Sri Aurobindo’s Translation of Tirukkural

The Tirukkural (Sacred Verses) is a spiritual text authored by sage Thiruvalluvar, who is said to have lived somewhere between 300 BCE and 500 CE. Sri Aurobindo had translated a few of these verses into Tamil. In this article, Usha Mahadevan (DRBCC Hindu College, Chennai) analyzes Sri Aurobindo’s translation.

Freedom from mental constructions

There is a rattling cage of thought formations which perpetually surround our brain. It’s a chaotic mixture of golden rules, calcified beliefs and fervid anxieties which we have aggregated based on our life experience. We reinforce them every day by repeatedly applying them and talking about them with others. This cluster of thoughts is what the Mother referred to as a “mental construction“.

Five signs of a soul turned to inner wisdom

The “Essays on the Gita” is a commentary by Sri Aurobindo on the Bhagavad Gita.  There are many hidden nuggets and fresh interpretations presented by Sri Aurobindo in this commentary.   In the following passage, Sri Aurobindo elucidates on the five signs of a soul who has definitely commenced on the inner journey.  The following passage refers to Chapter 13 of the Bhagavad Gita.

Can reading of spiritual books become counter-productive ?

People who read too many spiritual books can go off-track. They waste their time intellectually resolving some messy conundrums. For example, Sri Aurobindo says A, Ramana Maharshi says B, Paramahansa Yogananda says C : lets intellectually figure out who is correct. The purpose of the spiritual text is to elevate the consciousness; its hidden meaning is unlocked through spiritual experiences.