NEW PUBLICATIONS

ENGLISH

Prior to Sri Aurobindo’s birth centenary in 1972, Nirodbaran gave a series of talks to the students of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. Approximately 150 talks were tape-recorded and transcribed and are now being published in book form. In this volume, comprised of talks delivered between December 1969 and July 1970, Nirodbaran shares his reminiscences and those of fellow sadhaks, describing Ashram life during the 1920s and relating incidents from Sri Aurobindo’s life during the 1930s and ‘40s. He also quotes extensively from his own correspondence with Sri Aurobindo. Full of the humour that characterised his long relationship with the Master, these talks provide an intimate view of Ashram life in those decades.

Focussing on Vedanta as interpreted by Sri Aurobindo, the author finds similarities between certain concepts in the philosophies of the East and West, including the Ultimate Reality and the Self, the nature of the Divine and his relation to the world, immortality and rebirth, and free will and determinism. Key to his analysis is the first chapter on the meanings of the terms religion, philosophy, and spirituality. In his comparative studies the author’s primary interest is in the philosophies of Sri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, Vedanta, Schopenhauer, Spinoza, and Sartre. There is also a chapter comparing Jewish mysticism and Hinduism and an appendix on the place of bhakti in Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. These essays were originally published as articles in various journals.

Largely basing his overview of the Indian spiritual tradition on his own study of the writings of Sri Aurobindo, the author takes a wide-ranging look at the cultural and spiritual wealth that is found in Indian thought and life. Drawing on both Western and Eastern literary and cultural sources, the book affords a unique perspective on its subject. By way of introduction, the author first addresses a few misconceptions that seem still to plague a true understanding of India’s history and development such as the spurious theory of an Aryan invasion. He follows with chapters on the Vedic Rishis, the Upanishads, Samkhya, Yoga, the Gita, Vedanta, Puranas, Tantra, the Buddha, and Modern India—Towards Apocalypse that lead up to the final long chapter on Sri Aurobindo’s life and work and his evolutionary vision that finally unites spirit and matter in a transformed life on earth.

A compilation of extracts drawn primarily from Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine and his Letters on Yoga, with a few extracts from the Mother’s writings, this book is based on a series of study classes conducted at the Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre. The extracts are interspersed with comments and discussions from the classes. The selections are organised by theme: the origin and nature of ignorance and its remedy; the problems of error, falsehood, and evil, the powers behind their workings, and their remedies.

This book of colour photographs captures moments at and around the Matrimandir over the years. Different sections are devoted to mist-shrouded landscapes; sunrises, sunsets, and moonscapes that reflect the beauty of nature surrounding the structure; early morning meditations with the bonfire and special flower decorations at the Amphitheatre; Aurovilians at work on the structure and children at work and play in the environs; evening performances at the Amphitheatre; owls, parrots, and peacocks at the Banyan Tree; and views highlighting the Park of Unity. Quotations from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother appear throughout the book.

The first thirty pages of this book describe some aspects of the Matrimandir, such as the names the Mother gave for the four pillars: North—Mahakali; South—Maheshwari; East—Mahalakshmi; and West—Mahasaraswati. This is followed by some colour photographs of the symbols on each of the four entrances, the inner chamber, the lotus pond, and the meditation rooms under the petals named for the twelve attributes of the Mother. The rest of the book is a series of interviews with Aurovilians and others about their own experiences of the Matrimandir and what it means to them.

This book tells the story of how Huta came to the Ashram and began her work with the Mother. It presents a detailed account of how the Mother prepared and encouraged her to learn painting and helped her to create two series of paintings: the 472 pictures comprising Meditations on Savitri and the 116 pictures that accompanied the Mother's comments titled About Savitri. During their meetings, where the Mother revealed her visions for each painting by drawing sketches and explaining which colours should be used, the unique importance of Savitri and the Mother's own experiences connected to the poem come clearly into view. The book is also a representation of Huta's sadhana, her struggles and her progress, and the solicitude and grace showered on her by the Mother.

