Unit II: Non-Fiction Prose

Chapter - 2
"Indian Literature and External Influence" and
"Indian Literature" from The Renaissance in India
and Other Essays

- Sri Aurobindo

Question- Write about the Renaissance in India and other essays on Indian culture.

Answer - 

The thirty-two essays that make this book were first published in the monthly journal Arya between August 1918 and january 1921. They constitute a defence of Indian civilization and culture with essays on Indian sprituality, religion, art, literature and polity.

The first series of four essays appeared in 1918 under the title "The Renaissance in India" and was formulated as an appreciation of James H. Cousins' book of the same title. Sir Aurobindo explains that a renaissance in India means first the recovery of the past spiritual knowledge and experience in all its fullness, then the outpouring of this spirituality into new forms in all aspects of the country's life, and lastly, an original grasp of modern problems from an Indian temperament and intelled. The second essay, "The Indian Culture and External in fluence", was written in 1919 in answer to a comment published in a Bengali journal on The Renaissance in India" Series.

Is the next group of three essays, titled
"In India Civilised," Sir Aurobindo began with an appreciative review of Sir John woodroffe's book of the same title, followed by a rebuttal of the hostile criticisms made by William Archer in India and the Future' and concluded with his own estimation of India's civilization and culture. The last series, 'A Defence of Indian Culture', was undertaken as a more detailed reply to the work of William Archer, which criticized and attacked Indian culture and civilization in all, it domains. At that time Archer's views were considered typical of a general attitude of the Europeon mind towards the Indian civilization. Sri Aurobindo sought to counteract these harsh criticisms and defend Indian culture by explaining the special character at India's civilization and her past achievements. In his view Indian culture is unique in that its high spiritual aim not only structured the core of its thought but also animated its forms and rhythms of life.

These essays appeared formerly in the volume titled "The Foundation of Indian Culture'.

Extract - A true happiness in this world is the right terrestrial aim of man, and true happiness lies in the finding maintenance of a natural harmony of spirit, mind and body. A culture is to be valued to the extent to which it has discovered the right key of this harmony and organized its expressive motives and movements. And a civilsation must be judged by the manner in which all its principles, ideas, forms, ways of living work to bring that harmony out, manage its rhythmic play and secure its continuance or the development of its motives. A civilization in pursuit of this aim may be predominantly material like modern Europeon culture, predominantly mental and intellectual spiritual like the still persistent culture of India. India's central conception is that of the external, the spirit here incased in matter, involved and immanent in it and evolving on the material plane by rebirth of the individual up the scale of being till in mental man it enters the world of ideas and realm of conscious morality, dharma. This achievement, this victory over unconscious matter develops its lines, enlavges its scope, elevates its levels until the increasing manifestation of the sattwic or spiritual portion of the vehicle of mind enables the individual mental being in man to indentify himself with the pure spiritual consciousness beyond mind. India's social system is buit upon this conception, her philosophy formulates it; her religion is an aspiration to the spiritual consciousness and its fruits; her art and literature have the same upward look; her whole Dharma or law of being is founded upon it.

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