Vinoba Bhave, the National Teacher of India, was born on 11th September 1895 in a small village in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. He was the eldest of five children in his family. His father, a weaver who worked in Baroda, was a spirited rationalist whereas his mother was a very spiritual person. It is believed that Vinoba was inspired by her and also by reading the Bhagavad Gita at a young age.
Early Social Life
Considered as a spiritual successor to Mahatma Gandhi at a later point in time, Vinoba Bhave was initially inspired by Gandhi’s speech at the Benares University. Vinoba burnt his certificates of his education and gave up learning after meeting Gandhi at his Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad. His early social life started with Bhave’s active participation in Gandhi’s programmes like Khadi. He was also jailed several times for his non-violent protest against the British Rule. He greatly utilised his time in the prison to learn and write. Ishavasyavritti and Sthitaprajna Darshan were written by Bhave during his time in the jail.
Freedom Struggle and Social reforms
Vinoba Bhave actively participated in the freedom struggles and in all non-violent initiatives of Gandhi. He was elected as the first individual Satyagrahi by Gandhi in 1940. He was also actively part of the Quit India Movement. His religious views were a synthesis of other faiths and his hymn ‘Om Tat Sat’ embodies the same. He is famous for his literary works on the Quran and the Christian teachings. He was a person who stated that ‘The Gita is my life’s breath’ and he translated the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi. He walked through all of India and interacted with the Harijans and the poor. He started the Bhoodan movement in 1951, thus helping the landless poor. He was a true advocate of non-violence and human rights.
Personal life and death
Vinoba Bhave never married and vowed to celibacy. He spent the last part of his life in his Brahma Vidya Mandir in the Wardha district of Maharashtra. He accepted the ‘Samadhi Maran’ in lines of the Jainism faith and thereby died on 15 th November, 1982 after refusing food and medicine in his last days. He received the Bharat Ratna award posthumously in 1983.
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Article Title: An Essay on Vinoba Bhave for Kids, Students and Children
Article last re-published on January 7, 2017. Original.