by A K Bhagwat
“Following was the daily routine of Maharaj: He got up rather early in the morning, cleaned his teeth and lisped some Sanskrit verses. He then sat on his bed meditating for about an hour and a half. God alone knows what he contemplated so long! He then did his morning duties. The arrangements for the purpose were quite clean. In the meanwhile I kept tooth powder, water (hot water during winter), towel, etc. ready for him. He was my master and I was kept there to serve him. But he appeared embarrassed when I did all this. Once he spoke to me, ‘You are a prisoner. And so am I. You must not make such a fuss over me. I don’t like this. Moreover this might be objected to.’ I did not, however, pay heed to him and till my release did everything with usual perfection. He then took tea and was then absorbed in reading and writing. He came down for his bath at 9 a.m. I kept his dhoti ready, properly folded, which also he did not like, One corner in the kitchen was kept for bathing where he took his bath. For his bath he required plenty of water, and that too very clean. Even when he was ill he never allowed anyone to touch his body. He hated it. He had a shave every week but never for once applied any oil to his body. At first, some prisoner used to shave him. The instruments used were very bad and the prisoner also knew little about his job. Tilak, therefore, complained against this arrangement and demanded that a barber should do the job. This demand was granted. For each shave he had to pay one rupee from his own pocket. He once remarked, ‘Even our State-princes do not spend so much for shaving. But what can I do? I suffer from diabetes and if I economise, I might have some serious trouble.’ Except in winter he took cold water for his bath and during the hot season he bathed twice. A Burmese prisoner washed his clothes. He did it with great earnestness.... After his bath, as he was in the habit of anointing his forehead with something, he sometimes asked for a pinch of ash. Afterwards we bought some sandalwood. At first he performed the daily religious rites only nominally. But he once said to me, ‘Here I have got ample time. There is no hurry as in Poona. In Poona I could not get enough leisure even for my meals! Moreover, we are Brahmins. I have therefore decided that so long as we are here we shall not take food without offerings and chanting of the Gayatri mantra.’ We continued this practice without a break.”
“At first, Maharaj was given rice once a day, flour once a day and pulses. After some days, at the order of the Inspector-General of Prisons, some fruit was also given every week. Afterwards all restrictions were relaxed and whatever Maharaj asked was given to him. Permission was granted to bring for Maharaj from Poona pickles, ‘papad,’ spices, etc., and Alfonso mangoes during summer. Everything, however, was very carefully examined before it reached us. I used to cook for Maharaj every day, rice, wheat bread, sauce, vegetable and chutney. He ate all that was served to him but in a small quantity. While taking his meals, he hardly paid any attention to food. When he started writing his book, he was so completely absorbed in it that once he did not notice that I had forgotten to put salt in the sauce. When I sat down to eat, I found out my mistake. After finishing my work I went up and stood with hands folded, hanging down my head with shame. He did not know why I was so embarrassed. I said to him, ‘Please forgive me. I forgot to put salt in the sauce.’ At this he laughed and said, ‘I never noticed that there was no salt nor do I mind even if there was none. There is therefore nothing to be forgiven. And after all what does it matter when it happens once in a while?’ After the morning meals, he walked in the room to and fro for some time and once again started his reading and writing. I never saw him idling even for a moment. He was so much absorbed in his reading and writing that he hardly even heard anything if I spoke to him. He worked up to about 1-30 p.m. Mandalay was very hot and he therefore took lemon syrup at 1-30 p.m. every day. If he was hungry, he sometimes took some milk with sugar or ate some fruits. At diis hour, he talked to me at length. Really, few people know so many things as he did. There was not a day when he did not tell me something new. It is now over sixteen years and I hardly remember anything owing to age....’ This time — usually three-quarters of an hour — was very pleasant indeed. He then once again turned to his business and I turned to mine, for we had to finish our supper at 5 p.m. At exactly 6 p.m. our cells were locked according to the prison regulations and we had to spend twelve hours in that small cell.... When we went up he used to tell me stories of Tukaram Maharaj, Dynanoba, Eknath, Ramdas Swami, Shrikrishna, Ram, Shivaji Maharaj and Kauravas and Pandawas. He explained to me Dasbodha1 and Gatha.2 Sometimes he told funny stories of the Peshwas or of the English. He had with him a global map of the world. He often explained it to me; but I was an ignorant illiterate Kulkarni. My dull brain could hardly follow what he said. We thus passed two hours. He then sat at the table with a lamp, and wrote something, and read for some time. Then he washed his hands and feet and as in the dawn sat in the meditative posture for about an hour. During his meditation I sat absolutely still. After this samadhi, he slept soundly.”
