The Revision of The Synthesis of Yoga

Sri Aurobindo's Synthesis of Yoga first appeared serially in the monthly review Arya. Its first instalment came out in the Arya's first issue, August 1914. There is no evidence that Sri Aurobindo did any work on this most extended of his yogic writings before June 1914, when it was decided to publish the Arya. There are, however, some remarkable resemblances between certain chapters of the Synthesis (especially in Part IV, "The Yoga of Self-Perfection") and a manuscript of Sri Aurobindo's known as Sapta-Chatushtaya (SABCL Vol. 27, pp. 356-75). The Sanskrit mantras which are presented and elaborated in this document seem to have been "received" from a higher source by Sri Aurobindo while he was a prisoner in Alipore Jail during 1909-10. But the Synthesis itself came out month by month in the pages of the Arya. the spontaneous expression of his yogic knowledge and experience. When the review ceased publication in January 1921, the scries, of which seventy-two chapters (preceded by five introductory chapters) had appeared, was left incomplete.

      Sri Aurobindo never completed The Synthesis of Yoga, nor did he ever have an opportunity to revise the work thoroughly, as he intended to do. He wrote to a disciple, probably in 1934, "There is no complete book on the subject [Yoga]; for even The Synthesis of Yoga . . . gives only the different components of the Yoga (Knowledge, Works, Devotion) and remains besides unfinished." There is "an indication as to how [the different components] meet," Sri Aurobindo wrote in another letter of 1936, "so that one starting from knowledge could realise Karma and Bhakti also and so with each path. It was intended when the Self-Perfection was finished, to suggest a way in which all could be combined, but this was never written."

      Despite its unfinished condition, the Synthesis remains Sri Aurobindo's most important statement of his Yoga in its more practical aspects, standing in importance beside The Life Divine, which provides what might be called the philosophical and psychological background. Although the Synthesis never received so thorough a recasting as was given to much of The Life Divine, portions of it were revised to a greater or lesser degree. The only part of the Synthesis to be brought out in book form during Sri Aurobindo's lifetime was Part I, "The Yoga of Divine Works" (first published in 1948). It is to the chapters of this part that Sri Aurobindo gave most of his attention while revising. The first "complete" edition of The Synthesis of Yoga, that is. the first edition including all available material and incorporating all known revisions, was published first in 1955. five years after Sri Aurobindo's passing.

      Periods of Revision

      Most of the work of revision on the Synthesis seems to have been done during two distinct periods. The first, referred to below as the "early period", took place in 1932 or a little before, and comprises a greater or lesser revision of each of the chapters of Part 1 and a much lighter revision of eight chapters of Part II. The second period seems to occupy the early years of the 1940s. The chief work done at

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this time was an independent revision of Chapters VII-XII of Part I, A few manuscripts connected with the revision work date from earlier and later periods.

Manuscripts

      Not all the manuscripts relating to Sri Aurobindo's revision of The Synthesis of Yoga have been preserved, but all the major work is accounted for in the extant papers, with the exception of a missing draft of Chapter IV of Part I. The manuscripts may be grouped in three categories:

      (1) Pages of the Arya revised by hand by Sri Aurobindo. The greatest part of the revision of the Synthesis is accounted for by these marginal and interlinear alterations and additions written directly on pages torn from copies of the Arya. Such pages constitute the first drafts for all the revised chapters of Part I and the only drafts of the eight revised chapters of Part II, as well as all the sporadic revision of the Introduction.

      (2) Handwritten drafts for two new chapters and for major additions to several revised chapters of Part I. The new chapters are XIII and an incomplete chapter that is being published for the first time below. The enlarged chapters are IV-VI and XI. Most of the new passages were written on small sheets of letterpad paper, but a few were, exceptionally, like most of the new chapters of The Life Divine, written on large blank sheets of bond paper. Unused preliminary drafts of parts of some of the chapters have been found in Sri Aurobindo's notebooks.

      (3) Handwritten or typed transcripts of MS. groups (I) and (2) further revised by Sri Aurobindo. All but the last of the revised chapters of Part I were copied by hand or typed by disciples of Sri Aurobindo during the early period. The additions constituting MS. group (2) were incorporated when necessary. The transcripts were then re-revised by Sri Aurobindo. Chapters I-VI were again typed and lightly revised. A second set of transcripts of the corrected Arya versions of Chapters VII-XII were made during the later period. The earlier transcripts of these chapters had apparently been misplaced, obliging Sri Aurobindo to do them over again. For these chapters the revisions on the later transcripts only and not those on the earlier ones (which have since been found) were incorporated in the final text. The single new chapter (XIII) was typed once from a handwritten draft and revised. Some of the transcripts in this group are quite substantially revised, but others contain only an occasional change of wording or the addition of an occasional word or short phrase.

