Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

6 February 1940

Nirodbaran: Anilbaran has sent you a philosophical letter from Ardhendu’s friend, you remember?

Sri Aurobindo: There are so many philosophical letters coming to Anilbaran that it is difficult to remember which is which. (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: This man is a Sannyasi. Anilbaran replied to him. He was very happy with the reply and wants to come to have darshan.

Sri Aurobindo: Anilbaran’s darshan? (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: But he has no passage money. So he has requested Anilbaran to pay for the passage just as he has found spiritual passage for him.

Sri Aurobindo: Anilbaran can write that he has just as much money as his correspondent. (Laughter)

Evening

Nirodbaran (waving a foolscap sheet): Anilbaran has sent a specimen of the kind of letters he receives from people. The man has asked Anilbaran for Rs. 10,000 to help him out of his difficulty and has asked for your blessings.

Sri Aurobindo: Blessings can be sent, but Rs. 10,000?

Nirodbaran: It seems this man did some good to Anilbaran a long time ago and Anilbaran in return offered to help him, if he needed help at any time. This was sixteen or seventeen years ago.

Champaklal: Anilbaran says the man has always been very honest but has been cheated by everybody.

Sri Aurobindo: That is the fate of honest people. The rule is: you shouldn’t cheat but you should know how it is done. (Laughter)

Champaklal: What is your opinion about Nandalal’s paintings you saw in the morning? (Purani had shown them.)

Purani: He hasn’t yet seen the complete set.

Champaklal: But he can speak about what he has seen.

Sri Aurobindo (looking at Champaklal): What I saw, I saw.

Purani: Nandalal is trying to follow the modern tendency – democratic art. His modern paintings seem to be like that: for example the village minstrel.

Sri Aurobindo: They tried to be grotesque, didn’t they?

Purani: Yes.

Purani again showed some of Nandalal’s and Tagore’s paintings that have come out in Viswa Bharati. About Nandalal’s painting of Arjuna represented as Purusha Sinha (Man-lion), Sri Aurobindo said, “All I can say is that it is queer. His goat is better than this. ’’ About some of the modern paintings, he said, “Is this democratic art?’’ Seeing Radha’s picture in a lying position, he remarked, “She doesn’t seem to be sleeping.”