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MARISATYA BHATTACHARYA
The second and the third points in Sri Vīra'a life which we have described abosc illustrate the socialist ideal and attitude as brought into actual practice. Indeed, they do, 80 in a far more thorough and positive way than the conduct of a confirmed socialist of today. The latter would be satisfied with an cqual distribution of the necessaries of life among the members of his society and bc has always a lurking desire in his miad for getting more, provided the social distribution made it possible But Sri Víra's act, conduct and practice went much farther than that. He actually gave away all that he had, keeping nothing for himself; he reduced his necessaries to their barest minimum, - in the words of Thomas Carlyle, made his, "claim, of wages a Zero " literally. And he banished from his mind all traces of the desire to carn or get possessed of more. Thus it may be said that if the motto of the socialist is to' live and let live' to Sri Vira the idea of preserving his owo life was perfectly foreign and the question of letting all beings ("the whole sentiment creation"-I. P. Mill) was the sole and the all important one
This practice of absolute renunciation, as we find in Sri Vira's life, should not be thought of, as of no practical utility. To us it appears that this spirit of renunciation is the indispensable pre-condition of the realisation of the socialist ideal. It is true that the people of this materealistic age would not be able to practice renunciation to the extent and in the manner, done by Sri Vira. But unquestionably, He is the transcendant ideal,, to be followed as much faithfully and as much closely as possible. It is undeniable that some amount of renunciation or ' Aparigraha', as it is called in the Jain Ethics, should be the fundamental principle of all socialist philosophy and
Bhogopabhoga Parimana ' or the progressive minimisation of one's needs as well as 'Dagyrata' or systematic'limiting of one's spirit of activities are the basis of the socialistic course of conduct Sri Vira's life shows the fundamental principle upon which socialism is to be founded and the way in which Its aim and ideal can be progressively worked out
