JaysinghSri Aurobindo
Early Cultural Writings
(1890 — 1910)
Part Five. Conversations of the Dead
IV. Shivaji, Jaysingh
Neither of us has1 prevailed. A third force has entered into the land and taken2 the fruits of your work, and as for mine, it is broken; the3 ideal I cherished4 has gone down into the dust.
For the fruit I did not work and by the failure I am not amazed nor discouraged5.
Neither did I work6 for a7 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 my8 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 either of us9, 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, that is good10; 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 the power11 because he is the incarnation12 of the people. God in the nation is the deity of which the monarch must be13 the servant and the devotee14. Vithoba15, Virat of the Mahrattas16, — Bhavani, incarnate as India, — in that17 strength I conquered.
Your political ideal was great, but your standard of means was abhorrent to our morality. Ruse, treachery, pillage, assassination were18 never19 excluded from your activity20.
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 Bhavani and She bade me keep it to scheme and plot for the greatness21 of the nation. I gave my kingdom to Ramdas and he bade22 me take it back as a gift from God and the Mahrattas23. I obeyed their commands24. I slew when God commanded me,25 plundered because it was the means He pointed out to me26. Treacherous I was not, but I helped my weakness in resource and numbers by ruse and stratagem, I conquered27 physical force by keenness of wit and brain-power28. The world has accepted ruse in war and politics, and the chivalrous openness of the Rajput is not practiced29 either by the European or the Asiatic nations.
I hold30 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.
From31 whence will He come down who32 is here already in our hearts? Because I saw Him there, therefore I was33 strong to carry34 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.
Earlier edition of this work: Sri Aurobindo Birth Century Library: Set in 30 volumes.- Volume 3.- The Harmony of Virtue: Early Cultural Writings — 1890-1910.- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Asram, 1972.- 489 p.
1 1972 ed.: have
2 1972 ed.: takes
3 1972 ed.: broken and the
4 1972 ed.: I have cherished
5 1972 ed.: I am not amazed by the failure nor discouraged.
6 1972 ed.: I too did not work
7 1972 ed.: my
8 1972 ed.: our
9 1972 ed.: me and with you
10 1972 ed.: choice is good
11 1972 ed.: it
12 1972 ed.: elect
13 1972 ed.: is
14 1972 ed.: the servant.
15 1972 ed.: Vithova
16 1972 ed.: Marhattas
17 1972 ed.: their
18 1972 ed.: these were
19 1972 ed.: not
20 1972 ed.: action
21 1972 ed.: welfare
22 1972 ed.: made
23 1972 ed.: Marhattas
24 1972 ed.: Both commands I obeyed.
25 1972 ed.: commanded, I
26 1972 ed.: He pointed out that as the means He had given me.
27 1972 ed.: stratagem, conquered
28 1972 ed.: brain-force
29 1972 ed.: owned
30 1972 ed.: held
31 1972 ed.: But
32 1972 ed.: when He
33 1972 ed.: was I
34 1972 ed.: strong enough to carry