Jyotipunj-Eng

Narendra Modi

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JYOTIPUNJ
by Narendra Modi

Translated into English by
A.K. Gandhi

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First, 2015

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To
Millions of Swayamsevaks
engaged in the service of
Motherland as their sole goal



Contents 9
11
Jyotipunj 21
Introduction 25
Flowers and Leaves
1. A Tribute to Vivekananda by Doctor Saheb 39
2. The Honourable Guruji Madhavrao Sadashivrao 87
Golvalkar 99
3. Transparent Gem – Pappaji Dr. Pranlal Doshi 123
4. Yuga Rishi Centenarian Shastriji 147
5. Sangh Yogi Vakil Saheb Lakshmanrao Inamdar 155
6. Madhur Madhukar Madhukarrao Bhagwat 171
7. The Determined Anantrao Kale 183
8. Dynamic Personality Keshavrao Deshmukh 197
9. Sunset at Noon Vasantbhai Gajendragadkar 205
10. Committed to Service Dr. Vishwanathrao Vanikar 213
11. Persistent Karmayogi Kashinathrao Bagwade 223
12. Struggling Life Nathabhai Jhagda 231
13. Multi-dimensional Talent Babubhai Ojha 239
14. Gangaghat Bachubhai Bhagat 247
15. Witty Personality Vasudevrao Talvalkar
16. Evergreen Spring Vasantrao Chipalunkar



Jyotipunj

During this journey of mine for refinement and
transformation, I got an opportunity to come into contact with
a small number of people as the world sees them, yet so exalted
people in life. Their love, their association has been the reason
of inspiration in my journey. The list of such people is quite
long but it is not possible to mention each of them.

Few people are aware of this exalted tradition of sacrificing
their life without expecting anything in return.

Such people who dedicate every moment of their lives and
every particle of their bodies in the service of the Motherland
are seldom remembered, but their fragrance surrounds us
always.

At times, a new wave of inspiration is infused just by
recalling the memories concerning such lives, and so, for the
bliss of the inner-self, for the happiness of everybody, we have
undertaken a humble effort to delineate the fragrance of these
architects of the society.

—Narendra Modi



Introduction

The life of only those people in the world is purposeful
who are able to dedicate a part or whole of their life in others’
good and service. Such great people have made special
contribution in constructing the world’s history. Service-oriented
people have been born in every country of the world, but it has
been a high point of India, by which it has been able to preserve
and sustain its history over such a long period of time. Other
places cannot match the illustrations brought to the fore in India.
The greatest name in this respect is that of none other than
Maharishi Dadhichi. One devoted time and another youth, one
gave up wealth and splendour and another faced the turmoil of
imprisonment. The land of India is great, the Dharma here is
great, and the gods here are great who inspired a seer to donate
his entire body in order to destroy the demons. Go to a king
and ask for land, and he will willingly give it. Go to a scholar
and ask for learning, and he will teach you for twelve years. Go
to a cloth merchant and ask for cloth, he will give you cloth to
cover the body and money to sustain. We all have heard of
donation of wealth, learning, cloth, land and even good deeds
by the scholarly Brahmins, but nobody has ever heard of an
individual who could donate his body, his life itself. Maharishi
donated each part of his body, in all his sense, in all delight, to
destroy the demon Vritrasur and other demons. It is hard to
find such a strange renunciation in the world.

In these difficult times of modern age, this flow of tradition
has not been impeded. With the blessings of the Almighty, a
great person came to the fore, which is well known by people
of the country. He is none other than the Man. Dr. Keshav

12

Baliram Hedgewar, whom we call by the name of Dr. Hedgewar.
He had an idea that there should be some people in the service
of the nation. Who will build the nation if everybody is engaged
in his own individual tasks of earning livelihood, living a
personal life and procreating offsprings? Who will then guard
the Mother India?

Many people those days were busy to serve these purposes
from political viewpoint. We cannot negate their contribution,
however, on the other hand, Dr. Hedgewar was of the firm view
that politics ultimately leads to fragmenting the society,
individual selfishness comes to the fore at one or the other stage.
In it, good qualities are little spread, the people whose self
interests are not served, they make an effort to prove even the
virtuous as evil. This concept must have resided in his mind;
and this seems to be the precise reason that he kept away from
politics and established the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to
achieve the exalted goals of nation-building and individual-
building. At that time, he had the company of only a few people,
but there is nothing great or small – we must not think that
way.

I got an opportunity to visit two places – one is the banyan
tree in Kolkata and the other Kabir Vat (banyan) on the banks
of the Narmada. When I visited these two places, I wondered
on seeing such massive branches and offshoots that were
touching the ground. They had grown so much that it was hard
to find the source stem, and I enquired this fact from an officer
present there. He said that it was difficult to find out the source
stem; perhaps the previous officers would be able to point it
out. However, the branches had grown to such an extent that
they all appeared to be the source stem. How fortunate must
have been the seed of this tree, from which came forth a tree,
and each branch that came forth from this tree transformed itself
into a complete banyan tree. It is hard to know who sowed the
first seed, nobody knows this man.

This banyan tree had not been created intently. A bird
somewhere might have partaken of a fruit, and it might have
felt the natural desire to discharge its faeces, and this discharge

13

could have led to this creation. Man could not have done this;
but a bird is very fortunate that it can perform such a great task
though it is very small, very trivial. It can accomplish such a
great task that even the seed in its discharge can become the
greatest banyan tree. It is so wonderful. On seeing this banyan
tree, an idea came to my mind that if an individual decides to
do something with complete devotion and is determined to do
it with complete resolve, his thinking too can become extensive
in order to provide shade, peace and cool, just like the banyan
tree that has grown from a small seed.

If we look at the life of Dr. Hedgewar from this perspective,
we can find that his endeavour was like that of sowing the small
seed in the ground which culminated into the massive banyan
tree. He initiated his work with only five Swayamsevaks. The
scope, capability, outcome and satisfaction derived from the
work continued to expand and augment continuously, and this
soon formed into a chain in which one linked with the next,
and the next with his next. People are wont to proceed ahead
with some selfish motive, but this was a wonderful incidence
in which hundreds of people had resolved to dedicate their
youth selflessly with the motive of building a society. We are
aware that selfless people are seldom respected by the selfish
people, and they propagate about them that they are useless
beings wasting their time. We often claim such things about the
saints and seers too.

Nari mui ghar sampati nasi,
Moond munday bhaye sanyasi.
(As one considers that after the death of wife, family and
property vanish. Similarly, one becomes sage after shaving
his head.)
This is what is said about the saints and seers. This couplet
says that the wife died and there were no assets at home, so
they got the head shaved and became a Sanyasi. Such
accusations are common when it comes to the Sanyasis
(hermits). But when we talk of Swami Vivekananda, Swami
Ramatirtha and hundreds of others following the traditions of
Shankaracharya, they are not those Sanyasis who shaved their

14

heads only out of compulsion; rather they are the ones who
shave others with the razor of learning and virtue. At that time,
people expressed doubt if so few people could transform the
nation. However, Dr. Hedgewar had complete faith in his mind
that it is a national task, it is a divine task. Gradually, he came
into contact with noble people. This was the reason that just the
previous year, we all have celebrated the centenary anniversary
celebrations in the honour of the Man. Madhav Sadashiv
Golvalkar (Guruji) with complete vigour and enthusiasm. With
the blessings of Almighty, I was appointed the Chairman of the
entire National Programme, and I accepted this task in all
humility. Nobody knew that Doctor Saheb would pass for the
heavenly abode so soon, and he assigned this task to a teacher
to take it forward.

Guruji, in his heart of hearts, wished to be a Sanyasi. He
was initiated into Brahmacharya (celibacy) by Swami
Akhandanand, the Gurubhai (pupil-brother) of Swami
Vivekananda and pupil of Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
He grew hair and beard too. He looked noble in this garb.
Swamiji gave him the Kamandal (the alms pot) and said that
his hair and beard looked pretty well; and he asked him not to
shave them. In the meanwhile, he visited the Man. Dr.
Hedgewar.

Doctor Saheb saw Golvalkar. He had been a teacher, he was
a renouncer. He had the spirit of detachment from the material
world, so he had become a Sanyasi. Dr. Hedgewar asked Guruji,
“What are you busy with?” The response was: “I am busy in
meditation.” “For what?” “For Moksha (emancipation).” “This
is such a noble idea, but tell me one thing. You are just about to
find the bliss of Moksha when you find thousands of people
falling in the pit of hell, what will you do then?” Guruji replied,
“I would first deliver those suffering people from the pit, and
only then I would go to seek Moksha.” Dr. Hedgewar said, “Just
the same situation India is facing now. Hundreds of people are
falling in the pit of hell, but there is no one who will think for
Mother India. It appears to me that you should abandon the
idea of Moksha.”

15

Swami Akhandand allowed him in all affection. He
accepted the Prasad of Kamandal from him and came to Nagpur,
and after that, his unbroken meditation continued. He toured
the whole of India thirty-three times in thirty-three years, and
thus the great soul paid his homage to Adya Shankaracharya.
Lord Adi Shankaracharya had left for his heavenly abode in the
small age of thirty-two years, but Guruji toured India thirty-
three times. How strange, how noble it was! His doctrine
revolved round Advait Vedanta. Spirituality was the foundation
stone for Swami Vivekananda, the pupil of Ramakrishna
Paramhansa, but from the angle of working, he had an eye on
the social life. He had resolved in his mind to accord the nation
the most glorious seat. When an individual starts a noble deed,
he is faced with scarcity of means and resources; however, it
appears to me that had all these means and resources been
together, man would not have been able to abide by his duty,
because he would not be able to do his work, to show his zeal.
He would not have got an opportunity to test the innate faculty
that he possesses.

It was with great divine favour that the work of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh began despite all the shortages
of means and resources. It was proven without doubt that

‘Kriy°∆ Sattvasiddhi N∞pakara∏Æ.’ (action is not wholly dependent

on resources).
A work is performed, not by means or tools, but by resolve

and determination. It is executed by the great idea and faith. As
he proceeds ahead, tools and resources come his way. People
get their names etched in history even without resources. It is
true that Maharana Pratap could not attain glorious success; he
could not defeat the Mughals, yet the spirit of nationalism in
him went on to prove that despite all scarcity of means, not
only a Kshatriya or warrior, but also a horse, that we know by
the name of Chetak, became such an exalted personality in
history that people visit his memorial to offer their floral tributes.

Only a few people get the credit for their success. This is a
different matter altogether, however, even an unsuccessful
person should be acknowledged for his endeavour, for his self-

16

confidence and for devotion towards his goal. There is ample
evidence of this when we see at every square in the country the
statue of Rana Pratap, mounted on a horse, with a spear in one
hand, and the memorial of Chetak in Haldi Ghati. They are the
souls who sacrificed their lives for freedom. When noble people
initiate a task, they don’t abandon it midway:

‘Pr°rabhyatÆ Na Khalu Vighnabhayaina N¢cai:
Pr°rambhavighnavihit° Viramanti Madhy°:..
Vighnai: Puna:Punarapi Pratihanyam°n°
Pr°rabhya C∞ttamajan°: Na Parityajanti..’

Ordinary people do not initiate a noble task thinking it
would result into great pain. Medium people abandon a task
whenever they are faced with an obstacle. Noble people
continue to strike at the rocks, just like the Ganga water, in order
to create a new path. Mediocre people hinder themselves, they
don’t even initiate the work, while noble people carry out their
task to its ultimate goal.

