, 1937
"New centuries open their eyes..." You won't agree, perhaps, that centuries have eyes?
I agree to everything and anything—let them have ears also. When one can write like that, all objections vanish.
"Appear to me" doesn't appear very pretty.
No it isn't pretty—it is first-class.
... Well, anything to say?
I have said it. Why the hell 'can't you always write like that? The inspiration came clean through this time.
Z has no fever. I think he should take Chayavanprash; but it is a costly drug, we can't supply much. I wonder if he has friends to help him with some money.
I believe he has some thousands of rupees stored up with which he is maintaining his populous family in Bhavnagar, (those who have not been able to push themselves in here owing to our stubborn and inhuman or superhuman resistance). But he doesn't want to acknowledge its existence.
August 8, 1937
Why the hell can't I write? Why the hell, indeed! Because I don't want to—that's all!
My why the hell was an ejaculation, not a question.
If I were to ask you that question, I know your prompt answer would be—no poet can always maintain a high level! Isn't that the answer?
Obviously, if it is put as a question, that is the only answer. But it wasn't.
August 9, 1937
Can one break a dream?
I suppose one can. If you are dreaming and somebody pokes you in the ribs and says, "What are you groaning about? Wake up," wouldn't he be breaking your dream?
August 10, 1937
S is again bad; pain started right after lunch and other troubles also.
Does he remain quiet after the meal for a sufficient length of time or prances about?
August 11, 1937
Here is a long letter from D. You can skip portions—at the end there is a reference to T. Their quarrel won't be made up in this life, it seems.
I have glanced through.
Musician-poets at loggerheads—what can you expect?
I thought, in spite of everything, T has a sort of affection for D, no?
So they both said.
There is an engineer who wants to come here for a month. Can't make out whether he is asking for permission. What's your opinion?
Can't make out, myself, anything about any engineer—so have no opinion. Not anxious for a rush this time.
August 12, 1937
J's eczema is still spreading... She can't resist scratching it.
How is it to cure if she scratches?
She asks whether it is any good prolonging the treatment with this ointment—Acecholex. So will it be better now to take sun-treatment with oil?
Very difficult to say. This is a thing in its nature obstinate and needing a long treatment. Constant changing of medicaments more often encourages the obstinacy than curing it.
August 16, 1937
The channel is rather choked, as you will see. This poem is no good. Still, better to send it: I thought, to get a contact.
There is much "good" in it, on the contrary.
Too busy to give us Force? Darshan is over, Sir!
Darshan is over but karshan178 is not.
August 17, 1937
"Slumbering birds awake with a start..."
"With a start" O.K.?
No—it makes me start.
Shivalingam (a servant) has a boil on the face. Not very happy about it.
He is not? Hard to satisfy these people!
August 18, 1937
About Shivalingam, I'm sorry! I meant that I was not happy.
I supposed so.
I'm doubtful about this poem. One mind says very fine another says damn! So?
Both are right—the damner because you didn't quite get the proper expression, the other because the substance is very fine.
By the way, do you find plenty of repetitions in the ideas?
There are repetitions in the last few poems, variations on the same theme. Vedic, what? Variations fine, though!
August 19, 1937
For J's eczema and asthma, Dr. André says that antiarOphylactic injection is very good. Shall we try?
I don't know what anti-anaphylactic means (my proficiency in quasi-Greek is not very great) but it sounds swell. No objection.
Guru, Anjali and Jatin have written to you regarding their visit here. Perhaps you will give them a reply. It seems they are not very definite about how long they will stay... Jatin can stay with me, but could you avoid putting Anjali with Y? I can't judge your work, but it is permissible to state the circumstances... Inconveniences, sufferings, etc. do not matter if Mother thinks it is needed for Y's good...
I have not yet had time to place Jatin's letter before the Mother and decide on an answer. I shall do so as soon as possible and let him know the result.
Please let me know for future guidance if I should at all interfere in this way.
No objection.
