What Sri Aurobindo represents in the world's history is not a teaching, not even a revelation: it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme. –The Mother As a Teacher Sri Aurobindo was loved and highly revered by his students at Baroda College, not only for his profound knowledge of English literature and his brilliant and often original interpretations of English poetry, but for his saintly character and gentle and gracious manners. There was a magnetism in his personality, and an impalpable aura of a lofty ideal and a mighty purpose about him, which left a deep impression upon all who came in contact with him, particularl

Foreword Sri Aurobindo was born in Calcutta on August 15, 1872. In 1879, at the age of seven, he was taken with his two elder brothers to England for education and lived there for fourteen years. Brought up at first in an English family at Manchester, he joined St. Paul's School in London in 1884 and in 1890 went from it with a senior classical scholarship to King's College, Cambridge, where he studied for two years. In 1890 he passed also the open competition for the Indian Civil Service, but at the end of two years of probation failed to present himself at the riding examination and was disqualified for the Service. At this time the Gaekwar of Baroda was in London. Sri Aurobindo s

A WORD OF GRATITUDE The former Managing Trustee of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the late Shri Dyuman 'The Luminous One', a perfect worker, a great dreamer was very keen and enthusiastic about celebrating the centenary of Sri Aurobindo's return to India on February 6, 1993. In the words of Amal Kiran, "Absolute obedience, no less than utter love and whole-hearted service, was a marked characteristic of the unpretentious dedicated soul who left his slender yet lithe physical sheath to join his Adored Ones on August 19, 1992." On January 7, 1950 Shri Dyuman wrote in his diary: "Oh how nice it would be if I get myself completely and totally ident

What is there new that we have yet to accomplish? Love, for as yet we have only accomplished hatred and self- pleasing; Knowledge, for as yet we have only accomplished error and perception and conceiving; Bliss, for as yet we have only accomplished pleasure and pain and indifference; Power, for as yet we have only accomplished weakness and effort and a defeated victory; Life, for as yet we have only accomplished birth and growth and dying; Unity, for as yet we have only accomplished war and association. In a word, godhead; to remake ourselves in the divine image. — Sri Aurobindo   Sri Aurobindo with Tilak and other Nationalists. December

On the Congress platform he had stood up as a champion of left-wing thought and a fearless advocate of independence at a time when most of the leaders, with their tongues in their cheeks, would talk only of colonial self-government. He had undergone incarceration with perfect equanimity... when I came to Calcutta in 1913, Aurobindo was already a legendary figure. Rarely have I seen people speak of a leader with such rapturous enthusiasm and many were the anecdotes of this great man, some of them probably true, which travelled from mouth to mouth. — Subhas Chandra Bose, An Indian Pilgrim Political Life Life at Baroda was full, though the politic

A lonely freedom cannot satisfy A heart that has grown one with every heart: I am a deputy of the aspiring world, My spirit's liberty I ask for all. Sri Aurobindo, Savitri Spiritual Life — Experiences ...spiritual experiences interested Sri Aurobindo greatly, and he had had some himself. He was not quite inclined to the actual practice of yoga in his early days. His experiences began in England, perhaps in 1892, and from the moment he stepped on the shores of India they became more frequent and more intense. But he did not associate them with yoga about which he knew nothing at the time. When, after an absence of fourteen years, Sri

In these hard days, the whole country is like a dependent at our doors, I have thirty crores of brothers and sisters in this country many of them die of starvation, most of them are weakened by suffering and troubles and are somehow dragging on their existence. They must be helped. What do you say, will you be my wife sharing this Dharma with me? — Sri Aurobindo Personal and Family Life Sri Aurobindo's most intimate friend at Baroda was Lieutenant Madhavrao Jadhav, who was associated with him in his political ideas and helped him in later years, whenever possible, in his political work. Among his other friends were Khasirao Jadhav and Keshava Rao G. Des

Chronology of Events (1872-1908) 1872 August 15 - Birth in Calcutta. 1872-1879 At first in Rangpur, East Bengal; later sent to the Loretto Convent School, Darjeeling. 1879 Taken to England. 1879-1884 In Manchester (84, Shakespeare Street) in the charge of tile Drewett family. Tutored at home by the Drewetts. 1884 September - Admitted to St. Paul's School, London. Takes lodgings at 49, St. Stephen's Avenue, Shepherd's Bush, London. 1889 December - Passes Matriculation from St. Paul's. 1890 July - Admitted as a probationer to the Indian Civil Service. October 11 - Admitted on a scholarship to King's College, Cambridge. While at

A morn that seemed a new creation's front, Bringing a greater sunlight, happier skies, Came, burdened with a beauty moved and strange Out of the changeless origin of things. An ancient longing struck again new roots. — Sri Aurobindo, Savitri Arrival in India Sri Aurobindo returned to India in early February, 1893. Unfortunately his arrival in India was preceded by his father Dr. Krishnadhan's death in peculiarly tragic circumstances. Even as late as 2 December 1892, as may be inferred from his letter of that date to his brother-in-law Jogendra, Dr. Krishnadhan was feeling almost certain that his son Aurobindo would be entering the In