21st September 2007 Friday in the morning at 7.30, just outside the Ashram Main Gate—that was my last meeting with my dear friend Mangesh Nadkarni. He wanted to ask me something about the Yoga of Savitri, one of the most extraordinary parts in Sri Aurobindo’s epic Savitri, extraordinary as well as intriguing in more than a few respects. We had a fairly long exchange of e-mails on this Book earlier when, about two years ago, Nadkarni was in New Jersey with his daughters. Presently, he was writing a review of Prof MV Seetaraman’s book Savitri the Mother: The Book of Yoga, only just published by Savitri Bhavan. In this book Prof Seetaraman compares the Mother’s spiritual experiences as described by Sri Aurobindo in the Book of Yoga with what she herself has revealed in her Prayers and Meditations. The question was, if one could restrict oneself to the Prayers and Meditations of the early days of her spiritual progress vis-à-vis what was happening later, in the late 1940s as revealed to us in Savitri. I’d expressed my hesitation in that respect. Even while we talked about it, though briefly, there is no doubt regarding the fact that Seetaraman was “equipped by his destiny for this task”, the complex and abstruse task connected with the occult-spiritual aspects of the Yoga of Savitri. Nadkarni writes: “Although it is generally agreed that Savitri is a manifesto of the Supermind, very few scholars have presented a clear idea about when the supramental enters in Savitri’s yoga, and how she deals with it.” Like me, he too does not subscribe wholly to what Seetaraman is suggesting in his otherwise very original and significant thesis, charged with intuitive perceptions.

While we were talking these things at the Ashram Gate, least did I suspect that it was going to be our last rendezvous. We’re cutting jokes and he did give a cryptic smile too; but all seemed as a matter of routine, in the sense that we shall be now busy with our day’s activities. I went to the School and he returned home. Or, is it that he already had some premonition and he wanted to say good-bye to me in his own characteristic way, his smile vividly etched on my memory? Perhaps, retrospectively, that seems to be the case. Later, I came to know from his wife Meera-tai that they were talking just a few days ago about the manner in which one should die, whether one should pass away after a prolonged illness, or in the most unexpected and quick way. He seemed to have preferred the second alternative.

23rd September Sunday morning, again at 7.30, I was coming out of the Ashram when, as usual, I met at the Gate my friend S P Ganguli making a sorry face. “It’s all over, suddenly, a little more than half an hour ago. Our friend Nadkarni is no more. I’m just coming from his house,”—he told me briefly. I was speechless and rushed to his house. Meera-tai narrated all that had happened, that happened at about 6.30. Nadkarni felt severe pain in the chest and collapsed, more or less immediately. She was in panic and shouted for help when, from the next building, Sunanda and Madhavi Borkar rushed to the place. But within a matter of minutes all was over, even before they could reach the house.

I stood by the side of his bed for a long time and, surely enough, there was the glow of a well-contended well-satisfied life on his face, calm, and bright, and full of assuring peace, peace that seemed to be so living.

Being a Sunday, I went home and posted the following note in the Science-Culture-Integral Yoga Webzine:

“His soul was given to her alone.”

23 September 2007

Prof Mangesh V Nadkarni passed away this morning, at 6.30,

here in Pondicherry.

Then, it so happened that, and thanks to Google, Prof Ranjan N Naik, who hails from the same village in Karnatak wherefrom Nadkarni came, wrote in response to the above obituary note in the Webzine the following brief comment on 14 October 2007:

Late Shri Mangesh V Nadkarni from Bankikodla earned MA degree in English from Poona University and his PhD in English Literature from the UCLA, California US (year 1970). He was a Professor at Central Institute of English, Hyderabad, National University of Singapore (1985-93), and he was also one of the Chief Disciples of Aurobindo at Pondicheri.

I'm deeply saddened to hear the news about the death of Dr. Mangesh Vitthal Nadkarni, from our village. My thoughts are with his family (his wife and two daughters in the US) during this difficult time.

I do remember meeting and chatting with Dr. Nadkarni, his wife and children at his Hyderabad house in the year 1986. Last month after many years, I got an opportunity to talk to him on phone while he was touring Bangalore on Savitri discourse he had undertaken since his departure as a professor of English. I wished I would meet him this time in the USA.

I know we will miss this departed scholar from Bankikodla. May his soul rest in peace.

A full-length tribute by Prof Ranjan Naik appeared later in it, on 23 November 2007. Presently, I shall touch upon just one or two aspects of my 15-year association with Prof Mangesh V Nadkarni. Apart from our professional contacts related to Savitri, we used to meet in several social contexts also. He had visited my house any number of times—and it was always an exceptional occasion, a grand festive occasion indeed, when Nirod-da also used to be there during some of these sessions. In the course of pleasantries he never lost a chance to call my big house as “Deshpande Wada”, a large palatial house of the feudal glory. My wife Suniti and Meera-tai are intimate friends and will feel terribly miserable if they fail to talk to each other even for a brief day, talk either in person or on the telephone. These meetings of ours were always like family get-togethers and we rarely talked shop, though very often he used to update me with things in the Aurobindonian sectors and territories. He had vast contacts and he knew the ways of the world well.

***

I just mentioned about Nirod-da joining our family-social meetings. But his special liking for Nadkarni was for his Savitri study classes which he conducted with great élan. Every year the two weeks between 21 February Darshan and his birthday on 6 March meant a feast for the lovers of this immortal work, immortal but also a difficult work, not very easily accessible to the general students. It not only needs enormous command over English, but also great knowledge about spiritual-philosophical-literary-historical matters, about classical and modern branches of learning, both oriental and occidental, with sufficient depth of grasp and penetration into them, an encyclopaedic preparation to enter into its spirit. This is not a commodity which is that easily available and that is one immediate reason which causes awe in us when we open Savitri. Nadkarni’s classes took care of many of these aspects and therefore they were extremely popular. Attendees with different backgrounds and preparations included those coming from different parts of the country, and also from abroad. To take note of such a kaleidoscopic variation is a formidable task, but Nadkarni did take care of them masterly. But the one thing that impressed everyone was, the rich and vibrant and powerful voice of the speaker, resonant and far-ringing, carrying in its spell a kind of authority that gripped more the heart of the listener than his mind. His articulation was superb, with an English spoken in an accentuated English way. It is that which endeared him to Nirod-da, Nirod-da making a particular point not to miss any of these sessions. The last session in the series, the day before his birthday, used to be invariably at Savitri Bhavan in Auroville. Thus continued the feast for several happy and fruitful years.

About the nature of Savitri-classes by Nadkarni, I might quote a brief conversation reported by Ananda Reddy between himself, Nirod-da and a visitor M. It is as follows:

Nirod-da: Nadkarni takes in detail Savitri. He is more general in his explanation. In his own line he is very fine.

M: His explanations carry more of worldly experience. He refers to day-to-day things.

Nirod-da: Your explanations of Savitri are more philosophic. The way you give the deeper explanations, he avoids. Naturally. Because his audience may find it boring or not able to understand.

Ananda Reddy: And also they come from outside and all may not be well-tuned to this philosophy.

Nirod-da: Yes. So he is very good for them.

If Nadkarni’s classes were of such a general nature or were meant for non-philosophic outsiders, then it is difficult to understand why Nirod-da, and even in the earlier days Arindam-da, used to attend them, and attend them regularly. I think, most of the observations in the reported conversation are themselves rather automatic and are of a routine nature, and that they do not really touch upon the deeper issues, the most puzzling issues, for instance, about the passing away of Sri Aurobindo which was always an incomprehensible enigma for him. It is in that spirit that we could disregard what is reported in the above. When I’d a brief talk with Nadkarni about this piece of report, he simply said: “Ignore it.” There are several aspects of Savitri and these aspects have to be pursued in several contexts and, unfortunately, this was not done in the present interview. Although the interview was presented to honour the centenarian Nirod-da, it somewhat puts him not in a very bright light.

