Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1938

Letter ID: 2142

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

July 7, 1938

[Sri Aurobindo and the Mother]

“The growing heart of day

Is lily-white...”

Lily-white cheap?

Not only cheap but gratis.

Guru, this again is a riddle of a poem!

Not very cogent, whether realistically or surrealistically. But see how with a few alterations I have coged it. (Excuse the word; it is surrealistic it). I don’t put double lines as I don’t want to pay too many compliments to myself. I don’t say that the new version has any more meaning than the first. But significance, sir, significance! Fathomless!

As for the inspiration it was a very remarkable source you tapped – super-Blakish, but your transcription is faulty e.g. lily-white rising out of the clay, that horrible “various”, and constant mistakes in the last four stanzas. Only the third came out altogether right subject to the change you yourself made of destiny to ecstasy and shot to wrought. But obviously the past tense is needed instead of the present so as to give the sense of something that has been seen.

How to be sure about R.B.’s ulcer? X-ray was the one definite way. It may be sound to take it as ulcer. André has given a medicine, Histidine, which won’t do any harm even if it is not ulcer. It has to be given either subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

[Mother:] Give subcutaneously.

Dyuman buys vegetables for the soup, once a week. It would be good if Z could have a “garde-manger” for storing them.

[Mother:] Yes – ask Sahana for one –

Mrs. Sankar Ram doesn’t want to go to the hospital since her nail pain is gone and sugar less, she feels better. I explained that it’s better to ascertain [diabetes], but to no avail. So, shall we wait?

[Mother:] Yes.