Details of the Revision

      Introduction, "The Conditions of the Synthesis" In all editions of The Synthesis of Yoga hitherto published the five chapters of the Introduction have been reproduced without alteration from the Arya. Sri Aurobindo did however give a very light revision to these chapters, perhaps prior even to the "early period", i.e. before the 1930s. His alterations of the text are presented below in errata form.

      Part I, "The Yoga of Divine Works"

           Chapters I, II, III, and IV are revisions of Chapters I, II. IV and V of the Arya, Due to a printing error in the Arya, there was no chapter numbered III. Chapter I is the least revised of all the chapters of Part I. The revision of Chapters II, III. and the first half of Chapter IV is substantial, consisting of changes in the expression

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and the addition of new ideas, although the basic structure of these chapters remains unchanged. The second half of Chapter IV was newly written during the early period of revision. Chapters V and VI were rewritten during the early period from Arya Chapter VI, of which hardly anything original remains. Chapters VII-X, part of Chapter XI, and Chapter XII are revisions of Chapters VII-XII of the Arya. Each of these chapters has been extensively revised — expressions changed, original ideas elaborated and new ones added — but the structure of the revised chapters remains similar to the original Arya versions. The final portion of Chapter XI was newly written during the early period of revision. Chapter XIII is new. Of this chapter there exist two handwritten drafts of uncertain period and one typed and further revised transcript prepared apparently during the 1940s. It is doubtful whether the chapter is complete. It was first published in the 1955 edition. There are a number of drafts of another chapter from several different periods, one of which is reproduced below.

      Part II, "The Yoga of Integral Knowledge"

           Eight chapters of Part II, Chapters I, II, IX, XX1-XXIV, and XXVI (corresponding to Arya Chapters XIII, XIV, XXI, XXXIII-XXXVI and XXXVIII) were revised by Sri Aurobindo on the pages of the Arya during the early period of revision. Only Chapter I is as fully revised as any of the chapters of Part I. The revision of Chapters XXI-XXIV consists of some changes of expression and the addition of words and phrases without alteration of the basic substance of the chapter. Only the first few paragraphs of Chapter II and the first two-thirds of Chapter IX show any revision. In Chapter XXVI only an occasional word was added to the Arya text. Parts III and IV, "The Yoga of Divine Love" and "The Yoga of Self-Perfection" All the chapters of these two parts are reproduced without change, verbatim, from the Arya. Part IV is, as noted above, incomplete. The titles of these parts may be the work of the editors of the 1955 edition, although Sri Aurobindo had left indications of what the titles should be.

CHANGES IN THE FIVE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS

SABCL

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DRAFT OF AN INCOMPLETE CHAPTER

      Among Sri Aurobindo's manuscripts have been found several drafts for a chapter entitled "The Yogic Consciousness and Works". This chapter was intended to be added to Part I, "The Yoga of Divine Works", but was never completed. In most drafts the chapter's number is given as XII. It has evidently some relation to present Chapter XIII. "Supermind and the Yoga of Works'*. Some of the drafts for the two chapters were found together, and some passages in the final version of "Supermind and the Yoga of Works" are similar to passages in the incomplete chapter. Nevertheless the two seem to be separate. One draft for the present chapter was written during the late 1940s, long after the last draft of "Supermind and the Yoga of Works" was written and revised. The draft reproduced below is earlier. It is the most complete draft of the chapter available.

     CHAPTER XII

The Yogic Consciousness and Works

Action is common lo all human beings, the principles of its spiritualisation are the same always and something of the Yoga of Works can be done on any level of consciousness, provided there is some turning to the Divine or contact with spiritual realities. Even without going deep within, even in the surface mind and life a religious consecration of our life and labour to the Divine, a waiting upon the inner Light, the Divine Will, a joy of the self-giving of our will and works to what we can conceive or realise of God or the Highest Truth is always possible. But the integral Yoga has a much larger and completer aim than that. We may commence with a pure Yoga of works, but we cannot end there, still less can we rest in any partial superficial consciousness or any incomplete consecration; not only must we receive a higher inspiration or power for our will and works, but they must be taken up altogether by the supreme Power, the divine Mother, and we must feel her within us occupying the whole nature and conducting all it activities. The consecration of life and works must be consummated by an absolute devotion in the heart and in all the being and all this must be uplifted into a light of highest knowledge. There must be a constant plunge into a deeper and deeper and a constant climbing into a higher and higher consciousness and a constant greater and greater descent of that into us, until we can live in the pure Truth-Consciousness, the Supermind, and that can live wholly in us, in all we are and think or see and do. So long as

