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Muni Jinavijayaji
1.5
Once Muniji was travelling in a local train in Bombay. Passengers surrounding him began to talk amongst themselves that he was Rajaji. Some expressed a doubt arguing that Rajaji was in jail. Maniji overheard this talk, and said with a laugh that he was, indeed, Rajaji, but only externally as he was tall, lean with black spectacles and wearing khadar Dhoti aad a Kurta like Rajaji. While narrating this incident to me he laughed so heartily that even at this moment I have not forgotten it. He was as quickly reconcilded as he was excited. He could never tolerate non-sense when hard facts of research and history were concerned. He had no axe to grind nor had he a partisan attitude in purely historical matters. To him truth was, truth once and for ever. If any one distorted or twisted it, he would erupt like a volcano without caring who the other person was. But he would clam down the next moment with words : "Oh! it is not that but it is like this".
The first occasion on which I had the good luck of meetting Muniji occured at Ahmedabad when I was staying just in the vicinity of Bharati Nivas Society where he stayed. I was reading at that time for my M.A., I had many occasions since then to go to Pandit Sukhlalji and Muniji both of whom stayed together in the same bungalow. I used to read English books on philosophy to Panditji who wanted to get a smattering kaowledge of English this way. I was really surprised at the phenomenal memory of Panditji who, without any schooling, any tuition, and knowledge of grammar etc. etc. picked up so much in such a short time that he was able to understand any book in English after six months. This paved the way for me to almost become an inmate of their household. It was a sight for the god even to sea when our late Rashtrapatiji, Dr. Radhakrishnan and the late Dr. A. B. Dhruva came to see Panditji with a view to getting some decisive clarifications on kootty philosophical problems. I was an eye-witness to this. It was indeed, soul-stirring,
In June, 1939, I came to Bombay on an advice from Muniji to join him as his assistant, leaving Rajkot where I was serving in the Dharmendra Sinhji Arts College and it was here under him that I got my Ph.D. It was he who initiated me into the intricacies of research and the art of editing himself being a past master in both these. The seeds of my future academic careeer were sown here at this time by Muniji. My contact and association with him has a ring of intimacy which was maintained till his death. I am not able to discharge even a fraction of the deep debt of obligation which he conferred on me. In my rise and fall, happiness and misery, prosperity and adversity, he always stood by my side sharing in my joy and substaining in my sorrow. His affectionate regard and sympathy for me are the plus side of my life. Today he is no more and I feel helpless and orphaned. There cannot be a greator tragedy and also a greater fun played by providence. But life is like that and we have to face it with courage and confidence.
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