Indian Influences on Gandhi: The Profound Impact of the Ramayana

Mahatma Gandhi’s spiritual identity was profoundly shaped by India’s ancient religious traditions, and among these, the Ramayana held a special place in his heart. From childhood listening to melodious recitations in Porbandar to his final breath in New Delhi, the name of Rama remained Gandhi’s constant companion, guiding light, and source of strength. Understanding this relationship reveals the spiritual foundation upon which Gandhi built his philosophy of truth and non-violence.

The childhood enchantment: Ladha Maharaj’s recitation
Overcoming fear with Ramanama: Rambha’s remedy
The transformation from remedy to realization
Gandhi’s philosophical Rama: beyond the historical figure
Ram Rajya: the ideal of divine governance
The final utterance: “He Ram!” as a testament of faith
The final moments at Birla House
The enduring legacy of Gandhi’s Ramanama

The childhood enchantment: Ladha Maharaj’s recitation

Gandhi’s first deep exposure to the Ramayana came during his father’s illness in Porbandar. Every evening, his father would listen to the Ramayana read by Ladha Maharaj of Bileshwar, a great devotee of Rama whose story itself embodied the power of faith. According to local belief, Ladha Maharaj had cured himself of leprosy not through medicine, but by applying bilva leaves from the Bileshwar Temple to affected areas and through regular repetition of Ramanama.

The young Gandhi, approximately thirteen years old at the time, was captivated by Ladha Maharaj’s presentations. He possessed a melodious voice and would sing the dohas (couplets) and chopais (quatrains), explaining them while becoming absorbed in the discourse and carrying his listeners along. Gandhi later reflected that he remembered being enraptured by these readings, which laid the foundation of his deep devotion to the Ramayana.

This early exposure led Gandhi to develop an enduring reverence for Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, which he regarded as the greatest book in all devotional literature. The sixteenth-century epic, written in Awadhi rather than Sanskrit, made the story of Rama accessible to common people. Gandhi appreciated this democratization of sacred knowledge, and Tulsidas’s work became central to his spiritual practice throughout his life.

Overcoming fear with Ramanama: Rambha’s remedy

While Ladha Maharaj’s recitations shaped Gandhi’s intellectual and devotional understanding, an even more personal connection to Ramanama came through the family’s household servant. In his autobiography, Gandhi mentions that as a child, he was afraid of ghosts and spirits. His nurse Rambha, an old servant of the family for whom Gandhi held deep affection, offered a simple remedy.

Rambha suggested the repetition of Ramanama as the cure for this fear. Gandhi later wrote that he had more faith in her than in her remedy, but he followed her advice nonetheless. At a tender age, he began repeating the sacred name whenever fear seized him. Though this practice was initially short-lived, the good seed sown in childhood was not sown in vain.

Gandhi credited Rambha’s simple teaching as the source of his lifelong reliance on Ramanama. He described it as a sun that brightened his darkest hours. The practice Rambha taught him became his constant spiritual companion, evolving from a childhood remedy into the cornerstone of his mature spirituality. Gandhi explained that a Christian might find similar solace in the name of Jesus, and a Muslim in the name of Allah, emphasizing that the power lay in sincere devotion rather than any particular religious form.

The transformation from remedy to realization

What began as a child’s superstitious practice transformed into something far deeper as Gandhi matured. He came to understand that mere lip repetition was futile if it failed to stir the soul. True recitation of Ramanama required it to come from the heart, representing a complete orientation of one’s being toward the divine. Gandhi emphasized that this practice was not mere mechanical repetition but a conscious surrender to God’s will.

The practice sustained Gandhi through numerous trials, including his experiments with truth, his struggles for Indian independence, and his personal battles for self-purification. He believed that Ramanama could not restore a lost limb, but it could perform the greater miracle of helping a person remain at peace despite such loss.

Gandhi’s philosophical Rama: beyond the historical figure

For Gandhi, Rama transcended the prince of Ayodhya described in the epic. In his prayer meeting at Birla House in April 1946, Gandhi declared that his Rama was not the historical figure, the son of Dasharatha, but the eternal, unborn, one without a second. This understanding allowed him to worship Rama while embracing people of all faiths.

Gandhi equated Rama with Truth, and Truth with God. For him, Rama represented the Supreme Being who was the same as the Hormazd of Parsis and the Christ of Christians. He claimed to see Rama in the Quran, in the Zend Avesta, and in the Bible. This universalist interpretation of Rama reflected Gandhi’s broader vision of religious harmony.

