Mother's Chronicles - Book Six

55

August Fifteen

Well, yes, there was no entry in Mirra's diary under the date of 15 August 1914. Look, even with her limitless capacity to work, was she not liable that particular day not to have a single minute on her hand? A day, after all, has only so many minutes.

That was the day when the first copies of the Arya were publicly released. We know Mirra's role, don't we?

And ... it was Sri Aurobindo's birthday. He was to be forty-two years old. This was his fifth birth anniversary at Pondicherry. He had been a recluse at Shankar Chetty's house on his first birthday. His second and third birthdays in 1911 and 1912 were 'celebrated' quietly in the Raghavan House; he crossed the thirties and stepped into his forties. It was going to be 'roaring forties'! We have already seen how, when he turned forty-one, the event was celebrated more openly in the house at Matacoil Street.

This time, on 15 August 1914, Mirra was there. Quite naturally, she became the Director of Operations. This time Sri Aurobindo's birthday was celebrated even more openly than last time. Many people were invited to lunch at the Guest House. In the spacious hall upstairs, two or three big tables were placed

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side by side, "on them were spread thick washed sheets, white as jasmines," Amrita, one of the invited guests, said. "And above these sheets was heaped, mountain-like, milk white rice." Over the white rice were strewn rose-petals. There were, of course, side dishes, and some sweets as dessert.

Sri Aurobindo came out at about 11:30, just before noon. He "stood in the long verandah, south of the hall, at the western end." The guests were assembled at the eastern end. Sri Aurobindo looked at them and "spoke something in English for two or three minutes."

Most of the guests left after lunch. Only a few intimate ones stayed on, Amrita among them. But where was Mirra? Did anyone know? Did she partake of the food she had helped prepare and serve?

For the old friends it was a joyous occasion. They had the Arya in hand. Did it contain the results of Sri Aurobindo's search ? Did Sri Aurobindo elucidate the secrets of the Veda? They would soon find out. Just then they talked and laughed and joked among themselves. Their laughter was carefree. Though the war in Europe had broken out some days ago, at the time they did not know how it was going to affect their lives. Affect the lives of millions in the world. No, just then, at the outbreak of the war, people were not aware—except a rare few—of its gravity, of how it would soon draw the nations all over the world into the boiling cauldron, and come to be known to future generations as the First World War. The churning had begun.

Mirra knew. Sri Aurobindo knew.

Mirra had met Sri Aurobindo.

Like Ganga, the great daughter of the Himalayas who

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flowed to the Eastern Sea, this great daughter of the West met the vast Ocean of Knowledge of the East.

That 15 August, Mirra had taken the first step to becoming Anna Purna, the great Mother who nourishes the worlds.

The Earth waited with bated breath.

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