      * The chapter was untitled in the Arya and no title was given during revision. The title "Synthesis" seems to have been provided by the editors of the 1955 edition. In the index to the first volume of the Arya however, the chapter is listed under the title "The Synthesis of the Systems". This index was pre-pared by Sri Aurobindo or under his direction

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we are on any mental plane, even the planes of the spiritual mind, we still live and act in the Ignorance or in a lesser and incomplete Knowledge, a Knowledge mixed with the Ignorance or surrounded and limited by the Ignorance. The Divine Knowledge and Power may move us, but we do not wholly participate in that Power and Knowledge. The Divine consents to use us as his instruments, but not as the perfect instruments that we might be. Even if our inner self and parts become strongly divinised, something in the outer will remain that permits a mixture of smaller light or even a darkness, something that comes up from the original and universal In-conscience. Not only must the Divine live in us and we in the Divine and our works be moved by the Divine, but our nature and its instruments and our will and works must be themselves divine. Only the Supermind can utterly give us this perfect consummation demanded by the integral Yoga.

      But the Supermind cannot be possessed at a single bound as is sometimes imagined; there is no short-cut to it; it can only be reached by long stages and a difficult ascension. Whoever from vanity or egoistic over-eagerness or ambition, even if it can be called a spiritual ambition, tries to make his way suddenly or rapidly or by force into the kingdom of the Supermind, will either discover the result of such efforts to be null or invite a heavy disaster, a loss of mental or of vital balance, even a crash or collapse or ruin of his whole being. Nothing can be more dangerous than such a pretentious and arrogant attempt and the true seeker should avoid it altogether. He must have the humility and the patience to leave the far-off ideal to wait for him in its glorious distance while he proceeds quietly from a first step to the next step and persevere until he has reached those higher difficult regions adjacent to the overmind consciousness, themselves very far off and with difficulty attainable, where he can have some direct contact with the supramental levels. That too is only at first a contact; but so brilliant that it is easy to mistake the overmind for the Supermind, think that one has attained the end and go no farther. Hard is the path and sharp as a razor's edge that leads to these sublime and happy levels. Only those whom the Divine inhabits or leads by the hand can reach them, — the Divine and not any other Being or super-ego; for the attempt in its very nature may lead to the intrusion of some such Power which will claim to lead us, but can lead us only to our perdition. One must go by firm steps through the lower truths to the higher and through that again to the highest Truth and not seek to jump the stages and arrive like a meteor to the last goal of the Yoga.

      There are four such principal stages, four great changes of consciousness through which we must pass before we can reach the distant goal or even come anywhere near it. There is first the change from the normal surface awareness of things governed by the action of the external mind and senses which is for almost all human beings their normal stale to another and greater and inner field within from which ideas, powers, impulsions, experiences sometimes steal or surge into our surface but of which we are not normally aware. We meet there, when we enter, an inner mind, an inner life-being, an inner and subtler physical consciousness whose field is indescribably larger, more varied, vivid, revealing, stimulating, startling and stirring, enlarging and uplifting than our normal experience, more directly in touch with the things it perceives, feels or undergoes than the ordinary mind and life, endowed with a wider, subtler and greater knowledge and power, more aware of what is going on in us behind the scenes, more directly in touch [with] the universal world-

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forces, with the consciousness of other beings, with the occult universal movements of the universe, more open and aware of the upsurges from the Subconscient and Inconscient below and the influx of a higher consciousness or the highest or even the superconscient from above. Owing to its unlimited capacity for experience, its openness to other planes of being, its receptiveness to spiritual experience, this may be called the Yogic consciousness. There is no limit to its million-fold experiences, to its numberless provinces, to its truths and its falsehoods, to its growth towards a higher and ever higher and wider knowledge or the teeming and interesting brilliances of its ignorance than the individual capacity and receptivity, which may [be] large or small, of the seeker. But whatever the limits they can always enlarge themselves, if there is persistence on the path and a plasticity in the nature.

      The second change is the entry through this vast field to the inmost or psychic consciousness or the emergence of the psychic into it and the increasing hold of of the awakened soul upon the inner and the outer nature. The soul or psychic being in us is ordinarily veiled and passive, it upholds¹ the forces of our nature but allows them to go their own way and receives and grows by their experiences; it puts forth a representative of itself on each plane of the nature, a mental being or Purusha holding together the forces and movements of the mental nature, a vital being or Purusha holding together the forces and movements of the vital nature, a subtle physical being holding together the forces and movements of the physical nature; but these are manifest only to the inner consciousness. Outside on our surface outgoings from these forces and movements take shape in a rather muddled mass governed only by a constructed ego, an invention of Nature, a clumsy substitute for the soul which tries to centre around itself the action of our surface being. When the secret soul in us comes forward or when we enter into it, there can grow up a new control or government or at the least a powerful influence which separates in us the true and the false, the right and the wrong, the good and beauty and joy of things and of life, and their evil and sorrow and unseemliness and leads us from the lower to the higher, from the undivine to the divine, from the kingdom of death to the kingdom of immortality. A beauty and order can enter into the experiences of the Yogic Consciousness which can at first be very confused and perilous and into our life and works; there can come into us a psychic transformation which is the first great step towards a true and divine existence.

