Yugarishi
Centenarian Shastriji
Shastriji wrote 250 books and 1500 articles. He was awarded the
Padmashree, Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak and other awards, he
was bestowed upon the title of Yuga Rishi. Once when he was
asked, “Is there anything left still in life, Shastriji?” At this,
Shastriji, who lived life like that of a student, said, “I am yet to
learn computer.”
K. Shastriji
Epitome of learning,
Seer of culture,
Thinker of religion,
Guard of honour.
The venerable Shastriji is a golden page of glorious history
of our great heritage. He made the study of Vedic culture a part
of his life. He assimilated the doctrine of Karmayoga as
enunciated in the Gita, and created a refined food for travel for,
not one or two, but numerous generations to come. I was related
to this epitome of culture like father and son, and was bound
with him in affection and attachment.
The venerable Shastriji was a learned scholar. He was a
scientist, a linguistic scientist. As a scientist is continuously busy
looking into a subject, in order to prove something new, to make
some new invention, to research something new, and this
enriches the world with his newly found knowledge. Shastriji
was much like a scientist. He was a scientist of language. The
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Gujarati language is by itself unfathomable and prosperous, and
this fact was brought out by him. A miner goes down the depths
in order to search out the diamond lying under the stone,
Shastriji was something like this. His research has revolved
round to the depths, to bring out the language as useful and
prosperous. This was the reason that he was termed as the living
university – the master – of the linguistics.
When a sculptor makes a statue, its luck depends on the
person who owns it. If it makes to a drawing room, it will
decorate the ambience. If it makes to a garment merchant, it
would have new clothes to wear every day, and if it makes to a
seer, it will be established as God and in this capacity it will be
worshipped like God. Maybe the sculptor himself will bow
down before it in all reverence.
Every Letter a Mantra
We all have learnt the letters of alphabet, we have learnt
the word and its meaning, we have learnt how to join words;
but every letter of Shastriji took the form of a mantra; his words
were infused with life. It is our nature to meditate. The power
to transform a letter into a mantra cannot be attained without
having worshipped Sarasvati. Shastriji possessed the ability to
transform letters into mantras. He is an invaluable treasure of
this age.
I can remember when Shastriji went to America for the first
time. After he returned from there, I went to meet him. My
normal tax, whenever I visited Shastriji, was to partake of
laddoos. It was much like the government tax, but I took the tax
in the form of laddoos. He had returned from America, so I
went to see him and asked, “How was the journey?” At this, he
said, “Narendra Bhai, I bought books worth fifteen thousand.”
He was interested to know more about the American
Indians, who in common parlance are called Red Indians. He
wanted to know more about the aboriginal inhabitants of
America. He was curious to know how a Red Indian
transformed himself when confronted by an Indian Hindu and
how he was depicted in his traditions and customs, way of living,
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architecture, literature and art. He had bought books worth
fifteen thousand rupees just to study this topic. His research
work tended to comprise in itself as much learning as he could;
he kept diving in the pond of learning.
Meeting with Power of Learning
During the meeting, we talked about the anecdotes that he
had confronted during his sojourn in America. He had
researched much in looking for the elements of Indian culture
in their language, their pronunciation and other processes.
I asked him, “Did you go to America to see America or see
India in America?”
He said, “I found India in America. I have seen myself the
influence of Indian culture there.”
He possessed infinite faith in the native culture. If he came
across a yajna being performed, or another ritual, if somebody
was calling ‘Swaha...Swaha’, he would go into its depths to find
out why it is being so pronounced. He tried to find how our
social life underwent a change. He had returned from there with
this type of knowledge. It simply showed his attachment and
curiosity for the great culture and tradition of this country.
There is much talked today that knowledge is very powerful
in the world. If there is one who has assimilated the power of
knowledge, it appears to me, it is none else but the respected
Shastriji. There are numerous people who see God, there are a
number of people who undertake religious rituals morning and
evening; but he was a personality who accepted knowledge as
God, and worked for its attainment; and he continued to work
in this direction without any expectation in return.
A Living University
A joyful life, a devoted life. If we compare Shastriji taking
only his literary creations in view, it would amount to injustice
to him; it would amount to an erroneous judgement about him.
If we put his books aside, still you will find that his personality
was like an explanation of the future generations. He was like
an unforgettable man of history among the prestigious and
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accomplished writers. Just take out time to sit peacefully trying
to understand him and testing the truth of his life. We shall
continue to be inspired by him, such was his life. (I wished I
did not lose that opportunity!)
Shastriji worked continuously for joining words in the
Gujarati language. He was very proficient in his work. It is said
that in the year 1936 was held a session of Gujarati literary
council in Ahmedabad, under the Chairmanship of Gandhiji.
He was very strict when it came to discuss the joining of words.
When the Gujarat Vidyapeeth had prepared a dictionary of
joining words, Shastriji refused to approve of it saying that the
job had not been done well as yet, and there needed
improvement in it. He approved of it only when the Vidyapeeth
agreed to undertake the improvement work. You can see from
this instance his attachment towards purity and correctness of
language.
He wished to preserve Gujarati, and stressed that it should
be spoken in the family. All three of his sons are in America, but
their children speak in Gujarati at home.
It is due to his learning that he is better known as Dada or
Shastriji. He was only a matriculate, yet he guided 19 Ph.D.
students in their theses, and he had guided more than 1,000
M.A. students. The fragrance of his writing work rose to the
international arena. The library of Harvard University houses
a book of Shastriji.
It would be pleasing to know how well Shastriji wrote and
how correctly he wrote. A friend of mine, a proofreader by
profession, told me this anecdote. In the past, the books were
composed by the typesetter. The proofreader said that he was
fortunate to compose a hand-written manuscript from Shastriji,
which ranged over thousands of pages. Describing his
experience, he said that this manuscript had thousands of pages,
yet I could locate not even a single error, not one. You can
imagine from this fact how conscious he was while writing. How
much effort he made in his writing, was due to the fact that he
had not missed even a single Matra – small or big – anywhere;
completely errorfree. It is simply something great. There are
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many dimensions of his personality. There must be numerous
people like me who are blessed by him. His fatherly life will
continue to support and inspire us throughout our lives. He is
an invaluable treasure for the people of Gujarat, and it is natural
for all people to take pride in him.
Learn to Live Life
The life of Shastriji will continue to inspire us for numerous
years. His works will continue to teach us for years to come.
Once in a village came a Vaidyaraj (native medicine man).
It was natural for the medicine man to visit different villages;
he would stay at one village for months together, treat people
and serve the people of the adjoining villages. When he was in
a village, he researched on medicinal herbs and plants, and
utilized the medicines on the suffering people. One day, he came
across a leper.
He said, “Vaidyaraj, my life is as good as wasted. How ugly
I look! What will happen to my life? My social life is as good as
finished.”
The Vaidyaraj said, “There is a medicine which can cure
your problem, but you will have to keep self-control.”
The leper said, “I am ready to observe self-control if I can
rid of this illness.”
The Vaidyaraj said, “Think seven times before coming back
to me.”
Next day, the leper came back. The Vaidyaraj told him about
the type of self-control, gave him medicine which was a village
herb, explained it and said, “You have to eat khichdi (rice and
pulse mixed together) daily after mixing a spoonful of Arandi
(castor) oil in it.”
The Vaidyaraj explained to him everything and left for
another village. Twenty years later, he happened to visit the
same village again. A person came and bowed before him in all
reverence, and said, “Vaidyaraj, did you recognize me? You
visited this village twenty years ago. I was a leper boy at that
time. You had told me the treatment. I am that leper.”
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The Vaidyaraj said, “It’s wonderful, you have no spot on
the body. Did you observe self-control?”
The man said, “I am observing self-control even now.”
The Vaidyaraj bowed before him and said, “You are the
pupil for whom my experience proved worthy.”
He had said that the Hindus are tolerant, and they would remain
so in the future too. But being tolerant does not mean that they
would not protect themselves. Terrorism is spreading its wings
for the past few years. Looking at this threat, the Hindus will have
to be active to protect themselves, else the coming days will prove
a threat to them.
The worth, the value of medicine lay in the patient. How
great Shastriji was! Shastriji gave us much, but how much of it
we have abided by, how we have lived of it, how much of it has
been proven worthy. The Vaidyaraj was content that his
medicine was true and effective, he had got a patient to test his
medicine. It was his medicine that taught him to live. Let us
learn this fact by living as per the teachings of Shastriji.
National Heritage
I can recall that his centenary birth anniversary was
organized by the State Government. He was always cautious
lest he should disrespect the person who invited him at the age
of 101 years. Consequently, it was quite simple for the State
Government to hold his centenary birth anniversary. We could
hold different types of programmes, yajnas, talks on the country’s
cultural and other topics, and all these could occur only due to
the Man. Shastriji.
In the programme, when Shastriji stood up to speak, he
asked the person looking after the sound system, “Brother, keep
the mike away, in this ripe age, I am afraid that everybody would
not be able to hear me.”
I requested him, “Shastriji, please sit down and speak.”
At this, he said, “All my life I have stood and taught, so I
shall speak while standing.” Every aspect of his personality was
wonderful, and it was a source of his energy.
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There is a large section of people who have infinite faith in
Shastriji. We all have experienced that when aged people of the
social life meet, they often talk, “When I was young, I went to a
particular village where I saw a particular thing,” and the like.
An individual may grow in age and status, yet his memories
keep coming back to him at all times.
I can recall that once Atal Behari Vajpayee described an
incident in a very emotional tone. He said, “When I was young,
I had joined the Hindu movement, and Sardar Patel had come
to Gwalior to attend a celebration holding the integration of a
native state into India. I can remember that glorious face of
Sardar Patel even today, it was a memorial moment of my life.”
It feels good to say such things. Friends, it appears to me that
people would quite often recall that they were present in the
celebration to honour Shastriji when he was 101 years.
There can be no greater joy, greater moment in life than
this. I can say that it is a great revolutionary moment. It is a nice
opportunity to sit at the feet of the cultural heritage. Every
moment of the elderly is our national heritage.
Just as for Mahatma Gandhi his life was his message, we
can say for Shastriji that his devotion to work was his life. It
was always filled with joy, vitality, karma. If you peeped into
his life, you would for sure find something new to learn every
time. He abided by the tradition of change; he did not hold
orthodox views. He was religious, but he did not favour those
who limited the religion into a small bag. It is due to this reason
that he devoted his life to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad right since
the year of its founding; there is no exaggeration to claim so.
Shastriji was associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad,
so many laureates were unhappy with him; but Shastriji never
cared about them. He always cared for the welfare of the
Hinduism.
When riots broke out after the Godhara massacre, Shastriji
was the head of the Gujarat chapter of the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad. He advocated for the welfare of Gujarat at that time.
In an interview to a newspaper, he stated: “After the Gujarat
riots, it is the television channels and national newspapers that
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have spoiled the image of Gujarat. They did not lay stress on
the Godhara massacre, but on the riots that broke out as a result
of it, and showed the world in exaggerative terms, and it has
harmed the interests of Gujarat.” He said, “These channels will
prove very harmful for the Indian culture.” Shastriji exhorted
the Hindus to awaken in a very patient manner.
It is difficult to describe all that he has worked for, all that literature
he has created, all that history he has discovered, all that
archaeological discovery he gave to Gujarat. It was no difficult
proposition for him to maintain a car at home; his family, his
children were all in America. Had he wished, God gave him
everything to lead a comfortable life, but Shastriji lived like a lotus
in water; no greed – no avarice ever touched him. We can see in
him the aspects of his life that are firmed up in him.
He said that the Hindus were tolerant and would remain
so in the future too. But tolerance did not mean that they would
not protect themselves and safeguard their own interests.
Looking at the spreading threat of terrorism, it has become
inevitable for the Hindus to be aware, else the coming days may
spell doom for them.
We have heard much about our ancient saints and seers
that they were like this and that. As soon as we hear of the term
‘rishi’ (sage), an image comes to our mind of an individual with
a long beard, long hair, sitting in solitude in the forest; but the
reality is far from it. All the rishis that we have had in the ancient
time, were all scientists. They have explored learning in one or
the other aspect and have contributed something or the other
to the society. The entire rishi tradition has followed this ideal.
There are two people in the modern times, whom I
continuously remember, who led the life of a rishi. One was
Pandit Satavalekar, and the other was Shastriji. Look at the
qualities of both of them. Satavalekarji gave up this mortal body
at the age of 103 years. When we were celebrating the centenary
birth anniversary of Satvalekarji, the Param Pujya Guruji was
scheduled to attend the ceremony as the chairman. Pandit
Satavalekar delivered a speech in that programme. At that time,
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Guruji was about 55-57 years of age. Pandit Satavalekar said in
his speech: “I shall chair the celebration that will be held to
celebrate Guruji’s centenary birth anniversary.” You can imagine
how wonderful his self-confidence was.
Shastriji assimilated Gita in his Life
…And the other rishi-like Shastriji had assimilated the Gita
fully. Reading the Gita, reciting its shlokas, remembering Lord
Krishna every Janmashtami with the slogan ‘Sambhavami Yuge
Yuge’ have become as good as our habits. Learning the shlokas
of the Gita makes us feel as if we have mastered the Karmayoga,
and we looked around ourselves proudly at this
accomplishment. However, the principles of the Gita were truly
mastered and assimilated by Shastriji; he learnt them and tried
to put them into practice in his life.
What kind of life a person, who has assimilated the Gita,
lives, is unfolded before me through two instances spent with
him.
When the lottery system was started, I don’t know how
many of you know, that the first winner for one crore lottery
belonged to Shastriji’s family. And then I went to meet him, I
did not go there to seek any funds, but it was a matter of
happiness. The person who won the lottery was related to the
Brahmin family. I went to meet him. There was nothing in his
speech or behaviour that could make us feel about the one crore
lottery, while all the newspapers in Gujarat carried this news.
Shastriji remained a simple and egoless person. This instance
occurred about 35-40 years ago.
The other experience relates to the occasion when the Man.
Ba, Shastriji’s wife died. It is a terrible moment in the life of a
householder whose spouse departs in the advanced stage of
life. The married people can understand this fact well. At that
time, I was out of Gujarat. I was equally closely related to Ba
and was so moved by this news that I headed to his house from
Delhi. I supposed that the environment would be gloomy. But
when I reached there, I found him writing a book. It was hardly
the third or fourth day. I sat for a while. He was unwell, still we
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talked on all types of topics. He was completely detached from
the worldly affairs, as if he were talking about the Gupta dynasty
or Mauryan period. He said, “Come, sit here, brother. Your Ba
has left this Prasad for you.” I was in Delhi, yet Ba used to send
besan laddoos (a type of sweet). Even Shastriji remembered this
fact, he used to say, “O, you have a child there, send him too.”
When I reached there on the fourth day, I found that my packet
of sweets was kept there in all readiness. Shastriji did not forget
to place that packet in my hand and said, “Take it, your Ba has
left it for you, but it is for the final time.” He was detached from
the worldly affairs after he had assimilated the Gita in his speech
and deed, and it is no trivial thing. Maybe we might not
understand its sense during the course of description, but it
was no insignificant matter.
