Gandhi Jayanti 2024: The history and significance of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan

“Over 4 centuries aft helium wrote it, the opus became Mohandas Gandhi’s lifelong motivation compass and straight influenced India’s large state run against British imperial rule. What is singular astir ‘Vaishnav Jan’, thing that Gandhi understood and imbibed, is that the opus is simply a remarkably secular and non-denominational benchmark for righteous quality conduct,” Chhaya writes connected his website.

Know astir the bhajan and Gandhi’s transportation to it

The bhajan, primitively composed successful the Gujarati language, is an ode to the virtues of a Vaishnav (a devotee of Lord Vishnu) and defines what it means to unrecorded a beingness of selflessness, humility, and empathy.

American student of Hinduism Vasudha Narayanan explained successful The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Materiality, the bhajan exemplifies the conception of jiva-daya, a signifier of ahimsa that involves empathising with the suffering of others and connecting it to bhakti, devotion to God.

Happy Gandhi Jayanti 2024! (Express Archives)

For Gandhi, “Vaishnav Jan To” was much than conscionable a devotional song; it was a reflection of the values helium cherished and practiced successful his life. The bhajan encapsulated the principles of Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) and Sarvodaya (the payment of all), ideals that shaped his ngo for India’s independence. Gandhi’s advocacy for truth, non-violence, and his accent connected societal justness recovered resonance successful this hymn’s telephone for compassion and humility.

Influence connected the Indian Freedom Movement

During India’s conflict for independence, the opus became emblematic of the spiritual and motivation ethos that guided the movement. It was often sung astatine gatherings and supplication meetings, reinforcing the thought that idiosyncratic virtuousness and nationalist work were inextricably linked. The hymn’s connection of humility and serving others without anticipation of reward became cardinal to Gandhi’s teachings.

“Vaishnav Jan To” continues to animate radical crossed the world. Numerous artists, including celebrated Indian singers similar Lata Mangeshkar, Pandit Jasraj, and adjacent planetary musicians, person performed renditions of this iconic bhajan. On the juncture of Gandhi’s 150th commencement day successful 2019, artists from implicit 124 countries came unneurotic to sing this hymn arsenic a tribute to Gandhi’s lasting legacy.