Sri Aurobindo - A Yogi Revolutionary: A Research Monograph by Beloo Mehra

Author:Beloo Mehra [Mehra, Beloo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Matriwords
Published: 2019-12-04T18:30:00+00:00

IV

FROM POLITICS TO YOGA

In February 1910, Sri Aurobindo left for Chandernagore without previous notice to anybody and was received by Motilal Roy who made secret arrangements for his stay. Only Motilal and a few friends knew the whereabouts of Sri Aurobindo. Writing in third person, he described this decision and move in these words:

“Sri Aurobindo one night at the Karmayogin office received information of the Government’s intention to search the office and arrest him. While considering what should be his attitude, he received a sudden command from above to go to Chandernagore in French India. He obeyed the command at once, for it was now his rule to move only as he was moved by the divine guidance and never to resist and depart from it; he did not stay to consult with anyone but in ten minutes was at the river ghat and in a boat plying on the Ganges, in a few hours he was at Chandernagore where he went into secret residence. He sent a message to Sister Nivedita asking her to take up the editing of the Karmayogin in his absence. This was the end of his active connection with his two journals. At Chandernagore he plunged entirely into solitary meditation and ceased all other activity.”[66]

Motilal saw Sri Aurobindo regularly and had many talks with him about yoga. He later spoke of the impression Sri Aurobindo made on him. In Motilal’s words, as cited in Purani’s book, Life of Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo appeared to be completely surrendered to some Higher Source, the Divine.

“…one felt when he spoke as if somebody else was speaking through him…I placed the plate of food before him – he simply gazed at me and then ate a little – just mechanically! Sri Aurobindo appeared to be absorbed even when he was eating. He used to meditate with open eyes.”[67]

At Chandernagore, Sri Aurobindo delved deep and intensely into his sadhana. He had many visions on subtle planes, including the visions of three Goddesses. Later when he went to Pondicherry, he identified them as the three Vedic goddesses Ila, Mahi (Bharati) and Sarasvati.

A little later, Sri Aurobindo received another divine command and left for Pondicherry. Writing in third person, he spoke thus of his move to Pondicherry:

“Then there came to him a call to proceed to Pondicherry. A boat manned by some young revolutionaries of Uttarpara took him to Calcutta; there he boarded the Dupleix and reached Pondicherry on April 4, 1910.”[68]

Around the same time, another prosecution was launched against him, because the British still considered him the most dangerous man! But now Sri Aurobindo had decidedly left political work and was devoted more and more exclusively to his yoga. Again, in Sri Aurobindo’s own words, we hear:

“A third prosecution was launched against him at this moment for a signed article in the Karmayogin; in his absence it was pressed against the printer of the paper who was convicted, but the conviction was quashed on appeal in the High Court of Calcutta. For the third time a prosecution against him had failed.

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