Great Warrior Of Ahimsa

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 19

(iv)
During this long span of time, though I had the rarest opportunities to have long long dialogues and discussions with Baba Vinobaji on a number of literary, musical and philosophical subjects including those on Srimad Rajchandraji and Gandhiji. Moreover, being a great lover of music and I always moving with him with my SITAR, he used to ask me to sing devotional and spiritual songs written by Srimad Rajchandraji. Along with innumerable episodes with him, one of the memorable ones is of organising music-directing and singing his popular Secular Prayer Song of OM TATSAT with 20,000 School Children trained by this humble self at Baba's behest. It was on the sands of river Sabarmati at Ahmedabad on 20th December 1958. A number of such memories have taken the form of books yet unpublished. (F,G)
In addition to my above acquaintances, contacts and associations of Gandhian line of thoughts and studies, I was privileged to acquire the same related with Srimad Rajchandraji. The latter's studious descendents, scholars, works and places like various Ashramas associated with his ideology are amongst this. After leaving Vinobaji's intermittent walking tour shelters, I had to stay at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and for awhile at Santiniketan for my Graduation and Double Post Graduation studies in Hindi, English Literature and Music. At Ahmedabad, I was extremely fortunate to get graceful shelter to study Jain and Comparative Philosophy also under my Great Obliging Master and rare Philosopher-Scholar Padmabhooshan Dr. Pandit Sukhlalji Sanghvi, D.Litt, who was also known to be a Gandhian Jain Scholar and a studious authority on Srimad Rajchandraji (*H). Another such Scholar was Pandit Bechardasji Doshi and also at times Muni Jinvijayji. All these were distinguished Professors at Gandhiji's Gujarat Vidyapith, which, later on absorbed this humble self also as one of its Post Graduate Senior Lecturers during 1968-1970.
Apart from having been associated with the above scholars as referred to above, I had not only the privilege to visit almost all the places and Ashramas of Srimad Rajchandraji, but also to stay and pass time in solitary seclusions, especially at Srimad Rajchandra Vihar Bhavan, Idar, the pious place of Srimadji's meditations and realisations (which has a prime reference in this play) and caves of Srimad Rajchandra Ashram, Ratnakoot, Hampi, Karnataka, under the further significant shelters of Srimadji's ardent follower-yogic practitioner-Scholarly Jain Monk, Y.Y. Sri Sahajanandghanji and Holy Mother Mataji Dhandeviji. This humble Self has remained associated with this lastly mentioned Hampi Ashram even now after passing away of the two latter Masters. (*1)
During and after these Spiritual Shelters, seekings, studies and tours, my humble literary writings and musical creations went on.
A few of these, apart from other writings, the relevant Dramas and Plays to be mentioned are popular Radio Plays like "PRAGATI BHOOMIDAN KI GANGA" "VISHWATMA VINOBA", "RAVI REKHA","SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA" (Broadcasts from A.I.R. Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Bangalore) and well-acclaimed stage plays like "SHAHIDON KI AWAZ", "JAB MURDE BHI JAGATE HAIN!", "VIDROHINI", etc., which were not only written, but were also Directed and Staged at Ahmedabad, Amreli, Visnagar, Hyderabad and other places with -over-whelming success for several nights.
(*F) Reminiscenes of Days with Vinoba.
(*G) Sthitpragya ke Sang.
(*H) "SRIMAD NI ATMOPANISHAD", "SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA & GANDHIJI" etc. (PRAGYA SA (*1) Dakshinapath Ki Sadhana yatra: "A Seeker's Voyage to Hampi : "IN THE MYSTERIOUS LAND OF MY MYSTIC MASTER". Now included in Sri SAHAJIMAN! GURUESTI
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