An inchoate picture of Sri Aurobindo

It is surprising that the seminal study, Sri Aurobindo and Karl Marx doesn't find a place in Sri Aurobindo — A Contemporary Reader's bibliography. Similarly, non-inclusion of The Life Divine in this selection showcasing "Sri Aurobindo's socio-cultural and international vision" is another glaring lacuna.

While the compilation, by and large, can be said to have been successful in ploughing through the stipulated narrow furrow, it imparts in the reader an inchoate picture of Sri Aurobindo. Delinking the religious upsurge witnessed now emanating from The Mother and Sri Aurobindo from their theoretical output, doesn’t imply any commendable scholarship. Furthermore, the political dimension triggered by their vision needs to be engaged with with responsibility and commitment forsaking the academicians’ preference to keep it safely at arm's length.

The call of the hour is to either lead or agree to be led; the field, in fact, is wide open. Despite of all sincerity and good intentions certain acts plus their wrong timing run the risk of turning subversive to the larger cause in the long run. Contemporary construal of Sri Aurobindo is much more larger and vaster than what has been attempted to portray in this book. Buyers beware! [TNM] 6:40 PM