      Incomplete

1 Doubtful reading

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Documents in the Life of Sri Aurobindo

1

 THE GANGANATH SCHOOL

Again, on the borders of the Baroda State, there was a quasi-religious school with which the anarchist gang of Calcutta had a close connection and to which the following sympathetic reference was made in a Marathi paper of Baroda in August 1908:-

      "Ganganath Bharatiya Vidyalaya. This institution is about 20 or 25 miles from this place and is on the banks of the Narbadda, near Chandod. It was opened about two years ago, and it was hoped that by this time it would have been in a prosperous state; but as Government looks with suspicion on all such private institutions and besides, on account of the evil deeds of some mischief-makers, it is liable to diverse dangers. It is helped by several eminent rich people and was visited last year by Arabinda Ghose.¹ and for these reasons several detectives have been making minute enquiries about it. Yesterday many of the students from this institution came to Baroda, and it is under contemplation to transfer it before long to Baroda on account of the spite shown above."

      The idea of opening this school originated with KG. Deshpande (a graduate of Cambridge and Barrister-at-Law, who is a close friend of Tilak's, and is said to have defended him when he was tried for sedition in 1897). M.B. Jadav, Arabinda Ghose, Barindra Ghose and A.B. Devdhar, who are said to have consulted the spirit of Ram Krishna Paramhansa on the subject.

      They approached a sannyasi, named Keshawanand, who had a school in the temple of Mahadev on the top of a small hill, called Ganganath, about 3¹/₂ miles from Chandod, where he taught some 19 boys Sanskrit assisted by a certain Brah-manand from Benares.

      Keshawanand collected some 25,000 rupees, principally from rich Bhatyas. but also, it is believed, from the Ruler of Baroda, and with the funds, built a new edifice at Ganganath which was opened on the 17th May 1905, under the title of Shri Ganganath Bharat Sri Vidyalaya with a staff of 4 teachers, M.B. Tal-valkar. B.A., LL.B., Government Prosecutor, Baroda District, acting as Secretary and Treasurer.

      In June 1908 the institution was removed to Baroda and located in the Kashi Vishneshwar temple of Mahadev, which was secured chiefly through the influence of K.G Deshpande, its principal supporter.

      There are 37 students on the rolls of the school which consists of two divisions, Vedic and Vehabaric. To the former, instruction is given in the Vedas and modem science. The latter are taught their mother-tongue, Hindi, Sanskrit. English, modern history, and Science.

      Only boys between the ages of 10 and 14, and who are unmarried, are admitted; their guardians have, moreover, to promise not to withdraw them for a period of from 6 to 10 years after admission.

      From "Nate on Political Sadhus". Criminal Intelligence Circular No 2 of 1909. CID Report (1909)  Vol. VII pp.80-81 (Tamil Nadu State Archives).

      1 Sri Aurobindo was in Baroda in 1906 and 1908, but not 1907

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Documents in the Life of Sri Aurobindo

2

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EDUCATION

Fifth Standard Examination, 1907.

HISTORY.

Full marks-50.

      Paper set by-ARAVINDA GHOSE, Esq., B.A. (CANTAB.).

                           BABUPRASANNA KUMAR BOSE, M.A.

      Examiners-    PANDEYA UMAPATI DATTA SARMA, B.A.

GROUP A.

(Candidates are required to answer not more than one question of Group A).

      1. Give some idea of the effect of the Black Death on the condition of the labouring classes in England in the 14th century.

      2. What was the mercantile system? Narrate the steps by which it was replaced by a system of Free Trade.

      3. Describe the policy of Aurangzeb and its effects on the permanence of the Mogul Empire.

     4. Describe the organization of the Mahratta power under the Peshwas and state its advantages and defects.

GROUP B.

(Candidates are required to answer not more than two questions of Group B).

      1. Describe the model Parliament of Edward I.

      2. Describe briefly the part which Henry VIII took in the Reformation in England.

      3. Write a short account of the career of the elder Pitt.

      4. State the causes which led up to the American War of Independence.

      5. State what you know of any two of the following:— (1) The Gunpowder Plot; (2) The Treaty of Utrecht; (3) The Massacre of Glencoe; (4) The Darien Scheme.

