{"id":3214,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:42","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3214"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:42","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:42","slug":"45-letters-to-mrinalini-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/writings-in-bengali-translation\/45-letters-to-mrinalini-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-45_Letters to Mrinalini.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n
\nLetters to Mrinalini <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n


\n(1)<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n30th August 1905<\/font><\/p>\n

\n Dearest Mrinalini,<\/font><\/p>\n

\nYour letter of the 24th August is to hand. I was
\n\t\t\tsorry to learn that your parents have once again the same kind of
\n\t\t\tbereavement, but you have not mentioned which of their sons died.
\n\t\t\tHowever, how does sorrow help? Seeking happiness in the world
\n\t\t\tinevitably leads one to find suffering in the midst of that
\n\t\t\thappiness, for suffering is always intertwined with happiness. This
\n\t\t\tlaw holds good not only in regard to the desire for children, but it
\n\t\t\tembraces all sorts of worldly desires<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn place of twenty rupees I read ten rupees (in
\n\t\t\tyour letter) and so I wrote that I will send you ten rupees; if you
\n\t\t\tneed fifteen, I shall of course send you fifteen rupees. This month
\n\t\t\tI have sent the money for the clothes which Sarojini bought for you
\n\t\t\tin Darjeeling. How could I know that you have already made a loan?
\n\t\t\tAs was needed, I had sent fifteen rupees; if you need three or four
\n\t\t\trupees more, I will send the same next month. I will send you twenty
\n\t\t\trupees this time (i.e. next month).<\/font><\/p>\n

\nNow, let me tell you about that matter. You have,
\nperhaps, by now discovered that the one with whose destiny is linked yours is a
\nvery strange kind of person. Mine is wide apart from what the people in this
\ncountry have at present as their mental outlook, their aim of life and their
\nfield of work. It is quite different in all respects; it is uncommon. Perhaps
\nyou know how the ordinary people view extraordinary ideas, uncommon efforts,
\nextraordinary high aspirations. They <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-349<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nlabel all these as madness, but if the mad man
\nsucceeds in the field of action then instead of calling him a lunatic, they call
\nhim a great man, a man of genius. But how many succeed in their efforts? Out of
\na thousand persons only ten are extraordinary, and out of these ten one
\nsucceeds. For me. success in the field of action is far away: I have not yet
\nbeen able to enter into it fully; so, I may be considered a mad man. It is very
\nunfortunate for a woman to be married to a mad man; for all the hopes of women
\nare limited to the joys and the agonies in the family. A mad man would not bring
\nhappiness to his wife\u2014he would only inflict suffering. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe founders of the Hindu religion understood this
\nmatter very well, and they loved very much characters, action and hopes which
\nwere extraordinary; they regarded highly all uncommon persons, whether great or
\ninsane. But what remedy could be there for the terrible plight to which women
\nwere put by such things? The Rishis decided upon this remedy: they said to
\nwomen, "Know that, for you, the husband is the supreme Guru; this and nothing
\nelse, is the only mantra.<\/i> The wife is the husband’s co-partner in the
\npractice of Dharma. She will help him, advise him and encourage him in the work
\nhe chooses for his Dharma; she will obey him as God, feel happy in his happiness
\nand suffer in his suffering. It is the man’s right to choose the work, to help
\nand encourage him is the right of the woman." <\/font><\/p>\n

