Sri Aurobindo

Letters on Himself and the Ashram

The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo. Volume 35

His Life and Attempts to Write about It
Political Career, 1906 – 1910

Inability to Participate in Politics [1]

There was a report in the Hindu that a deputation was coming from London to Pondicherry to ask you to take the helm of politics as a successor to Gandhi. The report says that you know 35 languages and have written 500 books.

I have read the wonderful screed from London. Truly I am more marvellous than I thought, 35 languages and 500 books! As to the seven pilgrims, they must be men of the Gita’s type, niṣkāmakarmīs, to be prepared to come all these thousands of miles for nothing.

2 September 1934