GROUP C.

(Only three questions to be answered).

      1. State briefly what you know of the following: Chandragupta. Adisur. Shankaracharya.

      2. Describe the conquests of Alauddin Khilji.

      3 Give some account of the origin of the Bahamani kingdom and its final break-up

      4. Narrate briefly the career of Hyder Ali

     5. Name the states and principalities annexed by Lord Dalhousie and give the reasons alleged for annexation in each case.

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3

"BANDE MATARAM" PRINTERS & PUBLISHERS. LIMITED

A Limited Liability Company has been formed, called the Bande Mataram Limited, which will take over the daily journal Bande Mataram and conduct it on a permanent and organized basis.

      This journal was started as the exponent of a new political ideal and the mouthpiece of a growing school of thought. Established at first by individuals and on a small scale it has already in the single month of its existence made a great reputation and promises to be a power in the land. It has not only a standing in Bengal itself, but is daily expected and read with eagerness in other parts of India. When once placed on a carefully prepared and permanent foundation it cannot fail to be financially a success and politically a power. The very opposition it has received in many quarters shows that it is the representative of a force which has been waiting for a daily means of self-expression and, once possessed of that necessary weapon, can no longer be ignored.

      But in order that Bande Mataram may fulfil its possibilities, it is desirable for all who are of its way of thinking, to unite and make it a success. No paper can be a great public organ which expresses merely the ideas of the few. Any party or school of thought which wishes to be strong and influential, must join in strengthening the mouthpiece of its common ideas. Bande Mataram is designed to be the organ of the most advanced school of nationalism in India. It will endeavour to propagate the gospels of self-help and self-respect. It will oppose the habit of mendicant petitioning and inert dependence on the Government. It will advocate the creation of a new basis for the Congress, definitely democratic in its nature, instead of the loose and ineffective constitution it now possesses. It will endeavour to rally into one great force all those who are desirous of organizing the nation for work and not for mere agitation and petitioning. Its ideal will be Swadeshi in all things, — Swadeshi in politics, Swadeshi in commerce and industry, Swadeshi in education.

      Another distinguishing feature of Bande Mataram will be that it is not the property or organ of a single individual, but the voice of a party. Many writers of ability, will be on the staff. Besides Srijuktas Bipin Chandra Pal and Arabindo Ghose. Srijut Chitta Ranjan Das, Srijut Rajat Nath Ray, Srijut Hemendra Prasad Ghose, Srijut Syam Sundar Chakrabarti, Srijut Bijoy Chandra Chatterji and others will be regular contributors to its columns. We hope also to get eminent men from other provinces to correspond with the paper. A good Mofussil correspondence will be organized, and arrangements will be made for correspondents in other parts of the world. The execution of this scheme needs time and general support from the public. It will be gradually developed and in a few months perfected.

      The Company has been floated with a capital of Rs 50,000 with option to increase to Rs. 1,00,000 and at present Rs. 21,000 is the money promised and another Rs. 29,000 will be placed on the market Each share is worth Rs, 10. The shares have been purposely put at a low figure so that all who belong to the school of thought which Bande Mataram represents may lake a personal interest. Anyone who wishes to subscribe more liberally to its support may do so by buying a large number of shares.

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All applications for shares with remittances should be sent to Raja Subodh Chandra Mullik of 12, Wellington Square, Calcutta.

      From Bande Mataram, 1 October 1906.

4

          Budget -

      1. Money to be immediately paid for the scheme to be possible.

      2. Arrears of work to be brought up and new system begun — yet no increase of establishment possible.

      3. System of four accounts to be introduced rigidly as soon as 1 is solved.

      4. List of old liabilities.

*

      1. Cash sale going down. How to remedy this? Causes of decrease.

      2. Advertisements difficult to procure unless paper is boomed and cash sale & circulation increase

      3. Subscriptions.

*

      1. Editorial matter insufficient. More hands required for articles etc. but fresh expenditure impossible.

     2. News almost nil, more expenditure on telegrams, etc. necessary, but impossible. Reporters to be engaged but this means fresh expenditure.