“This was his daily routine. After two years in prison, his diabetes became acute.... He took medicines every day, but there was no improvement and his weakness increased. He then decided to start the diet restrictions he had once observed in Poona and informed the jail superintendent accordingly. According to this instead of all other foodgrains only barley was to be included in the diet. The jail superintendent granted the permission and instead of rice, wheat and pulses, barley and enough quantity of milk and ghee were given to him. With this diet restriction, the percentage of sugar considerably came down within a fortnight. This was the only diet he took henceforth. It is very difficult even for resolute persons to control the desire for food; but I was convinced that Maharaj had conquered his sense of taste. After this he used to eat puris made of barley-flour, copra and ghee. He ate curd with it. He liked thick and sour curd and said, ‘I am a Konkanya (a native of Konkan). I like sour things.’ When at first I prepared plantain-bhajis for him, he liked them very much and said, ‘Dhondu and my children would relish them exceedingly. But one has to spend six years at Mandalay to eat them’.”
Kulkarni was overwhelmed with emotion and could not recollect things in their sequence. He therefore wrote: “I shall now state things as I would remember them.”
“As I was a convict, I had to wear the jail uniform. The Parsee jail superintendent said that I had less work as a cook than is given to a convict, and imposed more work on me. Maharaj then pleaded my case ably. He said, ‘Your first mistake is that you have brought him here even though he was not given transportation. And is it not further injustice not to grant him the facilities according to the prison rules here?’ Owing to this I was immediately made a warder, and as a consequent benefit I got a remission of one year and a half in my term of imprisonment.”
“Maharaj was extremely fond of reading. When I was there, he had with him a number of big books brought from Poona. He was absorbed in them day and night. But in all these books there was not even a scrap of paper relating to politics. He was not given even a page of a Marathi or English magazine, let alone any of the newspapers. An order was issued that he could keep only four books with him at a time. At this, he made a petition to the Burma Government that he was writing a book and should therefore be allowed to keep all books with him. The former order was then cancelled and he got all his books back. But the number of pages in every book were counted, that number was entered on the cover page, the superintendent put his signature and then the books were given to Maharaj.”
“Maharaj was extremely uneasy owing to the excessive heat at Mandalay. There were blisters on his body owing to the heat. He therefore made a petition to the Bombay Government that he should be sent to the Andamans and allowed to move freely after giving the necessary bail. This request was turned down. When he was informed of this, he was a little upset at first and then calmly observed, All right. It appears to be God’s wish that I should die in prison’.”
“Before Maharaj started his dietic restrictions for diabetes, rice of very good quality
was given to him and I got the foodgrains given to ordinary convicts. Maharaj, however, strictly ordered me to eat the rice which he used to eat. I felt that he did not eat enough himself so that I should get his food! I felt very awkward and embarrassed and had almost a sense of guilt.
I remember him saying ‘I get milk and fruits. You should not eat that dirty rice. It would not suit you and you would fall ill.’ Since then, he used to feed the sparrows with the foodgrains given to me. As he continued this practice for a number of days, the sparrows grew very bold, entered the room, perched on the books and on the table, and gathered round the plate when Maharaj took his food. They even chirped and sat on his body like flies.... Once when these sparrows had gathered in the room of Maharaj, the superintendent came and was surprised to see the sight. Maharaj told him, We do not eat them. We don’t frighten them. On the other hand we sometimes feed them. We do not even bear a grudge against poisonous creatures and they are also not afraid of us.’ The Sahib was very much surprised at these words.”
