by M K Gandhi
In bidding farewell to the reader, for the time being at any rate, I ask him to join with me in prayer to the God of Truth that He may grant me the boon of Ahimsa in mind, word and deed.M11
Seven-year-old M.K. Gandhi, Porbandar.
With elder brother Laxmidas (L), Rajkot, 1886.
With friend Sheikh Mehtab, Rajkot, circa 1886.
As a barrister: wearing the London Vegetarian Society badge, Johannesburg, 1906.
With his wife, Kasturba.
With C.F. Andrews (L) and W.W. Pearson, 1914.
With the Indian Ambulance Corps during the Boer War (1899–1902).
With the Indian Stretcher Bearers Corps during the Zulu Rebellion, 1906.
Gandhi and Kasturba with fellow settlers at the Phoenix Settlement, Natal, 1906.
With Hermann Kallenbach (on Gandhi’s left) at Tolstoy Farm, 1910.
Gandhi with his secretary, Mrs. Sonja Schlesin, and Mr. H.S.L. Polak in front of his office in Johannesburg, 1905.
A portrait of Hermann Kallenbach, ‘The Owner of Tolstoy Farm’, published in Indian Opinion on 5 August 1911 in recognition of his contribution to the Satyagraha Movement.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale with Gandhi, Kallenbach and other members of the Reception Committee, Durban, 1912.
A page from the handwritten constitution of the Natal Indian Congress.
A page from Mahadev Desai’s manuscript of his translation of An Autobiography: Chapter XXII, ‘Comparative Study of Religions’, Part II.
A copy of the menu for the farewell dinner hosted at Johannesburg.
Indian Opinion, 14 January 1905.
Mahadev Desai’s translation of An Autobiography commenced with the 3 December 1925 issue of Young India.
A page with testimonies collected from the peasants during the Champaran Satyagraha, 1917.
The 29 December 1925 edition of the Gujarati newspaper Navajivan.
A note in one of the volumes of the first edition of An Autobiography, from Mahadev Desai’s personal collection of books.
The first Satyagraha Ashram at Kochrab, 1915.
People marching on the street during the Non-cooperation Movement, 1919.
With Mahadev Desai at Sevagram, January 1942.
M1 completed one foolscap sheet
M2 conflagration
M3 what I began remained incomplete. Then I got involved, one after another, in such affairs which ultimately gave me my place in Yeravda. Bhai
M4 sent him a reply
M5 commence the autobiography
M6 I would have certainly written the autobiography there had I the good fortune to go through my full term of imprisonment at Yeravda. But I still had one year before I could reach there. Before that, no way could I have commenced the autobiography, hence it remained unattempted.
M7 demand
M8 I do not have that much time all at once. If I write, I can only write for Navajivan.
M9 decision and now I have the opportunity to write the autobiography
M10 As I arrived at this decision, a pure and unsullied associate gently spoke thus to me on Monday, my day of silence: ‘Why do you intend writing an autobiography?’
M11 your activities in pursuance of these principles?
M12 But, do I intend to write an autobiography?
M13 I would consider that narration faultless
M14 people
M15 because they are seen by all
M16 There are certainly some things that arise and find repose in the soul, it is beyond my capacity to write about them. In my experiments the spiritual is moral, religion is morality; morality observed from the perspective of the soul is religion.
M17 or remains dispassionate, if not doubtful, about the truth of his own conclusions. Such is my claim with regard to my experiments.
M18 But I do not ever wish to make a claim that conclusions thus arrived at are final for all, that they are true or only they are true.
M19 I have given the primary title ‘Experiments with Truth’ to this endeavour
M20 terrible
M21 the readers of Navajivan, etc., who constitute my world
M22 means
M23 a little soul
M24 autobiographical writings
M25 attractive
M26 According to the measure that I wish to use for judging myself, the standard that all of us should use to measure ourselves,
M27 Whom I look upon as the provider of my salt
M1 twice in succession
M2 After ceasing to be the Prime Minister of Porbandar he became
M3 Sahib
M4 Sahib
M5 a thousand
M6 worship and prayers
M7 we would see the Sun and exclaim, ‘Ba, Ba, the Sun can be seen’; and Ba would come out hurriedly but by then the Sun would have disappeared
M8 courtly matters
M9 Queens’ quarters
M10 to abuse our teacher
M1 village
M2 period to my teachers or having made any friends
M3 be their judge
M4 no fondness for
M5 I played that melting tune on a concertina. I had a fondness for playing the concertina
M6 this play in my mind hundreds of times
M7 ordeal
M1 children of twelve to thirteen
M2 my marriage at the age of thirteen
M3 the community feast
M4 Won’t it be better to have such flurry and bustle once instead of three times?