He loved me as a father should, I too felt like his son, and
so we sometimes quarrelled in that capacity. I shall tell you a
very interesting instance. Shastriji was in the advancing stage
of his, still he did not like to give up the bicycle. We thought
much, yet he did not allow any of our tricks to succeed. At the
age of 85 years even, he used to go to B.J. Vidya Bhavan riding a
bicycle. One day, he met an accident near the railway crossing,
he suffered from a fracture. Now, taking advantage of this
incident, I rightfully said to him as a son, “Now stop riding this
cycle. You have a broken bone, and the cycle has a broken
handle, just think so.” It was only then that everybody’s wish to
stop his cycling was fulfilled.
It appeared as if the devotee of the ‘letter’ had seen God
through the power of learning. The twenty-first century is
considered to be the century of knowledge. Knowledge is being
revealed. Shastriji was devoted to knowledge for decades. He
knew, identified and experienced every word, and made others
feel their taste too. But he never wished to find out time for any
material pleasures or entertainment. When I became the Chief
Minister, I was thinking about Shastriji one day, “How detached
he is! He could have well rung me up because of his fatherly
right, but he never recommended me anything. Nor did he say,
‘Do this or don’t do that, or take notice of it.’”
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But he was always aware of all my activities, which I
discovered one day by his telephone call. He rang me up, “I am
sending the laddoos.” I asked, “Why, what for?”
Then he said, “I am sending them because of some special
reason.”
I asked, “Why?”
He said, “Because you are bringing the Narmada water into
my Mangrol.”
He was detached and destitute, yet he was extremely happy
at my love for the nation and the facilities being created for the
people. This childlike saint, who lived like a lotus in the water,
who had abandoned his guru’s ashram as far back as 60-70 years,
still he could sit in Ahmedabad and enjoy the facilities being
created for the countrymen.
It is worth to know the secret behind Shastriji’s laddoos.
His laddoos occupy a special significance in my life. He is not
alive today, so there is none else who could trouble him, and
due to this fact, there is no obstacle to reveal this secret. We
took out a number of yatras – Somnath Yatra, Ekata Yatra, Gaurav
Yatra and the like. And during these yatras, the journalists often
asked one thing, “Narendrabhai, how is it that you are never
tired? You work for the whole day, yet remain so fresh, how
does this happen?”
That mystery lies in the packet containing laddoos from
Shastriji. The family of Shastriji had accepted me like their own
family member, so I used to access the kitchen to meet Ba. And
then, wherever I might be, she would ensure to deliver me the
packet, and she gave me the benefit of the laddoos until her
last. Ba’s laddoos pervaded through with her infinite affection
and love, which infused a new life and energy into my body.
Devotion to Work
As he was detached to life, so he was devoted to work
without any desire in return.
It is hard to describe his devotion, the literature he created,
the history he discovered, the archaeological gifts he gave to
Gujarat. It was no difficult proposition for him to maintain a
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car at home. He had his children and family in America. God
showered on him everything had he wished to live a life of
comfort, but he lived the life of a lotus in water. Nothing such
could touch him. We can witness the things that had firmed up
in his life.
We often say for different people: “So and so works for 18
hours a day and so and so works for 16 hours a day.” They meant
to say that they did not know when time passed while working.
I experienced the value or extent of 18 hours for the first time
when I was travelling with Shastriji.
We hired a matador (a passenger transport) to visit Eklinglji
temple in Udiapur. On the way, whenever there came a railway
crossing and the matador had to stop for some time waiting for
the railway gate to open, during such brief intervals, Shastriji
would take out some papers from his bag and start to write
something, and he would stop writing as soon as the matador
took to road once again, and keep the papers back in his bag. I
had seen with my own eyes how he utilized every minute of
the 18 hours. When he was writing some letters, and if we asked
something, he would stop his hand and talk to us in a quite
natural tone; he never said that we had disturbed him, or
interrupted him, or that he did not wish to talk. So childlike
and devoted his life was.
We visited Abu once. We found it difficult to locate a place
to stay. We went to Raghunathji Temple. The rooms there were
all full of Gujarati community. I was thinking that some
arrangement would help Shastriji get a rest; but it eluded us
there. When I returned, I found that Shastriji had spread his
sheet on the floor and was sleeping comfortably with his little
bag lying near him. I was worried that he would get cold in
Abu, but he was sleeping in all comfort in the open. And in the
morning, he rose early, took a bath in the Nakhilek Pond in
such a chilly cold weather of Abu, and then sat down to pray
Lord Krishna.
As if God Himself had consecrated this Karmayogi to live
the life of a rishi, with all hard work and dedication. He had
crossed eighty years of his life, but this life is meant for action,
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and I have seen this being implemented by him with my own
eyes.
He lived a life of a destitute, yet his humour kept the
surrounding atmosphere lively. There is an anecdote. He had
some trouble in his eyes. Somebody said, “Dada, you have red
eyes. Have you shown it to some doctor?” Shastriji said, “A
young man always has fiery eyes.”
He considered himself a youth even at the age of one
hundred years. Shastriji observed punctuality quite strictly.
Scholar on Water
Water was his favourite topic. He knew well about the
discovery of water, traditional methods of water, water cycle,
and other related topics. Therefore, the state government got a
major project accomplished by him. This work of his is an
invaluable treasure for Gujarat. It is very useful for the
hydrologists. Through his research, he placed before the people
of Gujarat the information about the traditional sources of water,
effective methods of water conservation and other related
matters. It has helped Gujarat to possess a wonderful book.
Due to his interest in water, a movement was launched to
discover the Saraswati, which has now been lost underground.
I got an opportunity to be with him in our journey from the
Rajasthan border to Nal Sarovar.
This team comprised historians, archaeologists, intellectuals
of India and the like, but the oldest in the team was Shastriji.
During the entire course of tour, he would see something from
far, and he would say loudly, “Brother, look there is an egg. Go
and bring it.” And then he would speak as if the stone was
introducing itself, he would say: “Look, this stone belongs to
this particular era, and this egg appears to be its leftover. Life
must have existed here once, and it must have been due to the
flow of the river.” And doing this, he led the team right until
Nal Sarovar.
The working committee, working in the field of historical
research, is still busy with this project, in which Shastriji has
contributed significantly. Maybe, if a tubewell is sourced into
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the lost flow of the Saraswati river, we might get its flow once
again, such has been the conclusion of all the scholars. Some
work has also been done in that expanse of Rajasthan. He did
not take up this project from historical perspective, or from the
window of archaeology; he took up this project in order to attain
the modern form of the aspects that could touch the liveliness
of social life, and to deliver its benefits to the common people.
Light of Perseverance
An individual, who perseveres, and not works, for as long
as eighteen hours a day, he possessed wonderful regularity,
spontaneity and clarity of ideas. The organisation of a ‘Sangh
Shiksha Varga’ in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has a
special significance. During the summer vacation, when the
people tend to rest and enjoy the free time in the rising
temperature ranging between 40-50 degrees, the volunteers of
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are busy undertaking hard
penance to worship the nation. The Varga lasting thirty days is
like ‘Sadhana’, an act of perseverance. There is a tradition in
the Varga to appoint the prestigious people of the society as the
Sarvadhikari or the highest officer. In 1972, the Sangh Shiksha
Varga was being held in Ahmedabad. The Man. Shastriji had
been selected as the Sarvadhikari. Generally, a Sarvadhikari
lived in the Varga full time, but the Sangh had allowed a
relaxation in the rules for the first time, it was to bring Shastriji
to the Varga at noon. He attended the Bauddhik Varga. Shastriji
used to come by scooter to attend the OTC when it was as hot
as 44 degrees. A scooter was sent for him, he used to ride pillion.
