Gandhi Katha

GANDHI KATHA

Written by :Umashankar Joshi
Translated by : Divya Joshi


Table of Contents

  1. The Miracle of Ramnama
  2. Equal Care For Everybody
  3. Motherly Love
  4. Oneness With Countrymen
  5. Universe As Family
  6. Playful Bapu
  7. The Power of Practice
  8. Mohan Would Not Steal
  9. A Lesson for School Children
  10. The Sportsmanship
  11. A Lesson Learnt From Mistake
  12. Its For All!
  13. Small Thing - Big Lesson
  14. Saintly Mother
  15. Unusual Examiner
  16. The First Satyagrahi
  17. Nothing is Unimportant
  18. A Confession
  19. The Magic of Love
  20. Always With The Poor
  21. Practical Approach
  22. Winning in A Loss
  23. The Art of Sleeping
  24. Punctual Bapu
  25. The First Lesson is Cleanliness
  26. Smart Kittens
  27. Ahimsa or Cleanliness ?
  28. Story Time in Jail
  29. Bapu - The Host
  30. The Making of Mahatma
  31. Ba - The First Satyagrahi
  32. Heartfelt Sympathy
  33. Introspective Bapu
  34. Unflinching Faith
  35. Firm on Commitment
  36. An Ordeal for Carelessness
  37. Self-Suffering
  38. Self Imposed Discipline
  39. How I Became Mahatma
  40. Adans Affection
  41. A Lesson of Cleanliness
  42. The Economy at Work
  43. The Real Friend
  44. True Ahimsa
  45. A Lesson for Detachment
  46. Invaluable Donation
  47. Anasakti Yoga
  48. Thinking For Others
  49. Great Flexibility
  50. Deep Compassion
  51. Bapu - The Strategist
  52. A Novel Leader
  53. He is Mine !
  54. Always On Time !
  55. The Wit of Bapu
  56. No Security Except God
  57. No Expensive Fruits For Me !
  58. The Great Statesman
  59. Gift For An Opponent
  60. Be Immortal!

About This Book


Written by :Umashankar Joshi
Translated by : Divya Joshi
First Edition : 3,000 copies, August 2010
Total : 54,000 copies
I.S.B.N :81-7229-095-0
Published by :Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal - Gandhi Book Centre
299 Nana Chowk,
Tardeo Road,
Mumbai 400 007,
MS, India
Navajivan Mudranalaya,
Ahmedabad - 380 014,
India.
Printed by :Jitendra T. Desai
Navajivan Mudranalaya,
Ahemadabad-380014 (INDIA)
© Swati Umashankar Joshi


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Chapter-39: How I Became Mahatma

For Gandhiji, only practice was his speech. When someone in Bengal requested a message from Gandhiji, he wrote for them in Bengali that, ‘Amar jivani amar vani’- My life is my message.
After he returned to India from South Africa, when Gandhiji went to the jail for the first time, he used to get up at four o’clock in the morning and worked throughout the day like a farmer of our country. He used to do physical labour daily for six hours, which included four hours of spinning and two hours of carding. This was in order to identify himself with the masses who earn their living with the sweat of the brow.
When Shri Shankarlal Banker, a close colleague of Gandhiji, was jailed with him, Gandhiji immediately set a time-table for his routine in the jail and Shankerlal also used to spin for two hours.
Now, it was the time for Banker to get released. In a way, Bapu had given a totally new life to Banker with his own company in the jail. So, Banker was talking to Gandhiji regarding the change in his life due to Gandhiji’s motherly love and care.
Listening to him Gandhiji told him, “If you feel that you have been benefited in your life with my company in the jail, do talk to the people about the life here in the jail when you go out.”
Banker replied, “Certainly, I will definitely tell this to everybody, and I am sure that they will also definitely gain out of it.”
Gandhiji instantly questioned, “Do you know what people will tell on listening to that talk?”
Banker replied, “I have not thought of it.”
Gandhiji had very good understanding of human nature and its weaknesses. He knew that our people are indeed expert in putting great people on the shelf, instead of actually following them.
Bapu said, “See, I tell you. They will just say that, Gandhiji is the Mahatma. Only he can live such a life. How can we follow him?”
Banker was now convinced. He said, “That is correct. People do think that way and they will exactly say like this.”
Bapu said: “Then, what will you tell them about it?”
Shankarlalbhai said, “I have not given any thought to it, so what can I say?”
Bapu told him, “If someone tells you like that, then please tell them that I was not born Mahatma. There were many deficiencies in me and I had been endeavouring constantly and carefully to remove them. Even as a Bania becomes rich, collecting even half and half paisa, similarly, I kept cultivating good virtues and today the situation is, people call me a Mahatma, although, I am still far away from that position. So, it’s a highway for everybody and everyone can progress, if one thinks and tries in this direction with faith and firmness.”