By Nandiraju Radhakrishna,
He was a philosopher, yogi, sage, poet, Indian nationalist, journalist and editor of newspapers like Bande Mataram. He joined the country’s independence movement. One of the influential leaders until 1910, later turned a spiritual reformer.
Aurobindo was a famous Bengali scholar, poet, nationalist, yogi and teacher. He was one of those great men who rose to the highest pedestal by spiritual practice.
In an attempt to know some of the great men who are the jewels of the nation – let us try to walk on the right path by knowing about Aurobindo. His birthday is special. Dhruvatara, the Shining Star, rose on August 15, 1872, exactly 75 years before we got our freedom after being freed from the rule of the white caste.
Aurobindo Ghosh was born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency on 15th August 1872 in a Bengali Kayastha family. Mother Swarna Lata Devi father KD Ghosh is a doctor. Aravinda means lotus in Bengali.
He graduated in medicine from the University of Aberdeen in Britain. He was proficient in Greek, German, Latin and Italian languages with excellent command over English. He passed out I.C.S. in the first place. Initially he was passionate about politics.
Aurobindo attended the 1906 Congress session led by Dadabhai Naoroji and was instrumental in formulating the fourfold goal of “Swaraj, Swadesh, Foreign Expulsion, National Education”.
In 1907, at the Surat Congress meeting, Balagangadhar Tilak led the extremists. Along with Tilak where there was a large-scale contest between the moderates and the extremists. Later in the process of evolution, there was split in Congress.
In 1907-1908, Aurobindo toured extensively in Pune, Bombay and Baroda and delivered speeches in support of the nationalist cause. Arrested again in May 1908 in connection with the Alipore bomb case, and he was later acquitted.
Slowly his mind turned from politics to spirituality. He was initially attracted to spirituality by the teachings of Yogi Vishnu Bhaskar Lele from Maharashtra in Vadodara. Later, when he was serving his sentence in the Calcutta, Alipur Central Jail, his heart started racing towards spirituality. There, the recitation and adaptation of Bhagavad Gita gave him many spiritual experiences. After his release from prison, he launched two publications, Karmayogin in English and Dharma in Bengali, and delivered a series of sermons focusing on spiritual matters.
His writings in the new periodicals led to repression from the British government. In April 1910, when Aurobindo went to Puducherry, his activities began to be monitored by the British police. After practicing yoga with concentration for four years in Puducherry, in 1914, he published a review in the form of a sixty-four-page Arya monthly. For six and a half years, he used to write serials through that magazine. History has been created in the practice of yoga with the aim of guiding mankind on the path of truth.
Annai Aurobindo Ashram of Puducherry Sthalapuranas say that there are many lilas of that God who brings happiness in life. Spiritual masters say that the goal of God was Aurobindo who took human form and lived in Puducherry ashram.
The Puducherry Ashram plays a vital role in the organizations that Aurobindo Swami served for world development. Besides, Aurobindo’s Life Divine, Synthesis of Yoga, Savitri Annai’s Madhar Agenda along with many spiritual works provides divine and spiritual instructions necessary for human life.
Aurobindo devoted himself to spiritual and philosophical activities in Pondicherry. At the beginning of his stay in Pondicherry, there were few followers. Over time their numbers increased, resulting in the establishment of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926. From 1926 he started signing himself Sri Aurobindo. Some of the book series that came out of this publication are The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, Essays on the Gita, The Secret of the Veda, Hymns to the Mystic Fire, The Upanishads, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, The Future Poetry, Renaissance, war, self-determination in India, appeared in this magazine.
The teachings and spiritual instructions of Aurobindo Mahatma are guiding the people not only in the country but also all over the world so that human beings can walk on the spiritual path of such a great man. What a proud thing.
(August 15, is his152nd Birth Anniversary)
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