Tales of Prison Life

Translator's Note

Karakahini (Bengali)

Karakahini (Bengali) is a series of nine articles by Sri Aurobindo published in the Bengali monthly Suprabhat in 1909-10. This series remained incomplete as Sri Aurobindo left Bengal in 1910. Karakahini came out in the form of a book in 1921-1922. Tales of Prison Life is the English translation by Sisir Kumar Ghose, published in 1968. Both these books are © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. This translation of Karakahini is NOT the same as the earlier translation of 1968 and its subsequent editions.

NEW translation

This translation of Karakahini is different from the published book with the same title and it is only available as an eBook for online readers.
The translator has added the following to the translation in an attempt to enhance the reading experience:
    - Paragraph headings & section headings
    - Links for related reading
    - Extracts from related writings of Sri Aurobindo

Context

Sri Aurobindo was arrested for conspiracy on 2nd May 1908 and spent one full year in Alipore jail during the magistrate's investigation and the trial in the Sessions Court at Alipore (Alipore Bomb Case). Although the British Government tried to implicate him in various ways, Sri Aurobindo was acquitted and released from Jail on 6th May 1909.

Subsequently he wrote a series of articles in the Bengali journal Suprabhat describing his life in prison and the courtroom. Sri Aurobindo made a brief mention in these articles of his spiritual experiences in Jail. It was in his speech at Uttarpara that Sri Aurobindo for the first time spoke publicly of his Yoga and his spiritual experiences.