Close friendship existed between Sri Aurobindo and Subramanya Bharati

Bharati’s life and times His daughter’s writings reveal unknown facts!
Thangammal Bharati Padaipukal Centenary publication, Amudhasurabi, Chennai, 2004 pages 472, Price Rs.200

Now, the daughter’s writings are collected in a single volume, edited and introduced by her own daughter, the editor being Dr.Vijaya Bharati who along with her husband are Canadian citizens and engaged in bringing out a standard edition of Bharati’s poetical works...The poets various moods, he as the poet, as the husband and the father of two young daughters, the various individuals, Aurobindo and the Mother, other well-known friends and acquaintances are all here.

The close friendship that existed between Aurobindo and the poet is well brought out. The daughter had watched how much Aurobindo too sought the company of the poet, rather than the poet sought after the company of the great yogi and seer. There was a violent storm and heavy rain and Pondicherry was devastated. The next day Bharati and the 12 year old daughter went to visit Aurobindo. “Babuji welcomed father with much affection. The two conversed together for long. Babuji did japa the whole night without bothering about what happened around him. While all the other things were intact, the photograph of his wife Srimathi Mrinalini Devi was smashed. That pained Aurobindo much. After two days, there came news from Bengal the dear lady passed away” (page 74)

The editor of the volume says no one who wrote of Aurobindo so far had bought out the close association of the yogi and poet as the 12 year old girl who often accompanied her father to the ashram had done. Very true! There were many nights when the poet would visit the yogi and both would spend almost the whole nights together reading the Vedas and discussing such high matters.

The Mother, formerly Mira Richard along with her husband once visited Bharati in his home. This anecdote is also interesting. It was Bharati who taught the mother not to shake hands of strangers and he showed her the Indian way of saying namaskar and from that day onwards the Mother adopted the practice (page 203).

More interesting is her observation on Aurobindo and Bharati. Says she: “It is difficult to write on the sort of relationship that existed between the two. It is impossible. Mahakavi Bharati imagined himself as Arjuna, nay, he had the mental resolve and mental faculty to imagine himself as Lord Krishna. Aurobindo understood this side of the poet’s character and he admired his friendship with the poet” (page 203). Only an innocent and at the same time an intelligent young girl of just 12 could make such observations! V.Isvarmurti : Mar.01.2007 : Books: