Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru once wrote, "It is extraordinary that a person who spent 14 years of his life cut off from India became a brilliant champion of Indian nationalism based on the philosophic and spiritual background of Indian thought." And this is exactly what it is. It was Aurobindo who influenced Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to take the initiative of dedicating himself to the Indian National Movement full-time. Bose writes "The illustrious example of Aurobindo looms large before my vision. I feel that I am ready to make the sacrifice which that example demands of me." Aurobindo not only influenced people in India but across the whole wide world which included Margaret Woodrow Wilson, the daughter of the then US president Woodrow Wilson. Margaret came to the Pondicherry ashram in 1940 and stayed there until her death. While in the ashram she was given the name Nishta meaning dedication. Aurobindo's life had two aspects: political activism and spiritual activism. A person who doesn't understand either one of the aspects fails to understand Aurobindo as a whole. Even today Aurobindo is considered a powerful freedom fighter who played a vital role in the Indian Independence movement, a brick among the many who laid a firm foundation in building and uplifting India.