“Maharaj spent his time more in reading than in writing; but more than that his time was spent in thinking when he sat in the chair chewing the betelnut and opening and closing his eyes. I once asked him, “What is it that you are always thinking about?’ He laughed and said, ‘Man’s head contains the entire universe and its movements are going on inside the brain.’ He once remarked, ‘I am a student in a school. This room is my school. Books are my teachers. Jailor is the peon and you are my playmate. Here I study German, French, Pali and some other languages. After my release, I intend going to Germany. Will you accompany me as a cook there?’ Once Maharaj wanted to write something in Marathi. He therefore wanted to dictate it to me. But he at once said, ‘No I don’t want you to do hard labour for me. You have enough work. I shall manage mine.’
“Maharaj was allowed to have an interview with persons outside once in three months; but he did not use the facility for meeting anybody except his relations. I remember that once Shrimant Khaparde of Amraoti and Shri Vijapurkar of Rangoon came to meet him. His nephew Babasahib Vidwans came frequently. The interview took place in the presence of the jail superintendent. Maharaj was very happy on the day when he had an interview with Babasahib. He was also allowed to write one letter every month to the members of his family at Poona and he could also receive one private letter. If, however, the letter contained anything besides domestic affairs, it was immediately cut. Maharaj was also forbidden to write anything except personal information. Once he wrote a long letter; but the superintendent suspected one word of the letter and asked him to write a fresh letter. Maharaj then was rather angry and said, ‘Servility hurts in hundred ways’.”
“I always called him ‘Maharaj.’ He did not like it at all.”
“Occasionally government officers came to meet Maharaj. One morning ‘xxx’ came accompanied by the Collector, superintendent, jailor, etc. I was standing in the yard in my convict’s uniform. All, except the jailor, mistook me for Tilak, took off their caps and said, ‘Good morning.’ I bowed with my hands, told them in Hindi that I did not know English and made a sign with my finger that Tilak Maharaj was there. Just then Maharaj came down in his usual manner and everybody laughed aloud at the mistake. All then went upstairs and talked for a long time. When ‘xxx’ found that Maharaj had a good knowledge of German he said, ‘I have taught my daughter German. Will you please test her?’ Maharaj agreed to do this. The jailor was rather jealous for this intimacy of ‘xxx’ with Maharaj and he felt that Tilak would please him by praising ids daughter’s knowledge. As ‘xxx’ came next day with his daughter, Maharaj examined her and when he found her knowledge inadequate bluntly told him accordingly. It appeared that the jailor and the superintendent were struck by this incident.”
“Maharaj’s health was undoubtedly very sound. I was with him for about three years; but in spite of advancing years, he fell ill only once or twice during this period. Once he had an attack of something like cholera. He had two or three motions and also vomited. He grew very weak; but he did not allow me to touch his body. The jailor brought a doctor and gave him medicine. At this time the authorities certainly took great care of him. I fell ill many times; but Maharaj looked after me as my father would and took care of me. Though the authorities wanted to send me to the jail-dispensary, he kept me with himself and nursed me! He even cooked for me and not until he had fed me he took food himself. In spite of what the jailor said, he did not allow me to eat the jail-food. As a matter of fact he was my master. But he looked after me for three years as after a son. As I was a convict suffering rigorous imprisonment, I was denied all facilities. But Maharaj gave me tea, shared his own food with me, talked to me as if I was his equal, saw to it that his barber shaved me, nursed me with greater care than that of a relation and made legal efforts for my release. When I remember these hundreds of things, I am choked with emotion, my head reels and I know not what I should say.”