When he stepped into the Varga, he was so lively that he would
lighten the entire atmosphere; he would conduct himself such
that nobody knew how the time passed. He would leave at half
past four saying, “I have to go to temple.” He never came late,
even by a minute, nor did he absent himself on any day, nor
was he indifferent or unhappy on any day. All these aspects of
his personality are like the light of Tapasya or perseverance.
He never allowed sloth to come anywhere near him. He
delivered his message in one sentence: “If you have to progress
in life, you have to be active all the time.”
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Bones in Havan
Our thinking – our way of thinking has been the target of
all people’s inflamed sight. Had it been any other country where
such unique, such rishi-like good person lived, he would be
honoured with a number of titles as the “world’s man” or
“world’s dignitary” or the like, sometimes even leading to the
Nobel prize; but it is our misfortune that our views are so narrow
that we feel trivial when we talk of good things or accept them.
We even take pure gold for ordinary metal in order to degrade it.
We were celebrating the centenary programme for Shastriji.
People started to put bones in the havan. I had to regrettably
remark, “What type of deformed mentality this is! People are
feeling bad when Shastriji is being honoured. It is quite
unfortunate, friends, it is absolutely unfortunate. Either you are
living in ignorance, or you don’t know that he is an invaluable
gem of Gujarat. You are not able to assess him, or you are the
victim of deformed mentality. I feel pity on you. You must have
stood by us when such a large celebration is underway. It would
have illuminated to its glory had it been joined by people from
the opposition camp. But instead, you are doing such things,
aren’t you? You are pointing out why the government is doing
this. Why is the government doing all this with the public
money? A great man who has given so much to Gujarat, isn’t it
good for Gujarat to give him something in return? Friends, he
is the honour of Gujarat.
“He is the gentleman who brought the remains of Shyamji
Krishna Varma to India – the same leading light of Gujarat – a
revolutionary – Shyamji Krishna Varma. He gave the nation the
volunteers who fought for freedom of the country, yet his
remains kept waiting on the foreign soil for the son of the soil
to come and carry them back to India. You never thought of
this, but when we did, we accomplished the task. You
propagated that you would not offer floral tributes to the
remains of Shyamji Krishna Varma. This son of Mother India
sacrificed his life for the sake of freedom of Mother India, yet
you are feeling ashamed on even offering flowers to his remains.
Such is your deformed mentality.
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“Not only this, friends, when the freedom fighter Veer
Savarkar, the excellent litterateur, who gave invaluable literature
to this country, suffered the punishment of two life
imprisonments in the same life, all three brothers of his family
sacrificed themselves for the sake of Mother India, and when
his picture was adorned in the Parliament in Delhi, you said
that you would boycott it. Is it proper to disrespect the great
people? Such deformed mentality! All those who, in public life,
have contributed to the service of the Motherland, are
honourable, are adorable.
“Today, we honour Pandit Nehru. It was due to his thinking
that the country, Mother India, suffered partition, we are feeling
the pinch of which even today, yet the good deeds that he
accomplished for the country, we feel proud of them. In the
same way, the expression and demonstration of such narrow
views in public for a precious gem of Gujarat cannot be
acceptable. Such disrespect cannot be meted out to him in public
life. Great people must be venerated. We must revere their
greatness in order to attain a bit of it. We may have diverse
views, difference of opinion is natural in a democracy, but there
cannot be a place for hatred.”
Had Shastriji lived in some other country, and had his
centenary birth anniversary been celebrated, the television
channels from all over the world, the doctors from all over the
world, the psychologists from all over the world would have
thronged before him in a long queue to know the mystery of
such a life. But why in our country do we lag behind? Why do
we miss such things? I don’t know, but Shastriji’s life can be a
source of curiosity for any one. It is an infinite treasure of
learning. You might have seen a number of scholars, yet you
will find him distinct from them all. We can feel the touch of
insignificant things in him and his joy and vitality for them.
Even when Shastriji suffered a fracture in the hand, he set
out to vote in the Ahmedabad municipal corporation elections
despite his ripe age of one hundred years. It was amazing to
note that he did not have his name in two voting booths, and
then he headed for the Civic Centre in the Law Garden in order
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to cast his vote by the computer. On this occasion, a laureate
was with him who was getting rueful about the voting booth.
“You need not get angry at this, the time to vote is still there.
We shall certainly locate the voting booth and cast our vote
today.”
When the history of democracy is written, the fact will be
annotated in it that Shastriji went to vote at the age of one
hundred years.
The centenary year of the Man. Shastriji was celebrated by
the State Government throughout the year. We took pride in
disseminating the inspiration of Shastriji’s Sadhana to the future
generations of Gujarat, and for this purpose, this celebration
was held from place to place. It was a humble effort on our part
to preserve the ideology of the Man. Shastriji for the coming
generations. The state government is resolved to undertake all
endeavours within its limits to ornate Shastriji’s attachment to
Sanskrit. In the days to come, we shall keep making effort in
order to bring to the future generations of Gujarat the precious
treasure that Shastriji has left behind him for them.
Shastriji wrote 250 books, 1500 articles and was bestowed
with the Padmashree, Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak and other
awards and the title of Yuga Rishi. “Shastriji, is anything more
left in life now?” Somebody asked him. At this, Shastriji, who
lived life like that of a student, remarked, “Yes, I am yet to learn
computer.”
At the age of one hundred and one years, he regretted that
he was yet to learn computer. But his health did not allow him.
In the centenary celebration programme too, he expressed this
regret, “I have to learn computer, but my health does not allow
me.” This wish of Shastriji remained unfulfilled.
Lived for Death Too
Shastriji gave up this mortal body at the age of one hundred
and one years. However, he did not allow his age or condition
to overcome his Karmayoga right until the final moment of his
life. He was as lively at his final moment as he had ever been.
Shastriji was a follower of the Vaishnav tradition, therefore,
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before he breathed his last, he asked for the photograph of
Srinathji Baba. He prayed to him and then said, “O God, send
for me now.” And then within half an hour from that instant,
he took a deep breath and left for the heavenly abode. It was
the impact of his Tapa or penance, his Rishitva (the quality of
being a sage). An individual can live as he may wish, but he
cannot attain death as he may wish. Shastriji lived his life as
well as his death as he wished.
Shastriji has left behind him three sons and four daughters.
His family comprises a total of fifty-three members. His fifth
generation too exists in this world. That is, he has frolicked with
the son of the son of his son. Shastriji had witnessed his father
and his grandfather too. Thus, he has been a witness to his eight
generations in his blood relations.
The centenarian Shastriji had assimilated the true
philosophy of life in him. He lived every moment of his life as
the true representative of the Hindu culture. There is no one
who can match Shastriji not only in the field of studying the
Vedas and culture, but also in the fields of research and
culturisation as well as accumulation of learning. He lived for
one hundred years a Sattvik (positive, pure) life of a Karmayogi
and became a source of inspiration to others. His mortal remain
might have blended into the five basic elements, yet his
illuminative soul would ever remain etched in our memory.
He never felt despaired even in the hardest moments of
his life. He remained a true optimist all his life, and this attitude
towards life is worth imitation by us in our lives.
The state government celebrated the centenary
programmes in his honour, and wished to hold such
programmes which could inspire the future generations.
The project undertaken by the State Government to honour
Shastriji in public was a timely action. In this way, we have
honoured an ideal personality, perseverant scholar and learned
man. Had we omitted to hold this programme, this error would
have been counted amongst the blots in the honour of Gujarat.
We are fortunate that we could get this opportunity and I
consider it an important moment in my life. He would continue
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to be a guiding star for the future generations in Gujarat. The
treasure of learning that he has revealed would continue to
remain a bright chapter in the pride of Gujarat, I am of this
clear view.
In my life, I feel the presence of Shastriji every moment.