When questioned about how Muslims could participate in chanting Ramanama, Gandhi responded pointedly: Is there one God for Muslims and another for Hindus, Parsis, or Christians? No, there is only one omnipotent and omnipresent God. He maintained that God is named variously, and people remember Him by whichever name is most familiar. This theological position allowed Gandhi to use Hindu religious vocabulary while advocating for a pluralistic society.

Ram Rajya: the ideal of divine governance

Gandhi’s conception of Rama extended into his political vision through the concept of Ram Rajya, the kingdom of Rama. At a public meeting in Bhopal in 1929, he clarified that Ram Rajya did not mean Hindu Raj but divine rule, the Kingdom of God. For him, Rama and Rahim were identical deities, and he acknowledged no God but that of Truth and righteousness.

This ideal represented a democracy where even the humblest citizen could expect swift justice without elaborate procedures. Gandhi noted that whether the Rama of his imagination actually lived on earth was less important than the ancient ideal he represented. His constant references to Ram Rajya had a strong impact on the Hindu population of north India, inspiring millions to join the freedom struggle.

The final utterance: “He Ram!” as a testament of faith

Gandhi’s invocation of Rama at moments of extreme crisis demonstrated how deeply embedded this name was in his consciousness. The first documented instance occurred in South Africa in February 1908, when Gandhi was brutally attacked by a Pathan named Mir Alam who opposed his compromise on voluntary registration with General Smuts.

As the blows began, Gandhi recalled having an impression that he uttered the words “He Rama!” Colleagues intervened, and Gandhi was severely injured. Yet when he regained consciousness, he rose with a smile, harboring no anger or hatred toward his assailants. He reflected that this incident made him more fearless, recognizing that there is suffering only as long as the soul remains connected to the body.

The final moments at Birla House

Four decades later, on January 30, 1948, Gandhi faced his final test. As Nathuram Godse fired three shots at close range, Gandhi fell to the ground, placing his hand to his forehead in the Hindu gesture of forgiveness. He was quickly carried back into Birla House, where his granddaughter Mani announced to the crowd that Bapu was finished.

According to witnesses, Gandhi was heard to gasp “He Ram, He Ram” as he slowly sank to the ground, his palms joined in what observers described as a final act of ahimsa, or non-violence. His memorial at Raj Ghat in New Delhi bears the inscription “He Ram,” believed to be his last words.

Gandhi had often expressed his desire to die with the name of Rama on his lips. At a speech in April 1947, he declared that he would not stop his prayers even if killed, adding that people would see him reciting Rama and Rahim, Krishna and Karim when he breathed his last. Whether consciously spoken or arising from the depths of a lifetime’s practice, those final words represented the culmination of a spiritual journey that began with a child’s fear of ghosts and ended with a sage’s surrender to the divine.

The enduring legacy of Gandhi’s Ramanama

Gandhi’s relationship with the Ramayana offers insights into how ancient texts can shape modern consciousness. He drew from Tulsidas’s epic not merely devotional comfort but practical guidance for ethical living. The epic’s emphasis on dharma, truth, and righteous conduct aligned with his philosophy of satyagraha and non-violent resistance.

Gandhi believed the spirit of Tulsidas’s Ramayana was purity, compassion, and devotion to God. He pointed to episodes showing Rama’s affectionate embrace of people from all backgrounds, including the untouchable Guha, as examples for India to follow. The epic served not as a weapon of division but as a bridge toward the inclusive society Gandhi envisioned.

From Rambha’s simple remedy to his final breath, Ramanama remained Gandhi’s infallible spiritual anchor. It provided him courage in South African prisons, strength during independence struggles, and peace amid the communal violence that tore apart the nation he helped liberate. The name of Rama, as Gandhi understood it, transcended religious boundaries to represent the universal human aspiration toward truth and righteousness.

What do you think? How can ancient spiritual texts like the Ramayana remain relevant in addressing modern challenges? In what ways might Gandhi’s universal interpretation of Rama offer a model for interfaith understanding today?

References

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Indian Influences on Gandhi: The Profound Impact of the Ramayana

Table of Contents

The childhood enchantment: Ladha Maharaj’s recitation 🔗

Overcoming fear with Ramanama: Rambha’s remedy 🔗

The transformation from remedy to realization 🔗

Gandhi’s philosophical Rama: beyond the historical figure 🔗

Ram Rajya: the ideal of divine governance 🔗

The final utterance: “He Ram!” as a testament of faith 🔗

The final moments at Birla House 🔗

The enduring legacy of Gandhi’s Ramanama 🔗