A Talk : 'She was like a mother...'

"She was like a mother, not an awesome figure"

An Interview with Prof. Kittu Reddy

Q: Can you tell us something about the days when you came to the Ashram as a young boy?

Kittu Reddy: Except on the darshan days, we used to meet the Mother four or five times a day: in the morning 'balcony darshan', then again at '9 o' clock Blessings'—when she used to give tomatoes or fruits to the children—at midday Vegetable darshan' and often in the evenings at the Playground. So, four times a day. This was from the year 1943 to 1958.

Q: What was the place of children in the Ashram in early days?

Kittu Reddy: Children were an integral part of the Ashram, Mother gave a lot of time and interest to the children, and she knew each one individually.

When as children, once Khiku (Aster's brother) and myself were talking aloud near the meditation hall among ourselves— apparently quite loudly. Suddenly from upstairs, Puraniji came down to enquire who were talking as Sri Aurobindo asked the question: "Who are those two boys who are talking at 60 words a second?" It was reported that one was Indra Sen's son and the other Narayan Reddy's son.

V: Both have made their mark, one in the Indian Foreign Service and you as an excellent exponent of Indian Culture and Political Science in the light of Sri Aurobindo's teaching.

Kittu Reddy: Regarding the vegetable darshan... the Mother used to come down— at the staircase near Nirod-da's room—and the vegetables would be put. The Mother used to inspect them, enquire about the quantity: like 20 kgs of this vegetable or 50

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kgs of that fruit etc. That is how she encouraged the growing of vegetables and fruits in the Ashram. Then when the darshan took place children could still be around. And it so happened that one day during the darshan I was playing. I did not see: somebody was chasing me right up to that area. Suddenly I saw the Mother. I just stopped: could not go forward or backward and was expecting to get a scolding. Instead of that, the Mother called me and very affectionately gave me a flower.

A gentleman who was staying in what is now the Bulletin Distribution Room — his name is Suddhanand Bharati—used to bring everyday a poem in French; he used to read it out to the Mother. That day Mother asked me to read the poem. I read it quite well. She was very appreciative and asked me to come everyday from next day onwards. I used to go to her everyday to read the French poem. So that was the beginning of a very intense relationship with the Mother, intense and very intimate.

V: You are in the Ashram for a long time from your childhood. We would be happy if you can share something with us.

Kittu Reddy: Mother took intense interest in every child. Whenever we went wrong, she would pull us up. If we did well in sports or any activity, she would appreciate us. She was like a mother, not an awesome figure. I can say she was the one person to whom I could tell everything with the absolute certainty that I will not be misunderstood.

With Sri Aurobindo, I had a relationship but an extremely intimate inner relationship.

* * *

Kittu Reddy: The Mother always told us: "Whatever is pleasant or unpleasant and painful, make it a means of becoming more conscious and making the necessary progress. Inside is much more important than outside and act accordingly."

A friend and yet too great wholly to know,

She walked in their front towards a greater light,

Their leader and queen over their hearts and souls,

One close to their bosoms, yet divine and far.

Book IV, 2

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Source: Darshan