Prayer - Mahatma Gandhi

Prayer 

By : M. K. Gandhi 

Compiled and Edited by : Chandrakant Kaji 

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First Published: April 1977 

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Prayerfully to 

My Maternal Uncle 

Late Sjt. Hiralal Tribhuvandas Parekh 

Asst. Secretary, Gujarat Vernacular Society 

(Present Gujarat Vidyasabha) 

www.mkgandhi.org Page 2


TO THE READER 

I would like to say to the diligent reader of my writings and to others who are 

interested in them that I am not at all concerned with appearing to be 

consistent. In my search after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt 

many new things. Old as I am in age, I have no feeling that I have ceased to 

grow inwardly or that my growth will stop at the dissolution of the flesh. What I 

am concerned with is my readiness to obey the call of Truth, my God, from 

moment to moment, and, therefore, when anybody finds any inconsistency 

between any two writings of mine, if he has still faith in my sanity, he would do 

well to choose the later of the two on the same subject. 

M. K. GANDHI 

Harijan, 24-4-'33, p. 2 



LORD OF HUMILITY 

Lord of humility, dwelling in the 

little pariah hut 

help us to reach for Thee throughout 

that fair land 

watered by Ganges, Brahmaputra 

and Jamuna. 

Give us receptiveness, give us open-heartedness, 

give us Thy humility, give us 

the ability and willingness 

to identify ourselves with the 

masses of India. 

O God, who does help only when man 

feels utterly humble, 

grant that we may not be 

isolated from the people 

we would serve as servants and friends. 

Let us be embodiments of self-sacrifice, 

embodiments of godliness, 

humility personified, that we 

may know the land better 

and love it more. 

Harijan, 11-9-'49, p. 217 



It is my constant prayer that I may never have a feeling of anger against my 

traducers, that even if I fall a victim to an assassin's bullet, I may deliver my 

soul with the remembrance of God upon my lips. 



I. MEANING OF AND NECESSITY FOR PRAYER 

Prayer is nothing else but an intense longing of the heart. Tou may express 

yourself through the lips; you may express yourself in the private closet or in 

the public; but to be genuine, the expression must come from the 

deepest recesses of the heart. 

*** 

There is an eternal struggle raging in man's breast between the powers of 

darkness and of light, and who has not the sheet-anchor of prayer to rely upon 

will be a victim to the powers of darkness. 

*** 

Begin, therefore, your day with prayer, and make it so soulful that it may 

remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may 

have a peaceful night free from dreams and nightmares. 



01. MEANING OF AND NECESSITY FOR PRAYER 

(From "A Discourse on Prayer " by M.D.) 

I am glad that you all want me to speak to you on the meaning of and the 

necessity for prayer. I believe that prayer is the very soul and essence of 

religion, and, therefore, prayer must be the very core of the life of man, for no 

man can live without religion. There are some who in the egotism of their 

reason declare that they have nothing to do with religion. But it is like a man 

saying that he breathes but that he has no nose. Whether by reason, or by 

instinct, or by superstition, man acknowledges some sort of relationship with 

the divine. The rankest agnostic or atheist does acknowledge the need of a 

moral principle, and associates something good with its observance and 

something bad with its non-observance. Bradlaugh, whose atheism is well 

known, always insisted on proclaiming his innermost conviction. He had to 

suffer a lot for thus speaking the truth, but he delighted in it and said that 

truth is its own reward. Not that he was quite insensible to the joy resulting 

from the observance of truth. This joy, however, is not at all worldly, but 

springs out of communion with the divine. That is why I have said that even a 

man who disowns religion cannot and does not live without religion. 

Now I come to the next thing, viz., that prayer is the very core of man's life, as 

it is the most vital part of religion. Prayer is either petitional or in its wider 

sense is inward communion. In either case the ultimate result is the same. Even 

when it is petitional, the petition should be for the cleansing and purification of 

the soul, for freeing it from the layers of ignorance and darkness that envelop 

it. He, therefore, who hungers for the awakening of the divine in him must fall 

back on prayer. But prayer is no mere exercise of words or of the ears, it is no 

mere repetition of empty formula. Any amount of repetition of Ramanama is 

futile if it fails to stir the soul. It is better in prayer to have a heart without 

words than words without a heart. It must be in clear response to the spirit 

which hungers for it. And even as a hungry man relishes a hearty meal, a hungry 

soul will relish a heart-felt prayer. And I am giving you a bit of my experience 



and that of my companions when I say that he who has experienced the magic 

of prayer may do without food for days together but not a single moment 

without prayer. For without prayer there is no inward peace. 

If that is the case, someone will say, we should be offering our prayers every 

minute of our lives. There is no doubt about it, but we, erring mortals, who 

find it difficult to retire within ourselves for inward communion even for a 

single moment, will find it impossible to remain perpetually in communion with 

the divine. We, therefore, fix some hours when we make a serious effort to 

throw off the attachments of the world for a while, we make a serious 

endeavour to remain, so to say, out of the flesh. You have heard Surdas' hymn. 

It is the passionate cry of a soul hungering for union with the divine. According 

to our standards he was a saint, but according to his own he was a proclaimed 

sinner. Spiritually he was miles ahead of us, but he felt the separation from the 

divine so keenly that he has uttered that anguished cry in loathing and despair. 

I have talked of the necessity for prayer, and there through I have dealt with 

the essence of prayer. We are born to serve our fellowmen, and we cannot 

properly do so unless we are wide awake. There is an eternal struggle raging in 

man's breast between the powers of darkness and of light, and he who has not 

the sheet-anchor of prayer to rely upon will be a victim to the powers of 

darkness. The man of prayer will be at peace with himself and with the whole 

world, the man who goes about the affairs of the world without a prayerful 

heart will be miserable and will make the world also miserable. Apart therefore 

from its bearing on man's condition after death, prayer has incalculable value 

for man in this world of the living. Prayer is the only means of bringing about 

orderliness and peace and repose in our daily acts. We inmates of the Ashram 

who came here in search of truth and for insistence on truth professed to 

believe in the efficacy of prayers, but had never up to now made it a matter of 

vital concern. We did not bestow on it the care that we did on other matters. I 

woke from my slumbers one day and realized that I had been woefully negligent 

of my duty in the matter. I have, therefore, suggested measures of stern 

discipline and far from being any the worse, I hope we are the" better for it. 



For it is so obvious. Take care of the vital thing and other things will take care 

of themselves. Rectify one angle of a square, and the other angles will be 

automatically right. 

Begin, therefore, your day with prayer, and make it so soulful that it may 

remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may 

have a peaceful night free from dreams and nightmares. Do not worry about 

the form of prayer. Let it be any form, it should be such as can put us into 

communion with the divine. Only, whatever be the form, let not the spirit 

wander while the words of prayer run on out of your mouth. 

If what I have said has gone home to you, you will not be at peace until you 

have compelled your hostel superintendents to interest themselves in your 

prayer and to make it obligatory. Restraint self-imposed is no compulsion. A 

man, who chooses the path of freedom from restraint, i.e. of self-indulgence, 

will be a bond slave of passions, whilst the man who binds himself to rules and 

restraints releases himself. All things in the universe, including the sun and the 

moon and the stars, obey certain laws. Without the restraining influence of 

these laws the world would not go on for a single moment. You, whose mission 

in life is service of your fellowmen, will go to pieces if you do not impose on 

yourselves some sort of discipline, and prayer is a necessary spiritual discipline. 

It is discipline and restraint that separates us from the brute. If we will be men 

walking with our heads erect and not walking on all fours, let us .understand 

and put ourselves under voluntary discipline and restraint. 

Young India, 23-1-'30, p. 25 

(From "Speech at Ramjas College, Delhi") 

When the mind is full of prayerful thoughts, everything in the world seems good 

and agreeable. Prayer is essential for progress in life. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi— XXV, (1967), p. 321 



02. PRAYER IS NECESSARY FOR ALL 

(From a Letter) 

In my opinion all selfless service leads to self-purification. Economic and moral 

development should go hand in hand. Atma is that which animates the body. 

Realization comes through purification. Prayer is necessary for all, if food is. 

Mahadevbhaini Diary, Vol. 2 (Gujarati Edn., 1949), p. 114 

(From "Discourses on the Gita") 

Man's need for prayer is as great as his need for bread. A bad man will use his 

ears to hear evil of others and see sinful things, but the good man says that, 

had he a thousand eyes and ears, he would use them to contemplate the vision 

of God for ever and to hear devotional songs, and employ his five thousand 

tongues to sing His praises. It is only after I have prayed here every day that I 

feel the bliss of having tasted the amrita of knowledge. For that man who 

wishes to be a real human being, dal and roti are not his food. They count little 

to him. His real food is prayer. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXXII, (1969), p. 219-20 


There can be no manner of doubt that this universe of sentient beings is 

governed by a Law. If you can think of Law without its Giver, I would say that 

the Law is the Law-giver, that is God. When we pray to the Law we simply 

yearn after knowing the Law and obeying it. We become what we yearn after. 

Hence the necessity for prayer. 

The Diary of Mqhadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953), p. 222 



(From ''Letter to Premabehn Kantak") 

The necessity of prayers is a matter of universal experience. If you have faith in 

them, you will feel interest in them. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLIV, (1971), p. 85 



03. MAN CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT PRAYER 

(From "Weekly Letter" by M.D.) 

As food is necessary for the body, prayer is necessary for the soul. A man may 

be able to do without food for a number of days—as Macswinney did for over 70 

days— but, believing in God, man cannot, should not, live a moment without 

prayer. You will say that we see lots of people living without prayer. I dare say 

they do, but it is the existence of the brute which, for man, is worse than 

death. I have not the shadow of a doubt that the strife and quarrels with which 

our atmosphere is so full today are due to the absence of the spirit of true 

prayer. You will demur to the statement, I know, and contend that millions of 

Hindus, Musalmans and Christians do offer their prayers. It is because I had 

thought you would raise the objection that I used the words 'true prayer'. 

Hypocrisy of Lip-prayer 

The fact is, we have been offering our prayers with the lips but hardly ever 

with our hearts, and it is to escape, if possible, the hypocrisy of the lip-prayer, 

that we in the Ashram repeat every evening the last verses of the second 

chapter of the Bhagavadgita. The condition of the 'Equable in Spirit' that is 

described in those verses, if we contemplate them daily, is bound slowly to 

turn our hearts towards God. If you would base your education on the true 

foundation of a pure character and pure heart, there is nothing so helpful as to 

offer your prayers every day, truly and religiously. 

Young India, 15-12-'27, p. 424 

(From a prayer speech: July 14, 1945) 

Prayer is even more essential for the well-being of the soul than is food for the 

maintenance of the body. It becomes necessary to give up food on occasions in 

order to benefit the body. But prayer may never be abandoned. If we provide 

food for the body which is perishable, then, surely, it is our primary duty to 



provide food for the soul which is imperishable, and such sustenance is found in 

prayer. The real meaning of prayer is devoted worship. 

Food for the Soul, (1957), pp. 59-60 

(From "Sermon at Kingsley Hall") 

If we believed in God, . . ., it followed that we must pray to Him. Though 

prayer, it was said, was to the soul what food was to the body, yet prayer was 

far more important for the soul than food was for the body, because we could 

at times go without food and the body would feel the better for the fast, but 

there was no such thing as prayer-fast. . . . 

We can over-indulge in food. But we can never overindulge in prayer. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLVIII (1972), p.11 



04. THE ETERNAL DUEL 

A friend writes: 

"In the article entitled "The Tangle of Ahimsa" appearing in Young India of 

October 11 th , you have stated most forcefully that cowardice and Ahimsa are 

incompatible. There is not an ambiguous syllable in your statement. But may I 

request that you tell us how cowardice can be exorcised from a man's 

character I notice that all characters are but the sum total of habits formed. 

How are we to undo our old habits and build the new ones of courage, 

intelligence and action I am convinced that habits can be destroyed, and 

better and nobler habits can be formed giving birth to a new character in a 

person. It seems to me that you know prayers, discipline and studies by which a 

man can attain a second birth. Won't you kindly tell us about them Do give us 

your knowledge and advice in one of the numbers of Young India. Please help 

us by giving an account of the method of praying and working by which a man 

can recreate himself." 

The question refers to the eternal duel that is so graphically described in the 

Mahabharata under the cloak of history and that is every day going on in 

millions of breasts. Man's destined purpose is to conquer old habits, to overcome 

the evil in him and to restore good to its rightful place. If religion does 

not teach us how to achieve this conquest, it teaches us nothing. But there is 

no royal road to success in this, the truest enterprise in life. Cowardice is 

perhaps the greatest vice from which we suffer and is also possibly the greatest 

violence, certainly far greater than bloodshed and the like that generally go 

under the name of violence. For it comes from want of faith in God and 

ignorance of His attributes. But I am sorry that I have not the ability to give 'the 

knowledge and the advice' that the correspondent would have me to give on 

how to dispel cowardice and other vices. But I can give my own testimony and 

say that a heart-felt prayer is undoubtedly the most potent instrument that 

man possesses for overcoming cowardice and all other bad old habits. Prayer is 

an impossibility without a living faith in the presence of God within. 



Christianity and Islam describe the same process as a duel between God and 

Satan, not outside but within; Zoroastrianism as a duel between Ahurmazd and 

Ahriman; Hinduism as a duel between forces of good and forces of evil. We 

have to make our choice whether we should ally ourselves with the forces of 

evil or with the forces of good. And to pray to God is nothing but that sacred 

alliance between God and man whereby he attains his deliverance from the 

clutches of the prince of darkness. But a heartfelt prayer is not a recitation 

with the lips. It is a yearning from within which expresses itself in every word, 

every act, nay, every thought of man. When an evil thought successfully assails 

him, he may know that he offered but a hp prayer and similarly with regard to 

an evil word escaping his lips or an evil act done by him. Real prayer is an 

absolute shield and protection against this trinity of evils. Success does not 

always attend the very first effort at such real living prayer. We have to strive 

against ourselves, we have to believe in spite of ourselves, because months are 

as our years. We have, therefore, to cultivate illimitable patience if we will 

realise the efficacy of prayer. There will be darkness, disappointment and even 

worse; but we must have courage enough to battle against all these and not 

succumb to cowardice. There is no such thing as retreat for a man of prayer. 

What I am relating is not a fairy tale. I have not drawn an imaginary picture. I 

have summed up the testimony of men who have by prayer conquered every 

difficulty in their upward progress, and I have added my own humble testimony 

that the more I live the more I realize how much I owe to faith and prayer 

which is one and the same thing for me. And I am quoting an experience not 

limited to a few hours, or days or weeks, but extending over an unbroken 

period of nearly 40 years. I have had my share of disappointments, uttermost 

darkness, counsels of despair, counsels of caution, subtlest assaults of pride; 

but I am able to say that my faith,—and I know that it is still little enough, by 

no means as great as I want it to be,— has ultimately conquered every one of 

these difficulties up to now. If we have faith in us, if we have a prayerful heart, 

we may not tempt God, may not make terms with Him. We must reduce 

ourselves to a cipher. Barodada 1 sent me a precious Sanskrit verse not long 

before his death. It means impliedly that a man of devotion reduces himself to 



zero. Not until we have reduced ourselves to nothingness can we conquer the 

evil in us. God demands nothing less than complete self-surrender as the price 

for the only real freedom that is worth having. And when a man thus loses 

himself, he immediately finds himself in the service of all that lives. It becomes 

his delight and his recreation. He is a new man never weary of spending himself 

in the service of God's creation. 

Young India, 20-12-'28, p. 420 

1 Elder brother of Poet Rabindranath Tagore. 



05. WHAT IS PRAYER 

A medical graduate asks: 

"What is the best form of prayer How much time should be spent at it In my 

opinion to do justice is the best form of prayer and one who is sincere about 

doing justice to all, does not need to do any more praying. Some people spend 

a long time over sandhya and 95% of them do not understand the meaning of 

what they say. In my opinion, prayer should be said in one's mother- tongue. It 

alone can affect the soul best. I should say that a sincere prayer for one minute 

is enough. It should suffice to promise God not to sin." 

Prayer means asking God for something in a reverent attitude. But the word is 

used also to denote any devotional act. Worship is a better term to use for 

what the correspondent has in mind. But definition apart, what is it that 

millions of Hindus, Musalmans, Christians and Jews and others do every day 

during the time set apart for the adoration of the Maker It seems to me that it 

is a yearning of the heart to be one with the Maker, an invocation for His 

blessing. It is in this case the attitude that matters, not words uttered or 

muttered. 

And often the association of words that have been handed down from ancient 

times has an effect which in their rendering into one's mother-tongue they will 

lose altogether. Thus the Gayatri translated and recited in, say, Gujarati, will 

not have the same effect as the original. The utterance of the word Rama will 

instantaneously affect millions of Hindus, when the word God, although they 

may understand the meaning, will leave them untouched. Words after all 

acquire a power by long usage and sacredness associated with their use. There 

is much, therefore, to be said for the retention of old Sanskrit formulae f(t the 

most prevalent mantras or verses. That the meaning of them should be properly 

understood goes without saying. 

There can be no fixed rule laid down as to the time these devotional acts 

should take. It depends upon individual temperament. These are precious 

moments in one's daily life. The exercises are intended to sober and humble us 



and enable us to realize that nothing happens without His will and that we are 

but 'clay in the hands of the Potter'. These are moments when one reviews one's 

immediate past, confesses one's weakness, asks for forgiveness and strength to 

be and do better. One minute may be enough for some, twenty-four hours may 

be too little for others. 

For those who are filled with the presence of God in them, to labour is to pray. 

Their life is one continuous prayer or act of worship. For those others who act 

only to sin, to indulge themselves, and live for self, no time is too much. If they 

had patience and faith and the will to be pure, they would pray till they feel 

the definite purifying presence of God within them. 

For us, ordinary mortals, there must be a middle path between these two 

extremes. We are not so exalted as to be able to say that all our acts are a 

dedication, nor perhaps are we so far gone as to be living purely for self. Hence 

have all religions set apart times for general devotion. Unfortunately these 

have nowadays become merely mechanical and formal, where they are not 

hypocritical. What is necessary, therefore, is the correct attitude to accompany 

these devotions. 

For definite personal prayer in the sense of asking God for something, it should 

certainly be in one's own tongue. Nothing can be grander than to ask God to 

make us act justly towards everything that lives. 

Young India, 10-6-'26, p. 211 

(From "South African Situation") 

Prayer is nothing else but an intense longing of the heart. You may express 

yourself through the lips; you may express yourself in the private closet or in 

public; but to be genuine, the expression must come from the deepest recesses 

of the heart. 

Young India, 16-12-'26, p. 440 



(From "A Letter") 

As grain is the body's food, so worship is the soul's. He who is convinced about 

the existence of the soul cannot live without worship. Prayer means the soul 

turning towards God. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLIX (1972), p. 222 



06. TRUE PRAYER 

(From "Shrirampur Diary") 

True prayer never goes unanswered. It does not mean that every little thing we 

ask for from God is readily given to us. It is only when we shed our selfishness 

with a conscious effort and approach God in true humility that our prayers find 

a response. 

In the Ashram prayer nothing is asked. The prayer is for God to make us better 

men and women. If the prayer came truly from the heart, God's grace would 

surely descend upon us. There is not a blade of grass which moves without His 

will, not one single true thought which does not leave a mark on character. It is 

good, therefore, to develop the daily habit of prayer. 

Harijan, 5-1-'47, p. 479 



07. TRUE WORSHIP 

We have forgotten God and we worship Satan. A man's duty is to worship God. 

Telling one's beads is no symbol of that worship; neither is going to mosque or 

temple, nor saying the namaz 1 or the gayatri These things are all right as far 

as they go. It is necessary to do the one or the other according to one's religion. 

But by themselves they are no indication of one's being devoted to God in 

worship. He alone truly adores God who finds his happiness in the happiness of 

others, speaks evil of none, does not waste his time in the pursuit of riches, 

does nothing immoral, who acquits himself with others as with a friend, does 

not fear the plague or any human being. 

[From Gujarati: Indian Opinion, 15-7-1911] 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XI, (1964), p. 126 

"As is the God, so is the votary", is a maxim worth considering. Its meaning has 

been distorted and men have gone astray. ... I am not likely to obtain the 

result flowing from the worship of God by laying myself prostrate before Satan. 

If, therefore, anyone were to say: "I want to worship God; it does not matter 

that I do so by means of Satan", it would be set down as ignorant folly. We reap 

exactly as we sow. 

Hind Swaraj, (1962), p. 71 

(From "For Christian Friends") 

We are all children of the same God. "Verily verily I say unto you, not everyone 

that sayeth unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he that 

doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven shall enter the Kingdom", was 

said, though in different words, by all the great teachers of the world. 

Harijan, 18-4-'36, p. 77 

1. The Islamic Prayer 

2. The Rigvedic hymn to the Sun God 



08. THE GREATEST BINDING FORCE 

(From "The Discipline of Prayer" by Pyarelal) 

Prayer is the greatest binding force, making for the solidarity and oneness of 

the human family. If a person realizes his unity with God tjhrough prayer, he 

will look upon everybody as himself. There will be no high, no low, no narrow 

provincialism or petty rivalries in the matter of language between an Andhra 

and a Tamilian, a Kanarese and a Malayalee. There will be no invidious 

distinction between a touchable and untouchable, a Hindu and a Musalman, a 

Parsi, a Christian or a Sikh. Similarly, there would be no scramble for personal 

gain or power between various groups or between different members within a 

group. 

The outer must reflect the inner. If we are in tune with God, no matter how big 

a gathering, perfect quiet and order would prevail and even the weakest would 

enjoy perfect protection. Above all, realization of God must mean freedom 

from all earthly fear. 

Harijan, 3-3-'46, p. 29 


How shall we know the (God's) will By prayer and right living. Indeed prayer 

should mean right living. There is a bhajan we sing every day before the 

Ramayana commences whose refrain is "Prayer has been never known to have 

failed anybody. Prayer means being one with God." 

Bapu's Utters to Mira [1924-1948], (1959), p. 286 



09. PRAYER IS ALL INCLUSIVE 

(From "Prayer Discourses" by Pyarelal) 

God does not come down in person to relieve suffering. He works through 

human agency. Therefore, prayer to God, to enable one to relieve the suffering 

of others, must mean a longing and readiness on one's part to labour for it. 

The prayer is not exclusive. It is not restricted to one's own caste or 

community. It is all inclusive. It comprehends the whole of humanity. Its 

realization would thus mean the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on 

earth. 

Harijan, 28-4-'46, p. 111 



10. A DIALOGUE WITH A BUDDHIST 

(By M.D.) 

The Meaning of Prayer 

Gandhiji had enough time to think and write during his recent visit to 

Abottabad, especially as he was kept free of many engagements and 

interviewers. But even there he had some interviewers—not of the usual type 

interested in politics or topics of the day but of the unusual type troubled with 

ultra-mundane problems. History has it that discourses on such problems used 

to take place in this region hallowed of old by the steps of the followers of 

Buddha. One of the interviewers of Gandhiji described himself as a follower of 

Buddha, and discussed a problem arising out of his creed. He is an archaeologist 

and loves to live in and dream of the past. Dr. Fabri—for that is his name—has 

been in India for many years. He was a pupil of Prof. Sylvan Levy and came out 

as assistant to the famous archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein. He served in the 

Archaeological Department for many years, helped in reorganizing the Lahore 

Museum, and has some archaeological work to his credit. Delving deep in 

Buddhistic lore has turned him into a stark rationalist. He is a Hungarian and 

had in the past corresponded with Gandhiji and even sympathetically fasted 

with him. He had come to Abottabad specially to see Gandhiji. 

He was particularly exercised about the form and content of prayer and would 

very much like to know what kind of prayer Gandhiji said. Gould the Divine 

Mind be changed by prayer Gould one find It out by prayer 

"It is a difficult thing to explain fully what I do when I pray," said Gandhiji, "But 

I must try to answer your question. The Divine Mind is unchangeable, but that 

Divinity is in everyone and everything—animate and inanimate. The meaning of 

prayer is that I want to evoke that Divinity within me. Now I may have that 

intellectual conviction, but not a living touch. And so when I pray for Swaraj or 

Independence for India I pray or wish for adequate power to gain that Swaraj or 



to make the largest contribution I can towards winning it, and I maintain that I 

can get that power in answer to prayer." 

"Then you are not justified in calling it prayer. To pray means to beg or 

demand," said Dr. Fabri. 

"Yes, indeed. You may say I beg it of myself, of my Higher Self, the Real Self 

with which I have not yet achieved complete identification. You may, 

therefore, describe it as a continual longing to lose oneself in the Divinity 

which comprises all." 

Meditation or Imploration 

"And you use an old form to evoke this" 

"I do. The habit of a life-time persists, and I would allow it to be said that I 

pray to an outside Power. I am part of that Infinite, and yet "such an 

infinitesimal part that I feel outside it. Though I give you the intellectual 

explanation, I feel, without identification with the Divinity, so small that I am 

nothing. Immediately I begin to say I do this thing and that thing I begin to feel 

my unworthiness and nothingness, and feel that someone else, some higher 

Power has to help me." 

"Tolstoy says the same thing. Prayer really is complete meditation and melting 

into the Higher Self, though one occasionally does lapse in .imploration like 

that of a child to his father." 

"Pardon me," said Gandhiji, cautioning the Buddhist doctor, "I would not call it 

a lapse. It is more in the fitness of things to say that I pray to God who exists 

somewhere up in the clouds, and the more distant He is, the greater is my 

longing for Him and find myself in His presence in thought. And thought as you 

know has a greater velocity than light. Therefore, the distance between me 

and Him, though so incalculably great, is obliterated. He is so far and yet so 

near." 



My Prayer not on a Different Level 

"It becomes a matter of belief, but some people like me are cursed with an 

acute critical faculty," said Dr. Fabri. "For me there is nothing higher than what 

Buddha taught, and no greater master. For Buddha alone among the teachers of 

the world said: 'Don't believe implicitly what I say. Don't accept any dogma or 

any book as infallible.' There is for me no infallible book in the world, inasmuch 

as all were made by men, however inspired they may have been. I cannot 

hence believe in a personal idea of God, a Maharaja sitting on the Great White 

Throne listening to our prayers. I am glad that your prayer is on a different 

level." 

Let it be said in fairness to the Savant that he is a devotee of the Bhagavadgita 

and the Dhammapada, and those are the two scriptures he carries with him. 

But he was arguing an extreme intellectual position. Even here Gandhiji caught 

him from being swept into the torrent of his logic. 

"Let me remind you," said Gandhiji, "that you are again only partially true when 

you say my prayer is on a different level. I told you that the intellectual 

conviction that I gave you is not eternally present with me. What is present is 

the intensity of faith whereby I lose myself in an Invisible Power. And so it is far 

truer to say that God has done a thing for me than that I did it. So many things 

have happened in my life for which I had intense longing, but which I could 

never have achieved myself. And I have always said to my co-workers it was in 

answer to my prayer. I did not say to them it was in answer to my intellectual 

effort to lose myself in the Divinity in me! The easiest and the correct thing for 

me was to say, 'God has seen me through my difficulty'." 

Karma Alone Powerless 

"But that you deserved by your Karma. God is Justice and not Mercy. You are a 

good man and good things happen to you," contended Dr. Fabri. 

"No fear. I am not good enough for things to happen like that. If I went about 

with that philosophical conception of Karma, I should often come a cropper. My 



Karma would not come to my help. Although I believe in the inexorable law of 

Karma I am striving to do so many things, every moment of my life is a 

strenuous endeavour, which is an attempt to build up more Karma, to undo the 

past and add to the present. It is therefore wrong to say that because my past 

is good, good is happening at present. The past would be soon exhausted, and I 

have to build up the future with prayer. I tell you Karma alone is powerless. 

'Ignite this match,' I say to myself, and yet I cannot if there is no co-operation 

from without. Before I strike the match my hand is paralysed or I have only one 

match and the wind blows it off. Is it an accident or God or Higher Power Well 

I prefer to use the language of my ancestors or of children. I am no better than 

a child. We may try to talk learnedly and of books, but when it comes to brass 

tracks—when we are face to face with a calamity—we behave like children and 

begin to cry and pray and our intellectual belief gives no satisfaction!" 

Did not Buddha Pray 

"I know, very highly developed men to whom belief in God gives incredible 

comfort and help in the building up of character," said Dr. Fabri. "But there are 

some great spirits that can do without it. That is what Buddhism has taught 

me." 

"But Buddhism is one long prayer," rejoined Gandhiji. 

"Buddha asked everyone to find salvation from himself. He never prayed, he 

meditated," maintained Dr. Fabri. 

"Gall it by whatever name you like, it is the same thing. Look at his statues." 

"But they are not true to life," said the archaeologist questioning the antiquity 

of these statues. "They are 400 years later than his death," said he. 

"Well," said Gandhiji, refusing to be beaten by a chronological argument, "give 

me your own history of Buddha as you may have discovered it. I will prove that 

he was a praying Buddha. The intellectual conception does not satisfy me. I 

have not given you a perfect and full definition as you cannot describe your 



own thought. The very effort to describe is a limitation. It defies analysis and 

you have nothing but scepticism as the residue." 

Was it of such people that Pope wrote — 

"With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, 

With too much weakness for the stoic's pride, 

He hangs between; in doubt to act or rest; 

In doubt to deem himself a god or beast; 

In doubt his mind or body to prefer; 

Born but to die, and reasoning but to err; 

Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled, 

The glory, jest and riddle of the world." 

Be Humble 

But to proceed, "What about the people who cannot pray" asked Dr. Fabri. 

"Be humble", said Gandhiji, "I would say to them, and do not limit even the real 

Buddha by your own conception of Buddha. He could not have ruled the lives of 

millions of men that he did and does today if he was not humble enough to 

pray. There is something infinitely higher than intellect that rules us and even 

the sceptics. Their scepticism and philosophy do not help them in. critical 

periods of their lives. They need something better, something outside them 

that can sustain them. And so if someone puts a conundrum before me, I say to 

him, 'You are not going to know the meaning of God or prayer unless you reduce 

yourself to a cipher. You must be humble enough to see that in spite of your 

greatness and gigantic intellect you are but a speck in the universe. A merely 

intellectual conception of the things of life is not enough. It is the spiritual 

conception which eludes the intellect, and which alone can give one 

satisfaction. Even moneyed men have critical periods in their lives; though they 

are surrounded by everything that money can buy and affection can give, they 

find [themselves] at certain moments in their fives utterly distracted. It is in 



these moments that we have a glimpse of God, a vision of Him who is guiding 

every one of our steps in life. It is prayer." 

"You mean what we might call a true religious experience which is stronger 

than intellectual conception," said Dr. Fabri. "Twice in life I had that 

experience, but I have since lost it. But I now find great comfort in one or two 

sayings of Buddha: 'Selfishness is the cause of sorrow', 'Remember, monks, 

everything is fleeting'. To think of these takes almost the place of belief." 

"That is prayer," repeated Gandhiji with an insistence that could not but have 

gone home. 

Harijan, 19-8-'39, p. 237 



11. WHY I LAY STRESS ON PRAYER 

(From a prayer speech : May 30, 1945) 

I lay stress on prayers because I believe in a Higher Power. Birth is not just an 

accident. Each man has to reap the fruits of his Karma. Life and death are in 

God's hands. It would be a good thing if we can think of God throughout the 

day; but as this is not possible, we should remember Him at least for a few 

minutes daily. If we do not express gratitude for many bounties of Providence 

daily, life ceases to have any meaning. 

Food for the Soul, (1957), p. 63 

(From Press Report : April 3, 1945) 

Every religion proclaims that man is not man if he praises not his Maker. 




12. PERSONAL TESTIMONY ON PRAYER 

(The following talk on prayer by Gandhiji is reproduced from the letter by M.D. on his 

voyage to London which appeared under the title "From S. S. Rajputana—II".) 

But perhaps even a greater centre of attraction. . . has been the prayer that 

we have every evening. The morning prayers are too early to attract these 

friends, but practically all Indians, (who number over 40).—Hindus, Musalmans, 

Parsis, Sikhs,—and a sprinkling of Europeans attend the evening prayers. At the 

request of some of these friends a fifteen minutes' talk after prayer and before 

dinner has become a daily feature, and I propose to share the first two talks 

with the readers of Young India. A question is asked each evening, and Gandhiji 

replies to it the next. One of the Indian passengers—a Musalman youth asked 

Gandhiji to give his personal testimony on prayer, not theoretcial discourse but 

a narration of what he had felt and experienced as a result of prayer. Gandhiji 

liked the question immensely, and poured out his personal testimony from a 

full heart. 

"Prayer," said he, "has been the saving of my life. Without it I should have been 

a lunatic long ago. My Autobiography will tell you, that I have had my fair share 

of the bitterest public and private experiences. They threw me into temporary 

despair, but if I was able to get rid of it, it was because of prayer. Now I may 

tell you, that prayer has not been part of my life in the sense that truth has 

been. It came out of sheer necessity, as I found myself in a plight when I could 

not possibly be happy without it. And the more my faith in God increased, the 

more irresistible became the yearning for prayer. Life seemed to be dull and 

vacant without it. 

I had attended the Christian service in South Africa, but it had failed to grip 

me. I could not join them in prayer. They supplicated God, but I could not do 

so, I failed egregiously. I started with disbelief in God and prayer and until at a 

late stage in life I did not feel anything like a void in life. But at that stage I 

felt that as food was indispensable for the body, so was prayer indispensable 

for the soul. In fact food for the body is not so necessary as prayer for the soul. 



For starvation is often necessary in order to keep the body in health, but there 

is no such thing as prayer-starvation. You cannot possibly have a surfeit of 

prayer. 

Three of the greatest teachers of the world—Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed—have 

left unimpeachable testimony, that they found illumination through prayer and 

could not possibly live without it. But to come nearer home millions of Hindus 

and Musalmans and Christians find their only solace in life in prayer. Either you 

vote them down as liars or self-deluded people. Well, then, I will say that this 

lying has a charm for me, a truth-seeker, if it is 'lying' that has given me that 

mainstay or staff of life, without which I could not bear to live for a moment. 

In spite of despair staring me in the face on the political horizon, I have never 

lost my peace. In fact I have found people who envy my peace. That peace, I 

tell you, comes from prayer. I am not a man of learning but I humbly claim to 

be a man of prayer. I am indifferent as to the form. Every one is a law unto 

himself in that respect. But there are some well-marked roads, and it is safe to 

walk along the beaten tracks, trod by the ancient teachers. Well, I have given 

my practical testimony. Let everyone try and find, that as a result of daily 

prayer he adds something new to his life, something with which nothing can be 

compared." 

"But," said another youth the next evening, "Sir, whilst you start with belief in 

God, we start with unbelief. How are we to pray" 

"Well", said Gandhiji, "it is beyond my power to induce in you a belief in God. 

There are certain things which are self-proved, and certain which are not 

proved at all. The existence of God is like a geometrical axiom. It may be 

beyond our heart-grasp. I shall not talk of an intellectual grasp. Intellectual 

attempts are more or less failures, as a rational explanation cannot give you 

the faith in a living God. For it is a thing beyond the grasp of reason. It 

transcends reason. There are numerous phenomena from which you can reason 

out the existence of God, but I shall not insult your intelligence by offering you 

a rational explanation of that type. I would have you brush aside all rational 

explanations and begin with a simple childlike faith in God. 



If I exist God exists. With me it is a necessity of my being as it is with millions. 

They may not be able to talk about it, but from their life you can see that it is 

part of their life. I am only asking you to restore the belief that has been 

undermined. In order to do so, you have to unlearn a lot of literature that 

dazzles your intelligence and throws you off your feet. Start with the faith 

which is also a token of humility and an admission that we know nothing, that 

we are less than atoms in this universe. We are less than atoms, I say, because 

the atom obeys the law of its being, whereas we in the insolence of our 

ignorance deny the law of nature. But I have no argument to address to those 

who have no faith. 

"Once you accept the existence of God, the necessity for prayers is 

unescapable. Let us not make the astounding claim, that our whole life is a 

prayer, and therefore, we need not sit down at a particular hour to pray. Even 

men who were all their time in tune with the Infinite did not make such a 

claim. Their lives were a continuous prayer, and yet for our sake, let us say, 

they offered prayer at set hours, and renewed each day the oath of loyalty to 

God. God of course never insists on the oath, but we must renew our pledge 

every day, and I assure you we shall then be free from every imaginable misery 

in life." 

Young India, 24-9-'31, p. 274 



13. WHY PRAY 

(Originally appeared under the title : "Is God A Person or A Force"} 

A friend from Baroda writes in English: 

"You ask us to pray to God to give light to the whites in South Africa and 

strength and courage to the Indians there to remain steadfast to the end. A 

prayer of this nature can only be addressed to a person. If God is an allpervading 

and all-powerful force, what is the point of praying to Him He goes 

on with His work whatever happens." 

I have written on this topic before. But as it is a question that crops up again 

and again in different languages, further elucidation is likely to help someone 

or the other. In my opinion, Rama, Rahaman, Ahurmazda, God or Krishna are all 

attempts on the part of man to name that invincible force which is the greatest 

of all forces. 

It is inherent in man, imperfect he though be, ceaselessly to strive after 

perfection. In the attempt he falls into reverie. And, just as a child tries to 

stand, falls down again and again and ultimately learns how to walk, even so 

man, with all his intelligence is mere infant as compared to the infinite and 

ageless God. This may appear to be an exaggeration but is not. Man can only 

describe God in his own poor language. The power we call God defies description. 

Nor does that power stand in need of any human effort to describe 

Him. It is man who requires the means whereby he can describe that Power 

which is vaster than the ocean. 

If this premise is accepted, there is no need to ask why we pray. Man can only 

conceive God within the limitations of his own mind. If God is vast and 

boundless as the ocean, how can a tiny drop like man imagine what He is He 

can only experience what the ocean is like, if he falls into and is merged in it. 

This realization is beyond description. In Madame Blavatsky's language man, in 

praying, worships his own glorified self. He can truly pray, who has the 

conviction that God is within him. He who has not, need not pray. God will not 



be offended, but I can say from experience that he who does not pray is 

certainly a loser. 

What matters then whether one man worships God as a Person and another as 

Force Both do right according to their lights. None knows and perhaps never 

will know what is absolutely proper way to pray. The ideal must always remain 

the ideal. One need only remember that God is the Force among all the forces. 

All other forces are material. But God is the vital force or spirit which is allpervading, 

all-embracing and therefore beyond human ken. 

Harijan, 18-8-'46 p. 267 



14. THE OBJECT OF PRAYER 

(From "Weekly Letter" by Pyarelal) 

The object of prayer is not to please God, who does not want our prayers or 

praise, but to purify ourselves. The process of self-purification consists in a 

conscious realization of His presence within us. There is no strength greater 

than that which such realization gives. Presence of God has to be felt in every 

walk of life." If you think that as soon as you leave the prayer ground you can 

live and behave anyhow; your attendance of the prayer is useless. 

Harijan, 26-5-'46, p. 156 

(From a prayer speech : Jan. 4, 1946) 

Prayer ought to result in self-purification and it ought to transmute our entire 

conduct. If anybody thinks that it gives him licence to do as he likes during the 

rest of the day, he deceives himself and others. That is a travesty of the true 

meaning of prayer. 

Food for the Soul, (1957), p. 80 fn. 

(From a prayer speech : Nov. 30, 1944) 

Prayer does for the purification of the mind what the bucket and the broom do 

for the cleaning up of our physical surroundings. No matter whether the prayer 

we recite is the Hindu prayer or the Muslim or the Parsi, its function is 

essentially the same, namely, purification of the heart. 




15. SPONTANEOUS UPWELLING OF THE HEART 

(From a prayer speech : April 12, 1945) 

Whatever measure of success I have attained in the realization of truth and 

non-violence is the result of prayer. 

Prayer should be a spontaneous upwelling of the heart. One should not pray if 

one feels that the prayer is a burden. God is not hungry for man's prayer or 

praise. He tolerates all because He is all Love. If we feel that we owe a debt to 

Him, who is the giver of all things, we should remember Him and pray to Him 

out of sheer gratitude. The fear of incurring anybody's ridicule or displeasure 

should never deter one from performing one's elementary duty towards the 

Maker. 




16. A MAN OF PRAYER KNOWS NO FEAR 

(On his return from England after the failure of the Round Table Conference, Gandhiji was 

arrested in Bombay on 4th January 1932 in the quiet of night. Just the day before, i.e. on 

3rd January, at the four o'clock morning prayer, he delivered a stirring little message to 

the people which appeared in the feature "The Historic Week—28th December 1931, — 4th 

January 1932" by M.D.) 

You have been my companions in these prayers for some days, and now that the 

struggle is resumed again and I may be taken away any moment, I hope you will 

continue to have your prayers regularly morning and evening. Let it become a 

daily obligatory ritual for you. Prayer plays a large part in a self-purificatory 

sacrifice and you will see that it will be a veritable cow of plenty for you, and 

will make your way clear. The more you apply yourselves to it, the more 

fearlessness you will experience in daily fife, for fearlessness is a sign and 

symbol of self-purification. I do not know a man or a woman who was on the 

path of self-purification and was still obsessed by fear. Generally there are two 

kinds of fears in men's minds —fear of death and fear or loss of material 

possessions. A man of prayer and self-purification will shed the fear of death 

and embrace death as a boon companion and will regard all earthly possessions 

as fleeting and of no account. He will see that he has no right to possess wealth 

when misery and pauperism stalk the land and when there are millions who 

have, to go without a meal. No power on earth can subdue a man who has shed 

these two fears. But for that purpose the prayer should be a thing of the heart 

and not a thing of outward demonstration. It must take us daily nearer to God, 

and a prayerful man is sure to have his heart's desire fulfilled, for the simple 

reason that he will never have an improper desire. Continue this ritual and you 

will shed lustre not only on your city but on our country. I hope this brief prayer 

of mine will find a lodgment in your heart. 

Young India, 7-1-'32, p. 8 



(From a letter) 

I am very glad to know that you are not afraid. Why should one fear who knows 

that God is the Protector of all By saying that God is the Protector of all I do 

not mean that none would be able to rob us or that no animal will attack us. It 

is no slur on God's protection if such things happen to us; it is only due to our 

lack of faith in Him. I he river is for ever ready to give water to all. But if one 

does not go near it with a pot to get water, or avoids it thinking its water 

poisonous, how can that be the fault of the river All fear is a sign of lack of 

faith. But faith cannot be developed by means of reasoning. It comes gradually 

through quiet thinking, contemplation and practice. To develop such faith, we 

pray to God, read good books, seek the company of the good and take to 

sacrificial spinning at the wheel. He who has no faith will not even touch the 

spinning-wheel. 

Bapu's Letters to Ashram Sisters, (1960), p. 28 



17. WHY RECITE HIS NAME 

(From "Non-violent Volunteer Corps") 

There are many who, whether from mental laziness or from having fallen into a 

bad habit believe that God is and will help us unasked. Why then is it necessary 

to recite His name It is true that if God is, He is irrespective of our belief. But 

realization of God is infinitely more than mere belief. That can come only by 

constant practice. This is true of all science. How much more true of the 

science of all sciences 

Man often repeats the name of God parrot-wise and expects fruit from so 

doing. The true seeker must have that living faith which will not only dispel the 

untruth of parrot-wise repetition from within him but also from the hearts of 

others. 

Harijan, 5-5-'46, p. 113 



18. BEAUTY OF REPETITION 

(From "Weekly Letter" by M.D.) 

"This repetition of one and the same thing over and over again jars on me. It 

may be the defect of my rationalist mathematical temperament. But somehow I 

cannot like the repetition. For instance, even Bach's wonderful music fails to 

appeal to me when the text 'Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,' 

is repeated over and over again." 

"But even in mathematics, you have your recurring decimals," said Gandhiji 

smiling. 

"But each recurs with a definite new fact," said the mathematician. 

"Even so," said Gandhiji, "each repetition, or japa as it is called, has a new 

meaning, each repetition carries you nearer and nearer to God. This is a 

concrete fact, and I may tell you that you are here talking to no theorist, but to 

one who has experienced what he says every minute of his life, so much so that 

it is easier for the life to stop than for this incessant process to stop. It is 

definite need of the soul." 

"I quite see it, but for the average man it becomes an empty formula." 

"I agree, but the best thing is liable to be abused. There is room for any amount 

of hypocrisy, but even hypocrisy is an ode to virtue. And I know that for ten 

thousand hypocrites, you would find millions of simple souls who find their 

solace from it. It is like scaffolding quite essential to a building." 

"But," said Pierre Ceresole, "if I may carry the simile a little further, you agree 

that the scaffolding has to be removed when the building is complete" 

"Yes, it would be removed when this body is removed." 

"Why" 

"Because," said Wilkinson who was closely following the discourse, “we are 

eternally building.” 



"Because," said Gandhiji, we are eternally striving after perfection. God alone 

is perfect, man is never perfect." 

Harijan, 25-5-'35, p. 115 

(From 'Letter to Premabehn Kantak") 

This is how repetition of God's name wipes out one's sins. Anyone who sincerely 

follows that practice is bound to have faith. He starts with the conviction that 

such repetition will wipe out his sins. Wiping out of sins means self-purification. 

One who repeats God's name daily with faith will never grow tired of doing so, 

and therefore, the name which he repeats with his lips to start with sinks 

ultimately into his heart, and that purifies him. This is a universal experience. 

Psychologists also believe that man becomes what he thinks. Ramanama follows 

this law. I have unshakable faith in the virtue of repeating God's name. I am 

convinced that the person who discovered it had first-hand experience [of 

spiritual life] and that his discovery is of the utmost value. The door of 

purification should open even for the illiterate. Repetition of God's name opens 

it for them. (See Gita IX, 22, X. 10). Telling beads and similar practices help 

one to concentrate and to count the number of times the name has been 

repeated. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi — L, (1972), p. 326 


You are right about the repetition of the prayers by some without knowing the 

meaning. Effort has been often made to remove the defect. But in a place 

which has a floating population, the task is difficult. A prayerful repetition is 

itself not a bad thing. It is like music that has no words. The music has its own 

distinct effect apart from words. This defence is good only where there is no 

hypocrisy and the mind is properly attuned. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi —XLIX, (1972), o. 42 



19. NO FAITH IN PRAYER! 

I 

Here is a letter written by a student to the Principal of a national institution, 

asking to be excused from attending its prayer meetings: 

"I beg to state that I have no belief in prayer, as I do not believe in anything 

known as God to which I should pray. I never feel any necessity of supposing a 

God for myself. What do I lose if I do not care for Him, and calmly and sincerely 

work my own schemes 

"So far as congregational prayer is concerned, it is of no use. Can such a huge 

mass of men enter into any mental concentration upon a thing, however trifling 

it may be Are the little and ignorant children expected to fix their fickle 

attention on the subtlest ideas of our great scriptures, God and soul and 

equality of all men and many other high-sounding phrases This great 

performance is required to be done at a particular time at the command of a 

particular man. Can love for the so-called Lord take its root in the hearts of 

boys by any such mechanical function Nothing can be more repugnant to 

reason than to expect the same behaviour from men of every temperament. 

Therefore, prayer should not be a compulsion. Let those pray who have a taste 

for it, and those avoid who dislike it. Anything done without conviction is an 

immoral and degrading action." 

Let us first examine the worth of the last idea. Is it an immoral and degrading 

act to submit to discipline before one begins to have conviction about its 

necessity Is it immoral and degrading to study subjects according to the school 

syllabus, if one has no conviction about its utility May a boy be excused from 

studying his vernacular, if he has persuaded himself that it is useless Is it not 

truer to say that a school boy has no conviction about the things he has to 

learn, or the discipline he has to go through His choice is exhausted, if he had 

it, when he elected to belong to an institution. His joining one means that he 



will willingly submit to its rules and regulations. It is open to him to leave it, 

but he may not choose what or how he will learn. 

It is for teachers to make attractive and intelligible, what to the pupils may, at 

first, appear repulsive or uninteresting. 

It is easy enough to say: "I do not believe in God." For, God permits all things to 

be said of Him with impunity. He looks at our acts. And any breach of His Law 

carries with it, not its vindictive, but its purifying, compelling, punishment. 

God's existence cannot be, does not need to be proved. God is. If He is not felt, 

so much the worse for us. The absence of feeling is a disease which we shall 

someday throw off nolens volens. 

But a boy may not argue. He must, out of sense of discipline, attend prayer 

meetings, if the institution to which he belongs requires such attendance. He 

may respectfully put his doubts before his teachers. He need not believe what 

does not appeal to him. But if he has respect for his teachers, he will do 

without believing what he is asked to do, not out of fear, nor out of 

churlishness, but with the knowledge that it is right for him so to do, and with 

the hope that what is dark to him today will someday be made clear to him. 

Prayer is not an asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is a daily admission of one's 

weakness. The tallest among us has a perpetual reminder of his nothingness 

before death, disease, old age, accidents etc. We are living in the midst of 

death. What is the value of 'working for our own schemes' when they might be 

reduced to naught in the twinkling of an eye, or when we may, equally swiftly 

and unawares, be taken away from them But we may feel strong as a rock, if 

we could truthfully say: 'We work for God and His schemes.' Then, all is as clear 

as day-light. Then, nothing perishes. All perishing is, then, only what seems. 

Death and destruction have then, but only then, no reality about them. For, 

death and destruction is then but a change. An artist destroys his picture for 

creating a better one. A watchmaker throws away a bad spring to put in a new 

and a useful one. 

A congregational prayer is a mighty thing. What we do not often do alone, we 

do together. Boys do not need conviction. If they merely attend in obedience to 



the call to prayer, without inward resistance, they feel the exaltation. But 

many do not. They are even mischievous. All the same the unconscious effect 

cannot be resisted. Are there not boys who at the commencement of their 

career were scoffers, but who subsequently became mighty believers in the 

efficacy of congregational prayer It is a common experience for men, who 

have no robust faith, to seek the comfort of congregational prayer. All who 

flock to churches, temples, or mosques are not scoffers or humbugs. They are 

honest men and women. For them congregational prayer is like a daily bath, a 

necessity of their existence. These places of worship are not a mere idle 

superstition to be swept away at the first opportunity. They have survived all 

attacks up to now, and are likely to persist to the end of time. 

Young India, 23-9-'26, p. 333 

II 

(Originally appeared under the title "Tyranny of Words") 

A correspondent thus writes on my article "No Faith in Prayer!": 

"In your article bearing the above caption, you hardly do justice to the 'boy' or 

to your own position as a great thinker. It is true that the expressions used by 

the writer in his letter are not all happy, but of his clarity of thought there is 

no doubt. It is also very evident that he is not a boy as the word is understood. 

I should be much surprised to find him under twenty. Even if he is young, he 

seems to show sufficient intellectual development, not to be treated in the 

manner of 'a boy may not argue'. The writer of the letter is a rationalist while 

you are a believer, two age-old types with age-old conflict. The attitude of the 

one is, 'Let me be I convinced and I shall believe', that of the other is, 'Believe 

and conviction shall come'. The first appeals to reason, the second appeals to 

authority. You seem to think that agnosticism is but a passing phase among all 

young people, and that faith comes to them sooner or later. There is the wellknown 

case of Swami Vivekananda to support your view. You, therefore, 

proceed to prescribe a compulsory dose of prayer to the 'boy' for his own good. 

Your reasons are twofold. Firstly, prayer for its own sake, as a recognition of 

one's own littleness, and mightiness and goodness of the supposed higher being. 

Secondly, for its utility, for the solace it brings to those who want to be 



solaced. I shall dispose of the second argument first. Here, it is recommended 

as a sort of staff to the weak. Such are the trials of life, and such is their 

power to shatter reason of men that great many people may need prayer and 

faith some time. They have a right to it and they are welcome to it. But there 

have been, and there are always, some true rationalists — few, no doubt — who 

have never felt the necessity of either. There is also the class of people who, 

while they are not aggressive doubters, are indifferent to religion. 

"As all people do not ultimately require the help of prayer, and as those who 

feel its necessity- are free to take to it, and do take to it when required, 

compulsion in prayer, from the point of utility cannot be upheld. Compulsory 

physical exercise and education may be necessary for physical and mental 

development of a person, not so the belief in God and prayer for the moral 

side. Some of the world's greatest agnositics have been the most moral men. To 

these, I suppose, you would recommend prayer for its own sake, as an 

expression of humility, in fact, your first argument. Too much has been made 

of this humility. So vast is knowledge that even the greatest scientists have felt 

humble sometimes, but their general trait has been that of masterful enquiry, 

their faith in their own powers has been as great as their conquest of nature. 

Had it not been so, we shall still be scratching earth with bare fingers for roots, 

nay, we should have been wiped out of the surface of the earth. 

"During the Ice Age, when human beings were dying of cold and fire was first 

discovered, your prototype in that age must have taunted the discoverer with : 

"What is the use of your schemes, of what avail are they against the power and 

wrath of God* The humble have been promised the Kingdom of God hereafter. 

We do not know whether they will get it, but here on this earth their portion is 

serfdom. To revert to the main point, your assertion about 'accept the belief 

and the faith shall come' is too true, terribly true. Much of religious fanaticism 

of this world can be traced directly to this kind of teaching. Provided you catch 

them young enough, you can make a good majority of human beings believe in 

anything. That is how your orthodox Hindu, or fanatical Mahomedan, is 

manufactured. There are, of course, always a small few in either community 

who will outgrow these beliefs that have been forced upon them Do you know 

that if the Hindus and the Mahomedans stopped studying their scriptures, until 

they reached maturity, they would not be such fanatical believers in their 

dogmas, and would cease to quarrel for their sake Secular education is the 

remedy for Hindu-Muslim riots, but you are not made that way. 



"Great as our debt is to you for setting an unprecedented example in courage, 

action and sacrifice in this country where people have been always much 

afraid, when the final judgment is passed on your work, it will be said that your 

influence gave a great setback to intellectual progress in this country." 

I do not know the meaning of boy 'as the word is ordinarily understood', if a 20 

year old lad is not a boy. Indeed, I would call all school-going persons boys and 

girls, irrespective of their ages. But whether the doubting student may be 

called a boy or a man, my arguments must stand. A student is like a soldier 

(and a soldier may be 40 years old) who may not argue about matters of discipline, 

when he has put himself and chooses to remain under it. A soldier may 

not remain a unit in his regiment and have the option of doing or not doing 

things he is asked to do. Similarly, a student, no matter how wise or old he is, 

surrenders when he joins a school or a college the right of rejecting its 

discipline. Here, there is no underrating or despising the intelligence of the 

student. It is an aid to his intelligence for him to come voluntarily under 

discipline. But my correspondent willingly bears the heavy- yoke of the tyranny 

of words. He scents 'compulsion' in every act that displeases the doer. But there 

is compulsion and compulsion. We call self-imposed compulsion self- restraint. 

We hug it and grow under it. But compulsion to be shunned even at the cost of 

life, is restraint, superimposed upon us against our wills, and often with the 

object of humiliating us and robbing us of our dignity as men and boys, if you 

will. Social restraints generally are healthy, and we reject them to our own 

undoing. Submission to crawling orders is unmanly and cowardly. Worse still is 

the submission to the multitude of passions that crowd round us every moment 

of our lives, ready to hold us their slaves. 

But the correspondent has yet another word that holds him in its chains. It is 

the mighty word 'rationalism'. Well, I had a full dose of it. Experience has 

humbled me enough to let me realize the specific limitations of reason. Just as 

matter misplaced becomes dirt, reason misused becomes lunacy. If we would 

but render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, all would be well. 



Rationalists are admirable beings. Rationalism is a hideous monster when it 

claims for itself omnipotence. Attribution of omnipotence to reason is as bad a 

piece of idolatry as is worship of stock and stone, believing it to be God. 

Who has reasoned out the use of prayer Its use is felt after practice. Such is 

the world's testimony. Cardinal Newman never surrendered his reason, but he 

yielded a better place to prayer when he humbly sang: 'One step enough for 

me'. Shankara was a prince among reasoners. There is hardly anything in the 

world's literature to surpass Shankara's rationalism. But he yielded the first 

place to prayer and faith. 

The correspondent has made a hasty generalization from the fleeting and 

disturbing events that are happening before us. But everything on this earth 

lends itself to abuse. It seems to be a law governing everything pertaining to 

man. No doubt, religion has to answer for some of the most terrible crimes in 

history. But that is the fault not of religion, but of the ungovernable brute in 

man. He has not yet shed the effects of his brute ancestry. 

I do not know a single rationalist who has never done anything in simple faith, 

and has based every one of his acts on reason. But we all know millions of 

human beings, living their more or less orderly lives because of their childlike 

faith in the Maker of us all. That very faith is a prayer. The 'boy', on whose 

letter I based my article, belongs to that vast mass of humanity, and the article 

was written to steady him and his fellow-searchers, not to disturb the 

happiness of rationalists like the correspondent. 

But he quarrels even with the bent that is given to the youth of the world by 

their elders and teachers. But that, it seems, is an inseparable handicap (if it 

be one) of impressionable age. Purely secular education is also an attempt to 

mould the young mind after a fashion. The correspondent is good enough to 

grant that the body and the mind may be trained and directed. Of the soul, 

which makes the body and the mind possible, he has no care or perhaps he is in 

doubt as to its existence. But this belief cannot avail him. He cannot escape 

the consequence of his reasoning. For, why may not a believer argue, on the 

correspondent's own ground, and say he must influence the soul of boys and 



girls, even as the others influence the body and the intelligence The evils of 

religious instructions will vanish with the evolution of the true religious spirit. 

To give up religious instruction is like letting a field lie fallow, and grow weeds 

for want of the tiller's knowledge of the proper use of the field. 

The correspondent's excursion into the great discoveries of the ancients is 

really irrelevant to the subject under discussion. No one questions, I do not, 

the utility or the brilliance of those discoveries. They were generally a proper 

field for the use and exercise of reason. But they, the ancients, did not delete 

from their lives the predominant function of faith and prayer. Works without 

faith and prayer, are like an artificial flower that has no fragrance. I plead, not 

for the suppression of reason, but for a due recognition of that in us which 

sanctifies reason itself. 

Young India, 14-10-'26, p. 358 



20. WHY NO FAITH IN PRAYER 


And why no faith in prayer Faith is either derived or revealed from within. You 

should derive it from the testimony without exception of all the teachers and 

the seers of all climes, countries and times. A true prayer is not a mere lip 

expression. It need never lie. Selfless service is prayer. You must not say, 'I 

have no faith in prayer.' 

Mahadevbhaini Diary, Vol. 2, (Gujarati Edn. 1949), p. 24 



21. HAVE FAITH 

(From a discussion with a visitor) 

Visitor: "If you pray to God, can He intervene and set aside the law for your 

sake" 

Gandhiji: "God's law remains unaltered but since that very law says that every 

action has a result, if a person prays, his prayer is bound to produce an 

unforeseeable result in terms of His law. . . " 

"But do you know the God to whom you pray" 

"No, I don't." 

"To whom shall we pray then" 

"To the God whom we do not know—we do not always know the person to whom 

we pray." 

"May be, but the person to whom we pray is knowable." 

"So is God; and since He is knowable, we search. It may take a billion years 

before we find Him. What does it matter So, I say, even if you do not believe, 

you must continue to pray, i.e., search. 'Help thou my unbelief' is a verse from 

the Bible to be remembered. But it is not right to ask such questions. You must 

have infinite patience, and inward longing. Inward longing obviates all such 

questions. 'Have faith and you will be whole' is another tip from the Bible." 

"When I look at nature around me," the venerable visitor finally said, "I say to 

myself, there must be one Creator, one God and to Him I should pray." 

"That again is reasoning," Gandhiji replied. "God is beyond reason. But I have 

nothing to say if your reason is enough to sustain you." 

Mahatma Gandhi — The Last Phase Vol. I, Book One (1965), p. 59 



(From "Letter to H. B. Tejumal") 

To quote from scriptures will not help you. Draupadi's prayer is a celebrated 

instance. If one has faith in one's prayer, I have not a shadow of a doubt in my 

mind that it can move mountain. Faith and proof are contradictory acts. Hence 

illustrations are of little avail. The only thing is to pray whether one gets an 

answer to one's prayer or not. Prayer should never be directed to a selfish 

object. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi — XXXII, (1969), p. 35 

(From "Letter to C. R. Sangameswaran") 

I can give you no help if you have no faith in God, and if you have faith in God 

you need no help from me. Therefore I would advise you to have faith in God 

and therefore also in prayer. You will then find that all the evil thoughts will 

leave you and that you will find peace of mind gradually growing on you, and 

you will become a fit instrument for service. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi-XLVII, (1971), p. 326 

(From "Letter to Premabehn Kantak") 

I understand your view about the ceremonial recitation of the Gita. On this 

issue you may quarrel with Kaka-saheb to your heart's content. Personally, I 

think that at the back of your opposition to the proposal is your aversion to or 

lack of faith in the prayers themselves. If you had your way, I think you would 

have nothing besides the dhun. I would advise you to have faith in all the items 

of the prayers. If possible, concentrate your attention on the meaning of each 

item. If you cannot do that, have faith that the words you hear are noble and 

that even the fact of listening to them will do you good, and attend to them 

respectfully. Please do not understand from this that I wish to convert you to 

the proposal for completing the recitation in seven days. I have written this to 

convince you that there is some meaning in the prayers behind which lies 

fifteen years' tapascharya, with unswerving faith, on the part of some of us. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi — XLIV, (1971),. p. 333 



22. THE HEALING BALM 

(Form "Under the Starry Sky" by Pyarelal) 

Q. What counsel do you give to the young men who are fighting a losing battle 

with their lower selves and come to you for advice 

A. Simply prayer. One must humble oneself utterly,, and look beyond oneself 

for strength. 

Q. But what if the young men complain that their prayer is not heard, that they 

feel like speaking to brass heavens, as it were 

A. To want an answer to one's prayer is to tempt God. If prayer fails to bring 

relief it is only lip prayer. If prayer does not help, nothing else will. One must 

go on ceaselessly. This, then, is my message to the youth. In spite of 

themselves, the youth must believe in the all-conquering power of love and 

truth. 

Q. The difficulty with our youth is that the study of science and modern 

philosophy has demolished their faith, and so they are burnt up by the fire of 

disbelief. 

A. That is due to the fact that with them faith is an effort of the intellect, not 

an experience of the soul. Intellect takes us along in the battle of life to a 

certain limit, but at the crucial moment it fails us. Faith transcends reason. It 

is when the horizon is the darkest and human reason is beaten down to the 

ground, that faith shines brightest and comes to our rescue. It is such faith that 

our youth requires, and this comes when one has shed all pride of intellect and 

surrendered oneself entirely to His will. 

Young India, 21-3-1929, p. 96 



23. GOD'S WORD 

(From "Notes") 

My success lies in my continuous, humble, truthful striving. I know the path. It 

is straight and narrow. It is like the edge of a sword. I rejoice to walk on it. I 

weep when I slip. God's word is: "He who strives never perishes". I have implicit 

faith in that promise. Though therefore from my weakness I fail a thousand 

times, I will not lose faith but hope that I shall see the Light when the flesh has 

been brought under perfect subjection as some day it must. 

Young India, 17-6-'26, p. 215 



24. NIRBL KE BAL RAM ( िनबल के बल राम * ) 

Though I had acquired a nodding acquaintance with Hinduism and other 

religions of the world, I should have known that it would not be enough to save 

me in my trials. Of the thing that sustains him through trials man has no inkling, 

much less knowledge, at the time. If an unbeliever, he will attribute his safety 

to chance. If a believer, he will say God saved him. He will conclude, as well he 

may, that his religious study or spiritual discipline was at the back of the state 

of grace within him. But in the hour of his deliverance he does not know whether 

his spiritual discipline or something else saves him. Who that has prided 

himself on his spiritual strength has not seen it humbled to the dust A 

knowledge of religion, as distinguished from experience, seems but chaff in 

such moments of trial. 

It was in England that I first discovered the futility of mere religious knowledge. 

How I was saved on previous occasions is more than I can say, for I was very 

young then; but now I was twenty and had gained some •experience as husband 

and father. 

During the last year, as far as I can remember, of my stay in England, that is in 

1890, there was a Vegetarian Conference at Portsmouth to which an Indian 

friend and I were invited. Portsmouth is a sea-port with a large naval 

population. It has many houses with women of ill fame, women not actually 

prostitutes, but at the same time, not very scrupulous about their morals. We 

were put up in one of these houses. Needless to say, the Reception Committee 

did not know anything about it. It would have been difficult in a town like 

Portsmouth to find out which were good lodgings and which were bad for 

occasional travelers like us. 

We returned from the Conference in the evening. After dinner we sat down to 

play a rubber of bridge, in which our landlady joined, as is customary in 

England even in respectable households. Every player indulges in innocent jokes 

as a matter of course, but here my companion and our hostess began to make 



indecent ones as well. I did not know that my friend was an adept in the art. It 

captured me and I also joined in. Just when I was about to go beyond the limit, 

leaving the cards and the game to themselves, God through the good 

companion uttered the blessed warning: 'Whence this devil in you, my boy Be 

off, quick!' 

I was ashamed. I took the warning and expressed within myself gratefulness to 

my friend. Remembering the vow I had taken before my mother, I fled from the 

scene. To my room I went quaking, trembling, and with beating heart, like a 

quarry escaped from its pursuer. 

I recall this as the first occasion on which a woman, other than my wife, moved 

me to lust. I passed that night sleeplessly, all kinds of thoughts assailing me. 

Should I leave this house Should I run away from the place Where was I What 

would happen to me if I had not my wits about me I decided to act thenceforth 

with great caution; not to leave the house, but somehow leave Portsmouth. 

The Conference was not to go on for more than two days, and I remember I left 

Portsmouth the next evening, my companion staying there some time longer. 

I did not then know the essence of religion or of God, and how He works in us. 

Only vaguely I understood that God had saved me on that occasion. On all 

occasions of trial He has saved me. I know that the phrase 'God saved me' has a 

deeper meaning for me today, and still I feel that I have not yet grasped its 

entire meaning. Only richer experience can help me to a fuller understanding. 

But in all my trials—of a spiritual nature, as a lawyer, in conducting institutions, 

and in politics—I can say that God saved me. When every hope is gone, 'when 

helpers fail and comforts flee,' I find that help arrives somehow, from I know 

not where. Supplication, worship, prayer are no superstition; they are acts 

more real than the acts of eating, drinking, sitting or walking. It is no 

exaggeration to say that they alone are real, all else is unreal. 

Such worship or prayer is no flight of eloquency; it is no lip-homage. It springs 

from the heart. If, therefore, we achieve that purity of the heart when it is 

'emptied of all but love', if we keep all the chords in proper tune, they 

'trembling pass in music out of sight'. Prayer needs no speech. It is in itself 



independent of any sensuous effort. I have not the slightest doubt that prayer is 

an unfailing means of cleansing the heart of passions. But it must be combined 

with the utmost humility. 

An Autobiography, (1969), pp. 52-54 

* 'Nirbal ke bala Rama' — Refrain of Surdas' famous hymn, 'He is the help of the helpless, 

the strength of the weak.' 



25. THE ONLY HELP OF THE HELPLESS 

(From Gandhiji's address at a students' meeting in Rangoon which originally appeared 

under the title "To the Students".) 

I know from correspondence with the students all over India what wrecks they 

have become by having stuffed their brains with information derived from a 

cartload of books. Some have become unhinged, others have become lunatics, 

some have been leading a life of helpless immaturity. My heart goes out to 

them when they say that try as much as they might, they are what they are, 

because they cannot overpower the devil. "Tell us," they plaintively ask, "how 

to get rid of the devil, how to get rid of the impurity that has seized us." When 

I ask them to take Ramanama and kneel before God and seek His help, they 

come to me and say, "We do not know where God is. We do not know what it is 

to pray." That is the state to which they have been reduced. I have, therefore, 

been asking the students to be on their guard. . . . Never own a defeat in a 

sacred cause and make up your minds henceforth that you will be pure and that 

you will find a response from God. But God never answers the prayers of the 

arrogant, nor the prayers of those who bargain with Him. Have you heard the 

story of Gajendra Moksha I ask the Burmese students here who do not know 

one of the greatest of all poems, one of the divinest things of the world, to 

learn it from their Indian friends. A Tamil saying has always remained in my 

memory and it means, God is the help of the helpless. If you would ask Him to 

help you, you would go to Him in all your nakedness, approach Him without 

reservations, also without fear or doubts as to how He can help a fallen being 

like you. He who has helped millions, who have approached Him, is He going to 

desert you He makes no exceptions whatsoever and you will find that everyone 

of your prayers will be answered. The prayer of even the most impure will be 

answered. I am telling this out of my personal experience, I have gone through 

the purgatory. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and everything will be added 

unto you. 

Young India, 4-4-'29, p. 110 



26. GOD'S COVENANT 

(Gist of the speech at a prayer meeting in Congress House, Bombay, from "Weekly Letter" 

by M.D.) 

You will wonder why I consented to have a prayer meeting in Bombay, when 

even the existence of God is with many a matter of doubt. There are others 

who say: 'If God is seated in the heart of everyone, who shall pray to whom, 

who shall invoke whom' I am not here to solve these intellectual puzzles. I can 

only say that ever since my childhood prayer has been my solace and my 

strength. 

. . . There are those who are struck with doubt and despair. For them there is 

the name of God. It is God's covenant that whoever goes to Him in weakness 

and helplessness, him He will make strong. 'When I am weak, then I am strong.' 

As the Poet Surdas has sung, Rama is the strength of the weak. This strength is 

not to be obtained by taking up arms or by similar means. It is to be had by 

throwing oneself on His name. Rama is but a synonym of God. You may say God 

or Allah or whatever other name you like, but the moment you trust naught but 

Him, you are strong, all disappointment disappears. 

The hymn alludes to the story of the Lord of elephants who was in the jaws of a 

crocodile and who had been all but drowned in water. There was only the tip of 

his trunk left above water when he invoked God's name and he was saved. No 

doubt it is an allegory. But it conceals a truth. Over and over again in my life 

have I found it. Even in darkest despair, when there seems no helper and no 

comfort in the wide world His name inspires us with strength and puts all 

doubts and despair to flight. The sky may be overcast today with clouds, but a 

fervent prayer to Him is enough to dispel them. It is because of prayer that I 

have known no disappointment. . . . Let us pray that He may cleanse our hearts 

of pettinesses, meannesses and deceit, and He will surely answer our prayers. 

Harijan, 1-6-'35, p. 123 



27. SECRET OF SELF-CONTROL 

(From "Brahmo Samaj's Contribution to Hinduism") 

I am inundated with letters from young men who write frankly about their evil 

habits and about the void that their unbelief has made in their lives. No mere 

medical advice can bring them relief. I can only tell them that there is no way 

but that of surrender to and trust in God and His grace. Let us all utilize this 

occasion by giving the living religion in our lives the place it deserves. Has not 

Akhobhagat said, 

Live as you will, but so 

As to realize God. 

Young India, 30-8-'28, p. 291 

(From a letter written from jail by Gandhiji to Sheth Jamnalal Bajaj which appeared in an 

article titled "Jamnalalji" by M.D.) 

Moksha is liberation from impure thought. Complete extinction of impure 

thought is impossible without ceaseless penance. There is only one way to 

achieve this. The moment an impure thought arises, confront it with a pure 

one. This is possible only with God's grace, and God's grace comes through 

ceaseless communion with Him and complete self-surrender. This communion 

may in the beginning be just a lip repetition of His name even disturbed by 

impure thoughts. But ultimately what is on the lips will possess the heart. And 

there is another thing to bear in mind. The mind may wander, but let not the 

senses wander with it. If the senses wander where the mind takes them, one is 

done for. But he who keeps control of the physical senses will someday be able 

to bring impure thoughts under control. . . . Impure thoughts need not dismay 

you. We are monarchs of the domain of Effort. God is sole Monarch of the 

domain of Result. . . . You know what to do to create a pure atmosphere about 

you. Spare diet, sight fixed on the earth below, and impatience with oneself to 

the extent of plucking the eye out if 'it offends thee'. 

Harijan,, 22-2-'42, p. 47 



For me the observance of even bodily brahmacharya has been full of 

difficulties. Today I may say that I feel myself fairly safe, but I have yet to 

achieve complete mastery over thought, which is so essential. Not that the will 

or effort is lacking, but it is yet a problem to me where- from undesirable 

thoughts spring their insidious invasions. I have no doubt that there is a key to 

lock out undesirable thoughts, but everyone has to find it out for himself. 

Saints and seers have left their experiences for us, but they have given us no 

infallible and universal prescription. For perfection or freedom from error 

comes only from grace, and so seekers after God have left us mantras, such as 

Ramanama, hallowed by their own austerities and charged with their purity. 

Without an unreserved surrender to His grace, complete mastery over thought 

is impossible. This is the teaching of every great book of religion, and I am 

realizing the truth of it every moment of my striving after that perfect 

brahmacharya. 

An Autobiography, (1969), p. 238 


Prayer and brahmacharya are not things of the same kind. Brahmacharya is one 

of the five cardinal vows, and prayer is a means of being able to observe them. 

I have said a great deal to explain the necessity of brahmacharya. But when I 

tried to think, how one can observe it, I discovered a powerful means in prayer. 

For him who has realized the value of prayer and is able to pray with 

concentration, brahmacharya becomes quite easy to observe. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—L, (1972), pp. 377-78 

(From Brahmacharya or Self-control") 

There is however a golden rule for gaining control of the carnal desire. It is the 

repetition of the divine word 'Rama' or such other mantra. The Duadash Mantra 1 

also serves the same purpose. Everyone must select the mantra after his heart. 



I have suggested the word "Rama' because I was brought up to repeat it in my 

childhood and I have ever got strength and sustenance out of it. Whichever 

mantra is selected, one should be identified with it whilst repeating it. I have 

not the least doubt of ultimate success as a result of repetition of some such 

mantra in complete faith, even though other thoughts distract the mind. The 

mantra will be the light of one's life and will keep one from all distress. Such 

holy mantras should obviously never be used for material ends. If their use is 

strictly restricted to the preservation of morals, the results attained will be 

startling. Of course a mere repetition of such a mantra parrot wise would be of 

no avail. One should throw his whole soul into it. The parrot repeats it like a 

machine. We should repeat it with a view to preventing the approach of 

unwelcome thoughts and with full faith in the efficacy of the mantra to that 

end. 

Young India, 5-6-'24, p. 187 

It (real self-control) does not come by reading. It comes only by definite 

realization that God is with us and looks after us as jf He had no other care 

besides. How this happens 1 do not know. That it does happen I do know. Those 

who have faith have all their cares lifted off their shoulders. You cannot have 

faith and tension at the same time. 

Bapus Letters to Mir a [1924-1948], (1959), p. 255 

(From "Brahmacharya for Satyagraha") 

This control is unattainable save the grace of God. There is a verse in the 

second chapter of the Gita which freely rendered means: "sense-objects remain 

in abeyance whilst one is fasting or whilst the particular sense is starved, but 

the hankering does not cease except when one sees God face to face. 

Harijan, 23-7-'38, p. 192 

1 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय | — A sacred incantation of these 12 letters 



28. A CALL TO REPENTANCE 

(From "The Sacred Week" by Pyarelal) 

To err is human. By confessing, we convert our mistakes into stepping stones 

for advance. On the contrary, a person who tries to hide his mistakes becomes 

a living fraud and sinks down. Man is neither brute nor God, but a creature of 

God striving to realize his divinity. Repentance and self-purification are the 

means. The moment we repent and ask God for forgiveness for our lapse, we 

are purged of our sin and new life begins for us. True repentance is an essential 

pre-requisite of prayer. 

Prayer is not mere lip service. It must express itself through action. 

Harijan, 21-4-'46, p. 94 

God does not fail to forgive even those who atone for their sins during the last 

moments of their life. We must have at heart the welfare of all living beings 

that exist on the earth, however small or large. To foster this spirit we must 

daily offer our prayers to the Almighty both in the morning and in the evening. 

The wishes for the well-being of all also embrace our own welfare. 

My Memorable Moments with Bapu, (1960), Ch. 25, p. 46 



29. VISITATIONS 

(Original: "Let Us Pray") 

When a man is down, he prays to God to lift him up. He is the Help of the 

helpless, says a Tamil proverb. The appalling disaster in Quetta paralyses one. 

It baffles all attempt at reconstruction. The whole truth about the disaster will 

perhaps never be known. The dead cannot be recalled to life. 

Human effort must be there always. Those who are left behind must have help. 

Such reconstruction as is possible will no doubt be undertaken. All this and 

much more along the same line can never be a substitute for prayer. 

But why pray at all Does not God, if there be one, know what has happened 

Does He stand in need of prayer to enable Him to do His duty 

No, God needs no reminder. He is within everyone. Nothing happens without 

His permission. Our prayer is a heart search. It is a reminder to ourselves that 

we are helpless without His support. No effort is complete without prayer,— 

without a definite recognition that the best human endeavour is of no effect if 

it has not God's blessing behind it. Prayer is a call to humility. It is a call to 

self-purification, to inward search. 

I must repeat what I said at the time of the Bihar disaster. There is a divine 

purpose behind every physical calamity. That perfected science will one day be 

able to tell us beforehand when earthquakes will occur, as it tells us today of 

eclipses, is quite possible. It will be another triumph of the human mind. But 

such triumphs even indefinitely multiplied can bring about no purification of 

self without which nothing is of any value. 

Of course we will forget this latest calamity as we have forgotten the Bihar 

one. I ask those who appreciate the necessity of inward purification to join in 

the prayer that we may read the purpose of God behind such visitations, that 

they may humble us and prepare us to face our Maker whenever the call comes, 

and that we may be ever ready to share the sufferings of our fellows whoever 

they may be. 



Harijan, 8-6-'35, p. 132 

(Originally appeared under the tide "Implications of Prayer") 

The few lines that I wrote inviting the people to- prayer and repentance on the 

Quetta disaster have given rise to some private correspondence. One of the 

correspondents asks: "At the time of the Bihar 'quake you had no hesitation in 

saying that it was to be taken by Savarna Hindus as a fit punishment for the sin 

of untouchability. For what sin must the more terrible "'quake of Quetta be" 

The writer had > the right to put the question. What I said about Bihar 1 was 

deliberately said even as the lines on Quetta were deliberately written. 

This call to prayer is a definite yearning of the soul. Prayer is a sign of 

repentance, a desire to become better, purer. A man of prayer regards what 

are known as physical calamities as divine chastisement. It is a chastisement 

alike for individuals and for nations. All chastisements do not equally startle 

people. Some affect only individuals, some others affect groups or nations only 

mildly. Disasters like Quetta stun us. Familiarity with ordinary everyday 

calamities breeds contempt for them. If earthquakes were a daily occurrence, 

we would take no notice of them. Even this Quetta one has not caused in us the 

same disturbance that the Bihar one did. 

But it is the universal experience that every calamity brings a sensible man 

down on his knees. He 'thinks that it is God's answer to his sins and that he must 

henceforth behave better. His sins have left him hopelessly weak, and in his 

weakness he cries out to God for help. Thus have millions of human beings used 

their personal calamities for self-improvement. Nations have been known to 

invoke the assistance of God when calamities have overtaken them. They have 

abased themselves before God and appointed days of humiliation, prayer and 

purification. 

I have suggested nothing new or original. In these days of fashionable disbelief, 

it does need some courage to call men and women to repentance. But I can 

claim no credit for courage. For my weaknesses or idiosyncrasies are well 

known. If I had known Quetta, as I know Bihar and Biharis, I would certainly 



have mentioned the sins of Quetta, though they might be no more its 

specialities than untouchability was Bihar's. But we all—the rulers and the 

ruled—know that we have many sins personal and national to answer for. The 

call is to all these to repentance, prayer and humiliation. True prayer is not a 

prelude to inaction. It is a spur to ceaseless, selfless action. Purification is 

never for the selfishly idle, it accrues only to the selflessly industrious. 

Harijan, 15-6-'35, p. 140 

(From "Weekly Letter—No. 12" by C. S.) 

Our forefathers and cur mothers have taught us to think that, when a calamity 

descends upon us, it comes because of our personal sin. You know that when 

rain does not come in time, we perform sacrifices and ask God to forgive us our 

sins. It is not only here, but I have seen it in England and South Africa that, 

when locusts descend upon fields or any such thing happens, they appoint days 

of humiliation, prayer and fasting and pray for the passing of the visitation. 

Harijan, 2-2-'34, p. 5 



30. DIVINE GUIDANCE 

(From "Dr. Mott's 1 Second Visit" by M. D.) 

Dr. Mott: What has brought deepest satisfaction to your soul in difficulties and 

doubts and questionings 

Gandhiji: Living faith in God. 

Dr. Mott: When have you had indubitable manifestation of God in your life and 

experiences 

Gandhiji: I have seen and believe that God never appears to you in person, but 

in action which can only account for your deliverance in your darkest hour. 

Dr. Mott: You mean things take place that cannot possibly happen apart from 

God. 

Gandhiji: Yes. They happen suddenly and unawares. One experience stands 

quite distinctly in my memory. It relates to my 21 days' fast for the removal of 

untouchability. I had gone to sleep the night before without the slightest idea 

of having to declare a fast the next morning. At about 12 o'clock in the night 

something wakes me up suddenly, and some voice,—within or without, I cannot 

say—whispers 'Thou must go on a fast.' 'How many days' I ask. The voice again 

said, 'Twenty-one days.' 'When does it begin' I ask. It says, 'You begin tomorrow.' 

I went quietly off to sleep after making the decision. I did not tell 

anything to my companions until after the morning prayer. I placed into their 

hands a slip of paper announcing my decision and asking them not to argue with 

me, as the decision was irrevocable. 

Well, the doctors thought, I would not survive the fast but something within me 

said I would, and that I must go forward. That kind of experience has never in 

my life happened before or after that date. 

Dr. Mott: Now, you surely can't trace such a thing to an evil source 

Gandhiji: Surely not. I never have thought it was an error. If ever there was in 

my life a spiritual fast it was this. There is something in denying satisfaction of 



the flesh. It is not possible to see God face to face unless you crucify the flesh. 

It is one thing to do what belongs to it as a temple of God, and it is another to 

deny it what belongs to it as to the body of flesh. 

Harijan, 10-12-'39, p. 373 

(To a Student) 

In the phrase 'seeing God face to face', 'face to face' is not to be taken literally. 

It is a matter of decided feeling. God is formless. He can therefore, only, be 

seen by spiritual sight-vision. 

Mahadevbhaini Diary, Vol. I (Gujarati Edn., 1948), p. 52 

1 Founder of the Y.M.C.A. movement 



31. GUIDANCE 

(From "A Word to the Oxford Groupers" by M. D.) 

I wrote some weeks ago, in these columns, a note on the Oxford Group and 

their methods of work. They seem to have attracted some attention, especially 

because there was held soon after in Srinagar a conference "retreat" of some of 

the members of the group. As soon as the War broke out a wire was received by 

Gandhiji asking for an interview with him by several members headed by the 

very Rev. the Metropolitan Bishop of Calcutta. "It is no use dragging the 

Metropolitan to Wardha," said Gandhiji in reply, "but youths may come, for 

them I have no mercy." 

In response to this, six friends came to Wardha on the 23rd of last month. 

These included a barrister and his wife, an American journalist, a European 

who is a railway official, and a gifted lady, daughter of a one-time Army 

Officer, who has come on a tour to India and "stayed on to make reparation for 

her nation which has got from India and not given", as another member described 

her. 

Their mission may be described in common parlance one of thinking aloud, and 

in their language of "spiritual sharing". "There is good somewhere in all," said 

one of the members, "and there are different ways of finding that out. For us it 

is by sharing. Every morning I sit down to find out what God wants and then 

whether I am ready to be obedient to His will. If I can be absolutely obedient, 

then He will work through me." Another member said: "You have always been 

listening to God. We feel that the solution of those problems for which you 

have worked would be reached if all the millions of India would start listening 

to God. We feel we have a place in this plan and have therefore come to you in 

joy." 

Some of the members described their experiences of changes having come over 

the lives of men and women by thus "listening in". 



How one wishes the problem was so simple as these good men and women 

believed it to be. The modern age has brought its new technical terms— 

scientific and psychological. Where people of old used to use the word "prayer", 

"listening in" is the modern word. It is all right for those who are not in want to 

say comfortably we will listen in", but it would take a certain amount of 

brazen-facedness to tell the man for whom getting a square meal a day is the 

eternal problem, "Listen in and you shall get your bread." Modern age has 

accentuated the gulf between the "haves" and the "have-nots", between the 

exploiters and the exploited. With what face shall the former say to the latter, 

"You better listen in to God and your miseries will be at an end" 

There was a discussion and Gandhiji spoke out his mind to them. "How I wish I 

had the same enthusiasm that fires you," he said. "Of course I have the 

experience of listening, not merely of trying to listen. The more I listen, the 

more I discover that I am still far away from God. While I can lay down rules, 

the observance of which is essential for proper listening, the reality still 

escapes me. When we say we are listening to God and getting answers, though 

we say it truthfully, there is every possibility of self-deception. I do not know 

that I am myself altogether free from self-deception. People sometimes ask me 

if I may not be mistaken, and I say to them, 'Yes, very likely, what I say may be 

just a picture of my elongated self before you.' 

"And then see how one may claim to be God-guided in taking a particular course 

of action, and another may make the same claim in taking an opposite course 

of action. I will give you a good illustration. Rajaji, whom you know, at any rate 

whose name you have heard, is I think unsurpassed in godliness or Godmindedness. 

Now when I took the 21 days' purificatory fast in the Yeravda Jail 

in 1933 and proclaimed that it was in answer to a call from God, 

Rajagopalachari came all the way from Madras to dissuade me. He felt sure 

that I was deluding myself and that I should probably die and, if I did not, I 

should certainly be demented. Well, you see that I am still alive and of a sound 

mind. And yet perhaps Rajaji still thinks I was deluded and it was by an 



accident that I was saved, and I continue to think that I fasted in answer to the 

still small voice within. 

"I say this in order to warn you how unwise it may be to believe that you are 

always listening to God. I am not at all against the endeavour, but I warn you 

against thinking that this is a kind of 'open sesame' which has just to be shown 

to the millions. No one will contradict me when I say I have tried my very best 

to make India listen to the way of God. I have had some success but I am still 

far away from the goal. When I listen to the testimonies you have given I 

become cautious and even suspicious. In South Africa a preacher came who 

after his sermon got people to sign their names under a pledge, which was 

published in a book, binding them not to drink. Well, I have been witness to 

numerous of these promises being broken. It was no fault of these people. They 

signed the pledge under the temporary influence of the preacher's moving 

eloquence. 

"This I know that all that glitters is not gold, and also that if a man has really 

heard the Voice of God, there is no sliding back, just as there is no forgetting it 

by one who has learnt to swim. The listening in must make people's lives daily 

richer and richer. 

"Let me not appear to damp your enthusiasm; but if it is to be built on solid 

rock, it is better that listening in is also based on solid rock. 

"This listening in presupposes the fitness to listen, and the fitness is acquired 

after constant and patient striving and waiting on God. Shankaracharya has 

likened the process to the attempt to empty the sea by means of a drainer 

small as the point of a blade of grass. This process thus necessarily is endless 

being carried through birth after birth. 

"And yet the effort has to be as natural as breathing or the winking of the eyes, 

which processes happen without our knowing them. The effort coincides with 

the process of living. I commend to you this process of eternal striving which 

alone can take us face to face with God." 



The next day they returned having slept over this message. It was, they said, a 

challenge to more "life changing", or again to put it in common parlance, more 

self-purification. But man often becomes a prisoner of his own making, and so 

these good friends produced another word begging the same rigorous definition 

and spiritual striving as "listening in", viz. repentance. "Repentance is the 

foundation of peace. Repentance is the wave-length that will reach every heart 

and every nation." The friend who is also a poet left for Gandhiji a poetic 

message in which she said: 

"God! May there flow f6rth through all the earth 

Repentance in the torrent of its power, 

Washing perception clean and motive pure, 

Breaking through every faction, every heart 

Without exception, for all have sinned." 

Quite true, we all have sinned in a greater or a less degree. But whereas the 

poor "have-nots" have, if I may say so, sinned against God, the "haves" or the 

exploiters have sinned both against God and man. And so Gandhiji asked, "'What 

is India as a nation to do at this juncture What would you want her to do How 

is she to repent" 

India may say she has committed many sins for which she is suffering and would 

pray to be given the strength to wipe them out. Or is there anything else at the 

back of your minds" There was no satisfactory reply. "We should begin listening 

to God as a whole," was their reply so far as I recollect it. That is how we 

escape the conclusion of our own premises. Bluntly speaking the exploited have 

to pray, the exploiters have to repent—both prayers and repentance not being 

abstract mental attitudes but expressing themselves in action. The Harijan may 

pray for sins which may have made him an untouchable, but the Savarna Hindu 

who has kept him an untouchable has to repent by starting with befriending 

him and striving to put him on a level equal to his own, in brief, by a steady 

process of self-purification and self-sacrifice. And after all the names "haves" 

and "have-nots" are but other names for "non-Harijans" and "Harijans", or 

"exploiters" and "exploited" or "debtors" and "creditors". It does not lie in the 



mouth of a debtor to say he will not pay until the creditor prays or purifies 

himself. His duty of repentance and repayment comes first and foremost and he 

may not even think of the duty of the creditor. 

Harijan, 7-10-'39, p. 299 



32. VISIONS 

(From "Frontier Notes—III" by Pyarelal) 

A professor of Islamia College at Peshawar who came to see Gandhiji during his 

tour of the Frontier Province asked latter the question whether he had anything 

like a prophetic vision. Gandhiji answered him as follows: 

"I do not know what you call a vision and what you will call prophetic. But let 

me give you an experience in my life. When I announced my fast of 21 days in 

jail I had not reasoned about it. On retiring to bed the previous night I had no 

notion that I was going to announce the next morning a fast of 21 days. But in 

the middle of the night a voice woke me up and said: 'Go through a fast.' 'How 

many' I asked. '21 days', was the answer. Now let me tell you that my mind was 

unprepared for it, disinclined for it. But the thing came to me as clearly as 

anything could be. Let me tell you one thing more and I have done. Whatever 

striking things I have done in life I have not done prompted by reason but 

prompted by instinct, I would say God. Take the Dandi Salt March of 1930. I had 

not the ghost of a suspicion how the breach of the salt law would work itself 

out. Pandit Motilalji and other friends were fretting and did not know what I 

would do; and I could tell them nothing, as I myself knew nothing about it. But 

like a flash it came, and as you know it was enough to shake the country from 

one end to the other. One last thing. Until the last day I knew nothing about 

announcing the 6th of April 1919 as a day of fasting and prayer. But I dreamt 

about it—there was no Voice or Vision as in 1930 —and I felt it was just the 

thing to do. In the morning I shared it with G. R. and announced it to the 

country, you know with what a wonderfully spontaneous response." 

Harijan, 14-5-'38, p. 109 



33. "INNER VOICE" 


The "inner voice" is something which cannot be described in words. But 

sometimes we have a positive feeling that something in us prompts us to do a 

certain thing. The time when I learnt to recognise this voice was, I may say, the 

time when I started praying regularly. That is, it was about 1906. I searched my 

memory and tell you this because you asked the question. In fact, however, 

there was no moment when I suddenly felt that I had some new experience. I 

think my spiritual life has grown without my being conscious of the fact in the 

same way as hair grows on our body. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi— L, (1972), p. 326 

From a speech at the A.I.C.G. Session in August 1942) 

There is something within me impelling me to cry out my agony. I have known 

exactly what to do. That something which never deceives me tells me now: 

"You have to stand against the whole world although you may have to stand 

alone. You have to stare the world in the face although the world may look at 

you with bloodshot eyes. Do not fear. Trust that little thing in you which 

resides in the heart and says: 'Forsake friends, wife, all; but testify to that for 

which you have lived and for which you have to die.' 

[United Asia, February, 1955] 

Homage to the Departed (1958), p. 202 

(From "Five Conundrums" in "Notes") 

Q.: Does the "Inner Voice" mean the "message of God" 

A.: The "Inner Voice" may mean a message from God or the Devil, for both are 

wrestling in the human breast. Acts determine the nature of the voice. 

Young India, 13-2-'30, p. 56 



(From "Question Box") 

(Q.: How can an ordinary man distinguish between God's will and his own will 

A.: By not regarding anything as God's will unless he has positive proof to the 

contrary. Not every person can know God's will. Proper training is necessary to 

attain the power to know God's will. 

Harijan, 27-4-'40, p. 101 

(From "All About the Fast") 

No act of mine is done without prayer. Man is a fallible being. He can never be 

sure of his steps. What he may regard an answer to prayer, may be an echo of 

his pride. For infallible guidance, man has to have a perfectly innocent heart 

incapable of evil. I can lay no such claim. Mine is a struggling, striving, erring, 

imperfect soul. But I can rise only by experimenting upon myself and others. 

Young India, 25-9- , 24, p. 313 



II. FORMS AND METHODS OF PRAYER 

Prayer brings a peace, a strength and a consolation that nothing else can give. 

But it must be offered from the heart. When it is not offered from the heart, 

it is like the beating of a drum, or just the vocal effect of the throat sounds. 

When it is offered from the heart, it has the power to melt mountains of 

misery. Those who want are welcome to try its power. 

*** 

I would urge the modern generation not to regard fasting and prayer with 

scepticism or distrust. The greatest teachers of the world have derived 

extraordinary powers for the good of humanity and attained clarity of vision 

through fasting and prayer. Much of this discipline runs to waste because 

instead of being matter of the heart, it is often resorted to for stage effect. 



34. YAJNA 

Now to offer prayers is easy enough. But they are not heard unless they are 

offered from a pure and contrite heart. Let me tell you that yajna has a deeper 

meaning than the offering of ghee and other things in the sacrificial fire. Yajna 

is sacrifice of one's all for the good of humanity, and to me these offerings of 

ahutis have a symbolic meaning. We have to offer up our weaknesses, our 

passions, our narrowness into the purifying fire, so that we may be cleansed. 

Then and then only our prayers would be heard. 

Let me also place before you another aspect of prayer. You have assembled 

here for the fulfillment of your desires, and the yajna is performed to that 

purpose. Now desires may be good and bad, and not every one of us knows 

which of his desires is good and pure and which not. It is He who presides over 

our thoughts and acts who knows this, and so I always pray that God may grant 

only such of my desires as may be good and pure, and reject all my prayers if 

they partake of impurity or grossness. I invite you to join me in that kind of 

prayer today. 

One last thing. The prayer for peace is accepted on all hands as a pure prayer, 

and in these times of severe strife and cruel bloodshed it is well that we offer 

prayers for peace. There is a great Vedic prayer which I should like to recite in 

this connection, and I am sure you will all join me when I do so: 

यदह घोरं यदह ू रं यदह पापं | 

तछात तछवं सवमेव शमतु न : || 

(Whatever there is heinous, and cruel and sinful, may all that be stilled; may 

everything be good and peaceful for us.) 

Harijan, 3-5-'42, p. 139 



35. HOW I ESTABLISH COMMUNION WITH GOD 

(From the summary by M. D. of Gandhiji's concluding discourse at the Gandhi Seva Sangh 

meeting which appeared under the tide "The Concluding Discourse") 

I do not know whether I am a Karmayogi or any other Yogi. I know that I cannot 

live without work. I crave to die with my hand at the spinning wheel. If one has 

to establish communion with God through some means, why not through the 

spinning wheel "Him who worships Me," says the Lord in the Gita, "I guide along 

the right path and see to his needs." My God is myriad-formed, and while 

sometimes I see Him in the spinning wheel, at other times I see Him in 

communal unity, then again in removal of untouchability; and that is how I 

establish communion with Him according as the Spirit moves me. 

Harijan, 8-5-'37, p. 99 



36. THE FORM OF MY PRAYER 

(From "Non-violence and World Crisis" by Pyarelal) 

A missionary who called on Gandhiji at his retreat in Segaon asked him, "What 

is your method of worship" 

In reply, Gandhiji said: "We have joint worship morning and evening at 4-20 a. 

m. and 7 p. m. This has gone on for years. We have a recitation of verses from 

the Gita and other accepted religious books, also hymns of saints with or 

without music. Individual worship cannot be described in words. It goes on 

continuously and even unconsciously. There is not a moment when I do not feel 

the presence of a witness whose eye misses nothing and with whom I strive to 

keep in tune. I do not pray as Christian friends do. Not because I think there is 

anything wrong in it, but because words won't come to me. I suppose it is a 

matter of habit." 

Missionary: Is there any place for supplication in your prayer 

Gandhiji: There is and there is not. God knows and anticipates our wants. The 

Deity does not need my supplication, but I, a very imperfect human being, do 

need His protection as a child that of its father. And yet I know that nothing I 

do is going to change His plans. You may call me a fatalist, if you like. 

Missionary: Do you find any response to your prayer 

Gandhiji: I consider myself a happy man in that respect. I have never found 

Him lacking in response. I have found Him nearest at hand when the horizon 

seemed darkest — in my ordeals in jails when it was not all smooth sailing for 

me. I cannot recall a moment in my life when I had a sense of desertion by 

God. 

Harijan, 24-12-'38, p. 395 



(From "Letter to V. M. Tarkunde") 

1. When I pray, I do not ask for anything but I simply think of some of the 

verses or hymns which I fancy for the moment. 

2. The relation between God and myself is not only at prayer but, at all 

times, that of master and slave in perpetual bondage. 

3. Prayer is to me the intense longing of the heart to merge myself in the 

Master. If a man does not pray, evidently he has no longing; there is no 

feeling of helplessness and when there is no helplessness, there is no need 

for help. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi — XXXI, (1969,) p. 542 



37. SERVICE IS PRAYER 

If I found myself entirely absorbed in the service of the community, the reason 

behind it was my desire for Self-realization. I had made the religion of service 

my own, as I felt that God could be realized only through service. And service 

for me was the service of India, because it came to me without my seeking, 

because I had an aptitude for it. I had gone to South Africa for travel, for 

finding an escape from Kathiawad intrigues and for gaining my own livelihood. 

But as I have said, I found myself in search of God and striving for selfrealization. 


What I want to achieve,—what I have been striving and pining to achieve these 

thirty years,—is self-realization, to see God face to face, to attain moksha. I 

live and move and have my being in pursuit -of this goal. All that I do by way of 

speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field, are directed to 

this same end. 

Ibid., Introduction, p. x 

( From "Some Objections Answered" ) 

I never asked my audience to substitute the spinning wheel for the rosary. I 

only suggested that they could go on spinning taking the name of Narayana 

simultaneously. And whilst today the whole country is on fire, I think it behoves 

us all to fill the buckets of the spinning wheel with the water of yarn and 

extinguish the fire with the name of Narayana on our lips. 

*** 

Narasimha Mehta does indeed sing the praise of the rosary, and the praise is 

well merited where it is given. But the same Narasimha has sung: 



"Of what avail is the tilak and the tulsi, of what avail is the rosary and the muttering of 

the Name, what avail is the grammatical interpretation of the Veda, what avail is the 

mastery of the letters All these are devices to fill the belly and nothing worth without 

their helping to a realization of the Para-Brahma." 

The Musalman does count the beads of his tasbih, and the Christian of the 

rosary. But both would think themselves fallen from religion if their tasbih and 

rosary prevented them from running to the succour of one who, for instance, 

was lying stricken with a snake-bite. Mere knowledge of the Vedas cannot make 

our Brahmanas spiritual preceptors. If it did, Max Muller would have become 

one. The Brahmana who has understood the religion of today will certainly give 

Vedic learning a secondary place and propagate the religion of the spinning 

wheel, relieve the hunger of the millions of his starving countrymen and only 

then, and not until then, lose himself in Vedic studies. 

I have certainly regarded spinning superior to the practice of denominational 

religions. But that does not mean that the latter should be given up. 1 only 

mean that a Dharma which has to be observed by the followers of all religions 

transcends them, and hence I say that a Brahmana is a better Brahmana, a 

Musalman a better Musalman, a Vaishnava a better Vaishnava, if he turns the 

wheel in the spirit of service. 

I certainly did not repeat the divine word 'Rama' nor count the beads on 

account of a feeling that my end was near. But I was too weak then to turn the 

wheel. I do count the rosary whenever it helps me in concentrating on Rama. 

When, however, I rise to a pitch of concentration where the rosary is more a 

hindrance than a help, I drop it. If it was possible for me to turn the wheel in 

my bed, and if I felt that it would help me in concentrating my mind on God, I 

would certainly leave the rosary aside and turn the wheel. If I am strong 

enough to turn the wheel, and I have to make a choice between counting beads 

or turning the wheel, I would certainly decide in favour of the wheel, making it 

my rosary, so long as I found poverty and starvation stalking the land. I do look 

forward to a time when even repeating the name of Rama will become a 

hindrance. When I have realized that Rama transcends even speech, I shall have 

no need to repeat the name. The spinning wheel, the rosary and the Ramanama 



are all the same to me. They subserve the same end, they teach me the 

religion of service. 

Young India, 14-8-'24, p. 267. 

(From "Letter to Shevakram Karamchand") 

In my opinion, God's name and God's work go hand in hand. There is no question 

of preference because the two are indivisible. A parrot-like repetition of the 

name is worse than useless, and service or action without the consciousness 

that it is done in God's name and for God's sake is also valueless, and if we 

sometimes pass our time in merely repeating the name of the deity as we have 

to, it is simply a course of preparation for self-dedication, that is, service for 

the sake of and in the name of God, and when we are thoroughly attuned, 

continued service in that spirit is itself equal to the repetition of the name of 

the deity. In the vast majority of cases, however, the setting apart a part of 

our time for prayer is a vital necessity. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXIII, (1967), p. 289 


Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for 

doing actual service. But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty, prayer 

is merged with the execution of duty. If someone who is engaged in deep 

prayer, hears the cry of another who- is stung by a scorpion, she is bound to 

leave the prayer and run to help him. Prayer finds fulfillment in the service of 

the distressed. 

Bapu's Letters to the Ashram Sisters, (1960), p. 79 


Real praying from the heart brings the real work behind it. For in the end work 

itself becomes prayer. 



Mahadevbhaini Diary, Vol. 2, (Gujarati Edn. 1949), p. 161 


The real way to pray to Lord Krishna is to do in His name some little service to 

those who are less fortunate than ourselves. 

Ibid., p. 243 

(Form "Letter to Gangabehn Vaidya") 

By not attending prayers in order that they might help in putting out the fire, 

the women offered real prayers. This is an example of non-action in action. You 

fulfilled the real purpose of prayers. Moreover, one can go on repeating 

Ramanama to oneself even while running to the place where fire has started in 

order to help put it out. 

Finally, the person whose life is dedicated to service and who has burnt his or 

her egotism lives his life in the spirit of prayer. We pray morning and evening in 

order that we may be able to live thus, and, therefore, when a fire breaks out, 

or in similar circumstances, one may even drop prayers. But such occasions are 

rare. 

[From Gujarati: Bapuna Patro—6: G. S. Gangabehnne, p. 48 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLIV, (1971), p. 367 


There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God than selfless service of the 

poor. The rich in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and 

even question His existence. But God dwells among the poor as they cling to 

Him as their sole refuge and shelter. To serve the poor is therefore to serve 

Him. 

Young India, 14-2-'29, p. 51 




Q.: Would it not be better for a man to give the time he spends on the worship 

of God to the service of the poor And should not true service make devotional 

worship unnecessary for such a man 

A.: I sense mental laziness as also agnosticism in this; question. The biggest of 

Karmayogis never give up devotional song or worship. Idealistically it may be 

said that true service of others is itself worship and that such devotees do not 

need to spend any time in songs etc. As a matter of fact, bhajans etc. are a 

help to true service and keep the remembrance of God fresh in the heart of the 

devotee. 

Harijan, 13-10-'46, p. 357 

Q.: Are not meditation and worship too sacred a duty 

A.: Meditation and worship are not exclusive things like jewels to be kept 

locked up in a strong box. They must be seen in every act of ours. 

Harijan, 20-4-'35, p. 74 



38. "THY WILL BE DONE" 

I prayed for Manilal's recovery. However it was a sign not of wisdom but of a 

father's love. There is really only one prayer that we may offer: "Thy will be 

done." Someone will ask where is the sense in offering such a prayer. The 

answer is: Prayer should not be understood in a gross sense. We are aware of 

the presence of God in our heart, and in order to shake off attachment, we for 

the moment think of God as different from ourselves and pray to Him. That is 

to say, we do not wish to go where our wayward will may lead us but where the 

Lord takes us. We do not know whether it is good to live or to die. Therefore 

we should not take delight in living, nor should we tremble at the thought of 

death. We should be equiminded towards both. This is the ideal. It may be long 

before we reach it, and only a few of us can attain it. Even then we must keep 

it constantly in view, and the more difficult it seems of attainment, the greater 

should be the effort we put forth. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953), pp. 118-19 

(By Kakasaheb Kalelkar) 

It was when Bapu was translating the Ashram Bhajana- vali (collection of 

devotional songs sung at the Ashram prayers) into English for the benefit of 

Mirabehn (Miss Slade). 1 He set aside a little time daily after prayers for this task 

and, soon, his translation was complete. There is one verse which runs: "Jay a 

jay a karunabdhe, Shri Mahadeva Shambho!' ("Victory, victory to Thee, Oh Shri 

Mahadeva Shambho, Ocean of Mercy!") 

I have both read and made English translations of Sanskrit verses. "Jaya jaya" 

simply means "victory, victory". But Bapu had translated it: "Thy will be done." 

"How is this, Bapu" I asked. He replied: "The Lord is ever victorious throughout 

His creation. We pray that lust, anger, etc., which are forever becoming 

victorious in our hearts, might be conquered and rendered impotent: that they 

might be routed. In other words, we pray that we might be enabled to do all 



things in accordance with the will of God. For a Christian, the best rendering of 

this can only be 'Thy Kingdom come,' or 'Thy will be done'. After all, what do we 

pray for Is it not simply that God should be ever victorious in our own hearts" 

Stray Glimpses of Bapu, (1960), p. 159 

1. This was in late 1930. 



39. RESIGN TO HIS WILL 


A prayer can be offered in connection with some person or thing, and may even 

be granted. But if it is offered without any such specific end in view, it will 

confer a greater benefit on the world as well as ourselves. Prayer exerts an 

influence over ourselves; our soul becomes more vigilant, and the greater its 

vigilance, the wider the sphere of its influence. 

Prayer is a function of the heart. We speak aloud in order to wake it up. The 

Power that pervades the universe is also present in the human heart. The body 

does not offer it any obstruction. The obstruction is something of our own 

making, and is removed by prayer. We can never know if a prayer has or has 

not yielded the desired result. I may pray for Narmada's relief from pain; even 

if she is free from pain afterwards, I must not assume that that is due to my 

prayer. 

Prayer is never fruitless, but we cannot know what the fruit of it is. Nor should 

we imagine that it is a good thing if it yields the desired result. Here too the 

Gita doctrine has to be practised. We may pray for something and yet remain 

free from attachment. We may pray for some one's mukti (salvation) but should 

not worry whether he gets or does not get what we want for him. Even if the 

result is just the opposite of what we had asked for, that is no reason for the 

conclusion that the prayer has been fruitless. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953), p. 233 


Commenting on the allegory of Gajendra and Graha y the elephant king and the 

alligator that adorns the Bhagawata, Gandhiji remarked: 

"The moral of the story is that God never fails his devotees in the hour of trial. 

The condition is that there must be a living faith in and the uttermost reliance 

on Him. The test of faith is that having done our duty we must be prepared to 



welcome whatever He may send—joy as well as sorrow, good luck as well as 

bad. . . . 

A man of prayer will in the first place be spared mishaps by the ever merciful 

Providence but if the mishaps do come he will not bewail his fate but bear it 

with an undisturbed peace of mind and joyous resignation to His will." 

Harijan, 7-7-'46, p. 216 

God is the hardest taskmaster I have known on this earth, and He tries you 

through and through. And when you find that your faith is failing you, and you 

are sinking, He comes to your assistance somehow or other and proves to you 

that you must not lose your faith and that He is always at your beck and call, 

but on His terms, not on your terms. So I have found. I cannot really recall a 

single instance when at the eleventh hour, He has forsaken me. 

Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, (G. A. Natesan & Co., 4th Edn.), p. 1066 



40. HOW TO AND WHOM TO PRAY 

(Original: "Prayer") 

"Often, Sir, do you ask us to worship God, to pray but never tell us how to and 

whom to do so. Will you kindly enlighten me" asks a reader of Navajivan. 

Worshipping God is singing the praise of God. Prayer is a confession of one's 

unworthiness and weakness. God has a thousand names or rather, He is 

Nameless. We may worship or pray to Him by whichever name that pleases us. 

Some call Him Rama, some Krishna, others call Him Rahim, and yet others call 

Him God. All worship the same spirit, but as all foods do not agree with all, all 

names do not appeal to all. Each chooses the name according to his 

associations, and He being the In-Dweller, Ail-Powerful and Omniscient knows 

our innermost feelings and responds to us according to our deserts. 

Worship or prayer, therefore, is not to be performed with the lips, but with the 

heart. And that is why it can be performed equally by the dumb and the 

stammerer, by the ignorant and the stupid. And the prayers of those whose 

tongues are nectared but whose hearts are full of poison are never heard. He, 

therefore, who would pray to God, must cleanse his heart. Rama was not only 

on the lips of Hanuman. He was enthroned in his heart. He gave Hanuman 

exhaustless strength. In His strength he lifted the mountain and crossed the 

ocean. It is faith that steers us through stormy seas, faith that moves mountains 

and faith that jumps across the ocean. That faith is nothing but a living, wide 

awake consciousness of God within. He who has achieved that faith wants 

nothing. Bodily diseased he is spiritually healthy, physically pure, he rolls in 

spiritual riches. 

"But how is the heart to be cleansed to this extent" one might well ask. The 

language of the lips is easily taught but who can teach the language of the 

heart Only the Bhakta — the true devotee — knows it and can teach it. The 

Gita has defined the Bhakta in three places, and talked of him generally 

everywhere. But a knowledge of the definition of a Bhakta is hardly a sufficient 



guide. They are rare on this earth. I have, therefore, suggested the Religion of 

Service as the means. God of Himself seeks for His seat the heart of him who 

serves his fellowmen. That is why Narasimha Mehta who "saw and knew" sang, 

"He is a true Vaishnava who knows, to melt at other's woe." Such was Abu Ben 

Adhem. He served his fellowmen, and therefore, his name topped the list of 

those who served God. 

But who are the suffering and the woe-begone The suppressed and the 

poverty-stricken. He who would be a Bhakta, therefore, must serve these by 

body, soul and mind. How can he who regards the "suppressed" classes as untouchables 

serve them by the body He who does not even condescend to exert 

his body to the extent of spinning for the sake of the poor and trots out lame 

excuse does not know the meaning of service. An able-bodied wretch deserves 

no alms, but an appeal to work for his bread. Alms debase him. He who spins 

before the poor inviting them to do likewise serves God as no one else does. 

"He who gives Me even a trifle as a fruit or a flower or even a leaf in the spirit 

of Bhakti is my servant", says the Lord in the Bhagavadgita. As he hath his footstool 

where live "the humble, the lowliest and lost", spinning, therefore, for 

such is the greatest prayer, the greatest worship, the greatest sacrifice. 

Prayer, therefore, may be done by any name. A prayerful heart is the vehicle 

and service makes the heart prayerful. Those Hindus who in this age serve the 

untouchables from a full heart truly pray; the Hindus and those others who spin 

prayerfully for the poor and the indigent truly pray. 

Young India, 24-9-'25, p. 331 

(Original: "How to Think of God") 

A correspondent writes: 

"You say that the rule should be that during prayers, everyone should sit with 

closed eyes and think of nothing but God. The question arises as to how and in 

what form we have to think of God" 



True meditation consists in closing the eyes and ears of the mind to all else, 

except the object of one's devotion. Hence the closing of eyes during prayers is 

an aid to such concentration. Man's conception of God is naturally limited. Each 

one has, therefore, to think of Him as best appeals to him, provided that the 

conception is pure and uplifting. 

Harijan, 18-8-'46, p. 265 

(From "Weekly Letter" by M. D.) 

Prayer brings a peace, a strength and a consolation that nothing else can give. 

But it must be offered from the heart. When it is not offered from the heart, it 

is like the beating of a drum, or just the vocal effect of the throat sounds. 

When it is offered from the heart, it has the power to melt mountains of 

misery. Those who want are welcome to try its power. 

Young India, 29-12-'27, p. 444 


A person must shed all spiritual dirt at prayer time. As he is ashamed of doing 

anything immoral while other people are looking on, so should he be in the 

presence of God. But God knows our every act and every thought. There is not 

a single moment when we can think any thought or do any act unknown to Him. 

He who thus prays from the bottom of his heart will in time be filled with the 

spirit of God and become sinless. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953, pp. 232-33) 



41. PUNCTUALITY AT PRAYERS 

(By Kakasaheb Kalelkar) 

It must have been during Bapu's tour of South Bharat in September 1927. The 

Tamilnad tour had ended, and we were covering Andhra by car. We reached 

Chikakol at about 10 p.m., and found that the local workers had organized a 

spinning competition between the best women spinners there, in Bapu's honour. 

(Chikakol Khadi is famous throughout the length .and breadth of Bharat for its 

remarkable fineness and beauty.) We were dead tired with all the night-andday 

travelling in a motor-car, and in no mood for any programmes or 

competitions. Mahadevbhai and I thought: "Poor Bapu can't get out of this 

competition, but why shouldn't we It won't make any difference to anybody 

whether we go or not. Much better to snatch a little sleep when one can!" So 

Mahadevbhai and I went off to our sleeping places and fell fast asleep. Bapuji's 

bed had been prepared for him — we never knew when he came, or how he 

slept. 

We rose at 4 a.m. for prayers. We washed our faces and were just beginning 

the prayers when Bapu asked: "Did you say your prayers before sleeping last 

night" I replied: "I was so tired when I came to bed that I just went off to 

sleep, clean forgetting my prayers. I remember it just this moment, when you 

ask us about it." 

Mahadevbhai said: "It was the same with me, but just as I was dropping off, I 

remembered that we had not prayed, so I sat up in bed and rectified the 

omission. I did not wake Kaka, though." 

Then Bapu said, with indescribable pathos: "I sat for an hour or so in the 

competition, and when I returned, I was so tired that I, too, forgot all about 

prayer and went to sleep. Then, at about two o'clock, I woke up, and it flashed 

upon me that I had not said my nightly prayers. I felt such agony that my body 

was seized with a fit of trembling, and I became all wet with perspiration. I sat 

up in bed, and was plunged in a remorse beyond all description. How could I 



forget Him by whose mercy I live, who strengthens me in all my efforts How 

could I forget that Bhagavan I could not get over my own carelessness. I could 

not sleep a wink after that. All night I sat up in bed, repenting my mistake and 

begging His forgiveness." 

Saying this he became silent; it may be imagined with what feelings we said our 

morning prayers that day. Mahadevbhai sang a bhajan (hymn). Then Bapu said: 

"Even while travelling, we must have a fixed time for our evening prayers. We 

make a mistake in leaving our prayers till we have finished all our work and are 

preparing to go to bed. From today, we pray punctually at seven o'clock in the 

evening, no matter where we may happen to be." 

We were still journeying by car. Every evening at seven o'clock, we would stop 

the car, and, whether we were in a forest or in a town, we would say our 

prayers without fail, at the appointed time. 

Stray Glimpses of Bapu, (1960), pp. 112-14 



42. GOD'S TIME NEVER STOPS 


It should be the general rule that prayers must not be delayed for anybody on 

earth. God's time never stops. As a matter of fact, there is no beginning for Him 

or His time. 

. . . How can anyone afford to miss the time of offering prayers to Him, whose 

watch never stops 

Harijan, 16-6-'46, p. 183 

(Uttered on the way to the prayer-ground on the fateful evening of 30-1-'48) 

I do not like being late for the prayers. . . . Even a minute's delay for the prayer 

causes me great discomfort. 

The End of An Epoch, (1962), p. 41 



43. NEVER MISS PRAYERS 

(From letters) 

It is five minutes to seven. So you must now be on your way to the prayerground. 

You must keep to whatever time you might fix. I take it that all those 

who promised to attend prayers are attending them, except for reasons quite 

beyond their control. 

Bapu's Letters to Ashram Sisters, (1960), p. 3 

It is exactly 6-50, so it is time for your morning prayers. You may miss all else 

but not this. It brings us all together, and all of us together with God. It is a 

real purifying bath. Just as our body becomes dirty without a bath, so also the 

pure soul appears impure unless our hearts are cleaned with prayer. Therefore, 

never miss prayers. You also have an opportunity to meet everyone at the 4 

a.m. prayers. It is however, not possible for all ladies to attend that prayer. 

But at the seven o'clock prayer, they have a chance of getting together. It is 

possible for all of them to attend it. Mutual contact among Ashram women is 

very essential. 

Give still further thought to the matter of prayers. I also believe that the seven 

o'clock meeting should not be given up. You have taken it upon yourselves as a 

special duty to infuse life into these meetings. For the present I can only 

suggest this. Those of you who have the will and the energy to attend the 4 

a.m. prayers may resolve to do so, without entering into any unnecessary 

discussion about what others might do, and thereafter, continue to keep your 

resolution, in spite of every hardship, so long as health permits. 

Ibid, p. 48 



(From "Letter to Madhavlal") 

There should be no break in the prayers. Never mind if (they are offered), late. 

It would be better if it is not late. Even if it is late it should not be that the 

prayers are not offered (at all). Food can be given up but not the prayers. 


(From "Discourses on the Gita) 

I once saw a beautiful painting in a Roman Catholic Church, the work of a 

gifted painter. It is the time of prayer. Women have been working in the fields, 

pick axes in hand. As one of them was about to dig with her pickaxe fell from 

her hand, she bent her body as though kneeling for prayer and started praying. 

The poet—for the painter is a poet—had imagined the woman as working like a 

machine. For these women work was worship. There is a saying in Latin which 

means that bodily labour is a form of worship. Anyone who believes that it is so 

will automatically kneel down at prayer time. A person who has resolved that 

he will always get up at four will roll up his bed as the clock, strikes four. If 

such a person misses praying at prayer time, he will feel weary and oppressed 

and will not be able to concentrate on any work. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXXII, (1969), p. 201 

(From "Letter to Shivabhai G. Patel") 

I got your letter. One must never forget prayer. As the body craves for food 

when it is hungry and does not forget about it, so the soul should yearn to pray. 

