Shivaji — Jai Singh1Sri Aurobindo
The Harmony of Virtue
Early Cultural Writings — 1890-1910
Conversations of the Dead
Shivaji — Jai Singh1
Neither of us have2 prevailed. A third force has entered into the land and takes3 the fruits of your work and as for mine, it is broken and the4 ideal I have cherished5 has gone down into the dust.
For the fruit I did not work and I am not amazed by the failure nor discouraged6.
I too did not work7 for my8 reward, but to uphold the ideal of the Rajput. Unflinching courage in honourable warfare, chivalry to friend and foe, a noble loyalty to the sovereign of our9 choice, this seemed to me the true Indian tradition, preferable even to the unity and predominance of the Hindu races. Therefore, I could not accept your overtures. But I gave you the opportunity to accept my own tradition and when faith was not kept with me and with you10, I saved my honour and assisted your escape.
God extended to me His protection and moved the heart of a woman to give me love and aid.
Traditions change.
The ideal of the Rajput has its future, but the mould had to be broken in order that what was temporary in it might pass.
Loyalty to the sovereign of my choice is good11, but loyalty to the sovereign of my nation's choice, that is better.
The monarch is divine by the power of God expressed within him, but he has it12 because he is the elect13 of the people.
God in the nation is the deity of which the monarch is14 the servant15.
Vithova16, virāṭ of the Marhattas17 — Bhavāni incarnate as India — in their18 strength I conquered.
Your political ideal was great but your standard of means was abhorrent to our morality. Ruse, treachery, pillage, assassination, these were19 not20 excluded from your action21!
Not for myself I fought and ruled, but for God and the Maharashtra dharma, the religion of Hindu Nationality, which Ramdas enunciated. I offered my head to Bhavāni and She bade me keep it to scheme and plot for the welfare22 of the nation. I gave my kingdom to Ramdas and he made23 me take it back as a gift from God and the Marhattas24. Both commands I obeyed25. I slew when God commanded, I26 plundered because He pointed out that as the means He had given me27. Treacherous I was not, but I helped my weakness in resource and numbers by ruse and stratagem, conquered28 physical force by keenness of wit and brain-force29. The world has accepted ruse in war and politics and the chivalrous openness of the Rajput is not owned30 either by the European or the Asiatic nations.
I held31 the dharma as supreme and even the voice of God could not persuade me to abandon it.
I gave up all to Him and did not keep even the dharma. His will was my religion; for He was my Captain and I his soldier. That was my loyalty, not to Aurangzebe, not to a code of morals, but to God who sent me.
He sends us all, but for different purposes and according to the purpose he moulds the ideal and the character.
I am not grieved that the Mogul has fallen.
Had he deserved to retain sovereignty he could not have lost it, but even when he ceased to deserve, I kept my faith, my service, my loyalty.
It was not for me to dispute the will of my emperor.
God who appointed him might judge him; it was not my office.
God also appoints the man, who rebels and refuses to prolong unjust authority by acquiescence. He is not always on the side of power; sometimes He manifests as the deliverer.
Let Him come down Himself then as He promised. Then alone would rebellion be justified.
But32 whence will He come down, when He33 is here already, in our hearts? Because I saw Him there, therefore was I34 strong enough to carry35 out my mission.
Where is the seal upon your work, the pledge of His authority?
I undermined an empire and it has not been rebuilt. I created a nation and it has not yet perished.
Circa 1910
Later edition of this work: The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo.- Set in 37 volumes.- Volume 1.- Early Cultural Writings (1890 — 1910).- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2003.- 784 p.
1 First published in The Standard Bearer, 26 December 1920
2 2003 ed.: has
3 2003 ed.: taken
4 2003 ed.: broken; the
5 2003 ed.: I cherished
6 2003 ed.: by the failure I am not amazed nor discouraged.
7 2003 ed.: Neither did I work
8 2003 ed.: a
9 2003 ed.: my
10 2003 ed.: either of us
11 2003 ed.: choice, that is good
12 2003 ed.: the power
13 2003 ed.: incarnation
14 2003 ed.: must be
15 2003 ed.: the servant and the devotee.
16 2003 ed.: Vithoba
17 2003 ed.: Mahrattas
18 2003 ed.: that
19 2003 ed.: were
20 2003 ed.: never
21 2003 ed.: activity
22 2003 ed.: greatness
23 2003 ed.: bade
24 2003 ed.: Mahrattas
25 2003 ed.: I obeyed their commands.
26 2003 ed.: commanded me,
27 2003 ed.: it was the means He pointed out to me.
28 2003 ed.: stratagem, I conquered
29 2003 ed.: brain-power
30 2003 ed.: practiced
31 2003 ed.: hold
32 2003 ed.: From
33 2003 ed.: who
34 2003 ed.: I was
35 2003 ed.: strong to carry