Described by the author as a practical guide for parents and teachers, this book presents a holistic approach to education inspired by the teaching of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It encompasses various aspects including physical education, refinement of the senses, knowledge and mastery over emotions, training of mental faculties, building up of character strengths, cultivation of a sense of ethics, and the development of an inner awareness and mindfulness. Enhanced by numerous diagrams, tables, and colour illustrations, the book is aimed at teachers, presenting a variety of interactive exercises and activities, from discussions and games to breathing techniques and meditation methods simplified for adolescents and children. It includes sections on the role of the adult and importance of teaching by example, and the future of education in a rapidly changing world. The text is supplemented with statistics and findings from modern-day research as well as quotes, anecdotes, and case studies that add a depth of detail designed to encourage and support teachers to provide children with a well-rounded approach to learning.

The author of these five short stories was inspired by the writings of the Mother. The stories are tales of courage and perseverance, loyalty and friendship, reflection and self-mastery, and peopled with characters that a child can easily relate to. They teach children about overcoming their fears, how to believe in themselves, and how both negative and positive thoughts can impact the atmosphere that surrounds them. The book includes several hand drawn illustrations for each story.

This handbook of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram—Delhi Branch, liberally illustrated with photographs, is a guide to all facets of life at the Ashram. It first introduces Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, their teachings, and the naissance and growth of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry. There follows a detailed history of how the Delhi Branch began and expanded into today’s multifaceted organisation that includes the Mother’s International School, Matri Kala Mandir, mirambika Free Progress School, vocational training programs, Tapaysa Guest House, as well as the facilities in Nainital and Talla Ramgarh, where youth camps, adventure camps, and study camps are regularly held, and the Kechla Project for tribal development in a remote area of Odisha.

HINDI

Mool tatha anuvad sahit
— Compilation from the Works of Sri Aurobindo
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Trust, Jhunjhunu
Pages: 558
Binding: Soft Cover
ISBN: 978-81-86510-24-7
Price: Rs 450

Shrimadbhagavad Gita (Hard Cover)

Pages: 558
Binding: Hard Cover
ISBN: 978-81-86510-25-4
Price: Rs 550

Hindi translation of The Bhagavad Gita: With Text, Translation and Commentary in the Words of Sri Aurobindo

Description of content for original work:

    This book presents each verse of the original Sanskrit text along with its translation based on Sri Aurobindo's Essays on the Gita. The slokas are followed by notes compiled from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The appendix includes some extracts from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the historicity and spiritual reality of Sri Krishna, the Gita's teaching in the larger context of Sri Aurobindo's message, and the secret of the divine incarnations. The final section comprises references to the source material, lists of the various names used for Sri Krishna and Arjuna, and an index.

BENGALI

A collection of Bengali essays.

MARATHI

TELUGU

Telugu translation of Isha Upanishad

Description of content for original work:
        This book contains Sri Aurobindo's final translation and analysis of the Isha Upanishad. In his definitive commentary on this important Vedantic scripture, he presents its central idea, which is a reconciliation and harmony of fundamental opposites, and shows how in its verses one can discover the resolution of such "pairs of opposites" such as God and Nature, renunciation and enjoyment, action and freedom, the active and inactive Brahman, and works and knowledge.

SANSKRIT

ITALIAN

Sotto l’egida della rivista ‘domani’ sono stati tradotti dall’inglese, in questo piccolo volume, sei saggi di Nolini Kanta Gupta su Savitri. A questi è stato aggiunto il saggio Poesia Mistica che aiuta a comprendere la distinzione fra diverse tipologie di poesia mistica e anche la differenza fra poesia mistica, poesia spirituale, poesia filosofica e poesia religiosa. Questa è oggi una distinzione assolutamente necessaria e un approfondimento fondamentale per la corretta interpretazione di Savitri, la principale opera poetica di Sri Aurobindo.

Come dice nella prefazione il dott. Nadkarni riferendosi a Nolini: “Nei suoi scritti ci imbattiamo in un’ampiezza e profondità di pensiero che possiedono una freschezza e integrità non consuete nella stratosfera mentale. Allo stesso tempo hanno una tessitura di pensiero più finemente ordito di quanto sia possibile ottenere sul telaio dell’intelletto umano… “Sri Aurobindo, fatta eccezione per pochi lettori, è troppo vasto da afferrare e troppo da credere.” … Questo è vero in particolar modo per Savitri. La maggior parte dei lettori necessita di un aiuto nel suo studio … E per tali persone Nolini-da, a nostro parere, è il migliore aiuto che si possa raccomandare.”