Sri Aurobindo blends Romantic, Platonic, and Christian love

 In The Secret of the Veda, Sri Aurobindo identifies a "divine quaternary" of solar godheads—Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, and Bhaga—who represent the four fundamental attributes of the supreme Truth-Consciousness (Rita-Chit). Their genealogy can be traced through Vedic, Upanishadic, and personal spiritual lineages: 

1. Vedic Genealogy: The Sons of Aditi

The primary genealogy of these "four suns" is their identity as Adityas, the sons of Aditi (Infinite Consciousness). 

• Varuna: Represents the vastness, purity, and omnipresence of the Truth.
• Mitra: Represents the light, harmony, and love of the Truth.
• Aryaman: Represents the power, creative force, and upward endeavor of the Truth.
• Bhaga: Represents the enjoyment, bliss, and divine ecstasy of the Truth. 

2. Upanishadic Genealogy: The Vyahritis

Sri Aurobindo traces the transition of this Vedic knowledge into the Upanishads, specifically the Taittiriya Upanishad. He notes that while the Veda speaks of three worlds (Bhur, Bhuvar, Swar), the Rishi Mahachamasya discovered a fourth Vyahriti, "Mahar," which corresponds to the world of the Truth-Sun (Vijnana). This "fourth sun" or world provides the psychological bridge between the lower triple world and the higher divine existence. 

3. Spiritual/Experiential Genealogy

Sri Aurobindo explicitly states that his interpretation of these solar powers did not come from intellectual study alone, but from his own spiritual realizations. 

• Personal Sadhana: He found "vivid allegorical descriptions" in the Veda that matched his internal experiences of the descent of higher lights into the human consciousness.
• The Lost Sun: He links this to the Vedic legend of the Angiras Rishis, who recover the "lost Sun" (the Truth) hidden in the "cave" of the subconscient/inconscient. 

4. Evolutionary Connection

These four suns serve as the precursor to the more elaborate "Suns of the Supramental" detailed in his later works like The Synthesis of Yoga and The Mother. In his later "Diagram of Manifestation," these Vedic godheads are refined into specific functional "Suns" (such as the Sun of Supramental Truth, Love, and Force) that descend into the various chakras of the human body. 

- GoogleAI 

While Sri Aurobindo's model of the "Four Suns" (Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga) and the "Four Powers of the Mother" (Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati) is uniquely integrated into his Supramental philosophy, similar tetradic (fourfold) models exist in other traditions that mirror these functional archetypes of Wisdom, Force, Harmony, and Perfection.

1. Vedic and Puranic Models (India)

The most direct parallel is found within the evolution of Indian thought itself:

• The Chaturvarna System: Sri Aurobindo explicitly linked the four powers to the original spiritual archetypes of the Purusha Sukta.
  • Maheshwari (Wisdom): The Brahmin (Knowledge/Head).
  • Mahakali (Strength): The Kshatriya (Force/Arms).
  • Mahalakshmi (Harmony): The Vaishya (Rhythm/Heart).
  • Mahasaraswati (Perfection): The Shudra (Work/Feet).
• Four Forms of Vishnu: Some Vaishnava traditions describe Vishnu in four forms that mirror these powers: Mahavira (Knowledge), Balarama (Force), Pradyumna (Love/Beauty), and Aniruddha (Detailed Work/Execution).
• The Three Gunas + 1: Traditional Shaktism often speaks of a triad—Mahakali (Tamas), Mahalakshmi (Rajas), and Mahasaraswati (Sattva)—representing the primal forces of the universe. Sri Aurobindo adds Maheshwari as the overarching Presence of Wisdom that anchors this triad. 

2. Ancient Egyptian "Four Gateways"

Egyptian mythology features four goddesses who guard the cardinal points and represent cosmic gateways for the soul's evolution: 

• Isis: Associated with magic and wisdom (paralleling Maheshwari's knowledge).
• Neith: A primal creator and weaver of fate (paralleling Mahasaraswati's executive perfection).
• Nephthys: Guarding the unseen and transitions (paralleling aspects of Mahalakshmi's rhythm).
• Serket: A fierce protector (paralleling Mahakali's strength).

3. Psychology and Western Archetypes

Modern "Divine Feminine" studies and transpersonal psychology often categorize the feminine spirit into four dominant archetypes that bear striking resemblances to the Mother’s powers: 

• The Wise Woman: Embodying wisdom and calm wideness (Maheshwari).
• The Wild Woman: Embodying passion, intuition, and raw power (Mahakali).
• The Nurturer/Lover: Embodying beauty, harmony, and attraction (Mahalakshmi).
• The Maiden/Worker: Embodying new beginnings, skill, and careful work (Mahasaraswati). 

4. Gnostic and Celtic Parallels

• Gnosticism: The figure of Sophia represents divine wisdom, often fragmented into different aspects or "aeons" that must be reintegrated to achieve a state of "Pleroma" (completeness), much like the harmony required among the Four Powers.
• Celtic Mythology: The goddess Brigid is a rare "triple goddess" (sometimes expanded into a fourfold archetype) presiding over Wisdom (poetry), Healing (harmony), Craft (perfection), and Fire (force). 

