Compiled by London Swaminathan


swami_48@yahoo.com


Date: 10 December 2018


GMT Time uploaded in London – 18-14

Post No. 5763

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources including google, Wikipedia, Facebook friends and newspapers. This is a non- commercial blog.

DR M ARAM, EDUCATIONIST AND SARVODAYA LEADER NARRATED THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT:

“This was in Sambalpur district, Orissa. We were walking on the Sambalpur- Bargarh road. Early morning.

Just a little while ago we had stopped by the road-side for meditation and prayer. The eastern sky facing which we were seated was a wonderous spectacle. The distant mist and the entire horizon were lit up in gorgeous red. Above the belt of orange and red, one could see some stars glimmering. it was that glorious period of transition when dusk departs and day dawns.

Now we had resumed walking. Vinobaji called me. I had gone the previous day, 

October 9^th, 1963. for consultations with him regarding the future plans of the Delhi-Peking Maitri Yatra. I had already given him a full report on the situation. We were to have further discussions on the matter later in the day. But now was the time to talk about matters of general interest.

The whole of Dakshin Bharat (South India) is walking with me! quipped Vinobhaji. And he explained:

That Sanyasi (pointing to a swamiji clad in saffron) comes from Kerala. This person (pointing to an elderly gentleman who helped editing Vinobhaji’s Essence of Quoran) comes from Andhra Pradesh. And he (pointing to Jayadev Bhai, long time associate and aide of Vinobhaji) is from Karnatak. And you from Tamil Nadu. South India is here with me!

We laughed one and all.

Tell us something about Bharati, I asked. What followed was a most interesting talk which all of us, about twenty five or so, enjoyed very much. Shri Nabhakrishna Choudry, former chief minister of Orissa, was one of those walking close to Vinobha and listening to his discourse.

First – I was then in Vellore jail. I read a book containing the essays of Bharathiyar.

(this Vinobhaji said in Tamil)

In an essay on education, Bharathiyar speaks about man. Science is discovering many new kinds of living organisms, he says. Germs that cause Cholera, germs that cause plague etc. But let us realize, Bharahtiyar says, the greatest of all living organisms is man himself. he flourishes over and above all living organisms. He is the greatest of all. This thought that the man is the supreme organism I got from Bharathiyar……………..”

Vinobhaji paused here. We were all appreciating the significance of his  remarks in thoughtful silence He continued:

Second – Bharathiyar felt a kinship with the whole universe, not only human beings and animals.

Vinobhaji said this in Tamil and then translated it into Hindi for benefit of others. The above lines mean—

The crow and the sparrow are our tribe

Continued V, not only living beings inanimate objects also.

The sea and the hills are our crowd.

this universal feeling I got from Bharathiyar.

Throughout the talk V referred to Bharathi  as Bharathiar, with the Tamil honorifix -ar.

friends from different parts of India speaking different languages particularly enjoyed the above two lines of Bharati as quoted by Vinobhaji.

Third –  Bharathi was a nationalist no doubt But his nationalism was rooted in our tradition of Ahimsa. he said

Even for the tiger that rushes to devour you

Entertain love…………..

The Andhra friend walking next to me enjoyed these lines very much . He told me PULI means tiger in Telugu also.

Now Vinobhaji  turned to me. He had in quick succession said so much in response to my simple request to say some about Bharathi. In a mischievous tone, he asked me: enough?

Some more please!

After a while, came the reply:

More next time!

Shri Balubhai, long time associate and secretary to V, was reminded of a well known line of b he tried to recall the line about NO FEAR. Immediately came  the words from Vinobhaji.

I told V that the basic idea of Bhoodan is to be found in the writings of Bharathi.

Vinobhaji said he knew about this and it has been published in Sarvodaya journals.

Source:– Essays on Bharati , Volume Three, Bharathi Tamil Sangham, Calcutta, 1970

tags—Vinoba,Bharati poems, M Aram

–subham–