“I felt that it was not a historical work, but that, under the guise of physical warfare, it described the duel that perpetually went on in the hearts of mankind, and that physical warfare was brought in merely to make the description of the internal duel more alluring. This preliminary intuition became more confirmed on a closer study of religion and the Gita. A study of the Mahabharata gave it added confirmation. I do not regard the Mahabharata as a historical work in the accepted sense. The Adiparva contains powerful evidence in support of my opinion. By ascribing to the chief actors superhuman or subhuman origins, the great Vyasa made short work the history of kings and their peoples. The persons therein described may be historical, but the author of the Mahabharata has used them merely to drive home his religious theme.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“shall be able to kindle the same in you. But one cannot light a piece of stone. Only those of you who have some oil and wick in them will light their lamp with this matchstick of mine.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?"
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Do your allotted work but renounce its fruit—be detached and work—have no desire for reward and work.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“the path of self-purification is hard and steep. To attain to perfect purity one has to become absolutely passion-free in thought, speech and action; to rise above the opposing currents of love and hatred, attachment and repulsion.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“The earth has everything for all human needs, but nothing for his greed.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one's self-respect.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Third-class passengers are treated like sheep and their comforts are sheep’s comforts.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Renunciation of objects, without the renunciation of desires, is short-lived, however hard you may try.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“Our contribution to the progress of the world must, therefore, consist in setting our own house in order.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
“You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.”
―
Mahatma Gandhi
