Lover of Light Among Luminaries Dilip Kumar Roy

Author(s): Amruta Paresh Patel
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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A LOVER OF LIGHT AMONG LUMINARIES: Dilip Kumar Roy the spirit of freedom. Why should a true guru bother about whom the disciple meets. and from whom he learns a few things as long as the latter's spiritual progress does not suffer? Gurus should not though often they do, behave like jealous lovers. They should be anxious only about spiritual well-being of the disciples. Sri Aurobindo had been such a guru to Dilip Roy. But his fellow-disciples could never forgive him for what they thought was his disloyalty to the Master.
The author is not interested in giving chronological facts of Krishnaprem's life. He has attempted to present his subject mainly in those situations in which he himself was present. This personal contact makes his portrait vivacious and authentic. We see it living before us.
Like other portraits by Dilip Roy, this one also reveals a few characteristics of Dilip Roy's own personality. His sceptical mind is reflected here which did not allow him to have faith in spiritual truths pronounced by his gurudev. Sri Aurobindo or his kind counsellor. Krishnaprem. He was very much troubled because of this trait of his nature. In utter disappointment, once he wrote to Sri Aurobindo:
"In my present state.... I often catch myself thinking, ruefully, that the man of faith-like his polar opposite, the sceptic--is born, not made. Otherwise why does my faith play truant so persistently?"
He had a wavering nature. He did not know the real tendings of his own. mind. Though he had accepted Sri Aurobindo as his guru, he was not at ease at his Ashram. He needed support of one person or the other in his life to boost him. on upon the path he had chosen. He, in this manner, had to depend on Sri Aurobindo, or Krishnaprem and later on, on Indira Devi.
Apart from these drawbacks, his talent as a great musician emerges out from this portrait, too. It is frequently noted in Yogi Sri Krishnaprem that Dilip Roy's music and his devotional songs were a source of utmost delight for Krishnaprem and also for many people associated with him. After listening to one of the songs sung by Roy, Krishnaprem commented:
"What shakti (vitality), Dilip !.... I am a Britisher by birth and do know something about energy. But even I am truly amazed when I see you squandering your 'fire' with such a regal recklessness!""62
In many of his letters he praised Dilip Roy's music. Out of many devotional songs sung by Dilip Roy to Krishnaprem, he always liked 'Brinabaner lila' very much. When Dilip Roy paid a visit to Mirtola at Yashoda Ma's Ashram. Krishnaprem asked him to sing that well-known song. When he was singing. Yashoda Ma saw the vision of Krishna, standing beside him. listening to his devotional song. Later on she told Dilip Roy: