Gandhi & Poverty


Gandhi's Possessions 


Gandhi & Poverty

 

अंग्रेजी में एक शब्द है "एक्सपेंसिव-पावर्टी"

 इसका मतलब होता है.... "महंगी- गरीबी" अर्थात...

गरीब दिखने के लिए आपको बहुत खर्चा करना पड़ता है। गांधीजी की गरीबी ऐसी ही थी।

एक बार सरोजनी नायडू ने उनको मज़ाक में कहा भी था कि “आप को गरीब रखना हमें बहुत महंगा पड़ता है !!”

ऐसा क्यों ?......

गांधी जी जब भी तीसरे दर्जे में रेल सफर करते थे तो वह सामान्य तीसरा दर्जा नहीं होता था।

अंग्रेज नहीं चाहते थे की गांधी जी की खराब हालातों में, भीड़ में यात्रा करती हुई तस्वीरें अखबारों में छपे उनको पीड़ित (विक्टिम) कार्ड का लाभ मिले।

इसलिए जब भी वह रेल यात्रा करते थे तो उनको विशेष ट्रेन दी जाती थी जिसमें कुल 3 डिब्बे होते थे.....

जो केवल गांधी जी और उनके साथियों के लिए होते थे, क्योंकि हर स्टेशन पर लोग उनसे मिलने आते थे।

इस सब का खर्चा बाद में गांधीजी के ट्रस्ट की ओर से अंग्रेज सरकार को दे दिया जाता था।

इसीलिए एक बार मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना ने कहा था की .....

“जितने पैसो में मैं प्रथम श्रेणी यात्रा करता हूँ उस से कई गुना में गांधीजी तृतीय श्रेणी की यात्रा करते हैं।”

गांधीजी ने प्रण लिया था कि वे केवल बकरी का दूध पिएंगे। बकरी का दूध आज भी महंगा मिलता है, तब भी महंगा ही था... अपने आश्रम में तो बकरी पाल सकते थे, पर गांधी जी तो बहुत घूमते थे।ज़रूरी नही की हर जगह बकरी का दूध आसानी से मिलता ही हो। इस बात का वर्णन स्वयं गांधीजी की पुस्तकों में है, कैसे लंदन में बकरी का दूध ढूंढा जाता था, महंगे दामों में खरीदा जाता था क्योंकि गांधी जी गरीब थे, वो सिर्फ बकरी का दूध ही पीते थे...

ये बात अलग है कि खुशवंत सिंह ने अपनी किताब में लिखा है कि...

गांधी जी ने दूध के लिए जो बकरियां पाली थी, उनको नित्य साबुन से नहलाया जाता था, उनको प्रोटीन खिलाया जाता था। उनपर 20 रुपये प्रतिदिन का खर्च होता था।

90 साल पहले 20 रुपये मतलब आज हज़ारों रुपये...

बाकी खर्च का तो ऐसा है कि गांधीजी अपने साथ एक दानपात्र रखते थे जिसमें वह सभी से कुछ न कुछ धनराशि डालने का अनुरोध करते थे।

इसके अलावा कई उद्योगपति उनके मित्र उनको चंदा देते थे।

उनका एक न्यास (ट्रस्ट) था जो गांधी के नाम पर चंदा एकत्र करता था।

उनके 75 वें जन्मदिन पर 75 लाख रुपए का चंदा जमा करने का लक्ष्य था, पर एक करोड़ से ज्यादा जमा हुए।

सोने के भाव के हिसाब से तुलना करें तो आज के 650 करोड़ रुपये हुए।

गांधी उतने गरीब भी नहीं थे, जितना हमको घुट्टी पिला पिलाकर रटाया गया है।

Birla House-Gandhi's Room

Click to Know More

Popular posts from this blog

भगवान श्री कृष्ण : मैं ही ईश्वर हूँ।

Image
भगवान श्री कृष्ण ने भगवद गीता में अनेक बार कहा है कि वे ही परमेश्वर हैं। शायद ही किसी भी शस्त्र मैं किसी ने ऐसा कहा हो। इस ज्ञान को उन्हों ने कभी गुप्त रूप से और कभी सीधे-सीधे कहा है। प्रस्तुत हैं कुछ श्लोक जो इस बात की पुष्टि करतें हैं।    भोक्तारं   यज्ञतपसां   सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ‌  । सुहृदं   सर्वभूतानां   ज्ञात्वा   मां   शान्तिमृच्छति   ॥ BG5.29 मुझे   समस्त   यज्ञों   तथा   तपस्याओं   का   परं   भोक्ता ,  समस्त   लोकों   तथा   देवताओं   का   परमेश्र्वर   एवं   समस्त   जीवों   का   उपकारी   एवं   हितैषी   जानकर   मेरे   भावनामृत   से   पूर्ण   पुरुष   भौतिक   दुखों   से   शान्ति   लाभ - करता   है  | योगिनामपि   सर्वेषां   मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना   । श्रद्धावान्भजते   यो   मां   स   मे   युक्ततमो   मतः  ...
Read more