- GoogleAI 

In 

Savitri

 (Book 7, Canto 4), the "three Madonnas" are the Triple Soul-Forces—luminous emanations of the soul that support human nature from behind the scenes. They represent the divine origins of the three Gunas (modes of nature) and mirror the "Four Powers of the Mother," though they function specifically within the context of the evolving human psyche. 

Resonances with the Four Powers of the Mother 

While the Mother's Four Powers are cosmic governing forces, the Madonnas are their more "humanized" soul-proxies that endure, act, and know within the terrestrial struggle. 

• Madonna of Suffering (Mother of Seven Sorrows) ↔ Mahasaraswati/Mahalakshmi:
  • Resonance: She is the divine principle of compassion and endurance (sahanasakti). While she is the "parent" of human suffering, she represents the pure Tamas (stability/peace) needed to bear the world's pain.
  • Connection: She shares Mahasaraswati’s attention to the "lowest" physical needs and Mahalakshmi’s deep feeling, but she lacks the force to save, only possessing the power to solace.
• Madonna of Might (Mother of Works and Force) ↔ Mahakali:
  • Resonance: She embodies Rajas in its divine form—luminous force, strength, and the will to conquer (sankalpsakti).
  • Connection: She is explicitly identified with the "face of Kali when I kill" and the strength of Durga. She protects the weak and saves the doomed, but she acknowledges her limitation: she gives strength but cannot give the wisdom to guide it.
• Madonna of Light (Mother of Joy and Peace) ↔ Maheshwari:
  • Resonance: She represents the divine form of Sattwa—wisdom, harmony, and peace (gyanasakti).
  • Connection: She corresponds to Maheshwari’s wide comprehension and tranquil light. She raises the spirit to forgotten heights of knowledge, yet she cannot transform the "hard soil of the intellect" alone; she requires a direct descent of the Divine for true change. 

Systematic Correspondences

Madonna	Guna (Transformed)	Mother’s Power	Divine Attribute
Suffering	Peace / Stability	Mahasaraswati (in patience)	Compassion / Endurance
Might	Luminous Force	Mahakali	Strength / Action
Light	Truth / Joy	Maheshwari	Wisdom / Knowledge

Resonance to Ancient Archetypes

The Madonnas also echo the Triple Goddess archetypes found in various cultures, representing the fundamental triad of Will (Ichha), Action (Kriya), and Knowledge (Jnana). 

• Tantric Parallel: They resonate with the Sakti triad in the Sri Lalita Sahasranama: Iccha-shakti (Will/Sorrow), Kriya-shakti (Action/Might), and Jnana-shakti (Knowledge/Light).
• The Shadow (Warped Echoes): Each Madonna is followed by an asuric perversion (the Man of Sorrows, the Dwarf-Titan, and the Doubting Mind), mirroring the Jungian "Shadow" which results when these divine powers are isolated from their integral unity. 

- GoogleAI 

While Sri Aurobindo’s three Madonnas in Savitri are deeply rooted in Vedic and Tantric psychology, they possess significant resonances with Christian archetypes of the Divine Feminine and redemptive sacrifice.

1. The Madonna of Suffering and the "Mater Dolorosa"

The most direct Christian association is found in the Madonna of Suffering (Mother of Seven Sorrows).

• The Mater Dolorosa: She closely mirrors the Christian archetype of Mary as the "Mother of Sorrows" who stands at the foot of the Cross.
• The Theology of Compassion: Like the Christian Madonna, she represents a soul-force that takes on the burden of human grief and pain to offer solace.
• The Christian Parallel: Sri Aurobindo uses this imagery to illustrate a "redemptive sacrifice"—the idea of a divine being bearing the "yoke of grief" to share in the suffering of the world. 

2. The Madonna of Might and the "Church Militant"

While less common in modern devotional art, the Madonna of Might resonates with the "Virgin of the Apocalypse" or the "Woman Clothed with the Sun" (from the Book of Revelation).

• The Adversary Battle: Her role as the protector of the weak and the slayer of demons parallels the Christian theme of the battle against an "adversary force" or "Satan".
• The Warrior Archetype: She echoes the "Church Militant" or the figure of Joan of Arc—a divine force manifesting as strength and will to conquer evil in the world. 

3. The Madonna of Light and "Sophia" (Divine Wisdom)

The Madonna of Light corresponds to the Judeo-Christian concept of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).

• The Logos/Wisdom: She represents the serene, crystal light of divine knowledge and harmony. In Gnostic Christianity, Sophia is the feminine aspect of the Godhead who bridges the gap between the divine realm (Pleroma) and the material world.
• The New Jerusalem: Her promise of a higher peace echoes the Christian promise of a "new heaven and a new earth" where wisdom and delight replace ignorance. 

4. Integration of the Symbols

Sri Aurobindo consciously blended these traditions to highlight universal truths:

• Synthesis of Love: Scholarly analysis suggests his work blends Romantic, Platonic, and Christian love, culminating in a "Divine love" that has the power to transform death.
• Vyahritis and Revelation: His exploration of the "fourth sun" (Vedic) finds a psychological parallel in Dante’s "triple worlds," where spiritual states are described through religious and theological lenses.
• Universal Redemption: The central drama of Savitri—an incarnation taking on the suffering of humanity—is fundamentally resonant with the central Christian idea of Christ’s passion, albeit with the intent of permanent terrestrial transformation rather than just individual salvation. 

- GoogleAI 

Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra