Vinoba Bhave

Vinoba Bhave
Born	(1895-09-11)11 September 1895 Gagode, Raigad, India
Died	15 November 1982(1982-11-15) (aged 87) Paunar, Wardha, India
Nationality	Indian
Known for	first individual satyagrahi
Religion	Hinduism

Vinoba Bhave  pronunciation (Marathi: विनोबा भावे), Vinayak Narahari Bhave (September 11, 1895 - November 15, 1982) often called Acharya (Sanskrit for teacher), was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. He is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. He is considered as a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mohandas Gandhi.

Early life and background

He was born in Ghagode village in Raigad District, Maharashtra on 11 September 1895 to father, Narahari Shumbhurao and mother, Rukmini Devi. His original name was Vinayak Narahari Bhave. He was brought up in Ghagode and then went for studies in Baroda, Gujarat. He was highly inspired after reading the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana at a very early age. His two brothers, Balkoba and Shivaji, were also bachelors devoted to social work.

Association with Mahatma Gandhi

After a series of exchange of letters between Mahatma Gandhi and Bhave, Vinoba went to meet Mahatma Gandhi. Five years later, on 8 April 1921, Vinoba went to Wardha to start a Gandhi ashram there. During his stay at Wardha, Bhave also brought out a monthly in Marathi, (the official language of Maharashtra) named `Maharashtra Dharma'. The monthly consisted of his essays on the Upanishads. Over the years, the bond between Vinoba and Mahatma Gandhi grew stronger and his involvement in constructive programs for the society kept on increasing.

In 1932, accusing Vinoba Bhave of conspiring against the colonial rule, the British government sent him to jail in Dhule for six months. There he gave talks in Marathi on the Bhagavad Gita to fellow prisoners. All the lectures given by him on Gita in Dhulia jail were collected by Saneguruji and later published as a book.

Until 1940, Vinoba Bhave was known only to the people around him. On 5 October 1940 Mahatma Gandhi introduced Bhave to the nation by issuing a statement. He was also chosen as the first individual Satyagrahi by Mahatma Gandhi himself.

Acharya Vinoba Bhave was a freedom fighter and a spiritual teacher. He is best known as the founder of the Bhoodan Movement (Gift of the Land). The reformer had an intense concern for the deprived masses. Vinoba Bhave had once said, "All revolutions are spiritual at the source. All my activities have the sole purpose of achieving a union of hearts." In 1958, Vinoba was the first recipient of the international Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. He was also conferred with the Bharat Ratna (India's highest civilian award) posthumously in 1983.

Death

In November 1982, Vinoba Bhave fell ill and, realizing that the purpose of his body had become exhausted, decided to end his life by fasting to death - that is, refusing to accept any food or medicine during his last days. He died on 15 November 1982.

Career

Freedom struggle

Vinoba Kutir at Sabarmati Ashram

He was associated with Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement. He stayed for some time at Gandhi's Sabarmati ashram in a cottage that was named after him, 'Vinoba Kutir'. In 1932 he was sent to jail by the British colonial government because of his activism against British rule. There he gave a series of talks on the Gita, in his native language Marathi, to his fellow prisoners.

These highly inspiring talks were later published as the book "Talks on the Gita", and it has been translated into many languages both in India and elsewhere. Vinoba felt that the source of these talks was something from above and he believed that its influence will endure even if his other works were forgotten.

In 1940 he was chosen by Gandhi to be the first individual Satyagrahi (an individual standing up for Truth instead of a collective action) against the British rule. It is said that Gandhi envied and respected Bhave's celibacy, a vow he made in his adolescence, in fitting with his belief in the Brahmacharya principle. Bhave also participated in the Quit India Movement.

Religious and social work

Gandhi and Vinoba

Vinoba's religious outlook was very broad and it synthesized the truths of many religions. This can be seen in one of his hymns "Om Tat Sat" which contains symbols of many religions.

Vinoba observed the life of the average Indian living in a village and tried to find solutions for the problems he faced with a firm spiritual foundation. This formed the core of his Sarvodaya (uplifting of all) movement. Another example of this is the Bhoodan (land gift) movement started at Pochampally on 18 April 1951, after interacting with 80 Harijan families. He walked all across India asking people with land to consider him as one of their sons and so give him one sixth of their land which he then distributed to landless poor. Non-violence and compassion being a hallmark of his philosophy, he also campaigned against the slaughtering of cows.

Vinoba said, "I have walked all over India for 13 years. In the backdrop of enduring perpetuity of my life’s work, I have established 6 ashrams. Although I have accomplished a lot, one of the achievements “Baba” would like to be remembered for, is the establishment of these ashrams. Hence, six geographical sites were chosen. Three in the three corners of India and three in the middle, on the lines of Adi Shankara.