The Principle Of Al-Takiyah In Islam

Image
We should know about an important principle of Islam called as “Al-Takeyya”. There are many non-Muslims who are fooled into believing (by the Muslims) that Muhammad and Islam talk highly of them. They also proclaim to the non-Muslim world that Islam wants to have cordial relations with them. These are all lies. Islam allows Muslims to lie for religion. It is a binding principle of Islam and is called “Al-Takeyyah” (Al-Takiyah). Muslims use this principle to lie to the infidel unbelievers and tell that Islam is a religion of peace . Let me explain it fully. Like most religions, Islam in general, forbids lying. The Quran says, "Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies." (Quran 40:28). However, unlike other religions, within Islam there are certain provisions under which lying is not simply tolerated, but actually encouraged by Allah. This point is proven by many incidences in the life of Muhammad. He often lied and instructed his followers to do the same...
Read more

Description of the Kings of Kali-Yuga in Bhagwad Puran

Image
The exact translation of some verses from  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  that describe the kings of Kali-Yuga is presented here. It should make an interesting reading for all.    Prelude The Twelfth Canto of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  begins with Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī predicting the kings of the earth who will appear in the future during the Age of Kali. Then he gives a description of the numerous faults of the age   The First Chapter of this canto briefly describes the future kings of the dynasty of Magadha and how they become degraded because of the influence of the Age of Kali.  The power in the countries of Magadha and so forth will fall to kings who are no better than  śūdras  and  mlecchas  and are totally absorbed in irreligion. The Verses SB 12.1.7-8  — King Mahānandi will father a very powerful son in the womb of a śūdra woman. He will be known as Nanda and will be the master of millions of soldiers and...
Read more

Ramkeli, Centre of Krishna Bhakti in Malda, Bengal

Image
  Gauda  or Gour, located in the Malda district, presently is a ruined city that served as the capital of Bengal between the 12th and 16th centuries. In the heart of Malda, lies the small village of Ramkeli, popular as the land of Rup and Sanatan, the two great disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the summer of 1515 AD, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was travelling to Vrindavan and for a short while he had stayed at Ramkeli. Two brothers, Rup and Sanatan Goswami who lived a life of opulence and luxury, were so inspired by His spiritual lessons that they decided to renounce luxury and devote their life to spread the message of Krishna. "Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu eventually arrived at a village named Ramakeli. This village is situated on the border of Bengal and is very exquisite. While performing sankirtan in Ramakeli-gram, the Lord danced and sometimes lost consciousness due to love of God. While at Ramakeli-gram, an unlimited number of people came to see H...
Read more

Beef and the Environment

Image
Beef  and the Environment ·         Giving up beef will reduce carbon footprint more than cars, says expert from  University of Oxford.  ·         “The US and Europe alike are using so much of their land in highly inefficient livestock farming systems, while so much good quality cropland is being used to grow animal feeds rather than human food. ” ·         Study shows red meat dwarfs others for environmental impact, using 28 times more land and 11 times water for pork or chicken. ·         Beef production results in five times more climate-warming emissions than chicken or pork.   Beef’s environmental impact dwarfs that of other meat including chicken and pork, new research reveals, with one expert saying that eating less red meat would be a better way for people to cut carbon emissions than giving up their cars...
Read more

Lord Krishna: I am god

Image
Lord Shri Krishna says multiple times in Bhagvad Gita directly and sometimes indirectly that "I AM THE SOURCE OF ALL". In no other scripture has anybody claimed this. There are a few selected verses for readers to read and make their own judgment on the subject.     भोक्तारं   यज्ञतपसां   सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ‌  । सुहृदं   सर्वभूतानां   ज्ञात्वा   मां   शान्तिमृच्छति   ॥ Bg 5.29   —  A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries. योगिनामपि   सर्वेषां   मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना   । श्रद्धावान्भजते   यो   मां   स   मे   युक्ततमो   मतः   ॥ Bg 6.47   —  And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himsel...
Read more