The work of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been
progressing continuously. A large number of people have
contributed in taking ahead this task. A large number of noble
people have taken birth on the land of Gujarat, who have scarce
thought of their own lives in order to carry forward this task.
They all received inspiration from the Param Pujya Guruji. I
shall not speak about Guruji, because everybody already know
him.

All those people who have worked in Gujarat, we shall have
to keep in our memory Vakil Saheb. I too got an opportunity to
be with him on two-three occasions. One of my programmes in
the Town Hall of Ahmedabad was planned by him. He had
urged me to come, and I went too. We all cannot forget about
Vakil Saheb. As was his name – Lakshmana – he was just like
that. He worshipped India as if his greatest task was to establish
Ramrajya. In this way, he was not limited to guide only the Sangh
in Gujarat, rather he took with him many other people in order
to accomplish a great task in the state.

Dr. Keshavrao Deshmukh, Vanikar was a simple man. Once
I got an opportunity to stay at his house. He achieved his masters

17

degree in Pathology and despite this high qualification, he lived
a simple life. Nobody could say that he was so learned a man.
He spoke little and worked much. His goal in life was to work
and work. It is difficult to say if anybody would ever match the
work among the tribals that Dr. Vanikar has accomplished.

Babubhai Ojha did a great task. He remained active to the
last moment of his life. He provided momentum and inspiration
to a number of Sangh programmes. Madhukar was like a living
school of the science of organisation. He motivated people by
his mere presence. The Swayamsevaks thought themselves
fortunate because he considered them all his own.

Vasantrao was attached to his work all his life. He was a
Professor in a Law College, yet all his life he was infused with
sacred thinking and hard work. Such was his popularity among
people that thousands of people joined his last journey with
wet eyes. Everybody had profound respect for him. Bachubhai
Bhagat maintained faithful relations with everybody while
undertaking the Sangh work and thus accomplished a great
achievement. Nathabhai acted in several capacities and
motivated a large number of people. He was very humble by
nature. He would himself search out the best doctors in a field
in order to refer his ill Swayamsevaks. All his life he was devoted
to the welfare of public. I got an opportunity to work with
Antarao Kale. I observed at his hardworking nature. He led a
very simple life, wore simple clothes. He was a Maratha but
forgot all about his state when he came to work in Gujarat.

Each individual of the Sangh forgets about his own state.
He keeps only Mother India in his mind. This is his characteristic
feature. Dr. Pranlal Doshi worked much in Saurashtra. Who can
forget him? He effectively delivered great messages by his brief
talks. He inspired the demotivated volunteers in a joyful manner
and infused energy into them. He was like the philosopher’s
stone to them, a touch which turns iron into gold. He had
transformed a number of Swayamsevaks in this way. The Man.
Kashinath arrived from Maharashtra and did great work. At
that time, it was a difficult proposition to work in Kheda district.

18

The people of other ideologies were very active out there; but
his style of hard work bore fruit, and it is known by all people
there. Talwalkar came from Maharashtra and he too did a great
work. He guided the society and infused energy into it. Caring
little about himself he worked tirelessly to spread the message
of RSS.

It would not be an exaggeration to term the Man. K. Shastri
as the storehouse of all good virtues. Despite his being such a
great scholar, I can recall nothing but humility being manifest
in him. I have seen two scholars from close quarters – one was
K. Shastri and the other was Krishnashankar Shastriji Maharaj.
I am discussing K. Shastri only because he maintained his
relations with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as well as the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh without any anxiety. Many
people opined that he could easily become the Chancellor of
some university had he severed his relations with the Sangh.
He said that the Sangh was right in his blood, and he wished
not a worldly post, but a divine post. He kept worshiping Lord
Sri Krishna and followed the virtuous path. He lived a life of
ancient wisdom. He never partook of food at others’ household.
He abided by his code of conduct and invited the Harijans in
order to fill them with satisfaction, and thus he infused
attachment in them too. Who can forget such a personality as
K. Shastri was? He wrote every day. Whenever I met him, I found
him writing. I got an opportunity to visit his house on a couple
of occasions. At that time, I held the post of Shankaracharya. I
had seen him that he was accompanied by nothing else but
books all around him. They used to be his best friends. He slept
with them, he talked with them; the books were his ideals of
life. In fact, it was an addiction which is a source of great bliss.
The worldly friends may or may not abide by friendship, but
when it comes to books, you can never dislike them after you
have befriended them. If you do not wish to read a book for a
while, just mark it and keep it aside. If you happened to open it
twenty years later, you would find the mark as you had put it
there. They never expressed homesickness when you meet them
after a gap of years. They never cry, you can meet them whenever

19

you wish to. The greatest friendship is that of books. Such was
the great scholar, the Man. K. Shastri.

Narendra Modi rose from an ordinary volunteer to become
a Pracharak, then a social representative, then the Chief Minister
of Gujarat state and then the Prime Minister, and even on this
high post, he has availed himself time to describe these great
noble personalities. He remembers the people who have
inspired the society. I am acquainted with Narendrabhai Modi
for a long time. He possesses a sense of respect towards me,
and I too possess goodwill for him. He remains a good example
in politics. Often, people live in their glorious present time of a
few years, but it is amply proven by the personal life of Narendra
Modi that the symbols of authenticity can be displayed even in
the present times. He remains cautious to manifest them. When
an individual treads on the path of truth, it is a matter of
difficulty for those who walk the path of untruth.

The rising sun is bound to bring gloom to the owl; if you
set down to please the owls, you cannot please the Sun God. I
feel it good that he befriends the Sun God in order to please
Him; and if during this course, some owls are displeased with
him, he rarely cares for them, because the life of an owl is short,
while the life of the Sun is eternal. The scope of an owl is
regional, but that of the Sun is all-pervading. We are aware that
when India experiences night, it is daylight in America. The
Sun never accepts dark. Narendra Modi too is a spirited traveller
of light. He is treading his path courageously.

Narendra Modi has written this great treatise. I offer my
good wishes to the writer. May God will that the writer within
him keeps alive, while his politics should influence the country
from one corner to the other. May God assign him great
responsibility than the responsibility that he has been assigned
presently, so that the country is set in the right direction, the
society is strengthened, the evil are terrorized and the gentle
are protected.

I am greatly pleased to write the introduction to this book
of Narendra Modi. Recalling the life sketches of great people is
a matter of satisfaction for me too. He could have got it written

20

by anybody else, but he urged me for this. He has honoured me
by this. I offer him my good wishes.

May God keep him healthy, and may God bestow on him
an opportunity to serve, not only the land of Gujarat, but the
whole of nation. It is my wish and prayer.

—Swami Satyamitranand Giri

Floral Tribute

India is not identified by
its political system,
form of government
or
power of the state.

India is identified on
the basis of its cultural heritage.

It signifies that the building of India has been shared by
those great people
who have always been ready to serve and
achieve goals,
as saints and seers,
hermits and sages,
teachers and religious teachers,
philosophers and the learned,
scientists and thinkers.

This tradition has been in existence for thousands of
years in one or the other form.

Generation after generation,
this sacred continuity
can be experienced in our country
in new forms and colours.
In every corner of India,
we can see thousands of such people

who have engaged themselves in the
sacred task of social welfare
with attention and penance.

An organised endeavour was made to
devote the people in the service
of the cultural heritage of India of the 20th century.
This endeavour was the founding of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and
this massive task was undertaken by Dr. Hedgewar.
It was to unite the society through individual building
in the service of Motherland.

Today, there are thousands of institutions
to create leaders and
managers in the world,
such as IIMs, Harvard and Stanford.
However, we have to undertake a
comparative study of the western model
of leadership with the Indian model
laid down by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The characteristic of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
has been that it has given a go
by to the features
that attract and impress,
but has given importance to
renunciation, penance, devotion,
loyalty and commitment.

I have been fortunate to acquire
these traits while living in this tradition
in the capacity of a Swayamsevak
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
As an individual, I might have lacked
some capability by which I could have erred

in assimilating the traits…there may be
some shortcomings in me…but whatever
good and noble I possess, in all that, this
fountainhead of traits from which I drank,
it occupies a very exalted place.

During this journey of mine in the refinement process,
I got an opportunity to be in proximity of
many exalted lives, who might be viewed
as very low by the world, but their love,
their proximity have been the motivating factors
for this journey of mine. The list of such lives
is very long, still it has been possible
to recall a few of them.

Few people are aware of
this bright tradition of sacrificing life
without expecting anything in return.

The world seldom keeps such architects of the society
who devote every moment of their lives
and every particle of their bodies
in the service of the Motherland,
but their fragrance keeps spreading around even today.

Recalling such lives infuses
new inspiration in life,
and so, for the pleasure of the innate soul,
for the happiness of everybody,
I have made this solemn effort
to give wordsm to the fragrance
of the architects of the society
which has resulted into this book.

I am neither capable nor eligible
to assess such high lives.
There are bright anecdotes in the life of everybody.

I am presenting before the readers
only a few of them here from the list
of great personalities.

As a person, as a Swayamsevak,
I offer my respectful tribute
to this great bright tradition
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
I owe my indebtedness to it.

I am confident that the readers would get
an opportunity to understand the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh through this book.

—Narendra Modi

The purpose came with a body,
Treading a vacuum

The rising splendour of the nation
Was blending into the vacuum.
The tale of national life

Manifested in all brightness the same moment
To create energy afresh.







A Tribute to Swami Vivekananda
by Dr. Hedgewar

Vivekananda was introduced to Ramakrishna Dev in the year 1889.
In a short period of only five years after that, Ramakrishna Dev
left for heavenly abode. At one time, Ramakrishna Dev had
assigned everything of his to Vivekananda by empowerment, and
said that he was a fakir (destitute) now. Similarly, in the life of
Doctor Saheb occurred such an incident. Just five years before his
death, he met Madhavrao, the Guruji, to whom he had to assign
the responsibility of the great tasks, and within five years, he
assigns him everything of his through empowerment, and empties
himself, and then departs from this world.

A young man, who might have adorned a pair of jeans,
who might have worn a fashionable style of hair, who might
feel pride in being called an atheist in his peer group only out
of fashion, even such an individual would not be able to help
himself but bow his head before a personality. Vivekananda is
the name of this inspiring personality of this century before
whom bow not only the people of India, but even the people
who somewhat know of India.

When the country is celebrating the birth centenary of Dr.
Hedgewar, it is natural for us to remember Swami Vivekananda,
more so because the thinking of Vivekananda and working of
Doctor Saheb are strangely similar. You can find wonderful
homogeneity between the two. When we look at these two, it
appears that Dr. Hedgewar sacrificed his life in order to pay a
unique tribute – a tribute of life – to Swami Vivekananda.

30
Dr. Hedgewar was a born patriot. The traits of patriotism

were manifest in him right from childhood, whether it pertained
to throwing of the sweets or bunking school after calling aloud
‘Vande Mataram’. Vivekananda, right from childhood, too was
ever ready to discover something, to do something for mankind.
Vivekananda, in the year 1878, when only fifteen years of age,
went to Keshavchandra Sen and initiated himself in the service
of the society through the Brahma Samaj.

Both Vivekananda and Doctor Saheb, right since childhood,
set themselves on the path to achieve the ultimate goal without
wavering. Vivekananda kept visiting the religious scholars,
teachers, social reformers and workers, saints and seers, in order
to discover the truth. Doctor Saheb too treaded different paths
in order to do something for the country’s independence – he
visited Tilakji at one time and revolutionaries at another,
Subhash at one time and Aurobindo at another. Doctor Saheb
was at his heels in order to discover the truth and arrive at the
outcome.

The family circumstances of both these personalities were
pitiable. Narendranath’s mother pushed him out to beg
something from Goddess Kali. She hoped that he would get
some employment. Despite his poor condition, Vivekananda
never felt any attraction for all this. Something of the sort was
the case with Doctor Saheb too. He was passing through a
situation when there was nothing in the house even to serve a
cup of tea to the guests or other great people visiting the house.
But such ordinary worldly obstacles could not waver both these
great people from their chosen paths.

Right from the beginning, Vivekananda possessed an
ardent desire to know the Supreme Being and the world in its
basic form. Therefore, he trained his attitude and aptitude in
that direction. However, in the final fifteen years of his life, his
purpose in life was transformed. The desire for individual
Moksha (emancipation) had been destroyed, now he was no
more bent upon meeting God. He perceived that the service to
the poor and the suffering was his goal of life, and he set himself
on that path. The initial period of Doctor Saheb’s life was filled
with the ardent desire to get the nation freed. He was inclined

31

to struggle with the British who had enslaved the country.
However, just like Vivekananda, the final fifteen years of his
life too became broader. Now, he was no more working for
independence or opposing those who had enslaved the country,
but his ultimate aim of his life transformed into the progress of
the nation. Like Vivekananda, the sole deity for him was Mother
India.

Vivekananda came in the company of Ramakrishna Dev in
the year 1881. In a brief period of five years after that,
Ramakrishna Dev took leave of him. Once Ramakrishna Dev
had given everything of his to Vivekananda through a power
of attorney, and called himself a fakir. In the life of Doctor Saheb
too, an opposite, but somewhat similar incident takes place. Just
five years before his death, he met Madhavrao, Guruji, on whom
he had to assign the responsibility of the remaining great deeds,
and in a brief period of five years ever since, he emptied himself
through empowerment, and took leave of this world.

Fifteen years before his death, Vivekananda founded the
Ramakrishna Mission and focussed all his attention to it. Much
in the same manner, Dr. Hedgewar too founded the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh and devoted all his focus to it. The obstacles
both of them faced were quite similar in nature. Vivekananda
established his monastery in an old house at Baranagar, between
Dakshineshwar and Kolkata. All those who participated in the
functioning of the monastery did not have enough to fill their
stomachs even. Financial scarcity, lack of necessary resources –
these were the characteristic features of the beginning of the
Ramakrishna Mission. The beginning of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh too was somewhat like this. The associates
had to remain hungry for days together, and they had to look
here and there in order to have a few grains of gram even. After
the death of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda was so depressed that
he approached Pavhari Baba, who lived in the Himalayas, to
learn Hathayoga, in order to be on the path of self-realization.
He tried to do this a couple of times, but every time, the infinite
soul of Ramakrishna would dawn on him and stop him from
doing this, and motivate him to proceed towards his true goal.
Ultimately, he gave all that up, and returned. In the life of Doctor

32

Saheb too, such an instance occurred when he had to work like
Ramakrishna, when he redirected Guruji from the path of
spiritual world for the purpose of attainment of self-realization,
to the path of social well-being.

It was through the Ramakrishna Mission that Vivekananda
had devoted his life for the service of the poor. To accomplish
this task, he took a resolve to empower his race. He sought the
blessings from Mother Sharada and said to his pupil-brothers:
“I shall not return until I acquire such realizations that my very
touch will transform a man.”

We can find his spirit and devotion for a common man in
these words. In the same sense, he uttered once: “I am going
away; but I shall never come back until I can burst on society
like a bomb, and make it follow me like a dog.”

In these words, we can see his anguish against the lack of
order in the society as well as responsibility towards the society.
In the life of Dr. Hedgewar too, the sole goal for him was to
build man through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He had
dedicated all his life to build man through the Shakha who could
be capable of serving the society and nation. It was no easy task
for him to leave everything and devote his life towards building
of man. For this specified task, he was ready to devote every
particle of his body and every moment of his life, and with such
ambition, he set himself in this great task. Vivekananda too set
out to tour with the purpose of welfare of the nation. Wherever
he went in the Himalayas – Almora or Alaknanda, Tehri or
Rajpur, Haridwar or Rishkesh – he sought the company of the
saints and seers and homemakers, and spoke for only one thing –
that was the national welfare.

Right since childhood, both Vivekananda and Doctor Saheb
continuously struggled for their respective goals. Vivekananda
made effort to know the truth for which he went after religious
scholars, professors, social workers, saints and seers. Doctor Saheb
too made several endeavours in order to do something for the
country’s independence – he kept visiting Tilak at one time and
revolutionaries at another, Subhash at one time and Aurobindo at
another – all this to discover the truth and accomplish the goal.

33

Vivekananda declared: “Why should you shame yourself
when you introduce yourself as a Hindu?” And then Doctor
Saheb says: “I stress that this is the Hindu nation.” Vivekananda
says: “It is the duty of man to serve the poor.” And Doctor Saheb
says: “Learn to live for the country.” Both these great people
guided the society in the same direction using their unique
manners.

The significance of Doctor Saheb’s life lies in the fact that
he had taken upon himself the task of accomplishing two
ambitions of Vivekananda without anyone letting know of it,
and today, after sixty years, it would not be an exaggeration to
claim that he has completed the task. Expressing his anxiety for
the nation, once Vivekananda had said, “If I had young men
with iron bodies and purposeful minds, I would change the
very face of India.” If we glance at the accomplishment of Doctor
Saheb, he created a long line of young men with iron bodies,
with fearless minds, cultivated with positive qualities, and thus
he conducted a competition to create young men who could
sacrifice everything of their own in order to make over every
aspect of national life. Of course, in their basis lie the foresight,
renunciation and penance of Doctor Saheb.

