Banne Kalyankari Jivan Ane Mrutyu - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Gujarati text titled "Banne Kalyankari: Jivan ane Mrutyu" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, focusing on its discussion of Mahatma Gandhi:

Summary of "Banne Kalyankari: Jivan ane Mrutyu" (Both Auspicious: Life and Death) by Sukhlal Sanghavi

This excerpt from Sukhlal Sanghavi's work, likely part of a larger discourse on life and death, focuses intensely on Mahatma Gandhi, arguing that both his life and death were profoundly auspicious and impactful. The author uses Gandhi as a prime example to illustrate the concept of a "great life" and its subsequent "great death."

The Greatness of Gandhi's Life:

Unwavering Devotion to Principles: Sanghavi posits that Gandhi earned the title "Mahatma" because his life was significant. This significance stemmed from his lifelong, unwavering dedication from childhood to the moment of his death to love, truth, and the welfare of others. These principles were not merely held but were continuously developed and applied in an ever-expanding manner.
Inner Transformation and Universal Appeal: While great figures like Buddha and Mahavir also evoked widespread sorrow at their passing, Gandhi's impact was universal. This was not solely due to the speed of modern communication but because his internal life and external actions had become globally relevant. His message resonated with everyone, regardless of education, religion, profession, or nationality, because people believed his words were a direct result of his actions. Gandhi was not someone who thought one thing, said another, and did a third.
The Source of his Greatness: Gandhi's veneration in the hearts of the world was due to his consistent adherence to truth and his profound compassion. He became "Ram in the heart of all" purely through these qualities.
The Nature of the Mind: Sanghavi draws from Yogashastra, stating that the mind's flow can lead towards either auspiciousness or inauspiciousness. Gandhi, an ordinary man among ordinary people, demonstrated a mind whose flow was consistently directed towards auspiciousness and the welfare of the world.
Transforming the Mind's Tendencies: The author emphasizes the immense difficulty of redirecting the mind's natural inclination towards decline and inauspiciousness towards an upward, welfare-oriented path. This is a challenge even for the most accomplished practitioners. However, Gandhi's unique devotion to truth and love, coupled with his unshakeable faith in God, made this seemingly impossible task easy for him.
Empowering Humanity: Gandhi consistently told people that he was among them and that his achievements were accessible to all, men and women, young and old, if they willed it. He stressed vivek (discrimination) and purusharth (effort), believing that God was immanent within these qualities. Since every human possesses the seeds of discrimination and effort, every human is, in essence, divine. Gandhi constantly strove to awaken this inner divinity through his actions and thoughts, finding unending joy in this pursuit.
Attracting Admirers: Even those who did not follow his path were drawn to Gandhi's principles, making him a figure of admiration for many. This widespread appeal cemented his place in people's hearts, leading them to call him a great soul and deem his life significant.

The Greatness of Gandhi's Death:

