SRI AUROBINDO

-Life sketch

Ajit Sabnis,

Sri Aurobindo society,

JP Nagar, Bangalore

SALUTATIONS TO THEE

15th

AUGUST, 1872 – 5TH

DECEMBER, 1950

What Sri Aurobindo

represents in the worlds

history is not a teaching,

not even a revelation ;

it is a decisive action direct

from the Supreme.

- The Mother

Sri Aurobindo has come to announce

to the world the beauty of the future

that will be realised. He has come to

bring not a hope but the certainty of

splendour towards which the world is

moving. The world is not an

unfortunate accident ; it is a miracle

moving towards its expression.

-The Mother

15th

August, 1872, 5.00 am

Aurobindo Ackroyd Ghose was the

third child born to Dr. Krishnadhan

Ghose and Swarnalatha Devi.

His pet name Auro.

The hour of new dawn

Auro, was very delicate, shy, gentle

and every one‟s favourite. His eyes

were sparkling and his speech was

silence.

Sri Aurobindo (seated) with Benoy

Bhushan and Manmohan

Dr. Krishnadhan Ghose never

wanted his children to study in

Indian School. Benoy, Auro and

Manmohan were sent to a school

in Darjeeling. In this school, they

learnt only English, imbibed

English ways, they stayed far

away from Indian culture.

Auro was five years old then.

Sri Aurobindo- 5 years

After 2 years at Darjeeling these three

boys were sent to Manchester, England

for their further education.

Auro was only 7 years old and the year

was 1879. These three boys were left

with an English couple

Mr and Mrs Drewett, who were

instructed by Dr, Krishndhan Ghose, not

to expose them to anything that is

Indian.

Mr. Drewett taught Auro English

and Latin at home.

Mrs. Drewett taught Maths,

History, Geography and French.

Auro started reading the Bible,

Shelly and Keats, works of

Shakesphere.

Sri Aurobindo at age 11

1879 to 1892, Sri Aurobindo spent his 14

Prime youthful years in England.

1879 – 1884 - Manchester

1884 – 1890 - London

1890 – 1892 - Cambridge.

At London Auro was admitted to St. Paul

School. At St. Paul, Auro also won the

famous Butter worth prize for literature and

Bedford prize for History.

When at Cambridge, Sri Aurobindo had

passed I.C.S but felt no call for it

because he obviously did not want to

serve the British. He managed to get

himself disqualified for the same by

not appearing for Horse riding test.

It was at this time, he met

Maharaja of Baroda,

Sayaji Rao Gaekwad who

offered Sri Aurobindo a

salary of Rs. 200/- per

month and asked him to

come to India.

Sri Aurobindo in Baroda

Sri Aurobindo, with this offer as a

stepping stone decided to return to

India. It was in 1893, February he

got into SS Carthage, a passenger

ship.

Dr. K.D. Ghosh, was misinformed

about the name of the ship by which

Sri Aurobindo was traveling and this

very steamer sank off the coast of

Portugal. The accident was

disastrous and no one survived.

Dr. K.D. Ghose died of a terrible

shock; repeating Sri Aurobindo‟s

name.

However, Sri Aurobindo reached

India safely by Carthage, landed at

Appollo Bunder, Bombay in Feb,1893

and joined services of Maharaja at

Baroda. He was 21 years old.

As he stepped on the Indian soil, a

vast calm descended on him and the

auspicious beginning of his long

spiritual life.

Baroda 1906. With students

at Baroda College

Sri Aurobindo passed 13 years

from 1893 to 1906 at Baroda.

These were the years of

literacy activity for him . He

mastered Sanskrit and other

modern Indian languages and

assimilated the spirit of Indian

Civilization.

In 1901, secret preparations of

revolutionary groups were in

full swing.

Sri Aurobindo got married to

Mrinalini Devi. The marriage

was arranged according to

Hindu rituals.

In 1904, Sri Aurobindo wrote

„Bhawani Mandir‟, a

revolutionary booklet.

Thousands of youths answered

the call.

Viceroy of India, Lord Minto,

considered him to be "the

most dangerous man we now

have to reckon with”

1906, he left Baroda and

joined Bengal National

College, Calcutta as

Principal. He also decided

to join openly in the

political movement.

During this period he joined

Bipin Chandra Pal in editing of

Bande Mataram which created new

spirit through out the country and he

was again prosecuted but acquitted

due to lack of evidence. He became

the leader of Nationalist Party.

1906-1908

Behind his fiery political life,

there was always a call and an

urge from deeper spiritual life.

It was during this period he met

Yogi Vishnu Bhaskar Lele and

got his first initiation.

30th

April, 1908

There was an attempt to kill the British

magistrate and Sri Aurobindo got

arrested though he had no involvement.

He was sent to Alipore jail and the trial

went on for almost one year.

The cell was just 9‟ x 6‟.

It was here he studied Bhagwadgita, Upanishads

and practiced intensive meditation.

30th

May, 1909

He gave the historical speech at

Uttarpara.

It was in this speech,

Sri Aurobindo openly spoke

about his spiritual experiences

in the prison.

