Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1934 — 1935

Letter ID: 601

Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar

June 10, 1935

I sent you this morning Professor Buddhadev Bhattacharya’s letter, if you remember. So it is high time you glanced at my neglected, shelved, weeping, hoping-to-be-glanced-at drama Apad. Really, it deserves a little glancing-at from you written as it is by your inspiration.

And tell me, apropos, do we imagine or is it true that you send us concrete force for such literature too. This suspicion entered my head as I read thro’ Jyoti’s novel. The last part is poignant and strong and throbbing with a force which I would never have suspected her (or even a young male hopeful of Bengal) capable of. Did you supply her this strength consciously or are we building castles in the air in a delectable reverence?

I am thinking of asking my publisher to publish six of her short stories in the form of a book if you agree.

I think there is no objection.

She is eager to dedicate it to you as she fondly believes your force did the trick. But I have my doubts. For though the stories are fine – full of humour and pathos and what not – can one suspect you truly (I mean not vaguely!) of inspiring a story-teller any more than you can inspire a Dilip in writing a drama on Trouble (Apad)?

But do read Apad. Eh?

I am keeping fine and devout. Mother was so sweet.

Yes, of course, I have long been helping Jyotirmayi. Always when somebody really wants to develop the literary power, I put some force to help him or her. If there is faculty and application, however latent the faculty, it always grows under the pressure and can even be turned in this or that direction. Naturally, some are more favourable ādhārs [recipients] than others and grow more decisively and quickly. Others drop-off, not having the necessary power of application. But on the whole it is easy enough to make this faculty grow, for there is co-operation on the part of the recipient and only the tamas of the apravṛttī and aprakāś [inertia and obscurity] in the human instrument to overcome which are not such serious obstacles in the things of the mind as a vital resistance or non-cooperation of the will or idea which confronts one when there is a pressure for change or progress in other directions.