Mother's Chronicles - Book Six

53

The 'Arya'

Under the date 1^st June 1914 Sri Aurobindo wrote in his diary: "The idea came to ask Mme R. how soon they would go into the new house, but the question was asked only in the mind; in 15 or 20 seconds she answered, 'In one or two days perhaps we shall go into the house.' "

It stands to reason that they would not stay at Magrie Hotel for two years! So the moment the elections were over a search for a house for them got under way On 8 May Sri Aurobindo wrote in his diary:

"The following decisions in the nature of trikaladrishti rising out of telepathis were registered for observation of success or failure.

"1. Both will come—i.e. Richard & Madame Richard.

"N.B. Madame Richard was ill; moreover the Governor visited them at the time of their usual visit here; but they both came subsequently at 6 p.m., 2 hours later than the regular time.

"2. The house will be found with a little more difficulty.

"3. The Society will arrange itself after a few difficulties.

"4. The money question will be arranged by a developing siddhi."

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There were three more predictions, which do not concern us here.

On the 11^th he wrote in his diary: "Several movements towards the fulfilment of the predictions 2. 3. 4 of the 8^th May...."

On 29 May he wrote: "The second of the predictions on the 8^th May has been fulfilled after a lapse of precisely three weeks due to a small difficulty which was not overcome owing to a want of energy in the search...."

The house found for Madame and Monsieur Richard was 7 rue Dupleix (now 3 Nehru Street).

It was in this house that Amrita first saw the Mother.

Amrita sketched by Mother in 1920

It was Bejoy who had introduced Amrita "as one of the students of the Calve College and as one keen on practising Yoga," recalled Amrita. "Students from our school, in small groups, would come at their leisure hours to see the Mother. We did not know then who the Mother was." But in no time at all Amrita's group "came to feel the magic power of the Mother." Other students too were deeply impressed and felt a change come over them as they came more and more in contact with her. On his twice weekly school holidays, on Thursdays and Sundays to be precise, Amrita would go at 10 a.m. to be with Mother, sit on a chair facing her "almost as equals," study with her for about half an hour one or two pages of the Yogic Sadhan. Then back home via Sri Aurobindo's house, to have his 'darshan.'

Fulfilling the third prediction of 8 May, the authorisation for the new society had finally been obtained. It was those students and players of the Cercle Sportif "who formed the core group of the society, L'Idee Nouvelle or 'the New Idea.' Sri Aurobindo explained to Motilal in a letter: "The second part of my work is the practical, consisting in the practice of Yoga, by an ever increasing number of young men all over the country. We have started here a society called the New Idea with that object, and a good many young men are taking up Vedantic Yoga and some progressing much."

Always hard up for money, Sri Aurobindo had written in June that he was trying to lighten Motilal's burden, but "we do not know whether our attempt to provide otherwise will succeed." And he broke the news to Motilal about the launching of a new Review, the Arya. Sri Aurobindo's grasp of the material comes through vividly in the details given in his letter. "That

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attempt takes the form of a new philosophical Review with Richard and myself as Editors—the Arya, which is to be brought out in French and English, two separate editions,—one for France, one for India, England and America. In this Review my new theory of the Veda will appear as also translation and explanation of the Upanishads, a series of essays giving my system of Yoga and a book of Vedantic philosophy (not Shankara's but Vedic Vedanta) giving the Upanishadic foundations of my theory of the ideal life towards which humanity must move. You will see so far as my share is concerned, it will be the intellectual side of my work for the world. The Review will be of 64 pages to start with and the subscription Rs. 6 annually. Of the French edition 600 copies will be issued, and it will cost about Rs. 750 a year minus postage. Richard reckoned 200 subscribers in France at the start, i.e. Rs. 1200 in the year. For the English edition we are thinking of an issue of 1000 copies, at the cost of about Rs. 1200 annually. We shall need therefore at least 200 subscribers to meet this expense and some more so that the English edition may pay all its own expenses. Let us try 250 subscribers to start with, with the ideal of having 800 to 1000 in the first year. If these subscribers can be got before the Review starts, we shall have a sound financial foundation to start with. The question is, can they be got? We are printing a prospectus with specimens of the writings from my translation and commentary on a Vedic hymn, and an extract from Richard's collections of the central sayings of great sages of all times called the Eternal Wisdom to show the nature of the Review. This is supposed to come out in the middle of this month, and the Review on the 15^th August, so there will be nearly two months

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No 1

A PHILOSOPHICAL REVIEW

( English Edition of the " Revue de Grande Synthise")

Editors :

SRI AUROBINDO GHOSE — PAUL St MIRRA RICHARD.

15th August 1914

4i. Rue Francois Martin, Pondicherry. INDIA.

MODERN PRESS. PONDICHERRY

for collecting subscribers. How far can you help us in this work?"

He cautioned Motilal not to entangle the Review in Indian politics. And suggested in another letter to appoint some trustworthy agents who would receive a 'nominal' discount on each copy sold.

"I should like to know from you as soon as possible how far you can help us and how many copies of the prospectus we should send to you. If the Review succeeds, if, that is to say, we get in India 850 regular subscribers, and 250 in France etc. we shall be able to meet the expense of the establishment, translation-staff etc. and yet have enough for each of the editors to live on with their various kinds of families, say Rs. 100 a month for each. In that case the money-question will practically be solved. There will of course be other expenses besides mere living and there may be from time to time exceptional expenses, such as publication of books etc., but these may be met otherwise or as the Review increases its subscribers. Therefore use your best endeavour towards this end."