\nNow the question is which would you choose, the
\npath of the Hindu Dharma or that of the new so-called cultured Dharma? That you
\nhave married a lunatic is a fruit of faulty actions of your previous life. It is
\nbetter to make a settlement with one’s fate; but what kind of settlement would
\nit be? Swayed by the opinion of others, will you also dismiss him as a mad man?
\nThe mad man will, by all means, run on the path determined by his madness. You
\nwill not be able to hold him back; his nature is stronger than yours. Will you
\nthen just sit <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-350<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nin a corner and weep and wail, or join him in his
\nrun and try to become the mad wife to match the mad husband, like the queen of
\nthe blind king who covering her eyes with a piece of cloth lived as blind ?
\nWhatever be the impact on you of the education you have received in a Brahmo
\nschool, you are, after all, a daughter of a Hindu family; the blood of Hindu
\nancestors runs in your veins, and I have no doubt that you will choose the
\nlatter path. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI have three madnesses. Firstly, it is my firm
\nfaith that all the virtue, talent, the higher education and knowledge and the
\nwealth God has given me, belong to Him. I have the right to spend only so much
\nas is necessary for the maintenance of the family and on what is absolutely
\nneeded. Whatever remains should be returned to the Divine. If I spend all on
\nmyself, for personal comfort, for luxury, then I am a thief. Up till now I have
\nbeen giving only one-eighth of my money to God and have been spending the rest
\nof it for my personal happiness\u2014thus trying to settle the account and remain
\nimmersed in worldly pleasures. Half of the life has already been wasted; even an
\nanimal feels gratified in feeding itself and its family. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI have realised that all these days I had been
\npursuing the life of the animal and of the thief. Having realised this, I have
\nfelt much repentant and have grown a repulsion for myself; no more of it,\u2014this
\nsinful act I abandon for good. Giving the money to the Divine means using it for
\nworks of
\ndharma.<\/i> I have no regrets for the money that I gave to Sarojini or to
\nUsha, because helping others is dharma,<\/i> to protect those who depend on
\nyou is a great dharma,<\/i> but the account is not settled if one gives only
\nto one’s brothers and sisters. In these hard days, the whole country is seeking
\nrefuge at my door, I have thirty crores of brothers and sisters in this
\ncountry\u2014many of them die of starvation, most of them weakened by suffering and
\ntroubles are somehow <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-351<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\ndragging on. They must be helped. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWhat do you say? Will you be, in regard to this,
\nthe copartner of my dharma <\/i> We will eat and dress like simple people and
\nbuy what is really essential, and give the rest to the Divine. That is what I
\nwould like to do. If you agree to it, and can make the sacrifice, then my urge
\ncan be fulfilled. You were complaining, "I could not make any progress." Here is
\na path to progress that I point to you. Would you proceed in that path ? <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe second madness has recently taken hold of me;
\nit is this: by any means, I must have the direct experience of God. The religion
\nof today, that is, uttering the name of God every now and then, in praying to
\nHim in front of everybody, showing to people how religious one is\u2014that I do not
\nwant. If the Divine is there, then there must be a way of experiencing His
\nexistence, of meeting Him; however hard be the path, I have taken a firm
\nresolution to tread it. Hindu Dharma asserts that the path is there within one’s
\nown body, in one’s mind. It has also given the methods to be followed to tread
\nthat path. I have begun to observe them and within a month I have been able to
\nascertain that the words of the Hindu Dharma are not untrue. I am experiencing
\nall the signs that have been mentioned by it. Now, I would like to take you also
\nalong that path; you would of course not be able to keep up with me as you have
\nnot yet acquired so much knowledge, but there is nothing to prevent your
\nfollowing me. Anybody can have the realisation by following the path, but it is
\nleft to one’s will to choose to enter the path. Nobody can force you to enter
\nit. If you are willing, I will write more on the subject. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe third madness is this: whereas others regard
\nthe country as an inert piece of matter and know it as the plains, the fields,
\nthe forests, the mountains and the rivers, I know my country as the Mother, I
\nworship her and adore her <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-352<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\naccordingly. What would a son do when a demon,
