Sri Aurobindo : conversations
Talks with Sri Aurobindo is a thousand-page record of Sri Aurobindo's conversations with the disciples who attended to him during the last twelve years of his life. The talks are informal and open-ended, for the attendants were free to ask whatever questions came to mind. Sri Aurobindo speaks of his own life and work, of the Mother and the Ashram, of his path of Yoga and other paths, of India's social, cultural and spiritual life, of the country's struggle for political independence, of Hitler and the Second World War, of modern science, art and poetry, and of many other things that arose in the course of conversation. Serious discussion is balanced with light-hearted banter and humour. By recording these human touches, Nirodbaran has brought out the warm and intimate atmosphere of the talks.
THEME/S
Somebody from Bombay has written that in the old files of lndu Prakash he has found a series of six articles on Bankim written by Sri Aurobindo. Purani asked Sri Aurobindo if it was true.
SRI AUROBINDO: I may have, I don't remember. I wrote some articles on Madhusudan, I remember. In which year was it?
PURANI: In 1894, the second year of your stay in Baroda.
SRI AUROBINDO: My knowledge of Bengali was very little at that time. I couldn't have finished reading all the writings of Bankim or perhaps I wrote the articles during the first enthusiasm of my learning the language. Of course we started learning it [at] Cambridge—the judge, Beachcroft, was one of us—under an Anglo-Indian pundit. He used to teach us Vidyasagar. One day we hit upon a sentence of Bankim's and showed it to him. He began to shake his head and said, "This can't be Bengali!" (Laughter)
PURANI: Nolini is very happy that he will get materials for another book.
SRI AUROBINDO(smiling): Can't allow publication of that. It must have been very immature.
It was decided that the man should be asked to send us copies of the articles for Sri Aurobindo's inspection. The man in his reply wanted to charge about ninety rupees for expenses.
SRI AUROBINDO: I can't pay money for these articles. They are not worth anything.
PURANI: If Sri Aurobindo wants to see them, money can be arranged from outside.
SRI AUROBINDO: Then I have no objection.
Later on it came out that Sri Aurobindo had written some articles on the Congress.
SRI AUROBINDO: Those will be interesting to see.
NIRODBARAN: How could Madhusudan write so well in Bengali?
SRI AUROBINDO: He engaged several pundits and he had the inborn poetic faculty.
PURANI: Besides, he was a linguist; he knew many European languages.
SRI AUROBINDO: Oh yes! You can see the influence of Homer, Virgil and Tasso in his writings.
DR. MANILAL: I asked Nirod if he was having experiences. He said, "No, my work is now in the physical." I asked, "What about mind and vital?" "Oh, all that is finished!" "So it will be Supermind next?" "Yes," Nirod replied. (Laughter)
(After some time) Nirod, how is your poetry getting on?
SRI AUROBINDO: He has finished his mental and vital working. (Laughter)
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