Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

12 January 1940

Nirodbaran read out Nolini Sen’s letter to Sri Aurobindo, wherein he has written that he can’t remember anything he reads. He is very elated to hear that Guru has called him an intellectual. He doesn’t know how he is one.

Sri Aurobindo: I have not used the word in the sense of intellectuality, neither have I made that statement as a result of seeing his translation of his wife’s letter. “Intellectual” does not mean that one should be able to remember things. He is taking it in the sense of being educated. Nor have I used it in the sense of “clear mind”.

Nirodbaran: Nishikanto says he has changed the rhythm of his poem and avoided compound words as far as possible. I don’t know who told him about it.

Sri Aurobindo: He used too many compounds, making it seem like Sanskrit. (To Purani) What is the name of that Indian whom Raman mentions in his address?

Satyendra: It is Dr. Krishna perhaps.

Sri Aurobindo: Perhaps. I don’t remember the name. Raman mentions him as the first to experiment with the Cavendish cyclotron.

Purani: Yes, it is he. He is a doctor of science of Madras University and was sent by Raman to England. There is a lot of research now going on in India; of course there is nothing epoch-making. In some places, they are going only into details. In the Punjab they are working on the solubility of dyes.

Sri Aurobindo: They can do some research on the beard too: what are the different varieties and colours and what makes it long or short, or they may try to find out what is the cause of Nirodbaran’s baldness. (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: The cause won’t do.

Sri Aurobindo: Why? One must know the cause first.

Nirodbaran: Oh, they have found out many causes but no cure. That is what is wanted and I don’t think they will find out any cure.

Satyendra: I read the story of a vendor of patent drugs for baldness. Somebody asked him, “Why then are you bald?” He replied, “My baldness is there to advertise drugs against hairiness; it is to show the ladies how to get rid of the hair which they don’t want to show through their short sleeves.” (Laughter)

Purani: It seems Mahadev Desai has asked for a copy of The Life Divine.

Nirodbaran: For Gandhi?

Purani: No, for himself. He doesn’t think that in the strict sense Gandhi has any spiritual experience or knowledge. Desai has his own Guru.

Sri Aurobindo: One won’t get anything spiritual unless one recognises that one’s ideas are only ideas.

Evening

Purani: Nolini had a strange experience.

Sri Aurobindo: What was it?

Purani: Dilip brought a retired Bengali judge to introduce him to Nolini. The judge is a member of the Gita Prachar Party. The man looked at Nolini for an instant and then suddenly embraced and kissed him; then he said, “I have read your writings and I like them very much.” Nolini was so surprised.

Sri Aurobindo: Nolini didn’t return the kiss? He should have returned the compliment. (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: If X were paid a compliment like that for his writings, he would be in ecstasy.

Sri Aurobindo: Nolini could have said, “I am flattered by your reading my books.”

Nirodbaran: There is again another hitch in Bengal between Congress and Sarat Bose over the Bengal Congress parliamentary fund. Rajendra Prasad has asked Bose to hand over the fund to the Congress Parliamentary Committee and to have the accounts audited by some auditing company employed by Rajendra Prasad. Bose takes it as an insult and as loss of confidence in him. He wants to know why they have suddenly taken that step.

Sri Aurobindo: But, I suppose, Congress can do that because the money really belongs to their fund. They don’t suspect that Bose will swallow that money. He has plenty himself.

Nirodbaran: No, they don’t suspect that. I think they fear that the Bengal Congress Committee may try to get that money. It has already passed such a resolution and Rajendra Prasad has especially asked Bose not to hand over that money to the Bengal Congress Committee. In any case, Bose is hurt because he takes it personally as a lack of confidence in him and especially now when they want to have the accounts audited.

Sri Aurobindo: Why? Congress regularly gets all the accounts of its branches checked by its auditors. Accounts have to be checked. That is the only way to keep the politicians straight.

Nirodbaran: Bose’s point is that it is a method suddenly adopted by the President and it discredits the regular auditors of the Bengal Congress Committee and the whole thing has been done without telling him anything.

Sri Aurobindo: What is there to mind about it? I suppose the Working Committee has the power to do such things. These people mix up social questions with politics.

Purani: I don’t know why he should object to showing the accounts. If you are sincere, the accounts will prove that. That was one strong point of Vallabhbhai. Whenever his enemies asked him to show the accounts, he was always ready.

Sri Aurobindo: There has been a lot of misappropriation of money. A strong check is absolutely necessary. If Congress had not exercised it, its funds would have been in a much sorrier state.