“When there was an epidemic of cholera in Mandalay jail, Maharaj and I were taken to Mictilla jail. From Mandalay prison to the station, there were armed guards on both sides; but when the car reached the station, the huge crowd that had assembled there shouted Tilak Maharajki Jai.’ He was secretly taken in a special carriage to Mictilla where again the hundreds of people that had gathered shouted Tilak Maharajki Jai.’ When Maharaj reached the jail, the jailor asked him, Which country did you rule?’ Maharaj answered, ‘I am not the master of this body of mine. How then can I have a kingdom?’ ‘
“It happened that ten or twelve days after I went to Mandalay, while cooking, memories of my wife and children came to me and I was very much perturbed. While I was in that mood, the pot with boiling water was upset, and got mixed with the flour. I was very much frightened and I started crying. I did not know what I would now give Maharaj to eat. I was afraid that I would be punished when Maharaj would report this to the jailor. Presently Maharaj came to the kitchen, saw everything that had happened. He did not show in the least that there was anything wrong. He quiedy poured the flour which was now in the form of a syrup over a piece of cloth and when the water was absorbed by it I made bread out of the flour. Maharaj ate joyfully. He was not at all angry on this occasion; in fact I do not remember him to have been angry on any other occasion as well.”
“I got a remission of two years and it appeared that I would have to be removed from Mandalay. I then said to Maharaj, ‘Plead my case as you did before and secure for me the permission to stay with you for two more years.’ Maharaj then dissuaded me from such thoughts, explained to me the law and persuaded me to go back to family. He gave his blessings and bade me farewell. How can I describe my feelings when I started leaving him behind? When I asked him as to what I should tell the members of his family, he said, ‘Tell them that everything here is all right.’ When I asked him as to how they would believe me, he gave me one of his teeth, which had recently fallen and said, ‘Show this to Dhondu and then nobody would have any doubt about you...’ From Mandalay, I was brought to Poona and I was then put in the M.S.M. train with a ticket for my village, with the warning, ‘Beware! if you go to the Gaikwad Wada.’ I went to my place; but once again came to Poona,... and met the members of Maharaj’s family. I told everything to them, particularly to Maharaj’s wife.... After Maharaj’s release, I went to see him and when he pressed me to stay with him, I did so readily... I was fortunate to have an opportunity of serving him — an opportunity which one would not get even after practising penance. Owing to this service, I am immensely benefited materially and spiritually. Conviction was a blot on my character but such was my good luck that I washed it clean in the holy Ganges of a saint’s company. My life has fulfilled its purpose.”
Politics, says one writer, is a game of keeping up appearances. There was a transparent lucidity about Tilak’s political character and not even his severest critic charged him of keeping up appearances. It has been stated how little could be known about his feelings from his
political activities. Personal emotion was conspicuous by its absence in his speeches and writings. He hardly had any private life and even during calamities such as the death of his son, he showed a rare philosophic calm of mind. Moreover in those days, in most of the families in Maharashtra, elderly persons were very reticent in expressing their feelings. The peculiar standard of austerity which prevailed in orthodox families was the main cause of this reticence. It is therefore difficult even to get a few glimpses of the emotional aspect of Tilak’s personality. There are certain interesting anecdotes written by Tilak’s sons and daughters which reveal an unexpected facet of his personality. His private conversation was always enlivened with a pleasant humour. Mrs. Mathubai Sane, Tilak’s youngest daughter, has written the following anecdote: “Dada always looked into his correspondence while taking his morning tea and always spoke humorously to all around him. Even when he was passing through great difficulties and ordeals, he rarely appeared worried or kritated at home. In 1908, before and after the Surat Congress, there was much abusive controversy between the moderate and radical newspapers. Then one day, while taking tea he said to us, ‘You all eat something along with tea. Do you know what I take?’ He never had anything except tea in the morning and therefore we said, ‘Nothing that we know of.’ At this he said, ‘I eat fresh abuses with tea.’ “ Tilak was indifferent to the taste of food. As he was suffering from diabetes, he had to live on a diet, but he never found it difficult to observe all the restrictions. When his daughter asked him how such tasteless food was palatable to him, he said with good humour, “You live to eat, while I only eat to live.” When he was absorbed in work, he forgot to drink the tea kept near him and it often grew cold. Mrs. Parvatibai Ketkar, his daughter, recalled one incident when Tilak was absorbed in writing. She told him that it was time for dinner; but Tilak was quite unconcerned and did not appear to have heard it. After some time he remarked, “God has made a mistake. If our stomach had a hole in it, we could have filled it with nutritive juice. It would not have been then necessary to waste time for meals.”