      3. Correspondent arrangements.

     4. Working of editorial Department — especially editing of Reports and Telegrams. Present staff seems unable to do it.

*

      1. Correspondence.

      2. Despatch horribly bad, how to improve it ?

      3. Stores daily check.

      4. Stocktaking.

      5. Press. Another Press absolutely necessary but no money

      An undated memo written by Sri Aurobindo

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Archival Notes

Sri Aurobindo and National Education

      Sri Aurobindo's active service in Baroda lasted for a little more than thirteen years. About a third of this time he spent in the Baroda College, as a teacher of French and English, as vice-principal and, from 1905-1906, as acting principal of the institution. But Sri Aurobindo was "disgusted with the education given by the British system." He felt this system "of which as a professor in the Baroda College he had full experience . . . tended to dull and impoverish and tie up the naturally quick and brilliant and supple Indian intelligence."¹ At the same time Sri Aurobindo was looking for a chance to join openly the Nationalist movement in Bengal. "The founding of the Bengal National College gave him the opportunity he needed and enabled him to resign his position in the Baroda Service and join the college as its Principal. Subodh Mullick. one of Sri Aurobindo's collaborators in his secret action and afterwards also in Congress politics, in whose house he usually lived when he was in Calcutta,² had given a lakh of rupees for this foundation and had stipulated that Sri Aurobindo should be given a post of professor in the College with a salary of Rs. 150."³ Sri Aurobindo's salary at Baroda at this time was Rs. 450.

      Sri Aurobindo left Baroda early in March 1906, arriving in Calcutta in time to be present at a meeting at the Bengal Landholders' Association on the eleventh. It was at this meeting that the National Council of Education, Bengal, was formed. The Memorandum of Association of the National Council, signed by Sri Aurobindo and other members of the governing body on 23 March, gives as the organisation's primary object:

To impart and promote the imparting of Education — Literary and Scientific, as well as Technical and Professional on National lines and exclusively under National control - not in opposition to, but standing apart from, the existing systems of Primary, Secondary and Collegiate Education — attaching special importance to a knowledge of the Country, its Literature, History and Philosophy, and designed to incorporate with the best Oriental ideals of life and thought, the best assimilable ideals of the West and to inspire students with a genuine love for, and a real desire to serve, the country.⁴

Among its other objects were "to impart and facilitate the imparting of education ordinarily through the medium of the vernacular languages" and "to establish in Calcutta and elsewhere . . . educational institutions for the imparting of such education."⁵

      The first of such institutions to be established was the Bengal National College and School. Calcutta Appointments of its professors and teachers were the chief business of the meetings of the Executive Committee of the Council that were held

      1 Sri Aurobindo. On Himself

        2 See Plate 3

        3 On Himself pp 27-28

        4. Report of the National Council of Education, Bengal, 1907. Appendix G. p. XXIV

        5.Ibid p XXV

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during ensuing months. The minutes of these meetings, some of which were signed by Sri Aurobindo, show that he himself was appointed as a paper-setter of examinations in English, a member of the faculty of Arts, a lecturer in English, etc.

      But before Sri Aurobindo could take up his duties in Calcutta, he had formally to sever his connection with Baroda College. He therefore went to Baroda in June and on the nineteenth took one year's leave without pay. He never returned to the College.

      While Sri Aurobindo was in Gujarat he seems to have visited the Ganganath Vidyalaya in Chandod. Mention is made of his connection with this national school, which K.D. Deshpande, he and some others had started in May 1905 — more than a year before the longer-lived Bengal National College was opened — in the C.I.D. report reproduced as the first of this issue's Documents in the Life of Sri Aurobindo.

      Sri Aurobindo was back in Calcutta by July 1906. In a meeting held on 11 August "the question of the appointment of Principal" was discussed. "It was resolved that Mr. Aravinda Ghose be requested to act as professor in charge of the college and school, and all matters relating to study be put under his control, and that all questions of Executive management be made under the control of the Supdt."⁶ The Superintendent of the Bengal National College and School was Satish Chandra Mukherjee. It would not be possible here to speak adequately of the role played by him and his Dawn Society in the establishment and development of national education in Bengal. The reader is referred to two comments of Sri Aurobindo reproduced on page 43 of On Himself and to the plentiful printed material on the subject.

      The inaugural ceremony of the Bengal National College and School was held at Town Hall, Calcutta, on 14 August 1906. The next day, Sri Aurobindo's thirty-fourth birthday, the College was opened.

      As the accounts reproduced in the next section will show, Sri Aurobindo's association with the newspaper Bande Mataram began just before the opening of the College. From the beginning his interest was turned more towards this journal and the political party it represented than to the College. Although Sri Aurobindo has said that there was no difference of opinion between him and the College authorities, it is evident that the College did not afford him as much opportunity as he had hoped to serve his country by developing education on truly national lines. Nevertheless he officiated as Principal and taught regularly at the College for a full year. Indeed in 1907 (as also in 1908) he is listed in College literature as a member of the departments of Indian History and Geography, English History, Political Science (European Systems), French and German, and English. Most of his time seems to have been devoted to the teaching of History. The Fifth and Seventh Standard examinations in History for 1906 and 1907 were set by him. (The Fifth Standard Examination for 1907 is reproduced as Document 2.)

