Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

4 April 1940

In the morning, the radio gave the news that Lord Zetland had declared that no reforms could be given to India unless Congress and Muslims came to a compromise.

Sri Aurobindo (looking at Purani): So there won’t be any more reforms?

Purani: No.

Sri Aurobindo: But why does Zetland stop where he does? He can say that even after an agreement between Congress and Muslims there will be no reforms. For there is the Hindu Mahasabha, the Khaksars have to be considered, C.R. and Nyekar, Nehru and the Socialists have to be dealt with, and then the Harijans!

Nirodbaran: There doesn’t seem to be any way for Gandhi but to fight.

Purani: Already the Government has started arrests. Ranga Iyer is arrested.

Nirodbaran: That is the Defence Act.

Purani: Others will follow now.

Nirodbaran: Yesterday Nishikanto gave a triplet banana to show to the Mother and asked if he could take it. The Mother laughed and inquired, “Is he starving? He can take it with milk after mashing it sufficiently.” This morning he said he couldn’t take the whole. Even then there was some heaviness. I said I would report it to you.

Satyendra: But why does he want to attract Sri Aurobindo’s notice? To have pity on him because he can’t take even a banana? (Laughter)

Sri Aurobindo: He seems to be forced into yogic austerity! (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: The vision he had some time back seems to have come true. Once during his sleep he saw a vital being pointing to his abdomen and saying, “That is the source of your strength. I am going to finish it.” Then the being struck at the pit of his stomach like a bull with his head down. Nishikanto groaned and retaliated by suddenly giving a sharp squeeze to the being’s scrotum. At this the being fled. (Laughter)

Sri Aurobindo: The being appears to have been right about Nishikanto. The pit of the stomach is the vital-emotional centre, which is the source of his strength. But it would be interesting to know what happened to the scrotum of the vital being. (Laughter)

After this, Satyendra gave Sri Aurobindo a Bengali poem to see, as requested by Mridu. The poem was written by Jyoti on the presentation copy of her book Red Rose to Mridu.

Sri Aurobindo: She says that Mridu’s business is cooking and hers is writing. The “friend” finds the cooking sweeter than poetry.

Nirodbaran: An old correspondent, a victim of asthma, writes that he is the worst sufferer: he hasn’t seen a single asthmatic patient suffering like him, day and night without any respite.

Sri Aurobindo: Every sick person says that of his own disease. He should be made to live with Suren. (Laughter)

Satyendra: And then it will be seen whose suffering is worse!

Nirodbaran: The correspondent has asked X to write an article on the ‘results of Karma’ based on the points which he himself has asked him. The questionnaire has many points. The first is: By whom is Karma recorded?

Sri Aurobindo: By whom? There is our office upstairs.

Purani: Chitragupta does that.

Nirodbaran: Point 2: Many people die in an earthquake or a train disaster. Is it to be inferred that all had acted in the same way in their previous births?

Sri Aurobindo: He means the same way in the past because they all had the same experience now – quaked together? (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: Point 3: Sri Aurobindo has said that physical death is followed by vital and mental deaths hereafter.

Sri Aurobindo: I have never said that. I have spoken of the dissolution of the several sheaths. I have already answered such things in The Life Divine. Let the correspondent have a copy of it for ten rupees.