Part III — Subhas and Dilip: The mystic friend versus the psychic friend
1.
Dilip was born on 22nd January 1897, just one day before his dearest brother-friend Subhas Chandra Bose, who became known as Netaji, the Pilot Supreme of the Indian Boat.
Subhas is power's gong.
Dilip is beauty's song.
Dilip was a singer of the Source.
Subhas was a marcher on the Course.
True, two different approaches
To the Ultimate Reality.
Nevertheless,
They plied their life-boats
Lovingly and self-givingly
Between their reciprocal
Mind-admiration-shores
And heart-affection-shores.
Subhas said to Dilip,
"Dilip, come and join me immediately!"
Dilip said to Subhas,
"Subhas, come and join me wisely!"
God, the Author of all Good, said to them,
"My sons, both of you should remain
Wherever you are.
I want Subhas to fulfil Me
In his own indomitable way.
I want Dilip to fulfil Me as well
In his own inimitable way.
After your earth-departures,
In Heaven, one will march with Me
And for Me,
While the other will sing with Me
And for Me."
From the inmost recesses of his heart,
Subhas confided in Dilip,
"I am frequently in the vortex of politics.
I deal with many friends. Most of them
Are quite often perfect strangers to truth.
At least in you — in your soul, in your heart,
In your life — I have found
An unceasingly dependable friend.
Dilip, how can I ever forget
Your heart's spontaneous generosity?
You gave me ninety pounds
When I was in dire financial need.
A friend in need is a friend, indeed!"
Two affection-flooded friends;
Two mind-confusion-removal-friends;
Two Truth-seeker-friends;
Two true God-believer-friends;
Two consolation-fountain-friends;
Two heart-offering and life-illumining
Friends.
Subhas the Truth-seeker
Or Subhas the God-lover
Remains either undiscovered
Or buried in oblivion.
Dilip is the dire challenger.
With his inner might,
He brought to the fore
His dearest friend's God-hunger-breath.
Dilip wanted Subhas to accept
The spiritual life
In the purest sense of the term,
For Dilip had always found in Subhas
A God-seeker par excellence
And a mystic of pinnacle-heights.
Dilip was all eagerness to bring Subhas
To meet with Sri Aurobindo.
It was Dilip's dream that his dearest friend Subhas would one day accept Yoga and go to the Source, the Goal Ultimate. Then, from the Absolute Supreme, he wanted Subhas to learn how to execute earth-bound ideas and Heaven-free ideals.
Subhas felt that Mother India's liberation should be his first and foremost goal. He did subscribe to Dilip's view that the highest Goal is God-realisation. But he was neither ready nor willing to have that loftiest Goal as his own, very own, for the time being. He believed that when the Hour of God strikes, the Hour itself will do the needful. Subhas wanted to climb up the life-tree progressively, step-by-step, giving due attention to each successive height.
Dilip was adamant. He did not want his dearest friend's burning God-hunger in the inmost recesses of his heart to remain totally, if not shockingly, dormant. Therefore, time and again, he made soulful attempts to bring to the fore his friend's genuine God-hunger-cries. No, never cleverly, but selfgivingly.
In return, Subhas offered his gratitude-heart to Dilip. Something is at once interesting and illumining: whenever he received blessings, concern and goodwill — even indirectly — from Sri Aurobindo, Subhas the heart blossomed into sincerity-appreciation.
[This chapter is an extract from a book which I wrote in 1997 on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It is entitled, _Mother, Your 50th Independence-Anniversary! I am Come. Ever in Your Eternity's Cries and Your Infinity's Smiles, Subhas._]