***

Let me now say just a word or two about India’s Spiritual Destiny: Its Inevitability and Potentiality by Mangesh Nadkarni. Nadkarni had presented with his autograph a copy of this book to me on 19 August 2006. The book had been published a year and a half ago by Sri Aurobindo Society in collaboration with UBS Publishers and Distributors. The book is dedicated to Nirodbaran and Amal Kiran, the two grand centenarians of the Age of Sri Aurobindo, and it carries the frontispiece statement from Sri Aurobindo that, if India is to fulfil her true destiny, there must first be attained inner as well as outer liberation and change. It is on this basis is built Nadkarni’s thesis while examining “the issues currently being debated in the media and seminars and conferences at various places in the country.” Nadkarni’s concern was for us to have faith in our own destiny which in the present commercial age is getting lost, that we are becoming copyists of other modes of life, alien to us,—hurting in the process our own psyche. He boldly asserts that “religion is one of the most attractive masks of the collective ego and it may be the last hurdle the human mind has to transcend…” What is necessary is to remain committed to spiritual goals while “discarding the religious packaging in which religion has come to us.” A free and liberated mind, with the intuition to transcend itself is a possibility and it is that which must be nourished assiduously by us. While we have to have a modern India, she should not negate the ancient values that saw her through the difficult ages. This synthesis, this new discovery of her soul, is the only assurance of her destiny in overcoming the difficulties and in making authentic progress. To quote Nadkarni: “Spirituality is indeed the master-key of the Indian mind. But it is a mistake to think spirituality is only about the supra-sensible... Spirituality must flourish on earth and touch every aspect of human life and transform it with its vast creative possibilities.” That is the Aurobindonian message and Nadkarni delivered it wherever he lectured, within India or abroad. On one occasion he perorated: “If the traditional Church and Marxism haven’t delivered, a spirituality which is sufficiently secular may be the answer.” I’ll only add that there are no grades of secularism in true spirituality. The discovery of the truth of the individual and the truth of the cosmic working, of collective life, based on foundational principles of Existence and Awareness and Love and Happiness is the secret urge in us and it’s that which must be promoted.

Let me conclude this hurried tribute to my friend Mangesh Nadkarni by quoting a passage from Savitri which he himself had used to conclude one of lectures: (p. 344)

Even as of old man came behind the beast

This high divine successor surely shall come

Behind man's inefficient mortal pace,

Behind his vain labour, sweat and blood and tears:

He shall know what mortal mind barely durst think,

He shall do what the heart of the mortal could not dare.

Inheritor of the toil of human time

He shall take on him the burden of the gods;

All heavenly light shall visit the earth's thoughts,

The might of heaven shall fortify earthly hearts;

Earth's deeds shall touch the superhuman's height,

Earth's seeing widen into the infinite.

This is how Aswapati argues with the Divine Mother, compelling her to take a mortal birth, that  thus might earth’s seeing widen into the infinite. The Savitri-discourses of Nadkarni were charged with this message and it is that message which he carried far and wide. Sri Aurobindo called Savitri “a Legend and a Symbol”. While unraveling the meaning of the ‘symbol’ Nadkarni himself, in the process, became a ‘legend’, a legend which differs from individual to individual the way he sees the symbol. That is the power of the symbol by living in which each one of us discovers the legend each one of us is, our true soul and our spirit.

Here is a photo taken some ten years ago when Nirodbaran and Mangesh Nadkarni visited Deshpandes at their residence Agastya. The picture was taken by Sudha, Nirod-da’s conscience-keeper. The other two persons at the table are Arun Savardekar and his wife Pushpa-tai. Partly seen behind MVN is RYD’s mother. The feast was prepared by Suniti Deshpande who is holding the serving plate in her hand. This was one of the frequent occasions when Nirod-da and MVN used to visit us in the evenings.