An Apology

It was in 1959 that the casket containing the Relics of Sri Aurobindo was taken by the authorities of Bangabani Nabadwip West Bengal to be enshrined there on the 21st February. They held Seminars for discussing Cultural and Spiritual matters. On the last day i. e. on the 28th a seminar for 'Savitri' was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Sishir Ghosh at that time the Professor of English of Santiniketan.

Sri Chinmoy, a promising young boy of the Ashram, and now a renowned spiritual teacher in America, insisted very eagerly upon me to write an essay on Savitri, to be read in the Seminar, as I had already written resume of the first part of Savitri consisting of 24 cantos. I wrote this essay, got it typed by a friend and offered the first copy to the Mother on the 21st of February and sent the second copy to the Seminar.

The Bangabani authorities brought out a Souvenir at the end of the year edited by our Nolinida and printed at the Ashram Press. My essay on Savitri had a place in the Souvenir. Seven copies of the Souvenir were offered to the Mother on 21st February 1960. The Mother gave one copy each of the Souvenir to two of her lady-attendants instructing them to read the essay on Savitri particularly. Some time after the Mother asked four of the senior members of the Ashram whom she brought together and commended them to read the essay. I got this information from one of these Senior Ashramites. I kept myself mute as I could hardly bear this unusual Grace.

Some friends requested me to get the essay reprinted for distribution. I prayed to the Mother through Sri Naren Das Gupta who was in charge of the Ashram Press to get 400 copies

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printed free, if possible, for distribution. The Mother then sanctioned the prayer.

Since then with the change of general consciousness more and more people are reading Savitri and some friends requested me to reprint my essay and offered some money and other help for the purpose.

In this reprint I have added the Mahabharata's story of Savitri only.

Along with this I have also added a short sketch of Sri Aurobindo's life and works in chronological order with my own comments on certain events.

With the concurrence of the publisher I intend to use the sale proceeds of the book for Auroville, Matri Mandir, keeping the price as low as possible.

The chronology was compiled in 1972, now it has been checked and Revised for publication in the 92nd year of my life.

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