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<p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>V I</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">
<b>PONDICHERRY (1)</b></p>
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&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">
Sri Aurobindo came to Pondicherry<sup>1</sup> and took shelter here. We might 
say of course from another point of view that it was he who gave shelter to 
Pondicherry within his own consciousness. But why this city in particular? There 
is indeed the usual view that he retired into French territory to escape the 
wrath of the British bureaucracy. But actually, all he wanted was to find a 
quiet spot where he might give himself to his own work undisturbed.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
The place was so quiet that we can hardly imagine now what it was really like. 
It was not quiet, it was actually dead; they used to call it a dead city. There 
was hardly any traffic, particularly in the area where we lived, and after dusk 
there was not a soul stirring. It is no wonder they said &quot;Sri Aurobindo has 
fixed upon a cemetery for his sadhana.&quot;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">It 
was a cemetery indeed. Whilst the Indian nationalist movement had been flooding 
the whole country, nothing of that regenerating flood could find an entry here, 
except for one or two individuals who had felt a touch. It was like a backwater 
of the sea, a stagnant pool by the shore. There was here no such thing as a 
public life or a youth movement or any kind of collective effort, or an 
experiment in educational reform—there was no sign whatsoever of an awakening to 
life.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">A 
cemetery it was no doubt, but one with its full complement of ghouls.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">In 
the first rank of these ghouls were the ruffian bands. Such creatures can appear 
only in a highly tamasic environment. For, the greater the depth of inertia the 
more is the need for keen rajasic excitement followed immediately by the silence 
of sleep. Pondicherry of those days had a still more notorious reputation for 
its cheap wine-shops and its rowdy tipsies. Of this type of ghouls there was a 
regular invasion from outside every week-end.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="left">
1 in 1910</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-42</font></p>
<hr>
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The ruffian bands—known locally as bands in French —were a peculiar 
institution now almost broken up. The French regime in Pondicherry was supposed 
to be in theory a reign of liberty, equality and fraternity. But in actual fact, 
it was the feudalism of pre-Revolution France that held sway here. Or perhaps it 
was something worse, namely, the arbitrary rule of three or four high officials 
and rich men of ill-gotten means. The bands were in their pay and they were 
there to do their bidding; the police had neither the will nor the power to 
intervene. On certain occasions, during the campaigns for political elections, 
complete anarchy seemed to reign in Pondicherry, while rioting and murder 
continued for days on end and blood flowed freely. People would not dare stir 
out of their houses, especially after dark. We were not openly involved in 
politics, but some of our friends were. And Sri Aurobindo would sometimes send 
out some of us to meet them, even after nightfall and on purpose.</p>
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The local people marvelled at our dauntless courage.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">*</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">*&nbsp;&nbsp; *</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">These ruffian bands—these ghouls I was going to say— had turned against us too 
on more than one occasion. Let me explain in a little more detail.</p>
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Soon after Sri Aurobindo came, he realised that a firm seat must be established 
here, an unshakable foundation for his <i>s<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>dhana</i> and
<i>siddhi,</i> for the path and the 
goal. He was to build up on the ever-shifting sands of the shore a firm and 
strong edifice, a Temple of God. Have we not read in the Puranas and other 
scriptures that whenever and wherever a sage or a Rishi sat down to his 
meditation and sadhana, there rushed upon him at once a host of evil spirits to 
break up his work? They seemed to have a special liking for Rishi&#39;s flesh.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
Those who tried most to stop Sri Aurobindo from settling down and were ever on 
the alert to move him from his seat were the British authorities. The British 
Government in India could never accept that Sri Aurobindo had come away to 
French territory for carrying on his yoga. Religion and </p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-43</font></p><hr>
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spirituality, these to 
them were a mere subterfuge. They thought they knew what Sri Aurobindo was—the 
one most dangerous man in all India, the source of all the trouble. Pondicherry 
was the place from where were supplied the necessary instructions and advice and 
perhaps even the pistols and other weapons. Here was the brain-centre of the 
