Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

7 August 1940

Sri Aurobindo: Hitler’s invasion can’t come off on the 10th.

Purani: He still has three days’ time. Otherwise it will break his sequence. He is preparing.

Sri Aurobindo: I wish it had been fixed to come after the 15th; I don’t want the Darshan to be disturbed.

Nirodbaran: Hiren Dutt finds The Life Divine obscure and loose.

Sri Aurobindo: Obscure to himself?

Purani: I haven’t much regard for his opinion and learning. I met him in Bombay.

Sri Aurobindo: He has an ordinary mind and it runs in the traditional groove. When the Arya was being published, I think he said that he couldn’t understand it.

Nirodbaran: Yet he has made a name as a scholar.

Sri Aurobindo: Not a very big name!

Nirodbaran: Prashanta Mahalnavis seems to have said that The Life Divine is Ganja?

Sri Aurobindo: He is a Brahmo, isn’t he?

Nirodbaran: Yes.

Purani: He means he found it as intoxicating as Ganja?

Nirodbaran: Oh no, Brahmos don’t touch Ganja.

Purani: He was the same man who came here with Tagore and was not allowed to accompany Tagore during his interview with you. He was very angry. I remember the story of a Brahmo. He was asked by somebody where some particular theatre was; he said he didn’t know. He realised that he had told a lie and then called the man back and said, “I do know, but I won’t tell you.” (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: That is Heramba Maitra.

Satyendra: I like this comment about Ganja. He means we have been smoking Ganja in solitude here.

Nirodbaran: Oh, they think much worse than that.

Purani: Some of these people are strictly ethical and moral.

Sri Aurobindo: That is the Pharisee’s “I am not a sinner” type.

Hiren Dutt was a clever solicitor. He was the solicitor in my case, in all my cases, I think, and he was one of the few who remained faithful after the collapse of our Movement. When the meetings were getting smaller and smaller, he was the one who was always present. Ramananda was another.

Nirodbaran: Ramananda has now joined the Hindu Movement.

Evening

Satyendra: China is also threatening Indo-China!

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, in case they allow Japan to use any ports.

Purani: It seems Italy has launched an attack against British Somaliland and Egypt.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, but not against Egypt. It is evident that the British have a very insufficient force there. I don’t understand why Australian soldiers are being sent to England. They ought to have been out there.

Then Purani brought in the talk about Nandalal Bose’s coming here and said that it must be due to consideration for Tagore that he has suspended his coming for this Darshan.

Sri Aurobindo: Artists can’t keep their resolutions!