Aurobindo Ghosh (1872-1950) was an Indian philosopher, poet, and spiritual leader known for his influential works on spirituality, yoga, and integral philosophy. He was also a journalist, where he edited newspapers like Vande Mataram. He was a key figure in the Indian independence movement and later shifted his focus towards advancing human consciousness and spiritual growth. Aurobindo’s concepts on the further development of human potential influenced the thinking of Michael Murphy, indirectly contributing to the emergence of the human potential movement through Murphy’s writings.
Among Sri Aurobindo’s primary literary masterpieces, we find:
- “The Life Divine” which deals with the philosophical dimensions of Integral Yoga
- “Synthesis of Yoga” which deals with the principles and practices of Integral Yoga and
- “Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol” is a monumental epic poem, written in blank verse.
Sri Aurobindo’s life was portrayed on screen in the 1970 Bengali-language biographical drama film “Mahabiplabi Aurobindo,” directed by Dipak Gupta. Additionally, on India’s 72nd Republic Day, the Ministry of Culture presented a tableau showcasing his life.
Aurobindo Ghose was born in Calcutta, India, on 15 August 1872, into a Bengali Kayastha family. He grew up speaking English but used Bengali to communicate with servants.
His father, Krishna Dhun Ghose, was a professional surgeon and a former member of the Brahmo Samaj. Despite their Bengali heritage, his father held British culture in high regard. Aurobindo’s mother, Swarnalata Devi, was the daughter of Shri Rajnarayan Bose, a prominent figure in the Samaj.
Aurobindo had two older siblings, Benoybhusan and Manmohan, a younger sister named Sarojini, and a younger brother known as Barindra Kumar (Barin for short). Aurobindo and his two older siblings were sent to the English-speaking Loreto House boarding school in Darjeeling. Darjeeling was a hub for Anglo-Indians in India, and the school was administered by Irish nuns.
In 1879, the entire family relocated to England with the aim of preparing for the Indian Civil Service (ICS), an exclusive organization consisting of roughly 1000 individuals. The three brothers were entrusted to the care of Reverend W. H. Drewett, a minister of the Congregational Church in Manchester. Drewett and his wife taught the boys Latin during this period.
In 1884, Drewett emigrated to Australia, and the boys resided with Drewett’s mother in London. In September of the same year, Aurobindo and Manmohan enrolled at St Paul’s School in London. Notably, Aurobindo’s linguistic skills were diverse, and by the turn of the century, he was proficient in at least twelve languages.
With the recommendation of Oscar Browning, Aurobindo obtained a scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge. Although he ranked 11th out of 250 candidates in the written ICS examination, Aurobindo had no interest in pursuing a career in the ICS. To deliberately disqualify himself for the service, he arrived late for the horse-riding practical exam. During this time, the Maharaja of Baroda, Sayajirao Gaekwad III, was traveling in England.
Aurobindo arrived in India in February 1893. Upon his arrival from England, Krishna Dhun Ghose, who was eagerly waiting to reunite with his son, received false information from his agents in Bombay that the ship Aurobindo had been traveling on had sunk off the coast of Portugal. Devastated by this news, his father passed away.
In 1893, in Baroda, Aurobindo taught grammar and assisted in crafting speeches for the Maharaja of Gaekwad which continued until 1897. Additionally, he took up a part-time position as a French teacher at Baroda College, which is now known as Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
While residing in Baroda, Aurobindo contributed numerous articles to Indu Prakash. He began to actively engage in the politics of the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. During that time, he established connections with prominent figures like Lokmanya Tilak and Sister Nivedita and subsequently expanded his efforts to establish resistance groups across the Presidency. In 1906, following the announcement of the Partition of Bengal, Aurobindo formally relocated to Calcutta.
In 1901, at the age of 28, he married Mrinalini, who was just 14 years old and the daughter of Bhupal Chandra Bose, a senior government official. Tragically, Mrinalini passed away seventeen years later in December 1918 during the influenza pandemic.
In 1906, Aurobindo was appointed as the first principal of the National College in Calcutta, where he began to impart national education to Indian youth. However, he resigned from this position in August 1907 due to his increased involvement in political activities.
In Bengal, Aurobindo, with his brother Barin, established connections and served as an inspiration to revolutionaries like Bagha Jatin (Jatin Mukherjee) and Surendranath Tagore. Together, they initiated the creation of various youth clubs, including the Anushilan Samiti of Calcutta in 1902.
