Mahatma Gandhi and Hinduism

This article is a reproduction of the lecture that Dr. Arvind Sharma (Prof. of Comparative Religion, McGill University, Canada) delivered yesterday at the department of Philosophy, Delhi University. The lecture was titled "Hinduism and Gandhi". There was no note given. So the words are mine, but the idea is his. 

There are four elements in Hindu belief. They are: 

1. Sources of Dharma

2. Concept of Varna

3. Concept of Asramas 

4. Concept of Purusharthas

These four elements can be further expanded thus: 

1. Dharma 

A. Sruti (Canonical Texts)

B. Smriti ( Tradition/What is Remembered)

C. Acarya ( Models/Teacher)

D. Atma-tusti (Conscience/Inner Self)

2. Varna 

A. Brahmins

B. Kshatriyas

C. Vaishyas 

D. Shudras 

The Shudras are classified into two categories: 

i. Included Eg. servants

ii. Untouchables 

3. Asramas (Four stages of Life)

A. Bramacharya (Student Life)

B. Grahastha (House-holder)

C. Vanaprastha ( Forest-Dweller)

D. Sanyasa (Ascetic)

4. Purusharthas (Goals of Life)

A. Dharma 

B. Artha (Wealth-Power)

C. Kama (Pleasure, as in Kama-Sutra)

D. Moksa (Liberation)

The order is generally classified in Hinduism this way though not everyone agrees entirely. Gandhi gives importance to these elements as a Hindu. He refuses to take the radical step of Ambedkar to bring change. Yet he re-arranges the order significantly and brings reformation within Hinduism. This is how he re-arranges the order: 

Dharma : He places 'atma-tusti' in the first place. 

Varna: He lifts the 'untouchables' and places them in the status of 'touchables'. 

Asramas: He lives like a forest-dweller; thus renouncing certain thing like sex. Yet he was a house-holder. (This would have been the reason, says Dr. Sharma, why women-folk were not afraid of being close to Gandhiji or the husbands were not hesitant to let the wives associate with him closely. This is significant considering the fact that on certain occasion women-folk outnumbered men in participating for Freedom March with Gandhiji). 

Purusharthas: His primary focus was on Dharma. 

PS: From this lecture I understand that Dr. Sharma attempts to drive home the point that there is sufficient resource within Hinduism to bring change in the social order. One does not have to go outside of the Hindu tradition to bring reformation. My observation as well as that of some others is that in this scheme of thing the status of women is not given due importance. It would be interesting to observe how Gandhiji would address of concerns of women within this tradition.