GANDHI’S MESSAGE ON GOD, 1932–1934
A set of three related manuscript and correspondence items concerning Gandhi's reflections on God and the Bhagavad Gita, comprising:
(i) an autograph letter signed "Bapu" to Anand T Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 8 February 1932, in English and purple ink, informing Anand that he is sending him, "for your help, not for publication", a rendering of his speech on God, describing it as part of a fuller statement previously published in Young India;
(ii) an autograph manuscript entitled "Summary of Bhagwad Gita (XVI)", dated 8 February 1932, four pages, handwritten in Hindi, setting forth Gandhi's reflections on the existence of God, faith and reason, the order governing the universe, the limitations of intellect, and the relationship between truth, non-violence and spiritual belief, opening with the statement: "There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything", and continuing with observations that although God cannot be perceived through the senses, "I feel Him though I do not see Him", that the laws of nature point to a conscious power beyond man, and that faith ultimately transcends reason;
(iii) a typed letter signed "Bapu" to Anand T Hingorani, 23 August 1934, signed in green ink, authorising Anand to publish the "Message on God", advising that the complete text may be copied from Young India, and confirming its inclusion among selected writings chosen for publication.
The three documents trace the evolution of Gandhi's "Message on God" from private circulation to authorised publication, while illustrating Anand T Hingorani's role as a trusted recipient, preserver and disseminator of Gandhian thought.
Published in The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 54, Letter No. 358, p. 460, and Vol. 64, Letter No. 393, p. 334.
Full Transcription
1. Letter to Anand T. Hingorani, 8 February 1932
My dear Anand,
I was so glad to see Vidya. She was looking very well indeed.
I am now sending for your help, not for publication, a rendering of my speech on God. It is only a fragment of a fuller thing in Y.I. (Young India) which you should see, if you have not already.
Love to you both.
Bapu
2. Summary of Bhagwad Gita (XVI), 8 February 1932
There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen power which makes itself felt and yet defies all proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive through my senses. It transcends the senses.
But it is possible to reason out the existence of God to a limited extent. Even in ordinary life, we know that there is a ruler, and yet we do not know him. We may not even know who he is, and why he rules, and yet we know that there is a ruler. Even so, there is a Supreme Ruler of this universe, but we do not know Him.
I have not seen God. But I believe in His existence on the evidence of those who have seen Him. Just as we believe that there is a king in a distant land when we have never seen him, and we believe it on the authority of those who have seen him. In the same way, we must believe in the existence of God on the authority of those who have seen Him.
There seems to be some order in this world. I know that there are fixed rules for everything and even for vegetables; that is how this world must be functioning. Because a conscious human being cannot be moved by any inanimate matter; and now Shri Jagadish Chandra Bose has proved through his experiments that everything in this world is conscious. Therefore, why should we not say that the power which keeps living beings bound by rules is indeed God? Here, the peace and the administrator of its world, the law and the regulator are one. Because I am ignorant of this law and its regulator, I have no reason to deny its existence.
Nature’s laws, by accepting its laws, there is no burden on me. There is no reason to be distressed by following its rules. In truth, to deny or ignore the existence of God can bring no peace. I cannot remain separate from the master of this cause. From this, it becomes easy to live under His governance like a subject of a king. In this way, by the knowledge of God and His works, a life of resolve is formed in this world.
I constantly feel that there is a change in everything in my heart and that there must be an unchanging thing within this change. That
unchanging, eternal power is supporting everything. Among all in one's life, they find some path in it. To deny those miracles is to deny one's own soul. This is a precursor to hope. No man can experience the divine through logic alone. This is why we should strive, and because the time of hope is not external to the soul, we should therefore keep the faith and follow the path of truth and non-violence. And through this practice, the practice of non-violence becomes possible.
I, too, have to accept that I cannot understand through my intellect alone. Intellect is beyond limit. Therefore, I try to make it meaningful through faith.
3. Letter to Anand T. Hingorani, 23 August 1934
My dear Anand,
You have given me a tragic tale of your woes. That a little ringworm should develop into a frightful thing passes comprehension. Generally speaking it yields to simple treatment inside of two or three days.
Have you not placed yourself under a competent doctor? And you ought not to trifle with your piles. It is a very simple operation, and if a competent surgeon advises that you should go through the operation at once you should do so without demur.
