Description of Gandhiji's mother and decipline life. Sourav Omnibus

Description of Gandhiji's mother and decipline life

 Gandhiji’s mother’s name was Putlibai. She was a true devotee of God. She would not have food until she finished her puja (prayer) rituals. She would go to the temple regularly. She would strictly keep fast on Ekadashi (Eleventh day of the lunar month). Having meals only once a day was child’s play for her.During the sacred four month’s period (chaturmas) she used to pray devoutly and observe all rituals. During this period she used to be so strict that she would take meals only after she saw and prayed the Sun.No wonder that the children loved such a religious mother. The children would watch for the Sun to shine through the clouds. They would run in to inform their mother the moment they saw the Sun come out of the clouds.

“Come, mother, come quickly and see the Sun.” Sometimes the Sun would disappear before she could come. Then she would have to go without food for the day.But the mother was a rightous devotee and she would never leave the rituals halfway because of illness or any other reason.Gandhiji’s mother was such a pious and self-respecting person.

Gandhi’s concept of God and religion is quite oriental. For him the base of all Religions remains same; while the superstructure of all religions varies. This Superstructure is supported by various forms of worship and rituals. This diversity Of rituals remains immaterial according to Gandhi. For him, it is the common belief In ‘God’ that lends support to universality to religions of the world. The esoteric and mystical rituals are not given core importance in his concept of ‘dharma’ (‘religion’ in Sanskrit). Gandhi never admitted one religion but the idea of ‘One’ God landed support to the universal platform for all religions of the world While Gandhi had many influences in his life, none was greater in his spiritual development than his mother, Putilbai. A very earnest spiritual aspirant, Putilbai upheld in her own life that the greatest form of love meant the willing sacrifice of self for another. In his words, “she was deeply religious”.

  Gandhi recalls, how, as a child, his mother’s devotion and very strong will would be manifest in various strict vows and religious fasts such as the 4-month period of Chaturmas (a Lent or Karem-like fasting period). He remembers how he and his siblings would watch for the sun so that their mother would have a meal with them, as her fasts would sometimes mean not eating until the sun shone its face on her. Quickly they would run to bring her out to see the sun if it poked through the clouds, and if it went back before she made it out, she would take it as a sign that she must continue her fast; and she did so with gladness in her heart.

Religion was not a separate compartment in her life, nor was it for Gandhi. He recalls that she had a strong vein of common sense in all things political and was sought after in her community for it. Before Gandhi left for his law studies in England, she would ask him to take three vows to express his commitment and love to her, which he did in earnest: no meat, no women and no alcohol or tobacco. When friends in England tried to convince him to remove the necklace that she gave him to remind him of his vows to her, he was not willing, nor would he let them call her superstitious. So close was Gandhi to his mother that when she died while he was away, his family could not bear to give him the news, in fear that it would disrupt his studies, so he only learned of her death at the moment of his return to India. Yet the imprint of her maternal love was there. The seeds of his strength through gentleness had been planted in the young man later to become the “great soul.”

Gandhi was primarily a man of religion. His religion was based on truth and love, and non-violence. It is his religion that became his philosophy of life, and it gave him strength. Gandhi expressed the opinion that religion can become a basis for friendship among all mankind. He strongly believed that religion does not teach Mutual enmity.

Gandhiji in consonance with his religious beliefs, considered that different religions as the different roads going towards the same destination. Gandhi out of his own experiences and readings came to the conclusion that all religions are based on the same principles, namely, truth and love. He claimed that religion is a binding force and not a dividing force. He was greatly perturbed by the fighting among people in the name of religion, and, in fact, laid his life for the sake of religious unity. Gandhi believed in the concept of Sarvadharma Samanatva.

According to Gandhi, the main aim of religion is to make a one-on-one interaction between God and humans. He believed God is identical with truth. He perceived God through the service of humanity, because God lives in the heart of every Human being or for that matter in every one of his creations. As had already been mentioned, Gandhi was of the firm opinion that man cannot live Without religion. Gandhi expressed the view that ‘man without religion is man without roots. Therefore, religion is the basis on which all life structure has to be erected, if life Is to be real’. According to him, the problems from national to international, political to moral are best solved by religion. D. K. Dutta says, ‘Gandhi was of the opinion that religion is the root or key to all these problems. These can be solved in and through religion. It can be stressed that he (Gandhi) breathed religion’ (p.138).