\nsitting on his mother’s breast, prepares to drink her blood? Would he sit down
\ncontent to take his meals or go on enjoying himself in the company of his wife
\nand children, or would he rather run to the rescue of his mother? I know I have
\nthe strength to uplift this fallen race; not a physical strength, I am not going
\nto fight with a sword or a gun, but with the power of knowledge. The force of
\nthe ksatriya<\/i> is not the only force, there is also the force of the
\nBrahmin which is founded on knowledge. This is not a new feeling in me, not of
\nrecent origin, I was born with it, it is in my very marrow. God sent me to the
\nearth to accomplish this great mission. At the age of fourteen the seed of it
\nhad begun to sprout and at eighteen it had been firmly rooted and become
\nunshakable. Listening to the words of Aunt N you thought that some wicked person
\nhad led your simple and good-natured husband to the evil path. In fact, it was
\nyour good-natured husband who brought that person and hundreds of others to that
\npath, be it good or evil; and he will bring thousands more to it. I do not say
\nthat the work will be accomplished while I live, but it will certainly be
\naccomplished. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nNow I ask you: What do you want to do in this
\nmatter? The wife is the sakti<\/i> (the power) of the husband. Are you going
\nto be the disciple of Usha and adulate the sahibs? Would you be indifferent and
\ndiminish the power of your husband? Or would you double his sympathy and
\nenthusiasm? You might reply: "What could a simple woman like me do in all these
\ngreat works? I have neither will power, nor intelligence, I am afraid even to
\nthink of these things." There is a simple solution for it\u2014take refuge in the
\nDivine, step on to the path of God-realisation. He will soon cure all your
\ndeficiencies; fear gradually leaves the person who takes refuge in the Divine.
\nAnd if you have faith in me, and listen to what I say instead of listening to
\nothers, I can give you my <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-353<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nforce which would not be reduced (by giving) but
\nwould, on the contrary, increase. We say that the wife is the sakti<\/i> of
\nthe husband, that means that the husband sees his own reflection in the wife,
\nfinds the echo of his own noble aspiration in her and thereby redoubles his
\nforce. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWould you always remain like this? "I shall dress
\nwell, eat good food, laugh and dance and enjoy all possible pleasures"\u2014such a
\nstate of mind is not called progress. Now-a- days the life of women in our
\ncountry has assumed a very narrow and humiliating form. Abandon all these things
\nand come with me. We have come to the world to do God’s work, let us begin it. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere is one defect in your nature\u2014you are too
\nsimple. You listen to all that people say. This always keeps the mind restless,
\ndoes not allow intelligence to develop, and there is no concentration in any
\nwork. This has to be corrected; you must acquire knowledge by listening to one
\nperson only, accomplish the work with a firm aim and firm mind, you have to
\ndisregard the slander and ridicule of people and keep your devotion firm. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere is another defect also\u2014not of your nature but
\n<\/b>of
\n<\/b>the times. The times have become like that in Bengal; people are unable to
\nlisten seriously even to a serious talk; they laugh at and make fun of all that
\nis high and noble, Dharma, philanthropy, high aspiration, great endeavour,
\nliberation of the country; they try to laugh away everything. You have developed
\nthis fault a little by your association with the Brahmo school; Barin also had
\nit, and to some extent we all are subject to this fault, but it has increased to
\na surprising degree among the people of Deoghar. It is necessary to throw out
\nthis mentality with a strong resolution; you will be able to do it easily, and
\nonce you cultivate the habit of thinking, your real nature will blossom; you are
\nalready inclined to philanthropy and sacrifice; only what is wanting is <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-354<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe strength of mind. You will get that strength
\nfrom your devotion to God. Your praying to God will bring you that strength. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThis was my secret. Without divulging it to
\nanybody, reflect over these things with a tranquil mind. There is nothing to be
\nafraid of, but plenty to think about. In the beginning you won’t have to do
\nanything more than to devote half-an-hour every day to meditate on God. You
\nshould put before Him your strong aspiration in the form of a prayer. The mind
\nwill get gradually prepared. You should always offer to Him this prayer: "May I
\nnot come in the way of my husband’s life, and his ideals, and in his path to
\nGod- realisation; may I become his helper and his instrument." Will you do it? <\/font><\/p>\n