Looking at the psyche of the prevalent society, Vivekananda
had once said in remorse, “For the next fifty years, the people
of India should forget about all their gods and goddesses and
should sacrifice everything in the feet of only Mother India as
their sole deity.” This was how Doctor Saheb realized into reality
this solemn wish of Vivekananda. With his insight and working
style, Doctor Saheb accepted Mother India as the deity, and thus
built the social man. This led to the cultivation of the tendency
to worship Mother India.” The slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ was
becoming the favourite slogan as ‘Vande Mataram’ had become
prior to independence.

In our country, the tradition of Sanyasi has been in existence
since ancient times. Vivekananda transformed the definition of
Sanyasi. A Sanyasi, absorbed in personal penance, took his goal
as social service. For a Sanyasi of the Ramakrishna Mission, the
service to the poor is the true worship. Doctor Saheb too created

34

such a great revolution. He initiated the tradition of Pracharak.
Discussing about the Pracharak tradition in which people
renounce all their aspirations and ambitions of their private lives
in order to live life for the nation and society, Swami
Chinmayanand of the Chinmay Mission says: “Doctor Saheb
has gifted this country the Sanyasis adorned in the whites.”

There are a number of such anecdotes in which we find
wonderful similarity between the thinking of Vivekananda and
working of Doctor Saheb. It appears that Doctor Saheb dedicated
all his life in order to realize the dreams of Vivekananda through
his works. Thus, it is his tribute of life to Vivekananda.

Lit Himself, Lit Others

Among the tempests
Were a few lamps
Some had burnt out
Once.

And there were more lamps
Fighting with the dark
Flowing,
Radiating light
Engulfed in dark
But there was one
That was you
Lit himself,
Lit others.
Be it a tempest
Be it dark
Still he lit
Still he lit others.

He struggled with darkness
With resolve in the mind
He had to burn
Until the sunrise.
So, he lit himself
And lighted others.
Those who were lit,
Those who are lit,
Those who are being lit,
They are shining like rays

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They are spreading splendour
So is out

The sun of accomplishments,
There is light around

Light and nothing but light
Around that lamp.

(Sentiments expressed as a tribute to the founder of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh, Honourable Dr. Keshavrao Baliram
Hedgewar)

Sangh Work is Essence of Life

I am not out to tell you
something new.

Every Swayamsevak should take
the Sangh work as the main task of his life.

I am bidding you farewell
with this firm determination
that you will leave from here
with this mantra in your heart

that essence of your life
is the Sangh work.

(from his ‘Antim Sandesh’)

Gems of Thoughts

• This life is short, momentary is the worldly joy. But those who
live for others’ sake, they lead a meaningful life. The high
point of others’ lives is death.

• I do not approve of God or religion that fails to wipe a widow’s
tears, or feed an orphan.

• Where else will you go to look for God? Are all the poor and
the suffering and the weak not like God? Why not to worship
them first? Why should we go to dig a well on the banks of
the Ganga?

• Selflessness is more advantageous, but people do not possess
patience to conduct in its conformance.

• So long millions of people live a life of hunger and ignorance,
those with filled bellies do not pay an iota of attention to them,
I consider all such people traitors.

In learning you appeared to be a saint
With emotions like Adi Shankara

And on face they played innocence like that of an infant
You possessed mercy in the heart
For the poor and the suffering,

I bow to thine feet a hundred times, Madhav.







The Honourable Guruji
Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golvalkar

The life of Golvalkar, Guruji, is a fine example of dedication. Guruji
possessed all those qualities which are expected of an individual
who lives for his goal – patience, determination, perseverance.

The Parliament of India, which is a representative
institution for millions of Indians, offered its tribute to a great
man, who had never been to the gate of its building. Still, both
houses of the Parliament, leaving aside the tradition, offered its
tribute to this great man, who had never been its member. The
then Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi had said: “He
was not a member of the Parliament. Sri Golvalkar, who was a
prestigious gentleman, is not amongst us. He was scholarly,
powerful, faithful. With his impressive personality and infallible
faith for his ideas, he enjoyed a very important place in national
life.”

Eminent people from all over the country paid their tribute
to this great man. The Deccan Chronicle of Hyderabad wrote:
“Like Vivekananda, he too was a soul of India incarnate.” The
Navbharat Times wrote: “Even those, who possess a difference
of opinion and ideals, accept his detachment, glory, renunciation
and penance with goodwill. These qualities are being lost in
our national life. Individual endeavour for ideals has become a
matter of jokes among hundreds of thinkers; but this is an
undisputed historical fact that no nation can emerge as a
powerful country unless it cultivates in itself those qualities
which were manifested in the life of Golvalkar. The philosophy

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of secularism and democratic way of life appear to lack
splendour when faced with these great qualities.”

The Motherland wrote: “Today, Guruji is not alive, but the
source of light he has infused in scores of lives, whenever it
would endeavour to limit the country’s dark in itself, this source
of light will illuminate the country in diverse ways. We express
our sorrow on his death, but the future generations will be
happy to note that such an angel took birth in this land. We
offer our emotional tribute to his holy memory.”

The Hindustan wrote: “The life of Golvalkar is an excellent
example of finest dedication. The qualities of patience,
determination and perseverance, that are needed in daily life
in a person living for a goal, were all present in Guruji. Like the
ancient seers and hermits of India, he brought forth all his
meaningfulness and used it like a skilled chemist. When it came
to choose between meditation and accomplishment, he chose
the former, because he inferred that meditation was the
immortal energy. The life of Golvalkar and his spirit of national
service are golden. His penance was noble character and
nationalism was his dedication. There is no space to doubt his
character in any way.”

