The Guru's way of operating28

The Guru’s way of operating defies our understanding.

In 1943, Nirod was Sri Aurobindo’s main secretary. He came from Chittagong. Sri Aurobindo was very close to this secretary. Sri Aurobindo used to dictate his book Savitri to Nirod for revision.

My eldest brother, Hriday, happened to be a very close disciple of Sri Aurobindo. He received hundreds of letters from Sri Aurobindo, and Sri Aurobindo had considerable affection and love for our family.

One afternoon, Nirod told Sri Aurobindo, “Hriday’s mother has been suffering for a long time. How is it that she is not being cured?”

Sri Aurobindo’s immediate reply: “When she dies, her children can come to me.”

Where is Pondicherry, and where is the little village of Shakpura in Chittagong? At that very hour my mother passed away in Shakpura. My eldest sister was then in the Ashram. She was enjoying a siesta, and she had a very vivid dream that my mother had passed away.

In a few hours’ time a telegram came to Pondicherry. Chitta was then also in the Ashram. Before he received the telegram, he came to learn from Nirod Sri Aurobindo’s reaction to my mother’s illness. While opening the telegram, he said to one of his friends, “I know the contents.”

His friend asked, “What is it?”

Chitta said, “My mother has passed away.”

It was true.


FSC 29. 26 December 2001, Inter-Continental Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia