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In 1929,
P.P.Doctorjee was addressing a meeting at Benares (Varanasi), explaining the
need for Sangha. He customarily carried a Bhagwa Dhwaja (Saffron flag) and a
small statue of the God Hanuman with him. At the conclusion of his program,
he would administer the Sangha Oath (Pledge) of dedication to those who were
willing to take it. On the same occasion, he would also nominate the “Sangha
Chalak” and the “Karyawaha” for that Shakha (after due consultation with all
concerned).
On that day in 1929, the meeting attendees included many University
professors, and other equally learned people. Some of them began to waver,
when the time came to take the oath. They suggested that the wording of the
Oath should be changed to state that person who takes the oath will work for
the upliftment of the downtrodden Bharateeya society “as much as possible”
(Yathaa-Shakti) instead of its original wording. The original wording stated
that the oath taker shall dedicate himself with all he or she had, including
bodily labor, mental/intellectual strength and monetary strength. The
wavering people demanded that the Oath must have this change of wording, if
they were to take it.
P.P.Doctorjee explained that, as a practical matter any person who takes the
Oath can work only to the extent that he could possibly work. No one could
work beyond his/her limits. Thus, in saying “Yathaa Shakti” (as much as
possible), self-deceit was definitely involved. The Oath taker was in fact
saying that his oath was making the work yet more limited. Since service of
the downtrodden was the ultimate lofty ideal, self-deceit and lowering the
extent of dedication would serve no purpose!
Needless to say, after this explanation, all attaindees take the oath without
any further questions!
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