The prayer may consist of nothing more than Ramanama, but one ought not to 

forget it in any circumstances. To the extent that you forget it occasionally, to 

that extent it is an external thing to you. Prayer must become so intimately a 

part of one's being that at last one's every breath is accompanied by 

Ramanama. As an eyelid goes on doing its work, one will go on repeating Rama's 

name with every breath. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLIX, (1972), p. 71 



44. ATTENDANCE AT PRAYERS 

(From "Letter to Chhaganlal Joshi") 

I hear that attendance at prayers is again becoming thinner. It should not be 

necessary for me to explain at this hour of the day that no one should expect 

someone else to stimulate his or her interest in prayers. The interest should be 

felt within. As the body needs food and feels hungry, so the soul needs and 

feels hungry for prayer. Prayer is a form of communication with God. So long as 

our need for attendance at prayers is not the same as that for attendance at 

meals, for which we require no one to goad us, so long our faith in God is weak; 

or, though we subscribe to the rules of the Ashram we do not observe them and 

to that extent we are unfaithful to it and violate the vow of truth. Anyone who 

realizes this will not remain absent at prayers—whether morning or evening— 

without some strong reason. 

[From Gujarati (Bapuna Patro-7: Shri Chhaganlal Joshine,) pp. 24-26] 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXXVIII, (1970), p. 197 

(From "Letter to Narandas Gandhi") 

If we strive for truth, we would not be content merely to attend prayers but 

would try to concentrate our attention on them. We would try to follow the 

songs and the discourses, be punctual in attending the prayers and respond to 

them as to a fresh experience every day. The freshness does not consist in the 

variety of bhajans or other recitations, but should result from the increasing 

purity of our heart. We should grow daily more contented and feel greater 

peace of mind. If we do not have this experience, the fault will lie not with the 

quality of the prayers but with the element of untruthfulness in us. If we 

attend the prayers with sincere devotion to truth, we would experience nothing 

but peace. The faithful who visit temples do not observe the lack of cleanliness 

in them, or pay attention to the hypocrisy of the priest. They do not see the 

image as a stone. They experience peace in the midst of noise and return from 



the temples purified in heart. A person like me who feels suffocated by the 

noise there and sees the image only as a piece of stone should never visit a 

temple. God appears to us in the form in which we worship Him. For He is not 

outside of us. He is in the hearts of us all. If we understand this truth, our 

simplest and smallest actions would shed luster on us and help us to see God. In 

order that we may learn this, prayers, spinning, and other daily duties are like 

a spiritual lighthouse to us or a right angle which is the standard of 

measurement. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—X.LV, (1971), pp. 21-22 

(From "Discourses on the Gita") 

You ought to get up in time and attend prayers every day. You may excuse 

yourselves from other duties, but never from prayers. You should cultivate such 

a state of mind that for half an hour you will have only one thought in your 

mind, and no other. Everyone should set apart some time in this manner for 

reflection. It provides an opportunity to feel one with all living creatures. 


(From a letter to Esther Faering) 

As I have already said, you have come to the Ashram not to lose your 

Christianity, but to perfect it. 

If you don't feel the presence of God at the prayer meetings then remember 

that the names Rama and Krishna signify the same as Jesus to you. 

You should most decidedly not attend these meetings. You should go and pray 

in your private chamber. The prayer meetings are not meant to force anyone 

into a position. They are meant for free men and women. The children must 

attend. Those who abstain from sheer laziness must attend. But for you, no one 

can misunderstand your abstinence. You will therefore please do that which 

gives you the greatest peace. The Ashram is nothing if it does not enable you to 



realize God more and more fully day by day. If on Sundays or any other days 

you would go to Church of course you shall do so. 

"My Dear Child", (1959), pp. 45-46 



45. THE SPIRITUAL VALUE OF SILENCE 

(From "An Address to Missionaries") 

It has often occurred to me that a seeker after truth has to be silent. I know 

the wonderful efficacy of silence. I visited a Trappist monastery in South Africa. 

A beautiful place it was. Most of the inmates of that place were under a vow of 

silence. I inquired of the Father the motive of it and he said the motive is 

apparent: 'We are frail human beings. We do not know very often what we say. 

If we want to listen to the still small Voice that is always speaking within us, it 

will not be heard if we continually speak.' I understood that precious lesson. I 

know the secret of silence. 

Young India, 6-8-'25, pp. 274-75 

Experience has taught me that silence is a part of the spiritual discipline of a 

votary of truth. Proneness to exaggerate, to suppress or modify the truth, 

wittingly or unwittingly, is a natural weakness of man, and silence is necessary 

in order to surmount it. A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his 

speech; he will measure every word. We find so many people impatient to talk. 

There is no chairman of a meeting who is not pestered with notes for 

permission to' speak. And whenever the permission is given the speaker 

generally exceeds the time limit, asks for more time, and keeps on talking 

without permission. All this talking can hardly be said to be of any benefit to 

the world. It is so much waste of time. 



When one comes to think of it one cannot help feeling that nearly half the 

misery of the world would disappear if we, fretting mortals, knew the virtue of 

silence. Before modern civilization came upon us, at least six to eight hours of 

silence out of twenty-four were vouchsafed to us. Modern civilization has 



taught us to convert night into day and golden silence into brazen din and 

noise. What a great thing it would be if we in our busy lives could retire into 

ourselves each day for at least a couple of hours and prepare our minds to 

listen in to the Voice of the Great Silence. The Divine Radio is always singing if 

we could only make ourselves ready to listen to It, but it is impossible to listen 

in without silence. St. Theresa has used a charming image to sum up the sweet 

result of silence. 

"You will at once feel your senses gather themselves together; they seem like 

bees which return to the hive and there shut themselves up to work at the 

making of honey: and this will take place without effort or care on your part. 

God thus rewards the violence which your soul has been doing to itself; and 

gives to it such a domination over the senses that a sign is enough when it 

desires to recollect itself, for them to obey and so gather themselves together. 

At the first call of the will they come back more and more quickly. At last after 

many and many exercises of this kind, God disposes them to a state of absolute 

repose and of perfect contemplation." 

Harijan, 24-9-'38, p. 267 

Silence is a great help to a seeker after truth like myself. In the attitude of 

silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and 

deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous 

quest after Truth, and the soul requires inward restfulness to attain its full 

height. 

Truth is God, (1959), p. 53 

The observance of silence is equally important, for through it we pray to the 

Almighty to keep us always awake to our responsibilities. 

Bapu—My Mother (1955), p. 46 



(From "Dr. Mott's Second Visit" by M. D.) 

Dr. Mott concluded his visit in 1936 with a question on silence. He had done so 

during a brief flying visit to Ahmedabad in 1928 and during this visit too he 

asked if Gandhiji had continued to find it necessary in his spiritual quest. 

Gandhiji: I can say that I am an everlastingly silent man now. Only a little while 

ago I have remained completely silent nearly two months and the spell of that 

silence has not yet broken. I broke it today when you came. Nowadays I go into 

silence at prayer time every evening and break it for visitors at 2 o'clock. I 

broke it today when you came. It has now become both a physical and spiritual 

necessity for me. Originally it was taken to relieve the sense of pressure. Then I 

wanted time for writing. After, however, I had practised it for some time I saw 

the spiritual value of it. It suddenly flashed across my mind that that was the 

time when I could best hold communion with God. And now I feel as though I 

was naturally built for silence. Of course I may tell you that from my childhood 

I have been noted for my silence. I was silent at school, and in my London days 

I was taken for a silent drone by friends. 

Dr. Mott: In this connection you put me in mind of two texts from the Bible: 

"My soul, be thou silent unto God." 

"Speak Lord, for Thy servant hearkeneth." 

Harijan, 10-12-'38, p. 373 



46. TAMASI TAPAS 

(From "Sparks from the Sacred Fire—VII" by M. D.) 

A dear friend and keen seeker after truth, who has gone through several fasts 

and has long been on a pilgrimage of search, meeting sadhus and mortifying the 

flesh, has written saying that he has now taken a 12 years' silence, that, not 

content with this, he proposes to have his lips sewn up with thin wire and that 

off and on he takes a fortnight's fast and now practically lives on raw flour 

soaked in water! Here is Gandhiji's reply: 

"I was delighted to have your letter after months, but I was pained also. I hold 

that the remedies you are adopting for self-realization are not right. Silence of 

the sewn-up lips is no silence. One may achieve the same result by chopping off 

one's tongue, but that too would not be silence. He is truly silent who, having 

the capacity to speak, utters no idle word. The penance you are going through 

is the tamasi tapas—blind penance —described in the Gita. Eating raw flour is 

against all dietetic rules, and certainly not enjoined by religion. If- you must 

have uncooked food, you can live on fruits and nuts. You may add milk to it and 

that will make an ideal dietary. I wish you could shake yourself free of this selftorture. 

Ponder over Kabir's song: 

'Oh, good man! Natural communion is best. Ever since by the Grace of God it was 

achieved, it has been growing. Wherever I wander it, is a circuit round the Deity, 

whatever I do is an act of service, every lying down of mine is an act of 

prostration before God. Every utterance of mine is God's name—I worship no 

other God—and all hearing is a remembrance of God. Eating and drinking are acts 

of worship and living in a house or in the wilderness are the same to me. I shut 

not my eyes neither do I stuff my ears; to no torture do I subject myself. I open 

my eyes to find nothing but the beautiful manifestation of God everywhere to 

greet and delight me. 

My mind ever intent on Him, all corrupt thought has left me; so very much I am 

engrossed in contemplation of Him that there is no room in me for aught else. 

Kabir says: This is a state to be silently enjoyed but I have dared to sing about it. 

It is a state beyond misery and bliss, I am merged in it.' 

Harijan, 24-6-'33, p. 5 



47. COMMUNION OF SILENCE 

(From an article by Pyarelal which appeared under the above title) 

Last week I referred to the Sunday silent prayer meeting of the Quakers which 

Gandhiji attended. He has been attending it every Sunday since his arrival 

here.* Quakers believe that "in corporate silent waiting, God does speak to us 

and we can understand His will in the common walks of life". As Shri Ranjit M. 

Chetsingh explained at the beginning of the service last week quoting an early 

Quaker, "The thinking busy soul excludes the voice of God. Be still and cool 

from thine own self." Said George Fox, "The silence of a religious and spiritual 

worship is not a drowsy unthinking state of mind but a withdrawing of it from 

all visible objects and vain imaginings." 

Making the Quaker meeting which he had attended the theme of his address at 

the evening prayer gathering, Gandhiji described how his own experience 

tallied with that of the Quakers. "Emptying of the mind of all conscious 

processes of thought and filling it with the spirit of God unmanifest brings one 

ineffable peace and attunes the soul with the Infinite." The question may 

however be raised, should not one's whole life be an unbroken hymn of praise 

and prayer to the Maker Why then have a separate time for prayer at all 

Brother Lawrence testified that "with him the set times of prayers were not 

different from other times; that he retired to pray according to the directions 

of his superior, but that he did not want such retirement, nor asked for it, 

because his greatest business did not divert him from God." Gandhiji does not 

question that view. "I agree," he observed in his discourse, "that if a man could 

practise the presence of God all the twenty four hours, there would be no need 

for a separate time for prayer." But most people find that impossible. The 

sordid everyday world is too much with them. For them the practice of 

complete withdrawal of the mind from all outward things, even though it might 

be only for a few minutes every day, would be found to be of infinite use. 

Silent communion would help them to experience an undisturbed peace in the 

midst of turmoil, to curb anger and cultivate patience. "When the mind is 



completely filled with His spirit one cannot harbour ill-will or hatred towards 

any one and reciprocally the enemy will shed his enmity and become a friend. 

It is not my claim that I have always succeeded in converting enemies into 

friends, but in numerous cases it has been my experience that when the mind is 

filled with His peace all hatred ceases. An unbroken succession of world 

teachers since the beginning of time have borne testimony to the same. I claim 

no merit for it. I know it is due entirely to God's grace. Let us then in the 

sacred week seek His grace through the communion of silence and may be the 

experience will abide with us forever afterwards. 

Harijan, 28-4-'46, p. 109 

* i.e. Delhi 



48. SILENT PRAYERS 

(From "Rangila Rasul") 

As I believe the silent prayer is often mightier than any overt act in my 

helplessness. I continuously pray in the faith that the prayer of a pure heart 

never goes unanswered. And, with all the strength at my command, I try to 

become a pure instrument for acceptable prayer. 

Young India, 22-9-'27, p. 321. 


I had two aims in practising silent prayer. One was, of course, to give rest to 

the mind. But it was difficult to turn the mind inward except through such 

prayer. 


(From "Woman's Special Mission") 

My faith is increasing in the efficacy of silent prayer. It is by itself an act— 

perhaps the highest act, requiring the most refined diligence. 

Harijan, 5-11-'38, p. 317 

(From a prayer speech April 7, 1946) 

I greatly admire these silent prayers. We must devote a part of our time to such 

prayers. They afford peace of mind. I have experienced this in my own life. 

Notwithstanding my manifold activities, I devote as much time as possible to 

prayer. 




A silent prayer is often more effective than the spoken word consciously 

uttered. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi,—XXXVIII, (1970), p. 281 


Peace and order are -necessary at all gatherings, but are specially so at prayer 

gatherings. People come together for prayers in order to obtain peace, to hear 

God's name and to recite it. Therefore, those who come should really attune 

themselves even at the start from their homes. Let them be silent and let their 

thoughts dwell as they walk, on prayer. Otherwise coming to prayer was 

useless. 

Harijan, 19-5-'46, p. 135 



49. SILENCE DURING PRAYERS 


Five minutes' silence during the evening prayer was suggested by me. It would 

be better to have the same period of silence in the morning also. If the 

congregation has its heart in the matter, all sounds must cease by and by. Even 

the children would learn to co-operate. I have attended meetings where silence 

was observed for half an hour in England. Silence is looked upon as a very 

important thing among our people. Samadhi means silence. Muni (sage) and 

mauna (sagehood, silence) are both derived from the same root. It is true that 

when we practise silence at first, many thoughts enter our minds and we even 

begin to doze. Silence is intended to remedy these defects. 

We are accustomed to talk much and hear loud sounds. Silence therefore seems 

difficult. A little practice however enables us to like it, and when we like it it 

gives us a sense of ineffable peace. We are seekers of truth. We must therefore 

understand what silence means and observe it accordingly. We can certainly 

take Ramanama during silence. The fact is that we should prepare the mind for 

it. We shall realize its value if we bestow a little thought on it. 

Can we not sit steadily in the congregation for five minutes Have you ever 

been at a dramatic performance Talking is prohibited in many theatres. 

Enthusiasts like myself will be there an hour before the play begins. In their 

enthusiasm they do not mind being silent for that hour. But that is not all. The 

play takes 4 or 5 hours, during which the spectator has to observe silence. But 

he likes it all the same. The silence is not burdensome to him because his mind 

is attuned to it. Why then can we not be silent for 5 minutes for God's sake If 

there is a flaw in this argument, do let me know. But if it is sound, keep silence 

with interest and plead on my behalf with those who are opposed to it. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953), pp. 312-13. 




"True culture requires that there should be perfect peace in the prayer ground 

at the time of the prayer." There should be an atmosphere of solemnity as in a 

church, a mosque or a temple. He (Gandhiji) knew that many of the temples 

were full of clamour. It had hurt him deeply. "We go to the temple to worship 

not the stone or the metal image but God who resides in it. The image becomes 

what man makes of it. It has no power independently of the sanctity with which 

it is invested by the worshipper. Therefore everyone, including children, should 

observe perfect silence at the time of prayer." 

Harijan, 28-4-'46, p. 112 



50. HOW I INTRODUCED CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER 

(From "Satyagraha—The Art of Living and Dying" by Pyarelal) 

I introduced the practice of having congregational prayer some time before the 

commencement of the South African Satyagraha struggle. The Indian 

community there was faced with a grave peril. We did all that was humanly 

possible. All methods of seeking redress, agitation through the press and the 

platform, petitions and deputations, were tried out but proved of no avail. 

What was the Indian community consisting of a mere handful of illiterate 

indentured labourers mostly, with a sprinkling of free merchants, hawkers etc., 

to do in the midst of an overwhelming majority of Negroes and Whites The 

Whites were fully armed. It was clear that if the Indians were to come into 

their own, they must forge a weapon which would be different from and 

infinitely superior to the force which the White settlers commanded in such 

ample measure. It was then that I introduced congregational prayer in Phoenix 

and Tolstoy Farm as a means for training in the use of the weapon of 

Satyagraha or soul force. 

The singing of Ramadhun is the most important part of congregational prayer. 

The millions may find it difficult to correctly recite and understand the Geeta 

verses and the Arabic and Zend Avesta prayers, but everybody can join in 

chanting Ramanama or God's name. It is as simple as it is effective. Only it 

must proceed from the heart. In its simplicity lies its greatness and the secret 

of its universality. Anything that millions can do together becomes charged with 

a unique power. 

I congratulate you on your success in the mass singing of Ramadhun without any 

previous training. But it is capable of further improvement. You should practise 

it in your homes. I am here to testify that when it is sung in tune to the 

accompaniment of tal, the triple accord of the voice, the accompaniment and 

thought creates an atmosphere of ineffable sweetness and strength which no 

words can describe. 

Harijan, 7-4-'46, p. 73 



51. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER 


It becomes a man to remember his Maker all the twenty-four hours. If that 

cannot be done we should at least congregate at prayer time to renew our 

covenant with God. Whether we are Hindus or Musalmans, Parsis, Christians or 

Sikhs, we all worship the same God. Congregational prayer is a means for 

establishing the essential human unity through common worship. Mass singing of 

Ramadhun and the beating of tal are its outward expression. If they are not a 

mechanical performance but are an echo of the inner unison, as they should be, 

they generate a power and an atmosphere of sweetness and fragrance which 

has only to be seen to be realized. 

Harijan, 3-3-'46, pp. 25-26 

(From "The Leave-taking" by M. D. being Gandhiji's discourse at the last prayer meeting 

held before his leaving Bangalore) 

For me it [prayer] has been both a joy, and a privilege, in as much as I have felt 

its elevating influence. I ask you to keep it up. You may not know the verses, 

you may not know Sanskrit and the hymns, but Ramanama is there for all, the 

heritage handed down from ages. And I tell you why I ask you to continue this 

congregational prayer. Man is both an individual and a social being. As an 

individual he may have his prayer during all the waking hours, but as a member 

of society he has to join in the congregational prayer. I for one may tell you 

that when I am alone I do have my prayer, but I do feel very lonely without a 

congregation to share the prayer with me. I knew and even now know very few 

of you, but the fact that I had the evening prayers with you was enough for me. 

Among the many memories that will abide in my heart after I leave Bangalore, 

not the least will be the prayer meetings. But 1 shall have my congregation at 

the next place I reach, and forget the wrench. For one who accepts the 

brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God, should find a congregation 

wherever he goes, and he may not hug or nurse the feeling of parting or 



separation. Please, therefore, keep up the prayer. You can form your own 

congregation in your own places, and as a last resource one's family can 

become one's congregation well enough. Do meet every evening at this hour, 

learn a few hymns, learn the Gita, do the best and the most you can for the 

purpose of self-purification. 

Young India, 8-9-'27, p. 295 

(From "Collective Prayer") 

Q.: You believe in mass prayer. Is congregational worship as practised today, a 

true prayer In my opinion, it is a degrading thing and therefore dangerous. 

Jesus said: "When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, but 

enter into thine inner chamber and having shut thy door pray to the Father 

which is in secret." Most people in a crowd are inattentive and unable to 

concentrate. Prayer then becomes hypocrisy. The Yogi is aware of this. Should 

not the masses, therefore, be taught self-examination which is the true prayer 

A.: I hold that congregational worship held by me, is true prayer for a 

collection of men. The convener is a believer and no hypocrite. If he were one, 

the prayer would be tainted at the source. The men and women who attend do 

not go to any orthodox prayer from which they might have to gain an earthly 

end. The bulk of them have no contact with the convener. Hence it is 

presumed, they do not come for show. They join in because they believe that 

they somehow or other, acquire merit by having common prayer. That most or 

some persons are inattentive or unable to concentrate, is very true. That 

merely shows that they are beginners. Neither inattention nor inability to 

concentrate are any proof of hypocrisy or falsity. It would be, if they pretended 

to be attentive when they were not. On the contrary, many have often asked 

me what they should do, when they are unable to concentrate. 

The saying of Jesus quoted in the question, is wholly inapplicable. Jesus was 

referring to individual prayer and to hypocrisy underlying it. There is nothing in 

the verse quoted, against collective prayer. I have remarked often enough that 

without individual prayer, collective prayer is not of much use. I hold that 



individual prayer is a prelude to collective, as the latter, when it is effective, 

must lead to the individual. In other words, when a man has got to the stage of 

heart prayer, he prays always, whether in the secret or in the multitude. 

I do not know what the questioner's Yogi does or does not. I know that the 

masses when they are in tune with the Infinite, naturally resort to selfexamination. 

All real prayer must have that end. 

Harijan, 22-9-'46, p. 319 



52. CO-OPERATIVE PRAYER 

(From a prayer speech: June 27, 1945) 

The object of our attending prayers is to commune with God and turn the 

searchlight inwards so that, with God's help, we can overcome our weaknesses. 

I believe that one imbibes pure thought in the company of the pure. Even if 

there is only one pure man, the rest would be affected by that one man's 

purity. The condition is that we attend the prayers with that intention; 

otherwise our coming to the prayers is meaningless. 

I go further and maintain that even if we all had our weaknesses but came to 

the (prayer) meeting with the intention of removing them, our collective effort 

made from day to day would quicken the progress of reform. For, even as cooperation 

in the economic or political field is necessary, so is co-operation 

much more necessary on the moral plane. That is the meaning of the prayer 

meetings which I have been holding since my return to India. 

I, therefore, appeal to you to sit absolutely quiet with your eyes closed, so as 

to shut yourselves off from outside thoughts for a few minutes at least. This cooperative 

prayer needs no fasts, no advertisement. It must be free from 

hypocrisy. 




53. MY FAITH IN PUBLIC PRAYER 

(From a prayer speech: April 12, 1945) 

Speaking for myself, I can say that I can do, and have often done, without food 

for days on end, but I cannot do without prayers even for a single day. Individual 

prayer is there, but no one should fight shy of collective prayer. Man is a 

social being. If men and women can eat together, play together and work together, 

why should they not pray together Why should anyone feel the need to 

pray away from everybody's gaze Is there anything sinful or shameful in prayer 

that it should not be said in public 

Crowds Attend My Prayer s 

For close on 50 years, I have been a believer in public prayer. From my earliest 

days in South Africa, I had among my associates and co-workers men and 

women of every religion—Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis—who all used 

to join me in the prayer. In India, men and women in crowds attend my prayers 

wherever I go. I have been told that one reason why people feel no interest in 

community prayers may be that they do not come to attend the prayers; they 

come just to have my darshan. Even if it is so they come because they want to 

join me—a man of prayer. 




54. INDIVIDUAL PRAYER 

Though I have already written once on this subject, I feel that I should again 

write something about its importance. It seems to me that they do not realize 

the necessity of individual prayer. The idea of community prayers arose from 

the individual's need for prayer. If individuals do not feel such a need, how can 

a community Community prayers also are for the benefit of individuals. They 

help people in their effort to attain knowledge of the self—for self-purification. 

It is, therefore, necessary that all of us should understand the importance of 

individual prayer. As soon as a child learns to understand things, its mother 

ought to teach it to pray. This practice is common to all religions. 

There are at least two clear times for such prayer, that is, we should turn our 

mind to the Lord within immediately on awakening in the morning and when 

closing our eyes for sleep in the evening. During the rest of the day, every man 

and woman who is spiritually awake will think of God when doing anything and 

do that with Him as witness. Such a person will never do anything evil, and a 

time will come when he or she will think every thought with God as witness and 

as its Master. This will be a state in which one will have reduced oneself to a 

cipher. Such a person, who lives constantly in the sight of God, will every 

moment feel Rama dwelling in his heart. 

For such prayers, no special mantra or bhajan is necessary. Though generally a 

mantra is recited at the commencement and conclusion of every religious act, 

that Js not at all necessary. We have only to turn our thoughts to God, no 

matter by what name we call Him, by what method and in what condition. Very 

few form such a habit. If most people followed this practice, there would be 

less sin and evil in this world and our dealings with one another would be pure. 

In order that we may attain such a pure state, everybody should pray at least at 

the two times which I have mentioned. Each person may fix other hours, too, 

ac-, cording to his convenience, and gradually increase their frequency so that, 

ultimately his every breath will be accompanied with Ramanama. 



Such individual prayer consumes no time at all. It requires not time but 

wakefulness. As we don't feel that the unceasing action of blinking consumes 

any time, so also we do not feel that praying inwardly does. But we are aware 

that the eye-lids are doing their work; similarly prayer should go on constantly 

in our heart. Anybody who wishes to pray in this manner should know that he 

cannot do with an impure heart. He must, therefore, banish all impurity from 

his heart when praying. As one feels ashamed of doing anything wicked when 

being observed by somebody, so also should one feel ashamed of acting 

similarly in the sight of God. But God watches every action and knows every 

thought of ours. Hence there can be no moment when we can do anything or 

think any thought unobserved by Him. Thus, anybody who prays to God with his 

heart will in the end become filled with Him and so become sinless. 


(From "Letter to Manibehn Patel") 

I can easily understand your preferring group prayer, for you started praying in 

that manner. But you must also pray by yourself, even if it be only for one 

minute. Our aspiration should be that ultimately we shall continually and 

silently go on repeating God's name in our heart, and that is impossible unless 

one forms the habit of praying by oneself. One can pray by oneself even while 

lying in bed, bathing, eating or doing any other work. Thus it can never be a 

burden. On the contrary, such prayer will lighten one's heart—it ought to do so. 

If you do not get such experience, then you may know that your prayer is not 

from the heart. 

[From Gujarati: Bapuna Patro—4: Manibehn Patelne, pp. 84-5] 

Ibid., p. 136 

(From "Letter to Ramnath 'Simian' ") 

Individual prayer alone can be the basis of congregational prayer. My emphasis 

on the latter does not at all mean that I attach greater importance to it. Since 



we are not used to congregational prayer, I have attempted to show the need 

for it. What you can experience in seclusion is certainly difficult, if not impossible, 

to experience in a group. I have also noticed that some people cannot 

pray except in a group. For such people individual prayer is essential. I would 

also admit that one can do without congregational prayer but certainly not 

without individual prayer. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—LI, (1972), p. 304 



55. CONCENTRATION DURING PRAYERS 


I think I do command concentration, but not well enough to satisfy me. I try 

earnestly to cultivate such concentration, but I am not impatient. 



Q.: Is it possible that during prayers, for thousands who assemble at your 

prayer gatherings, to concentrate their minds on anything whatever 

A.: I can only answer yes. For, if I did not believe in mass prayer, I should cease 

to hold public prayers. My experience confirms my belief. Success depends 

upon the purity of the leader and the faith of the audience. I know instances in 

which the audience had faith and the leader was an impostor. Such cases will 

continue to happen. But truth like the sun shines in the midst of the darkness of 

untruth. The result in my case will be known probably after my death. 


Even if your mind wanders when praying, you should keep up the practice. You 

should retire to a secluded spot, sit in the correct posture and try to keep out 

all thoughts. Even if they continue to come, you should nevertheless complete 

the prayer. Gradually the mind will come under control. The Gita also says that 

the mind is restless, but it tells us that with patient effort we can bring it 

under control. "We shall never willingly accept defeat, though we lose our life 

in the struggle." 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLIX (1972), p. 446 



56. COMPULSORY PRAYER 


Q.: I am a worker in the Rajasthan branch of the A.I.S.A. I believe in prayer but 

some of my colleagues do not. Still they have got to join in prayer under the 

rules of the Sanstha. They are afraid that, if they refuse, they would lose their 

job. My view is that the Sanstha pays wages to its workers for their eight hours' 

work. What right has it to insist upon including compulsory participation in 

prayer by their workers into the bargain. 

A.: There can be no such thing as compulsory prayer. A prayer to be prayer 

must be voluntary. But nowadays people entertain curious ideas about compulsions. 

Thus, if the rules of your institution require every inmate—paid or 

unpaid—to attend common prayer, in my opinion you are bound to attend it as 

you are to attend to your other duties. Your joining the institution was a 

voluntary act. You knew or ought to have known its rules. Therefore, your 

attendance at prayer I would regard as a voluntary act, even as I would treat 

your other work under the contract. If you joined the institution merely 

because of the wages it offered you should have made it clear to the manager 

that you could not attend prayer. If in spite of your objection you entered the 

institution without stating your objection, you did a wrong thing for which you 

should make expiation. This can be done in two ways—by joining the prayer 

with your heart in it, or by resigning and paying such compensation as may be 

necessary for the loss caused by your sudden resignation. Everyone joining an 

institution owes it to obey the rules framed by the management from time to 

time. When any new rule is found irksome, it is open to the objector to leave 

the institution in accordance with the provisions made for resignation. But he 

may not disobey them whilst he is in it. 

Harijan, 13-7-'40, p. 194 



57. THE MALADY OF INTOLERANCE 

(From "Another Delhi Interlude") 

The prayer meeting began today as usual. When the verses from the Koran were 

being recited a member of the audience objected to the recitation. He was 

arrested by the policeman but Gandhiji immediately stopped the prayer, and 

requested the policeman who had arrested him to set him free. 

He would be ashamed to pray, he said, where a man had been arrested for 

doing what he had done. He would leave the place, he said only if he were 

requested to do so by the Mehtars. He would not wait even to consult the 

trustees as they were after all the trustees of the Mehtars. 

Shri G. L. Thatte, General Secretary of the Anti- Pakistan Front was arrested 

today outside the Valmiki Temple just before Gandhiji came out for the evening 

prayers. 

Earlier in the day Shri Thatte had sent a letter to Gandhiji informing him of his 

intention to object to the recitation of the verses from the Koran at the prayer. 

Another person was arrested a little later when he took exception to the 

recitation of Koranic verses during the prayers and shouted Hindu Dharmaki 

Jay. Gandhiji then discontinued the prayers. 

Gandhiji requested the police to set the man free as it put him (Gandhiji) to 

shame if anybody was arrested for objecting to what he did. 

Gandhiji deplored such narrow-mindedness on the part of the people. Mere 

shouting of slogan, would not carry Hinduism anywhere, he said. He was at a 

loss to understand why some Hindus objected to his reading the Koran verses in 

his prayer. If at places the Muslims had not behaved as they should, then it did 

not mean that the Hindus should retaliate by opposing the reading of the 

Koran. 

The verse from the Koran that was being recited, Gandhiji said, was a mighty 

prayer in praise of God. How did it harm the Hindu religion if the prayer was 



recited in the Arabic language He who said so knew neither his religion nor his 

duty. That prayer could also be recited in a temple. 

He had been told by a friend that a prayer with the same meaning was also 

found in the Yajurveda. Those who had studied the Hindu scriptures knew that 

among the 108 Upanishads there was one called the Allopanishad. Did not the 

man who wrote it know his religion It was said that Guru Nanak himself went 

to Arabia in search of truth during his religious wanderings. 

No religion in the world, Gandhiji continued, could live without self-suffering. A 

faith gained in strength only when people were willing to lay down their lives 

for it. The tree of life had to be watered with the blood of martyrs, who had 

laid down their lives without killing their opponents or intending any harm to 

them. That was the root of Hinduism and of all other religions. 

Harijan, 11-5-'47, p. 147 



58. A WORD TO OBJECTORS 

(From "Gandhiji's Post-prayer Speeches") 

As one person in the audience objected to the Al Fateha being recited, prayers 

were not held on the Birla House lawn. Gandhiji, however, addressed the 

audience. He said that he was not going to argue with the objector. He realized 

the anger that raged in people's hearts today. The atmosphere was so 

surcharged that he thought it right to respect even one objector, but this by no 

means meant that he gave up God or His worship in his heart. Prayer demanded 

a pure atmosphere. One thing that everyone should take to heart from such 

objections was that those who were anxious to serve must have endless 

patience and tolerance. One must never seek to impose one's views on others 

Though I believe that I was wise in having yielded to a solitary objector and 

refrained from holding public prayer, it is not improper to examine the incident 

a little more fully. The prayer was public only in the sense that no member of 

the public was debarred from attending it. It was on private premises. 

Propriety required that those only should attend who believed whole-heartedly 

in the prayer including verses from the Koran. Indeed the rule should be 

applicable to prayer held even on public grounds. A prayer meeting is not a 

debating assembly. It is possible to conceive prayer meetings of many 

communities on the same plot of land. Decency requires that those who are 

opposed to particular prayers would abstain from attending the meetings they 

object to. The reverse would make any meeting impossible without 

disturbance. Freedom of worship, even of public speech, would become a farce 

if interference became the order of the day. In decent society the exercise of 

this elementary right should not need the protection of the bayonet. It should 

command universal acceptance. 

Harijan, 5-10-'47, p. 353 



59. ILL-INFORMED OBJECTORS 

(From "Gandhiji's Post-Prayer Speeches") 

This evening when as usual before the prayer meeting the audience was asked 

if there was any objector to the Koran verses being recited as part of the 

prayer, one member spoke up and persisted in his objection. Gandhiji had 

made it clear that if there was such objection, he would neither have public 

prayer nor the after- prayer speech on current events. Consequently, he sent 

word that there would be neither prayer nor speech before the public. But the 

gathering would not disperse without seeing Gandhiji. He, therefore, went to 

the rostrum and said a few words on the reason for abstention and the working 

of Ahimsa as he understood it. He said that it was unseemly for anyone to 

object to the prayer especially, when it was on a private lawn. Nevertheless, 

his Ahimsa warned him against disregarding even one objector when an 

overwhelming majority were likely to overawe one person into silence. It would 

be otherwise if the whole audience objected. It would then be his duty to have 

the prayer even at the risk of being molested. There was also the further consideration 

that the majority should not be disappointed for the sake of one 

objector. The remedy was simple. If the majority restrained themselves and 

entertained no anger against, or evil design on, the solitary objector, it would 

be his duty to hold the prayer. The possibility, however, was that if the whole 

audience was non-violent in intention and action, the objector would restrain 

himself. Such, he held, was the working of non-violence. . . . 

Shri Brij Krishnaji had reported that there was a much larger audience than 

usual and about ten objectors to recitation from the Koran. . . . The objectors 

were perfectly restrained and courteous. Gandhiji was also told that there was 

a suppressed objection from a much larger number. Gandhiji, before 

proceeding with the prayer spoke to the meeting. He said he was glad that the 

people were open enough to register their objection. He did not like to think 

that people came not to share the worship of God but they came to see him or 

hear him because he was called a Mahatma or because of his long service of the 

nation. The prayer was all-inclusive. God was known by many names. In the last 



analysis the names were as many as human beings. It was rightly said that even 

animals, birds and stones adored God. They would find in the Bhajanavali a 

hymn by a Muslim saint which said that the chirp of birds in the morning and 

evening signified that they adored their Maker. There was no sense in objecting 

to any part of the prayer because it was selected from the Koran or from any 

other scripture. Whatever might be the shortcomings of certain Muslims (no 

matter what their number was), the objection could not apply to a whole 

community much less to the Prophet or any other or his message. He, the 

speaker, had gone through the whole of the Koran. He had gained by it, not lost 

by it. He felt that he was a better Hindu for the reading of the world's 

scriptural books. He knew that there were hostile critics of the Koran. A friend 

from Bombay who had many Muslim friends had put before him a conundrum. 

What was the teaching of the Prophet about the Kafirs Were not the Hindus 

Kafirs according to the Koran He had long come to the conclusion that they 

were not. But he spoke to his Muslim friends about the matter. They spoke from 

knowledge. They assured him that Kafir in the Koran meant a non-believer. 

They said that the Hindus were not because they believed in one God. If they 

went by what the hostile critics said, they would condemn the Korn and the 

Prophet as they would condemn Krishna who was depicted as a dissolute being 

having sixteen hundred gopis. He silenced his critics by saying that his Krishna 

was immaculate. He would never bow his head before a rake. The God they 

worshipped with him every evening was in everyone and was all powerful. 

Therefore, they could have no enemy and they could fear none because God 

was in them and by them every moment. Such being the nature of the 

congregational worship, he would prefer to have no such worship if they could 

not with their whole heart and without reservation join the prayer. If they 

could, they would find that they daily gathered strength to enable them to 

dispel the darkness that surrounded them. On Gandhiji asking the audience 

frankly and fearlessly to express their opinion, they lustily said that they 

wanted the prayer and if there was an interruption they would bear no anger or 

malice against the objectors. The prayer then went on in the usual manner. 

Harijan, 9-11-'47, pp. 406-407 



60. FASTING AND PRAYER 

(From "Fasting") 

Fasting is an institution as old as Adam. It has been resorted to for selfpurification 

or for some ends noble as well as ignoble. Buddha, Jesus and 

Mohammed fasted so as to see God face to face. Ramchandra fasted for the sea 

to give way for his army of monkeys. Parvati fasted to secure Mahadev himself 

as her Lord and Master. In my fasts I have but followed these great examples, 

no doubt for ends much less noble than theirs. 

Mere physical capacity to take it is no qualification for it. It is of no use without 

a living faith in God. It should never be a mechanical effort nor a mere 

imitation. It must come from the depth of one's soul. 

Harijan, 18-3-'39, p. 56 

(From "With Gandhiji in Burma" by M. D.) 

We have it in our Shastras that whenever things go wrong, good people and 

sages go in for tapasya, otherwise known as austerities. Gautama himself, when 

he saw oppression, injustice and death around him, and when he saw darkness 

in front of him, at the back of him, and each side of him, went out in the 

wilderness and remained there fasting and praying in search of light. And if 

such penance was necessary for him who was infinitely greater than all of us 

put together, how much more necessary is it for us 

Young India, 18-4-1929, p. 126 


My religion teaches me that whenever there is distress which one cannot 

remove, one must fast and pray. 

Young India, 25-9-1924, p. 319 



(From "All about the Fast") 

I know now more fully than ever that there is no prayer without fasting, be the 

latter ever so little. And this fasting relates not merely to the palate, but all 

the senses and organs. Complete absorption in prayer must mean complete 

exclusion of physical activities till prayer possesses the whole of our being and 

we rise superior to, and are completely detached from, all physical functions. 

That state can only be reached after continual and voluntary crucifixion of the 

flesh. Thus all fasting, if it is a spiritual act, is an intense prayer or a preparation 

for it. It is a yearning of the soul to merge in the divine essence. 

Harijan, 8-7-'33, p. 4 

(From "Wonderful If True") 

The prayer is not vain repetition nor fasting mere starvation of the body. Prayer 

has to come from the heart which knows God by faith, and fasting in abstinence 

from evil or injurious thought, activity or food. Starvation of the body when the 

mind thinks of a multiplicity of dishes is worse than useless. 

Harijan, 10-4-1937, p. 68 

(While appealing to people to fast and pray during the National Week, Gandhiji wrote:) 

This is a hoary institution. A genuine fast cleanses body, mind and soul. It 

crucifies the flesh and to that extent sets the soul free. A sincere prayer can 

work wonders. It is an intense longing of the soul for its even greater purity. 

Purity thus gained when it is utilized for a noble purpose becomes a prayer. The 

mundane use of the Gayatri, its repetition for healing the sick, illustrates the 

meaning we have given to prayer. When the same Gayatri Japa is performed 

with a humble and concentrated mind in an intelligent manner in times of 

national difficulties and calamities, it becomes a most potent instrument for 

warding off danger. There can be no greater mistake than to suppose that the 

recitation of the Gayatri, the namaz or the Christian prayer are superstitions fit 

to be practised by the ignorant and the credulous. Fasting and prayer therefore 



are a most powerful process of purification and that which purifies necessarily 

enables us the better to do our duty and to attain our goal. If therefore fasting 

and prayer seem at times not to answer, it is not because there is nothing in 

them but because the right spirit is not behind them. 

A man who fasts and gambles away the whole of the day as do so many on 

Janmashtami day, naturally, not only obtains no result from the fast in the 

shape of greater purity but such a dissolute fast leaves him 011 the contrary 

degraded. A fast to be true must be accompanied by a readiness to receive 

pure thoughts and determination to resist all Satan's temptations. Similarly, a 

prayer to be true has to be intelligible and definite. One has to identify oneself 

with it. Counting beads with the name of Allah on one's lips, whilst the mind 

wanders in all directions, is worse than useless. 

Young India, 24-3-1920, p. 1 

(From "Letter to V. S. Srinivasa Sastri") 

Prayer expresses the soul's longing and fasting sets the soul free for efficacious 

prayer. 

I would urge the modern generation not to regard fasting and prayer with 

scepticism or distrust. The greatest teachers of the world have derived 

extraordinary powers for the good of humanity and attained clarity of vision 

through fasting and prayer. Much of this discipline runs to waste because 

instead of being matter of the heart, it is often resorted to for stage effect. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XVI, (1965), p. 207 

(From "Prayer and Fasting") 

It is my conviction and my experience that, if fasting and prayer are done with 

a sincere heart and in a religious spirit, marvelous results could be obtained 

from them. There is nothing as purifying as a fast, but fasting without prayer is 

barren; it may result in a diseased person being restored to health or may only 

mean a healthy person suffering unnecessarily. A fast undertaken purely for 



ostentation or to inflict pain on others is an unmitigated sin. Hence, it is only a 

prayerful fast undertaken by way of penance to produce some effect on oneself 

which can be called a religious fast. Prayer does not mean begging God for 

worldly happiness or for the things which advance one's interests; it is the 

earnest cry of a soul in anguish. It cannot but influence the whole world and 

cannot but make itself heard in the divine court. When an individual or a nation 

suffers because of a great calamity, the true awareness of that suffering is 

prayer; in the presence of this purifying knowledge, physical functions like 

eating, etc., become less urgent. A mother suffers when her only son dies. She 

has no desire for eating. A nation is born when all feel the same sort of grief at 

the suffering of any one among them; such a nation deserves to be immortal. 

We are well aware that quite a large number of our brothers and sisters in India 

live in great suffering and so, truly speaking, we have occasion at every step for 

prayerful fasting. But our national life has not attained to this degree of 

intensity and purity. Even so, occasions arise when we suffer acutely. 

* * * 

The peace and the good that ensue from turning our thoughts to God in a time 

of sorrow are not to be had in any other way. 

[From Gujarati: Navajivan, 12-10-'19] 

Ibid., pp. 230, 231 



61. THE TRUEST PRAYER 

(From "Thinking Aloud") 

Mortification of the flesh has been held all the world over as a condition of 

spiritual progress. There is no prayer without fasting, taking fasting in its 

widest sense. A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. It is the 

truest prayer. "Take my life and let it be, always only all for Thee" is not, 

should not be, a mere lip or figurative expression. It has to be a wreck less and 

joyous giving without the least reservation. Abstention from food and even 

water is but the mere beginning, the least part of the surrender. 

Whilst I was putting together my thoughts for this article, a pamphlet written 

by Christians came into my hands wherein was a chapter on the necessity of 

example rather than precept. In this occurs a quotation from the 3rd chapter of 

Jonah. The prophet had foretold that Nineveh, the great city, was to be 

destroyed on the fortieth day of his entering it: 

"So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on 

sack-cloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word 

came unto the King of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne and he laid his 

robe from him and covered him with a sack-cloth, and sat in ashes. And he 

caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the 

king and the nobles saying, 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste 

anything; let them not feed, nor drink water. But let man and beast be covered 

with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his 

evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will 

turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not' And 

God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented 

of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." 

Thus this was a "fast unto death". But every fast unto death is not suicide. This 

fast of the king and the people of Nineveh was a great and humble prayer to 

God for deliverance. It was to be either deliverance or death. This chapter 

from the book of Jonah reads like an incident in the Ramayana. 

Harijan, 15-4-'33, p. 4 



(From "Is It Loss of Faith") 

The Shastras tell us that when people in distress prayed to God for relief and 

He seemed to have hardened His heart, they declared a 'fast unto death' till 

God had listened to their prayer. Religious history tells us of those who survived 

their fast, because God listened to them, but it tells us nothing of those who 

silently and heroically perished in the attempt to win the answer from a deaf 

God. I am certain that many have died in that heroic manner, but without their 

faith in God and non-violence being in the slightest degree diminished. God 

does not always answer prayers in the manner we want Him to. For him life and 

death are one, and who is able to deny that all that is pure ana good in the 

world persists because of the silent death of thousands unknown heroes and 

heroines! 

Harijan, 4-3-'33, p. 8 

(From "Its Implications") 

I believe that there is no prayer without fasting and there is no real fast 

without prayer. 

Harijan, 11-2-'33, p. 2 



62. THE INNER .MEANING OF THE FAST 

My religion says that only he who is prepared to suffer can pray to God. Fasting 

and prayer are common injunctions in my religion. But I know of this sort of 

penance even in Islam. In the life of the Prophet, I have read that the Prophet 

often fasted and prayed and forbade others to copy him. Someone asked him 

why he did not allow others to do the thing he himself was doing. 'Because I live 

on food divine', he said. He achieved most of his great things by fasting and 

prayer. 

I learnt from him that only he can fast who has inexhaustible faith in God. The 

Prophet had revelations not in moments of ease and luxurious living. He fasted 

and prayed, kept awake for nights together and would be on his feet at all 

hours of the night as he received the revelations. Even at this moment, I see 

before me the picture of the Prophet thus fasting and praying. It is my own firm 

Relief that the strength of the soul grows in proportion is you subdue the flesh. 

Young India, 23-10-'24, p. 354 

Under certain circumstances it (fast) is the one weapon which God has given us 

for use in times of utter helplessness. We do not know its use or fancy that it 

begins and ends with mere deprivation of physical food. It is nothing of the 

kind. Absence of food is an indispensable but not the largest part of it. The 

largest part is prayer—communion with God. It more than adequately replaces 

physical food. 

Bapu's Letters to Mira [1924-1948], (1959), p. 251 P-9 

(From a letter to Devdas Gandhi) 

It was only when in terms of human effort that I had exhausted all resources 

and realized my utter helplessness, that I laid my head in God's lap. That is the 

inner meaning and significance of my fast. You would do well to read and 



ponder over Gajendra Moksha the greatest of devotional poems as I have called 

it. Then alone perhaps will you be able to appreciate the step I have taken. 

The End of an Epoch, (1962), p. 25 



63. GITA—THE MOTHER 

The Gita is the universal Mother. She turns away nobody. Her door is wide open 

to anyone who knocks. A true votary of the Gita does not know what 

disappointment is. He ever dwells in perennial joy and peace that passeth 

understanding. But that peace and joy come not to the sceptic or to him who is 

proud of his intellect or learning. It is reserved only for the humble in spirit 

who brings to her worship a fullness of faith and an undivided singleness of 

mind. There never was a man who worshipped her in that spirit and went back 

disappointed. 

Our students are prone to be upset by trifles. A trivial thing like failure in an 

examination plunges them into the darkest despair. The Gita inculcates upon 

them the duty of perseverance in the face of seeming failure. It teaches us that 

we have a right to actions only but not to the fruit thereof and that success and 

failure are one and the same thing at bottom. It calls upon us to dedicate 

ourselves, body, mind and soul, to pure duty, and not to become mental 

voluptuaries at the mercy of all chance desires and undisciplined impulses. As a 

Satyagrahi, I can declare that the Gita is ever presenting me with fresh lessons. 

If somebody tells me that this is my delusion, my reply to him would be that I 

shall hug this delusion as my richest treasure. 

I would advise the students to begin their day with an early morning recitation 

of the Gita. I am a lover and devotee of Tulasidas. I adore the great spirit that 

gave to an aching world the all-healing mantra of Ramanama. But I am here 

today not to present Tulasidas to you, but to ask you to take up the study of 

the Gita, not in a carping or critical spirit, but in a devout and reverent spirit. 

Thus approached, she will grant your every wish. It is no joke, I admit, 

remembering by heart all the eighteen chapters, but it is worthwhile to make 

the attempt. Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar, your attachment to it 

will grow from day to day. The recitation of the Gita verses will support you in 

your trials and console you in your distress, even in the darkness of solitary 

confinement. And, if with these verses on your lips you receive the final 



summons and deliver up your spirit, you will attain Brahma-Nirvan— the final 

Liberation. What that blessed state is—I leave it for your learned Acharyas to 

explain to you. 

Harijan, 24-8-'34, p. 222 



64. THE MEDITATION OF MOTHER GITA 

JUNE 18, 1932 

In a letter to Bhau Bapu gave detailed instructions about dhyana (meditation): 

'There is nothing wrong if you draw a picture by your own imagination and 

meditate over it. But nothing like it if one could rest content with the 

meditation of Mother Gita. This can be done either by thinking of one's dead 

mother as the symbol of the Gita or by drawing a self-imagined mental picture. 

Mother cow for instance would serve the latter purpose. The second method is 

preferable if possible. We may meditate on any Gita verse or even one single 

word in it. Every word in the Gita is an ornament of hers, and to think of an 

ornament of our beloved object is as good as thinking of it itself. But someone 

could devise a third mode of meditation and should be free to practise his own 

device. Every brain works differently from every other brain. No two persons 

think of the same thing in the same way. There is bound to be some difference 

or other between their descriptions and imaginings. 

As the sixth chapter assures us, the least little sadhana (spiritual effort) is not 

wasted. The seeker will proceed further in his next birth, starting from it as a 

base. Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual 

progress, his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen 

that will. But this fact must not be made an excuse for relaxation now. If it is 

so made, it means that the will is only intellectual and not heart-felt. 

Intellectual willing serves no useful purpose, as it does not persist after death. 

If the will is heart-felt, it must manifest itself in effort. But it is quite possible 

that physical weakness as well as the environment may come in its way. Even 

so, when the soul leaves the body, it carries its goodwill with it, which 

fructifies into deed in the subsequent birth when circumstances are more 

favourable. Thus one who does good is sure to make steady progress. 

'Jnaneshvar may have meditated on Nivritti during the latter's lifetime. But we 

must not follow his example. One on whom we meditate must be a perfect 

individual. To ascribe such perfection to a living person is improper and 



unnecessary. Again it is possible that Jnaneshvar meditated on Nivritti not as he 

actually was but as he had imagined him to be. Such refinement is not however 

for people like ourselves. When we raise the question of meditating on a living 

person, there is no room for a mental image of him. If the question is answered 

with such an image in view, it can only throw the questioner into mental 

confusion. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953), pp. 1 70-72 



65. THE USE OF IMAGES IN PRAYER 

I do not forbid the use of images in prayer. I only prefer the worship of the 

Formless. This preference is perhaps improper. One thing suits one man; 

another thing will suit another man, and no comparison can fairly be made 

between the two. You are not right about Shankara and Ramanuja. Spiritual 

experience has greater influence than environment. The seeker of truth should 

not be affected by his surroundings but rise above them. Views based on the 

environment are often found to be wrong. For instance take the case of body 

and soul. The soul being at present in close contact with the body, we cannot 

at once realize her as distinct from her physical venture. Therefore it was a 

very great man indeed who rose above his environment and said, "It (the soul) 

is not this (the body)." The language of saints like Tukaram should not be taken 

in a literal sense. I suggest that you read his- abhang, kela maticha pashupati 

etc. The moral is that we must realize the idea which underlies the words of 

holy men. It is quite possible that they worshipped the Formless even while 

they pictured God in a particular form. This is impossible for ordinary mortals 

like ourselves, and therefore we would be in a sorry plight if we did not 

penetrate a little deeper into the implications of their statements. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. 1, (1953), pp. 168-69 

(From "Discourse XII") 

Mortal man can only imagine the Unmanifest, the Impersonal, and as his 

language fails him he often negatively describes It as 'Neti', 'Neti' (Not That, Not 

That). And so even iconoclasts are at bottom no better than idol-worshippers. 

To worship a book, to go to a church, or to pray with one's face in a particular 

direction—all these are forms of worshipping the Formless in an image or idol. 

And yet both the idol-breaker and the idol-worshipper cannot lose sight of the 

fact that there is something which is beyond all form, Unthinkable, Formless, 

Impersonal, Changeless. The highest goal of the devotee is to become one with 

the object of his devotion. The bhakta extinguishes himself and merges into, 



becomes, Bhagavan. This state can best be reached by devoting oneself to 

some form, and so it is said that the short cut to the Unmanifest is really the 

longest and the most difficult. 

The Gita According to Gandhi, (1956), pp. 308-09 



66. IDOL-WORSHIP 

(From "Hinduism") 

I do not disbelieve in idol-worship. An idol does not excite any feeling of 

veneration in me. But I think that idol-worship is part of human nature. We 

hanker after symbolism. Why should one be more composed in a church than 

elsewhere Images are an aid to worship. ... I do not consider idol-worship a 

sin. 

Young India, 6-10-'21, p. 318 

(From "More Animal than Human") 

It is being more and more demonstrated that it is the worship of God, be it in 

the crudest manner possible, which distinguishes man from the brute. It is the 

possession of that additional quality which gives him such enormous hold upon 

God's creation. It is wholly irrelevant to show that millions of educated people 

never enter a church, mosque or temple. Such entry is neither natural nor 

indispensable for the worship of God. Those even who bow their heads before 

stocks and stones, who believe in incantations or ghosts, acknowledge a power 

above and beyond them. It is true that this form of worship is savage, very 

crude; nevertheless, it is worship of God. Gold is still gold though in its crudest 

state. It merely awaits refinement to be treated as gold even by the ignorant. 

No amount of refinement will turn iron ore into gold. Refined worship is 

doubtless due to the effort of man. Crude worship is as old as Adam, and, as 

natural to him as eating and drinking, if not more natural. A man may live 

without eating for days on end, he does not live without worship for a single 

minute. He may not acknowledge the fact as many an ignorant man may not 

acknowledge the possession of lungs or the fact of the circulation of blood. 

Young India, 8-7-'26, p. 245 



67. IDOLATRY 


Gandhiji: "As for idol-worship, you cannot do without it in some form or other. 

Why does a Musalman give his life for defending a mosque which he calls a 

house of God And why does a Christian go to a church, and when he is required 

to take an oath he swears by the Bible Not that I see any objection to it. And 

what is it if not idolatry to give untold riches for building mosques and tombs 

And what do the Roman Catholics do when they kneel before Virgin Mary and 

before saints — quite imaginary figures in stone or painted on canvas or glass" 

Catholic Father: "But, I keep my mother's photo and kiss it in veneration of her. 

But I do not worship it, nor do I worship saints. When I worship God, I 

acknowledge Him as creator and greater than any human being." 

G.: "Even so, it is not the stone we worship, but it is God we worship in images 

of stone or metal, however crude they may be." 

C.: "But villagers worship stones as God." 

G.: "No, I tell you they do not worship anything that is less than God. When you 

kneel before Virgin Mary and ask for her intercession, what do you do You ask 

to establish contact with God through her. Even so a Hindu seeks to establish 

contact with God through a stone image. I can understand your asking for the 

Virgin's intercession. Why are Musalmans filled with awe and exultation when 

they enter a mosque Why is not the whole universe a mosque And what about 

the magnificent canopy of heaven that spreads over you Is it any less than a 

mosque But I understand and sympathize with the Muslims. It is their way of 

approach to God. The Hindus have their own way of approach to the same 

Eternal Being. Our media of approach are different, but that does not make 

Him different." 

C.: "But the Catholics believe that God revealed to them the true way." 

G.: "But why do you say that the will of God is expressed only in one book 

called the Bible and not in others Why do you circumscribe the power of God" 



C.: "But Jesus proved that he had received the word of God through miracles." 

G.: "But that is Mohammed's claim too. If you accept Christian testimony you 

must accept Muslim testimony and Hindu testimony too." 

C.: "But Mohammed said he could not do miracles." 

G.: "No, He did not want to prove the existence of God by miracles. But he 

claimed to receive messages from God." 

When one comes to think of it, how simple and naive is man's fanaticism! "The 

attempt to make the one religion which is their own dominate all time and 

space, comes naturally to men addicted to sectarianism," said Gurudeva 

Rabindranath Tagore at the Parliament of Religions in Calcutta. "This makes it 

offensive to them to be told that God is generous in His distribution of love, 

and His means of communication with men have not been restricted to a blind 

lane abruptly stopping at one narrow point of history. If humanity ever happens 

to be overwhelmed with the universal flood of a bigoted exclusiveness, then 

God will have to make provision for another Noah's ark to save His creatures 

from the catastrophe of spiritual desolation." 

Harijan, 13-3-'37, p. 39 



68. IDOLATRY v. IDOL-WORSHIP 


Q. I am a Hindu student. I have been great friends with a Muslim, but we have 

fallen out over the question of idol-worship. I find solace in idol- worship, but I 

cannot give an answer to my Muslim friend in terms of what may be called 

convincing. Will you say something in Harija 

A. My sympathies are with you and your Muslim friend. I suggest your reading 

my writings on the question in Young India and, if you feel at all satisfied, let 

your Muslim friend read them too. If your friend has real love for you, he will 

conquer his prejudice against idol-worship. A friendship which exacts oneness 

of opinion and conduct is not worth much. Friends have to tolerate one 

another's ways of life and thought even though they may be different, except 

where the difference is fundamental. May be your friend has come to think that 

it is sinful to associate with you as you are an idolater. Idolatry is bad, not so 

idol- worship. An idolater makes a fetish of his idol. An idol-worshipper sees 

God even in a stone and therefore takes the help of an idol to establish his 

union with God. Every Hindu child knows that the stone in the famous temple in 

Banaras is not Kashi Vishwanath. But he believes that the Lord of the Universe 

does reside specially in that stone. This play of the imagination is permissible 

and healthy. Every edition of the Gita on a book-stall has not that sanctity 

which I ascribe to my own copy. Logic tells me there is no more sanctity in my 

own copy than in any other. The sanctity is in my imagination. But that 

imagination brings about marvelous concrete results. It changes men's lives. I 

am of opinion that, whether we admit it or not, we are all idol-worshippers or 

idolaters, if the distinction I have drawn is not allowed. A book, a building, a 

picture, a carving are surely all images in which God does reside, but they are 

not God. He who says they are, errs. 

Harijan, 9-3-'40, p. 30 



69. WORSHIP IN TEMPLES 

(From "A Hotchpot of Questions") 

Q. You seem to advocate the starting of temples for Panchamas as a step in the 

direction of their amelioration. Is it not a fact that the Hindu mind, confined 

for generations past within things like the 'temple' has generally lost the power 

of any larger vision |of God When you seek to remove untouchability, when 

you seek to raise the 'untouchables' and accord them a place of freedom and 

dignity in society, need you do so by encouraging them to copy the present-day 

caste Hindus even in the matter of the latter's vices, sins and superstitions In 

the course of ameliorating the 'untouchables' may we not also reform the Hindu 

community as a whole, so far at least as worship of temple gods is concerned 

In the course of freeing the depressed classes from their present social 

disabilities, may we not seek also to free their mind and thought, and thus let 

social reforms bring into being a broader religious and intellectual outlook 

A. I do not regard the existence of temple as a sin or superstition. Some form of 

common worship, and a common place of worship appear to be a human 

necessity. Whether the temples should contain images or not is a matter of 

temperament and taste. I do not regard a Hindu or a Roman Catholic place of 

worship containing images as necessarily bad or .superstitious and a mosque or 

a Protestant place of worship being good or free of superstition merely because 

of their exclusion of images. A symbol such as a Cross or a book may easily 

become idolatrous, and therefore superstitious. And the worship of the image 

of child Krishna or Virgin Mary may become ennobling and free of all 

superstition. It depends upon the attitude of the heart of the worshipper. 

Young India, 5-11-'25, p. 378 



70. ARE TEMPLES NECESSARY 

An American correspondent writes: 

"My reading of the history of religion is that every great religious advance has 

been away from organized and formal religion. The great religious truths which 

the prophets of religion have apprehended and proclaimed have always been lost 

when their disciples have tried to localize them in priestcraft and temples. Truth 

is too universal to be confined and made sectarian. Therefore, I consider 

temples, mosques and churches to be a prostitution of religion. In every nation 

we have witnessed the degradation of truth and righteousness in the temples; 

and, in my opinion, in the very conception of organized religion this is certain to 

follow as a natural consequence. When religion is made a monopoly by the 

priesthood and temples become vested interests, the great mass of mankind 

becomes isolated from truth until some new prophets arise who break the bonds 

of orthodoxy and release the spirits of men from dependence upon the priests 

and temples. 

"Buddha and Jesus, Chaitanya and Kabir realized and taught Truth, which is 

universal in its character and helpful to all men everywhere, but the isms which 

bear their names are exclusive and divisive and, therefore, harmful to those who 

accept the priestly interpretations of these teachings. Religion loses its human 

character and deserves its reputation of being called an 'opiate'. 

"Therefore, I can see no advantage in gaining permission for the Harijan to enter 

the temples. I know that justice demands that they shall have the liberty even to 

do wrong. But if they are to learn the lessons of self-respect which will enable 

them to take an equal place with caste people in the development of the future 

of our civilization, I think they must learn an independence of all priests and 

temples. They must attain a self-realization, which is dependent upon inner 

rather than outer forces. In the process there is likely to be some extravagance 

of defiance and bitterness before they actually find themselves. When you spoke 

in Europe that 'you formerly considered that God is Truth but now you realized 

that Truth is God,' you struck a responsive chord in the hearts of all of us, 

whatever our traditions may have been. But when you become a defender of the 

faith of temple Hinduism, even though it be a purified type, we feel that you 

have lost your universal appeal, an appeal which I consider you to have made as 



a Hindu, but as one of that large body of spiritual- minded Hindus who do not 

look to the temples for the spiritual sustenance of their lives. I do not believe 

that such men are outside the best traditions of Hinduism but are rather in the 

line of the creators of the religious spirit which has made the spirituality of India 

her greatest contribution to humanity. 

"Nor do I believe that this higher Hinduism is too high for the Harijans, whose 

spiritual intuitions have never been dulled by our modern type of education. 

Buddha, Chaitanya and Kabir all made a large appeal to this class, and the 

teachings of Jesus were most appreciated, not by the high and mighty, but by 

publicans and fishermen, who were outside the pale of respectable society. If 

you were to challenge the untouchables to keep as before outside the temples 

and refuse to accept an inferior status in society, by defying the caste leaders, 

and encourage them to develop their inner resources, I think you would have the 

support of just as large a community of Hindus as you have in your present 

programme." 

This considered opinion representing a large body of people throughout the 

world deserves respectful consideration. Such an opinion, however, does not 

appear before me for the first time. I have had the privilege and opportunity of 

discussing this subject with many friends in the light it is presented. I can 

appreciate much of the argument, but I venture to think that it is inconclusive, 

because it has omitted material facts. Some priests are bad. Temples, churches 

and mosques very often show corruption, more often deterioration. 

Nevertheless, it would be impossible to prove that all priests are bad or have 

been bad and that all churches, temples and mosques are hot-beds of 

corruption and superstition. Nor does the argument take note of this 

fundamental fact that no faith has done without a habitation; and I go further 

that in the very nature of things it cannot exist, so long as man remains as he is 

constituted. His very body has been rightly called ^the temple of the Holy 

Ghost, though innumerable such temples belie the fact and are hot-beds of 

corruption used for dissoluteness. And I presume that it will be accepted as a 

conclusive answer to a sweeping suggestion that all bodies should be destroyed 

for the corruption of many, if it can be shown, as it can be, that there are some 

bodies which are proper temples of the Holy Ghost. The cause for the corrup- 



tion of many bodies will have to be sought elsewhere. Temples of stone and 

mortar are nothing else than a natural extension of these human temples and 

though they were in their conception undoubtedly habitations of God like 

human temples, they have been subject to the same law of decay as the latter. 

I know of no religion or sect that has done or is doing without its house of God, 

variously described as a temple, mosque, church, synagogue or agiari. Nor is it 

certain that any of the great reformers including Jesus destroyed or discarded 

temples altogether. All of them sought to banish corruption from temples as 

well as from society. Some of them, if not all, appeared to have preached from 

temples. I have ceased to visit temples for years, but I do not regard myself on 

that account as a better person than before. My mother never missed going to 

the temple, when she was in a fit state to go there. Probably her faith was far 

greater than mine, though I do not visit temples. There are millions whose faith 

is sustained through these temples, churches and mosques. They are not all 

blind followers of a superstition, nor are they fanatics. Superstition and 

fanaticism are not their monopoly. These vices have their root in our hearts and 

minds. 

My advocacy of temple-entry I hold to be perfectly consistent with the 

declaration which I often made in Europe that Truth is God. It is that belief 

which makes it possible, at the risk of losing friendships, popularity and 

prestige, to advocate temple entry for Harijans. The Truth that I know or I feel 

I know demands that advocacy from me. Hinduism loses its right to make a 

universal appeal if it closes its temples to the Harijans. 

That temples and temple worship are in need of radical reform must be 

admitted. But all reform without temple-entry will be to tamper with the 

disease. I am aware that the American friend's objection is not based upon the 

corruption or impurity of the temples. His objection is much more radical. He 

does not believe in them at all. I have endeavoured to show that his position is 

untenable in the light of facts which can be verified from everyday experience. 

To reject the necessity of temples is to reject the necessity of God, religion 

and earthly existence. 

Harijan, 11-3-'33, p. 4 



71. ARE PLACES OF WORSHIP A SUPERSTITION 

(Originally appeared under the title "Literalism") 

A correspondent writes thus passionately: 

"I am afraid, there is a little fly in the ointment of your splendid defence (in 

Young India of September 23rd)* of the practice of Divine prayer, especially 

congregational prayer. At the end of the article, referring to churches, temples 

and mosques you say, 'these places of worship are not a mere idle superstition to 

be swept away at the first opportunity. They have survived all attacks up to now 

and are likely to persist to the end of time.' 

"On reading this I asked myself: Attacks by whom Surely those attacks were not 

made by atheists or scoffers or humbugs, to anything like the extent to which the 

opposing sects of God-believers are known to have attacked the places of 

worship of one another. In fact, most, if not all, of the attacks you speak of were 

perpetrated by 'godly' zealots in the name and for the glory of each one's own 

God. It would be insulting your knowledge of world history to cite instances. 

"Secondly, I asked myself: Is it true—is it strictly correct to say, that these places 

of worship have survived all attacks Again the answer is: Surely not. Witness the 

site at Kashi (or Banaras) where had stood the temple of Vishwanath for long 

centuries, since even before Lord Buddha's time — but where now stands 

dominating the 'Holy City' a mosque built out of the ruins of the desecrated old 

temple by orders of no less a man than the, 'Living Saint' (ginda Pir), the 'Ascetic 

King' (Sultan Auliva), the 'Puritan Emperor'—Aurangazeb. Again, it is not the 

'unbelieving' British, but the terrible believer, Ibn Saud, and his Wahabi hosts, 

that are responsible for the recent demolition and desecration of many places of 

worship in the Hedjaz (Muslim's 'Holy Land'), over which Musalman Indians are 

just now so loudly lamenting, and which the Nizam of Hyderabad—alone of all 

Muslim rulers in the world—has vainly tried to restore with his money. 

"Do these facts mean nothing to you, Mahatmaji" 

These facts do mean a great deal to me. They show undoubtedly man's 

barbarity. But they chasten me. They warn me against becoming intolerant. 

And they make me tolerant even towards the intolerant. They show man's utter 

insignificance and thus drive him to pray, if he will not be led to it. For does 



not history record instances of humbled pride bending the knee before the 

Almighty, washing His feet with tears of blood and asking to be reduced to dust 

under His heels Verily 'the letter killeth, the spirit giveth life'. 

The writer who is one of the most regular and painstaking readers of Toung 

India should know by this time that places of worship to me are not merely 

brick and mortar. They are but a shadow of the Reality. Against every church 

and every mosque and every temple destroyed, hundreds have risen in their 

places. It is wholly irrelevant to the argument about the necessity of prayer 

that the so-called believers have belied their belief and that many places 

renowned for their sacred character have been razed to the ground. I hold it to 

be enough, and it is enough for my argument, if I can prove that there have 

been men in the world and there are men today in existence, for whom prayer 

is positively the bread of life. I recommend to the correspondent the practice 

of going unobserved to mosques, temples and churches, without any preconceived 

ideas, and he will discover as I have discovered that there is something 

in them which appeals to the heart and which transforms those who go there, 

not for show, not out of shame or fear, but out of simple devotion. It defies 

analysis. Nevertheless the fact stands that pure-minded people going to the 

present places of pilgrimage which have become hot-beds of error, 

superstition, and even immorality, return from them purer for the act of 

worship. Hence the significant assurance in the Bhagavadgita: 'I make return 

according to the spirit in which men worship Me'. 

What the correspondent has written undoubtedly shows our present limitations 

which we must try as early as possible to get rid of. It is a plea for purification 

of religions, broadening of the outlook. That much- needed reform is surely 

coming. There is a better world consciousness, and may I say that even the 

reform we all hanker after needs intense prayer in order to achieve deeper 

purification of self For without deeper purification of mankind in general, 

mutual toleration and mutual good-will are not possible. 

Young India, 4-11-'26, p. 386 

1 Vide Chapter 19: "No Faith in Prayer!", p. 337. 



72. WHY NO TEMPLE IN THE ASHRAM 

(From "Letter to Narayan M. Khare") 

You did well in writing to me regarding the temple. If you have still something 

more to say, write to me. I surely don't insist that my view in this matter should 

prevail. However, my views on this subject are fixed. I have said regarding 

myself that I am both an image-worshipper and an image-breaker. The God 

conceived by a human being is bound to be a form, though the image may be 

only in the mind. In that sense, I am an image-worshipper. But I have never 

been willing to worship any form or image as God. Towards a form or image, I 

always feel neti, neti. Hence I regard myself as image-breaker. This being my 

attitude, I have always felt that we should not have any temple in the Ashram. 

And it was for this reason that we decided to have no building even for prayers. 

We sit in the open, with the sky above as the root and the horizons in the four 

sides as the walls. If we wish to maintain an attitude of equality towards all 

religions, this is how we should live. These days, I am trying to read a little 

from the Vedas and other sacred books. I see this same thing in them all. There 

is no mention of image-worship anywhere. But Hinduism has a place for it. We 

should not, therefore, oppose it. However, image-worship is not obligatory. It is 

voluntary. I feel, therefore, that it would be better if, as an institution, we 

kept away from image-worship. If what I have always believed to be a samadhi 

is really a temple, we should not make it a place of public worship. When the 

owner of the land wished to demolish the structure and carry away the bricks, I 

paid money to him against the estimated value of the bricks and saved the 

structure. But I do not wish to turn it into a temple. 


(From "Letter to Nirmala H. Desai") 

Yes, worship of a photograph also is image-worship. However, there is certainly 

a difference between meditating on a photograph, on special days and building 

a temple and installing an image in it. We should not introduce image-worship 

in the Ashram. The Ashram should have place equally for all religions. 

Ibid., p. 89 



73. A MODEL TEMPLE 

I mentioned only the other day an ambitious scheme set on foot for a model 

temple in Rajkot. Several correspondents have taken me to task for advocating 

temple-entry for Harijans without emphasizing the necessity of temple reform. 

There is no doubt that temple reform is necessary. But here, again, there is 

need for caution. Some of them think that it is possible to replace all the 

existing temples with new ones. I do not share that view. All temples will never 

be alike. They will always vary, as they have done in the past, with the varying 

human needs. What a reformer should be concerned with is a radical change 

more in the inward spirit than in the outward form. If the first is changed, the 

second will take care of itself. If the first remains unchanged, the second, no 

matter how radically changed, will be like a whited sepulchre. A mausoleum, 

however beautiful, is a tomb and not a mosque, and a bare plot of consecrated 

ground may be a real temple of God. 

Therefore the first desideratum is the priest. My ideal priest must be a man of 

God. He must be a true servant of the people. He should have the qualifications 

of a guide, friend and philosopher to those among whom he is officiating. He 

must be a whole- timer with the least possible needs and personal ties. He 

should be versed in the Shastras. His whole concern will be to look after the 

welfare of his people. I have not drawn a fanciful picture. It is almost true to 

life. It is based on the recollections of my childhood. The priest I am recalling 

was looked up to by the prince and the people. They flocked round him for 

advice and guidance in the time of their need. 

If the sceptics say such a priest is hard to find nowadays, he would be partly 

right. But I would ask the reformer to wait for building the temple of his ideal 

till he finds his priest. 

Meanwhile let him cultivate in himself the virtues he will have in the priest of 

his imagination. Let him expect these from the priests of existing temples. In 

other words, by his gentle and correct conduct, let him infect his immediate 

surroundings with the need of the times and let him have faith that his thought, 



surcharged with his own correct conduct, will act more powerfully than the 

mightiest dynamo. Let him not be impatient to see the result in a day. A 

thought may take years of conduct to evolve the requisite power. What are 

years or generations in the life of a great reform 

Now, perhaps, the reader will follow my view of a model temple. I can present 

him with no architect's plan and specification. Time is not ripe for it. But that 

does not baffle the reformer. He can choose the site for his future temple. It 

must be as extensive as he can get it. It need not be in the heart of a village or 

a city. It should be easily accessible to the Harijans and the other poor and yet 

it must not be in insanitary surroundings. If possible, it should be higher than its 

surroundings. In any case, I would aim at making the plinth of the actual 

temple as high as possible. And on this site I should select my plot for daily 

worship. 

Round this will come into being a school, a dispensary, a library, secular and 

religious. The school may serve also as a meeting or debating hall. I should have 

a dharmashala or guest-house connected with the temple. Each one of these 

will be a separate institution and yet subordinate to the temple and may be 

built simultaneously or one after another as circumstances and funds may 

permit. The buildings may or may not be substantial. If labour is voluntary, as it 

well may be, with mud and straw a beginning may be made at once. 

But the temple is not yet built. The foundation was laid when the site was 

procured, the plot for the temple was selected and the first prayer was 

offered. For the Bhagavat says, "Wherever people meet and utter His name 

from their hearts, there God dwells, there is His temple." The building, the 

deity, the consecration is the province of the priest. When he is found, he will 

set about his task, but the temple began its existence from the time of the first 

prayer. And if it was the prayer of true men and women, its continuous 

progress was assured. 

So much for the temple of the future. The reader who cares to study the Rajkot 

scheme will find that the outward form of my model temple materially corresponds 

to that in the scheme. Indeed, there is nothing new in my idea or the 



Rajkot scheme. The village temples of yore had almost all the adjuncts 

suggested by me. 

But we must deal with the existing temples. They can become real Houses of 

God today, if the worshippers will insist on the priests conforming to the ideal 

presented by me. 

Harijan, 29-4-33, p. 6 



74. NATURE'S TEMPLE OF WORSHIP 

(Originally appeared under the title "God's Temples") 

Here in Ceylon where I am writing for Young India amid surroundings where 

nature has bountifully poured her richest treasures, I recall a letter written by 

a poetically inclined friend from similar scenes. I share with the reader a 

paragraph from that letter: 

"A lovely morning! Cool cloudy, with a drowsy sun whose rays are soft as velvet. 

It is a strangely quiet morning —there is a hush upon it, as of prayer. And the 

mists are like incense, and the trees worshippers in a trance, and the birds and 

insects pilgrims come to chant bhajans. Oh! how I wish one could learn true 

abandonment from Nature! We seem to have forgotten our birth-right to worship 

where and when and how we please. We build temples and mosques and 

churches to keep our worship safe from prying eyes and away from outside 

influences, but we forget that walls have eyes and ears, and the roofs might be 

sv/arming with ghosts—who knows! 

"Good Gracious, I shall find myself preaching next! How foolish, on a lovely 

morning like this A little child in the garden adjoining is singing as unconsciously 

and joyously as a bird. I feel inclined to go and take the dust of its little feet. 

And since I cannot pour out my heart in sound as simply as that little one, my 

only refuge is in silence!" 

Churches, mosques and temples, which cover so much hypocrisy and humbug 

and shut the poorest out of them, seem but a mockery of God and His worship, 

when one sees the eternally renewed temple of worship under the vast blue 

canopy inviting every one of us to real worship, instead of abusing His name by 

quarrelling in the name of religion. 

Young India, 8-12-'27, p. 414 



75. TREE WORSHIP 

(Translated from Hindi Navajivan by Pyarelal) 

A correspondent writes: 

"It is a common enough sight in this country to see men and women offering 

worship to stocks and stones and trees, but I was surprised to find, that even 

educated women belonging to the families of enthusiastic social workers were 

not above this practice. Some of these sisters and friends defend the practice by 

saying, that since it is founded on pure reverence for the divine in nature and no 

false beliefs, it cannot be classed as superstition, and they cite the names of 

Satyavan and Savitri whose memory, they say, they commemorate in that way. 

The argument does not convince me. May I request you to throw some light on 

the matter" 

I like this question. It raises the old, old question of image-worship. I am both a 

supporter and opponent of image-worship. When image-worship degenerates 

into idolatry and becomes encrusted with false beliefs and doctrines, it 

becomes a necessity to combat it as a gross social evil. On the other hand 

image-worship in the sense of investing one's ideal with a concrete shape is 

inherent in man's nature, and even valuable as an aid to devotion. 

Thus we worship an image when we offer homage to a book which we regard as 

holy or sacred. We worship an image when we visit a temple or a mosque with 

a feeling of sanctity or reverence. Nor do I see any harm in all this. On the 

contrary endowed as man is with a finite, limited understanding, he can hardly 

do otherwise. 

Even so far from seeing anything inherently evil or harmful in tree worship, I 

find in it a thing instinct with a deep pathos and poetic beauty. It symbolizes 

true reverence for the entire vegetable kingdom, which with its endless 

panorama of beautiful shapes and forms, declares to us as it were with a 

million tongues the greatness and glory of God. Without vegetation our planet 

would not be able to support life even for a moment. In such a country 



especially, therefore, in which there is a scarcity of trees, tree worship 

assumes a profound economic significance. 

I, therefore, see no necessity for leading a crusade against tree worship. It is 

true, that the poor simple-minded women who offer worship to trees have no 

reasoned understanding of the implications of their act. Possibly they would not 

be able to give any explanation as to why they perform it. They act in the 

purity and utter simplicity of their faith. Such faith is not a thing to be 

despised; it is a great and powerful force that we should treasure. 

Far different, however, is the case of vows and prayers which votaries offer 

before trees. The offering of vows and prayers for selfish ends, whether offered 

in churches, mosques, temples or before trees and shrines, is a thing not to be 

encouraged. Making of selfish requests or offering of vows is not related to 

image-worship as effect and cause. A personal selfish prayer is bad whether 

made before an image or an unseen God. 

Let no one, however, from this understand me to mean, that I advocate tree 

worship in general. I do not defend tree worship because I consider it to be a 

necessary aid to devotion, but only because I recognize, that God manifests 

Himself in innumerable forms in this universe, and every such manifestation 

commands my spontaneous reverence. 

Young India, 26-9-'29, p. 320 



76. ATMOSPHERE FOR PRAYERS 

My prayers here (first-class on a ship) lack the depth, the serenity and 

concentration they had when I was in gaol. 

I am not writing all this in a frivolous mood, but after deep reflection. I think of 

these things every day. ... I have realized that those who wish to serve God 

cannot afford to pamper themselves or to run after luxury. Prayers do not come 

easily in an atmosphere of luxuries. Even if we do not ourselves share the 

luxuries, we cannot escape their natural influence. The energy that we spend 

in resisting that influence is at the cost of our devotional efforts. 