The turning point came in July 1905 when the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, partitioned Bengal. This divisive act triggered a widespread public backlash against British colonial rule, and Aurobindo was actively involved in this movement. Aurobindo advocated for non-cooperation and passive resistance as strategies.
Aurobindo attended the 1906 Congress meeting led by Dadabhai Naoroji, where he played a role as a councilor in shaping the fourfold objectives of “Swaraj, Swadesh, Boycott, and national education.”
In 1907, at the Surat session of the Congress, he aligned with the extremists alongside Bal Gangadhar Tilak. This division within the Congress eventually led to a split.
The year 1908 saw the failed assassination attempt on Magistrate Kingsford by Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki, who intended to punish Kingsford for his harsh treatment of nationalists. Tragically, the bomb missed its intended target and instead killed two British women, the wife and daughter of barrister Pringle Kennedy.
Aurobindo himself was arrested in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case. The trial extended over a year, but he was ultimately acquitted on May 6, 1909, with Chittaranjan Das serving as his defense counsel. Aurobindo claimed to have been “visited” by Vivekananda during his time in Alipore Jail.
Following his release, he initiated two new publications, “Karmayogin” in English and “Dharma” in Bengali. During this period, he delivered the Uttarpara Speech, hinting at his shift in focus toward spiritual matters. His outlook on life underwent a profound transformation due to spiritual experiences and realizations during his time in jail.
In 1910, Aurobindo moved to Pondicherry. He disengaged himself from all political activities and went into hiding in Chandannagar, taking refuge in the home of Motilal Roy. Upon settling in Pondicherry, Aurobindo wholeheartedly committed himself to his spiritual and philosophical endeavors. After four years of practicing yoga in seclusion, he initiated the publication of a monthly philosophical magazine titled “Arya” in 1914. However, this magazine ceased publication in 1921. Some of the book series derived from this publication were:
- The Life Divine (1939)
- The Synthesis of Yoga (1914)
- Essays on The Gita (1920)
- The Secret of The Veda
- Hymns to the Mystic Fire
- The Upanishads
- The Renaissance in India
- War and Self-determination
- The Human Cycle
- The Ideal of Human Unity
- The Future Poetry
In 1915, the Danish author and artist Johannes Hohlenberg met Aurobindo in Pondicherry. Inspired by their meeting, Hohlenberg went on to publish one of the earliest books on Yoga in Europe. He also authored two essays on Sri Aurobindo and even published excerpts from “The Life Divine” in Danish translation.
In 1926, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram was established, and from that point, Sri Aurobindo began signing himself as “Sri Aurobindo,” with “Sri” being a common honorific.
Mirra Alfassa referred to as “The Mother”, was a French national born in Paris with a background in occultism. She and her husband, Paul Richard, relocated to Pondicherry in 1920. Sri Aurobindo regarded her as his spiritual equal and collaborator. After his retirement into seclusion on November 24, 1926, he entrusted her with the planning, construction, and management of the ashram. She also established and oversaw the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, which conducted pioneering experiments in the field of education.
During the 1930s, Sri Aurobindo wrote thousands of letters to his disciples about spiritual practice. These letters were later compiled and published in book form as the three-volume “Letters on Yoga.” In the late 1930s, he achieved one of his greatest literary accomplishments with “Savitri,” an epic spiritual poem consisting of approximately 24,000 lines written in blank verse.
On August 15, 1947, Sri Aurobindo strongly expressed his opposition to the partition of India.
Sri Aurobindo was nominated for the Nobel Prize twice, but he did not receive the award. His nominations were in 1943 for the Nobel Prize in Literature and in 1950 for the Nobel Prize in Peace.
Sri Aurobindo passed away on December 5, 1950, due to uremia. His funeral was attended by around 60,000 people. Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Rajendra Prasad praised his contributions to Yogic philosophy and the independence movement.
Sri Aurobindo Ghosh’s ideas and teachings have influenced a wide range of individuals, both in India and around the world, in various fields such as philosophy, spirituality, literature, and education. The American philosopher Ken Wilber has drawn inspiration from Aurobindo’s integral philosophy and incorporated his ideas into his own work on consciousness, spirituality, and human development. Ken Wilber has referred to Sri Aurobindo as “India’s greatest modern philosopher-sage.”