Romain Rolland regarded Sri Aurobindo as the Prince among the Indian thinkers. On behalf of modern Indian political practice and theory, Aurobindo presented a holy, high, and pure nationalism. He was brave and had a clear vision about achieving absolute Swaraj. He never describes nationalism as a narrow religious faith. He believes in the five values, namely Tapasya, Dharma, Brahmacharya, Jganam, and Shakti, through which the entire movement, the leaders, and their followers, might be revitalized.
Background:
- On 15th August 1872, Aurobindo was born at konnagar, in the district of Hoogly, in West Bengal. His father, Krishna Dhun Ghosh, was a surgent and former member of Brahma Samaj. His mother, Swarnalata Devi’s father, Sri Rajnarayan Bose, was a leading face of Brahma Samaj. At age 5, Aurobindo’s father sent him to a convent school run by Europeans. At 7, he was sent to England for further studies.
- He completed graduation from Cambridge University. During this time, he was very much influenced by the French revolution. Clearing the civil service Examination and spending 14 years in England, he came to India in 1892.
Role in Indian nationalism:
- Returning to India, he learned the Bengali language and began reading Anandamath, Dharmatatva, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. These writings sowed a sense of spiritual hunger and patriotism in him.
- In 1900, at Baroda college, Aurobindo was appointed as a professor. During this time, a Maratha newspaper, Induprakash, wrote a sensitive series of articles entitled “New Lamps for Old.”
- Through these articles, Aurobindo suggested people not to depend upon the charity of the British. He also said that our nation’s actual enemy was our weakness and cowardness, not the external forces.
- He also criticizes the Congress party. He said that the party was not trained the people to act or to work together but trained them to speak in one voice. He describes the party as a Party of the Middle-class that depends on the blessings of the British.
- In 1904 and 1905, he attained the Congress Sessions and opined that the party members were too timid and unmotivated. According to him, the Moderates could never rise out of their servitude, and their thinking creeps up.
- In 1905, Aurobindo considered the partition of Bengal as a blessing as it would raise the people’s national sentiment.
- In 1906, through a Bengali newspaper, Yugantar, he called for open revolt and complete independence. This article became widely popular and sparked a national sentiment. As a result, mass protests spread across the country.
- In 1906, at the request of Bipin Chandra Pal, he wrote some articles in the Vandemataram newspaper. This article angered the British government because, through this article, he highlighted British dominance in Indian politics and talked about the whole process of westernization.
- Aurobindo described the Surat split of 1907 as God’s will.
- In 1908 Aurobindo was arrested for his involvement in the Alipore conspiracy case.
Spiritual life of Sri Aurobindo:
- In 1910, Aurobindo went to Puducherry. Here he actively participated in the Anti-Partition movement. But still, he had a solid religious instinct; he left his family and settled in Puducherry.
- During this time, he completely withdrew himself from all political activities, which caused great anger among many freedom fighters. He rejected the request of several freedom fighters for various posts. He was also called to preside over Congress Sessions, but he refused them. Hence his active political period was short. On 5th December 1950, he died.
- During his imprisonment, his outlook on life changed radically due to spiritual experience and realization. As a result, his goals went far beyond the service and liberation of the country.
- Aurobindo said that Vivekananda’visited‘ him in Alipore jail. He also said,” It is true that I constantly heard Vivekananda’s voice, speaking to me in my solitary meditation in prison for a fortnight and felt his presence.”
On 15th August 1947, he vehemently opposed the partition of India. He hoped” the nation will not accept the settled fact forever, or accept it as anything more than a temporary convenience.”
Literary work:
- In the book “The Life Divine,” Sri Aurobindo presents a theory of spiritual evolution and suggests that humanity’s current crisis will lead to the spiritual transformation of man and the emergence of a divine life on earth.
- He wrote many poems. “Savitri” is one of them. Savitri is an example of a woman who is not ‘inadequate in love,’ is not ‘uncertain in resolve,’ and is not ‘incapacitated in the presence of death.’ He bravely faced the ‘existential problem’ and mastered it; He is the world’s Redeemer. Indeed no heroine in world literature is as adorably human as Savitri and, at the same time, as lovingly divine as Savitri.
- He wrote ” Essay on the Gita.” The Gita is an excellent work of spiritual synthesis. It creates harmony among the three significant ways and forces: love, knowledge, and work. Through which the human soul can directly approach and throw itself into the Eternal.
- He also wrote Collected Poems and Plays, The Synthesis of Yoga, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, and On the Veda. Through these writings, he tried to awaken human society. According to Aurobindo, a more objective, enlightened understanding and perspective on human existence and potential development emerges at the highest stage of mental development. He argues a greater potential and principle becomes apparent that is spiritual and spiritual.
Conclusion:
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C. R. Das addressed Aurobindo as the “Poet of Patriotism, the Lover of Humanity and the Prophet of Nationalism.”
He significantly contributed to establishing the theory of ‘Passive Resistance and Boycott.’ - Aurobindo made it clear that Passive Resistance to brutal repression by the ruler could turn violent. This differed from Gandhi’s stratification of Satyagraha.
According to him,” nationalism is a spiritual thing, not a political program.” - He also described India as a “Mother Goddess.” Hence he wanted total freedom, not political freedom.
- He envisioned the rebirth of such a nation that would be based on the unique temperament of India. This new India would play an essential role in shaping the future society, which would be a society of complex unity.
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