He received BA with elective subjects of
Material Science and
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
in 1909 from
Wilson College, Bombay. He completed
LLB
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the China, People's Republic ...
in 1913 and practised law for three years. He married Gomatiben in 1907.
Career
Mashruwala had briefly served as a secretary of
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
. He taught at the National School in his
Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram (also known as Gandhi Ashram) is located in the Sabarmati suburb of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, adjoining the Ashram Road, on the banks of the River Sabarmati, from the town hall. This was one of the many residences of Mahatma Gandh ...
from 1917 to 1919. He served as the first Registrar of
Gujarat Vidyapith
Gujarat Vidyapith is a deemed university in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, and deemed a university in 1963.
Etymology
"Vidyapith," in many languages of ...
which was founded by him. During this period, he was introduced to Kedarnathji by
Kaka Kalelkar
Dattatreya Balkrishna Kalelkar (1 December 1885 – 21 August 1981), popularly known as Kaka Kalelkar, was an Indian independence activist, social reformer, journalist and an eminent follower of the philosophy and methods of Mahatma Gandhi.
B ...
. He was influenced by
Sahajanand Swami
Swaminarayan (IAST: ', 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of God Krishna, or as the highest manifestation of Purushottam, and around ...
, Mahatma Gandhi and Kedarnathji. He participated in the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
in 1930-32 and was imprisoned for two years by the
British authorities. He served as the president of Gandhi Sewa Sangh from 1934 to 1938. Following arrest of Gandhi during the 1942
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...
, he managed Gandhi's periodical ''Harijan''. He was again imprisoned for sometime. Following 1946, he edited ''Harijan'' till his death.
He died on 9 September 1952 following
asthmatic attack. He was cremated the next day at Gopuri in
Wardha
Wardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the north, west and south bounda ...
next to
Jamnalal Bajaj
Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj (4 November 1889 – 11 February 1942) was an Indian industrialist. He founded the Bajaj Group of companies in the 1920s, and the group now has 24 companies, including six that are listed on the bourses. He was also a c ...
's memorial.
Works
Biographies
Mashruwala has highlighted the human elements in his biographies which include ''Ram Ane Krishna'' (
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
and
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
, 1923), ''Ishu Khrist'' (
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, 1925), ''Buddha Ane Mahavir'' (
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
and
Mahavira
Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...
, 1926) and ''Sahajanand Swami'' (
Sahajanand Swami
Swaminarayan (IAST: ', 3 April 1781 – 1 June 1830), also known as Sahajanand Swami, was a yogi and ascetic, who is believed by followers to be a manifestation of God Krishna, or as the highest manifestation of Purushottam, and around ...
, 1926). These are written in a simple and impacting language.
Essays
Mashruwala had written some works on education such as ''Kelavanina Paya'' (1925), ''Kelavani Vivek'' (1949), ''Kelavani Vikas'' (1950). He had suggested several changes and ideas in education. His works reflect Mahatma Gandhi's basic education scheme ''
Nai Talim
Nai Talim, or Basic Education, is a principle which states that knowledge and work are not separate. Mahatma Gandhi promoted an educational curriculum with the same name based on this pedagogical principle.
It can be translated with the phrase ...
''.
His biggest contribution in literature belongs to his essays on religion and philosophy. ''Jivan Shodhan'' (1929) has six sections focusing on changing perspective of life. ''Gandhivichardohan'' (1932) is his work on
Gandhian philosophy
Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision, and the life work of M.K. Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance.
The ter ...
. ''Geetamanthan'' (1933) is a commentary on ''
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
''. ''Streepurush Maryada'' (1937) collects his essays written over span of a decade and has influences of
Swaminarayan Sampraday
The Swaminarayan Sampradaya, also known as Swaminarayan Hinduism and Swaminarayan movement, is a Hindu Vaishnava sampradaya rooted in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita, characterized by the Bhakti, worship of its Charismatic authority, charismati ...
. ''Kagadani Najare'' (1947) is his satirical essays on followers of Gandhi. His ''Samuli Kranti'' (1948) includes his original thoughts and commentaries on religion, society, economics, politics and education. His two volumes of ''Sansar Ane Dharma'' (1948) include his critical views on religion.
''Gandhi Ane Samyavad'' (Gandhi and Communism/Gandhi and Marx, 1951) is a collection of series of essays published in ''Harijan'' which compares
Gandhism
Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision, and the life work of M.K. Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance.
The term ...
and
Communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
.
His ''Ahimsavivechan'' (1942) includes his articles on non-violence which has some differences of ideas from Gandhi.
Translations
Mashruwala has translated several works in Gujarati including
Kahlil Gibran
Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...
's ''
The Prophet'' as ''Vidayni Velae'' (1935),
John Morley
John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, (24 December 1838 – 23 September 1923) was a British Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor.
Initially, a journalist in the North of England and then editor of the newly Liberal-leani ...
's ''On Compromise'' as ''Satyamay Jivan'' (1933),
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
's ''
The Light Shines in the Darkness'' as ''Timirma Prabha'' (1936),
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...
's ''The Life of the White Ant'' as ''Udhainu Jivan'' (1940). He has also poetically translated
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
in Gujarati as ''Gitadhwani'' (1933). During his imprisonment in 1942, he co-translated
Perry Burgess
Perry Burgess (October 12, 1886, Joplin, Missouri – September 15, 1962, Unionville, Ohio) was an American minister, fundraiser, writer, and authority on leprosy. His 1940 book ''Who Walk Alone'' won a National Book Award for Nonfiction, t ...
' ''Who Walk Alone'' as ''Manavi Khandiyero'' (1946) with
Kaka Kalelkar
Dattatreya Balkrishna Kalelkar (1 December 1885 – 21 August 1981), popularly known as Kaka Kalelkar, was an Indian independence activist, social reformer, journalist and an eminent follower of the philosophy and methods of Mahatma Gandhi.
B ...
.
His associate
Narhari Parikh
Narhari Dwarkadas Parikh was a writer, independence activist and social reformer from Gujarat, India. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, he was associated with Gandhian institutes throughout his life. He wrote biographies, edited works by associates ...
has written his biography ''Shreyarthini Sadhana'' (1953).
See also
*
List of Gujarati-language writers
Well known laureates of Gujarati literature are Hemchandracharya, Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Akho, Premanand Bhatt, Shamal Bhatt, Dayaram, Dalpatram, Narmad, Govardhanram Tripathi, Mahatma Gandhi, K. M. Munshi, Umashankar Joshi, Suresh Joshi, Pan ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mashruwala, Kishorlal
Gujarati-language writers
Writers from Mumbai
1890 births
1952 deaths
20th-century Indian writers
Gandhians
Indian biographers
Indian essayists
Indian translators
Translators from English
Indian independence activists from Maharashtra
Deaths from asthma
20th-century translators