Sri Aurobindo, the Seer deep-hearted
On 15th August 2023, as we enter the 151st year of Sri Aurobindo, we celebrate this occasion by releasing this special issue of Renaissance on the theme – Sri Aurobindo, the Rishi.
On 15th August 2023, as we enter the 151st year of Sri Aurobindo, we celebrate this occasion by releasing this special issue of Renaissance on the theme – Sri Aurobindo, the Rishi.
We highlight selected words of Sri Aurobindo on who is a Rishi and how the essence of Indian civilisation was shaped by the great Rishis.
Sri Aurobindo established the Ashram amidst the pathetic deadness of then Pondicherry and the conspiracy and serious attacks from the British government.
This piece highlights the vast, integral being of Sri Aurobindo, the Rishi, as well as the greatly endearing personality of Sri Aurobindo, the modern Guru.
In this two-part article, author Narendra Murty speaks of the higher ranges of consciousness beyond the intellect — inspiration, intuition and revelation — from where a Rishi receives knowledge. A Rishi is someone who sees and hears the Truth which he then expresses as Mantra. Using several insightful passages from Sri Aurobindo’s writings, particularly The Future Poetry, the author brings out Sri Aurobindo’s rishihood.
Sri Aurobindo’s inner realizations gave him the key through which he was able to bring out the true inner truth of the Rig Veda. His Mantric poem, Savitri, is a Veda of the future that only a Rishi could have received through divine hearing and seeing, and expressed in sublime poetry.
A most divine nobility and a perfectly sincere humility are the key highlights of the adorable personality of Sri Aurobindo which we see presented in this wonderful narration by Nirodbaran. This talk was given on June 12, 1970 at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education and was first published in Mother India.
Reading Nirodbaran’s narration of the divine qualities of Sri Aurobindo’s personality, one is reminded of the description Sri Aurobindo once gave of an Aryan gentleman. India’s rebirth and regeneration requires such character, such nobility in our youth; our national education must work toward this goal.
In these delightful timeless tales retold by the Mother we get some important lessons on the value of straightforwardness, speaking the truth without any fear, and the importance of growing in sincerity for destroying falsehood and hypocrisy.
According to A V Sastri, the triple realisation of the Divine helped the Rishis to conceive a social order reconciling all conflict between the individual and society or nation by submitting both to a higher, the highest Truth. Essential ideals of the polity shaped by the Rishis are also mentioned.
In this part, A V Sastri briefly explores the nation-making in the West, which has been primarily an external evolution. But a subjective approach to forming a national identity can also bring great danger, as shown by the example of Germany. A spiritual view of individual and society is necessary.