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Rowlatt Satyagraha

Gandhi's concept of Truth (Satya) encompasses truthfulness in thought, word, and deed, equating it with God and ultimate reality, and emphasizing its active, ethical nature. His philosophy integrates Indian traditions with Western influences, viewing the pursuit of truth as a spiritual journey and embracing all religions as 'more or less true.' Central to his ideology is ahimsa (non-violence), which he considered paramount alongside truth, reflecting a deep-rooted Indian lineage in his thought.

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53 views1 page

Rowlatt Satyagraha

Gandhi's concept of Truth (Satya) encompasses truthfulness in thought, word, and deed, equating it with God and ultimate reality, and emphasizing its active, ethical nature. His philosophy integrates Indian traditions with Western influences, viewing the pursuit of truth as a spiritual journey and embracing all religions as 'more or less true.' Central to his ideology is ahimsa (non-violence), which he considered paramount alongside truth, reflecting a deep-rooted Indian lineage in his thought.

Uploaded by

jnjanice7
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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For Gandhi, Truth had multiple layers: it included truthfulness in thought, word, and deed,

but also pointed toward the Absolute—God, or ultimate reality. He often equated Truth with
God, famously reversing the common phrase to say "Truth is God," indicating that Truth was
his guiding light. At times, he described Truth as the voice of inner conscience, and at others,
as a spiritual force glimpsed only through humility, love, and non-violence (ahimsa).
Gandhi’s Truth was not abstract—it was active, ethical, deeply personal, and required a life
of discipline, vows, and humility to even begin to comprehend. This unique fusion of Indian
devotional culture and philosophical idealism gave his concept of Truth a rare moral and
spiritual depth.

Gandhi’s central ideological principle was ‘Truth’ (Satya), a concept deeply rooted in Indian
tradition, though shaped through Western exposure. While he found Western thinkers
inspirational, these influences primarily served to reawaken the teachings from his Hindu
upbringing, especially ideas heard in childhood and scriptures like the Ramcharitmanas by
Tulsidas. He frequently used phrases like “Truth is God” and saw the pursuit of truth as a
spiritual journey, equating it to seeking the Absolute (Brahman in Advaita Vedanta).
Gandhi’s interpretations often resembled the Upanishadic view of truth and were reflected in
common devotional phrases like “Ram nam satya hai”, where ‘truth’ signifies divine
promise, permanence, and moral duty. Though Buddhist concepts like Dharma or
Mahāyāna's Dharmakaya parallel his idea of truth, Gandhi’s exposure to these doctrines
came later in life. He might not have known ancient Vedic concepts like Rta, but the
cultural continuity between Rta, Dharma, and Satya highlights the deep Indian lineage of
his thought.

Gandhi also adopted the Indian tolerance for contradiction, embracing all religions as
‘more or less true’, blending universalism with Hindu identity. While this may seem
inconsistent logically, it fits within Indian philosophical traditions, which accept degrees
of truth rather than binary absolutes. Ahimsa: Central to his philosophy was the principle of
ahimsa (non-violence), which he regarded as second only to truth—or even greater at times.
Although Gandhi claimed to modernize an ancient Indian ideal, ahimsa had always existed in
Indian religious thought. References to it are found across traditions—from the Vedas to
Jainism, and even in the teachings of major world religions like Christianity, Islam, and
Zoroastrianism.

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