      Sri Aurobindo resigned the principalship of the College just before his arrest for sedition in August 1907 "so as not to embarrass the [College] authorities."⁷ On 22 August the students and teachers of the College "expressed their heartfelt sympathy with him in his present troubles" and "resolved that a photograph of

      6 Minutes of meeting of the Executive Committee, National Council of Education, 11 August 1906

        7 On Himself, p. 43

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[him] be taken to be hung up in the college hall Accordingly the next day Srijukta Aurobindo Ghose was invited to come over to the college premises lo he photographed When the boys of the college and school came up to their beloved principal one by one. bowed at his feet and garlanded him it was a sighi for the gods to see!"⁸ After two photographs (one of which is reproduced as Plate 1) were taken, "the teachers . . . requested him on behalf of the boys to speak to them some words of advice." ⁹Sri Aurobindo then delivered the well-known speech which is reproduced in SABCL Vol. 1. pages 515 17.

      Sri Aurobindo was acquitted of the charge of sedition and on 26 November 1907 was reappointed to the chair of History and Political Science. His political responsibilities, however, prevented him from taking any further part in College activities. Finally, when he was arrested in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case, the College authorities resolved "that in view of the serious charges pending against him Mr. Arabinda Ghose be asked as early as possible to resign his membership of the Council and of the Executive Committee and his appointment as lecturer in History."¹⁰ Sri Aurobindo did so, from jail, on 23 May 1908.

The Bande Mataram

      Two of this issue's Documents deal with the famous nationalist journal Bande Mataram. which Sri Aurobindo edited between 1906 and 1908 Begun originally on a very insecure financial basis in August 1906, the journal was at Sri Aurobindo's suggestion established as a joint-stock company in October. An announcement of the floating of this company, which in all likelihood was written by Sri Aurobindo himself, is reproduced as Document 3. Document 4 is a memo of Sri Aurobindo's about the Bande Mataram's budget and work-organisation. This memo probably was written around the same time as the joint-stock company announcement, when the structure of the journal was being revamped. Sri Aurobindo's preoccupation with editorial policy evidently did not prevent him from taking an active interest in details of business, etc.

      The story of how Sri Aurobindo became connected with the Bande Mataram is not well known. We reproduce below two first-hand accounts.

The "Bande Mataram" Started

      Aurobindo was Principal of the National College for a few months only. More important work attracted him. The New Party had its platform with Bipin Chandra Pal, Monoranjan Guha-Thakurta and many a "clarum et venerabile nomen" as orators; but it lacked the other requisite of successful propaganda — a powerful Press. Upadhayaya Bramhabandab was conducting his Bengalee evening daily the "Sandhya", but the need for an all-India organ was keenly felt. The want of an all-India organ on the lines of Bipin Chandra's weekly paper "New India" — could not be overcome because funds were not forthcoming. But Bipin Chandra, with that reckless courage which was characteristic of him, was eager to start one.

      8 The Dawn and Dawn Society's Magazine. Vol. III, No. 5 (September 1907).

        9  Ibid.

        10 Minutes of meeting of the Executive Committee. National Council of Education. Bengal. 7 May 1908

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He induced two enthusiasts Haridas Halder and Khestra Mohan Sinha to start the "Bande Mataram" with only Rs. 450. Behary Lal Chakraverti. who had a printing press, undertook to print the paper for two months. It was first decided to bring out the paper on the 1st August, 1906, and then the date was changed into the 7th August. 1906 the day of the first anniversary of the boycott of British goods in Bengal as a protest against the partition of the Province. But Bipin Chandra had to leave for Sylhet on an urgent call: and he had, therefore, the first issue published on the 5th August (1906) before he left for his native place with Aurobindo's assurance to contribute an article every day during his absence.