\nYours<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n(2<\/b>)<\/font><\/p>\n

\n23 ScottsLane<\/font><\/p>\n

\nCalcutta<\/font><\/p>\n

\n17th February 1907<\/font><\/p>\n

\nDear Mrinalini,<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nI have not written to you for a long time. If you
\ndo not, out of your own goodness, pardon me for this eternal fault of mine, then
\nI am helpless. What is in the marrow cannot be got rid of in a day. I may have
\nto spend this whole life trying to correct this fault. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI was to come on the eighth of January, but I could
\nnot come; this did not happen of my own accord. I had to go where the Lord led
\nme. This time I did not go for my own work, I had gone for His work. The state
\nof my mind has at present undergone a change; about that I would not reveal in
\nthis letter. Come here, then I will tell you what I have to say. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-355<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n The only thing that can be stated for the
\nmoment is that henceforward 1 am no longer subject to my own will: I must go
\nlike a puppet wherever the Divine takes me; I must do like a puppet whatever He
\nmakes me do. At present you will find it hard to grasp the meaning of these
\nwords. But it is necessary to tell you about it lest my activities cause you
\nregret and sorrow. You may think that I am neglecting you and doing my work. But
\ndo not think so. So far I have been guilty of many wrongs against you and it is
\nbut natural that you were discontented on that account; but henceforth 1 have no
\nfreedom of my own, you will have to understand that all that I do depends not on
\nmy own will but is done according to the command of the Divine. When you come
\nhere, you will realise the significance of my words. I hope the Lord will show
\nyou the light of His infinite Grace which He has shown me, but that depends on
\nHis will. If you want to be the co-partner of my dharma,<\/i> then you must
\ntry most intensely so that He may point out to you the path of His Grace by the
\nsheer force of your concentrated will. Do not allow any one to see this letter
\nfor what I have written is extremely secret. I have not spoken about it to any
\none but you. That is forbidden. This much for today. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nYour husband<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/p>\n

\nP.S. I have written to Sarojini about the family
\nmatters, it is not necessary to write to you separately about them; when you see
\nthat letter you will know. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n(3) <\/font><\/p>\n

\n6th December<\/font><\/p>\n

\n 1907 Dear Mrinalini,<\/font><\/p>\n

\n        I
\nreceived the letter day before yesterday; the shawl was <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-356<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nsent the same day; I do not understand why you did
\nnot get it. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n* <\/font><\/p>\n

\n*    * <\/font><\/p>\n

\nAt present I have not got a moment to spare; the
\nburden of writing is on me, the burden of works regarding the Congress is on me,
\nand also that of settling the affairs of Bande Mataram. I can hardly cope with
\nthe work. Besides I have my own work to do which I cannot neglect. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWould you listen to a request of mine? I am passing
\nthrough very anxious times, the pressure from all sides is enough to drive one
\nmad. If you too get restless now, it would only add to my anxiety and worry; a
\nletter of encouragement and comfort from you would give me much strength, and I
\ncan overcome all fears and dangers with a cheerful heart. I know, it is hard for
\nyou to live alone at Deoghar, but if you make your mind firm and rest on faith,
\nthen the feeling of sorrow cannot dominate your mind. This suffering is your
\ninevitable lot, since you have married me. At intervals there is bound to be
\nseparation, because unlike ordinary Bengalis, I am unable to make the happiness
\nof the family and of the relations the main aim of my life. In these
\ncircumstances, what is my dharma<\/i> is also your dharma;<\/i> and unless
\nyou consider the success of my mission as your happiness, there is no way out.
\nOne thing more: most of the persons with whom you are staying at present are our
\nelders, and even if they say hard things or pass unjust remarks, do not be cross
\nwith them. Also, do not believe that all that they say is what they really mean,
\nor that they say it with a purpose to hurt you. Many a time words come out of
\nanger without thought; it is no good holding on to them. If you find it
\nabsolutely impossible to stay there, then I will speak to Girish Babu to arrange
\nfor your grandfather to come and stay in the house while I am away for the
\nCongress session. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-357<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nToday I am going to Midnapore. On my return I will
\nmake all arrangements here and then proceed to Surat; that will probably be on
\nthe 15th or 16th. I will return on the 2nd of January. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nYours <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-358<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Letters to Mrinalini (1) 30th August 1905  Dearest Mrinalini, Your letter of the 24th August is to hand. I was sorry to learn that your…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writings-in-bengali-translation","wpcat-64-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}