Gandhi, M. K., ( Tr. ) Mahadev Desai, ( 1977 ), An Saga, or the Story of My Experiments with Truth ( Navajivan Publishing Den, Ahmadabad, 1927; 454 pages. Price Rs. 30 ).
- The Story of My Experiments with Truth ' though not a massive but an attractive volume, written by man of the millennium Mahatma Gandhi single at the insistence of his friends. It has five above parts and each part with certain chapters enlightening chronologically on his life ' s experiences in one way or the other. The first part with twenty five small chapters, mainly deals with Gandhi ' s birth, lineage, youthfulness, wedding, picture, youthfulness pleasantry ' s and mistakes, his truth consciousness, his studies in England and suffering over there, etc,. The book is attractive in look and is moderately of a cheaper cost. The translator of the book, Mahadev Desai writes in the introduction that first edition of the book was published in 1927 for the first time. Due to for the interval, it is most suitable thanks to the entire book revolves round Gandhi ' s encounters with life ' s different experiences both candied and bitter and the phrase itself speaks a lot about the book. One of the senior keynote and eye catcher in the book is supposition of truth and his experiments with it, which justifies the interval to a greater extent he discusses his conception of truth through out the book but his using it in the interval connotes the message of sovereign, supreme and absolute. He seems to be the desperate searcher of truth because he says, - I am prepared to yielding the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest - ( selected works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 6, page 95 ) and at the equivalent time he argues about the absolute and relative truth, which speaks of his intellectual vision and a worth learning difference for the students, he argues, - but thanks to long now I have not realized this absolute truth so long requisite I authority by the relative truth in that I have conceived it - ( ibid. p - 95 ) due to for him absolute truth is truth - due to it is ' and relative truth is being it appears to us. The allurement of the whole book lies in the simplicity of its writing which is hushed simple, spontaneous and natural and no use of big jargons and phrases. Gandhi believes that his modus of sensation of truth is seen and to me he is ethical through he tastes every perspicacity both bitter and delicious, which tells the instructor the tale of his suffering and amusements over whole. His experiments with truth are mucho and are part of his pains to take in truth. The idea of experiment with truth primarily means the way one follows truth and lives in it. Living in truth means abiding by the principle of truth in thought, action. Especially dealing with the chapters of part first, one perceives that it is not a literally piece and not an attempt even to make it so but a simple narration of life ' s events and sometimes more than narration it turns more of a confession, where in Gandhi express remorse over the lapses committed in the past but the beauty of the book lies in his narration of even awkward activities just to speak truth shamelessly. While reading the chapters, the reader feels that each chapter of the book is his life ' s reflection and an important learning lesson for Gandhi. As Gandhi himself insisted, - this book is not in the strict sense an autobiography. It is a selective record of experiments with truth, involving vegetarianism, celibacy, non - violence, and many other things. For him mere mental adherence to truth is not enough, because it has to be translated into action. The idea of truth in mind must be translated into action by making actions follow truth. For Gandhi, thought, action and speech make one unity since one is involved in the other. Therefore what is true in thought must be true in action and speech. Gandhi ' s idea of truth is free from any theological connotation because, though he calls truth God he does not intend to keep truth within the domain of religion alone. For Gandhi, truth transcends the rigid framework of all religions and therefore cannot be appropriated by any religion for that matter. Truth is the foundation of all religions and so cannot be part of any religion. He simply says about the period from his birth ( 1869 ) up to 1921. He remembers her religious mother, he remembers his books which used to be his lone companions in school, he remembers his loving father and he recounts of his child marriage at the age to 13 to Kasturba. He argues of his being suspicious and strict to her and simultaneously talks of her rebellion. He talks of being a child stubborn husband so indifferent to his wife, he remembers his friends who even took him to brothel, and he remembers his sub missive nature. He discusses all his sufferings and even bad habits and above all he talks of his truth consciousness naturally inherent in him. He feels a great pain when he was convicted of lying for missing his gymnastic class, though he spokes the truth. He argues that a man of truth must also be a man of care ( page21 ). He did not copy the question even when instructed to do so by his teacher, which speaks of his honest and truthful nature right from the childhood. In the chapter, stealing the atonement Gandhi has wrote some heart rending lives which really a prophetic soul can do only and a believe that is why he control only turn to the status of Mahatma. He writes, - I stole a