Sri Aurobindo was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as Vande Mataram
Born: 15 August 1872, Kolkata
Died: 5 December 1950, Puducherry
Spouse: Mrinalini Devi (m. 1901)
Parents: Swarnalotta Devi, Krishna Dhun Ghose
Siblings: Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Manmohan Ghose, Sarojini Gosh
Education: St Paul's Juniors, King's College, Cambridge
Sri Aurobindo is also known as Aurobindo Ghose and also spelled as Aravinda. He propounded a philosophy of divine life on earth and founded an ashram in Puducherry. His epic poem Savitri is one of the greatest works of him.
Major Works of Sri Aurobindo Edition in 22 volumes (1993).
1 -BANDE MATARAM
Early political writings, most of them editorials and articles from Bande Mataram, a Calcutta daily edited by Sri Aurobindo from 1906 to 1908. (921 pp.)
2 - ESSAYS ON THE GITA
An exposition of the spiritual philosophy and method of self-discipline in the Bhagavad Gita. (595 pp.)
3 - HYMNS TO THE MYSTIC FIRE
Hymns to Agni from the Rig-veda, translated in their esoteric sense, with original Sanskrit text, a foreword, and an essay, "The Doctrine of the Mystics". (507 pp.)
4 - THE SECRET OF THE VEDA
A Study of the way of writing of the Vedic mystics, their philosophic system, their system of symbols, and the truths they figure; and translations of selected hymns of the Rig-veda. (581 pp.)
5 - THE UPANISHADS
Sri Auobindo's translations of and commentaries on every Upanishad or other vedantic texts he worked on, with an introduction. (466 pp.)
6 - THE FOUNDATIONS OF INDIAN CULTURE
An exposition of Indian civilisation and culture with essays on Indian spirituality, religion, art, literature and polity. (404 pp.)
7 - THE HUMAN CYCLE -- THE IDEAL OF HUMAN UNITY -- WAR AND SELF-DETERMINATION
A combined addition of social and political writings: the psychological evolution of human society; the possibility of the unification of the human race; the problem of war and the self-determination of nations. (689 pp.)
THE HUMAN CYCLE An explanation of the growth of human society from a psychological perspective and its evolutionary destiny.
THE IDEAL OF HUMAN UNITY Sri Aurobindo discusses the possibility of the unification of the human race; the insufficiencies of the past efforts and the principles which are to be followed "in order that real human unity may be achieved".
8 - THE LIFE DIVINE
Sri Aurobindo's principal philosophic work, a theory of spiritual evolution culminating in the transformation of man from a mental into a supramental being and the advent of a divine life upon earth. (1114 pp.)
9 - THE SUPRAMENTAL MANIFESTATION AND OTHER WRITINGS
All of Sri Aurobindo's shorter prose writings on philosophy and yoga written after 1910 and published during his lifetime. (530 pp.)
10 - ESSAYS DIVINE AND HUMAN
Short prose pieces mostly on philosphy and yoga written after coming to Pondicherry and not published during his lifetime. (580 pp.)
11 - THE MOTHER Sri Aurobindo's most famous short work on the Divine Mother, with letters on his spiritual collaborator, the Mother. (500 pp.)
12 - THE SYNTHESIS OF YOGA
Sri Aurobindo's principal work on Yoga; an examination of the traditional systems of yoga and an explanation of his own method of Integral Yoga. (899 pp.)
13 - 14 - 15 - LETTERS ON YOGA
Three volumes of letters to disiciples in which Sri Aurobindo explains his teaching and method of spiritual practice and deals with problems that confront the seeker.
Part I (502 pp.)
Part II (586 pp.)
Part III (718 pp.)
16 - ON HIMSELF Sri Aurobindo's notes and letters to disciples about his own life, his inner development through Yoga, his spiritual work, etc. (515 pp.)
17 - COLLECTED POEMS
Collection of over two hundred poems, lyrics, sonnets, narrative poems, poems in new metres and an essay "On Quantitative Metre". (631 pp.)
18 - 19 - COLLECTED PLAYS AND SHORT STORIES (Two volumes)
Dramas of heroism and romance set in India, Persia, Norway and elsewhere. (1090 pp.)
20 - THE FUTURE POETRY A survey of the evolution of poetry and its future potential for inspiring men through the rhythmic word. (307 pp.)
21 - LETTERS ON POETRY, LITERATURE AND ART
A collection of several hundred letters on the form and substance of poetry, sources of poetic inspiration, rhythm and technique, appreciation of art; etc. (271 pp.)
22 - SAVITRI: A LEGEND AND A SYMBOL (Revised Edition)
Sri Aurobindo's major poetic work, an epic in blank verse of about 24,000 lines in which a tale of the Mahabharata is made a symbol of the human soul's spiritual quest and destiny.(818 pp.) Soft cover or (725 pp.) Deluxe Edition.
The Mother was born Mirra Alfassa in Paris on 21 February 1878. In 1914 the Mother travelled to Pondicherry to meet Sri Aurobindo, whom she at once recognised as the one who had inwardly guided her for many years. After 11 months she was obliged to return to France and in April 1920 she rejoined Sri Aurobindo. When the Sri Aurobindo Ashram was formed in November 1926, Sri Aurobindo entrusted its full material and spiritual charge to her.
Sri Sri Ma meets the Mother of Pondicherry (on 3rd of November, 1952) On November 3, she was at Pondicherry. At eleven in the morning that day she had a meeting with “The Mother”, who stood in the sitting room of Sri Aurobindo. Mother looked at her for a long time with a fixed gaze as Ma looked at her with a natural poise. Mother’s eyes blinked after a long time. She presented Ma with a rose, a ‘ball’ flower (globe lily) and two pieces of chocolate. Ma returned the rose and one piece of chocolate. Mother kept the chocolate but gave the rose back. This exchange of flowers was repeated twice or thrice after which Mother tore a portion off the rose and returned the rest to Ma