Motilal endeavoured. On 1 July 1914 Calcutta's newspaper Amrita Bazar Patrika announced under the heading ARYA:

"It is perhaps known to everybody that a new philosophical monthly, the Arya, will be published from Pondicherry from the 15^th of August under the editorship of Srijut Arabindo Ghosh and Paul and Mrs. Richard. The writing will be the outcome of five years of study and meditation of Srijut Ghosh in Pondicherry.

"The Secretary of the Arya has sent to me some copies of prospectus of the Review. Those interested in the studies of Hindu theism and philosophy may have the specimen copy

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from the following address on application.

MOTI LAL ROY

Boraichanditala, Chandernagore"

Does the reader still needs to be convinced as to how minutely exact Sri Aurobindo always was when dealing with material things? Then please read on. This letter was written shortly after the previous one we have quoted.

"Dear M," Sri Aurobindo wrote, "Again a business letter.

"Enclosed you will find two samples of paper, taken from a sample book of the Titaghur Mills which we want made to order, of a certain size, for our Review. Will you please see at once the agent in Calcutta, whose address is given, and ask him for all the particulars, the price, whether the paper of that sample, of the size required, is available or can be made to order by them, in what minimum amount, within what time etc. and let the Manager know immediately by the British post."

In a draft letter to Saurin, perhaps never sent, Sri Aurobindo gave certain other details.

"Dear Saurin," he wrote.

"We have changed the name of the review from the New Idea to the Arya. We are bringing out a prospectus with specimens of the content which will have to be distributed so as to attract subscribers. It will probably be out in the middle of the month. Please let us know before then how many copies we should send to you to distribute. The address of the Review will be 7 Rue Dupleix & subscriptions should be sent to the Manager, Arya at that address. This is the house that has been found for M & Madame Richard; they have not occupied it yet but will do

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so within a week or so. It is Martin's house over on the other side of the street just near to the Governor's. It is also to be the headquarters of the Review & the Society, at least for the present....

"You will of course return before August,—as soon in fact as it is no longer necessary for you to stay in Bengal to get matters arranged there. I await your farther information with regard to the idea of Mrinalini coming here. At present it seems to me that that will depend very much on the success of the Review & a more settled condition in my means of life. We shall see, however, whether anything else develops."

Rue Dupleix was to be the headquarters of the Review. Well, well! Imagine Mirra moving from Magrie Hotel to the new house. All the cleaning, arranging, getting necessary repairs done, getting the furniture needed (I don't know if the furniture came with the house!), settling down in short. Knowing Mirra it would not quite surprise us to learn that she it was who took the entire charge of the Arya. She made all the necessary arrangements, as Nolini described. "She wrote out in her own hand the list of subscribers, maintained the accounts herself; perhaps those papers might be still available," he said wistfully. As there was the French edition coming out simultaneously, Mirra helped Paul Richard in the translation of the writings of Sri Aurobindo into French. "The ground floor of Dupleix House was used as the stack room and the office was on the ground floor of the Guest house. The Mother was the chief executive in sole charge." Her experience with Théon's Revue Cosmique came in handy.

Replying to a question in September 1935, Sri Aurobindo wrote that "The Arya was decided on the 1^st June and it was

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agreed that it would start on the 15^th August. The war intervened on the 4^th."

On 5 November 1961 Mother told Satprem, "We began the Review Arya in the month of June 1914 and it was announced that the first number would come out on 15 August, the birthday of Sri Aurobindo, and I think the war broke out on 3 August."

As for the War, it came about with the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne, at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. Austria declared war on Serbia on 28 July. Germany declared war on Russia on 1^st August. France entered the conflict on 3^rd August. Great Britain followed suit on 4^th August. So both Mother and Sri Aurobindo were right.

"The Review Arya was bilingual," Mother added, "it was one and the same review, one part in French and another in English, but published here, at Pondicherry.... Besides it was I who translated everything, rather poorly at that."

Apart from Sri Aurobindo and Richard, Bharati also participated in the monthly by contributing his English translation of some verses from the Vaishnava poetess Andal's Tiruppavai.

The Arya was printed at the Modern Press, Pondicherry.

"The Arya was, in fact, a financial success. It paid its way with a large surplus," said Sri Aurobindo.

No, in spite of the success of the Arya, Mrinalini Devi did not come to join Sri Aurobindo. In 1918, just at the end of the war, a Spectre swept over the Earth. It was the influenza which in less than two years took a toll of at least twenty-one million people. As it swept over the world, the Indian subcontinent paid a frightful price—at least ten million Indians died. Mrinalini Devi was one of its victims.

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"But I have loved thee for thyself indeed

And with myself have snared ;

Immortal to immortal I made speed.

Change I exceed

And am for Time prepared."

When the first sense of the irreparable abated, Sri Aurobindo wrote to his father-in-law, Bhupal Bose, that the tie of affection between him and Mrinalini subsisted for him. "Where I have once loved, I do not cease from loving."

Then a longing escaped the human heart. "I should be glad if you would send me two or three of her books, especially if there are any in which her name is written. I have only of her her letters and a photograph."

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