• Samanvay Ashram in Bodhgaya, Bihar
• Brahma Vidya Mandir in Paunar, Maharashtra
• Prasthan Ashram in Pathankot, Punjab
• Visarjan Ashram in Indore, Madhya Pradesh
• Maitri Ashram in North Lakhimpur, close to Sino-India border, Assam

Literary career

Vinoba Bhave was a scholar, thinker, and writer who produced numerous books. He was a translator who made Sanskrit texts accessible to the common man. He was also an orator and linguist who had an excellent command of several languages (Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sanskrit). Vinoba Bhave was an innovative social reformer. Shri Vinoba Bhave called Nagari script the "Queen of World Scripts." He wrote brief introductions to, and criticisms of, several religious and philosophical works like the Bhagavad Gita, works of Adi Shankaracharya, the Bible and Quran. His criticism of Dnyaneshwar's poetry and works by other Marathi saints is quite brilliant and a testimony to the breadth of his intellect.

Vinoba Bhave had translated the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi. He was deeply influenced by the Gita and attempted to imbibe its teachings into his life, often stating that "The Gita is my life's breath".

Some of his works are :

• The essence of Quran
• The essence of Christian teachings
• Thoughts on education
• Swarajya Sastra

A University has been named after him, Vinoba Bhave University, which is located in Hazaribagh district in the State of Jharkhand.

Vinobha Bhave and Land Donation Movement

In 1951 Vinoba Bhave started his land donation movement, the Bhoodan Movement. He took donated land from land owner Indians and gave it away to the poor and landless, for them to cultivate. Then after 1954, he started to ask for donations of whole villages in a programme he called Gramdan. He got more than 1000 villages by way of donation. Out of these, he obtained 175 donated villages in Tamil Nadu alone.

Later life and death

Vinoba spent the later part of his life at his Brahma Vidya Mandir ashram in Paunar, Maharashtra. He died on 15 November 1982 after refusing food and medicine for a few days.

Indira Gandhi cut short her visit from attending the funeral of Brezhnev, and came back to attend the funeral of Vinoba Bhave.

Criticism

V. S. Naipaul has given scathing criticism of Bhave in his collection of essays citing his lack of connection with rationality and excessive imitation of Gandhi. Even some of his admirers find fault with the extent of his devotion to Gandhi. Much more controversial was his support, ranging from covert to open, to Congress Party's government under Indira Gandhi, which was fast becoming unpopular. He controversially backed the Indian Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, calling it Anushasana Parva (Time for Discipline). However, in his end days he was very much against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as she had ordered a shootout of the Sant Samaj who had undertaken a gherao of Parliament against cow slaughter.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

In 1958 Vinoba was the first recipient of the international Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1983.

Bibliography

• Geeta Pravachane (in all Indian languages)
• Vichar Pothi (in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati and English)
• Sthitapragnya Darshan (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati also translated in English)
• Madhukar (collection and compilation of his articles written over the years (before freedom was achieved.)
• Krant Darshan
• Teesri Shakti or The Third Power (his views on political life of the nation)
• Swarajya Shastra (his political treatise)
• Bhoodan Ganga - in 9/10 volumes, (in Marathi, Hindi) collection and compilation of his speeches from 18 April 1951)
• Selected Works (in Hindi in 21 volumes, edited by Gautam Bajaj)
• Moved by Love (his life in his own words)

See also

• List of peace activists
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
• Gandhism
• Lanza del Vasto

Further reading

• Vinoba Bhave: The Man and His Mission, by P. D. Tandon. Published by Vora, 1954.
• India's Walking Saint: The Story of Vinoba Bhave, by Hallam Tennyson. Published by Doubleday, 1955.
• Acharya Vinoba Bhave, by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India, Published by Publications Division, Government of India, 1955.
• India's Social Miracle: The Story of Acharya Vinoba Bhave and His Movement for Social Justice and Cooperation, Along with a Key to America's Future and the Way for Harmony Between Man, Nature, and God, by Daniel P. Hoffman. Published by Naturegraph Co., 1961.
• Sarvodaya Ideology & Acharya Vinoba Bhave, by V. Narayan Karan Reddy. Published by Andhra Pradesh Sarvodaya Mandal, 1963.
• Vinoba Bhave on self-rule & representative democracy, by Michael W. Sonnleitner. Published by Promilla & Co., 1988. ISBN 978-81-85002-10-1.
• Struggle for Independence : Vinoba Bhave, by Shiri Ram Bakshi. Published by Anmol Publications, 1989.
• Philosophy of Vinoba Bhave: A New Perspective in Gandhian Thought, by Geeta S. Mehta. Published by Himalaya Pub. House, 1995. ISBN 978-81-7493-054-5.
• Vinoba Bhave - Vyakti Ani Vichar (a book in Marathi) by Dr Anant D. Adawadkar, Published by Jayashri Prakashan, Nagpur.
• Vinoba Darshan - a pictorial biography with philosophical views

External links

• : http://www.vinobabhave.org Website to spread the thoughts, philosophy and works of Vinoba Bhave
• The King of Kindness: Vinoba Bhave and His Nonviolent Revolution
• Citation for 1958 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership
• Vinoba Bahve - his work on leprosy (with photo 1979)
• A Man on Foot - Time magazine cover page article dated Monday, May 11, 1953