Narsingh Mehta wrote the ‘Vaishnava Jana’ 400 years ago, but
Shastriji lived it in true sense of the word. He was not a pessimist,
he remained an optimist forever. He lived a life of self-
confidence, and faced every moment of life in delight. We have
to adopt his spirit of optimism into our lives. Had we been living
in some other country, his name would be embossed in golden
letters. I am satisfied that the state government has celebrated
the centenary anniversary for this great seer; and it would
continue to make such effort and undertake such projects that
would inspire the future generations with his works.
A Tapasvi (Saint) continues to march towards his divine goal
all his life, he devotes himself in the inerasable immortal
element, with a desire to sacrifice everything; and he
proceeds ahead with the eternal vow of life.
Sangh Yogi Vakil Saheb
Lakshmanrao Inamdar
There will be few people who know the name of Lakshman Madhav
Inamdar; however, as soon as you say Vakil Saheb, you will find
that he was popular not only in towns but also in remote villages.
Lakshmanrao Inamdar became our Vakil Saheb, and behind it was
his Tapasya, his penance, his perseverance.
Shakespeare has written at one place, “What is in a name?
Call a rose by any other name, its fragrance will still be there.”
This statement of Shakespeare has an element of substance to
some extent, but this rule is not completely true. Name is also
very important. For example, take the name of Ravishankar
Shivram Vyas. This name does not stir anything in us, but as
soon as we say Ravishankar Maharaj, we have before our eyes
the image of a great Tapasvi (sage) who crossed over forests and
mountains to manifest the lamp of humanity. When we say the
name of Amritlal Vitthaldas Thakkar, it appears that we have
nothing to do with this name, yet as soon as we utter Thakkar
Bapa, a wonderful sentiment starts to take shape within us. We
bow before this Karmayogi who saw God in the poor and
thought it the most sacred act to serve them.
Much in the same way, there are few people in Gujarat who
might know about Lakshman Madhav Inamdar. However, when
you say Vakil Saheb, you find that he was popular not only in
towns but also in villages. You will find people who identify
him as their own. It was no magic when Ravishankar Shivram
Vyas transformed into Ravishankar Maharaj or Amritlal
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Vitthaldas Thakkar into Thakkar Bappa. It was the impact of
their prolonged hard work. In the same way, when Lakshmanrao
Inamdar transformed into Vakil Saheb, it was because of his
Tapasya, untiring hard work and complete harmony with his
work.
History is witness to the fact that the life of this ‘Tapasvi’
has passed through numerous ups and downs. The influence
of family situation and social environment too is perceptible. It
was no easy task to measure the prevalent events in the scale of
truth, and then transform the high ideals emerging from these
events in order to brighten them further. When we look at the
childhood of Vakil Saheb, we find just this fact.
Vakil Saheb was born at a village called Khatao in Satara
district of Maharashtra. His father was Madhavrao. His surname
was Khataokar, which later changed into Inamdar. There is a
history behind this too. There was a tradition in Maharashtra
of bestowing some important village or land as an Inam (prize)
to an individual or family that did distinguished service to the
Swaraj. A forefather of Vakil Saheb, Krishnarao Khataokar too
had served the Swaraj in such manner, so Chhatrapati Shahuji
Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and grandson
of Shivaji Maharaj, bestowed on him the title of ‘Sardar’ and
granted him some land. A part of the revenue earned from the
prized land was given to the awardee. With the passage of time,
the Inam or prize vanished, but the title of Inamdar remained.
If you don’t deviate from your path,
You can attain everything, O dear.
You too can attain zenith,
And can touch the stars in the sky.
Vakil Saheb was born on 21 September, 1917. According to
the Indian Lunar calendar, it was the day of Bhadrapad Sudi
Panchami or Rishi Panchami. Vakil Saheb had seven brothers
and two sisters, and among the brothers, Vakil Saheb was the
third.
The family of Vakil Saheb’s father was quite large. Of six
sisters of his father Madhavrao, four had become widow and
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came to stay in the parental house with their children.
Madhavrao was a canal inspector. He was often transferred from
one village to the next, so the family lived at Khatao itself.
Vakil Saheb’s school education started a little late. Those
days, a child was admitted to a school after he attained the age
of seven years, so it was not possible to get him admitted early.
In 1923, his father was transferred to Dudhondi village near
Kirloskarvadi. He secured admission in a school there. He
studied there for two years, and then returned to his grandfather
at Khatao.
Vakil Saheb’s father had hired a house at Satara in
Maharashtra state for children’s education. After he completed
his fourth standard, Vakil Saheb too went there. In 1929, he was
admitted to the New English School in Satara.
The Inamdar family had to face financial constraints due
to honest means of income and large family, which was quite
natural. However, it led to some far-reaching advantages too.
There were so many people in the family, each having his unique
nature and understanding, each distinct in age and maturity,
yet they all were his own, so it was natural to undergo some
hardship for their sake. However, it was a source of joy too. He
cultivated this precious trait right from childhood. If we look
carefully, we will find that the entire Hindu family is our own
family; this pillar of the Sangh’s teaching has been inculcated in
this age.
Vakil Saheb’s direct social life commenced from Satara, we
can say so. He was practising in Satara, and he lived with his
peer group. Vakil Saheb was very fond of physical exercise right
from his childhood. He had special interest in forming sports
associations and holding different types of programmes. He was
an expert player of kabaddi and kho-kho. He had been the Sangh
Nayak on a few occasions, and he had won a number of prizes
in sports events. Winning prizes in the sports arena with his
hard work helped him realize the real sense of his title.
Bhaganagar Satyagraha
In such trying times, Vakil Saheb moved towards his goal.
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He had to divide his time between his practice and Sangh work.
Having passed the intermediate in Arts stream, he took
admission to the LLB course and passed the first year. In the
meantime, a Satyagraha was started at Bhaganagar (Hyderabad)
in 1939. The question may arise—Why did this Satyagraha
begin? Who started it? Before Vakil Saheb joined this Satyagraha,
it would be essential to look at the previous events.
There was a time when there were about five hundred and
fifty princely states in India. One of which was Hyderabad. It
was a large state. The problem was that the majority of the
subjects were Hindus while the ruler was a Muslim; not only
this, the ruler was so cruel and atrocious that the Nizam’s rule
had become synonymous to an atrocious state. The people there
tried to oppose and protest against the atrocious rule, but the
Nizam put down each of these attempts. In 1937, provincial
autonomy was granted, under which the states began their ‘own
rule’. However, the people of Hyderabad continued to be
oppressed. Therefore, the people started a movement for
autonomy. In place of sympathetically considering the demands
of the people, inhuman atrocities were inflicted upon the people
by the police, paramilitary forces and united zamindars
(landlords). There was rumour that the Nizam had a great dump
of ammunition, and because the ruler was a Muslim, the
Congress preferred to keep mum. Ultimately, the great freedom
fighter, Savarkar started the peaceful protest against the Nizam.
Later, the Arya Samaj too joined the movement. On the call of
Veer Savarkar, the teams of Satyagrahis from every nook and
corner of the country started to pour into Hyderabad. At that
time, under the leadership of Late L.B. Bhopatkar, a well-known
lawyer of Poona and Chairman of the Hindu Mahasabha, about
one hundred and fifty youths joined the Satyagraha. Vakil Saheb
abandoned his LLB midway and joined the Satyagraha team
body and soul.
Prant Swayamsevak
At the root of success of the Sangh work lies continuous
work, which occupies an important place. There has been a
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tradition of devoting to the Sangh work as much time as possible.
New schemes were often formulated in order to motivate the
Swayamsevaks for more Sangh work. One such scheme was the
Prant Swayamsevak. Under this, a Swayamsevak had to go to a
specified place for at least one year to work as the Pracharak.
