Sri Aurobindo for All Ages

III: Cambridge: The Call of the Motherland (1890-1893)

AS a Senior Classical scholar, Sri Aurobindo studied for the Classical Tripos, the B.A. degree examination in Greek and Latin. He was given rooms in the college and, except for vacations, he stayed at Cambridge for the next two years.

In addition to his work for the Classical Tripos, Sri Aurobindo had to study other subjects for his ICS probationership. These included Law and Jurisprudence, Political Economy, Indian History and some Sanskrit. He had also to show a knowledge of his mother tongue, Bengali (which he did not know at all), and learn a little Hindustani because Dr. K.D. Ghose, delighted at his son's success in the ICS examination, had arranged with the help of Sir Henry Cotton to get a posting for Sri Aurobindo at Arrah in Bihar on completion of his probationership. Sri Aurobindo could have avoided the strain of studying so many subjects by taking lightly his classical studies, for after all his career was now assured, but it was not in his nature to do anything superficially. In fact his reputation as a Classical scholar had preceded him at Cambridge and one of the senior tutors, G.W. Prothero, invited him to meet Oscar Browning, a very well-known scholar and intellectual in the university at that time. There is a very interesting letter from Sri Aurobindo to his father which mentions this meeting: 'Last night I was invited to coffee with one of the Dons and in his rooms I met the great O.B., otherwise Oscar Browning, who is the feature par excellence of King's. He was extremely flattering, passing from the subject of cotillions to that of scholarships, he said to me, "I suppose you know you passed an extraordinarily high examination. I have examined papers at thirteen examinations and I have never during that time seen such excellent papers as yours (meaning my Classical papers at the scholarship examination). As for your essay it was wonderful." In this essay (a comparison between Shakespeare and Milton) I indulged in my Oriental tastes to the top of their bent; it overflowed with rich and tropical imagery; it abounded in antitheses and epigrams and it expressed my real feelings without restraint or reservation. I thought myself that it was the best thing I have ever done, but at school it would have been condemned as extraordinarily Asiatic and bombastic.'

During his two years at Cambridge, Sri Aurobindo did not spend all his time on academic studies and except for games, in which he was not interested, he participated fully in the University activities. He continued to be in love with poetry, reading widely as was his habit, but also now writing poems more frequently. Some of these poems were included in his first volume of poetry Songs to Myrtilla published in 1895 after his return to India. Sri Aurobindo also experimented with translations of passages from Greek and Latin poetry. Later he told us of a significant incident in this connection. Once a class-mate of his, Norman Ferrers, was reading a line from Homer which he thought was one of the poet's finest lines and, as Sri Aurobindo listened, his ear caught the true rhythm of quantitative metre. As you may appreciate, English is an accented language whereas the sound-structure of Greek and Latin, like Sanskrit is based on quantity i.e. the length of a syllable, so that it is extremely difficult to bring the swing of quantitative metre into English poetry successfully and it had eluded Matthew Arnold and other English poets of the past who had experimented with it. In later years Sri Aurobindo wrote some magnificent poems in quantitative metre. Here are the opening lines of the long poem "Ahana" which I hope you will read one day.

Vision delightful alone on the hills whom the silences cover,
Closer yet lean to mortality; human, stoop to thy lover.

Incidentally, this same Norman Ferrers passed through Calcutta on his way to Singapore in 1908. Sri Aurobindo was then imprisoned in the Alipore Jail. When Ferrers heard of this, he tried to see him and even went to the court where the trial was being held. Although anxious to help, he had no means of doing so, but the incident indicates how deeply Sri Aurobindo affected those who came to know him.

Even before he went up to Cambridge, Sri Aurobindo's mind had turned towards his motherland and he had begun to take interest in the political and social conditions in India. Ironically enough, it was Dr. Krishna Dhan who was mainly responsible for first arousing patriotic feelings in young Aurobindo. In the course of his official duties Dr. Ghose came across many instances of injustice and harshness to Indians from their English masters. Such treatment was intolerable to his independent character. In one instance, there was an open clash with the English Magistrate of the district in which the doctor was serving. Sometimes reports of misbehaviour and arrogance were published in local newspapers and Dr. Ghose would send the cuttings to his sons. Sri Aurobindo, in particular, used to pore over them with avidity and growing indignation. So it was that Krishna Dhan, who had asked that his sons were not to be exposed to any Indian influence, himself helped to turn Sri Aurobindo's mind towards his motherland.

