Inspiration from Savitri (Colours And Gems)

Sri Aurobindo's lines and passages on colours and gems (and their colours) are filled with light and beauty, occasionally showing us the nether side of life and it's manifestation as well in the grey and black shades. We also receive many valuable insights into colours in his Letters on Yoga, Vol. 23, and though not all are applicable to the passages quoted in Savitri since he is replying to things seen in vision, many are most illuminating and significant to a deeper understanding of Savitri. This, the sixth volume in the series 'Inspiration from Savitri' invites us to study the lines and passages of colours and gems and enter further into realms of beauty and delight, uplifting us to worlds above in the soaring of our souls. All who are attracted to lights or see them will be moved by the magnificence, power and meaning with which Sri Aurobindo blesses us. *** Sri Aurobindo on Colour and Light Colour and light are always close to each other - colour being more indicative, light more dynamic. Colour incandescent becomes light. As for the exact symbolism of colours, it is not always easy to define exactly, because it is not rigid and precise, but complex, the meaning varying with the field, the combinations, the character and shades of the colour, the play of forces. A certain kind of yellow, for instance, is supposed by many occultists to indicate the buddhi, the intellect, and it often has that sense, but occurring among a play of vital forces it could not always be so interpreted - that would be too rigid. Here all one can say is that the blue (the particular blue seen, not every blue) indicated the response to the Truth; the green - or this green - is very usually associated with Life and a generous emanation or action of forces - often of emotional life-force, and it is probably this that it would indicate here. There are no separate colours of the beings. There is a characteristic colour of mind, yellow; of the psychic, pink or pale rose; of the vital, purple; but these are colours corresponding to the main forces of mind, psychic, vital - they are not the colours of the beings. Also other colours can play, e.g. in the vital, green and deep red as well as purple and there are other colours for the hostile vital forces. The violet light is that of the Divine Compassion (karuna - Grace) - the white light is the light of the Mother (the Divine Consciousness) in which all others are contained and from which they can be manifested. Purple is the colour of vital power. "Red" depends on the character of the colour, for there are many reds - this may be the colour of the physical consciousness. Blue is the higher mind. Whitish blue is known as Sri Aurobindo's light or sometimes Sri Krishna's light. The meaning of blue light depends on the exact character of colour, its shade and nature. A whitish blue like moonlight is known as Krishna's light or Sri Aurobindo's light - light blue is often that of Illumined Mind - there is another deeper blue that is of the Higher Mind; another, near to purple, which is the light of a power in the vital. The pale whitish blue light is "Sri Aurobindo's Light" - it is the blue light modified by the white light of the Mother. The pale blue light is mine, the white light is the Mother's. Blue is the normal colour of the spiritual planes; moonlight indicates the spiritual mind and its light. There are different Krishna lights - pale diamond blue, lavender blue, deep blue etc. It depends on the plane in which it manifests.... There is one blue that is the higher mind, a deeper blue belongs to the mind - Krishna's light in the mind.... All blue is not Krishna's light.... Diamond blue, Krishna's light in the Overmind - lavender blue in intuitive mind. Blue is also the Radha's colour. Purple is the colour of vital power. "Red" depends on the character of the colour, for there are many reds - this may be the colour of the physical consciousness.