Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Letters

Fragment ID: 22125

A&R.–  1978, April, pp. 86-87

A Letter of Sri Aurobindo to His Grandfather

A Letter of Sri Aurobindo to His Grandfather. This letter to Sri Aurobindo’s famous grandfather Rajnarayan Bose was written less than a year after the grandson’s return from England. Beno is Benoybhusan Ghose, Sri Aurobindo’s eldest brother; Soro is Sarojini, their younger sister. The articles referred to are undoubtedly parts of the series New Lamps for Old (see SABCL Vol. 1, pp. 5-56).

Gujaria Vijapur Taluka N. Gujerat.
Jan 11th 1894

My dear Grandfather,

I received your telegram and postcard together this afternoon. I am at present in an exceedingly out of the way place, without any post-office within fifteen miles of it; so it would not be easy to telegraph. I shall probably be able to get to Bengal by the end of next week. I had intended to be there by this time, but there is some difficulty about my last months’ salary without which I cannot very easily move. However I have written for a month’s privileged leave and as soon as it is sanctioned shall make ready to start. I shall pass by Ajmere and stop for a day with Beno. My articles are with him; I will bring them on with me. As I do not know Urdu, or indeed any other language of the country, I may find it convenient to bring my clerk with me. I suppose there will be no difficulty about accommodating him.

I got my uncle’s letter inclosing Soro’s, the latter might have presented some difficulties, for there is no one who knows Bengali in Baroda – no one at least whom I could get at. Fortunately the smattering I acquired in England stood me in good stead, and I was able to make out the sense of the letter, barring a word here and a word there.

Do you happen to know a certain Akshaya Kumara Ghosha, resident in Bombay who claims to be a friend of the family? He has opened a correspondence with me – I have also seen him once at Bombay – and wants me to join him in some very laudable enterprises which he has on hand. I have given him that sort of double-edged encouragement which civility demanded, but as his letters seemed to evince some defect either of perfect sanity or perfect honesty, I did not think it prudent to go farther than that, without some better credentials than a self-introduction.

If all goes well, I shall leave Baroda on the 18th; at any rate it will not be more than a day or two later.

Believe me

Your affectionate grandson

Aravind A. Ghose