      There were many objections, hesitations and difficulties postulated. I had to go out of town for a few days. But an urgent wire from Upadhayaya made me come back and join the "Bande Mataram" together with Shyam Sunder. We had a conference at Subodh Chandra Mullick's place on the 8lh September and at Chitta Ranjan Das's house the next day to settle the future of the paper. At a conference of the New Party held on the 15th September, Upadhayaya undertook to print the paper for two months, provided he was paid Rs. 6,000. The sum was secured. Chitta Ranjan Das, Rajat Nath Roy and Subodh Chandra Mullick paid a thousand rupees each; while Sarat Chandra Sen, Kumar Krishna Dutt, Hemendra Prasad Ghose, Surendra Nath Haider, Dr. Sundari Mohan Das and Bejoy C. Sinha paid five hundred rupees each. But Upadhayaya found it difficult to manage with the money thus secured; and when the paper was about to suffer shipwreck on the rock-ahead of a financial crisis, Aurobindo was one of those who came forward with help to weather the squall. On September 23rd, 1906 he made over a sum of Rs. 300 to Shyam Sunder and myself for the purpose. His counsel prevailed with Subodh Chandra, Chitta Ranjan and Charu Chandra Dutt (then a member of the I.C.S., who agreed to recognise the "Bande Mataram" as the organ of the New Party and reorganize it. They decided to form a joint-stock company for the purpose, and its office was removed from 200, Cornwallis Street to 2/1, Creek Row¹¹ —from which address the first issue of the reorganized "Bande Mataram" was published on the 1st November 1906. Bipin Chandra's name had up till then been published as "Editor-in-Chief". This was now dropped. But Bipin Chandra had given the paper a new tone. It was he who described in its columns — in September, 1906— the ideal of the New Party as — "Absolute Autonomy free from foreign control". When Bipin Chandra's name was omitted, an overzealous friend had Aurobindo's name published as "Editor-in-Chief"; he, however, resented it, and it was dropped the very next day.¹²

Master Journalist of Nationalism

      On return from this tour [of East Bengal in April and May 1906], I had few occasions to meet Sri Aurobindo for about two months. He was busy as Principal of the institutions started by the National Council of Education. Then something happened that threw me into his company — a privilege undreamt of. I have spoken before of a project for an English-language daily to propagate the principles

      11 See Plate 4.

        12 Hemendra Prasad Ghose, "Reminiscences of Sri Aurobindo". Orient Illustrated Weekly, Vol. XIII. No. 21 (27 February 1949), pp 11-12

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and policies of the New Party. Since November 1905. it had been receiving fitful attention. The visit of Balwant Gangadhar Tilak to Calcutta on the occasion of the Sivaji Utsav of 1906 imparted an urgency to it. But in June and July, it appeared to halt. And in desperation Bipin Chandra Pal took the plunge almost unknown to the fellow-members of the Party. His weekly was being published from the Classic Press on Corporation Street, now known as Ranee Rashmoni Road; its proprietor Biharilal Chakravarty agreed to take the risk of publishing the daily on the assurance that the daily sale proceeds of the paper would be his. Bipin Chandra could procure from Haridas Haider and Kshetra Mohan Singh Rs. 450 for the initial stock of paper and certain other incidental expenses. The name chosen for the paper was Bande Mataram — Salutation to the Mother — the refrain of Bankim Chandra's famous song; the day fixed for the first issue was the 7th of August, 1906, the anniversary of the "Boycott Day". It had to be changed to the 6th owing to Bipin Chandra's absence from Calcutta on that day — a last minute change occasioned by the Political Conference in his own home district of Sylhet.

      As editor of the paper Bipin Chandra had to think of a leader-writer who in his absence would play the part. In this extremity he went to Sri Aurobindo on the evening of the 5th; the latter had been residing at the Wellington Square Mansion of Subodh Chandra Mullick. He appeared to be taken by surprise at this novel development but readily agreed to Bipin Chandra's request. Relieved of anxiety on this point, the editor started for Sylhet on the 6th August morning with the Bande Mataram hot and wet from the press in his hand. Sri Aurobindo started his contributions from the 2nd or 3rd issue, his first article was entitled; "John Morley — 3 Phases". It fell to me to come to him every evening about 5 p.m. and receive from him the article promised. I found it ready; I did not have to wait for it on any single day.

      The Bande Mataram was an instantaneous success, and the soreness felt by certain leaders of the New Party for the way in which Bipin Chandra Pal had sprung a surprise on them soon wore away and was replaced by pride at the adventurousness of it. The Classic Press could not cope with the demand for the paper. And there was again a gathering of the clan. On the guarantee of Rs. 6.000 by certain members of the party, Upadhyaya Brahmabandhav undertook to have the Bande Mataram published from Sandhya Press on Cornwallis Street, from which his own Bengali-language daily, the Sandhya, used to be published. Till the end of August, the Classic Press printed the Bande Mataram and it was my privilege to put in daily appearance at Sri Aurobindo's residence. Now and then he used to ask me questions with regard to how the rest of the paper got the materials for publication, with regard to Bipin Chandra's tour programme and whether articles from him came regularly. These were rare occasions.¹³

Erratum

      In the translation of One Without a Second (A & R December 1978, p. 185), the tenth paragraph should read:

      "All this is phenomenally true, but false in reality - this is for the satisfaction of the mind; but for the comprehensive knowledge it must be said that there is nothing unreal in the real Brahman."

        13 Suresh Chanda Deb. Sri Aurobindo as I Knew Him",Mother India Vol II. No. 13(15 August 1950).

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