Under such a scheme, a number of Swayamsevaks from
Maharashtra came forward to work as the Prant Swayamsevak.
Thus, the environment of the Sangh pervaded all around. As if
a competition had been launched to come forward as a
Pracharak; and how could Vakil Saheb lag behind? Under this
scheme, he arrived at Navsari in Gujarat in 1943. He was only
twenty-five years of age at that time.
Onset of the Golden Chapter
There is a song in the Sangh: “It is easy to take a vow, it is
difficult to abide by it.” However, Vakil Saheb chose this difficult
path for himself. A novel chapter commenced in his life. If we
take into consideration the events that were to be unfolded soon,
we will be bound to say that a new chapter had begun in the
history of Gujarat, a chapter that is adequate to be written in
golden letters.
His idealistic way of life begins from an incident. Two
Swayamsevaks who were attending a Sangh camp went to take
a bath and were drowned. Vakil Saheb was very sorry that he
could not save them. He thought in his mind that it would have
been better for he himself to have drowned. The family members
of the dead Swayamsevaks were greatly anguished, they uttered
a number of bitter words for Vakil Saheb, which he heard
patiently and tried to console them. Consoling the mother of a
Swayamsevak named Lakshman, he said, “Mami, your
Lakshman has gone, but now I am your Lakshman.” Vakil Saheb
addressed the mother of Lakshman as Mami. Vakil Saheb
followed this vow right until Mami lived.
Testing Times
In 1952, the young Vakil Saheb took over the reigns of the
Sangh there. It was no easy task to expand the scope of the Sangh
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after such a long ban. Several Pracharaks had to go back to their
work in order to mitigate their financial difficulties, and the
number of volunteers had nosedived to twenty; everything
seemed to have undergone a change after independence. It was
our own government, the mass opinion had been formulated
into narrow bonds, and to take forward the Sangh work in such
a hostile environment was no easy task. The young Vakil Saheb
worked with patience and insight. These qualities of him helped
to prosper the Sangh work; and in a period of just 3-4 years, the
Sangh Shakhas started to function at over 150 places as before.
The Shiksha Vargas, held annually, were participated by 150-
200 young Swayamsevaks.
Sadhana of a Sangh Yogi
The people who came into the contact of Vakil Saheb found
the revelation of a personality – untiring, motivating, impressive
and pleasant – and all this gave them an impression that he was
the master of some unique power.
Vakil Sahib was very regular so far as exercise, meditation,
Pranayam (yoga), recitation of the Gita and weekly fasting were
concerned. He had never dreamt of achieving something divine
by his spiritual devotion. Nor had he made any effort in that
direction.
“If you are insisting so much then I shall keep this money with
me. We run a medical centre for the poor friends, we shall use this
money in that. Is it okay? Isn’t it that you wanted this money to
be utilized to look after the health?” He took this money with these
words. The Swayamsevak too felt contented.
Never Waver from Vow
We think of divine tasks undertaken by people like Vakil
Saheb in a different way too. We suppose that such people attain
such heights due to their traits and deeds of the previous birth.
Such great people are adorable and venerable for us. We
ordinary beings can never scale such heights as them; this is
nothing but a hollow argument to conceal our weakness.
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Generally, all people live with this assumption. But our thinking
is that ‘if man acts, he can transform into God from man’. These
two views don’t match with each other. The personality of Vakil
Saheb, in fact, was:
Digo na apane pran se to fir
Sabkuchh pa sakte ho pyare,
Tum bhi oonche ban sakte ho
Chhoo sakte ho nabh ke tare.
(If you didn’t waver from your resolve, you could realize
everything; you too could become exalted and could touch the
stars.)
In these lines, you can clearly see the evidence of assurance.
The views that the Man. Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras had
expressed while paying a tribute to the late Vakil Saheb manifest
the divine qualities of Vakil Saheb. They reveal the mystery
behind these qualities. The Man. Bala Saheb said: “A few of the
qualities were certainly innate and inherited ones, but the entire
range of qualities that we see in him, were certainly cultivated
by him through continuous effort. An individual is bound to
attain the divine qualities only through ardent effort.
In cultivating traits in the Swayamsevaks, several factors
contribute significantly including the ideal conduct of the
officials besides private conversations, meetings and intellectual
discussions. They all leave profound impact on them. During
such conversations and meetings, Vakil Saheb used to explain a
point through the use of suitable illustrations from daily life,
which would make anyone learn and assimilate the point quite
easily. In this context, there is a memorable example. Vakil Saheb
wished to assign a Swayamsevak with the responsibility of
editorship for a weekly. The Swayamsevak was knowledgeable,
but he had little experience of this field; so, he was unwilling to
take up this responsibility. Vakil Saheb said to him, “You are
right, I agree, but it is essential that somebody take the post of
the editor. As it is, you are bound to face some difficulties when
you enter a new field. Just take experience for a few days. If
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you are able to do it, well, else it’s no problem.” The
Swayamsevak accepted this advice from Vakil Saheb and took
over the responsibility. Today, he is counted one amongst the
best editors.
Wide Contacts
A great characteristic of Vakil Saheb was his wide range of
contacts. Even after he rose to the post of Kshetra Pracharak
and then an official of the all-India level, he used to be busy
expanding his contacts during his visits. He never looked away
from any opportunity in which he was required to visit a former
Swayamsevak’s family. It was his special feature. Even while he
was touring with high all-India level officers such as the Man.
Sarsanghchalak, he would ensure to take time out to visit the
families of new and old Swayamsevaks as soon as the scheduled
assignments were over. Due to his wide contacts, he became a
symbol of infinite affection and unfathomable attachment in
the Gujarat Sangh family.
A Gentleman
During his long stint of thirty-five years, he held a number
of responsibilities. He directed the Sangh work from 1952 to
1973, first as a Prant Pracharak in Gujarat, and then as a Kshetra
Pracharak (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Nagpur, Vidarbha).
When a ban was imposed in 1948, the volunteers had to
face great many difficulties. It was a question of life and death
for the Swayamsevaks from Maharashtra who were then
working in Gujarat. In such a time, he remained underground
in order to successfully run the Satyagraha against the ban
imposed on the Sangh. This type of another calamity befell in
1975 when the emergency was imposed. At that difficult time
too, he had efficiently guided the Sangh in order to achieve the
specified outcome. During both these struggles, the
Swayamsevaks had witnessed his bottomless patience.
He possessed this type of Tapasvi or perseverant
personality; he was ever ready for the development of and
sympathy for the co-Swayamsevaks. If an error was ever
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committed by a Swayamsevak, whether big or small, he would
feel no anguish, he would never agitate, and would just say
‘Bhala…manas’ (gentleman), as if this utterance was a more
effective word to rebuke somebody. He had a wonderful nature
to worry for even the youngest Swayamsevak.
Namaste-Namaste
The fascinating personality of Vakil Saheb was the focus of
inspiration for a great number of youths. A royal person,
influenced by his personality, once said, “This boy passed by
my office in order to attend the Shakha. I once introduced with
him. And then, it became a part of his routine to visit my office
and say ‘Namaste-Namaste’. I too was attracted to him infinitely.
I offered him soda sometimes. I never knew that this youth
saying ‘Namaste-Namaste’ would transform my entire life. And
today in reality, I feel proud when I sit at his feet.
Sangh Work is Lifelong, Do This for Now!