Sri Aurobindo's growing interest in politics led him to take part actively in the affairs of the Indian Majlis, an association of Indian students studying at Cambridge which had been formed a few years earlier; and although it was apparently a social club, in fact it was more a union of politically-minded students who resented the British rule in India. Debates and discussions formed part of the Union's activities. Sri Aurobindo was a keen participant of the Majlis. Often fiery speeches would be made at the meetings; Sri Aurobindo once told us an amusing story in this connection. One day an undergraduate was speaking eloquently on the subject of independence. Citing the example of the Egyptians, he repeated two or three times: 'The Egyptians rose up like a man.' When he said this for the third time, someone from the audience exclaimed: 'But how many times did they sit down?' Sri Aurobindo has another delightful story about his Cambridge days. He recounts, 'A Punjabi student at Cambridge once took our breath away by the frankness and comprehensive profundity of his affirmation: "Liars! But we are all liars!" It appeared that he had intended to say "Lawyers", but his pronunciation gave his remark a deep force of philosophic observation and generalisation which he had not intended! But it seems to me the last word in human nature.' A.B.

Purani in his Life of Sri Aurobindo, has also given us an enjoyable anecdote which goes back to these days. When Sri Aurobindo started learning Bengali for his ICS probationership, his teacher at Cambridge was a certain Mr. Towers, a retired member of the ICS. He was called 'Pandit Towers' perhaps because his knowledge of Bengali did not go beyond Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Once Sri Aurobindo took a passage from Bankim Chandra to his teacher. The old man could not understand it at all and said, 'But this is not Bengali!'

In May 1892 Sri Aurobindo passed the first part of the Classical Tripos examination in the first class, a fine achievement which fulfilled his promise as a classical scholar. For distinguishing himself in the examination he won 'books bearing the College arms to the value of £40'. Earlier he had also won prizes for Greek and Latin verses. However, in spite of these distinctions Sri Aurobindo never obtained his B.A. degree. Under the rules it was necessary for a student to put in at least three years' residence at the University in order to earn the degree, and Sri Aurobindo left Cambridge after two years. Indeed he was not interested in a degree as such. Sri Aurobindo told us that it was needed only if one wanted to take up an academic career or for securing a job, and he said, 'If one has true knowledge, a job is always available.'

Later that year, in August 1892, Sri Aurobindo passed the ICS final examination which opened the way to joining the coveted service. There was only one more formality left, that of passing the riding test. Between August and November Sri Aurobindo had four different chances of appearing for this test and, on each occasion, he failed to put in an appearance. Evidently he had made up his mind not to go in for the ICS. Once, in our talks with him, we asked: 'Why did you appear at all for the ICS? Was it on account of some (yogic) intuition that you didn't go for the riding test?' Not at all,' he replied, 'I knew nothing of yoga at that time. I appeared for the ICS because my father wanted it and I was too young to understand it. Later I found out what sort of work it was and I had no interest in the administrative life. My interest was in poetry and literature and the study of languages and patriotic action.'

In October 1892 Sri Aurobindo left Cambridge and came to London, taking up lodgings there. The last chance given to him to appear for the riding test was on November 15, but on that day he chose to wander in the streets of London. Late in the evening he came home and told his eldest brother, Benoybhusan, 'I am chucked.' Sometime later Manmohan dropped in and when he heard what had happened, 'he set up a howl as if the heavens had fallen'. Sri Aurobindo himself was quite unperturbed. But it was not only Manmohan who was upset at what Sri Aurobindo had done. Both James Cotton and G.W. Prothero, the senior tutor at Cambridge who knew Sri Aurobindo well, thought that grave injustice had been done and decided to intercede with the Civil Service Commission, the final authority for selecting the candidates. In a letter to Cotton, Prothero wrote: 'I am very sorry to hear what you tell me about Ghose, that he has been rejected in his final ICS examination for failure in riding. His conduct throughout his two years here was most exemplary.... He performed his part of the bargain, as regards the College, most honourably and took a high place in the 1st class of Classical Tripos at the end of the second year of his residence. He also obtained certain college prizes, showing command of English and literary ability. That a man should have been able to do this (which alone is quite enough for most undergraduates), and at the same time keep up his ICS work proves very unusual industry and capacity. Besides his classical scholarship he possessed a knowledge of English Literature far beyond the average of undergraduates, and wrote a much better English style than most young Englishmen. That a man of this calibre should be lost to the Indian Government merely because he failed in sitting on a horse or did not keep an appointment appears to me, I confess, a piece of official short-sightedness which it would be hard to beat.

If he is finally turned out, it will be, however legally justifiable, a moral injustice to him and a very real loss to the Indian Government....

Moreover the man has not only ability but character. He has had a very hard and anxious time of it for the last two years. Supplies from home have almost entirely failed, and he has had to keep his two brothers as well as himself, and yet his courage and perseverance have never failed....'

In transmitting this letter to the authorities Mr: Cotton wrote: 'It happens that I have known Mr. A.A. Ghose and his two brothers for the past five years, and that I have been a witness of the pitiable straits to which they have all three been reduced through the failure of their father, a Civil Surgeon in Bengal and (I believe) a most respectable man, to supply them with adequate resources. In addition, they have lived an isolated life, without any Englishman to take care of them or advise them.

