Gandhis Teachers Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta

Author(s): Satish Sharma
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad

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familiar with the discourses and correspondence that took place between Rajchndra and Gandhi and which had immense influence on Gandhi's life and thought in more than one way.
The undertaking of this work has been difficult, as numerous years have lapsed since the discourses and correspondence took place between Rajchandra and Gandhi and all that was in Gujarati language. Also, while Gandhi's works and speeches have been translated in most major languages of the world, only some of Rajchandra's writings are available and just a few of them have gone into Hindi or English translations. The availability of even those has been difficult. This work, therefore, has used whatever information and materials were available and does not claim to be exhaustive in any sense. The work, though, fulfills an important need and is significant.
Seven chapters and two appendixes make this work. The chapters are on Rajchandra's life, Gandhi's questions and Rajchandra's answers, Rajchandra's influences on Gandhi, the philosophy of the Six Padas, and Atma-Siddhi by Rajchandra. Information on Jainism and Jain goal of life has been included in Chapter 3, as it was deemed that without this information Rajchandra's life, thought, and his replies to Gandhi's posed questions would be difficult to understand. Two versions of the 1894 communication between Gandhi and Rajchandra have been included, one as Chapter 4 entitled "Gandhi and Rajchandra: Questions and Answers" and the other as Appendix 2 entitled "Gandhi's Questions and Rajchandra's Replies." The reader will notice that emphases in the two translations are different and therefore a comparative reading is suggested. The original communication was in Gujarati. Gandhi's brief biographical sketch has been included as Appendix 1 for general reference.
For the information and materials for this work, many sources need to be acknowledged and thanked and this has been done in different chapters and appendixes. Special mention, however, needs to be made of the Publications Division of Government of India, Navajivan Trust, and Shrimad Rajchandra Gyan Parcharak Trust, as without