I see that your letter is dated the 16th instant. It was received only yesterday. Evidently the letter takes a long time to reach Karachi and therefore I am sending the following telegram: Hope ringworm cured. Under surgical advice undergo piles operation immediately.
You can publish the message on God. If you like you can copy the full text from Young India. As you know, selections from Young India have been published in book form. This message is among the selections.
I am not writing separately to Vidya, but she ought to. I hope she and Mahadev are all right. Unless you are in a hurry I want to delay sending funds till Jamnalalji is discharged from the hospital or till he is in a position to transact business.
Love to you both.
Bapu
THE GITA IN GANDHI'S HAND: Three Letters on Duty, Faith and Self-Mastery
At the heart of this lot is Gandhi's "Message on God", preserved alongside the letters that accompanied its transmission to Anand T Hingorani. These documents reveal how Gandhi communicated some of his most deeply held religious convictions through private correspondence as well as published writing.
The first letter, written from Yeravda Mandir on 8 February 1932, accompanies the manuscript and explains that Gandhi is sending Anand, "for your help, not for publication", a rendering of his speech on God, describing it as a fragment of a fuller statement published in Young India. The letter reflects the confidence Gandhi placed in Anand and the role he entrusted him to play in preserving and sharing his writings.
The enclosed Hindi manuscript forms the intellectual centre of the lot. It opens with Gandhi's declaration that there is "an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything." From this starting point, he considers the existence of God, the limits of sensory perception, the order governing the universe and the relationship between faith and reason. Intellect alone, he argues, cannot comprehend the divine; belief must ultimately rest upon faith. The manuscript concludes by linking spiritual conviction with truth, non-violence and disciplined living, presenting the Bhagavad Gita as a guide to moral practice.
The final letter, written on 23 August 1934, returns briefly to the "Message on God". After discussing Anand's health, Gandhi authorises him to publish the text and directs him to copy the complete version from Young India. Read alongside the earlier letter, it records Gandhi's continuing confidence in Anand's judgement and his role in the preservation of his writings.
The manuscript and accompanying letters offer an intimate view of Gandhi's religious thought in circulation. Alongside showing how he reflected upon faith and the Bhagavad Gita, we also see how those ideas were shared, preserved and entrusted to one of his closest correspondents.
This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.
A set of three related manuscript and correspondence items concerning Gandhi's reflections on God and the Bhagavad Gita, comprising:
(i) an autograph letter signed "Bapu" to Anand T Hingorani, Yeravda Mandir, 8 February 1932, in English and purple ink, informing Anand that he is sending him, "for your help, not for publication", a rendering of his speech on God, describing it as part of a fuller statement previously published in Young India;
(ii) an autograph manuscript entitled "Summary of Bhagwad Gita (XVI)", dated 8 February 1932, four pages, handwritten in Hindi, setting forth Gandhi's reflections on the existence of God, faith and reason, the order governing the universe, the limitations of intellect, and the relationship between truth, non-violence and spiritual belief, opening with the statement: "There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything", and continuing with observations that although God cannot be perceived through the senses, "I feel Him though I do not see Him", that the laws of nature point to a conscious power beyond man, and that faith ultimately transcends reason;
(iii) a typed letter signed "Bapu" to Anand T Hingorani, 23 August 1934, signed in green ink, authorising Anand to publish the "Message on God", advising that the complete text may be copied from Young India, and confirming its inclusion among selected writings chosen for publication.
The three documents trace the evolution of Gandhi's "Message on God" from private circulation to authorised publication, while illustrating Anand T Hingorani's role as a trusted recipient, preserver and disseminator of Gandhian thought.
Published in The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 54, Letter No. 358, p. 460, and Vol. 64, Letter No. 393, p. 334.
Full Transcription
1. Letter to Anand T. Hingorani, 8 February 1932
My dear Anand,
I was so glad to see Vidya. She was looking very well indeed.
I am now sending for your help, not for publication, a rendering of my speech on God. It is only a fragment of a fuller thing in Y.I. (Young India) which you should see, if you have not already.
Love to you both.
Bapu
2. Summary of Bhagwad Gita (XVI), 8 February 1932
There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen power which makes itself felt and yet defies all proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive through my senses. It transcends the senses.
But it is possible to reason out the existence of God to a limited extent. Even in ordinary life, we know that there is a ruler, and yet we do not know him. We may not even know who he is, and why he rules, and yet we know that there is a ruler. Even so, there is a Supreme Ruler of this universe, but we do not know Him.
