Act VIII, Scene 5

(Dharma and the Karmayogin Office. Aurobindo and Nolini. Time: evening.)

AUROBINDO: Nolini, have you any desire to learn European languages, French, for instance, to start with?

NOLINI (taken aback): If you are pleased to help me, most certainly.

AUROBINDO: The National College9 has a stock of my books, I have lent them to it. (Handing him a short note.) Take this to the College Library. They will give you a volume of Molière’s works.

(Nolini goes out with the note and returns with the book.)

AUROBINDO (selecting “L'Avare”): Start here.

NOLINI (overwhelmed with surprise): Such a big leap for a beginner!

AUROBINDO (smiling): Shake off old ideas. Come along with me. Read as I do.

(Sri Aurobindo reads, Nolini follows — the former occasionally correcting the latter in pronunciation.)

Pronunciation well learnt, the thoughts and sentiments will present no difficulty. I will facilitate your understanding by writing the English meanings of difficult words in the margins.


DB 64,4. National College: Now Jadavpur University.

From:Chinmoy Kumar Ghose,The Descent of the Blue, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, 1972
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/db