Situating Sri Aurobindo: A Reader

Sri Aurobindo, a revolutionary and political leader, was also known to many as a yogi and spiritual guru, an outstanding poet, literary critic, political and social theorist, philosopher, and spiritual thinker. Divided into four thematic sections-Poetry and Criticism, Political and Social Thought, Philosophical Thought, and Spiritual Thought-this volume corresponds roughly to the four main phases of his adult life. The essays written by prominent scholars across disciplines, use biographical and historical contextualization; cultural, social and political analysis; and critical evaluation to illuminate Aurobindo’s works and contribution. Convinced that his writings are of more than historical interest, they show how men and women of the twenty-first century can use them to increase their understanding of contemporary literature, social science, philosophy and spirituality, and also, perhaps, to write better poems, design better societies, find better answers to the great questions of life, and pursue their spiritual goals in a more fulfilling way. This book looks beyond Aurobindo’s textual sources to his vision of the future.

This book will interest scholars and students of Indian philosophy, religion, history, literature as well as those interested in prominent Indian thinkers of the twentieth century.