I have not seen God. But I believe in His existence on the evidence of those who have seen Him. Just as we believe that there is a king in a distant land when we have never seen him, and we believe it on the authority of those who have seen him. In the same way, we must believe in the existence of God on the authority of those who have seen Him.
There seems to be some order in this world. I know that there are fixed rules for everything and even for vegetables; that is how this world must be functioning. Because a conscious human being cannot be moved by any inanimate matter; and now Shri Jagadish Chandra Bose has proved through his experiments that everything in this world is conscious. Therefore, why should we not say that the power which keeps living beings bound by rules is indeed God? Here, the peace and the administrator of its world, the law and the regulator are one. Because I am ignorant of this law and its regulator, I have no reason to deny its existence.
Nature’s laws, by accepting its laws, there is no burden on me. There is no reason to be distressed by following its rules. In truth, to deny or ignore the existence of God can bring no peace. I cannot remain separate from the master of this cause. From this, it becomes easy to live under His governance like a subject of a king. In this way, by the knowledge of God and His works, a life of resolve is formed in this world.
I constantly feel that there is a change in everything in my heart and that there must be an unchanging thing within this change. That
unchanging, eternal power is supporting everything. Among all in one's life, they find some path in it. To deny those miracles is to deny one's own soul. This is a precursor to hope. No man can experience the divine through logic alone. This is why we should strive, and because the time of hope is not external to the soul, we should therefore keep the faith and follow the path of truth and non-violence. And through this practice, the practice of non-violence becomes possible.
I, too, have to accept that I cannot understand through my intellect alone. Intellect is beyond limit. Therefore, I try to make it meaningful through faith.
3. Letter to Anand T. Hingorani, 23 August 1934
My dear Anand,
You have given me a tragic tale of your woes. That a little ringworm should develop into a frightful thing passes comprehension. Generally speaking it yields to simple treatment inside of two or three days.
Have you not placed yourself under a competent doctor? And you ought not to trifle with your piles. It is a very simple operation, and if a competent surgeon advises that you should go through the operation at once you should do so without demur.
I see that your letter is dated the 16th instant. It was received only yesterday. Evidently the letter takes a long time to reach Karachi and therefore I am sending the following telegram: Hope ringworm cured. Under surgical advice undergo piles operation immediately.
You can publish the message on God. If you like you can copy the full text from Young India. As you know, selections from Young India have been published in book form. This message is among the selections.
I am not writing separately to Vidya, but she ought to. I hope she and Mahadev are all right. Unless you are in a hurry I want to delay sending funds till Jamnalalji is discharged from the hospital or till he is in a position to transact business.
Love to you both.
Bapu
THE GITA IN GANDHI'S HAND: Three Letters on Duty, Faith and Self-Mastery
At the heart of this lot is Gandhi's "Message on God", preserved alongside the letters that accompanied its transmission to Anand T Hingorani. These documents reveal how Gandhi communicated some of his most deeply held religious convictions through private correspondence as well as published writing.
The first letter, written from Yeravda Mandir on 8 February 1932, accompanies the manuscript and explains that Gandhi is sending Anand, "for your help, not for publication", a rendering of his speech on God, describing it as a fragment of a fuller statement published in Young India. The letter reflects the confidence Gandhi placed in Anand and the role he entrusted him to play in preserving and sharing his writings.
The enclosed Hindi manuscript forms the intellectual centre of the lot. It opens with Gandhi's declaration that there is "an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything." From this starting point, he considers the existence of God, the limits of sensory perception, the order governing the universe and the relationship between faith and reason. Intellect alone, he argues, cannot comprehend the divine; belief must ultimately rest upon faith. The manuscript concludes by linking spiritual conviction with truth, non-violence and disciplined living, presenting the Bhagavad Gita as a guide to moral practice.
The final letter, written on 23 August 1934, returns briefly to the "Message on God". After discussing Anand's health, Gandhi authorises him to publish the text and directs him to copy the complete version from Young India. Read alongside the earlier letter, it records Gandhi's continuing confidence in Anand's judgement and his role in the preservation of his writings.
The manuscript and accompanying letters offer an intimate view of Gandhi's religious thought in circulation. Alongside showing how he reflected upon faith and the Bhagavad Gita, we also see how those ideas were shared, preserved and entrusted to one of his closest correspondents.
This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.