Vinoba Bhave

Acharya Vinoba Bhave was a scholar, saint, man of God, moral tribune, a beacon of hope and solace to millions in India and abroad. He was Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual successor.

Vinobaji was born in a village in Maharashtra's Kolaba district on September 11, 1895. He was drawn to Mahatma Gandhi and his unique "Weaponless War" as a youth.
Like Mahatmaji, Vinobaji also was very much ahead of his time. His Bhoodan (Gift of Land), Sampattidan (Gift of Wealth), Jeevadan (Gift of Life) and other movements are logical extensions of Gandhiji's program of national reconstruction.

Vinobaji was one of the greatest scholar-saints thrown up by the modern Indian renaissance. His talks on the Bhagvad Gita delivered in jail are innovative and inspiring.

Though he had a marvelous memory and was a student by nature, he had devoted the largest part of his time to spinning in which he specialized. He believed in universal spinning being the central activity which would remove the poverty in the villages.
He abolished every trace of untouchability from his heart. He believed in communal amity. In order to know the best mind of Islam he gave one year to the study of Koran in the original. He, therefore, learnt Arabic. He found this study necessary for cultivating contact with the Muslims living in the neighborhood.

The Padayatra (journey) of Vinobaji, which was part of his Bhoodan movement now belongs to history. It was a demonstration of Gandhian doctrine of Trusteeship.

Of the many teachings of the Gita which Vinobaji highlighted in his talks, one of the most important was the role of self-help. "The Gita is prepared to go to the lowest, the weakest and the least cultured of men. And it goes to him not to keep him where he is, but to grasp him by the hand and lift him up. The Gita wishes that man should make his action pure and attain the highest state."

Vinobaji passed away at Paunar on November 17, 1982. He was posthumously honored with the Bharat Ratna Award in 1984