Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo was one of the greatest souls to be born in India. He was born on 15th August 1872. At the age of seven, he was sent to England where he spent the next fourteen years of his life studying in St. Paul’s School and at King’s College in Cambridge. He passed the Indian Civil Service Examination in 1890 but was reluctant to join the service.
He returned to India in 1893 and spent the next thirteen years in Baroda State Service.During this period, he got deeply involved in the political situation of the country fighting for its freedom.
In 1906 he joined the struggle for independence and brought out a newspaper with revolutionary ideas called Bande Mataram. He was imprisoned and spend one year in Alipur Jail. This was the turning point in his life and here he practised Yoga and had some powerful spiritual experiences.
In 1910, he went to Pondicherry and set up the Aurobindo Ashram and started the monthly philosophical journal called Arya in which his major works were serialized. His works are based on the inner knowledge which he gained through his spiritual experiences. He wrote great classics such as The Life Divine, Synthesis of Yoga and the famous epic Savitri. Sri Aurobindo completed his journey in this world on the 5th December 1950.
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aravindar (1872 –1950) also called as Aurobindo,was an Indian Yogi. He was a spiritual reformer, mainly focusing his attention towards human progress and spiritual evolution.
Education
Aurobindo studied at Cambridge, England. He was convicted and imprisoned for writing articles against British rule in India. During his stay in Pondicherry, He believed in spiritual realisation. In 1926, with “Divine Mother”, Mira he founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
LIFE
Aurobindo Ghose was born in Calcutta in a Bengali Kayastha family. Young Aurobindo was brought up speaking English, since his father believed British culture to be superior. In Baroda, Aurobindo joined the state service in 1893. He started taking an active interest in the politics,and participated in India’s independence activity movement. He established contact with Lokmanya Tilak and Sister Nivedita.
Spirituality
In Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo dedicated himself to Spirituality. His publications were as follows:-
1.The Life Divine,
2.The Synthesis of Yoga,
3.Essays on The Gita,
4.The Secret of The Veda,
5.Hymns to the Mystic Fire,
6.The Upanishads,
7.The Renaissance in India, War and Self-determination,
8.The Human Cycle,
9.The Ideal of Human Unity and
10.The Future Poetry
He started the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926.
AnnaiMirra and Aravindar
Sri Aurobindo’s close spiritual collaborator, Mirra, who was also fondly known as ‘The Mother’ by her devotees. She was a French national, and she went to Pondicherry and settled there in 1920. Sri Aurobindo considered her as his spiritual successor. When Aurobindo died in 1950, she took charge of the ashram, and continued the spiritual work. Even now, lot of people are worshipping her as their own god, and offering flowers to her, and distributing chocolates and sweets to devotees as prasadam.
Death
Sri Aurobindo died on 5 December 1950. Lot of people attended his funeral to see his body. Several political leaders praised him for his contribution to Yoga, and for the independence movement. National and international newspapers commemorated his death.
CONCLUSION
Sri Aurobindo, who was a great freedom fighter and a spiritual reformer, was a great noble man who has done only good things in his life. He never felt disappointed for any activity. He was firm in taking decisions, and he will take only right decisions in his life. He was very much attached to Swami Vivekananda, and through his grace, he life has turned him to lead a spiritual life.
Let us Pray to the Great Aurobindo for our well being and for the well being of the nation and be blessed.
“OM SREE ARAVINDARE NAMAHA”
“OM ANNAI MIRRAVE NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR