Talks with Sri Aurobindo

1 FEBRUARY 1940

PURANI: I spoke to Kapali yesterday, and gave him the data from that book. He says the calculation of time according to the year of the gods must be different— 365 days of the human year would be one day of theirs or something like that. Then Kapali says that these calculations have been based on newly discovered planets which were unknown before. So how could any calculations have been made using the year of the gods when these planets didn't exist?

SRI AUROBINDO: But the principle was there. They have introduced these planets now. We must also do the same. These calculations aren't based on astrology but on prophecy and the prophecies also based on the old [book] of Nostradamus. The Mother has seen this book in the original form and she says that anything could be made out of anything from it.

PURANI: As from the Rigveda?

NIRODBARAN(to Satyendra): So you see.

SATYENDRA: See what?

NIRODBARAN: You said the supramental is still very far off.

PURANI: It may be tomorrow.

SATYENDRA: How? What are you driving at?

NIRODBARAN: This man's prophesy about the new race isn't correct, as anything can be made out of anything, and you said that by his reading the supermind is far off. That is what I am driving at. (Sri Aurobindo was laughing all the time)

SATYENDRA: It may be possible for one man but not for the race.

SRI AUROBINDO: For the race he says millennium.

SATYENDRA: But according to this man our continent will be submerged under water.

SRI AUROBINDO: Like Atlantis? And your intuition of brinjal and typhoid won't have any chance. (Laughter)

NIRODBARAN: Quite welcome.

PURANI: He has brought out new planes. Uranus

SRI AUROBINDO: And Pluto. Uranus, he says, is more psychic in nature.

NIRODBARAN: How can that be when Stalin is under Uranus?

SRI AUROBINDO: Why not? Dictators sometimes bring about profound changes. Daladier also. It is the planet of the dictators.

PURANI: Mussolini too.

SRI AUROBINDO: Yes; this astrologer is impressed by Mussolini, and is a violent anti-communist. But for England to become communist would be a tremendous change as well as for the Scandinavian countries.

PURANI(after some time): Anilbaran wants to know if he should reply to Basanta Chatterji.

SRI AUROBINDO(after short pause): Yes, he can write that Sri Aurobindo hasn't denied the existence of the gods; on the contrary he has affirmed it. He has said that in the Vedas they are not psychological images but realities. Chatterji has misinterpreted Sri Aurobindo. Anilbaran can also write that the Vedic hymns have both inner and outer interpretations. According to the inner esoteric interpretation, one may speak of the gods as well as of principles. If I speak of Agni as Tapas1 it is as a psychological principle. It doesn't mean that by being a god of Tapas he is no more a god of the fire of sacrifice. Agni is taken as a psychological principle as well as a god.

(After a while) And he can also quote the Chandi where it says the goddess inhabits all creatures in the form of benevolence. It doesn't mean that because she inhabits them in the form of benevolence she is not a goddess. As a psychological image she is described in the form of benevolence. Similarly, Agni can take the form of Tapas.

He can also say that Sri Aurobindo hasn't criticised Sayana's polytheistic interpretation of the Vedas but rather his predominantly ritualistic interpretation. And he can point out that Sri Aurobindo has no Western stamp in his interpretation. At the same time Sri Aurobindo speaks of one Supreme God from whom all other gods have emanated.

PURANI(after a long break in the talk): In Gurukul they have an exercise or drill of laughter. When students are asked to laugh, they have to laugh.

SRI AUROBINDO: Not cry? In Baroda the military department instituted a drill of urination. (Laughter) As soon as the order was passed, everybody would urinate together.

EVENING

PURANI: J has sent a letter saying that he was arrested by the Government because of his anti-war pamphlet and that he was released on personal security.

SRI AUROBINDO: What a genius, for getting into trouble!