In the year 1971, the Sangh Shiksha Varga was held at
Vivekananda High School in Junagarh. A Swayamsevak
attended it as a teacher. The Param Pujya Guruji arrived in the
Varga between 16-18 May. After this, he started off to visit
another Varga in some other state. Soon after his departure, Vakil
Saheb called that Swayamsevak in his cabin, tapped his shoulder
in affection and said, “Now prepare yourself to leave for your
home.” The Swayamsevak was shocked and hurt, and asked in
a trembling voice, “Vakil Saheb, did I commit some wrong? Have
I violated discipline?” Vakil Saheb said, “O no, brother…Bhala…
manas. There is nothing like that. Just don’t worry.” The
Swayamsevak was fully confused. He asked, “Then why should
you ask me to go back home? How can I violate discipline?”
At this, Vakil Saheb opened the telegraph that he had
hidden in his palm and showed it to him saying, “Look, it is a
telegraph from your father. It says ‘Come soon for interview of
Census on 22 May’. So go and give your interview successfully.”
The Swayamsevak argued, “I have applied for a number of other
posts too and I don’t want to quit the Varga just for this
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interview.” Now, the voice of Vakil Saheb grew sensitive. He
pressed the Swayamsevak’s shoulder softly and said, “Look the
financial condition of your house is not sound. You may not
know, but I am always aware of every trifle. Your family is facing
terrible problems these days, so you must help them financially.
The Sangh work is meant for lifelong, it will continue to be done,
but now you must return immediately and join the service and
thus lighten your father’s burden.”
The Swayamsevak had tears in his eyes. How close was
Vakil Saheb with every family, though in his capacity as a Prant
Pracharak, he always stressed punctuality and harsh discipline.
He was worried for every family. Maybe this is the reason that
numerous families, not Swayamsevaks, joined the Sangh. Every
family felt that Vakil Saheb was its own.
You can find such Swayamsevaks even today. They have
adorned the inspiring image of Vakil Saheb in their hearts!
The Sangh Cares
I can guess it was the year 1982 or 1983. Vakil Saheb’s health
was fast deteriorating. A Swayamsevak approached him and
said, “With God’s grace I have some money, I wish to spend it
in your care. Please accept it.” Vakil Saheb replied, “Brother, I
can understand your sentiments, but the Sangh is there to look
after me and it does it very well. So, there is no question of
accepting any money for this purpose.” The Swayamsevak had
no reply to it. Still he strongly wished to give the money. He felt
that he must do something for a person during his illness who
had shown him and his family a suitable path, who stood by
him in joy and sorrow. Vakil Saheb too was right in his response,
which revealed his exalted nature and his faith in the Sangh.
Still the Swayamsevak was unwavering. He wanted to give it
anyhow. In the end, Vakil Saheb found a way out. He said,
“When you insist so much, then I shall take the money. We run
a medical centre for the poor brethren, we shall use it there.
Why, how do you like it? As it is, you want to spend this money
for medicine.” With these words he accepted the money, and
the Swayamsevak was contented.
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Guru Dakshina
In the foundation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh lies
its self-dependent economic system. The Sangh does not spread
its hand to seek money. The Sangh work is executed with the
money that the Swayamsevaks willingly offer once in a year.
Once, a Swayamsevak offered to donate a fan for the Sangh
office. Many people liked the proposal. It would be better to
have a fan in the Sangh office, they felt. Vakil Saheb listened to
them all and said, “If this were done, the Swayamsevak donating
the fan would not be able to develop himself well. His traits
would be blemished, because whenever he visited the office,
he would think that it was he who had donated that fan. Even
those accompanying him would think that he was the
Swayamsevak who had donated the fan. Therefore, the only
path for the Sangh is that of Guru Dakshina, it is not adequate
to assist the Sangh in any other way.” Vakil Saheb measured
every action in the scale of traits and culture. He made every
conscious effort in order to ensure that no shortcoming was felt
in the process of cultivating traits in the Swayamsevaks.
Away from Fame
For thirty-five years, Vakil Saheb continued to visit one
village after another in Gujarat. If you ever met the respectable
Vakil Saheb in some railway compartment, you would feel that
he looked like any ordinary Gujarati merchant from a small town
and his speech had the clear Saurashtran accent. You will find a
book or newspaper in his hand at all times, which displayed
his thoughtful attitude. His personality was so impressive, still
he never displayed any sense of ego. Despite his contribution
in diverse tasks, he never wished his name to be revealed.
It was very difficult to locate his photograph. After we
searched it for long and hard, we found one which was about
15-20 years old. He had been in public life for so many years,
yet his name never appeared in the newspaper, still he was a
high official of the Sangh.
Architect of National Life
During his forty-year-long public life, every moment of
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which he lived in public domain, he lived meeting different
people, and this interaction must have resulted into numerous
anecdotes, conversations, and dialogues in endless series.
Everybody has his own experiences. Every instance of public
life has its direct or indirect value. It brings joy at one time and
pity at another, it brings hope at one time and despair at another
– everything under the sun occurs in it. It was natural for Vakil
Saheb to undergo everything that man is bound to face. As soon
as we bring to memory the public life extending over forty years,
a series of events starts to unfold in a panorama. He created
this instance and he was a mute spectator to another. He
motivated an individual and worked hard to achieve his
development; he supervised an individual and created new
qualities in him.
From the History
When Vakil Saheb started his public life, the entire world
was being afflicted by the impact of the Second World War. The
country was burning in the communal fire before independence.
The Motherland, in which he had unfathomable devotion, was
being partitioned, while the songs of freedom were being sung.
Millions of Hindus were losing everything and were entering
the country as refugees in mere clothing. It was being considered
how to provide them some succour. The entire country was
greatly hurt by the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. It was
like a blot on the Hindu culture and tradition. With the
assassination of the Mahatma, political tricks and strategies were
formulated. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was banned,
and then this ban was removed. This period witnessed a
multitude of events. Whether it was the discussion on the Hindu
Code Bill, or the opposition to the terms like ‘India that is Bharat’,
whether it was famine in Bengal in eastern India, or the
rejuvenation of the Somnath Temple in western India which
was a symbol of slavery imposed on India, whether it was the
effort being made to free Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Silvassa
through armed revolution which looked like holes in the golden
plate, whether it was the extensive Satyagraha for the freedom
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of Goa and Diu or active cooperation in the Gauraksha (cow
protection) movement that was a point of devotion, whether it
was the holding of a successful programme to reach millions of
people of Gujarat or to hold public meetings to honour Guruji,
whether it was creation of linguistic states or construction of
the state Sangh office in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, whether it was
the attack of China crushing all hopes of peace talks in free India
or the impact of repeatedly held elections on public life, whether
it was the Pakistani attack on the Kutch border or the departure
of two prime ministers in a brief period of three years. Whether
it was the birth of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad that could awaken
a spirit of revolution in the Hindus in the capacity of a positive
force or the contribution of millions of Gujaratis in constructing
a glorious memorial for Vivekananda in Kanyakumari on the
occasion of his birth centenary, whether it was firing on the saints
demanding action for protection of the cow or attacks on
religious places in Gujarat conjoined with widespread
communal riots, whether it was the creation of Bangladesh or
war with Pakistan, whether it was the organisation of a massive
Hindu conference in Siddhapur or the illness of the Param Pujya
Guruji, whether it was the imposition of emergency threatening
the very existence of democracy or struggle to get it scraped,
whether it was the success of the silver jubilee programme of
self-study in Bombay or the manifestation of power of common
people in the general elections, whether it was the destructive
floods at Morbi or fall of the Janata Party government, whether
it was a movement to safeguard the honour of the Hindu
community or a communal commotion in the garb of communal
movement, whether it was the movement to free Ram
Janmabhumi or any other event having direct or indirect bearing
on Vakil Saheb; if you wish to know his views on every such
event, how he viewed and understood these events, how he
planned to settle these events – all these could lead to writing
an independent history. Despite all this, it was no easy task to
assess his public life.
