Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 4
Letter ID: 1004
Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar
June 10, 1944
I was hesitating. But I have decided to write. For I think it is important. The other day Venkataram1 said Hitler had arranged that they would not be able to make any headway in Italy. Also that in Russia he has shortened his front so that Russians will not move any further.
Well, they seem to be making some headway in spite of Hitler’s arrangement. I seem to remember Hitler made arrangements for taking Stalingrad: the result was that he has been kicked out almost entirely from old Russia.
And in China, he said, Japan was going to crush China in three months, etc., etc.
It doesn’t look like it; but perhaps they have confidential information?
Of course I argued abortively and got annoyed in the end. I thought then that it was his views and analysis of the situation so I had to be tolerant. Then day before yesterday I heard about Narayan Reddi’s remark about the Allied para-troops having been wiped out. Venkataram categorically declared N. had said absolutely nothing. I wondered and asked and ascertained that he did say something. Did he? What? Can you tell me? (I am telling things briefly to save your time.)
People say that he did – on the authority of the men to whom he said it. Does N. R. deny his saying it?
I told this to V. and said that why should N. have uttered what even the German Radio had not claimed? To that he sharply retorted that how was I sure about this? I had to admit defeat there, but incidentally I found to my deep chagrin how he still sympathised with the Axis.
There is now strained feeling again between him and me as I know he lied again to shield N. and that was because he liked the remark about para-troops. It is very strange, but I cannot be possibly mistaken here. The reason why I tell you this is that I want to be more loyal to you than ever and this impels me to be cold to V. I find such contact harms me. I was tolerating his company in spite of everything because I was thinking all the time (mistakenly, I now realise) that Yogis should be tolerant and charitable. But I find it difficult now to tolerate such views in the Ashram under your aegis seeing that you are trying to make the Allies win. And then today a thought came to me which I feel to be right. It is that you and Mother want to deal blows even to ventilators of such views because such views may lead one easily to take side with the Asuras and as such, logically, against the Divine. Otherwise you would be more tolerant than all of us put together. Am I right or wrong here? You don’t reply now-a-days to my questions and I have succeeded in persuading myself that it is because you do not think it necessary. But as I have learned most of what has helped me yogically from your letters I have to encroach a little on your time specially when I am somewhat worried about it and the atmosphere here is becoming rather irksome, to say the least, because of the vicious views which V. refuses to discard. I feel it is an extremely obnoxious thing. I was perhaps wrong to have been friendly to him but I did hope he was changing slowly. This Reddi affair has been an eye-opener.
I write to you also to convey to you my unspoken prayer that I may be completely devoted to you and to all that you stand for. The rest I need not speak about my wanting to serve you with all I am and have and can earn. I am writing books which will, I am sure, increase my income which I will offer at your feet and Mother’s in due course. Please do not think I am lazy. On the contrary I have never worked harder in my life, for the first time doing music and literature simultaneously.
A propos music, I will offer Rs. 566 in a few days (keeping Rs. 200 for income tax) from the Gramophone. I wrote to you about going to Madras for a week or two at most in July to have a few new songs recorded. I want to take Anilkumar with me as he can play well on the drum-accompaniment: they will pay his fare
I am glad to tell you that his attitude is becoming more and more correct. Both he and Nishikanto’s contact I find pleasant (unlike V.’s) and we take tea every morning now-a-days. This I will give up (taking tea together in the morning) as it is beginning to interfere with my morning concentration. But I tell you this to assure you that I am conscious I ought to get rid of this tea-ing together. But we talk of loyal things, if that is any compensation. But let me know whether I can take Anilkumar to Madras.
Yes, you can.
Also write to me if you can find a little time whether I am right in feeling that even speculating intellectually about the Allied reverses is not a right movement as it may easily lead us, unawares, into sympathy with the hostile hordes who are against your work.
All these things are silly utterances in which the wishes of the mind are presented as truth and fact. That is a common habit in this very imperfect humanity and ordinarily it would be of no importance, except that such inventions and falsehoods are most improper in the mouth of a sadhak and the habit must be a great obstacle to any progress. But here there is doubt behind, whether they are conscious of it or not, in that the Asura shall prevail against the Divine. That means a most dangerous giving of oneself to the Falsehood that is seeking to prolong its hold on the world and establish definitely the reign of Evil over the whole world. That is what the victory of Hitler would have meant – it would have meant also the destruction of my work. You are quite right therefore in resenting this kind of attitude (also there is the fact that it establishes a centre of support for the Falsehood and Evil in the Ashram). The propagation of this falsehood, false ideas, false feelings, false [notions] and persuading people that they are right is the chief instrument of the Asura and its prevalence and success a sign of the growth of darkness on the earth. Fortunately the intensity of the peril is over, however long the struggle may still last. Other perils and manoeuvres of the Asura may follow afterwards; so it is good to discourage firmly the tendency so that it may not do harm hereafter.
1 R.K. Venkataraman Iyer, a sadhak and writer in Tamil who translated some of Sri Aurobindo’s books, a good musician: he was assistant editor of a Tamil daily. He left the Ashram in 1950 to return later.