Gandhi Katha

GANDHI KATHA

Written by :Umashankar Joshi
Translated by : Divya Joshi


Table of Contents

  1. The Miracle of Ramnama
  2. Equal Care For Everybody
  3. Motherly Love
  4. Oneness With Countrymen
  5. Universe As Family
  6. Playful Bapu
  7. The Power of Practice
  8. Mohan Would Not Steal
  9. A Lesson for School Children
  10. The Sportsmanship
  11. A Lesson Learnt From Mistake
  12. Its For All!
  13. Small Thing - Big Lesson
  14. Saintly Mother
  15. Unusual Examiner
  16. The First Satyagrahi
  17. Nothing is Unimportant
  18. A Confession
  19. The Magic of Love
  20. Always With The Poor
  21. Practical Approach
  22. Winning in A Loss
  23. The Art of Sleeping
  24. Punctual Bapu
  25. The First Lesson is Cleanliness
  26. Smart Kittens
  27. Ahimsa or Cleanliness ?
  28. Story Time in Jail
  29. Bapu - The Host
  30. The Making of Mahatma
  31. Ba - The First Satyagrahi
  32. Heartfelt Sympathy
  33. Introspective Bapu
  34. Unflinching Faith
  35. Firm on Commitment
  36. An Ordeal for Carelessness
  37. Self-Suffering
  38. Self Imposed Discipline
  39. How I Became Mahatma
  40. Adans Affection
  41. A Lesson of Cleanliness
  42. The Economy at Work
  43. The Real Friend
  44. True Ahimsa
  45. A Lesson for Detachment
  46. Invaluable Donation
  47. Anasakti Yoga
  48. Thinking For Others
  49. Great Flexibility
  50. Deep Compassion
  51. Bapu - The Strategist
  52. A Novel Leader
  53. He is Mine !
  54. Always On Time !
  55. The Wit of Bapu
  56. No Security Except God
  57. No Expensive Fruits For Me !
  58. The Great Statesman
  59. Gift For An Opponent
  60. Be Immortal!

About This Book


Written by :Umashankar Joshi
Translated by : Divya Joshi
First Edition : 3,000 copies, August 2010
Total : 54,000 copies
I.S.B.N :81-7229-095-0
Published by :Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal - Gandhi Book Centre
299 Nana Chowk,
Tardeo Road,
Mumbai 400 007,
MS, India
Navajivan Mudranalaya,
Ahmedabad - 380 014,
India.
Printed by :Jitendra T. Desai
Navajivan Mudranalaya,
Ahemadabad-380014 (INDIA)
© Swati Umashankar Joshi


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Chapter-36: An Ordeal For Carelessness

In Noakhali, Gandhiji was travelling on foot to pacify the communal violence. He would reach from one village to the other the next morning at 7 O’ clock. Then, he would finish some writing and have his bath. He would use no soap for bathing, but a rough stone was used; this was given to him by Miraben many years ago.
After reaching a particular village, as she was preparing for Gandhiji’s bath, Manuben found that the stone was missing. She informed Bapu, that it must have been left in the weaver’s house where they had stayed yesterday. Now what was to be done?
Bapu just pondered for a while, and then said: “You should yourself go and find and get that stone back. You should go alone. Once you will do like this, you will not make mistake again.”
Manuben: “Shall I take some volunteer with me?”
Bapu questioned: “Why?”
In Noakhali, all that area was filled with forests of coconut and betel nut trees. A stranger would get lost almost certainly. Also, how could one go alone through such a lonely road? And what one would do, if some hooligans created trouble on the way? Many such thoughts quickly passed through little Manu’s mind who was hardly fifteen or sixteen at the time. She did not stop to answer the ‘Why’ asked by Bapu, and just left in anger. She merely followed the foot marks, which were made earlier when they came here and she managed to reach that village.
She found even that weaver’s house. There was an old lady in the house. She had not preserved that valuable stone, but had thrown it away, considering it as some useless stone. Manu searched it out with great trouble. Her joy knew no bounds.
She had started at half past six in the morning and finally returned at one o’clock in the afternoon. The distance was some fifteen miles. She was terribly hungry also. Her anger still had not subsided. She went to Bapu straight, threw the stone in his lap and broke down.
Bapu’s affectionate voice was heard: “It was your ordeal on the pretext of the stone. I am happy that you have passed through it. The stone has been my companion and friend for last twenty five years. Whether I go to the jail or in the palace, it has always remained and moved with me. Any carelessness in the form that many such stones will be found, is not good.
There was a true utterance that came out of today’s experience, from Manuben’s heart: “Bapuji, it was for the first time today that I recited the Rama Nama with a true heart and strong fervour.
Bapuji told: “I want to make the women fearless. Actually speaking, it was not only your ordeal, but even mine.
Perhaps, the real ordeal was that of the God that day. Hardly any devotee would have put God on such a big trial. Truly, the reputation of the Almighty was saved that day.