the necessary documents, or whether I am able to come in the early or in the later part of that year.Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Correspondence (1933-1967)
Letter ID: 71
Sri Aurobindo — Nahar, Prithwi Singh
January 14, 1937
Mother,
Recently I had to take some important decisions. I did not write to you because I thought you would prefer that I should decide them myself.
I have decided that from 1938 I shall offer you the 2000/ – whether there occurs some legal delay or not in the procedure of partition and the final drafting of the necessary documents, or whether I am able to come in the early or in the later part of that year.
In consequence the Rs. 20/- per month which I am giving to Sahana for food-offering has to cease from 1938. Outside I had been giving Rs. 15/- a month1 to one of my sisters2 who had fallen in straitened circumstances due to her husband’s mismanagement of his state. Another amount of Rs. 500/- a year I had been giving to the widow of my guru Nishanath Raichowdhury with whom I practised yoga for some time when he suddenly died due to some misregulation of vital winds. These also I have decided to discontinue however painful it might be to them. If I would have died these helps would have automatically ceased; a voluntary renunciation of ordinary life is to my mind a greater reason for adopting this attitude. And I never promised either to my sister or to the widow that the help would continue even after my death. So long even in the midst of difficulties, sometimes even hardships I have always faithfully kept my promise. But now I feel I have to act differently. I have frankly stated my decisions, Mother, but I am not certain whether you approve them or otherwise. Somehow I had never felt to bind down the children to my commitments. Each must have his freedom and experiment life in his own way – that has been my idea. Anyway please Mother let me know what you think of it.
Yes, certainly, you are quite free to make these arrangements. The Mother gives her approval.
I was informed yesterday that Dhirsingh’s wife gave birth to a male child.3 Can I send your blessings to the boy, Mother?...
Yes, you can send blessings.
I have composed another sonnet and should like to know how the Master likes this.
It is very beautiful.
With deep devotion
Prithwisingh
P.S. These days I am better in health... by your Grace.
1 Equivalent to roughly Rs. 600 of today.
2 Meena Kumani Bachhawat.
3 Dhir Singh is Prithwi Singh’s first child. Prabir, Dhir Singh’s second son, was born on 12th January 1937.