A Mumbai monthly wrote: “His personality was moulded
in the traditions of Valmiki, Ramdas, Tukaram, Vivekananda
and thousands of other seers.”

The newspapers in Gujarat paid their tributes to him. The
Gujarat Samachar, a daily, wrote: “In the death of Guruji, the
country has been deprived of a strong supporter of nationalism.”

The Sandesh wrote: “Occupying a prominent post in the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 1940, the death of
Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golvalkar, better known as Guruji, has
deprived the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of a bright and
inspiring leader. He possessed unique understanding of the
Hindu nation. The Sangh was impressed by his great personality
and learning. When the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the
Jana Sangh would need acute nationalism, they will have to
confront with a vacuum that can never be filled.”

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The Jansatta wrote: “The teachings delivered by Swami
Vivekananda and Madan Mohan Malviya for the cultivation of
Indianhood, were all being carried solely by him; he was the
only one among the present leaders to carry on with these
traditions.”

A number of great people offered their homage to this great
soul. A fine thinker of the Sarvodaya, Dada Dharmadhikari said:
“He was a symbol of indivisible nationalism.” Vinoba said: “The
viewpoint of Guruji was broad, liberal and national. He
considered everything from national viewpoint. He had
unflinching faith in spirituality. He possessed respect for every
religion. He was not at all narrow. He always worked with
national – high national ideas.”

The BBC of London had said when this great soul was forty
years old: “There is a transcendent star on the Indian horizon.”
The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra said: “He is a saint.”

A Pearl in the Nation’s Rosary
The respectable people of India, who have shaped the

national life in their own unique ways, are all like pearls in the
nation’s rosary. If we have a glance at history, we can recall the
names of a number of great people, one after another.

When we think of Shankaracharya, we think of
Advaitism

When we think of the Buddha, we think of pity.
Mahavira is linked with non-violence.
Rana Pratap is linked with his patriotism,
Shivaji for his Indianism,
For declaration of self-rule.
Guru Govind Singh is linked to Panj-pyara (the sacred

five),
Guru Tegh Bahadur for sacrifice of his head,
Ramakrishna Dev Paramhansa for realizing God,
Swami Vivekananda for his declaration on the world

arena,
And service to the poor.
Tilak for his declaration ‘Swaraj is my birthright’.

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Dr. Ambedkar as if modern Manu,
Sacrifice of Swami Shraddhanand,
Martyrdom of Bhagat Singh
Resolve of Sardar,
Destitution of Gandhi.

All these souls became immortal in the service of the nation
due to one factor or another. One pearl of this national rosary
was Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golvalkar, the second
Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, who
became renowned as Guruji in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh and the whole country.

His entire life was filled with diversity. Explaining his life
is like solving a riddle. When he touched the inner-self of an
individual, he would feel as if he were a spiritual being. But he
was not like the other spiritual people the world has seen. He
lived among thousands of people and awakened in them social
sense and nationalism.

The venerable Guruji never sat in the solitary caves of the
Himalayas absorbed in spiritual meditation. Such a fact gives
rise to the question if he was really a spiritual person. Sometimes
he appears to us a great leader, but at others we feel that we are
prone to err if we think this way. When he discussed profound
knowledge of materialism, we felt as if he had taken birth to
dedicate his life as a great scientist. Still, if we linked together
all factors of his life, we would find that he possessed a unique
personality.

Unbroken Spirit of Swayamsevak
His life was full of a number of diversities. He possessed

only one personality and that was the spirit of being a
Swayamsevak.

We could notice different diversities in him, but it is difficult
to point them out. When we met the Param Pujya Guruji, we
noticed that nothing but the spirit of being a Swayamsevak
suited him. He possessed no other ambition than this.

A prestigious leader of the Communist Party of India has
said: “You know what is wrong with your Guruji?” And then

47

he went on to answer it himself: “His unambitiousness.” He
meant to say that this individual had no ambitions, and it is a
great accomplishment to find oneself in such a situation.

His only ambition was to be a complete, a perfect
Swayamsevak.

What is the meaning of ‘Swayamsevak’? It means dedication
of the self, sacrifice of the self, to sacrifice the whole life for an
ideal. The life of the Param Pujya Guruji was illuminated with
the light of unbroken spirit of being a Swayamsevak, and to
attain which, he had abandoned all rest and repose.

Talking about his Sadhana, the most venerable Guruji has
written at one place: “There was a time when I aspired for
worship of the Lord, I wished to attain God. When I sought the
path of attainment of God, I was asked to go and clean the
utensils, sweep the place, clean the garden, take the cows for
grazing. I used to absorb myself into these activities without
desiring anything in return.” After he commenced his life in
the Sangh, he said: “I had before me the ideals of the Man. Dr.
Hedgewar and his life.” From this very imagination of complete
dedication arose the personality of a Swayamsevak, unbroken
spirit of being a Swayamsevak.

The Param Pujya Guruji witnessed many ups and downs
in his life. Of the eight siblings of him, he was the only one to
survive. When the only surviving child was a son and the
parents were afflicted with the sorrow of death of as many as
seven children, it was natural for them to have many aspirations
from him. His mother must have nursed great aspirations about
him, but the parents must have done everything that was
possible to realize their dreams. However, how must have the
parents felt when their son broke away from their dreams in
order to deviate to another path? It was natural for them to feel
sad. This son was proficient in playing the sitar and the flute.
He knew how to conquer others’ hearts. It was natural for the
mother to feel sorrow when the son started to tune his life with
the strings of spirituality. In order not to deliver more sorrow
to his mother, Madhavrao Madhu, the Param Pujya Guruji, left
his home and set out on the path of spirituality. He wandered

48

about in the Himalayas with an ardent wish to see God, to lead
a spiritual life. Wandering from place to place in the high
mountains, he settled down in the Sargachi Ashram.