Long after the controversy will

be hushed in silence, long after

the turmoil the agitation will

have ceased, long after he is

dead and gone, he will be looked

upon as the poet of patriotism,

the prophet of nationalism and

the lover of humanity.

- Chittaranjan Das

“Then he placed the Gita in my hands. His

strength entered into me and I was able to

do the sadhana of the Gita. He made me

realize the central truth of Sanatana

dharma. I looked at the jail that secluded

me from men and it was Vasudeva who

surrounded me. I looked at the bars of my

cell and the guards at the gate, I saw

Vasudeva. It was Sri Krishna every

where.”

March,1910

Towards end of March, Sri Aurobindo received

another command to go to Pondicherry.

4th

, April,1910

Reached Pondicherry and stayed in the

same guest house where Swami

Vivekananda stayed during

his South India Visit.

The Jetty (Look at the pillars, they

surround the Gandhi statue today)

29th

March,1914

The Mother met Sri Aurobindo for the

first time. She came from France to

see him and to work with him.

The moment I saw Sri Aurobindo, I

recognized him as the Being I used

to call Krishna.

-The Mother

But, who is “ The Mother ” we refer to ?

“ The one whom we adore as The Mother

is the divine Conscious Force that

dominates all existence, one and yet so

many-sided that to follow her movement is

impossible even for the quickest mind and

for the freest and most vast intelligence ”

- Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo reached Pondy in 1910.

Mr. Paul Richard, who visited

Pondicherry on some work met

Sri Aurobindo several times and on his

return to France told Mirra about him.

It was now, she was drawn towards

India and decided to travel.

The Mother left France on 6th

March, 1914

and reached Pondicherry on

29th

March,1914 via Colombo.

After reaching Pondy they met

Sri Aurobindo on the same afternoon and

everything transformed. The Mother saw

in front of her the Krishna of her vision.

The next day she wrote in her diary :

“ It matters little that there are

thousands of beings plunged in the

densest ignorance, He whom we saw

yesterday on this earth is enough to

prove that a day will come when

darkness shall be transformed into light,

and thy reign shall be indeed

established upon earth”

15th

August, 1914

Sri Aurobindo started a philosophical

review called Arya. It made an

uninterrupted appearance for about

Six and half years.

serially in the Arya. It was a veritable torrent

which flowed, month after month, on a variety

of subjects, words of surpassing depth and

beauty, for seven years. And none of it was

thought out; it did not even pass through his

mind, but flowed straight from the Silent

Consciousness into his pen.

Nearly all the major works of Sri Aurobindo-

The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, The Human

Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, On the Veda, The

Upanishads, Essays on the Gita, The Foundations of

Indian Culture, The Future Poetry -- first came out

Sri Aurobindo simultaneously

wrote eight books of his

profoundest experiences.

1920 – 1926

Sri Aurobindo continued his

intense sadhana. More and

more disciples joined and

The Mother took charge of the

management and founded Sri

Aurobindo Ashram in

November, 1926

24th

November, 1926

Sri Aurobindo and The Mother

announced the descent of

Overmental consciousness and

The Mother called it as the Victory

day. It marked a great leap in

Sri Aurobindo‟s yoga.

From 1926 onwards he continued his great

work in seclusion. He kept on answering

thousands of letters from disciples and later

these letters got published as Letters on Yoga.

His work on Savitri continued.

1933-1938

Sri Aurobindo in his correspondences with

Sri Nirodbaran put forth his experiences and from

1933 to 1938 ; 5 years were considered as

golden years of his yogic correspondence.

15th

August, 1947

His spiritual force intervened all the odds

and his dynamic spiritual power continued

to work for India‟s liberation. As sanction

and seal of the Divine force India got

liberated on 15th August,1947 –

75th Birthday of Sri Aurobindo.

In his message on this day, Sri Aurobindo

spoke about his 5 dreams.

First Dream- A revolutionary movement which

would create a free and united India.

Second Dream-The resurgence and liberation of

the people of Asia and Her return to Her great

role in the progress of human civilization.

Third Dream-A world union forming the outer

basis of a fairer, brighter and nobler life for all

mankind

Fourth Dream-

The spiritual gift of India to the

world.

Fifth Dream- A step in evolution

which would raise Man to a higher

and larger consciousness and to

dream of individual perfection

and a perfect society.

September, 1950

Sri Aurobindo‟s marvelous epic

„Savitri‟ – crown of all his works-

23813 lines was gifted to the

world. He poured all his spiritual

knowledge, his spiritual

experiences and intimate

knowledge of all planes of

existence in this epic.

5th

December, 1950

In the early hours of 5th

December,

Master withdrew from his physical

body. It was a willed and deliberate

withdrawal –the mystery known

only to The Mother.

His body charged with supramental

light was intact for four days and

showed no sign of decomposition.

9th

December, 1950

Sri Aurobindo‟s physical body was laid to rest

in the central court yard of Ashram but his

grace, force and work continues.

To Thee who hast been the material

envelope of our Master, to Thee our

infinite gratitude. Before Thee who hast

done so much for us, who hast worked,

struggled, suffered, hoped, endured so

much, before Thee who hast willed all,

attempted all, prepared, achieved all for

us, before Thee we bow down and

implore that we may never forget, even

for a moment, all we owe to Thee.

The Mother