COWS & SPIRITUALITY

Image
Kingdom of God:   Various religions of the world mention about the “kingdom of God”. Vedic texts give elaborate descriptions of It. Scriptures like Bhagwad Geeta, Bhagwad Puran, Garg Samhita and Brahma Samhita are some of them. In the spiritual realm, the Lord is engaged in herding the spiritual cows, as stated in the Hindu scriptures: cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpavriksha- lakshavrteshu surabhir abhipaalayantam lakshmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam govindam aadi-purusham tam aham bhajami [Brahma-samhita] “Lord Krishna is situated in a spiritual abode made of transcendental gems. In that abode he is surrounded by millions of desire fulfilling trees  (kalpa-vriksha),  and he takes pleasure in tending the divine cows. He is always being served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of devotees. To that Supreme Lord, who is always trying to satisfy the senses of the cows, and who is the original person, I offer my worship.” ...
Read more

SRI RADHA GOVINDAJI TEMPLE

Image
Sri Radha Govindaji temple  was a grand seven-story structure, with an altar of marble, silver and gold.   Akbar contributed in building it & Aurangzeb destroyed it.   THE TEMPLE The temple was built by Raja Man Singh a general from the army of King Akbar sometimes after 1570. Raja Man Singh was a disciple of Raghunath Bhatta Goswami. Architecturally this temple is one of the finest in North India. A sculptured lotus flower weighing several tons decorates the main hall ceiling. It was said to have cost ten million rupees, and several thousand men were working for five full years to complete it. Akbar himself had donated the red sandstone for its construction. In 1670, during the rule of a later Mughal king, Aurangzeb, it was plundered and destroyed leaving only three stories of the original temple.   During this attack, when few stories remained, all of a sudden the ground began to shake violently and Aurangzeb’s men were terrified and ra...
Read more

Follow on Facebook

Views This Week

Popular posts from this blog

भगवान श्री कृष्ण : मैं ही ईश्वर हूँ।

Image
भगवान श्री कृष्ण ने भगवद गीता में अनेक बार कहा है कि वे ही परमेश्वर हैं। शायद ही किसी भी शस्त्र मैं किसी ने ऐसा कहा हो। इस ज्ञान को उन्हों ने कभी गुप्त रूप से और कभी सीधे-सीधे कहा है। प्रस्तुत हैं कुछ श्लोक जो इस बात की पुष्टि करतें हैं।    भोक्तारं   यज्ञतपसां   सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ‌  । सुहृदं   सर्वभूतानां   ज्ञात्वा   मां   शान्तिमृच्छति   ॥ BG5.29 मुझे   समस्त   यज्ञों   तथा   तपस्याओं   का   परं   भोक्ता ,  समस्त   लोकों   तथा   देवताओं   का   परमेश्र्वर   एवं   समस्त   जीवों   का   उपकारी   एवं   हितैषी   जानकर   मेरे   भावनामृत   से   पूर्ण   पुरुष   भौतिक   दुखों   से   शान्ति   लाभ - करता   है  | योगिनामपि   सर्वेषां   मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना   । श्रद्धावान्भजते   यो   मां   स   मे   युक्ततमो   मतः  ...
Read more

Description of the Kings of Kali-Yuga in Bhagwad Puran

Image
The exact translation of some verses from  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  that describe the kings of Kali-Yuga is presented here. It should make an interesting reading for all.    Prelude The Twelfth Canto of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  begins with Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī predicting the kings of the earth who will appear in the future during the Age of Kali. Then he gives a description of the numerous faults of the age   The First Chapter of this canto briefly describes the future kings of the dynasty of Magadha and how they become degraded because of the influence of the Age of Kali.  The power in the countries of Magadha and so forth will fall to kings who are no better than  śūdras  and  mlecchas  and are totally absorbed in irreligion. The Verses SB 12.1.7-8  — King Mahānandi will father a very powerful son in the womb of a śūdra woman. He will be known as Nanda and will be the master of millions of soldiers and...
Read more

The Principle Of Al-Takiyah In Islam

Image
We should know about an important principle of Islam called as “Al-Takeyya”. There are many non-Muslims who are fooled into believing (by the Muslims) that Muhammad and Islam talk highly of them. They also proclaim to the non-Muslim world that Islam wants to have cordial relations with them. These are all lies. Islam allows Muslims to lie for religion. It is a binding principle of Islam and is called “Al-Takeyyah” (Al-Takiyah). Muslims use this principle to lie to the infidel unbelievers and tell that Islam is a religion of peace . Let me explain it fully. Like most religions, Islam in general, forbids lying. The Quran says, "Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies." (Quran 40:28). However, unlike other religions, within Islam there are certain provisions under which lying is not simply tolerated, but actually encouraged by Allah. This point is proven by many incidences in the life of Muhammad. He often lied and instructed his followers to do the same...
Read more