[From Gujarati: Indian Opinion, 7-8-1909] 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—IX, (1963), pp. 276-77 



77. THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN ASHRAM LIFE 

(Translated into English from Gujarati by V. G. Desai) 

I 

If insistence on truth constitutes the root of the Ashram, prayer is the principal 

feeder of that root. The social (as distinguished from the individual) activities 

of the Ashram commence everyday with the congregational morning worship at 

4-15 to 4-45 a.m. and close with the evening prayer at 7 to 7-30 p.m. Ever 

since the Ashram was founded, not a single day has passed to my knowledge 

without this worship. I know of several occasions when owing to the rains only 

one responsible person was present on the prayer ground. 

All inmates are expected to attend the worship except in the case of illness or 

similar compelling reason for absence. This expectation has been fairly well 

fulfilled at the evening prayer, but not in the morning. 

The time for morning worship was as a matter of experiment fixed at 4, 5, 6 

and 7 a. m., one after another. But on account of my persistently strong 

attitude on the subject, it has been fixed at last at 4-20 a.m. With the first bell 

at 4 everyone rises from bed and after a wash reaches the prayer ground by 4- 

20. 

I believe that in a country like India the sooner a man rises from bed the 

better. Indeed millions must necessarily rise early. If the peasant is a late riser, 

his crops will suffer damage. Cattle are attended to and cows are milked early 

in the morning. Such being the case, seekers of saving truth, servants of the 

people or monks may well be up at 2 or 3; it would be surprising if they are 

not. In all countries of the world devotees of God and tillers of the soil rise 

early. Devotees take the name of God and peasants work in their fields serving 

the world as well as themselves. To my mind both are worshippers. Devotees 

are deliberately such while cultivators by their industry worship God unawares, 

as it helps to sustain the world. If instead of working in the fields, they took to 



religious meditation, they would be failing in their duty and involving themselves 

and the world in ruin. 

We may or may not look upon the cultivator as a devotee, but where peasants, 

labourers and other people have willy-nilly to rise early, how can a worshipper 

of Truth or servant of the people be a late riser Again in the Ashram we are 

trying to co-ordinate work and worship. Therefore I am definitely of opinion 

that all able-bodied people in the Ashram must rise early even at the cost of 

inconvenience. 4 a.m. is not early but the latest time when we must be up and 

doing. 

Then again we have to take a decision on certain questions. • Where should the 

prayers be offered Should we erect a temple or meet in the open air Then 

again, should we raise a platform or sit in the sands or the dust Should there 

be any images At last we decided to sit on the sands under the canopy of the 

sky and not to install any image. Poverty is an Ashram observance. The Ashram 

exists in order to serve the starving millions. The poor have a place in it no less 

than others. It receives with open arms all who are willing to keep the rules. In 

such an institution, the house of worship cannot be built with bricks and 

mortar, the sky must suffice for roof and the quarters for walls and pillars. A 

platform was planned but discarded later on, as its size would depend upon the 

indeterminate number of worshippers. And a big one would cost a large sum of 

money. Experience has shown the soundness of the decision not to build a 

house or even a platform. People from outside also attend the Ashram prayers, 

so that at times the multitude present cannot be accommodated on the biggest 

of platforms. 

Again as the Ashram prayers are being increasingly imitated elsewhere, the skyroofed 

temple has proved its utility. Morning and evening prayers are held 

wherever I go. Then there is such large attendance, especially in the evening, 

that prayers are possible only on open grounds. And if I had been in the habit of 

worshipping in a prayer-hall only, I might perhaps never have thought of public 

prayers during my tours. 



Then again all religions are accorded equal respect in the Ashram. Followers of 

all faiths are welcome there; they may or may not believe in the worship of 

images. No image is kept at the congregational worship of the Ashram in order 

to avoid hurting anybody's feelings. But if an Ashramite wishes to keep an image 

in his room he is free to do so. 

II 

At the morning prayer we first recite the shlokas (verses) printed in Ashram 

Bhajanavali (hymnal), and then sing one bhajan (hymn) followed by Ramadhun 

(repetition of Ramanama) and Gitapath (recitation of the Gita). In the evening 

we have recitation of the last 19 verses of the second chapter of the Gita, one 

bhajan and Ramadhun and then read some portion of a sacred book. 

The shlokas were selected by Shri Kaka Kalelkar who has been in the Ashram 

since its foundation. Shri Maganlal Gandhi met him in Santiniketan, when he 

and the children of the Phoenix Settlement went there from South Africa while 

I was still in England. Dinabandhu Andrews and the late Mr. Pearson were then 

in Santiniketan. I had advised Maganlal to stay at some place selected by 

Andrews. And Andrews selected Santiniketan for the party. Kaka was a teacher 

there and came into close contact with Maganlal. Maganlal had been feeling the 

want of a Sanskrit teacher which was supplied by Kaka. Chintamani Shastri 

assisted him in the work. Kaka taught the children how to recite the verses 

repeated in prayer. Some of these verses were omitted in the Ashram prayer in 

order to save time. Such is the history of the verses recited at the morning 

prayer all these days. 

The recitation of these verses has often been objected to on the ground of 

saving time or because it appeared to some people that they could not well be 

recited by a worshipper of truth or by a non-Hindu. There is no doubt that 

these verses are recited only in Hindu society, but I cannot see why a non- 

Hindu may not join in or be present at the recitation. Muslim and Christian 

friends who have heard the verses have not raised any objection. Indeed they 

need not cause annoyance to anyone who respects other faiths as much as he 



respects his own. They do not contain any reflection on other people. Hindu 

being in an overwhelming majority in the Ashram, the verses must be selected 

from the sacred books of the Hindus. Not that nothing is sung or recited from 

non- Hindu scriptures. Indeed there were occasions on which Imamsaheb 

recited verses from the Koran. 1 Muslim and Christian hymns are often sung. 

But the verses were strongly attacked from the standpoint of truth. An 

Ashramite modestly but firmly argued that the worship of Sarasvati, Ganesh and 

the like was violence done to truth; for no such divinities really existed as 

Sarasvati seated on a lotus with a vina (kind of musical instrument) in her 

hands, or as Ganesh with a big belly and an elephant's trunk. To this argument I 

replied as follows: 

"I claim to be a votary of truth, and yet I do not mind reciting these verses or 

teaching them to the children. If we condemn some shlokas on the strength of 

this argument, it would be tantamount to an attack on the very basis of 

Hinduism. Not that we may not condemn anything in Hinduism which is fit for 

condemnation, no matter how ancient it is. But I do not believe that this is a 

weak or vulnerable point of Hinduism. On the other hand I hold that it is 

perhaps characteristic of our faith. Sarasvati and Ganesh are not independent 

entities. They are all descriptive names of one God. Devoted poets have given a 

local habitation and a name to His countless attributes. They have done nothing 

wrong. Such verses deceive neither the worshippers nor others. When a human 

being praises God he imagines Him to be such as he thinks fit. The God of his 

imagination is there for him. Even when we pray to a God devoid of form and 

attributes, we do in fact endow Him with attributes. And attributes too are 

form. Fundamentally God is indescribable in words. We mortals must of 

necessity depend upon the imagination which makes and sometimes mars us 

too. The qualities we attribute to God with the purest of motives are true for 

us but fundamentally false, because all attempts at describing Him must be 

unsuccessful. I am intellectually conscious of this and still I cannot help 

dwelling upon the attributes of God. My intellect can exercise no influence over 

my heart. I am prepared to admit that my heart in its weakness hankers after a 



God with attributes. The shlokas which I have been reciting every day for the 

last fifteen years give me peace and hold good for me. In them I find beauty as 

well as poetry. Learned men tell many stories about Sarasvati, Ganesh and the 

like, which have their own use. I do not know their deeper meaning, as I have 

not gone into it, finding it unnecessary for me. It may be that my ignorance is 

my salvation. I did not see that I needed to go deep into this as a part of my 

quest of truth. It is enough that I know my God, and although I have still to 

realize His living presence, I am on the right path to my destination." 

I could hardly expect that the objectors should be satisfied with this reply. An 

ad hoc committee examined the whole question fully and finally recommended 

that the shlokas should remain as they were, for every possible selection would 

be viewed with disfavour by someone or other. 

III 

A hymn was sung after the shlokas. Indeed singing hymns was the only item of 

the prayers in South Africa. The shlokas were added in India. Maganlal Gandhi 

was our leader in song. But we felt that the arrangement was unsatisfactory. 

We should have an expert singer for the purpose, and that singer should be one 

who would observe the Ashram rules. One such was found in Narayan Moreshvar 

Khare, a pupil of Pandit Vishnu Digambar, whom the master kindly sent to the 

Ashram. Pandit Khare gave us full satisfaction and is now a full member of the 

Ashram. He made hymn-singing interesting, and the Ashram Bhajanavali 

(hymnal) which is now read by thousands was in the main compiled by him. He 

introduced Ramadhun, the third item of our prayers. 

The fourth item is recitation of verses from the Gita. The Gita has for years 

been an authoritative guide to belief and conduct for the Satyagraha Ashram. It 

has provided us with a test with which to determine the correctness or 

otherwise of ideas and courses of conduct in question. Therefore we wished 

that all Ashramites should understand the meaning of the Gita and if possible 

commit it to memory. If this last was not possible, we wished that they should 

at least read the original Sanskrit with correct pronunciation. With this end in 



view we began to recite part of the Gita every day. We would recite a few 

verses everyday and continue the recitation until we had learnt them by heart. 

From this we proceeded to the parayan. And the recitation is now so arranged 

that the whole of the Gita is finished in fourteen days, and everybody knows 

what verses will be recited on any particular day. The first chapter is recited on 

every alternate Friday, and we shall come to it on Friday next (June 10, 1932). 

The seventh and eighth, the twelfth and thirteenth, the fourteenth and 

fifteenth, and the sixteenth and seventeenth chapters are recited on the same 

day in order to finish 18 chapters in 14 days. 2 

At the evening prayer we recite the last 19 verses of the second chapter of the 

Gita as well as sing a hymn and repeat Ramanama. These verses describe the 

characteristics of the sthitaprajna (the man of stable understanding), which a 

Satyagrahi too must acquire, and are recited in order that he may constantly 

bear them in mind. 

Repeating the same thing at prayer from day to day is objected to on the 

ground that it thus becomes mechanical and tends to be ineffective. It is true 

that the prayer becomes mechanical. We ourselves are machines, and if we 

believe God to be our mover, we must behave like machines in His hands. If the 

sun and other heavenly bodies did not work like machines, the universe would 

come to a standstill. But in behaving like machines, we must not behave like 

inert matter. We are intelligent beings and must observe rules as such. 

The point is not whether the contents of the prayer are always the same or 

differ from day to day. Even if they are full of variety, it is possible that they 

will become ineffective. The Gayatri verse among Hindus, the confession of 

faith (kalma) among Mussalmans, the typical Christian prayer in the Sermon on 

the Mount have been recited by millions for centuries everyday; and yet their 

power has not diminished but is ever on the increase. It all depends upon the 

spirit behind the recitation. If an unbeliever or a parrot repeats these potent 

words, they will fall quite flat. On the other hand when a believer utters them 

always, their influence grows from day to day. 



Our staple food is the same. The wheat-eater will take other things besides 

wheat, and these additional things may differ from time to time, but the wheat 

bread will always be there on the dining table. It is the eater's staff of life, and 

he will never weary of it. If he conceives a dislike for it, that is a sign of the approaching 

dissolution of his body. 

The same is the case with prayer. Its principal contents must be always the 

same. If the soul hungers after them, she will not quarrel with the monotony of 

the prayer but will derive nourishment from it. She will have a sense of 

deprivation on the day that it has not been possible to offer prayer. She will be 

more downcast than one who observes a physical fast. Giving up food may now 

and then be beneficial for the body; indigestion of prayer for the soul is 

something never heard of. 

The fact is that many of us offer prayer without our soul being hungry for it. It 

is a fashion to believe that there is a soul; so we believe that she exists. Such is 

the sorry plight of many among us. Some are intellectually convinced that there 

is a soul, but they have not grasped that truth with the heart; therefore they 

do not feel the need for prayer. Many offer prayer because they live in society 

and think they must participate in its activities. No wonder they hanker after 

variety. As a matter of fact however they do not attend prayer. They want to 

enjoy the music or are merely curious or wish to listen to the sermon. They are 

not there to be one with God. 

IV 

Prarthana (Gujarati word for prayer) literally means to ask for something, that 

is, to ask God for something in a spirit of humility. Here it is not used in that 

sense, but in the sense of praising or worshipping God, meditation and selfpurification. 

But who is God God is not some person outside ourselves or away from the 

universe. He pervades everything, and is omniscient as well as omnipotent. He 

does not need any praise or petitions. Being immanent in all beings, He hears 

everything and reads our innermost thoughts. He abides in our hearts and is 



nearer to us than the nails are to the fingers. What is the use of telling Him 

anything 

It is in view of this difficulty that prarthana is further paraphrased as selfpurification. 

When we speak out aloud at prayer time, our speech is addressed 

not to God but to ourselves, and is intended to shake off our torpor. Some of us 

are intellectually aware of God, while others are afflicted by doubt. None has 

seen Him face to face. We desire to recognize and realize Him, to become one 

with Him, and seek to gratify that desire through prayer. 

This God whom we seek to realize is Truth. Or to put it in another way Truth is 

God. This Truth is not merely the truth we are expected to speak. It is That 

which alone is, which constitutes the stuff of which all things are made, which 

subsists by virtue of its own power, which is not supported by anything else but 

supports everything that exists. Truth alone is eternal, everything else is 

momentary. It need not assume shape or form. It is pure intelligence as well as 

pure bliss. We call it Ishvara because everything is regulated by Its will. It and 

the law it promulgates are one. Therefore it is not a blind law. It governs the 

entire universe. 

To propitiate this Truth is prarthana which in effect means an earnest desire to 

be filled with the spirit of Truth. This desire should be present all the twentyfour 

hours. But our souls are too dull to have this awareness day and night. 

Therefore we offer prayers for a short time in the hope that a time will come 

when all our conduct will be one continuously sustained prayer. 

Such is the ideal of prayer for the Ashram, which at present is far, far away 

from it. The detailed programme outlined above is something external, but the 

idea is to make our very hearts prayerful. If the Ashram prayers are not still 

attractive, if even the inmates of the Ashram attend them under compulsion of 

a sort, it only means that none of us is still a man of prayer in the real sense of 

the term. 

In heartfelt prayer the worshipper's attention is concentrated on the object of 

worship so much so that he is not conscious of anything else besides. The 

worshipper has well been compared to a lover. The lover forgets the whole 



world and even himself in the presence of the beloved. The identification of 

the worshipper with God should be closer still. It comes only after much 

striving, self-suffering (tapas) and self-discipline. In a place which such a 

worshipper sanctifies by his presence, no inducements need be offered to 

people for attending prayers, as they are drawn to the house of prayer by the 

force of his devotion. 

We have dealt so far with congregational prayer, but great stress is also laid in 

the Ashram on individual and solitary prayer. One who never prays by himself 

may attend congregational prayers but will not derive much advantage from 

them. They are absolutely necessary for a congregation, but as a congregation 

is made up of individuals, they are fruitless without individual prayers. Every 

member of the Ashram is therefore reminded now and then that he should of 

his own accord give himself up to self-introspection at all times of the day. No 

watch can be kept that he does this, and no account can be maintained of such 

silent prayer. I cannot say how far it prevails in the Ashram, but I believe that 

some are making more or less effort in that direction. 

Ashram Observances in Action, (1959), Chap. II 

1 Recitation of short passages from the Koran has since been made an integral part of the 

Ashram prayer.—V. G. D. 

2 Later on the Gita recitation was finished every seven instead of every fourteen days, and 

the chapters were distributed among the days as follows: Friday, 1 and 2; Saturday, 3, 4 

and 5; Sunday, 6, 7 and 8; Monday, 9, 10, 11 and 12; Tuesday, 13, 14 and 15; Wednesday, 

16 and 17; Thursday, 18. —V. G. D. 



78. THE ASHRAM PRAYER 

(From Harijansevak) 

III 

The Ashram prayer has become very popular. Its development has been 

spontaneous. The Ashram Bhajanavali (Hymn Book) has gone into several 

editions and is increasingly in demand. The birth and growth of this prayer has 

not been artificial. There is a history attached to almost every shloka and every 

selected bhajan. The Bhajanavali contains among others bhajans from Muslim 

Sufis and Fakirs, from Guru Nanak, and from the Christian hymnary. Every 

religion seems to have found a natural setting in the prayer book. 

Chinese, Burmese, Jews, Ceylonese, Muslims, Parsis, Europeans and Americans 

have all lived in the Ashram from time to time. In the same way two Japanese 

Sadhus came to me in Maganwadi in 1935. One of them was with me till the 

other day when war broke out with Japan. He was an ideal inmate of our home 

in Seva- gram. He took part in every activity with zest. I never heard of his 

quarrelling with anyone. He was a silent worker. He learnt as much Hindi as he 

could. He was a strict observer of his vows. Every morning and evening he could 

be seen going round with his drum and heard chanting his mantra. The evening 

worship always commenced with his mantra नयो हो रगे य which means "I bow 

to the Buddha, the giver of true religion". I shall never forget the quickness, the 

orderliness and utter detachment with which he prepared himself the day the 

police came without notice to take him away from the Ashram. He took leave 

of me after reciting his favourite mantra and left his drum with me. "You are 

leaving us, but your mantra will remain an integral part of our Ashram prayer," 

were the words that came spontaneously to my lips. Since then, in spite of his 

absence, our morning and evening worship has commenced with the mantra. 

For me it is a constant reminder of Sadhu Keshav's purity and single-eyed 

devotion. Indeed its efficacy lies in that sacred memory. 



While Sadhu Keshav was still with us Bibi Raihana Tyabji also came to stay at 

Sevagram for a few days. I knew her to be a devout Muslim but was not aware, 

before the death of her illustrious father, of how well- versed she was in Koran 

Sharif. When that jewel of Gujarat, Tyabji Saheb, expired, no sound of weeping 

broke the awful silence in his room. The latter echoed with Bibi Raihana's 

sonorous recitation of verses from the Koran. Such as Abbas Tyabji Saheb 

cannot die. He is ever alive in the example of national service which he has left 

behind. Bibi Raihana is an accomplished singer with an ample repertory of 

bhajans of all kinds. She used to sing daily as well as recite beautiful verses 

from the Koran. I asked her to teach some verses to any of the inmates who 

could learn them, and she gladly did so. Like so many who come here she had 

become one of us. Raihana went away when her visit was over, but she has left 

a fragrant reminder of herself. The well-known 'al Fateha' has been included in 

the Ashram worship. The following is a translation of it: 

"1. I take refuge in Allah 

from Satan the accursed. 

"2. Say: He is God, the one and only God, 

the Eternal, Absolute, 

He begettcth not nor is He begotten, And there is none like unto Him. 

"3. Praise be to God, 

The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds, 

Most Gracious, most Merciful, 

Master of the Day of Judgment, 

Thee do we worship 

And thine aid we seek. 

Show us the straight way, 

The way of those on whom 

Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, 

Those whose (portion) is not wrath 



And who go not astray." 

I am writing this note in reply to an ardent Hindu friend who thus gently 

reproached me: "You have now given the Kalma a place in the Ashram. What 

further remains to be done to kill your Hinduism" 

I am confident that my Hinduism and that of the other Ashram Hindus has 

grown thereby. There should be in us an equal reverence for all religions. 

Badshah Khan, whenever he comes, joins in the worship here with delight. He 

loves the tune to which the Ramayana is sung, and he listens intently to the 

Gita. His faith in Islam has not lessened thereby. Then why may I not listen to 

the Koran with equal reverence and adoration in my heart 

Vinoba and Pyarelal studied Arabic and learnt the Koran in jail. Their Hinduism 

has been enriched by this study. I believe that Hindu-Muslim unity will come 

only through such spontaneous mingling of hearts and no other. Rama is not 

known by only a thousand names. His names are innumerable and He is the 

same whether we call him Allah, Khuda, Rahim, Razzak, the Bread- giver, or 

any name that comes from the heart of a true devotee. 

Harijan, 15-2-'42, p. 44 

(Originally appeared in "Notes" under the title "The Reason for Addition") 

During the three days I passed in Shrinagar though I had prayers in the 

compound of Lala Kishorilal's bungalow, where I was accommodated, I made no 

speeches. I had so declared before leaving Delhi. But some of the audience sent 

me questions. One was: 

"I attended your prayer meeting last evening in which you recited two prayers of the other 

communities. May I know what is your idea in doing so and what you mean by a religion" 

As I have observed before now, the selection from the Koran was introduced 

some years ago on the suggestion of Raihana Tyabji who was then living in the 

Sevagram Ashram and the one from the Parsi prayers at the instance of Dr. 

Gilder who recited the Parsi prayer on the break of my fast in the Aga Khan 

Palace during our detention. I am of opinion that the addition enriched the 



prayer. It reached the hearts of a larger audience than before. It certainly 

showed Hinduism in its broad and tolerant aspect. The questioner ought also to 

have asked why the prayer commenced with the Buddhist prayer in Japanese. 

The selections of the stanzas of the prayer has a history behind it befitting the 

sacred character. The Buddhist prayer was the prayer with which the whole of 

Sevagram resounded in the early morning when a good Japanese monk was 

staying at the Sevagram Ashram and who by his silent and dignified conduct had 

endeared himself to the inmates of the Ashram. 

Harijan, 17-8-'47, p. 281 



79. ABOUT PRAYER AT THE ASHRAM 

(From "Letter to Mrs. E. Bjerrum") 

What you say about prayer at the Ashram is largely true. It is still a formal 

thing, soulless; but I continue it in the hope of it becoming a soulful thing. 

Human nature is much the same whether in the East or in the West. It does not 

therefore surprise me that you have not found anything special about prayers in 

the East and probably the Ashram prayer is a hotchpot of something Eastern 

and something Western. As I have no prejudice against taking anything good 

from the West or against giving up anything bad in the East, there is an 

unconscious blending of the two. For a congregational life a congregational 

prayer is a necessity and, therefore, form also is necessary. It need not be 

considered on that account to be hypocritical or harmful. If the leader at such 

congregational prayer meetings is a good man the general level of the meeting 

is also good. The spiritual effect of an honest intelligent attendance at such 

congregational prayers is undoubtedly great. Congregational prayer is not 

intended to supplant individual prayer, which, as you well put it, must be 

heartfelt and never formal. It is there you are in tune with the Infinite. 

Congregational prayer is an aid to being in tune with the Infinite. For man who 

is a social being cannot find God unless he discharges social obligations and the 

obligation of coming to a common prayer meeting is perhaps the supremest. It 

is a cleansing process for the whole congregation. But, like all human 

institutions, if one does not take care, such meetings do become formal and 

even hypocritical. One has to devise methods of avoiding the formality and 

hypocrisy. In all, especially in spiritual matters, it is the personal equation that 

counts in the end. 

The roll call is not the ordinary roll call. It is a note of the results of the daily 

yajna, that is, sacrifice. Everyone says that he has spun. Spinning has been 

conceived in a sacrificial spirit. The idea is to see God through service of the 

millions. The day must not close without every member of the congregation 

confessing whether he or she has or has not performed the daily sacrifice to the 



measure of Jiis or her promise. It is therefore not business at the end of the 

prayer, but it is the finishing touch to the prayer. It is not done at the 

beginning of the meeting, because those who are late should have the 

opportunity of registering their sacrifice. Remember, too, this is a sacrifice not 

intended to be made in secret. It is designed to be done in the open. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXXVI, (1970) pp. 304-05 


If the children take no interest in any of the prayers, a special item can be 

included for them, as used to be done by Prabhudas. I should be happy if they 

sit through the prayers with faith and in stillness. 

I did not say it by way of praise that the same prayers have continued for 

sixteen years. It was only a statement of fact. I did not wish to suggest that all 

have been attending the prayers for so many years. The Ashram has clung to 

these prayers in the face of all troubles and criticisms and quite a few people 

have derived peace of mind from them. All that I intended to say was that 

these prayers ought not to be given up or altered without a strong reason. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLIX, (1972), pp. 455-56 

(From "Letter to Parasram Mehrotra") 

During prayers at the Ashram, none should start reciting or singing before the 

leader begins. And again, the rule is that when he leads, only those can join in 

the recitation or singing who can do so in tune. When the whole community 

sings harmoniously in one tune, their singing never fails to produce an effect. 

Nor does silence fail. Both are beneficial, each in its proper place. In offering 

oblations, etc., at a sacrifice, the incantations used to be chanted aloud in the 

belief that thousands were witnessing the ceremony with reverence. Once that 

became a custom, even when only five or ten persons are present the 

incantations at a sacrifice continue to be chanted aloud. 

Ibid, p. 215 



(Original: "Prayer") 

Prayer is the very foundation of the Ashram. We should, therefore, clearly 

understand what it means. If it is not offered from the heart, it is no prayer at 

all. We rarely see anybody dozing while eating. Prayer is" a million times more 

important than food. If anybody dozes at prayer time, his condition must be 

pitiable indeed. If we miss the prayer, we should feel deeply pained. We should 

not mind if we miss a meal, but we should never miss a prayer. Missing a meal 

is sometimes beneficial for health. Omitting prayer never is. 

If any person dozes at the time of prayer, feels lazy or talks with his neighbours 

while the prayer is going on, does not fix his attention on it and lets his 

thoughts wander, he has as good as absented himself from it. His physical 

presence is mere show. He is, therefore, doubly guilty; he has absented himself 

from the prayer and has deceived the people. To deceive means to act untruthfully, 

and, therefore, to violate the vow of truth. 

If, however, anybody feels sleepy or bored against his will, what should he do 

But this can never happen. If we run straight from the bed to the prayer 

meeting, we are bound to feel sleepy. Before going to the meeting, we should 

rouse ourselves fully and brush our teeth, and resolve to remain awake and 

alert. In the meeting we should not sit close to one another, should sit erect 

like a walking-stick, breathe slowly and, if we can speak the words correctly, 

join in reciting the verses or singing the bhajans, silently to ourselves if not 

loudly. If we cannot do even this, we may go on repeating Ramanama. If we 

still cannot control our body, we should keep standing. No one, whether a 

grown-up person or a child, should feel shame in doing so. Gorwn-up persons 

should occasionally keep standing, even if they do not feel sleepy, in order to 

create an atmosphere in which nobody would feel ashamed of standing. 

Everyone should make an effort and understand as soon as possible the meaning 

of what is recited or sung for prayer. Even if a person does not know Sanskrit, 

he should learn the meaning of each verse and meditate over it. 




80. TIME TAKEN UP BY PRAYERS 

(From a letter to Pandit Khare) 

We must not grudge it. Islam enjoins 5 prayers a day each of which would take 

at least 15 minutes, and at which the same verses have to be repeated. 

Christian prayers contain one permanent item which also takes 15 minutes each 

time. In churches belonging to the Catholics and to the Established Church in 

England devotions take at least half an hour in the morning, at noon and again 

in the evening. This is not too much for the devotee. Finally, none of us has 

now the right to modify the order of the various items in our prayers. The 

subject has been thoroughly discussed already, and the discussion closed. We 

have .to learn to appreciate our prayers and make them an instrument of the 

beatific vision. We must derive our daily spiritual nutrition from them. Let us 

not think of changes but pour our whole soul into them, such as they are. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I (1953), p. 219 

Prayers have often been attacked, but they have been kept up for 16 years. 

How much time do they take How much of the time can be saved Anyone who 

accepts the necessity of prayers will not grudge the time given to them. 




81. FROM MANIBEHN'S NOTES 

(Taken by Miss Manibehn Patel at Gandhiji's morning prayer- meetings for women in the 

Ashram during 1926) 

The first three verses which were always recited at the morning prayers for 

women contain the moving appeal of Draupadi to Shri Krishna when Duryodhan 

attempted to pull off her clothes in the court of the Kauravas. 

The verses are: 1 गोवद, ारकावािसन, कृ ण, गोपीजनय | 

कौरवं: परभूतां मां कं न जानािस के शव || 

हे नाथ, हे रमानाथ, वानाथाितनाशन | 

कौरावाणवमना मां उरव जनादन || 

कृ ण, कृ ण, महयोिगन, वामन वभावन | 

पना पाह गोवद, कु मये ऽविसदतीम || 

Draupadi showed as much strength as Yudhishthir did. 

Draupadi had live husbands at one time and yet has been called 'chaste' (sati). 

This is because in that age, just as a man could marry several wives, a woman 

(in certain regions) could marry several husbands. The mores about marriage 

change with time and place. 

From another point of view, Draupadi can be regarded to symbolise the human 

mind or intelligence (buddhi). And the five Pahdavas are the five senses 

brought under its control. And it is indeed desirable that they are so controlled. 

Since all the five senses were under the control of the mind and had become 

refined, the mind can be said to have wedded to the five senses. 

The strength which Draupadi showed was immeasurable. Even Bhima and a 

noble king like Yudhishthir were afraid of her. 



I read Draupadi's prayer in the Mahabharata when I was in prison and I cried for 

a long time. To my mind this prayer of Draupadi has extraordinary strength in 

it. Countless people recite these verses in North India. 

The power of words increases or decreases in proportion to the intensity of 

spiritual effort underlying them. What is there in the word '33»' It is simply 

made up of three letters at, 3 and JT. And yet its value lies in the spiritual force 

associated with it. When there is greater penance behind the word, its value 

becomes greater. The same is the case with Draupadi. She may even be 

regarded as just another imaginary character created by Vyasji. Such a woman 

may have actually existed or she may not have. But the great strength of 

Vyasji's own spiritual stature and the recitation by crores of human beings of 

the prayers composed by him for Draupadi, have raised the value of that 

prayer. 

Govinda means the master of the senses; by Gopis are meant the thousands of 

sense impulses. 'Gopijana- priya' means one who is the beloved of the many or 

say, of the weak. Draupadi was hemmed in by the Kauravas. The Kauravas are 

all our base desires. Draupadi cries out 'Keshava, how is it that you do not know 

me' It is the cry of all who are distressed. Do we not all have evil desires 

When are we completely free from passions When Draupadi says that she has 

been surrounded by Kauravas, 'Kauravas' may also mean wicked persons. But we 

are oppressed even more by our evil desires than by wicked persons. So it is 

better to interpret 'Kauravas' to mean evil desires. 

Draupadi is a true servant of God and as such she has the right to chide even 

Him. She cries, 'Oh Master, Oh Lord, Oh Ramanath, i.e. Lakshmipati, i.e. Lord 

of the World. He who gives salvation, He who brings about self-realisation, I am 

drowning in a sea of Kauravas, i.e. I am sinking in a multitude of wild desires; I 

am full of wicked passions. Save me.' 

Draupadi calls out 'Krishna, Krishna'. When a person is either in great joy or in 

great trouble, he or she thus calls out the name twice. She says, 'I come to you 

for refuge; save me; I am beset with evil passions, and have become helpless. 

Raise me out of all this.' 



* * * 

We are helpless like Draupadi, because we are all full of impurities and evil 

desires of various kinds. Our fear of snakes and such like is a proof of our 

weakness. I am regarded as the highest in the Ashram, but I, too, have these 

fears. It means that I also am more helpless than Draupadi. 

Dwarka in the Gita means the whole world, or our own selves, not the dirty 

little town near Porbandar in Kathiawad. 

* * * 

You should give up the idea, "I have no one in the world". God is the help of all. 

It is possible to throw the blame for the present sorry condition of women on 

their husbands. But women should only think how best they can cast off their 

own weakness themselves. 

* * * 

There can be only one prayer for us all. If we offer this prayer daily, 

understanding it properly, it will forever be present in our thoughts. Keshava 

(God) is always with us. He is not in some place called Dwarka. That is only the 

language of the poet. Draupadi forgot that Keshava was always present 

everywhere. He clothed her body again and again while Duryodhana was pulling 

her clothes off. Whenever evil thoughts or evil desires spring in our mind, we 

should ask ourselves why such thoughts should come to us and think of these 

verses. 

* * * 

[Once Bapu thus spoke about manual work:] 

If a labourer does all his work dedicating it to God, then he can attain selfrealisation. 

Self-realisation means purity of self. Strictly speaking, only those 

who do bodily labour achieve self-realisation; because 'God is the strength of 

the weak'. By 'weak' is not meant 'weak in body', though for them too their 

strength is God—but we should take it to mean weak in means and equipment. 

The labourer must cultivate humility. An exclusive development of the intellect 

may lead to the development of a diabolic kind of intelligence. By doing merely 



intellectual work, we develop satanic tendencies. It is, for this that the Gita 

says that he who eats without doing labour eats stolen food. Humility is 

inherent in each act of labour. And that is why it is Karmayoga, or activity that 

leads to salvation. Doing physical work simply for getting money is no 

Karmayoga, since the idea is simply to earn money. Cleaning of latrines for 

earning money is no yajna (sacrifice). But the same act, if done by way of 

service, for the sake of sanitation and for the good of others, becomes yajna. 

One who does physical labour out of a spirit of service, in all humility and for 

self-realisation, gets self-realisation. Such a person would never feel reluctant 

to work. He should ever be tireless. 

* * * 

I would certainly worship an idol even made of clay, if thereby my heart feels 

lighter. If my life seems satisfying and meaningful, fruitful, then the worship of 

young Krishna's idol has meaning. The stone is no God; but God resides in the 

stone. If ever I besmear an idol with sandal-wood paste, make an offering of 

rice, and pray to it for strength to kill others, I hope one of you will have the 

strength to pick the idol up and throw it into a well or even break it into 

pieces. 

* * * 

If we wish to develop in us the capacity to look on all as equals, we should also 

aim at getting only what the rest of the world gets. Thus, if the whole world 

gets milk, we may also have it. We may pray to God and say, "O God, if you 

wish me to have milk, give it first to the rest of the world." But who can pray 

thus Only he who has so much sympathy for others and who labours for their 

good. Even if we cannot practise this principle, we must at least understand 

and appreciate it. For the present, our only prayer to God should be that since 

we are fallen so low he should accept whatever little we are capable of doing. 

Even if we do not progress very far in this direction, he should give us strength 

to lessen our possessions. If we repent of our sins, they will at least not 

increase further. We should not keep anything with us thinking it as our own, 

but should strive to give up as many of our possessions as we can. 



* * * 

This body is sometimes called a precious gift. If we remain devoted to God, it 

will really prove to be a precious possession. But to become wholly devoted to 

God, we have to control the body. 

* * * 

Passionate desire is common both to man and woman. The mind of such a 

person always wanders about seeking an object of pleasure. But we must 

understand that we have obtained this birth not for enjoying or giving such 

pleasures, but for self-realisation. 

* * * 

Our temple is in our Ashram; why, it is in our hearts. A temple constructed out 

of a few stones has no meaning. Only a temple raised in our hearts has any use. 

If our Ashram goes on well like this, and does not produce any bad people 

within it, it would become a place of pilgrimage. 

Every pebble on the bank of the Narmada is said to be Shiva. By the Narmada 

we do not mean only the river near Broach, but all rivers. If we wash clean a 

pebble on the bank of a river and offer a bilvapatra 2 to it, the pebble becomes 

Shiva for us. Going a step further, if we take a lump of earth and mould it to 

the shape of a Shiva-idol, it also becomes Shiva for us. On the same lines, we 

may have the faith that Shiva resides in the hearts of us all. We are idolworshippers 

as well as idol-breakers simultaneously. We are to break what is 

mere matter in an idol, but to worship the divine spirit within it. 

* * * 

Devotees of God carry on activities dictated by their inner voice. But the inner 

voice also can sometimes deceive us. So devotees must always remain vigilant. 

* * * 

There is no meaning in our observing sacred days and vows without 

understanding their significance. Such observance becomes useful both to us 

and to society if we understand its meaning and can explain it to others. Our 



women observe Nagapanchami 3 , Janmashtami 4 , and other holy days. But they 

should understand why they are observing them. It is possible that the meaning 

of Nagapanchami is to regard the serpent as the symbol of one's enemy and it 

was sought through this means to inculcate the principle that one should not 

kill even one's enemy. In this world, there is no other creature so poisonous to 

man as a serpent except another man. If we find any one as full of venom as a 

serpent, we should learn to love him, as though he were full of nectar. From 

doing this, we shall learn that every human being is worthy of worship, i.e. of 

service. 

* * * 

Instead of training women to use a dagger, it is better to teach them to be 

fearless. God's protecting hands are always over us. If we really believe in the 

existence of God, whom shall we fear Even if the most wicked of persons 

assaults you, take Ramanama (the name of God). Most wicked persons would 

run away at this earnest cry to God. But if that does not happen, what does it 

matter We should learn to die on such an occasion. 

Bapu's Letters to Ashram Sisters, (1960), pp. 94-114 

1 For translation of these verses please see Appendix I 

2 The leaf of a tree sacred to the Hindus 

3 A religious day dedicated to worship of snakes 

4 A festival celebrating the birth of Krishna 



III. RAMANAMA 

Even if you do nothing else, keep repeating Rama- nama. Some day you will 

suddenly see light in the midst of darkness. 

* * * 

Even if I am killed, I will not give up repeating the names of Rama and Rahim 

which mean to- me the Same God. With these nan\es on my lips I would die 

cheerfully. 

* * * 

I am longing to disappear from the world quietly with Ramanama on my lips. 



82. A GOOD SEED SOWN 

From my sixth or seventh year up to my sixteenth I was at school, being taught 

all sorts of things except religion. I may say that I failed to get from the 

teachers what they could have given me without any effort on their part. And 

yet I kept on picking up things here and there from my surrotindings. The term 

religion I am using in its broadest sense, meaning thereby self-realization or 

knowledge of self. 

Being born in the Vaishnava faith, I had often to go to the haveli. But it never 

appealed to me. I did not like its glitter and pomp. Also I heard rumours of 

immorality being practised there, and lost all interest in it. Hence, I could gain 

nothing from the haveli. 

But what I failed to get there I obtained from my nurse, an old servant of the 

family, whose affection for me I still recall. There was in me a fear of ghosts 

and spirits. Rambha, for that was her name, suggested, as a remedy for this 

fear, the repetition of Ramanama. I had more faith in her than in her remedy, 

and so at a tender age I began repeating Ramanama to cure my fear of ghosts 

and spirits. This was, of course, short-lived; but the good seed sown in 

childhood was not sown in vain. I think it is due to the seed sown by that good 

woman Rambha that today Ramariama is an infallible remedy for me. 

An Autobiography, (1969), pp. 22-23 



83. WHO IS RAMA 


You ask what is Rama. I may explain to you the- meaning of that word, but then 

your repetition of that name would be nearly fruitless. But if you understand 

that Rama is He whom you intend to worship and then repeat His name, it will 

serve the purpose of the horn of plenty for you. You may repeat it like a parrot, 

but still it will be helpful because your repetition unlike the parrot's is backed 

by a purpose. Thus you do not need any symbol, and Tulsidas holds that the 

name of Rama is more powerful than Rama himself and suggests that there is 

no relation between the word Rama and its meaning. The meaning will be filled 

in later by the devotee in accordance with the nature of his devotion. That is 

the beauty of this repetition (japa). Otherwise it would be impossible to prove 

that it will make a new man even of a simpleton. The devotee must fulfil only a 

single condition. The name should not be repeated for show or with a view to 

deceiving others, but with determination and faith. If a man perseveres with 

such repetition, I have not the shadow of a doubt that it will be for him a 

universal provider. Everyone who has the requisite patience can realize this in 

his own case. For days and sometimes for years, the mind wanders and 

becomes restless, the body craves for sleep when one is engaged in repeating 

the name. Indeed even still more painful symptoms intervene. Still if the seeker 

perseveres with the repetition, it is bound to bear fruit. Spinning is a gross 

material accomplishment and yet it can be acquired only after our patience is 

sorely tried. Things more difficult than spinning demand a greater effort on our 

part. Therefore he who is out to attain the Supreme must undergo the 

necessary discipline for a long, long time and never be downhearted. I think I 

have now answered all your questions. If you have faith, repeat the name at all 

times, when you sit or stand or lie down, eat or drink. There is no reason to 

despair if the whole of your life-time is spent while you are at it. If you try it, 

you will have peace of mind in an increasing measure from day to day. 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I, (1953), pp. 120-21 




Q.: You have often said that when you talk of Rama you refer to the ruler of 

the universe and not to Rama, the son of Dasharatha. But we find that your 

Ramadhun calls on 'Sita-Rama', 'Raja Rama' and it ends with 'Victory to Rama, 

the Lord of Sita'. Who is this Rama if not the son of the King Dasharatha 

A.: I have answered such questions before. But there is something new in this 

one. It demands a reply. In Ramadhun 'Raja Rama', 'Sita-Rama' are undoubtedly 

repeated. Is not this Rama the same as the son of Dasharatha Tulsidas has 

answered this question. But let me put down my own view. More potent than 

Rama is the Name. Hindu Dharma is like a boundless ocean teeming with 

priceless gems. The deeper you dive the more treasures you find. In Hindu 

religion God is known by various names. Thousands of people look doubtless 

upon Rama and Krishna as historical figures and literally believe that God came 

down in person on earth in the form of Rama, the son of Dasharatha, and by 

worshipping him one can attain salvation. The same thing holds good about 

Krishna. History, imagination and truth have got so inextricably mixed up. It is 

next to impossible to disentangle them. I have accepted all the names and 

forms attributed to God, as symbols connoting one formless omnipresent Rama. 