Unprecedented Global Mourning: The author contrasts Gandhi's death with that of other popular leaders, noting that the scale of grief witnessed at his passing was unprecedented. While previous leaders' deaths evoked sorrow mainly among their followers, Gandhi's death brought the entire world to tears. The author asserts that Gandhi's death was as great as his life.
Embodiment of the Gita's Karma Yoga: Sanghavi likens Gandhi to the Bhagavad Gita, calling both extraordinary. He contends that it is incredibly difficult to find someone who has internalized the Gita in both its spiritual and practical aspects as Gandhi did. While many explained the Gita's principle of Karma Yoga, Gandhi lived it consistently for over fifty years. His life became a testament to detached action.
Integration of the Spiritual and Practical: Gandhi's life embodied two sides of detached Karma Yoga: the practical side of uplifting society and the spiritual side of living by eternal values like truth, non-violence, and devotion to God. His life began from a spiritual foundation and continuously expanded into the practical realm, integrating both seamlessly. Whether in any specific action or endeavor, both the spiritual and practical truths were inherently present and inseparable. He transformed spiritual truths into subjects of intellect and action, not merely faith or worship.
Drawing Strength from the Spiritual: As Gandhi tackled increasingly complex practical problems in various fields – religion, society, economics, politics – the auspicious and welfare-oriented aspect of his spiritual truth provided him with immense strength. This inner strength was the source of his remarkable radiance, even when physically frail.
The Power of Spiritual Union: Followers performing similar worldly activities often lacked Gandhi's radiance because they lacked his deep union with spiritual truth. This union improved and elevated many aspects of worldly life, a fact that will become clearer to future generations.
A New Path for the World: Sanghavi describes Gandhi as presenting a new path to a world that believed in responding to poison with poison and deception with deception. Gandhi showed that the true and lasting antidote to poison is nectar, and the simple way to overcome deception is by living a simple life. While this message wasn't new, its practical application by Gandhi was.
The Challenge of Acceptance: Despite the profound truth and potential simplicity of Gandhi's message, society was not yet prepared to understand and absorb it. Gandhi made a monumental effort to awaken people's good sense. Consequently, many began to understand and attempt to live his message.
Opposition and Misinterpretation: However, a significant portion of society remained unchanged. As Gandhi's message gained prominence, a larger group emerged that could not grasp it, finding it fatal and impractical. Even those who wished to follow him often harbored doubts about his spiritual principles. A segment believed he was a saint but impractical in the real world. The most dangerous group, however, was those who, while acknowledging his spiritual principles, actively disregarded them in practice.
Misconstruing his Hindu Identity: Gandhi's broad interpretation of Hinduism, rooted in profound wisdom, was such that it appealed to true followers of all religions. However, it also agitated narrow-minded, orthodox, and selfish religious individuals. Recognizing the world's descent into darkness, Gandhi offered a universally applicable solution. However, those accustomed to quick fixes and immediate gratification found it difficult to accept the need for enduring hardship for a more stable solution.
Exploiting Division: With the partition of India and the subsequent violence, the radical Hindu and Sikh communities found a perceived single solution – retaliation. Gandhi's attempts to dissuade this revenge were met with further alienation from Hindus and Sikhs, who saw his efforts to appease Muslims as anti-Hindu. Ordinary people, accustomed to transactional thinking and immediate retribution, naturally misinterpreted Gandhi's far-sighted generosity.
The Seeds of Violence: This situation fueled conspiracies against the Congress and a resolve to eliminate the great leader who was steering the country. Godse, the assassin, is presented as merely a symbol of this larger movement.
Non-Violence as a Catalyst for Violence: Sanghavi argues that it is more accurate to say that the mindset unable to digest Gandhi's evolving and purifying non-violence contributed to the violence against him. He posits that if Gandhi were truly non-violent and his cause solely centered on truth, violence against him would have been impossible. Instead, the author suggests, his non-violence and pursuit of truth, confined to a physical form, have now expanded through multiple channels.
The Spread of his Message Through Death: The author believes that Gandhi's death has disseminated his message more effectively than his life ever could, and this dissemination will continue. He states that Gandhi's death will lead to a greater number of dedicated workers, who will now understand their responsibility more fully. Even Muslims, whom Gandhi intended to guide after reforming his own community, are beginning to recognize the truth of his words and the baselessness of the Muslim League's incitement. Therefore, both Gandhi's life and his death were equally significant and auspicious.
A Unifying Force: Gandhi was like the law of gravity, remarkably successful in uniting diverse and opposing forces towards a single goal. He strove to divert the destructive wave of communism threatening kings, religious leaders, capitalists, and the proud upper classes by using the floodgate of non-violence, aiming to preserve its life-giving essence. He sought to inspire fearlessness, urging people to discard the causes of their fear. He asked kings to rule as trustees, and similarly, capitalists and industrialists to develop industries for the welfare of all.
Revitalizing Religions and Social Structures: Gandhi's actions, through his own practice, served to refill the depleted lamps of various religious paths, making them appear vibrant and meaningful to understanding followers. He addressed the divisions within the upper castes and the marginalization of the Dalit community. By practicing the principles of Varna Dharma, he facilitated the natural relinquishment of the pride of the upper castes and eradicated the debilitating sense of helplessness within the Dalit community. These dual actions revitalized the concept of Varna Dharma.
Eradicating Untouchability: Gandhi challenged the deeply ingrained caste distinctions that had persisted for centuries, distinctions that even great spiritual figures had not fully eradicated. He played a crucial role in bringing about the end of untouchability. Recognizing that the stigma of untouchability marred Hindu dharma and culture, Gandhi worked tirelessly to purify them through his non-violent approach. This effort, the author suggests, can bring glory to Hinduism and culture worldwide and inspire self-respect in every Hindu.
The Inevitable Path to Redemption: Those who currently obstruct the removal of untouchability due to their rigid beliefs will eventually have to acknowledge Gandhi's role to answer critics. They will have to admit that their own Hindu dharma and culture produced a figure like Gandhi who instigated self-reflection. Even those who contributed to the violence that led to Godse's act will have to embrace Gandhi's non-violence to gain respect in the new generation. Gandhi never wished ill upon anyone. This embodiment of auspicious qualities, even through his physical death, continues to spread benevolence.
Divine Providence in his Death: The author believes that in Gandhi's death lies a hidden divine providence, the signs of which are already emerging. God, in various ways, teaches people wisdom. The misguided and those with perverse tendencies are given opportunities to reform.
Gandhi's Interpretation of the Gita: Gandhi demonstrated and developed the meaning of the Gita through his actions. Understanding the Gita through Gandhi's perspective reveals a grand, transcendental meaning beyond its literal interpretation.
Reinterpreting the Gita's Call to Battle: The Gita contains a verse that has historically incited warriors to battle, promising rewards in this life or the next. Gandhi did not dismiss this stimulus but preserved and amplified its power by infusing it with non-violence. He transformed the centuries-old animalistic incitement into a human or divine one.
The True Meaning of Sacrifice and Victory: Gandhi reinterpreted the Gita's call to action, stating that no one who acts for welfare ever perishes. He encouraged fearless movement along the path of welfare, urging individuals not to turn back or harbor ill will. Even if one dies or is consumed while striving for welfare, a higher spiritual plane awaits. True victory lies not in conquering enemies but in achieving the welfare of all.
A New Paradigm for Human Interaction: Sanghavi concludes by highlighting that while scholars historically interpreted the Gita in the context of warfare, Gandhi provided a new interpretation through his life. He demonstrated how to use this powerful statement to unite brothers and direct their fighting spirit towards collective benefit, a reinterpretation previously unattempted by any scholar. Gandhi's achievements are not those of an ordinary human but of a Maha-manav (great human) whose life and death were both significant and auspicious, transcending death itself and elevating the consciousness of humanity.

The essay concludes by citing "Prabuddha Jain, March 1, 1948" as the source of this insightful analysis of Gandhi's life and death.