You know that in the night that followed the darshan, they found Rishabhchand... [[An old and very faithful disciple whose body was found on the beach. This is the continuation of the series that began with Bharatidi, then Amrita, Pavitra.... Rishabhchand was the author of Sri Aurobindo - His Life Unique. ]] For almost a year he had asked me to leave. So, when he asked me to leave (he asked quite in earnest: he was suffering a lot, quite miserable), I did what I always do: I presented his request to the Supreme Lord and said to Him ... And then, he didn't leave. He recovered. He recovered and for some time he was much better. But his will to go remained. So then, on the day of darshan (I think he saw me, I don't know), he disappeared from his room, and they found his body partly on the shore, partly in the water. As it was a public place, the police asked for an autopsy, and it was done: there wasn't a drop of water in his stomach, which means he didn't drown. And it does seem, according to what people say, that he didn't drown (but I didn't see the body, so I am not absolutely sure), but one thing is sure, it's that he left his body, and another thing is sure, it's that he did not kill himself.... He went out before 4 in the morning (they don't know at what time - sometime in the night). At 4 they realized he had gone out. No one heard him leave. And he died, obviously but he did not kill himself. So what happened?... He had a bump at the forehead: he fell down.
There was a kind of hole. He must have fallen down and hit a rock.
But were there rocks there?

Yes, Mother, in front of the Distillery they are piling up tons of rocks.
Oh, it was in front of the Distillery!

It's not clear, because he was found on the sand, a little farther. But the face had been hit.
But he didn't drown, I am sure of that. It's a so-called "accident," which means he left ... You understand, he was really imploring to go, and he went out - he must have been guided where he had to go.

But then, I should tell you that some people are telling verystupid stories on Rishabhchand's departure.

Oh, what do they say?

Well, they say he committed suicide.
But that's not true!



(Concerning a disciple who wanted to finish

"The Life of Sri Aurobindo" left incomplete

by Rishabhchand.)

I thought Rishabhchand had finished "The Life of Sri Aurobindo."

He stopped where Sri Aurobindo comes to Pondicherry [in 1910].
That's enough. There's no need to add anything, just a note -- a sentence or two will do.

There's nothing to say about his life here.... Basically no one really knows the life he led here. I am afraid they'll write a lot of nonsense. I would prefer that nothing be said -- they can say he retired to Pondicherry to lead the life of Yoga and henceforth only that mattered, and it's better not to speak of it. That's all.

It doesn't have to be lengthy: just a chapter to close the series, to say that his life in Pondicherry was exclusively taken up with Yoga and that he wrote what he wanted to say, and consequently there's nothing more to add.

We have everything he wrote, and it's much better than anything we can say about it.


page 66 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 10th Mar - 1971