Guruji had studied up to M.Sc., and knew the secrets of
science well. His ideas were a fine blend of science, religion
and culture. So only a spiritual person once commented:
“Human progress depends on the development of science.”

His curiosity for spirituality was quenched by a guru,
Swami Akhandanand, who was one of the eleven pupils of
Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Swami Vivekananda and Swami
Akhandanand lived together in the Sargachi Ashram. Once
tapping Guruji’s head, Swami Akhandanand said, “Madhav, the
hair on your head, your beard, they appear to me magnificent,
they are illuminating your personality. Madhav, never should
you shave your hair and beard.” Guruji never disrespected what
his Guru said. Right until the final breath of his life, he took
care of his hair. Therefore, his personality continued to
illuminate brightly like a spiritual person.

It is easy to say something. If somebody were to tell you or
me, “Brother, your hair looks good, don’t get them cut.” You
will feel that it would be better not to get it cut. However, the
life of Guruji was not blocked at this point. Swami Akhandanand
asked him to grow hair, and he grew it in all spontaneity. Once,
Dr. Keshavrao Baliram Hedgewar said to him: “Madhavrao, you
have to control the reigns of the Sangh work.” Dr. Hedgewar
was on his deathbed then. He was breathing his last then. The
death was imminent. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that
was founded in 1925 had expanded to the whole length and
breadth of the country by 1940. The responsibility for this
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had to be handed over to a young
man aged just thirty-four years. At that time, he said to Guruji
in all innocence: “Madhav, you have to take responsibility for
this work.”

Dr. Hedgewar’s Faith
After they kept awake the whole night, Dr. Hedgewar had

not yet divulged to Guruji anything about the prevailing

49

condition of the country. One-thousand-year-long slavery had
resulted into a number of evils in the Hindu society. He had not
mentioned about these even a bit. Guruji had not kept awake
thinking it to be a difficult proposition. Doctor Saheb had neither
sung any patriotic songs, nor did he teach them. He just said in
his spontaneous expression: “Madhavrao, you have to take the
reigns of this work.”

Just for a moment, imagine the time that it was. What types
of thoughts must Doctor Saheb have in his mind when he
assigned Guruji with such a great responsibility? What type of
information must he have sought? How many people must he
have examined? When we sit down to think about this time, we
are prone to think at times that Doctor Saheb must have kept
Guruji awake all night in order to teach him lessons in
Hinduism, must have acquainted him with the finer details of
the decline of the Hindu society, must have done everything
possible in order to inculcate the spirit to serve the society in
place of going after attainment of God and self-realization. In
the year 1940, it was just the beginning for the Sangh as its form
and influence were being shaped then. Common people had a
number of queries in their minds. What could be the factor that
could bridge Doctor Saheb and Guruji? Amongst scores of future
uncertainties, Doctor Saheb must have some element of faith in
Guruji so as to lead the Sangh to historic development. How
effective must have been Doctor Saheb’s quality of testing a
person and Guruji’s transparent personality. Guruji, who was
completely absorbed in the path of spirituality, changed his path
in order to devote all his life in the service of the society. Guruji
invested every particle of his body and every moment of his
life in realizing the responsibility that Doctor Saheb had
assigned him. It was only a small sentence by Doctor Saheb:
“Madhav, now you have to take the reigns of all this.” What an
amazing incident it was! How magnificent the test was! How
excellent the foresight was! What type of trust it was! Yes, this
was what we call the qualities of Guruji.

The spontaneity with which Swami Akhandanand had
asked Guruji to take care of his hair, the same spontaneity was

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manifest when Dr. Hedgewar asked him to look after the Sangh,
and after he heard these words, he invested the remaining years
of his life, from 1940 to 1973, to realize the goal of expanding
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh like a banyan tree, on all
sides, for which he toured the whole of India, worked with the
sole goal of its expansion.

Unceasing Sangh Work
Guruji’s heart was inclined towards spirituality. We can just

imagine how a spiritual person must have embraced the Sangh
life. Why at all did he devote all his life to the service of the
Bhagwa Dhwaj, the saffron flag? He has spoken a little in this
regard. The Param Pujya Guruji had a long conversation with
the late G.T. Madakhelkar Bhau Saheb, the ex-editor of Tarun
Bharat. Doctor Saheb was present there too. After the discussion
on the book was over, Bhau Saheb asked Guruji, with his
permission, a personal question. This question and its response
are mentioned in an article titled ‘Trikoni Sangam’ (Triangular
Confluence), published in the Tarun Bharat on 16 June, 1973,
after the death of Guruji. He writes in this article: “I asked Guruji:
‘I have heard that you abandoned the Sangh work midway and
went to the Ramakrishna Mission in Bengal, and were initiated
into the path by the pupil-brother of Swami Vivekananda. How
did you then abandon the Ramakrishna Mission and come back
to the Sangh? Don’t you think that the role of the Mission is
quite distinct from that of the Sangh?’ Listening to my question,
Guruji was shocked; he thought over it for a while with half-
open eyes, as if he had traversed to some fanciful world, and
then he started to speak softly.

“He said: ‘You have asked a much unexpected question,
but Doctor Saheb would be a more appropriate person to decide
whether there is distinction in the work of the Sangh from that
of the Mission. I have always been inclined towards spirituality
as well as the work of national unity. I could carry out this work
more effectively in the Sangh. I have felt it during my stints in
Benaras, Nagpur and Calcutta. Therefore, I have devoted myself
body and soul to the Sangh work. It appears to me that