• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
VOL. 55 : 10 FEBRUARY, 1932 - 15 JUNE, 1932
1
1. LETTER TO PURUSHOTTAM D. SARAIYA
February 10, 1932
CHI. KAKU,

I got your letter written in a beautiful hand. You have plenty of things to write about. Even if you give an account of what you did during the last year, you will have enough material. You should regard spinning asy a j n a and do it regularly.

Blessings from
BAPU
From Gujarati: C.W. 2807. Courtesy: Purushottam D. Saraiya
2. LETTER TO VALJI G. DESAI
February 10, 1932
BHAISHRI VALJI,

I got the packet sent by you. I will look into the translation at least, as and when I get time and let you know when I finish it. I have already replied1 to your previous letter.

Blessings from
BAPU
From a photostat of the Gujarati: C.W. 7419. Courtesy: Valji G. Desai
3. LETTER TO VANAMALA N. PARIKH
February 10, 1932
CHI. VANAMALA,

You get five marks for your handwriting. You will get eight if you leave space between the words and use a good pen. Why does man have no root? A man carries his root wherever he goes. A tree has its root under the ground because it comes out of the ground. Man is born from his mother\u2019s body, and his root also comes out with him at the time of his birth. One may say that the navel is his root. If

1Vide \u201cLetter to Valji G. Desai\u201d, 3-2-1932
2
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI
this is not clear to you, show this letter to Premabehn and ask her to
explain its meaning to you.
Blessings from
BAPU
From a photostat of the Gujarati: G.N. 5764. Also C.W. 2987. Courtesy:
Vanamala M. Desai
4. LETTER TO NARAYAN M. KHARE
February 10, 1932
CHI. PANDITJI,
I got Barve\u2019s book. I will dip into it when I get time.

Your explanation about the first doubt is quite correct. I have felt that that is the implication of ChapterXVII. Ultimately one has to rely on faith. We see again and again that what seems to be the truth to one does not often appear so to others. However, to follow truth as one sees it is like walking on the razor\u2019s edge. Anyone who tries to do so ought to remain wide awake and rigidly follow all the rules and restrictions. The lazy, the licentious, and the hypocrites can claim no right to act according to their view of truth. That privilege belongs only to thes a d h a k, the seeker after truth.

As for the second doubt, I think that thes a d h a k will not trouble himself with deciding what is and what is not for general good. He would say that he was not interested in the question, and that universal good lay in truth since truth was the supreme Being. While all other names of God suggested only one aspect of His, truth signified His perfect essence, so that a person who opposed truth could never accomplish anybody\u2019s good. Truth necessitates harmony of thought, speech and act. That is, one must follow truth as one sees it and always be faithful to it in thought, speech and action. But a false notion is widely prevalent among us. We are not always bound to answer a question asked by anyone. There is no violation of truth in refraining from giving an answer. To keep silent when it is one\u2019s duty to reply to a question amounts to telling a lie. For example, if my father asked me whether I had stolen a piece of gold, I would be bound to answer the question. However, if even my father asked me whether somebody had stolen a thing, I would not be bound to answer. If, therefore, I did not reply, I would not be telling a lie. I remember the chapter in

VOL. 55 : 10 FEBRUARY, 1932 - 15 JUNE, 1932
3
Gitarahasya1. I did not agree with the suggestion in it. If you tell a lie

under force of circumstances, you are certainly not telling the truth. There never can be an occasion when one must tell a lie. If there can be such an occasion, then it would follow that the principle of following truth in speech and action wasimperfect. There can be no exception to a principle, and hence there can be no atonement for untruth spoken knowingly. Or the only possible atonement would be never to do so again. Atonement is possible only when some error is committed in ignorance. I think that this answers your second question too. Ask again if anything is still left out.

I have not revised this letter.
Blessings from
BAPU
From a photostat of the Gujarati: C.W. 222. Courtesy: Lakshmibehn
N. Khare
5. LETTER TO SHARDA C. SHAH
February 10, 1932
CHI. SHARDA,
What you have written is as good as saying that you like
pakodas but not chapatis. But a person whose body acquires such a

tendency should be considered diseased. A healthy person will never be able to satisfy his hunger by eatingp a k o d a s. He would ask only for bread. The same is true about theGita. Once your mind has awakened, you are bound to like theGita. You must think that there is something still lacking so long as you cannot like theGita. But I, who prepare such recipes, should also be blamed. My prescription of the

Gita for you is defective and that is the reason why you are not able to
absorb it. What is the remedy?
Blessings from
BAPU
From the Gujarati original: C.W. 9944. Courtesy: Shardabehn G. Chokhawala
1 A commentary on theGita by B. G. Tilak
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...