Sri Aurobindo was not a historian but a lot of historical accounts can be found in his writings. On many occasions his brush strokes are so broad that multiple factual inconsistencies can be spotted on close scrutiny. At places, Sri Aurobindo describes certain events or episodes of history like he presents an estimate of a person. He, in fact, enters into the spirit and hastens to portray an integral picture while the material details might be lacking such perfection. This is true of all creative writers and nothing can be more vivid in our times than even Heehs skidding.
The difficulty of academic interrogation of Sri Aurobindo, therefore, is enormous since relying upon quotations from his works can be wobbling. Besides, his perceptions differ between his conversations and writings at places pertaining to separate periods of time. The sheer mass of his writings also presents a huge obstacle for obtaining a satisfactory grasp within a reasonable time. Variety and depth also dissuades many young enthusiasts to attempt understanding him in any detail. Nevertheless, it's not impossible to gather an overall emphasis on an unerring, unseen force in all of Sri Aurobindo's writings.
The evolutionary quest for light, freedom, and immortality is the constant theme in Sri Aurobindo's poems and plays, historical narratives and political prophecy. Intellectual growth is not exactly his notion of perfection but the emphasis he puts on it as a tool and a help for further rise into higher rungs of consciousness must receive our attention. Dr. Eric M. Weiss maintains that "Sri Aurobindo's descriptions of transphysical worlds in Part I Book II of his epic poem Savitri, is unparalleled in the English language." [TNM55]
No comments:
Post a Comment