Indian independence movement. That Sri Aurobindo had been the mainspring of 
Indian independence they had been told by their life-instinct, although the 
superficial sense in which they understood it was not obviously the whole truth.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">At 
one time, they made up their minds that Sri Aurobindo should be kidnapped in a 
car with the help of one of the chiefs of the local &quot;bandes&quot;. We had to patrol 
all night the house in which Sri Aurobindo lived, lest there should be a sudden 
attack. I gather the ringleader behind this move showed repentance later and 
said that to act against a holy man and yogi was a great sin and that a curse 
might fall on the evildoer himself.</p>
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Nevertheless, force having failed they now tried fraud. An attempt was made to 
frame a trumped-up charge at law. Some of the local &quot;ghouls&quot; were made to help 
forge the documents—some photographs and maps and charts along with a few 
letters—which were to prove that we had been engaged in a conspiracy for dacoity 
and murder. The papers were left in a well in the compound of one of our men, 
then they were &quot;discovered&quot; after a search by the police. The French police had 
even entered Sri Aurobindo&#39;s residence for a search. But when their Chief found 
there were Latin and Greek books lying about on his desk, he was so taken aback 
that he could only blurt out, &quot;II sait du latin, il sait du grec!&quot; —&quot;He knows 
Latin, he knows Greek!&quot;—and then he left with all his men. How could a man who 
knew Latin and Greek ever commit any mischief?</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">In 
fact, the French Government had not been against us, indeed they helped us as 
far as they could. We were looked upon as their guests and as political 
refugees, it was a matter of honour for them to give us their protection. And 
where</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-44</font></p><hr>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; " align="justify">&nbsp;it is a question of honour, the French as a race are willing to risk 
anything: they still fight duels in France on a point of honour. But at the same 
time, they had their friendship, the <i>entente cordiale</i>, with Britain to maintain, 
and it is this that got them into a dilemma.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; " align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; " align="center">
<font face="Arial Unicode MS" size="5">&#8258;</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">In 
addition to force and fraud, the British Government did not hesitate to make use 
of temptation as well. They sent word to Sri Aurobindo which they followed up by 
a messenger, to say that if he were to return to British India, they would not 
mind. They would indeed be happy to provide him with a nice bungalow in the 
quiet surroundings of a hill station, Darjeeling, where he could live in 
complete freedom and devote himself to his spiritual practices without let or 
hindrance. Needless to add, this was an ointment spread out to catch a fly and 
Sri Aurobindo refused the invitation with a &quot;No, thank you.&quot;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">
Afterwards came a more serious attack, perhaps the one most fraught with danger. 
The First World War was on. India had been seething with discontent and things 
were not going too well abroad on the European front. The British Government now 
brought pressure on the French: they must do something drastic about their 
political refugees. Either they should hand them over to the British, or else 
let them be deported out of India. The French Government accordingly proposed 
that they would find room for us in Algeria. There we could live in peace; they 
would see to our passage so that we need have no worry on that score. If on the 
other hand we were to refuse this offer, there might be danger: the British 
authorities might be allowed to seize us forcibly.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">I 
can recall very well that scene. Sri Aurobindo was seated in his room in what 
was later called &quot;Guest House&quot;, Rue Francois Martin. We too had come. Two or 
three of the Tamil nationalist leaders who had sought refuge in Pondicherry came 
in and told Sri Aurobindo about the Algeria </p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-45</font></p><hr>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">offer and also gave a hint that they 
were agreeable. Sri Aurobindo paused a little and then he said, in a quiet clear 
tone, &quot;I do not budge from here.&quot; To them this came as a bolt from the blue; 
they had never expected anything like this. In Algeria there would be freedom 
and peace, whereas here we lived in constant danger and uncertainty. But now 
they were helpless. Sri Aurobindo had spoken and they could hardly act 
otherwise. They had no alternative but to accept the decision, though with a 
heavy heart.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
The story of Danton comes to mind: Danton the leader of the French Revolution. 
For a long time he had been on the crest of the wave of revolution, a leader 
revered by all. The wheel of his fortune was now on the downward turn and 
another party, the extremists, had reached the crest. Orders were out for his 
arrest, which meant the guillotine. His friends rushed to him to give advice. 
&quot;Flee, Danton, flee,&quot; they said, &quot;there is yet time, flee.&quot; Danton was unmoved 
and he replied in a calm and quiet manner. &quot;That cannot be,&quot; he said. &quot;On 
n&#39;emporte pas le pays a lasemelle de ses souliers&quot;—&quot;You cannot carry the country 
on the heels of your shoes.&quot;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
The Ashram has of course been subjected to fresh attacks later, and to some of 
these many of you have been witness. But by then the Ashram had its foundations 
well laid and the edifice had risen high. But in the days of which I have been 
speaking there was no such thing as a foundation yet. Today the Ashram stands 
like a banyan tree with head erect and branches spread all over; its body is 
solid and immovable, the roots go deep and strong and firm., An attack may 
dislodge or even break a few leaves and branches, but nothing more serious can 
happen. But in those days there was a possibility that the whole tree might get 
uprooted and such attempts too were there. The whole endeavour then was to find 
a standing-room. Sri Aurobindo wanted, as the Vedic Rishis before him had done, 
to find a footing where there was none, <i>apade pada-dhatave.</i></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-46</font></p><hr>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">In 
those days there was in the College de France in Pondicherry a French professor 
named Jouveau Dubreuil—later on he became quite a well-known name—who had been 
engaged in research in ancient history and archaeology. We knew him quite well. 
He was at that time working on the early history of Pondicherry. From a study of 
the ancient documents and inscriptions he discovered that the city of 
Pondicherry, which I have called a city of the dead, had at one time been known 
as a city of the Veda, veda-puri. That is to say, it had a centre of Vedic 
learning. And this Vedic college, our professor found from ancient maps and 
other clues, was located exactly on the spot where the main building of our 
Ashram now stands.</p>
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According to ancient tradition, the Rishi Agastya came to the South to spread 
the Vedic lore and the Aryan discipline. His seems to have been the first 
project for the infusion of Aryan culture into the Dravidian civilization. Many 
of you may here recall the lines of Hemchandra the Bengali poet:</p>
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Arise, O Mountain, arise,</p>
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Agastya has returned;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px; line-height:150%" align="justify">A 
new sign has been floated,</p>
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There&#39;s a racing flood of Light;</p>
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And lo, the sky holds a new splendor of the Sun</p>
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Hold this light, O Mountain,</p>
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That it spread a new Dawn over the land;</p>
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May it hold the new Knowledge,</p>
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May it acquire a new life;</p>
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May a new Dream come to us all.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px; line-height:150%" align="justify">
Raise, O Mountain, your blue dragon-mass.</p>
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&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
The legend goes that as Agastya journeyed South, the Vindhya mountains bent low 
to give him passage, and that they have remained low ever since and would 
continue in that posture until the Rishi came back. In connection with this 
story about the Vedic Rishi Agastya, one is almost automatically reminded of the 
endeavour of Sri Aurobindo. Like Agastya he journeyed South and set up a 
permanent seat</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-47</font></p><hr>
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&nbsp;here to emanate a new Light—he was even known in these parts as Uttara Yogi, the Yogi of the North. In his lines of work and sadhana too we find 
a strange affinity with Agastya&#39;s effort, at least in one respect. Agastya had 
been for years driving deep into the earth, in the abyss of the subconscient, 
for he nourished both the worlds, earth and heaven; he along with his companion 
Lopamudra had been striving for victory here upon earth itself, in their battle 
and the sacrifice with its hundred fiery tongues, j<i>ay<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>vedatra
<font face="Times New Roman">&#347;</font>atan<font face="Times New Roman">&#299;</font>tham<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>jim, 
yat samya<font face="Times New Roman">ñ</font>c<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font> mithunavabhyaj<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>va;</i> for the effort that had the protection of the 
gods could never fail, <i>na mrs<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font> <font face="Times New Roman">&#347;</font>r<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>ntam yadavanti dev<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>h</i>. To carry the effort of 
the Vedic Rishis to a greater fulfillment, to make the victory complete in a 
hundred, nay, in a thousand ways, <i><font face="Times New Roman">&#347;</font>atan<font face="Times New Roman">&#299;</font>tham,</i></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">
<i>sahasran<font face="Times New Roman">&#299;</font>tham,</i>—this precisely was Sri Aurobindo&#39;s aim.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">
<font face="Arial Unicode MS" size="5">&#8258;</font></p>
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&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
Sri Aurobindo was in Pondicherry for forty years. The first few years were spent 
in establishing a seat: he had to select a suitable spot and make a permanent 
abode where he could work undisturbed. This point about selecting a &quot;seat&quot; 
occurs in the story of all great spiritual aspirants and in all the disciplines. 
The Tantriks had need of their &quot;seat of five skulls&quot;,<i> pa<font face="Times New Roman">ñ</font>camund<font face="Times New Roman">&#299;</font></i>. 
Ramakrishna had his <i>pa<font face="Times New Roman">ñ</font>cavat<font face="Times New Roman">&#299;</font></i> the 
grove of five banyans. But why this insistence on five? Perhaps the number stood 
for the five main elements in man and the five worlds that constitute the 
universe,—what the Upanishads term body, life, mind, supermind and spirit. The 
Vedas too speak of <i>pa<font face="Times New Roman">ñ</font>caksiti</i>, the five abodes, <i>
pa<font face="Times New Roman">ñ</font>cakrsti,</i> the 
five fields of culture, <i>p<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>ncajana</i>, the five births or worlds. 
Sri Krishna&#39;s conch of <i>pa<font face="Times New Roman">ñ</font>cajanya</i> may well occur to the mind. Lord Buddha too 
when he took his seat under the Bodhi tree is supposed to have said, &quot;I do not 
rise from this seat until my aim is attained, even though the body dry up or 
fall&quot; (:<i>ih<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>sane
<font face="Times New Roman">&#347;</font>usyatu me <font face="Times New Roman">&#347;</font>ar</i><font face="Times New Roman"><i>&#299;</i></font><i>ram</i>).</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
The site once chosen and the seat established, Sri Aurobindo had now to prepare 
the ground. There were, as</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-48</font></p>
<hr>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">I 
have said, shifting sands all around symbolising a changing world where all is 
in a state of flux, <i>yat ki<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>ca jagaty<font face="Times New Roman">&#257;</font>m jagat.</i> All that had to be cleared and 
firm ground reached. He spent many long years, even as Agastya had done, in this 
spade-work. For he was to erect a huge edifice, a Temple dedicated to God. He 
had once dreamed of a Temple for Bhawani, Bhawani Mandir, where he would install 
Mother India. Now too he desired the same thing, a Temple for Bhawani, a 
Temple-city in fact.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent:25px" align="justify">
That needed a solid, firm and immovable foundation. For this he had to dig into 
the farthest abyss, to fix, one might say, the &quot;five supporting pillars&quot;. All 
this he did single-handed during the first four years, from 1910 to 1914. Then 
the Mother came. And although that was for a short time, it was then that the 
plans were clearly laid for the thing that was to be and the shape it was to 
take,—this New Creation of theirs.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">
The work of building the foundation took him till 1920. From 1920 to 1926 he 
worked with the Mother in giving it strength, testing it and making it fit and 
adequate for carrying the future load. In 1926 there began the construction of 
the superstructure, and along with that proceeded the work of installing the 
presiding Deity. This work of installation took twelve years to complete and the 
next twelve were given to making it permanent. His task done, Sri Aurobindo 
stepped aside, for a new task, for taking up another line of work. But to this 
foundation he lent the entire strength of his bare back, that his work and new 
creation should stand
immortal and with its head erect.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">
<font face="Arial Unicode MS" size="5">&#8258;</font></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">
All that Sri Aurobindo had wanted to do with his body was to install permanently 
in an earthly form the Mother Divine. This Temple we call the Ashram has grown 
through the Power and Influence of her physical Presence, in order that she may 
manifest anew. The Divine Mother of the worlds has installed herself here. In 
the golden Temple </p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-49</font></p><hr>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="justify">
the living Goddess is manifest with all her Powers of 
realisation. She has herself taken charge of the Work now. And the power of her 
Grace is working towards the goal that the entire earth and the race of men grow 
into a living manifestation of Herself.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0" align="center">
<font size="2">Page-50</font></p>

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