M5 marriage would shine forth
M6 three marriages were held together
M7 got to know that marriages were to be held
M8 these details
M9 a favourite of the ruler, hence more in bondage
M10 Bandages on the hands, bandages on the back.
M11 Father. But was I any less devoted to the passions? Passions here does not mean only sexual desire but all cravings.
M12 I do not remember having asked my wife as to who had coached her. I can still ask her. But, I have not the least desire to do so.
M13 know that I have a hazy recollection of being afraid of each other
M14 But is coaching really necessary?
M15 are
M16 played the husband
M1 I had passion for truth
M2 these good thoughts
M3 ‘If I should observe the vow of being faithful to my wife, so should the wife pledge to be faithful to me.’
M4 From ‘to observe’ I deduced ‘to enforce observation’. And if I had to enforce observation, I should keep a watch as well.
M5 such imprisonment
M6 The more restraints I placed on her, the more liberties she took
M7 sentiment
M8 that we wholly merge with one another
M9 sentiment
M10 discontented with
M11 sentiment
M12 sweet, childish prattle
M13 were these ideas of mine
M14 how was my lustful love to allow me to teach?
M15 even look at
M16 how was one to talk to her?
M17 child
M18 from the age of thirteen to nineteen
M19 meanwhile, I had fairly awakened
M1 My conduct or studies were never criticized in them.
M2 Any
M3 I was considered deserving of punishment
M4 my dislike was wrong
M5 Another
M6 I requested to be exempted from exercise so as to serve my father.
M7 Gimi Sahib
M8 I chose to walk instead of doing gymnastics and for that reason perhaps I have not paid penalty of not exercising the body, but
M9 pearl-like
M10 can one add a rim to a perfectly baked clay pot?
M11 Then his handwriting would be like a printed letter.
M12 some
M13 would feel that I should give up trying to do two standards in one year and revert to third standard
M14 tolerated w
hatever the students did
M15 ‘At least consider whose son you are.
M16 I was ashamed.
M17 Sanskrit scriptures that I do
M18 child
M1 I have already said that I had few intimate friends in the high school.
M2 wife, all three, found this companionship disagreeable. How was I, a proud husband, to heed my wife’s warning? I would not disobey my mother. I would certainly listen to my eldest brother.
M3 intimate friendships
M4 Do our teachers and other distinguished people who eat meat do so without awareness?
M5 Such arguments, adorned with many examples, were presented to me many a time.
M6 been polluted.
M7 I would not venture out in the dark.
M8 melted.
M9 Not all readers would comprehend the meaning of this decision—of this venture.
M10 by conscious effort or otherwise, I was a servant of Truth
M1 I must not lose courage
M2 tasty
M3 Moreover, such meals cost money. I did not have even a bad coin, hence could pay nothing.
M4 I have, to this day, no knowledge of where he found it.
M5 lie
M6 Each time I said so, it pained me.
M7 their sons
M8 meat-eaters, lightning would fall over them
M9 polluted
M10 my pollution
M11 debauched conduct
M12 I imprisoned myself in that house. But he whom God wishes to save remains pure in spite of his desire for a fall.
M13 room. I lost speech. Deep in shame, I sat stunned with the woman on her bed, but remained tongue-tied.
M14 circumstances
M15 from experience that many circumstances intercede and he is saved
M16 these have hitherto not been resolved and it is difficult to say if they can be resolved with any finality
M17 believing his stories
M18 Such is the one-sided justice available to her.
M19 dealt such justice to her
M20 pity myself for
M1 We sought the evening hour.
M2 we lacked the courage to eat the poison
M3 the stealing of cigarette stumps and the servant’s coppers was what
M4 At the time of the failing with regard to smoking
M5 The armlet was cut
M6 lest he should be pained and strike his head in anguish
M7 pearl-drops, like shafts of love, pierced me. I was purified
M8 Rama
M9 It is impossible to measure the power of such all-embracing ahimsa.
M1 to
M2 barbers, etc.
M3 doctor
M4 At last, the English doctor recommended a surgical operation as the only remedy.
M5 bottles
M6 any inkling
M7 told me, ‘You go, now I will sit.’
M8 What was the use of my remorse now.
M9 his feet, but, instead I had to hear from my uncle, ‘Bapu has left us.’
M10 ‘Make preparations.’
