Shravan mehta biography of mahatma

15th century Indian poet and saint

For the 1932 Indian film, see Narsinh Mehta (film).

Narsinh Mehta, also known as Narsinh Bhagat, was a 15th-century poet-saint of Gujarat, India, honored as the first poet, or Adi Kavi, of the Gujarati language. Narsinh Mehta is member of Nagar Brahman community. Narsinh became a devotee of Krishna, and dedicated his life to composing poetic works described as bhakti, or devotion towards Krishna. His bhajans have remained popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan for over 5 centuries. Most notably, his composition Vaishnav Jan To was Mahatma Gandhi's favorite and became popular with freedom fighters across India.

Biography

Much of what is known about Narsinh Mehta is derived from his own compositions and poetic works, due to the lack of formal historical documentation during this period. Additional insights into Narsinh Mehta's biography are found in works from other poets of subsequent eras, as their poems describe in detail the personality of Narsinh Mehta and certain key events from his life.

Though there is no consensus among scholars on exact dates, it is believed Narsinh was born in 1414 and lived until the age of 79. While there is no specific date mentioned in Narsinh's autobiographical compositions or in works from later poets, the incidents depicted establish Narsinh's presence in the 15th century, notably during the reign of Mandallika III.

Early life

Narsinh Mehta was born in Gopnath village near the town of Talaja (now located in the Bhavnagar district, Gujarat). As a member of the Nagar Brahmin community, Narsinh's father held an administrative position in a royal court. Narsinh was mute until the age of eight. He began to speak only after meeting a holy man who had him utter the phrase "Radhe Shyam". His older brother, Bansidhar, was 17 years his senior. Narsinh's parents died when he was five years old; he wa

It is not very often that a piece of poetry is synonymous with someone who neither wrote it nor crooned it, but lived it instead. Vaishnava jana toh, known to be Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn, was written by bhakti poet Narsinh Mehta in the 15th century. Penned in archaic Gujarati, it has its moorings in the late-night raga Khamaj, and was put to tune by musician Vishnu Digambar Paluskar.

Sung during the Salt March, it’s appearance anywhere — be it by Pandit Jasraj, MS Subbulakshmi, Lata Mangeshkar, or Pannalal Ghosh — has always been a reminder of the Mahatma. Another piece cherished by Gandhi was Tulsidas’s Raghupati raghav raja ram.

“Gandhi believed in the power of using music to bring people together. Vaishnava jana toh talks of a person who understands the sorrows of the other. In today’s times, what can be more relevant,” says singer Vidya Shah, who has also sung a version of the piece.

The hymn, along with other Christian songs and bhajans in different languages and faiths, were collated by people at Sabarmati Ashram in the Ashram Bhajanavali, a cross-religion hymnal.

Live Updates: India remembers Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary

Amar Niranjan Bhatt, an Ahmedabad-based expert on Gandhi, says, “Look at the selection of poems. They were careful to not select those which lured people to be more devotional. Ye bhakti ke laalach ke geet nahi the. This wasn’t poetry where the poet tried to impress with words. These carried a depth of meaning.”

But much before this hymn made it to the roster of prayers at the Ashram, Gandhi’s life was dotted with music. One finds mentions of it in his books and letters. Once he saw a showman tell the story of the mythological character Shravan Kumar, who dies while fetching water from a river for his hermit parents. The verse — lalit chhand — moved him deeply. He’d play it on a m

Autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Gujarati: સત્યના પ્રયોગો અથવા આત્મકથા, satyanā prayogo athavā ātmakathā, lit. 'Experiments of Truth or Autobiography') is the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1921. It was written in weekly installments and published in his journal Navjivan from 1925 to 1929. Its English translation also appeared in installments in his other journal Young India. It was initiated at the insistence of Swami Anand and other close co-workers of Gandhi, who encouraged him to explain the background of his public campaigns. In 1998, the book was designated as one of the "100 Best Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" by a committee of global spiritual and religious authorities.

Starting with his birth and parentage, Gandhi gives reminiscences of childhood, child marriage, relation with his wife and parents, experiences at the school, his study tour to London, efforts to be like the English gentleman, experiments in dietetics, his going to South Africa, his experiences of colour prejudice, his quest for dharma, social work in Africa, return to India, his slow and steady work for political awakening and social activities. The book ends abruptly after a discussion of the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress in 1915.

Background

In the early 1920s Gandhi led several civil disobedience campaigns. Despite his intention that they be peaceful, on several occasions, incidents of violence broke out. The colonial authorities charged him in 1922 with incitement, and specifically of stirring up hatred against the government, and, the result was a six-year term of imprisonment. He served only two years, being released early on the grounds of ill health. Soon after, in the winter of 1925 at 56, Gandhi began writing his autobiography, on the examp