Spiritual Awakening in Gandhi and Other Indian Saints

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Dr. R.D. Ranade the author of this book; was born on 3rd July 1886 at Jamkhindi in Bijapur District of Karnataka.

Prof. Ranade's first monumental work - The constructive survey of Upanishadic Philosophy was published in 1926. It instantly brought him international fame and in 1927 he was invited to join the Allahabad University (then known as the Oxford of India by the then Vice Chancellor Dr. Ganga Nath Jha. Later he became Dean of the faculty of Arts and then Vice Chancellor. After his retirement from the Allahabad University in 1946 he lived at Nimbal and passed away on 6th June 1957.

Prof. Ranade was equally steeped in ancient western though. His comprehension of Greek philosophy was based on first-hand understanding of the source. He studied Greek language including its script thoroughly and could quote passages from original Greek. His long essay, "Greek and Sanskrit; A comparative study" , provides guidelines in comparative linguistics.

The life of Dr. Ranade was God-inspired, God-possessed and God-intoxicated. His meditation continued uninterruptedly till the end. And he was soaked in Bliss Divine. He was a Mystic - philosopher. "Spiritual life," he said, "was the beginning of my career and let me hope, it will be its culmination as well."

"A mystic", according to Ranade may be a philosopher but is not necessarily so. His mystic experience is sufficient for his own elevation into divinity; but if he philosophizes, he may raise thinking humanity into a Kingdome of Ends".

His books include 'Constructive Survey of Upnishadic Philosophy' (1927) described by the German savant, Prof. Garbe as ' A monumentum aere perennius (a permanent monument). This was followed by 'History of Indian Philosophy: The Creative Period (jointly with Belvalkar) which begins with early Indian speculation to the advent of Buddhism. His Basu Mallik lectures in Calcutta university on 'Vedant: The culmination of Indian through' was published posthumously in 1970. His work the Conception of Spiritual life in Mahatma Gandhi and Hindi saints (1956) is one of the greatest masterpieces among other works on Mahatma Gandhi, His voluminous book Mysticism in Maharashtra (1933) is based on the works of medieval saints in Maharastra such as, Jananesvera, Tukaram, Ramdas, Eknath and others. This was followed by 1. Pathway to God in Hindi Literature in two parts (1954), 2. Bhagvad-Gita as a philosophy of God realization and 3. Pathway to God in Kannad literature (1960). All these volumes constitute what may be called a spiritual encyclopedia of the wisdom of Indian seers.

While still at school at Jamkhindi, he came in contact with Sri Bhausaheb Maharaj, the great saint of Umadi who blessed him with Divine Name (1901) and thus sowed the seed of his later spiritual greatness. He pursued his spiritual sadhana also along with his studies as a result of which he had wonderful spiritual experiences even in those early days. A great urge 'to find intellectual justification for these spiritual experiences' prompted him to study philosophy both Eastern and western. He worked as a professor of philosophy in Ferguson College, Pune (1914) and Willingdon College, Sangli for ten years. He was twice a victim of protracted illness of a dangerous type form which he could get cure only through the all-abounding grace of his sadguru (master).

The Year 1918 brought domestic calamities to Prof. Ranade, which resulted in intensifying his devotion and Sadhana. A dream vision (1922) directed him to Nimbal a small Railway station between Sholapur and Bijapur where he built a small house with the intention of settling down. It has now assumed the form of a small Ashram and has become a place of pilgrimage.