To me, therefore, Rama, described as the Lord of Sita, son of Dasharatha, is 

the all powerful essence whose name, inscribed in the heart, removes all 

suffering, mental, moral and physical. 

Harijan, 2-6-'46, p. 158 



84. POWER OF RAMANAMA 

What, then, does this Ramanama mean Is it something to be repeated parrotlike 

Certainly not. If that were so, all of us would win deliverance by repeating 

it mechanically. Ramanama ought to be repeated from the depth of one's 

heart; it would not then matter if the words are not pronounced correctly. The 

broken words which proceed from the heart are acceptable in God's court. Even 

though the heart cries out "Mara, mara", 1 this appeal of the heart will be 

recorded in one's credit column. On the contrary, though the tongue may 

pronounce the name of Rama correctly, if the lord of that heart is Ravana, the 

correct repetition of Rama's name will be recorded in one's debit column. 

Tulsidas did not sing the glory of Ramanama for the benefit of the hypocrite 

who "has Rama's name on his. lips and a knife under his arm". His wise 

calculations will go wrong, while the seeming errors of the man who has 

installed Rama in his heart will succeed. Rama alone can repair one's fortunes 

and so the poet Surdas, 2 lover of God, sings: 

Who will repair my fortunes 

O who else but Rama 

Everyone is a friend of his on whom good fortune smiles, 

None of his whom fortune has forsaken. 

The reader, therefore, should understand clearly that Ramanama is a matter of 

the heart. Where speech and the mind are not in harmony with each other, 

mere speech is falsehood, no more than pretence or play of words. Such 

chanting may well deceive the world, but can Rama who dwells in man's heart 

be deceived 

Hanuman 3 broke open the beads in the necklace which Sita gave him as a gift, 

wanting to see whether they were inscribed with Rama's name. Some courtiers 

who thought themselves wise asked him why he showed disrespect to Sita's 

necklace. Hanuman's reply was that, if the beads were not inscribed with 

Rama's name inside, then every necklace given to him by Sita was a burden to 



him. The wise courtiers thereupon smilingly asked him if Rama's name was 

inscribed in his heart. Hanuman drew out his knife and, cutting open his chest, 

said: "Now look inside. Tell me if you see anything else there except Rama's 

name". The courtiers felt ashamed. Flowers rained on Hanuman from the sky, 

and from that day Hanuman's name is always invoked when Rama's story is 

recited. 

This may be only a legend or a dramatist's invention. Its moral is valid for all 

time: only that which is in one's heart is true. 

[From Gujarati: Navajivan, 17-5-'25] 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXVII, (1968), pp. 111-12 


But for one who has never experienced peace and is in quest of it, Ramanama 

will certainly prove a parasmani 4 God has been given a thousand names which 

only means that He can be called by any name and that His qualities are 

infinite. That is why God is also beyond nomenclature and free from attributes. 

But for us mortals the support of His name is absolutely essential to fall back 

upon and in this age even the ignorant and the illiterate can have recourse to 

an Ekakshara mantra 5 in the form of Ramanama. In fact, uttering Ramanama 

covers the Ekakshara and there is no difference between 'Om' and 'Rama'. But 

the value of reciting His name cannot be established by reasoning, it can only 

be experienced if one does it with faith. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXXIV, (1969), pp. 162-63 

(From a speech) 

If you repeat the name of Rama on getting up in the morning and before going 

to bed in the evening the day will go well for you and the night pass without 

bad dreams. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XXVI, (1967), p. 7 



1 Rama pronounced wrongly, i.e. in the reverse, and then, meaning "dying, dying" 

2 A medieval Hindi poet 

3 The Vanar-hero in the Ramayana; humble and devoted servant of Rama 

4 Philosopher's stone 

5 Om 



85. A WELL-TRIED FORMULA 


It is easy enough to take a vow under a stimulating influence. But it is difficult 

to keep to it especially in the midst of temptation. God is our only help in such 

circumstances. I therefore suggested to the meeting 1 Ramanama. Rama, Allah 

and God are to me convertible terms. I had discovered that simple people 

deluded themselves in the belief that I appeared to them in their distress. I 

wanted to remove the superstition. I knew that I appeared to nobody. It was 

pure hallucination for them to rely on a frail mortal. I therefore presented 

them with a simple and well-tried formula that has never failed, namely to 

invoke the assistance of God every morning before sunrise, and every evening 

before bed time, for the fulfillment of the vows. Millions of Hindus know him 

under the name of Rama. As a child I was taught to call upon Rama when I was 

seized with fear. I know many of my companions to whom Ramanama has been 

of the greatest solace in the hour of their need. I presented it to the Dharalas 2 

and to the untouchables. I present it also to the reader whose vision is not 

blurred and whose faith is not damped by overmuch learning. Learning takes us 

through many stages in life but it fails us utterly in the hour of danger and 

temptation. Then faith alone saves. Ramanama is not for those who tempt God 

in every way possible and ever expect it to save. It is for those who walk in the 

fear of God, who want to restrain themselves and cannot in spite of 

themselves. 

Young India, 22-1-'25, p. 26 

1 Of elders at Vedchhi in Surat district 

2 fierce, military tribe in Gujarat whose occupation is chiefly farming 



86. RIDICULING RAMANAMA 

(From Harijansevak) 

Q.: You know, we are so ignorant and dull that we actually begin to worship the 

images of our great men instead of living up to their teachings. Ramalila, 

Krishnalila and the recently opened Gandhi temple are a living testimony of 

that. The Ramanama bank in Banaras and wearing clothes printed with 

Ramanama is, in my opinion, a caricature and even insult of Ramanama. Don't 

you think that under these circumstances your telling the people to take to 

Ramanama as a sovereign remedy for all ailments is likely to encourage 

ignorance and hypocrisy Ramanama repeated from the heart can be a 

sovereign remedy, but in my opinion religious education of the right type alone 

can lead to that state. 

A.: You are right. There is so much superstition and hypocrisy around that one 

is afraid even to do the right thing. But if one gives way to fear, even truth will 

have to be suppressed. The golden rule is to act fearlessly upon what one 

believes to be right. Hypocrisy and untruth will go on in the world. Our doing 

the right thing will result in their decrease if any, never in their increase. The 

danger is that when we are surrounded by falsehood on all sides we might be 

caught in it and begin to deceive ourselves. We should be careful not to make a 

mistake out of our laziness and ignorance. Constant vigilance under all 

circumstances is essential. A votary of truth cannot act otherwise. Even an allpower 

remedy like Ramanama can become useless for lack of wakefulness and 

care, and become one more addition to the numerous current superstitions. 

Harijan, 2-6-'46, p. 160 



87. RAMANAMA MUST NOT CEASE 

(From "Question Box"—translated from Hindustani) 

Q.: While in conversation or doing brain work or when one is suddenly worried, 

can one recite Ramanama in one's heart Do people do so at such times, and if 

so, how 

A.: Experience shows that man can do so at any time, even in sleep, provided 

Ramanama is enshrined in his heart. If the taking of the name has become a 

habit, its recitation through the heart becomes as natural as the heart beat. 

Otherwise, Ramanama is a mere mechanical performance or at best has 

touched the heart only on the surface. When Ramanama has established its 

dominion over the heart, the question of vocal recitation does not arise. 

Because then it transcends speech. But it may well be held that persons who 

have attained this state are few and far between. 

There is no doubt whatsoever that Ramanama contains all the power that is 

attributed to it. No one can, by mere wishing, enshrine Ramanama in his heart. 

Untiring effort is required as also patience. What an amount of labour and 

patience have been lavished by men to acquire the non-existence philosopher's 

stone Surely, God's name is of infinitely richer value and always existent. 

Q.: Is it harmful if, owing to stress or exigencies of work, one is unable to carry 

out daily devotions in the prescribed manner Which of the two should be given 

preference Service or the rosary 

A.: Whatever the exigencies of service or adverse circumstances may be, 

Ramanama must not cease. The outward form will vary according to the 

occasion. The absence of the rosary does not interrupt Ramanama which has 

found an abiding place in the heart. 

Harijan, 17-2-'46, p. 12 



88. RAMANAMA AND NATIONAL SERVICE 

(From "Tough Question") 

Q. Can a man or woman attain self-realization by mere recitation of Ramanama 

and without taking part in national service I ask this question because some of 

my sisters say that they do not need to do anything beyond attending to family 

requirements, and occasionally showing kindness to the poor. 

A. This question has puzzled not only women, but many men, and has taxed me 

to the utmost. I know that there is a school of philosophy which teaches complete 

inaction and futility of all effort. I have not been able to appreciate that 

teaching, unless in order to secure verbal agreement I were to put my own 

interpretation on it. In my humble opinion, effort is necessary for one's own 

growth. It has to be irrespective of results. Ramanama or some equivalent is 

necessary, not for the sake of repetition, but for the sake of purification, as an 

aid to effort, for direct guidance from above. It is, therefore, never a 

substitute for effort. It is meant for intensifying and guiding it in proper 

channel. If all effort is vain, why family cares or an occasional help to the poor 

In this very effort is contained the germ of national service. And national 

service, to me, means service of humanity, even as disinterested service of the 

family means the same thing. Disinterested service of the family, necessarily, 

leads one to national service. Ramanama gives one detachment and ballast, 

and never throws one off one's balance at critical moments. Self-realization I 

hold to be impossible without service of, and identification with, the poorest. 

Young India, 21-10-'26, p. 364 



89. RAMANAMA AND NATURE CURE 

During part of his illness my father was in Porbandar. There every evening he 

used to listen to the Ramayana. The reader was a great devotee of Rama— 

Ladha Maha- raj of Bileshwar. It was said of him that he cured himself of his 

leprosy not by any medicine, but by applying to the affected parts bilva which 

had been cast away after being offered to the image of Mahadeva in Bileshwar 

temple, and by regular repetition of Ramanama. His faith, it was said, had 

made him whole. This may or may not be true. We, at any rate, believed the 

story. And it is a fact that when Ladha Maharaj began his reading of the 

Ramayana his body was entirely free from leprosy. 


(From "Medicine for the Masses") 

You will be pleased to know that I became a confirmed convert to Nature Cure, 

when I read Kuhne's New Science of Healing and Just's Return to Nature over 

forty years ago. I must confess that I have not been able fully to follow the 

meaning of Return to Nature not because of want of will but because of my 

ignorance. I am now trying to evolve a system of Nature Cure suited to the millions 

of India's poor. I try to confine myself to the propagation of such cure as is 

derivable from the use of earth, water, light, air and the great void. This 

naturally leads man to know that the sovereign cure of all ills is the recitation 

from the heart of the name of God whom some millions here know by the name 

of Rama and the other millions by the name of Allah. Such recitation from the 

heart carries with it the obligation to recognize and follow the laws which 

Nature has ordained for man. This train of reasoning leads one to the 

conclusion that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, one is irresistibly 

driven to inculcating the laws of hygiene, i.e., of cleanliness of the mind, of 

the body and of its surroundings. 

Harijan, 15-6-'47, p. 189 



(From "Who and Where is God") 

Perhaps, I am right in saying that the potency of Ramanama was brought vividly 

home to me in Uruli-Kanchan. It was there that I asserted that the surest 

remedy for all our ills was Ramanama. He who can make full use of it can show 

powerful results with very little outside effort. 

Harijan, 22-6-'47, p. 200 

My conception of Nature Cure, like everything else, has undergone a 

progressive evolution. And for years I have believed that if a person is filled 

with the presence of God and has thus attained the state of dispassion, he can 

surmount handicaps against long life. I have come to the conclusion, based on 

observation and scriptural reading, that when a man comes to that complete 

living faith in the Unseen Power and has become free from passion, the body 

undergoes internal transformation. This does not come about by mere wish. It 

needs constant vigilance and practice. In spite of both, unless God's grace 

descends upon one, human effort comes to naught. 

Press Report, 12-6-'45 


Nature Cure treatment means that treatment which befits man. By "man" is 

meant not merely man as an animal, but as a creature possessing, in addition 

to his body, both mind and soul. For such a being Ramanama is the truest 

Nature Cure treatment. It is an unfailing remedy. The expression Ramabana or 

infallible cure is derived from it. Nature, too, indicates that for man it is the 

worthy remedy. No matter what the ailment from which a man may be 

suffering, recitation of Ramanama from the heart is the sure cure. God has 

many names. Each person can choose the name that appeals most to him. 

Ishwara, Allah, Khuda, God mean the same. But the recitation must not be 

parrot-like, it must be born of faith of which endeavour will be some evidence. 



What should the endeavour consist of Man should seek out and be content to 

confine the means of cure to the five elements of which the body is composed, 

i.e., earth, water, akash, sun and air. Of course, Ramanama must be the 

invariable accompaniment. If in spite of this, death supervenes, we may not 

mind. On the contrary, it should be welcomed. Science has not so far 

discovered any recipe for making the body immortal. Immortality is an 

attribute of the soul. That is certainly imperishable, but it is man's duty to try 

to express its purity. 

Harijan, 3-3-'46, p. 32 

(Original: "Ramanama, the Infallible Remedy") 

Shri Ganeshshastri Joshi, vaidya, tells me after reading the above article, that 

in Ayurveda, too, there is ample testimony to the efficacy of Ramanama as a 

cure for all disease. Nature Cure occupies the place of honour and in it 

Ramanama is the most important. W r hen Charaka, Vagbhata and other giants of 

medicine in ancient India wrote, the popular name for God was not Rama but 

Vishnu. I myself have been a devotee of Tulsidas from my childhood and have, 

therefore, always worshipped God as Rama. But I know that if, beginning with 

Omkar, one goes through the entire gamut of God's names current in all climes, 

all countries and all languages, the result is the same. He and His Law are one. 

To observe His Law is, therefore, the best form of worship. A man who becomes 

one with the Law does not stand in need of vocal recitation of the name. In 

other words, an individual with whom contemplation on God has become as 

natural as breathing, is so filled with God's spirit that knowledge or observance 

of the Law becomes second nature, as it were, with him. Such an one needs no 

other treatment. 

The question, then, arises as to why, in spite of having the prince of remedies 

at hand, we know so little about it; and why even those who know, do not 

remember Him or remember Him only by lip-service, not from the heart. 

Parrot-like repetition of God's name signifies failure to recognize Him as the 

panacea for all ills. 



How can they This sovereign remedy is not administered by doctors, vaidyas, 

hakims or any other medical practitioners. These have no faith in it. If they 

were to admit that the spring of the Holy Ganga could be found in every home, 

their very occupation or means of livelihood would go. Therefore, they must 

perforce rely on their powders and potions as infallible remedies. Not only do 

these provide bread for the doctor, but the patient, too, seems to feel 

immediate relief. If a medical practitioner can get a few persons to say: "So 

and so gave me a powder and I was cured," his business is established. 

Nor, it must be borne in mind, would it really be of any use for doctors to 

prescribe God's name to patients unless they themselves were conscious of its 

miraculous powers. Ramanama is no copy-book maxim. It is something that has 

to be realized through experience. One who has had personal experience alone 

can prescribe it, not any other. 

The Vaidyaraj has copied out for me four verses. Out of these, Charak's is the 

simplest and most apt. It means that if one were to obtain mastery over even 

one out of the thousand names of Vishnu, all ailments would vanish. 1 

Harijan, 24-3-'46, p. 56 

(From "Weekly Letter—I" by Pyarelal) ... 

A noted Ayurvedic physician told me the other day: "All my life I have been 

administering drugs. But since you have prescribed Ramanama as a cure for 

physical ailments it has occurred to me that what you say has, too, the 

authority of Vagbhata and Charaka." The recitation of Ramanama as a remedy 

for spiritual ailments is as old as the hills. But the greater includes the less. And 

my claim is that the recitation of Ramanama is a sovereign remedy for our 

physical ailments also. A Nature Cure man would not tell the patient: 'Invite me 

and I shall cure you of your ailment.' He will only tell about the all-healing 

principle that is in every being, and how can one cure oneself by evoking it and 

making it an active force in his life. If India could realize the power of that 

principle, not only would we be free but we would be a land of healthy 

individuals too—not the land of epidemics and ill-health that we are today. 



The potency of Ramanama is, however, subject to certain conditions and 

limitations. Ramanama is not like black magic. If someone suffers from surfeit 

and wants to be cured of its after-effects so that he can again indulge himself 

at the table, Ramanama is not for him. Ramanama can be used only for a good, 

never for an evil end, or else thieves and robbers would be the greatest 

devotees. Ramanama is for the pure in heart and for those who want to attain 

purity and remain pure. It can never be a means for self-indulgence. The 

remedy for surfeit is fasting, not prayer. Prayer can come in only when fasting 

has done its work. It can make fasting easy and bearable. Similarly, the taking 

of Ramanama will be a meaningless farce when at the same time you are 

drugging your system with medicines. A doctor who uses his talent to pander to 

the vices of his patient degrades himself and his patient. 2 What worse 

degradation can there be for man than that instead of regarding his body as an 

instrument of worshipping his Maker, he should make it the object of adoration 

and waste money like water to keep it going anyhow Ramanama, on the other 

hand, purifies while it cures, and, therefore, it elevates. Therein lies its use as 

well as its limitation. 

Harijan, 1-4-'46, p. 68 

(From "Ayurveda and Nature Cure") 

I have no doubt whatsoever that the spread of Ramanama and pure living are 

the best and cheapest preventives of disease. The tragedy is that doctors, 

hakims and vaidyas do not make use of Ramanama as the sovereign of cures. 

There is no place given to it in current Ayurvedic literature, except it be in the 

shape of a charm which will drive people further into the well of superstition. 

Ramanama has, in fact, no connection with superstition. It is Nature's supreme 

law. Whoever observes it, is free from disease and vice versa. The same law 

which keeps one free from disease, applies also to its cure. An apt question is 

as to why a man who recites Ramanama regularly and leads a pure life should 

ever fall ill. Man is by nature imperfect. A thoughtful man strives after 

perfection, but never attains it. He stumbles on the way, however, unwittingly. 



The whole of God's law is embodied in a pure life. The first thing is to realize 

one's limitations. It should be obvious that the moment one transgresses those 

limits, one falls ill. Thus, a balanced diet eaten in accordance with needs gives 

one freedom from disease. How is one to know what is the proper diet for one 

Many such enigmas can be imagined. The purport of it all is that everyone 

should be his own doctor and find out his limitations. The man who does so will 

surely live up to 125. 

Doctor friends claim that they do nothing more than investigating the laws and 

act accordingly and that, therefore, they are the best Nature Cure men. 

Everything can be explained away in this manner. All I want to say is that 

anything more than Ramanama is really contrary to true Nature Cure. The more 

one recedes from this central principle, the farther away one goes from Nature 

Cure. Following this line of thought, I limit Nature Cure to the use of the five 

elements. But a vaidya who goes beyond this and uses such herbs, as grow or 

can be grown in his neighbourhood, purely for service of the sick and not for 

money, may claim to be a Nature Cure man. But where are such vaidyas to be 

found Today most of them are engaged in making money. They do no research 

work and it is because of their greed and mental laziness that the science of 

Ayurveda is at a low ebb. 

Harijan, 19-5-'46, p. 148 

(From "Weekly Letter—I" by Pyarelal) 

Gandhiji presented Ramanama to the village-folk assembled at Uruli-Kanchan 

as a natural Therapeutic No. 1 for the cure of bodily ailments: "In the song that 

we have just sung the devotee says: 'O Hari, you are the reliever of the people's 

distress.' The promise here is universal. It is not qualified or restricted to any 

particular kind of ailment." He told them of the conditions of success. The 

efficacy of Ramanama would depend on whether it was or was not backed by 

living faith. "If you are subject to anger, eat and sleep for indulgence, not 

solely for sustenance, you do not know the meaning of Ramanama. Your 



recitation of it is mere lip-service. Ramanama, to be efficacious, must absorb 

your entire being during its recitation and express itself in your whole life." 

Patients began to come in from the next morning. There were about thirty of 

them. Gandhiji examined five or six of them and prescribed for them all, more 

or less, the same treatment with slight variations, according to the nature of 

each case, i.e. recitation of Ramanama, sun-bath, friction and hip baths, a 

simple eliminative diet of milk, buttermilk, fruit and fruit juices with plenty of 

clean, fresh water to drink. "It has truly been observed," he explained at the 

evening prayer gathering, "that all mental and physical ailments are due to one 

common cause. It is, therefore, but natural that there should be a common 

remedy for them, too. There is a unity of cure, as there is in disease. The 

Shastras say so. Therefore, I prescribed Ramanama and almost the same treatment 

for all the patients who came to me this morning. But we have a knack of 

explaining away the Shastras in life, when they do not suit our convenience. We 

have deluded ourselves into the belief that the Shastras are meant only for the 

benefit of the soul in the life to come, that the end of dharrna is to acquire 

merit after death. I do not share that view. If dharma has no practical use in 

this life, it has none for me in the next. 

"There is hardly anyone in this world who is completely free from ailment 

whether bodily or mental. For some of these, there is no earthly cure. For 

instance, Ramanama cannot perform the miracle of restoring to you a lost limb. 

But it can perform the still greater miracle of helping you to enjoy an ineffable 

peace 3 in spite of the loss while you live, and rob death of its sting and the 

grave its victory at the journey's end. Since death must come soon or late to 

everyone, why should one worry over the time" 

* * * 

Anyone who fouls the air by spitting about carelessly, throwing refuse and 

rubbish or otherwise dirtying the ground, sins against man and Nature. Man's 

body is the temple of God. Anyone who fouls the air that is to enter that temple 

desecrates it. He takes the name of Rama in vain." 

Harijan, 7-4-'46, pp. 68-69 




My Nature Cure is designed solely for villagers and' villages. Therefore, there is 

no place in it for the microscope. X-rays and similar things. Nor is there room in 

Nature Cure for medicines, such as quinine, emetin and penicillin. Personal 

hygiene and healthy living are of primary importance. And these should suffice. 

If everyone could achieve perfection in this art, there could be no disease. And, 

while obeying all the laws of Nature in order to cure illness, if it does come, 

the sovereign remedy ever lies in Ramanama. But this cure through Ramanama 

cannot become universal in the twinkling of an eye. To carry conviction to the 

patient, the physician has to be a living embodiment of the power of 

Ramanama. 

Harijan, 11-8-'46, p. 260 

My mother gave me medicines so far as I remember. But she did believe in 

spells and charms. Learned friends have faith in them. I have not. There is no 

connection between Ramanama of my conception and jantar mantar (charms). 

I have said that to take Ramanama from the heart means deriving help from an 

incomparable power. The atom bomb is as nothing compared with it. This 

power is capable of removing all pain. It must, however, be admitted that it is 

easy to say that Ramanama must come from the heart, but to attain the reality 

is very difficult. Nevertheless, it is the biggest thing man can possess. 

Harijan, 13-10-'46, p. 357 

(From "Faith Cure V. Ramanama") Here is fine banter from a friend: 

"I wonder whether this Nature Cure has any close relation to what is being called 

Faith Cure. Of course, one should have faith in treatment. But there are some 

exclusive faith cures, for example, for smallpox, stomach pain, etc. For smallpox, 

as you might know, especially in the South, no treatment is given but it is 

considered Divine Play. We do poojas to Goddess. Mariamma and it is almost 

miraculous to see most of the cases come out successful. For stomach pain, even 



chronic cases, many make vows before the deity at Thiru- pathi; and finding 

themselves cured, fulfil their ablutions and other obligations. To give you a 

fitting example, my mother had the same pain and after her visit to Thirupathi, 

she is now free from the disease. 

"Will you kindly enlighten me on this, and may I ask why people should not have 

such faith in Nature Cure also and save the recurring expenditure to the doctors 

who, as Chaucer said, maintain a fine conspiracy with the apothecary to keep a 

patient always a patient, which is part of the natural order of things" 

The examples that have been quoted are neither "Nature Cure nor yet 

Ramanama which I have included in it. But they do show how Nature cures 

without any treatment in many cases. They are undoubtedly cases which show 

the part superstition plays in Indian life. Ramanama, which is the centre of 

Nature Cure, is the enemy of superstition. Unscrupulous men will abuse 

Ramanama as they will any other thing or system. Mere lip-recitation of 

Ramanama has nothing to do with cure. Faith Cure, if I know it correctly, is 

blind cure such as the friend describes and thereby ridicules the living name of 

the living God. The latter is not a figment of one's imagination. It has to come 

from the heart. It is conscious belief in God and a knowledge of His Law that 

make perfect cure possible without any further aid. That Law is that a perfect 

mind is responsible for perfect health of the body. A perfect mind comes from a 

perfect heart, not the heart known by a doctor's stethoscope, but the heart 

which is the seat of God. It is claimed that realization of God in the heart 

makes it impossible for an impure or an idle thought to cross the mind. Disease 

is impossible where there is purity of thought. Such a state may be difficult to 

attain. But the first step in the ascent to health is taken with its recognition. 

The next is taken when the corresponding attempt is made. This radical 

alteration in one's life is naturally accompanied by the observance of all other- 

Nature's laws hitherto discovered by man. One cannot play with them and claim 

to have a pure heart. It can be said with justice that possession of a pure heart 

should do equally well without Ramanama. Only, I know no other way of 

attaining purity. And it is the way trodden by the sages of old all over the 

world. They were men of God, not superstitious men or charlatans. 



If this is Christian Science, I have no quarrel with it. The way of Ramanama is 

not my discovery. It is probably much older than the Christian era. 

A correspondent questions whether Ramanama avoids, bona fide surgical 

operations. Of course, it does not. It cannot restore a leg that is cut off in an 

accident. In many cases surgical operations are unnecessary. Where they are 

required, they should be performed. But a man of God will not worry if a limb 

is lost. Recitation of Ramanama is neither an empirical method nor a makeshift. 

Harijan, 9-6-'46, pp. 171-72 

(Original: "Confusion about Ramanama") A friend writes: 

"Regarding your suggested cure of malaria by Ramanama my problem is that I 

do not understand how to rely on spiritual force for my physical ailments. I am 

also not sure if" I deserve to be cured and if I am justified in praying for my 

salvation, when there is so much misery amongst my countrymen. The day I 

understand Ramanama, I shall pray for their salvation. Otherwise, I would feel 

more selfish than I do today." 

This is from a friend whom I believe to be an earnest seeker of truth. I take 

public notice of his difficulty, as it is typical of that of many like him. 

Spiritual force is like any other force at the service of man. Apart from the fact 

that it has been used for physical ailments for ages, with more or less success, 

it would be intrinsically wrong not to use it, if it can be successfully used for 

the cure of physical ailments. For, man is both matter and spirit, each acting 

on and affecting the other. If you get rid of malaria by taking quinine, without 

thinking of the millions who do not get it, why should you refuse to use the 

remedy which is within you, because millions will not use it through their ignorance 

May you not be clean and well because millions of others will not be so, 

ignorantly or, may be, even cussedly If you will not be clean out of false 

notions of philanthropy, you will deny yourself the duty of serving the very 

millions by remaining dirty and ill. Surely refusal to be spiritually well or clean 

is worse than the refusal to be physically clean and well. 



Salvation is nothing more and nothing less than being well in every way. Why 

should you deny it for yourself, if thereby you show the way to others and 

beyond showing it, actually serve them in addition by reason of your fitness 

But you are wholly selfish, when you take penicillin in order to get well, 

although you have the certain knowledge that the others cannot get it. 

The confusion lying behind my correspondent's argument is obvious. 

What, however, is true is that the taking of a pill or pills of quinine is much 

easier than gaining the knowledge of the use of Ramanama. It involves much 

effort as against the mere cost of buying quinine pills. The effort is worth 

making for the sake of the millions in whose name and on whose behalf my 

correspondent will shut Rama out of his heart. 

Harijan, 1-9-'46, p. 286 

(From "Towards Realization") 

What is the mark of him who has Rama enthroned in his heart If we do not 

know this, there is danger of Ramanama being much misinterpreted. Some 

misinterpretation is already in existence. Many sport rosaries and put the 

sacred mark on the forehead and vainly babble His name. It may well be asked 

whether I am not adding to the current hypocrisy by continued insistence °n 

Ramanama. I must not be deterred by such forebodings. Silence thus brought 

about is harmful. The living voice of silence needs to be backed by prolonged 

heartfelt practice. In the absence of such natural silence, we must try to know 

the marks of him who has Rama in his heart. 

A devotee of Rama may be said to be the same as the steadfast one 

(sthitaprajna) of the Gita. If one goes a little deeper it will be seen that a true 

devotee of God faithfully obeys the five elemental forces of Nature. If he so 

obeys, he will not fall ill. If perchance he does, he will cure himself with the 

aid of the elements. It is not for the dweller in the body to get the body cured 

anyhow—he who believes that he is nothing but body, will naturally wander to 

the ends of the earth in order to cure the body of its ills. But he who realizes 



that the soul is something apart from, though in, the body, that it is 

imperishable in contrast to the perishable body, will not be perturbed nor 

mourn if the elements fail. On the contrary he will welcome death as a friend. 

He will become his own healer instead of seeking for medical men. He will live 

in the consciousness of the soul within and look to the care, first and last, of 

the indweller. 

Such a man will take God's name with every breath. His Rama will be awake 

even whilst the body is asleep. Rama will always be with him in whatever he 

does. The real death for such a devoted man will be the loss of this sacred 

companionship. 

As an aid to keeping his Rama with him, he will take what the five elements 

have to give him. That is to say, he will employ the simplest and easiest way of 

deriving all the benefits he can from earth, air, water, sunlight and ether. This 

aid is not complementary to Ramanama. It is but a means of its realization. 

Ramanama does not in fact require any aid. But to claim belief in Ramanama 

and at the same time to run to doctors do not go hand in hand. 

A friend versed in religious lore who read my remarks on Ramanama sometime 

ago wrote to say that Ramanama is an alchemy such as can transform the body. 

The conservation of the vital energy has been likened to accumulated wealth, 

but it is in the power of Ramanama alone to make it a running stream of everincreasing 

spiritual strength ultimately making a fall impossible. 

Just as the body cannot exist without blood, so the soul needs the matchless 

and pure strength of faith. This strength can renovate the weakness of all mans' 

physical organs. That is why it is said that when Ramanama is enshrined in the 

heart, it means the rebirth of man. This law applies to the young, the old, man 

and woman alike. 

This belief is to be found in the West too. Christian Science gives a glimpse of 

it. But India needs no outside support for a belief which has been handed down 

to her people from time immemorial. 

Harijan, 29-6-'47, p. 212 




With reference to an Ashram worker who got mentally deranged and became 

violent, and so had to be put in confinement, Gandhiji said: "He is a fine 

worker. After his recovery last year, he looked after the garden and kept the 

hospital accounts. He worked diligently and was happy in his work. Then, he 

got malaria and was given a quinine injection because injection works quicker. 

He says the injection has gone to his head and is responsible for his mental 

affection. While I was working in my room this morning, I found him wandering 

to and fro outside, shouting and gesticulating. I went out to him and walked 

with him. He was quieted. But the moment I left him, he became 

uncontrollable again. He gets violent too, and listens to no one. So, he had to 

be sent to jail. 

"It has naturally hurt me to think that one of our workers should be sent to jail. 

I may be asked: 'What about your Ramanama which you have claimed to be a 

cure-all' Even in the face of this failure, let me reiterate that my faith remains 

intact. Ramanama can never fail. The failure only means a lack in us. We must 

seek the cause of failure within us." 

Harijan, 1-9-'46, p. 291 

1 वणुं सहमुधािनं चराचरपितं वभुम | 

तुवानासाहाेण वरान सवान यपोहित || 

2 We want healers of souls rather than of bodies. The multiple city of hospitals and 

medical men is no sign of civilization. The less we and others pamper our body, the better 

for us and the world. 

3 There is no greater spell-binder of peace than the name of Gandhiji, Press Report, 10-1- 

'46 



90. RAMANAMA 

(From "Speech at Conference of Missionary Societies in Great Britain and Ireland") 

To think of God as 'God' does not fire me as the name Rama does. There is all 

the poetry in it. I know that my forefathers have known him as Rama. They 

have been uplifted for Rama, and when I take the name of Rama, I arise with 

the same energy. It would not be possible for me to use the name 'God' as it is 

written in the Bible. It is so contrary to experience. I should not be lifted to the 

truth. Therefore my whole soul rejects the teaching that Rama is not my God.' 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLVIII, (1971), p. 127 


Hanuman tore open his heart and showed that there was nothing there but 

Ramanama. I have none of the power of Hanuman to tear open my heart, but if 

any one of you feel inclined to do it, I assure you will find nothing here but love 

for Rama whom I see face to face in the starving millions of India. 

Young India, 24-3-'27, p. 23 

(By Manubehn Gandhi) 

At Amki I could not get goat's milk for Bapu. I tried my best to procure it but 

failed. So I had to inform Bapu who said to me, "What does it matter For goat's 

milk the white juice of the coconut will do as well and fresh coconut oil will 

serve the purpose of ghee." 

Bapu showed me how to prepare them and accordingly I gave them to him. As 

he usually took eight ounces of goat's milk he took the same quantity of 

coconut milk too. But he could not digest it and so had an attack of diarrhoea. 

The frequent motions made him weaker and weaker till- in the evening when 

he was coming back to the hut he felt a reeling sensation and was about to fall. 

Generally symptoms like yawning, perspiration, coldness of hands and feet etc. 



would precede such a reeling sensation in his case. I thought from his yawns 

that he was about to feel giddy but I was mistaken. Bapu who was walking with 

my support was already collapsing. I held his head with care and shouted for 

Nirmalbabu. He came and we both helped Bapuji to bed. Then it struck me that 

I should call for Dr. Sushilabehn who was in a village near-by. I feared that I 

would be taken for a fool if Bapuji's illness suddenly took a serious turn and if I 

did not call for her in time. I wrote a chit and just as I was giving it to 

Nirmalbabu for despatching, Bapu woke up from his trance and called out, 

"Manudi" (that was Bapu's term of endearment for me), "I do not like your 

calling Nirmalbabu. As you are still young, however, I can excuse you. But at 

such a time I expect you to do nothing else but take Ramanama with all your 

heart. As for myself I was already engrossed in taking His name. I would have 

liked it immensely had you started taking Ramanama instead of shouting for 

Nirmalbabu. Now don't inform Sushila or call her. The real doctor is Rama. As 

long as Rama needs service from me, He will keep me alive. When He does not, 

He will call me back to Himself." 

A shiver passed through my body when the words "don't inform Sushila or call 

her" struck my ears. I snatched the chit from Nirmalbabu and tore it to pieces. 

Bapu saw this and remarked, "So you had already written to her." I had to admit 

the fact. Then he said, "Today the Lord has saved us both. On reading the chit 

Sushila Would have left her work and immediately run to us. I would not have 

liked it at all. That would have made me angry with myself and you. Thank God 

I was tested today. I am convinced that I shall not die of sickness if Ramanama 

has penetrated deep down into my heart. This rule is for everybody. One has to 

suffer for one's mistakes and in that spirit I passed through the pain. One should 

have Ramanama on one's lips till one's last breath but it should not be repeated 

parrot-like; it should spring from the heart as was the case with Hanuman. 

When Sitaji presented a pearl necklace to him he broke the pearls to see if the 

name of Rama was written in them. We need not care to find out whether the 

incident actually happened or not. We may not be able to make our bodies as 

strong as that of Hanuman but we can certainly make our souls as great. One 

can realize the devotion of Hanuman if one is intent on it. If one cannot reach 



that height it is enough if one makes a sincere attempt. Has not Mother Gita 

taught us to make every effort and leave the result in the hands of God We 

should try our very best to follow that teaching. 

"Now you have understood what my attitude is towards the sickness of anybody, 

be it you, me or anyone else." And that very day he wrote to an ailing sister: 

"There is only one panacea in the whole world and that is Ramanama. But His 

name could only prove effective if the rules pertaining to it are strictly adhered 

to. But who cares to do so" 

Strangely enough the above incident occurred on the 30th January 1947, 

exactly a year before his death. 

That unshakable faith in Ramanama remained with liim till his last breath. I did 

not then imagine that on the same day a year later I should have the heartrending 

experience of hearing Rama, Ra . . . .ma as the last audible words of 

the great departing soul. Mysterious indeed are the ways of the Lord! 

Bapu—My Mother, (1955), pp. 63-65 



91. FROM LETTERS 

(To An American Lady) 

I am not enamoured of the idea of using divine healing for the purpose of 

proving the existence of divinity or efficacy of prayer. If Jesus came back to us, 

it is difficult to know what he would say to some of the uses that are being 

made of his powers of healing and other miracles attributed to him. 

Mahadevbhaini Diary, Vol. 2 (Gujarati Edn. 1949), p. 275 

(From "Letter to Behramji Khambhatta") 

The cure for suffering lies in bearing it. Man should never use his spiritual 

strength to cure his suffering. If Jesus uses his spiritual power to cure the sick, 

that does not mean that all of us should start using our spiritual power to cure 

ourselves. If we adopt remedies to cure the body, which is perishable, they, 

too, should be physical. 

Hence a sick person should pray to God thus: 

"O God! this illness is the result of my sins committed knowingly or 

unknowingly. Deliver me from my sins and give me the strength to bear this 

suffering." 

If a sick man thinks that he is not sick, it is a kind of delusion. He is a true man 

who knows that he is sick but remains unaffected by his suffering. A sick person 

should analyse himself and, realizing that his body and soul are distinct, 

understand their true elation and the meaning of moksha. 

I strongly advise you to leave off Christian science. You may, if you wish, 

certainly try ordinary remedies for your ailment, or do nothing and have faith in 

God. That's the golden mean. Take simple treatment and develop the power of 

endurance. 




(To Mirabehn) 

It is, ...enough for us to realize that every illness is but a breach of some 

unknown law of nature and to strive to know the laws and pray for power to 

obey. Heart prayer, therefore, whilst we are ill, is both work and medicine. 

Bapu's Letters to Mira [1924-1948], (1959), p. 57 

I do not know that... prayers add a single second to the life prayed for. But 

they elevate those who pray and comfort those for whom the prayers are 

offered. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—XLV., p. 82 

Yeravda Mandir, 

Nov. 12, 1930 

For the health of your -body you should take sitz and sun baths. And for the 

peace of mind, Ramanama is the best balm. Restrain yourself when any passion 

troubles you. There is only one way of walking in the light of God and that is to 

serve His creation. Indeed, there is no other meaning of God's grace or light. 