There is a couplet sung in the Sangh:
‘Shapath lena to saral hai,
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Par nibhana hi kathin hai.’
(It is easy to take a vow, it is difficult to execute it.)
Creator of Nation’s Reconstruction
Vakil Saheb was determined not for the Sangh work alone,
but for the entire society. He started numerous Shakhas, and
the thousands of Swayamsevaks trained in the Shakha are
illuminating social life in different domains. As on date some
people are engaged in literature and others in journalism; some
are making effort to develop the tribal brethren in Dharampur
Taluka, while others are resolved to do something for the sake
of the tribals in such remote and inaccessible areas like Pal, Chota
Udaipur, Danta and the likes. Some people are engaged in
education undertaking to enliven the educational system right
from elementary education to high school, while others are busy
uniting the strength of saints and seers in order to remove the
evils prevalent in the society. Some people are making effort to
infuse social consciousness, while some are coming to the fore
to raise social questions in the Parliament and Vidhan Sabhas.
Some are running women centres for self-reliance while others
are undertaking movements in the border areas of Kutch in
order to awaken people towards their rights; some are making
effort for financial freedom of man, while others are
experimenting in the field of cooperative farming. Some are busy
imparting education and good qualities in the children living
in slums, while others are busy in bringing back the misguided
youth back into the national mainstream. Some of them are busy
with mass awareness programmes through publication of
newspapers while others are trying to infuse positive qualities
of nationalism in the workers. Some are engaged in seeking
cooperation from students in order to invest their creativity in
rural development programmes and others are busy in other
creative tasks. The list of these projects is very long, and the
number of people engaged in them is large too. If you asked
them, “Brother, why are you engaged in this task without an
iota of idea about making your own career?”, they would say,
“We were cultivated with traits of social service by the Sangh
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Shakha, and then Vakil Saheb asked us to do it, so there was
nothing more to think about.”
This is the outcome of the inspiring life of Vakil Saheb. You
will not find anywhere the nameplate of this architect engaged
in the project of national construction. He rules thousands of
hearts, he is seated on the throne of their hearts. Despite
suffering from the perilous disease of cancer, he kept himself
busy in service to the Sangh. The death was staring him in the
eyes, still he went on meeting the Swayamsevaks.
He breathed his last in Pune. We can find the reflection of
Vakil Saheb in the Sangh’s life in Gujarat. We miss him at every
step.
Even today, the life of Vakil Saheb is lighted in order to
spread its divine fragrance and light all around.
A Tribute to Vakil Saheb
When people of the world were running after material pleasures,
a great number of luminaries, one after the other, gave up their
homes and sacrificed themselves for the protection of values of life
of the country, following the specific tradition of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh; one of these luminaries was the Man.
Lakshmanrao Inamdar.
We are living in a period when the father can live happily
with five sons in a small hut; but the same father cannot have a
place to live in the five palaces built by his sons. This is the
picture of present-day society – we all have gathered here in
such a period, for a man with whom we are not related by blood.
There is a proverb: “Blood is thicker than water.” But we find a
different scenario here. On the mind, heart and intellect of every
person present here, a sentiment has been created. We have not
grown in the tradition of person-worship, we are the devotees
to duty.
Here –
• Life conquers and not death.
• We adore how you lived, not how much you lived.
• We think over how you spent, and not how you
accumulated it.
Such is the tradition here. And so, the birthday of an
individual who passed all these tests became an occasion for all
of us to gather here.
The birthday of our affectionate Vakil Saheb is a day of
resolve for us. He was born on the holy day of Rishi Panchami
and lived life according to the high traditions.
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We are not those who sit inactively
Grieving or drowning in the empire of sentiments,
We have to be resolute
To accept who are good
To realize who are acceptable.
And so,
We have chosen today’s sacred day.
His proximity emanated into affection
For all of us over forty-five years;
Today, he has departed from us.
His life was resplendent like the sun,
And cool like the moon.
His life was duty incarnate,
And death like an approved act.
This was the uniqueness of his personality!
We saw in him consciousness, but no sloth,
Idealism but not absence of action,
Splendour but not eagerness,
Affection but not attachment,
Detachment but not indifference,
Love but not in excess,
Strict but not harsh,
Firm but not fundamental,
Of course, we have seen all this,
Experienced all this,
In a natural, spontaneous way.
(It is hard to imagine that the stream flowing gently on the plains
has emerged from the mountains tearing through the massive boulders.
It is equally hard to imagine the infinite energy that resides in him
when you look at Vakil Saheb.)
The Gita says –
Saints are desireless,
He was.
Saints are detached.
He was.
Saints are destitute.
He was.
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He was Shankaracharya’s Advaitism
In its concrete form.
Where there is Advaitism,
The traveller becomes the path,
The person becomes the goal,
The doer becomes the action;
The same way,
There was no duality
Between Sangh work and Vakil Saheb,
He lived for others
But never displayed it.
He says,
It is for everybody’s happiness.
Raja Rantidev said –
“Na twaham kamaye rajyam
Na swargam na punarbhavam.
Kamaye dukhataptanam,
Praninam atirnashanam.”
(You should not desire for throne, nor heaven, nor rebirth,
desire is the source of suffering and leads to destruction.)
He too lived and fought without desire for anything.
Life is like music in a way.
If the string is loose, there is no tune.
If it is too hard, it is still useless.
Music is created
When tune and pitch are in harmony,
Voice and melody are in consonance,
Tune and instrument are coordinated.
Vakil Saheb’s life was like music too.
Its mystery lies just in it.
Controlled, well-formulated, coordinated.
He enchanted our hearts too.
Such a divine life took rest on 15 July.
He bid farewell to a body named Lakshman,
But in the heart of everybody sitting here
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There resides Vakil Saheb.
He resides in
Deed of one and duty of another,
In patience of one and courage of another,
In duty of one and leadership of another,
In softness of one and sweetness of another,
In the conduct of one and thought of another,
In the dream of one and resolve of another,
In the song of one and learning of another,
In the emotion of one and disposition of another,
In the devotion of one and energy of another,
In the attitude of one and aptitude of another,
In the movement of one and mind of another,
In the doctrine of one and guidance of another,
In the pity of one and inspiration of another –
He resides in we all
In one or the other form.
This auspicious day, we all ought to
Look within us and
Let us bridge our life with Vakil Saheb there,
In harmonious voice,
We shall surely hear
The soft ringing of eternity…eternity…eternity,
The resolve of get up and be awake,
With contentment of sacrifice for the nation,
And non-entity of the self.
In the same way, we should invent his existence within us,
and we take a vow in this music programme devoted to him:
• When sentiments emerge in the form of words, poetry
is created.
• When sentiments touch the instrument as creation,
music is generated.
• When sentiments become expressionless, a sea of tears
overflows.
We have to carry the sentiment on the path of duty, we
have to proceed on the path of action, and we have to resolve
for it.
It is our tribute, our homage.
Rishis’ Debt
We shall not pay homage of tears,
Nor shall we feel sorrow;
We shall illuminate ourselves
As lamps of the house.
Right since the Vedic period,
We have been in the shade of rishis.
In our heart resides the body of the rishi,
Who grants learning of new life.
We are indebted to the rishis,
We shall repay this debt all life,
Our actions in life
Will sing the tale of yours.
Crossing the thorny paths,
Breaching the body and attachment,
You lighted yourself as lamp,
Sending an ember in our hearts.
You emptied yourself
To give new life to us,
You saw no dream for your sake,
But we have dreamt
To have a life like yours.
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I may smile on the path of action,
And accept calamities like boons;
Let the world listen and sway in love,
Daily I should sing in joy.
I should laugh on the line of duty,
Taking the difficulties as boons;
Let the world know and dance in affection,
So I should sing.