NEW PUBLICATIONS

ENGLISH

In an effort to present some aspects of Sri Aurobindo's integral philosophy and vision for the future, the Centre for Sri Aurobindo Studies at Jadavpur University has collected eleven papers on various subjects. These include a look at Sri Aurobindo's theory of the evolution of consciousness, a comparison between the standpoints of quantum mechanics and spiritual experience as to the creation of the world, essays on The Life Divine, and a study of Sri Aurobindo's aesthetics as expressed in Savitri. Other essays provide an analysis of the philosophical similarities between Sri Aurobindo and Heraclitus, a critical appreciation of Sri Aurobindo's political theory, and a look at his seminal thoughts on education.

Drawing on Sri Aurobindo's interpretation of the significance of the Puranas, the author wrote a series of articles on the Bhagavata Purana that was originally published serially in the journal Mother India. Taking up the legends in this most popular of the Puranas, she looks at the way they have inspired Indian philosophy, literature, and culture, making the ancient spiritual truths of the rishis appealing to the mind of a whole people. Varaha, Vamana-Trivikrama, Rishabha, and Rama, four incarnations of Vishnu, are studied in separate sections; five chapters are devoted to Krishna. The stories of several devotees (the child Dhruva, the sinner Ajamila, the rakshasa Prahlad, the elephant Gajendra, and King Ambarisha) are included to illustrate how each individual can attain the Divine.

Beginning with Aditi and ending with Yuga this glossary of Vedic terms, symbols, and concepts has been compiled from the works of Sri Aurobindo, drawn primarily from The Secret of the Veda and Hymns to the Mystic Fire. Some entries contain multiple extracts; some quote just a line or two, others a full paragraph. Sri Aurobindo considered the Veda not only to be the fount of Indian civilisation but also seminal to the world's spirituality, to its various religions, to the development of its thought.

This book is the English translation of the Bengali biography Sri Aurobindo: Jeebon O Jog written in 1939. The author explained that he undertook this work to give an indication of Sri Aurobindo's spiritual stature, because at the time many of his countrymen did not undertand why Sri Aurobindo had retired from politics and immersed himself in sadhana at Pondicherry. The author hoped his readers would become aware that through the Integral Yoga lay the path to man's highest realisations, and to that end devoted eight chapters to an exposition of Sri Aurobindo's thought. A revised edition, published in 1952, included additional material written after the conclusion of World War II and an epilogue written after Sri Aurobindo's passing.

Based on the premise that excellence in professional work is the external result of the effective use of inner faculties in our consciousness, this book attempts a practical approach to developing these inner abilities. The strategies and methods outlined here can be practised individually or applied to a collective endeavour. Drawing on many of the precepts of the Integral Yoga, the author discusses such inner faculties as concentration, mindfulness, analytical intelligence, pragmatic intelligence, emotional intelligence, will and vital-force, imagination, and intuition, and suggests how they can be developed to improve workplace performance.

Like the first book in this series, this one is also based on transcripts of classes held at Savitri Bhavan. The author's aim in those classes was to read the poetry as correctly as possible, according to the natural rhythms of English speech, to gain a basic understanding of the vocabulary, sentence structure, and imagery used by Sri Aurobindo, and thereby gain a better understanding and appreciation of the poem. This volume covers the four cantos of Book Three, The Book of the Divine Mother. As the previous volume covered Book One and this one resumes with Book Three, a brief summary of Book Two is given in an introductory section to provide some continuity to the series.

FRENCH

Cette anthologie des textes de Sri Aurobindo traite de la psychologie dans le sens le plus large du terme : la découverte de notre vrai moi, dans toutes ses dimensions, individuelles et collectives, car c'est la base d'une psychologie spirituelle intégrale.