Dargah of Jalaluddin Rawan Was a Shiva Temple

Image
  Dargah of Jalaluddin Rawan in Sulibhanjan, Khuldabad, Maharashtra, was a Shiva Temple. It's clear, that the so called Dargah of Jalaluddin Rawan is built on a Shiva Temple. The Yoni part of Shivalingam is visible in the open ground of dargah. The temple complex is 800 years old which was a part of Devgiri, Capital of Yadavas.  Jalaluddin Ganj-e-Rawa came from persia and decided to live here. The name of lake, Pariyon ka Talan is evidently a later name.  
Read more

Ramkeli, Centre of Krishna Bhakti in Malda, Bengal

Image
  Gauda  or Gour, located in the Malda district, presently is a ruined city that served as the capital of Bengal between the 12th and 16th centuries. In the heart of Malda, lies the small village of Ramkeli, popular as the land of Rup and Sanatan, the two great disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the summer of 1515 AD, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was travelling to Vrindavan and for a short while he had stayed at Ramkeli. Two brothers, Rup and Sanatan Goswami who lived a life of opulence and luxury, were so inspired by His spiritual lessons that they decided to renounce luxury and devote their life to spread the message of Krishna. "Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu eventually arrived at a village named Ramakeli. This village is situated on the border of Bengal and is very exquisite. While performing sankirtan in Ramakeli-gram, the Lord danced and sometimes lost consciousness due to love of God. While at Ramakeli-gram, an unlimited number of people came to see H...
Read more

SRI RADHA GOVINDAJI TEMPLE

Image
Sri Radha Govindaji temple  was a grand seven-story structure, with an altar of marble, silver and gold.   Akbar contributed in building it & Aurangzeb destroyed it.   THE TEMPLE The temple was built by Raja Man Singh a general from the army of King Akbar sometimes after 1570. Raja Man Singh was a disciple of Raghunath Bhatta Goswami. Architecturally this temple is one of the finest in North India. A sculptured lotus flower weighing several tons decorates the main hall ceiling. It was said to have cost ten million rupees, and several thousand men were working for five full years to complete it. Akbar himself had donated the red sandstone for its construction. In 1670, during the rule of a later Mughal king, Aurangzeb, it was plundered and destroyed leaving only three stories of the original temple.   During this attack, when few stories remained, all of a sudden the ground began to shake violently and Aurangzeb’s men were terrified and ra...
Read more

Vaishnav Culture of Bishnupur, West Bengal

Image
Vaishnav Culture & Major Temples of Bishnupur, Bengal. Madan Gopal Temple Deities  From around 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur. The ancient Rajas of Bishnupur trace back their history to a time when Hindus were still reigning in Delhi, and the name of the Muslims was not yet heard in India. Indeed, they could already count five centuries of rule over the western frontier tracts of Bengal before Bakhtiyar Khalji arrived. Adi Malla was the founder of the Malla dynasty. In 695 AD, a prince of one of the royal families of northern India made a pilgrimage with his wife to the Jagannath temple at Puri. He left his wife who was about to give birth to a child in the care of a Brahmin here. The wife gave birth to a son. When he was 15 years old he had no equal as a wrestler in the territory all around. It was this that earned him th...
Read more

Lord Krishna Praises The Trees

Image
Shri Krishna advised his friends to be fortunate like trees by fulfilling others desires even while taking pain themselves.  Presented here is exact translation of verses from Bhagwad Puran for our reference. Translation: Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to king Parikshi ...... Some time later Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī, surrounded by His cowherd friends and accompanied by His elder brother, Balarāma, went a good distance away from Vṛndāvana, herding the cows.   When the sun’s heat became intense, Lord Kṛṣṇa saw that the trees were acting as umbrellas by shading Him, and thus He spoke as follows to His friends. Lord Kṛṣṇa said:  O Stoka Kṛṣṇa and Aṁśu, O Śrīdāma, Subala and Arjuna, O Viśāla, Vṛṣabha, Ojasvī, Devaprastha and Varūthapa, just see these greatly fortunate trees, whose lives are completely dedicated to the benefit of others. Even while tolerating the wind, rain, heat and snow, they protect us from these elements. ...
Read more