Glossary of Terms in Sri Aurobindo’s Writing

Description

From the introductory note, “A difficulty experienced by many when they begin to read Sri Aurobindo’s works is the unfamiliarity of some of the terms he uses.” Not only are there words from Sanskrit, Greek and Latin, but also English words such as “Supermind”, coined by Sri Aurobindo, or “vital”, used by Sri Aurobindo in senses out of the ordinary.

Sri Aurobindo has said “You can’t write of Yoga without using Sanskrit terms.” Still he attempted to use English words since “the fundamental truths of the Infinite can be expressed in some sort by a plastic speech which does not insist too much on rigid definition or limit the wideness and subtlety of the idea.” The first and major part of this book is based on this principle: the entries are mostly examples, not definitions, in line with Sri Aurobindo’s remark “The meaning [of a word] has to be taken by reference to the context. A definition ties down the meaning.” Where Sri Aurobindo did give precise explanations, these have been incorporated.

The 1st part consits of English and Sanskrit terms central to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. The 2nd part is an almost complete glossary of Sanskrit and other Indian terms used by Sri Aurobindo. A glossary of words in languages other than English and Indian (such as Latin) forms Part III.