Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography Sathiya Sodhani is one book which guides you as to what is right and wrong. Most importantly, the author should have experienced all these. The original was in Gujarati, and was later translated into English and other Indian languages. The book is in five parts, beginning with his birth, up until the year 1921. In the last chapter he writes, "My life from this point onward has been so public that there is hardly anything about it that people do not know...."
The introduction reads, "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."
The paper back edition of the book costs Rs. 30 being subsidized by the Navajivan Trust, Ahmedabad.
This was my first voyage with my wife and children. I have often observed
in the course of this narrative that, on account of child marriages
amongst middle class Hindus, the husband will be literate whilst the
wife remains practically unlettered. A wide gulf thus separates
them, and the husband has to become his wife's teacher. So I had to
think out the details of the dress to be adopted by my wife and
children, the food they were to eat, and the manners which would be
suited to their new surroundings. Some of the recollections of those
days are amusing to look back upon.
A Hindu wife regards implicit obedience to her husband as the
highest religion. A Hindu husband regards himself as lord and master
of his wife, who must ever dance attendance upon him.
I believed, at the time of which I am writing, that in order to look
civilized, our dress and manners had, as far as possible, to
approximate to the European standard. Because, I thought, only thus
could we have some influence, and without influence it would not be
possible to serve the community.
I therefore determined the style of dress for my wife and children.
How could I like them to be known as Kathiawad Banias? The Parsis
used then to be regarded as the most civilized people amongst
Indians, and so, when the complete European style seemed to be
unsuited, we adopted the Parsi style. Accordingly my wife wore the
Parsi sari, and the boys the Parsi coat and trousers. Of course no one could be
without shoes and stockings. It was long before my wife and children
could get used to them. The shoes cramped their feet and the
stockings stank with perspiration. The toes often got sore. I always
had my answers ready to all these objections. But I have an
impression that it was not so much the answers as the force of
authority that carried conviction. They agreed to the changes in
dress as there was no alternative. In the same spirit and with even
more reluctance they adopted the use of knives and forks. When my
infatuation for these signs of civilization wore away, they gave up
the knives and forks. After having become long accustomed to the new
style, it was perhaps no less irksome for me to return to the
original mode. But I can see today that we feel all the freer and
lighter for having cast off the tinsel of 'civilization'.
On board the same steamer with us were some relatives and
acquaintances. These and other deck passengers I frequently met,
because, the boat belonging to my client's friends, I was free to move
about anywhere and every where I liked.
Since the steamer was making straight for Natal, without calling at
intermediate ports, our voyage was of only eighteen days. But as
though to warn us of the coming real storm on land, a terrible gale
overtook us, whilst we were only four days from Natal. December is a
summer month of monsoon in the southern hemisphere, and gales, great
and small, are, therefore, quite common in the southern seas at that
season. The gale in which we were caught was so violent and
prolonged that the passengers became alarmed. It was a solemn scene.
All became one in face of the common danger. They forgot their
differences and began to think of the one and only God - Musalmans,
Hindus, Christians and all. Some took various vows. The captain also
joined the passengers in their prayers. He assured them that, though
the storm was not without danger, he had had experience of many
worse ones, and explained to them that a well-built ship could stand
almost any weather. But they were inconsolable. Every minute were
heard sounds and crashes which foreboded breaches and leaks. The
ship rocked and rolled to such an extent that it seemed as though
she would capsize at any moment. It was out of the question for
anyone to remain on deck. 'His will be done' was the only cry on
every lip. So far as I can recollect, we must have been
in this plight for about twenty-four hours. At last the sky cleared,
the sun made its appearance, and the captain said that the storm had
blown over. People's faces beamed with gladness, and with the
disappearance of danger disappeared also the name of God from their
lips, Eating and drinking, singing and merrymaking again became
the order of the day. The fear of death was gone, and the momentary
mood of earnest prayer gave place to maya1.
There were of course the usual namaz2
and the prayers, yet they had none of the solemnity of that dread hour.
But the storm had made me one with the passengers. I had little fear
of the storm, for I had had experience of similar ones. I am a good
sailor and do not get sea-sick. So I could fearlessly move amongst
the passengers, bringing them comfort and good cheer, and conveying
to them hourly reports of the captain. The friendship I thus formed
stood me, as we shall see, in very good stead.
The ship cast anchor in the port of Durban on the 18th or 19th of
December. The Naderi also reached the same day.
But the real storm was still to come.