Pour Sri Aurobindo, la vraie psychologie est une recherche de la "psyché", de l'âme en nous, car c'est autour de ce centre profond que nous pouvons harmoniser et unir toutes les parties souvent discordantes de notre être. Ce n'est pas dans le subconscient que se trouve la clef qui nous permettra de résoudre l'"énigme de ce monde", mais dans le supraconscient. Ce livre trace les grandes étapes de cette évolution de la conscience et la transformation de notre nature qu'elle implique.

Les textes réunis dans ce recueil sont présentés et commentés par A. S. Dalal, à qui l'on doit d'excellentes anthologies des oeuvres de la Mère et de Sri Aurobindo, notamment Les Forces cachées de la vie, Le Regard intérieur, Paroles vivantes et L'Etre psychique.

Entre 1909 et 1927, Sri Aurobindo a noté ses expériences yoguiques, réunies en deux volumes dans ce Journal du Yoga. Ces notations sont assez régulières entre 1912 et 1920, et nous en trouvons un petit nombre en 1909, 1911 et 1927. Ce Journal comporte des notations complémentaires, notamment les descriptions des sept chatusthayas (groupes de quatre éléments) qui constituent la base du yoga que Sri Aurobindo pratiquait à cette époque.

La terminologie spéciale employée par Sri Aurobindo puise dans le sanskrit et dans d'autres langues. Un glossaire provisoire fait l'objet d'un volume séparé.

Entre 1909 et 1927, Sri Aurobindo a noté ses expériences yoguiques, réunies en deux volumes dans ce Journal du Yoga. Ces notations sont assez régulières entre 1912 et 1920, et nous en trouvons un petit nombre en 1909, 1911 et 1927. Ce Journal comporte des notations complémentaires, notamment les descriptions des sept chatusthayas (groupes de quatre éléments) qui constituent la base du yoga que Sri Aurobindo pratiquait à cette époque.

Le lecteur trouvera dans ce glossaire provisoire l'explication des termes spéciaux employés par Sri Aurobindo dans son Journal du Yoga.

ITALIAN

Negli anni dal 1923 al 1926 e dal 1938 al 1943 un ristretto gruppo di discepoli aveva avuto la possibilità di incontrare la sera Sri Aurobindo e discorrere con lui dei più svariati argomenti, in un clima sempre disteso e amichevole, sovente intercalato da fragorose risate per l'immancabile vena umoristica del Maestro. Un discepolo, Purani, aveva poi trascritto il contenuto di quegli incontri, riportando il più fedelmente possibile le parole del suo Guru.

Ne è risultata una straordinaria raccolta del pensiero di Sri Aurobindo in campi che vanno dalla pratica del suo yoga, alla spiritualità, la politica, l'arte, la filosofia, la scienza, la medicina ecc., e della sua azione come Yogi, arrivando a influenzare gli stessi avvenimenti mondiali.

ARABIC

HINDI

Hindi translation of Questions and Answers 1950–1951

Description of content for original work:
        This book contains conversations of the Mother with members of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the students of the Ashram's school. For most of this period the Mother answered questions about some of her essays on education and her conversations of 1929, which deal with various aspects of spiritual life. Towards the end she discussed some letters of Sri Aurobindo and his small book The Mother.

ORIYA

Oriya translation of More Answers from the Mother

Description of content for original work:
        This book contains letters of the Mother to members of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. They cover the period from 1932 to 1973. The correspondents include a thirteen-year-old boy, a Frenchwoman who lived in the Ashram for several years, a young physical education instructor, and three Ashram members who often sought advice about problems relating to work.

Oriya translation of the booklet Food, a compilation of simple passages from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother with a practical orientation on the subject.

TELUGU

Telugu translation of Commentaries on The Life Divine

Description of content for original work:
        The Mother commented on two of the last chapters of The Life Divine during her weekly classes at the Ashram Playground in the 1950s. After reading from the text, the Mother would answer any questions raised by those present. In these commentaries she speaks about Sri Aurobindo's vision of the future—the evolution of a spiritualised humanity leading to a divine life on earth.