Foreword By Theme Editor

As the sun sets in the backdrop of the chirping birds that come home to rest in the trees all around Bapukuti¹ , this verse above from the Isha Unpanisad² , is sung during evening prayer sitting in the Gandhi Ashram. This practice of reciting old Sanskrit verses together must be as old as the Vedas themselves. Gandhiji explains the meaning and the relevance of these verses beautifully, “All that there is in this Universe, great or small, including the tiniest atom, is pervaded by God…everything that we see is pervaded by the Deity, and from that naturally the other parts of the mantra follow. … Renounce everything, …the whole of the Universe… And then, says the rishi, the reward of renunciation is i.e., enjoyment of all you need. But there is a meaning about the word ‘enjoy’—you might as well say use, eat, etc.,—but it means that you may not take more than what is necessary for your growth. Therefore, this enjoyment or use is limited by two conditions³ .