Sri Aurobindo

Autobiographical Notes

and Other Writings of Historical Interest

Part Two. Letters of Historical Interest

1. Letters on Personal, Practical and Political Matters (1890–1926)

Letters and Telegrams to Political and Professional Associates 1906–1926

Draft of a Letter to Saurin Bose¹

[June 1914]

Dear Saurin,

I have received your letter and I reply first to the one or two points in it which demand an answer. We have changed the name of the review from the New Idea to the Arya. We are bringing out a prospectus with specimens of the content which will have to be distributed so as to attract subscribers. It will probably be out in the middle of the month. Please let us know before then how many copies we should send to you to distribute. The address of the Review will be 7 Rue Dupleix and subscriptions should be sent to the Manager, Arya at that address. This is the house that has been found for M and Madame Richard; they have not occupied it yet but will do so within a week or so. It is Martin’s house over on the other side of the street just near to the Governor’s. It is also to be the headquarters of the Review and the Society, at least for the present.

Sukumar has not yet sent the garden-money but I presume he will do so before long. I have received Rs 400 of the Rs 600 due to me from another quarter and hope to get the remainder by August. With the garden money, this will mean Rs 1100, and with another Rs 100 and 130 for payment of the old rent, we could just go on for a year even without the Rs 1000 arrangement yearly or other money. But Rs 150 is the real minimum sum needed, especially if we keep this house after Nagen goes, as Richard wishes. If the Review succeeds, the problem will be solved; for with 500 subscribers abroad and 1500 in India, we could run the Review, pay the assistants and keep a sufficient sum for the two Editors.

As for your loans, my point was not about a legal process or any material trouble as the result of non-payment. It was that those who give the loan should not have any feeling of not being rightly dealt with, if we should fail to repay them, any feeling that advantage had been taken of their friendship. I have had too bad an experience of money-matters and their power to cool down friendly relations not to be on my guard in this respect. Therefore, I desire that there should be no ground left for future misunderstanding in any matter of the kind, and loans are the most fruitful of these things, much more than money asked or taken as a gift.

You will of course return before August,– as soon in fact as it is no longer necessary for you to stay in Bengal to get matters arranged there. I await your farther information with regard to the idea of Mrinalini coming here. At present it seems to me that that will depend very much on the success of the Review and a more settled condition in my means of life. We shall see, however, whether anything else develops.

¹ June 1914. Saurin Bose, brother of Sri Aurobindo’s wife Mrinalini, was a member of Sri Aurobindo’s household in Pondicherry between 1911 and 1919. At the time this letter was written, he was on a visit to Bengal. On 30 May 1914, Sri Aurobindo noted in his diary (Record of Yoga) that he had received a letter from Saurin that day. The present draft-letter was evidently written in reply to Saurin’s letter. It may be dated, through references to known events, to 1 or 2 June 1914. (Paul and Mirra Richard were planning on 1 June to occupy the house mentioned in the letter “in one or two days”. The prospectus that is mentioned in the draft as being due out “later this month” was issued in mid June. Note also that the sum of Rs. 400, mentioned in this letter and in letter [14] to Motilal Roy, is also mentioned in the Record of 29 May.) This draft was not sent to Saurin; presumably a fair copy was written and sent in its place.

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