...Should the Secretary of State feel himself able to give Mr. Ghose one more chance, I undertake to provide the necessary expenses of riding lessons, journeys to Woolwich etc.,...'

I have quoted at length from these letters because of the light they throw on the many difficulties Sri Aurobindo had to pass through in England, and which he overcame in his own undisturbed manner, and also because they are two fine letters which speak of the English character at its best.

These representations on behalf of Sri Aurobindo had their effect and the authorities conceded that another chance should be given to him. But their efforts to communicate with him failed and, finally, he was rejected from the ICS for failing to pass the riding test. But there is another point we should bear in mind. There is hardly any doubt that the authorities were anxious to keep Sri Aurobindo away from the ICS. Had they wished, they could have allowed him to take the riding test in India - there were precedents which permitted this. But it is possible that Sri Aurobindo's patriotic activities at Cambridge, such as the speeches he made in the Indian Majlis, had come to the notice of the authorities and they felt that he would be a thorn in the flesh of the Government were he allowed to join the ICS. Little did they realise that, by his other activities later, he would cause the Government far greater injury.

So you see that the truth behind his rejecting the ICS was his love for the motherland. But let us remember that it was not a small matter to have thrown away a glittering prize like the ICS at his age, for he was not even twenty-one at the time. His was the first example of the kind and it is not unlikely that Subhas Chandra Bose, when he rejected the ICS in 1920, drew his inspiration from Sri Aurobindo's example.

We have another instance at this time of Sri Aurobindo's intense yearning to serve his motherland. In London, he became a member of a secret society with the name 'Lotus and Dagger'. Its members had to take a solemn vow to work for the liberation of India and not to serve the alien Government. The society was short-lived and not all the members kept their vow but Sri Aurobindo remained faithful to it.

Eager as he was to return to India, Sri Aurobindo had first to find a suitable job, and it came to him as if by chance. Recalling the circumstances, Sri Aurobindo told us: 'It is strange how things arrange themselves at times. When I failed in the ICS riding test and was looking for a job, the Gaekwad of Baroda happened to be in London. I don't remember whether he called us or we met him. We consulted an elderly person in authority about the pay we should propose. We had no idea of these things. He said we could propose Rs.200/- per month but should accept even Rs.130/- which was then equivalent to El 0 and was quite a good sum. I left the negotiations to my eldest brother and James Cotton. I knew nothing about life at that time.' This is how Sri Aurobindo joined the Baroda State Service. The Gaekwad apparently was very pleased and went about telling people that he had got an ICS man for Rs.200/- per month which was much less than the Civil Service scale. Still Rs.200/- per month was a very good starting pay in those days.

Sri Aurobindo now made preparations to return to India. He applied for and received the final payment of his ICS stipend. This helped him to settle his debts and book his passage to India.

About his debts, there is an amusing story which Sri Aurobindo related to us. 'There was a tailor at Cambridge,' he said, 'who used to tempt me with all sorts of cloth for suits and make me buy them: of course, he gave credit. Then I went to London. He somehow traced me there and found Manmohan and canvassed orders from him. Manmohan went in for velvet suits, not staring red but aesthetic, and used to visit Oscar Wilde in them. Then we came away to India but the tailor was not to be deprived of his dues. He wrote to the Government of Bengal and to the Baroda State for recovering the sum from me and Manmohan. I had paid up all my dues and kept £4 or so. I did not believe that I was bound to pay it, since he always charged me double. But as the Maharajah said I had better pay it, I paid.'

Although Sri Aurobindo lived in England for fourteen years, he had no feelings of regret at leaving. To a disciple he once wrote: 'There was an attachment to English and European thought and literature, but not to England as a country.... If there was attachment to a European land as a second country, it was intellectually and emotionally to one not seen or lived in in this life, not England, but France.'

On January 12, 1893, Sri Aurobindo left England by S.S. Carthage, but a great tragedy marred his homecoming. You can imagine with what eagerness Dr. Krishna Dhan Ghose was waiting for his son to come back to India after all these years. It seems that Krishna Dhan even went to Bombay to receive Sri Aurobindo but, in the absence of any exact information about the ship by which he was coming, he returned to Khulna. Later his bankers, Grindlay & Co. informed him that Sri Aurobindo had left England by the vessel Roumania and that this ship had been wrecked in heavy weather off the coast of Portugal with hardly any survivors. This was a tremendous shock to Dr. Ghose, too severe for his weak heart to bear, and he died with his son's name on his lips.

The S.S. Carthage, with Sri Aurobindo on board, duly arrived at Bombay on February 6, 1893, and you will recall the wonderful experience he had as soon as his feet touched the soil of India.