Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 3
Letter ID: 818
Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar
September 10, 1936
A good day with nothing thrilling to report – no struggle with right attitude problem, etc. Finished an article. Then since 5 got engrossed in Jawaharlal’s autobiography – neglecting my proofs – bad that, but I have had my fill of proofs. Now for a little pleasant reading. And extremely pleasant – for I know Jawaharlal and still greatly admire him. I didn’t even go out for a walk. Couldn’t in fact. Wonder if I should now – for a constitutional.
An exercise in constitution also is always good.
One thing: why did Swasti come to grief? For coming to Mother? His not coming for darshan even made his spirituality suspect in my eyes, anyhow. I can’t think it right not to see Mother or you no matter why. Am I right or wrong? O Guru, please help – put me right if I am wrong. I do feel there was some kink somewhere in Swasti – and his name was a misfit – he filled me long with strange malaise anyhow.
Swasti went wrong at a rather early stage – he was one of those whom the Mother accepted with great reluctance, but for a time he went very well. Then, the “kink” she had seen in him turned up and for a long time he has been out of the running or rather running the wrong way. The revival of an old mental ailment he had in Indo-China was the result and, as there is [no cure] here he has to go to France to recover. He talks of returning, but –
As for the name, it was just given as an indication of what he must become, not what he was but the opposite of that. It was the same with Prasanta1 O, Rene’s brother.
1 Prasanta and Rene were Dara’s younger brothers. They were from an aristocratic family from Hyderabad. Prasanta, meaning pacific, was a devout Muslim and wanted to impose his will on his brothers and beautiful sisters, Chinmayi and Sudhira.