Sevagram, 

Jan. 9, 1945 

Your letter. Whether you get well or not—what does it matter The more 

reliance we place on God, the more peace of mind shall we have. Vaidyas and 

doctors are there, of course; but they take us farther away from God. That's 

why I preferred to send you there. Nature cure treatment brings us nearer to 

God. I will have no objection whatever if we could do even without it. But why 

be afraid of fast or avoid pure air The meaning of Nature Cure is to go nearer 

Nature—God. 

Ramanama, (1964), p. 61 



(From '' Letter to A Girl") 

When you get angry, you should keep silent and overcome your anger by 

repeating Ramanama. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi—L, (1972), p. 442 

(From "Letter to Rameshwar Poddar") 

Even if you do nothing else, keep repeating Ramanama. Some day you will 

suddenly see light in the midst of darkness. 

Ibid., p. 398. 



92. FROM AFTER-PRAYER DISCOURSES 

Ramanama—Its Laws and Its Discipline 

Ramanama, said Gandhiji, could help a man in ill- health, but it had its laws 

and its discipline. No one could gourmandize, say "Rama Rama" and blame 

Gandhi if he got stomach-ache. Ramanama had its proper uses. No man could 

utter Ramanama, indulge in looting and hope to attain salvation. It was only for 

those who were prepared to observe proper discipline for the sake of selfpurification. 

—Bombay: 15-3-'46 

Most Effective Remedy 

Addressing the prayer meeting at Uruli Kanchan, Gandhiji said that Ramadhun 

was the most effective remedy for physical and mental ailments, and that no 

doctor or vaidya could promise cure by medicine. "But," he added, "God will 

certainly relieve you of your pains and worries if you pray to Him." But for the 

prayer to be effective, one must participate in Ramadhun wholeheartedly and 

then only one would feel peace and happiness. 

There were other conditions also which one had to fulfil. One must take proper 

food, have sufficient sleep and not give vent to one's anger. Above all, one 

must live in harmony with Nature and follow its principles. 

—Poona: 22-3-'46 

Preparation Needed 

Addressing the gathering after prayers, Gandhiji related that honest men and 

women had said to him that with all their efforts they could not say that 

Ramanama came to them from the heart. His reply to them was that they must 

go on and have infinite patience. A boy required at least 16 years' hard study in 



order to become a doctor. How much more time must be necessary to establish 

Ramanama in the heart! 

—New Delhi: 20-4-'46 

Purity, Inner and Outer 

A man who repeated Ramanama and thereby cleansed his inner being could not 

tolerate the filth outside. If millions took to Ramanama in real earnest, there 

would be no riots, which were a social malady, and there would be no illness. 

The Kingdom of Heaven would come on earth. 

—New Delhi: 21-4-'46 

Misuse of Ramanama 

In his after-prayer discourse, Gandhiji again dwelt on the subject of Nature 

Cure or the cure of ailments spiritual, mental and physical, by the application 

principally of Ramanama. A correspondent had written to him, pointing out how 

some people superstitiously wrote Ramanama on their clothes so as to wear it 

'next to the heart'! Others wrote Ramanama millions of times minutely on a 

piece of paper which they afterwards cut up into small bits and swallowed so 

that they could claim that Ramanama had entered into them! There were people 

who thought that he was self-deluded and was trying to delude others by 

adding one more to the thousands of superstitions which filled this superstitionridden 

land. He had no answer to such criticism. He only said to himself, what 

did it matter if truth was abused and fraud practised in its name by others So 

long as he was sure of his truth, he could not help proclaiming it for fear of its 

being misunderstood or abused. "Nobody in this world possesses absolute truth. 

This is God's attribute alone. Relative truth is all we know. Therefore, we can 

only follow the truth as we see it. Such pursuit of truth cannot lead anyone 

astray." 

—New Delhi: 24-5-'46 



How to Recite Ramanama 

Gandhiji in today's discourse explained the conditions under which alone 

Ramanama could become an effective remedy. The first condition was that it 

should come from the heart. What did that mean People did not mind going to 

the ends of the earth to find a cure for their physical ailments, which were 

much less important than the mental or spiritual. "Man's physical being is after 

all perishable. It cannot, by its very nature, last forever. And yet men make a 

fetish of it while neglecting the immortal spirit within." A man who believed in 

Ramanama would not make a fetish of the body, but would regard it only as a 

means of serving God. And for making it into a fit instrument for that purpose, 

Ramanama was the sovereign means. 

To install Ramanama in the heart required infinite patience. It might even take 

ages. But the effort was worthwhile. Even so, success depended solely on the 

grace of God. 

Ramanama could not come from the heart unless one had cultivated the virtues 

of truth, honesty and purity within and without. Every day at the evening 

prayers, they repeated the shlokas describing the man with a steadfast 

intellect. Every one of them, said Gandhiji, could become a sthitapragnya—, 

man with steadfast intellect—if he kept his senses under discipline, ate and 

drank and allowed himself enjoyment and recreation only to sustain life for 

service. If one had no control over one's thoughts, if one did not mind, for 

instance, sleeping in a hole of a room with all doors and windows shut, and 

breathing foul air or drinking dirty water, his recitation of Ramanama was in 

vain. 

That, however, did not mean that one should give up reciting Ramanama on the 

ground that one had not the requisite purity. For, recitation of Ramanama was 

also a means for acquiring purity. "In the case of a man who repeats Ramanama 

from the heart, discipline and self- control will come easy. Observance of the 

rules of health and hygiene will become his second nature. His life will run an 

even course. He will never want to hurt anyone. To suffer in order to relieve 

other's suffering will become a part of his being and fill him with an ineffable 



and perennial joy." Let them, therefore, said Gandhiji, persevere and 

ceaselessly repeat Ramanama during all their waking hours. Ultimately, it 

would remain with them even during their sleep and God's grace would then fill 

them with perfect health of body, mind and spirit. 

—New Delhi: 25-5-'46 

Potency of Silent Thought 

In his discourse after the prayer today, Gandhiji said that they had been coming 

to the prayer gathering daily in order to join him in chanting Ramanama or 

rather in learning how to do so. Ramanama, however, could not be taught by 

word of mouth. But he held that even more potent than the spoken word was 

the silent thought. A single right thought could envelop the world. It was never 

wasted. The very attempt to clothe thought in word or action limited it. No 

man in this world could express a thought in word or action fully. 

"That does not mean," proceeded Gandhiji, "that one should go into perpetual 

silence." In theory, that was possible. But it was very difficult to fulfil the 

condition by which silent thought could be made effective. He for one could 

not claim to have attained the requisite intensity or control over thought. He 

could not altogether keep out useless or irrelevant thoughts from his mind. It 

required infinite patience and tapasya to attain that state. 

He was not indulging in a figure of speech, but he meant it literally when he 

told them on the previous day that there was no limit to the potency of 

Ramanama. But in order to experience that, Ramanama had to come from a 

heart that was absolutely pure. He himself was striving to attain that state. He 

had envisaged it in the mind, but had not fully realized it in practice. When 

that stage was reached, even the recitation of Ramanama would become 

unnecessary. 1 

He hoped they would continue to recite Ramanama in their homes severally and 

in company during his absence. The secret of collective prayers was that the 



emanation of silent influence from one another would help them in the 

realization of their goal. 

—New Delhi: 26-5-'46 

No Charm Like Ramanama 

Speaking at the prayer meeting today, Gandhiji gave the healing message of 

Ramanama and said: "Ramanama is not for the few: it is for all. He who takes 

this name lays by a rich store for himself, and it is inexhaustible. The more you 

draw upon it, the more it increases. It is infinite. As the Upanishad says, you 

take out infinite out of infinite and infinite remains behind. It is the unfailing 

panacea for all ills. 

"But the condition is that it must come from the heart. Do evil thoughts possess 

you, or are you tormented by lust or greed Then, there is no charm against it 

like Ramanama." And he illustrated his meaning by a parable. "Supposing you 

are tempted to amass a big fortune by some easy and dishonest means. If you 

have faith in Ramanama, you will say to yourself: 'Why should I amass for my 

wife and children riches which they might squander away—why not leave them 

a legacy in the shape of sound character and sound education and training that 

will enable them to earn their living by honest industry and body labour' • 

Ceaseless repetition of Ramanama will dispel your delusion and false 

attachment and the living realization will dawn on you that you were a fool to 

hanker after millions for the sake of your dear ones, instead of offering them 

the priceless treasure of His name which frees one from all bondage and 

wandering. Filled with the joy of that realization, such a person will tell his 

wife and children: 'I have not brought for you the treasure I had set out for, but 

something infinitely richer.' 'Where is it, show it to us' they will say incredulously. 

'It is the Name which is richer than all treasures,' he will reply, 

'because it quenches the thirst for all riches. It is enshrined in my heart.' " 

—Mussoorie: 2-6-'46 



Essence of All Prayers 

In his speech after the evening prayers, Gandhiji said that he expected them to 

offer prayers in their own homes regularly morning and evening. There was no 

need for them to learn Sanskrit shlokas, if they did not wish to. Ramadhun was 

enough. The essence of all prayers was to establish God in their hearts. If they 

succeeded in doing that, all would be well with them, with society and the 

world. 

—Mussoorie: 8-6-'46 

Sheer Hypocrisy 

To repeat Ramanama and to follow the way of Ravana in actual practice was 

worse than useless. It was sheer hypocrisy. One might deceive oneself or the 

world, but one could not deceive the Almighty. 

—New Delhi: 18-6-'46 

Ambrosia of God's Name 

Commenting upon Mirabai's song which was sung^ at the prayer, Gandhiji said 

that in that song the devotee asks the soul to drink deep of the nectar of God's 

name. Physical food and drink result in satiety, and, if over-indulged, in illness. 

But the ambrosia of God's name knows no such limit. The deeper one drinks of 

it, the more the thirst for it grows, but it must sink deep into the heart. When 

that happens, all delusion and attachment^ lust and envy, fall off from us. Only 

one must persevere and have patience. Success is the inevitable result of such 

effort. 

—New Delhi: 18-6-'46 



Miracles That Faith Works 

A man of prayer must know no disappointment because he knows that the times 

are in His hands who is the Arch Planner, and does everything in His good time. 

A man of prayer, therefore, waits in faith and patience always. 

In the allegory of Gajetidra and Graha, Gandhiji went on to explain, the 

elephant king was seized unawares by the crocodile as he went to have a drink 

of water in the river and was dragged down. The more he struggled, the deeper 

he sank. A stage was, however, reached when -despairing of his physical 

prowess, he threw himself on God's grace entirely and invoked His aid, and the 

Lord of Dwarka came in the twinkling of an eye and rescued him. 

"The moral of the story," said Gandhiji, "is that God never fails His devotees in 

the hour of trial. The condition is that there must be a living faith and the 

uttermost reliance on Him. The test of faith is that having done -our duty we 

must be prepared to welcome whatever He may send—joy as well as sorrow, 

good luck as well as bad luck. He will be like King Janaka who, when informed 

that his capital was ablaze, only remarked that it was no concern of his." 

The secret of his resignation and equanimity, remarked Gandhiji, was that he 

was ever awake, never remiss in the performance of his duty. Having done his 

duty, he would leave the rest to God. 

"And so a man of prayer will in the first place be spared mishaps by the ever 

merciful Providence, but if the mishaps do come, he will not bewail his fate nor 

lay the blame on God, but bear them with an undisturbed peace of mind and 

joyous resignation to His will." 

—New Delhi: 20-6-'46 

Significance of Ramanama 

Explaining the significance of Ramanama to the prayer gathering this evening, 

Gandhiji said: "God is not a person. He is the all-pervading, all-powerful spirit. 

Anyone who bears Him in his or her heart has accession of a marvellous force or 

energy as objective in its results as, say electricity, but much subtler." 



"Was he propagating a species of superstition" he asked. "No," was his reply. 

"Mere repetition of Ramanama possessed no mysterious virtue as such. 

Ramanama was not like black magic. It had to be taken with all that it 

symbolized. Rather, it was like a mathematical formula which summed up in 

brief the results of endless research. Mere mechanical repetition of Ramanama 

could not give strength. For that, one had to understand and live up to the 

conditions attaching to its recitation. To take God's name, one had to live a 

godly life." 

—Poona: 2-7-'46 

Inner and Outer Cleanliness 

In the course of his discourse to the prayer gathering today, Gandhiji referred, 

among other things, to the filthy surroundings in which the Harijan quarters 

were located and in which he had taken his abode. He had been, wondering 

why those in charge of sanitation, that is the Municipality and the P. W. D., 

should put up with that filth. What was the use of his going and staying there, 

if it could not induce them to make the place healthy and hygienic 

What was the connection between all that and the prayer A man who did not 

observe the rules of external cleanliness could not pray for internal cleanliness. 

If the object of their attending prayer was idle curiosity, they had committed a 

sin by coming. If they had come to join, in the prayer, they must pray for inner 

and outer cleanliness. To say one thing and to do something different would be 

deception. No one could deceive God, because He was omnipresent and 

omniscient. 

There was so much dirt and filth about the place. Dr. Dinshah had told him that 

the lavatories were so dirty that he could not use them. There were so many 

flies about the place that he was anxious that he (Gandhiji) might catch some 

infection and get killed. He himself was not worried about that. Although the 

two doctors with him looked after him, he did not depend on anyone except 



God. The Almighty would take care of his health. But his companions did not 

have that faith in God. 

—Bombay: 6-7-'46 

The Sovereign Remedy 

In his after-prayer speech Gandhiji referred to several letters and messages 

from friends expressing concern over his persistent cough. His speech was 

broadcast and so was the cough which was often troublesome in the evening 

and in the open. For the last four days, however, the cough had been on the 

whole less troublesome and he hoped it would soon disappear completely. The 

reason for the persistence of the cough had been that he had refused all 

medical treatment. Dr. Sushila had said that if at the outset he had taken 

penicillin he would have been, all right in three days. Otherwise, it would take 

him three weeks to get over it. He did not doubt the efficacy of penicillin but 

he believed too that Ramanama was the sovereign remedy for all ills and, 

therefore, superseded all other remedies. In the midst of the flames that 

surrounded him on all sides, there was all the greater need for a burning faith 

in God. God alone could enable people to put down the fire. If He had to take 

work from Gandhiji. He would keep him alive; otherwise He would carry him 

away. 

They had just heard the bhajan in which the poet had exhorted man to stick to 

Ramanama. He alone was the refuge of man. Therefore, in the present crisis he 

wished to throw himself entirely on God and not accept medical aid for a 

physical ailment. 

—New Delhi: 18-10-'47 

Ramanama, (1964), pp. 47-57 

1 I do look forward to a time when even repeating the name of Rama will become a 

hindrance. When I have realized that Rama transcends even speech, I shall have no need 

to repeat the name. 

- Young India, 14-8-'24 



93. A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 

To fall ill should be a matter of shame for anyone.. Illness implies some error or 

other. He whose body and mind are perfectly sound, should never suffer from 

illness. 

—Sevagram: 26-12-'44 

An evil thought is also an indication of illness. Therefore, we should guard 

ourselves against evil thoughts. 

—Sevagram: 27-12-'44 

An infallible remedy for evil thoughts is Ramanama. The name should proceed 

not merely from the lips, but from the heart. 

—Sevagram: 28-12-'44 

Diseases are numerous, so also are the physicians and their treatments. If we 

regard all disease as one and consider Rama as the one and only physician, we 

are freed from most of our troubles. 

—Sevagram: 29-12-'44 

How strange that we should be running after vaidyas and doctors who 

themselves die, but quietly forget Rama who is eternal and is an unfailing 

vaidya! 

—Sevagram: 30-12-'44 

But more strange than this is the fact that though -we know that we too have 

to die one day, and that as a result of doctors' treatment we can at best 



prolong our existence by a few days more, we put ourselves to no end of 

trouble. 

—Sevagram: 31-12-'44 

The young and the old, the rich and the poor — all die before our very eyes; 

still we will not sit at rest but •do all that we can, except relying on Rama, just 

to live a few days longer. 

—Sevagram: 1-1-'45 

What a fine thing would it be if we understood this and placing our reliance on 

Rama patiently put up with whatever ailment came our way and lived in real 

peace! 


If a man regarded as religious is suffering from illness, it means that something 

or other is lacking in him. 


If a man's mind remains impure in spite of himself, Ramanama should be his 

sole support. 

—On nearing Madras: 21-1-'46 

The more I think the more I realize that Ramanama recited from heart and with 

knowledge is a cure-all for every kind of disease. 

—Uruli: 22-3-'46 

Attachment, hatred, etc., are also diseases and worse than the physical ones. 

But for Ramanama, there is no cure for them. 



—Uruli: 23-3-'46 

Uncleanliness of mind is more dangerous than that of the body; the outer 

uncleanliness is, however, but an indication of the inner one. 

—Uruli: 24-3-'46 

Who can describe the joy and happiness that one experiences by taking shelter 

in God 

—Uruli: 25-3-'46 

Ramanama is helpful to those who fulfill the conditions of its recitation. 

—New Delhi: 8-4-'46 

Repetition of Ramanama becomes in vain if no corresponding service worthy of 

Rama is rendered. 

—New Delhi: 21-4-'46 

The fear of illness accounts for more deaths than the illness itself. 

—Simla: 7-5-'46 

For the cure of threefold malady, Ramanama is a sure remedy. 

—New Delhi: 24-5-'46 

He who seeks refuge in Ramanama obtains the satisfaction of all his desires. 

—New Delhi: 25-5-'46 



If one wants to drink the nectar of Ramanama, it is but necessary that one 

should drive out lust, anger, etc. 

—New Delhi: 20-6-'46 

When all is well, then, of course, everyone takes the name of God; but a true 

devotee is he who remembers God when all goes away. 

—Bombay: 6-7-'46 

The elixir of Ramanam imparts joy to the soul and rids the body of its ailment. 

—Poona: 9-7-'46 

Ramanama, (1964), pp. 58-60 



94. IN AND WITH GOD'S NAME 

(From "Shraddhanandji—The Martyr") 

"Ever since I took the pledge of service I have dedicated my head to humanity. 

It is the easiest thing in the world to chop off my head, it does not take the 

slightest preparation or organization. . . . And outside protection I have never 

sought. In fact, it is futile to think of protecting me for I know that God 

Almighty is the only protector." 


Homage to the Departed, (1958), p. 198 

A warrior loves to die, not on a sick-bed but on the battle-field. . . . Death is at 

any time blessed, but it is twice blessed for a warrior who dies for his cause, 

i.e. truth. 

Young India, 30-12-'26, p. 438 

(From "Neither A Saint Nor A Politician") 

Buddha would have died resisting the priesthood, if the majesty of his love had 

not proved to be equal to the task of bending the priesthood. Christ died on the 

Cross with a crown of thorns on his head, defying the might of a whole empire. 

And if I raise the resistance of a nonviolent character, I simply and humbly 

follow in the footsteps of the great teachers. 

Young India, 12-5-'20, p. 3 

(From "Providence Again") 

I am not aching for martyrdom, but if it comes my way in the prosecution of 

what I consider to be the supreme duty in the defence of the faith that I hold. . 

. . I shall have earned it. 

Harijan, 29-6-'34, p. 156 



I hope there will be non-violent non-co-operators enough in India of whom it 

will be written: 'They suffered bullets without anger and with prayer on their 

lips even for the ignorant murderer.' 

A Gandhi Anthology, Book I, (1958), p. 9 

One should have Ramanama on one's lips till one's last breath, but it should not 

be repeated parrot-like; it should spring from the heart as in the case of 

Hanuman. 

Bapu—My Mother, (1955), p. 30 

(From a prayer speech: June 16, 1947) 

If someone killed me and I died with prayer for the assassin on my lips, and 

God's remembrance and consciousness of His living, presence in the sanctuary 

of my heart, then alone would I be said to have had the non-violence of the 

brave. 

Mahatma Gandhi—The Last Phase, Vol. II, (1958), p. 327 

(From a prayer discourse) 

I believe in the message of truth delivered by all the religious teachers of the 

world. And it is my constant prayer that I may never have a feeling of anger 

against my traducers, that even if I fall a victim to an assassin's bullet, I may 

deliver up my soul with the remembrance of God upon my lips. I shall be 

content to be written down an impostor if my lips utter a word of anger or 

abuse against my assailant at the last moment. 

Ibid., p. 101 

(From a conversation) 

I do not want to die ... of a creeping paralysis of my faculties—a defeated man. 

An assassin's bullet may put an end to my life. I would welcome it. But I would 

love, above all, to fade out doing my duty with my last breath. 



Mahatma Gandhi—The Last Phase, Vol. I, (1956), p. 562 

(To Manubehn Gandhi on the night of 29th January 1948—less than twenty hours before 

his assassination) 

You know my faith in Ramanama. If I die due to a lingering illness, nay even by 

as much as a boil or a pimple, it will be your duty to proclaim to the world, 

even at the risk of making people angry at you, that T was not the man of God 

that I claimed to be. If you do that my spirit will have peace. Note down this 

also that if someone were to end my life by putting a bullet through me, as 

someone tried to do with a bomb the other day, and I met this bullet without a 

groan, and breathed my last taking God's name, then alone would I have made 

good my claim. 

The End of An Epoch, (1962), pp. 28-29 

(To Manubehn Gandhi just 12 hours before his assassination) 

If someone fires bullets at me and I die without a groan and with God's name on 

my lips then you should tell the world that he was a real Mahatma. 

Ibid., p. 32 

Even if I am killed, I will not give up repeating the names of Rama and Rahim 

which mean to me the same God. With these names on my lips I will die 

cheerfully. 


Homage to The Departed, (1958), p. 196 

Iam longing to disappear from the world quietly, with Ramanama on my lips. 

Bapu—My Mother, (1955), p. 49 



95. "RAMA! RAMA!" 

(From "The Fateful Friday"by Pyarelal) 

As Gandhiji passed through the cordoned lane through the prayer congregation, 

he took his hands off the shoulders of the two girls to answer the namaskars of 

the prayer congregation. All of a sudden someone from the crowd roughly 

elbowed his way into the cordon from the right. Little Manu, thinking that he 

was coming forward to touch his feet, remonstrated saying something about it 

being already late for the prayer and tried to stop the intruder by holding his 

hand. He violently jerked her off, causing the Ashram Bhajanavali and Bapu's 

spittoon and mala, which she was carrying in her hands, to fall down. As she 

stooped down to pick up the scattered things, he planted himself in front of 

Bapu at less than point blank range—so close, indeed, that one of the ejected 

shells was afterwards found caught among the folds of Bapu's clothes. Three 

shots rang out in quick succession from the seven-chambered automatic pistol, 

the first shot entering the abdomen on the right side two and a half inches 

above the umbilicus and three and a half inches to the right of the mid line, the 

second penetrating the seventh intercostal space one inch to the right of the 

mid line and the third on the right side of the chest one inch above the nipple 

and four inches from the mid line. The first and the second shots passed right 

through and came out at the back. The third remained embedded in the lung. 

At the first shot the foot that was in motion, when he was hit, came down. He 

still stood on his legs when the second shot rang out and then collapsed. The 

last words he uttered were "Rama Rama". 

Harijan, 15-2-'48, pp. 30-31 

(From "Letter to Kasturba Gandhi"—13-9-1932) 

Only one in millions meets death for which he has prayed. 




APPENDICES 

APPENDIX 1 

(Translated from Ashram Bhajanavali 1 ) 

THE MORNING PRAYER 

1 

Early in the morning I call to mind that Being which is felt in the heart, which is 

sat (the eternal), chit (knowledge) and sukham, which is the state reached by 

perfect men and which is the superstate. I am that immaculate Brahma which 

ever notes the states of dream, wakefulness and deep sleep, not this body, the 

compound made of the elements—earth, water, space, light and air. 

2 

In the early morning I worship Him who is beyond the reach of thought and 

speech and yet by whose grace all speech is possible. I worship Him whom the 

Vedas describe as neti neti (not this, not this). Him they, the sages, have called 

God of gods, the unborn, the unfallen, the source of all. 

3 

In the early morning I bow to Him who is beyond darkness, who is like the sun, 

who is perfect, ancient, called Purushottam, (the best among men) and in 

whom (through the veil of darkness) we fancy the whole universe as appearing 

even as (in darkness) we imagine a rope to be a snake. 

4 

O! Goddess Earth with the ocean for thy garment, mountains for thy breasts, 

thou consort of Vishnu (the Preserver), I bow to thee; forgive the touch of my 

feet. 



NOTE: Bowing to the earth, we learn to be humble as the earth which supports 

the beings that tread upon it. Earth therefore is rightly the consort of the 

Preserver. 

5 

May the Goddess Saraswati (of learning), the destroyer completely of black 

ignorance, protect me. She who is while as the mogra flower or the moon and a 

garland of snow, who has worn white robes, whose hands are adorned with the 

beautiful bamboo of her veena (a kind of violin), who is seated on a white lotus 

and who is always adored by Brahma, Vishnu, Siva and the other gods. 

6 

O God with a curved mouth, big body, refulgent like ten million suns, keep me 

ever free from harm whilst doing beneficent acts. 

NOTE: This is addressed to God represented by the mystic letter 'ॐ' pronounced 

'Om’ Mark its curved mouth and big body. Its mystic splendour has been sung by 

the Upanishads. 

7 

Guru (teacher) is Brahma, he is Vishnu, he is Mahadev, he is the great Brahman 

itself. I bow to that guru. 

NOTE: This refers of course to the spiritual teacher. This is not a mechanical or 

artificial relationship. The teacher is not all these in reality but he is all that to 

the disciple who finds his full satisfaction in him and imputes perfection to him 

who gave him a living faith in a living God. Such a guru is a rarity, at least nowadays. 

The best thing is to think of God Himself as one's Guru or await the Light 

in faith. 



8 

I bow to Vishnu, who is peace incarnate, who lies on a snaky bed, from whose 

navel grows the lotus, who is the supreme lord of the god, who sustains the 

universe, who is like unto the sky, who has the colour of clouds, whose body is 

blissful, who is the lord of Lakshrni (goddess of good fortune), who has lotuslike 

eyes, who is knowable by the yogis through meditation, who dispels the 

fear of the wheel of birth and death and who is the sole Ruler of all the worlds. 

9 

Forgive, O merciful and blessed Mahadev, all those sins of mine, of commission 

or omission, mental or actual and whether done through ihe hands or the feet, 

the speech, the cars or the eyes. Let Thy will be done. 

10 

I desire neither earthly kingdom nor paradise, no, not even release from birth 

and death. I desire only the release of afflicted life from misery. 

11 

Blessed be the people; may the rulers protect their kingdoms by just means, 

may it be always well with the cow 2 and the Brahmin; 3 may all the peoples be 

happy. 

12 

I bow to Thee the sat (see first verse), the cause of the universe, I bow to Thee 

the chit (1st verse), the refuge of the world, I bow to Thee the one without a 

second, the giver of salvation, I bow to Thee the Brahman, the all-pervading, 

the eternal. 



13 

Thou art the only refuge, Thou art the only one to be desired, Thou art the sole 

protector of the universe, Thou art self-revealed, Thou art the sole creator, 

preserver and destroyer of the universe, Thou alone art supreme, immovable, 

unchangeable. 

14 

Of all the fears, Thou art the chief, of all that is terrible. Thou art the most 

terrible, Thou art the motion of all life, Thou art the holy of holies, Thou art 

the sole regulator of the mightiest places, Thou art the greatest among the 

great. Thou art the chief among all protections. 

15 

We think of Thee, we worship Thee, we bow to Thee as the witness of this 

universe, we seek refuge in Thee the sat, our only support, yet Thyself needing 

none, the ruler, the barque in the midst of this ocean of endless birth, and 

death. 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi —XLIV, (1971), pp. 386-90 

Kumar Mandir Prayer 

1 

Om! may God protect us, may He support us, may we make joint progress, may 

our studies be fruitful, may we never harbour ill will against one another. Om 

shanti, shanti, shanti. 

2 



Om! From untruth lead me unto truth, from darkness lead me unto light, from 

death lead me unto life everlasting. 

3 

I bow to Thee, O God, who being almighty and having entered my heart, gives 

by His power life to the silent tongue, the hands feet, ears, skin and other 

members of the body. 

Ibid, pp. 398-99 

Women's Prayer 

1 

O Govind, dweller of Dwarika, Krishna, Thou beloved of the Gopis, O Keshav, 

dost Thou not know that the Kauravas have surrounded me 

O Lord, Thou Lord of Lakshmi, protector of Vraja, deliverer from affliction, O 

Janardana, save me [from] the ocean of misery in the shape of the Kauravas. 

O Krishna, Thou great Yogi, soul and protector of the universe O Govind, deliver 

me lying hopeless in the midst of the Kauravas and seeking thy support. 

2 

Act righteously, never unrighteously; speak truth, never untruth; look far 

ahead, never shortsightedly; look above; never below. 

3 

Ahimsa, truth, non-stealing, purity and self-control, these, said Manu, are the 

common duty of all the four divisions. 



4 

Ahimsa, truth, non-stealing, freedom from passion, anger and greed, wishing 

the well-being and good of all that lives is the duty common to all the divisions. 

5 

Understand that to be religion which the wise, the good and those that are free 

from likes and dislikes follow and which is felt in the heart. 

6 

Listen to the essence of religion and assimilate it through the heart: one should 

never do to others which one would not wish done to oneself. 

That which has been said in countless books I shall say in half a verse: service 

of others is virtue, injury to others is sin. 

7 

The sun, the moon, the wind, the fire, the sky, the earth, the waters, the 

heart, the god of judgment, the day, the night, the evening, the morning and 

dharma itself are witnesses to man's actions, i.e. he can conceal nothing. 

Ibid, pp. 399-400 

1 Ashram Bhajanavali is a collection of devotional songs which formed part of the morning 

and evening prayers at Gandhiji's ashrams. 

2 Note by Gandhiji: "Cow=agriculture" 

3 Note by Gandhiji: "Brahmin=education" 



APPENDIX II 

GANDHIJI'S FAVOURITE HYMNS 

(The following were among the favourite hymns of Gandhiji and they were usually sung at 

his prayer-gatherings.) 

The True Vaishnava 

He is a real Vaishnava, who feels the suffering of others as his own suffering. 

He is ever ready to serve, and is never guilty of overweening pride. He bows 

before everyone, despises none, preserves purity in thought, word and deed. 

Blessed is the mother of such a son: in every woman he reveres his mother. He 

preserves equanimity and never stains his mouth with falsehood, nor touches 

the riches of another. The bonds of desire cannot hold him. Ever in harmony 

with Ramanama, his body in itself possesses all the places of pilgrimage. He 

knows neither desire nor disappointment, neither passion nor wrath. 

—Narasimha Mehta 

The Path of Love 

"The way of the Lord is open only to heroes, to cowards it is fast shut. 

"Give up thy life and all that thou hast, so thou mayst assume the name of the 

Lord. 

"Only he who leaves his son, his wife, his riches, and his life, shall drink from 

the vessel of God. 

"For in truth, he that would fish for pearls must dive into the deepest depths of 

the sea and take his life in his hands. 

"Death affrights him not: he forgets all the misery of body and soul. 

"He who stands hesitating on the bank and fears to dive, gains nought. 

"But the path of love is trial by fire. The coward shrinks back from it. 

"He who dares the leap into the fire, attains to everlasting blis*." 

—Pritama 



My Heartfelt Prayer 

"Lord, preserve me from looking on things which arouse evil thoughts. It were 

better for me to be blind. 

"Lord, preserve me from soiling my lips with impure words. It were better for 

me to be dumb. 

"Lord, preserve me from hearing any word of slander and insult. It were better 

for me to be deaf. 

"Lord, preserve me from looking with desire on any of those who should be my 

sisters. It were better for me to be dead." 

—Tukaram 

Lead Kindly Light 

Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on; 

The night is dark, and I am far from home; Lead Thou me on. 

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see 

The distant scene; one step enough for me. 

I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that Thou Shouldst lead me on; 

I loved to choose, and see my path; but now Lead Thou me on. 

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, 

Pride ruled my will: remember not past years. 

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still Will lead me on. 

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till The night is gone; 

And with the morn those Angel faces smut, 

Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. 

—Cardinal Newman 



The Wondrous Cross 

When I survey the wondrous Cross 

On which the Prince of Glory died, 

My richest gain I count but loss, 

And pour contempt on all my pride. 

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast 

Save in the Cross of Christ, my God; 

All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His Blood. 

See from His Head, His Hands, His Feet, Sorrow and love flow mingling down; 

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 

Or thorns compose so rich a crown 

Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small; 

Love so amazing, so divine, 

Demands my soul, my life, my all. 

To Christ, Who won for sinners grace By bitter grief and anguish sore, 

Be praise from all the ransom'd race, Forever and evermore. 

—I. Watts 

Rock of Ages 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in Thee; 

Let the Water and the Blood, 

From Thy riven Side which fiow'd, 

Be of sin the double cure, 



Cleanse me from its guilt and power. 

Not the labours of my hands 

Can fulfill Thy law's demands; 

Could my zeal no respite know, 

Could my tears for ever flow, 

All for sin could not atone; 

Thou must save, and Thou alone. 

Nothing in my band I bring, 

Simply to Thy Cross I cling; 

Naked, come to Thee for dress; 

Helpless, look to Thee for grace; 

Foul, I to the Fountain fly; 

Wash me, Saviour, or I die. 

While I draw this fleeting breath, 

When my eyelids close in death, 

When I soar through tracts unknown, 

See Thee on Thy Judgment Throne; 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in Thee. 

—A. M. Toplady 



The Sermon on the Mount 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the 

meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and 

thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in 

heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be 

called the children of God. 

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness* sake: for theirs is the 

Kingdom of Heaven. 

—Gospel of Matthew 

* * * 

This Was Bapu, (1959), pp. 158-62 

(The following 6 letters were written to help Esther Faering during the days when the 

announcement of her betrothal to Dr. E. K. Menon brought a storm of criticism, much of it 

harsh and ungenerous, upon her head.) 

"My Share in Your Sorrow" 

More things are wrought by prayer 

Than this world dreams of. 

Wherefore let thy voice 

Rise like a fountain for me night and day. 

For what are men better than sheep or goats 

That nourish a blind life within the brain, 

If knowing God they lift not hands of prayer 

Both for themselves and those who call 

them friend 

For so the whole round earth is every way 



Bound by gold chains about the feet of God. 

Tennyson 

My dear child, 

The above is my share in your sorrow for today. May it lighten your burden. 

With love, 

Bombay, 

16th March, 1920 

Yours, 

Bapu 

“In All Things Thee to See” 

Teach me, my God and King, 

In all things Thee to see, 

And what I do in anything, 

To do it as for Thee, 

All may of Thee partake, 

Nothing can be so mean 

Which with this tincture, 'for Thy sake', 

Will not grow bright and clean. 

A servant with this clause 

Makes drudgery divine; 

Who sweeps a room as for Thy laws 

Makes that and th' action fine. 

This is the famous stone 

That turneth all to gold; 

For that which God doth touch and own 

Cannot for less be told. 

George Herbert 




May there be some line, some word, some thought to soften your grief. 

With love, 

Bombay, 

17th March 1920 

Yours, 

Bapu 

"Such Use as He Will" 

Lord, it belongs not my care 

Whether I die or live; 

To love and serve Thee is my share, 

And this Thy grace must give. 

If life be long I will be glad 

That I may long obey; 

If short, yet why should I be sad 

To soar to endless day 

Christ leads me through no darker rooms 

Than He went through before; 

He that into God's kingdom comes 

Must enter by this door. 

Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet 

Thy blessed face to see; 

For if Thy work on earth be sweet, 

What will Thy glory be 

My knowledge of that life is small; 

The eye of faith is dim; 



But 'tis enough that Christ knows all, 

And I shall be with Him. 

Richard Baxter 


Another evening has come to fill me with thoughts of you. I pass them to our 

common Maker to make of them such use as He will for your good. 

With love, 

Yours, 

Bapu 

"Self" 

Oh I could go through all life's troubles singing, 

Turning each night to day, 

If self were not so fast around me, clinging 

To all I do or say. 

My very thoughts are selfish, always building 

Mean castles in the air, 

I use my love of others for a gilding 

To make myself look fair. 

I fancy all the world engrossed with judging 

My merit or my blame, 

Its warmest praise seems an ungracious grudging 

Of praise which I might claim. 

Alas! no speed in life can snatch us wholly 

Our of self's hateful sight, 

And it keeps step, when'er we travel slowly 



And sleeps with us at night. 

O Lord that I could waste my life for others, 

With no ends of my own, 

That I could pour myself into my brothers 

And live for them alone. 


You have forgotten your promise. Do not keep me without anything from you 

for so many days. The above is my selection for the day. 

With love, 

Yours, 

Bapu 

"In Our Father's House at Last" 

I say to thee, do thou repeat 

To the first man thou mayest meet 

In lane, highway or open street— 

That he and we and all men move 

Under a canopy of love, 

As broad as the blue sky above; 

That doubt and trouble, fear and pain, 

And anguish all are shadows vain. 

That death itself shall not remain, 

That weary deserts we may tread, 

A dreary labyrinth may thread, 

Through dark ways underground be led, 

Yet, if we all one Guide obey, 



The dreariest path, the darkest way 

Shall issue out in heavenly day; 

And we on diverse shores now cast, 

Shall meet, our perilous voyage past, 

All in our Father's house at last. 

Trench 


I am on the train to Delhi. I could not go out for rest. I sent you nothing 

yesterday. I could not. This may be my last for some days because I shall not 

know what will happen from day to day. Do let me have a line from you. 

With love, 

Sunday, 

21-3-'20 

Bapu 

"Humility" 


Monday, . . . 

1920 

Here is my selection for today: 

"He that is down needs fear no fall He that is low, no pride, He that is humble 

ever shall have God to be his guide. I am content with what I have Little be it 

or much And Lord! contentment, still, I crave Because Thou savest such. 

Fullness to such a burden is That go on pilgrimage, Here little and hereafter 

bliss, Is best from age to age." 

With love, 

J. Bunyan 

Yours, 

Bapu 

"My Dear Child", (1959), pp. 61-66 



SOURCES 

A Gandhi Anthology—I (1958), Compiled by V. G. Desai 

An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1969), Translated from 

Gujarati by Mahadev Desai 

Ashram Observances in Action (1959) 

Bapu—My Mother (1955), by Manubehn Gandhi 

Bapu's Letters to Ashram Sisters (1960), edited by Kakasaheb Kalelkar 

Bapu's Letters to Mira (1959) 

Food for the Soul (1957), edited by Anand T. Hingorani and published by Bharatiya Vidya 

Bhavan, Bombay-7 

Harijan 

Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule (1962) 

Homage to the Departed (1958), Compiled and Edited by S. B. Kher 

Mahadevbhaini Diary, Vol. 2 (Gujarati Edition, 1949), by Mahadev Desai; edited by 

Narahari Parikh 

Mahatma Gandhi—The Last Phase, Vol. I, Book I (1965), Vol. II (1958), by Pyarelal 

"My Dear Child" [Letters to Esther Faering] (1959) 

My Memorable Moments with Bapu (1960), by Manubehn Gandhi 

Ramanama (1964) 

Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, (G. A. Natesan & Co., 4th Edition) 

Stray Glimpses of Bapu (1960), by Kakasaheb Kalelkar 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (The Publication Division, Ministry of Information 

and Broadcasting, Government of India) 

The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Vol. I (1953), by Mahadev Desai—Translated from Gujarati 

and edited by Valji Govindji Desai 

The End of an Epoch (1962), by Manubehn Gandhi—Translated from Gujarati by 

Gopalkrishna Gandhi 

The Gospel of Selfless Action or The Gita According to Gandhi (1969) by Mahadev Desai 

This Was Bapu (1959), Compiled by R. K. Prabhu 

Young India

Prayer - Mahatma Gandhi

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