ABSTRACT
The real clue to his conception of reality is found in the pregnant word, Satyagraha, which is generally translated by Truth-force. He writes: "Satyagraha is literally holding on to Truth, and it means, therefore, Truth-force. Truth is soul or spirit. It is, therefore, known as soul-force. It excludes the use of violence because man is not capable of knowing the absolute truth and, therefore, not competent to punish. The word was coined in South Africa to distinguish the non-violent resistance of the Indians of South Africa from the contemporary 'passive resistance' of the suffragettes and others. It is not conceived as a weapon of the weak."1 In this passage there are two important points to note. First, Truth is soul or spirit. That is, the truth of the world is that it is spirit and not matter. Secondly, Satyagraha
means some force only indirectly. Satya, means truth and agraha means sticking on, holding on, or persistence. So directly, the word means persistence in truth; and because this persistence is thought to have a peculiar power, Satyagraha is said to be Truthforce or the force of Truth. It is our duty to persist in Truth and not to yield to untruth; and it is the nature of Truth to assert and establish itself wherever untruth prevails. Truth is existence or being, and untruth is only apparent existence or being. However hard the latter tries to overcome the former, as existence is always existence and never non-existence, Truth must ultimately succeed. This is the significance of the saying, dharmo jayati, or Truth always prevails. It is in the nature of things that truth must ultimately prevail, only because true existence is the final controlling factor both of our thought and action, however far they deviate from it. But unfortunately, the word dharma is interpreted as religion, rules of caste system, and so forth, and the philosophical significance of the saying is missed.
