should flush up with my radiance – and your warmth. N’est-ce pas?Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 2. 1934 — 1935
Letter ID: 628
Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar
September 28, 1935
This friend1 of mine – a top hole chappie from the unyogic humanistic point of view, from the “die-of-a-rose-in-aromatic-pain” cultural one to boot – is heart-broken, etc. for reasons you know. But what, his letter gives food for thought because
He’s disappointed that my stay [in the Ashram]
Has been refreshing in a way! –
In that, he assumes, I have professed
To have in Yoga alas, progressed!! –
In throwing off Dilipian charms
But lo! he finds my mental warms
Up to a friend who comes to you
To claim his Supramental blue
For PALE he’s to all outward seeming
But can you afford to be now beaming?
Do write I prithee on the back
That the eye may follow your master-track!
I read your poem first and was in deep waters. After reading your friend’s letter, I struggled to the surface; but the crucial lines are cryptic still. I am always beaming like a supramental sun. Why should I not afford to beam now? Why should the Moon-Lord’s2 pallor defeat me? Rather he should flush up with my radiance – and your warmth. N’est-ce pas?
1 Somnath Maitra, an eminent Professor of English, Presidency College, Calcutta, younger brother of Sisir Kumar Maitra. He translated many works of Tagore into English. He was Dilip’s and Prithwi Singh’s friend. After losing his little daughter of nine, his former life lost its charm. He asked permission to come to the Ashram in September 1935 and stayed for about one month.
2 Moon-Lord = Som-nath.