bit of gold out of my meat eating brother ' s arm let -. Later he wrote, I resolved never to steal again, I also make up my mind to confess it to my father. I was afraid of the pain I should cause him. I handed a confession letter to my father - -.. He read it through and pearl drops trickled down his checks wetting the paper. He closed his eyes and then tore the note -. From a dismayed recounting, he quickly jumps to another humorous but true anecdote, in the lesson, IN a Tragedy ( Contd... ). He writes, he had a bad night after he had goat ' s meat for the first time He writes, - As every time I dropped off to sleep it would seem as though a line goat were bleating inside me. - ( p. 31 ). Here every line is a serious story about of a man who no doubt started as a common man but surely was carrying the charismatic genes with him, he steals but feels bad, he wants to reveal it but could not, not because of fear but not to hurt his father, he still confesses and is ready for punishment, his father understand the child ' s pain from with in he cries and Gandhi cries too. He realizes from this real experiment - the power of the Ahimsa ( principle of non - violence ) is a tool of transformation very beautifully by citing the example of his act of stealing and then confessing before his father and the scene created and then he argues that when Ahimsa becomes all embracing, it transforms every thing it touches and there is no limit to its power ( page 39 ) -. It seems that Gandhi to the best of his writing capacity has tried to explain himself and also wishes readers to follow his footsteps. He goes serially in discussing his issues of life covering every area like even discussing his hatred for gymnastics, discussing religions, his company of friends, etc, which gives a elder message that while writing he does not want to employ artificiality of events and arrangements of words but writes things as they had happened, he hardly cares to be admired as a prolific writer but as an ardent propounder of truth which is reflecting from his every word. Also he writes in such a style which transcends a certain time period, like he recounts his days in England when he used to miss his mother and family and his home with trickling tears but hardly shows any concern for his wife. Also the book cannot be described as the lessons of truth only but what he writes about his effort for its search and also truthfully what he found there. The beauty of the book is that despite being an autobiography, serially arranged, well connected and being composed of many chapters but each of the chapter can be even read and understood individually. He has amply thrown light upon religion, political involvement, education, languages, justice, law, etc, but over emphasized his marital relations and food habits. But had not concealed his life events, even in the least bit. He does not care about the temperaments and understanding of his diverse readers but simply writes, whether one nodes in yes or no. He even discusses his lustful nature and lusty love for his wife, in the chapter the - Double Shame ', he openly discusses his lust as the reason for not being at his dying fathers bed what he calls his shame for which he can be criticized as such a language does not suit a Mahatma. But simultaneously see his quest for truth, he is ready to invite dishonor, shame and hatred of all but to him Truth is must what he calls as absolute as God and what he treats everything and argues that truth should prevail even if everything perishes. He remembers his going to England in 1887 and promises his mother that he will strictly abstain from women and meat He says of his travel to South Africa in 1893, the major portion of which he omits; perhaps he thinks readers already aware of that entire episode, as his life later never remained his personal one. Moreover, his vision and concept of Satyagrah is enlightening and during the Boer war, he organized an ambiance corps for the British unit and commanded and Red Cross Unit and then went for his campaign of Indian rights which speak of his philanthropy and activism. Returning India and then back, he found that besides fighting British Colonialism we need to fight against untouchability, poverty and class system, which speaks of his concern for oppressed people. One of the most important features of the book is that it gives a good picture of India the then. His meeting eminent personalities like Gokhale, Tilak, Nehru, Ray, and Vallabhbhai, to show us his credibility and how India was full of active leaders. He describes his life as a series of events performed on truth, non violence, Brahmacharya, Ahimsa, etc, Last but not the least, one gets the idea that he began with truth, lived with truth, acted through truth and lived for truth. The book is a worth read and must be gone through by the students especially to broaden the horizons as it brings the inspiration and encouragement of Gandhi ' s example to a still wider circle of his admirers. Over all the work is a master piece which introduces a different Gandhi to people and lets know him as a child, as a youth, as an activist, his suffering for truth, principles for life like ahimsa and celibacy and finally as a legend though he bores with endless words on vegetarianism, marital phenomenon, etc,.
( Adfar Shah is a Doctoral Candidate of Sociology at Faculty of Social Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia - Central University, New Delhi. Reach at adfer. )