August 21, 1937
25.8.37
Nirod
If Jatin and Anjali are to stay till November, Jatin can stay with you as now; the difficulty is about Anjali. Mother has only 2 rooms that she can offer her and they are both bad. There is the room in Belle-Vue, formerly occupied by Narmada who has shifted now into a better one; it is a very bad room, dark and ill-ventilated and it opens into K's with only a curtain between. I suppose you know also that the ... sadhikas in the house are fairly noisy and can make themselves very unpleasant when they want to! Alternatively, there is the room next to M's—also bad, though not so bad as the other. Perhaps you know what kind of neighbour M is—if the next door neighbour does anything of which she does not approve, it will be tempests without end and howling enough to take the roof off. I can't write these things publicly, ... and you will put matters in their fierce naked light before Anjali—for her judgment and decision. She must decide with full knowledge of the circumstances so that she may not blame the Mother afterwards if trouble or discomfort is there. (I may add that even a cricket making a noise near her deprives M of sleep and sends her into flames of wrath or gulfs of depression). So there you are.
SRI AUROBINDO
August 25, 1937
... Breaking all crag-teeth distances Of the dark abysmal dominion."
Sir, this "crag-teeth" is a too obvious theft.179
Y is not pleased with Jatin staying with me. She says because I wanted him to stay with me you agreed... Is it true that you have acceded to my desire?
No. But even if it had been a desire, what objection? To want to put up a friend in one's room is not a crime. For my part, I am glad to have him there and think it is good for him and you.
... Please give Y some Peace and Protection.
She must be ready to receive it—i.e. she must take and keep the right attitude.
Jatin wants to know if you will write anything more to him.
Yes.
August 26, 1937
Please give me your constant help and protection.
I will certainly give that.
For A's chronic colitis [6.6.37], we have tried our best, but without any result. Dr. Manilal says why not try homeopathy? Will R take him up?
I don't know that we are ready to hand him over to R just now at least. Besides, R himself does not seem eager to take any cases.
August 27, 1937
"... Recalling to my memory dim-paced Foot-falls of a paradisal star..."
But, my dear sir, a star has no feet and the picture of a star walking about on 2 feet in the sky is rather grotesque, so I have had to invent a godhead of a star who can do it all right.
Last night I dreamed that I had gone to a distant relative's house. There I met a friend of mine looking hideous because his nose had been eaten up by a disease. I thought of curing him by calling down the Mother's Force. Then I actually felt the Force coming down; when I put my hand on him, lo, he was cured! Miracle and concrete Force in dream?
A feat on the vital plane. If you begin to be conscious of the force there, it ought to travel down before long into the physical also!
Can Jatin and his wife attend the stores180 on the 1st?
Arjava says his medicine for decoction is exhausted, so he has to stop. How is that? It is Sudarshan I suppose. But that can be got at any time from Punamchand's father as well as any of his other medicines—So they should be ordered in time before depletion.
August 29, 1937
My store seems run down! No words, images or ideas, all gone!181
Well, if a run-down store can produce a poem like that, it is a miraculous run-down store...
Please give an all-round poking, will you?
All right—I shall try to give the all-round poke.
It seems, according to Ayurveda and common Indian belief, .that onions fried in ghee are almost a specific for piles and an admirable laxative. They also have a cooling effect. I know that they make the whole body damn hot, but their heat-properties have a stimulating effect. Any views, popular or personal, on this remedy?
Mother does not know that they are laxative or cooling—it has an energising effect. Perhaps it is effective for tamasic people—it is doubtful if it helps piles. It is taken like that largely in Japan, but it is not supposed there to cure piles.
August 30, 1937
As for S, we have exhausted our means. One thing remains—liver extract which I have withheld till now.
You can try that—since it is his liver—let's see if it extracts him out of his agonies.
R comes to us now and then for allopathic drugs. Today he came and asked for apomorphine. This drug is only used in urgent cases of poisoning where evacuation of stomach is immediately called for... We don't know anything about the case. We are asked to give certain drugs, we give; for what case etc. we don't enquire because he may not like it. What should be done in such cases in the future?
God knows! Perhaps, if it is anything really dangerous, play the Artful Dodger182 and, otherwise, pray fervently to God that nobody may be poisoned. But for whom does he ask this, I wonder? Alys? He has no other patients except Lakshmi perhaps at the moment.
"Half-veiled figures of unknown splendour Smile with the happy utterance..."
Can they smile?
May or may not, but smiling here risks being inane; so I dodge the smiles out.
Now that X has returned, J wants to publish her novel... Is there any fear of complications?
It can be taken up, but I refuse to prophesy anything about complications. X seems to be in a beatified mood just now; perhaps he will be saintly and good-tempered about it, but one can't be sure.
August 31, 1937
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