M11 at the hour of service
M12 child
M13 What other outcome could there be?
M14 parents or child couples
M1 but did not receive education of religion
M2 liberal
M3 did not induce faith in me
M4 Ramanama
M5 power
M6 In the atmosphere of
M7 leucoderma
M8 eradicated his leucoderma, root and branch
M9 any disease
M10 quite without any effort, I received training in equability towards all sects. I learnt to respect all sects of Hindu religion
M11 he would even invite them to receive offering of food from us
M12 sense of equability
M13 a Christian missionary
M14 the preaching
M15 a coat, pantaloons and an English hat
M16 equability towards
M17 all morality is contained by Truth.
M1 The same was my lot.
M2 I did not know anything there.
M3 If anyone amongst you brothers wishes to keep Kaba Gandhi’s gadi, it cannot be had without education.
M4 he should be made to bear the burden of keeping the gadi
M5 education there is easy
M6 no difficulty
M7 I was scared of the difficulties of the college. I said, ‘It would be very good if I were sent to England. It does not seem that I would pass the college quickly.’
M8 there are any obstacles.’
M9 And could a young man like me be sent so far away?
M10 he is particularly partial to uncle
M11 the Sahibs
M12 They are almost naked in their dress.
M13 go happily!
M14 My eyes fell on
M15 But a hundred obstacles arise before a worthwhile task is accomplished. I could not leave the port of Bombay so easily.
M1 answerable to them
M2 crossing the seas
M3 Sahibs
M4 notwithstanding the decree of the caste, he would not prevent me from going to England
M1 England
M2 In the steamer I did not experience the sea in the least.
M3 ‘English cannot be considered our language, and there are bound to be mistakes, yet one should speak it freely,’ he would say.
M4 compassionately
M5 We completed the voyage somehow and
M6 black attire
M7 confounded
M8 He teased me affectionately.
M9 in India it is customary to address Sahibs as ‘Sir’, which is unnecessary
M10 as ‘Sir’
M11 I had little knowledge as to what speech and action would cause a possible breach of etiquette. Moreover, there were restrictions on food and drink.
M1 good conduct
M2 How astonishing!
M3 fine
M4 live freely
M5 sprouted wings
M6 assuaged my hunger
M7 hitherto
M8 all should be meat-eaters
M9 Now I was eager to remain a vegetarian and make others do likewise.
M1 In ‘Civilized’ Attire
M2 described the dietary practices and ideas of learned persons, incarnations and prophets from different ages. He also tried to prove that Pythagoras, Jesus, etc., were vegetarians.
M3 religious motive became supreme
M4 mingle with
M5 in the midst of hundreds of diners
M6 The friend understood. He asked me in irritation, ‘What is it?’
I replied softly and with hesitation: ‘I wish to inquire, is there meat in this?’
‘This kind of barbarism will not do in such a restaurant. If you still wish to quibble and cavil
M7 smaller
M8 that incident
M9 It neither caused a breach in our relations, nor caused any bitterness.
M10 barbaric
M11 would cultivate civilized conduct and equip myself through other means of mingling with society and thus cover up the oddity of my vegetarianism. For this I took the course which was beyond my capacity and was superficial, of cultivating civilized conduct
M12 kindled ten pounds for
M13 where fashionable people get their clothes tailored
M14 one got to see a mirror on the day one got a shave
M15 But this dandyism was not enough. Does civilized attire make of us a civilized person? I had learnt of other outward charms of civilized conduct, which I wished to cultivate. A civilized man must know dancing. He must know passable French because French was the language of England’s neighbour France. It was also the national language of all Europe where I desired to study. Moreover, a civilized man must know how to make eloquent public speech.
M16 melody and rhythm
M17 consigned
M18 Bell Sahib
M19 me civilized
>
M20 prepare myself to join the profession
M21 me civilized
M22 We had become somewhat friendly. I spoke to her about my insensate condition
M23 free myself from the snare of dance, etc.
M24 dandy-ness
M1 in public life funds
M2 Let every youth keep a careful account of the little money he has and he would, like me, experience in the future its benefit for himself and the public.
M3 how much money I should spend
M4 Which involved expenses on carriage. If there were a lady companion, she could not be allowed to pay for the expenses.
M5 change lodging in different suburbs
M6 had to spend on
M7 study something else as well
M8 expense. The course there was long. I could not stay longer than three years
M9 second
M10 question
M11 second
M12 civilized
M13 though I see it now
M14 poverty
M15 the strained circumstances and generosity of my brother