Aswada(control of the palate) and Sarvatra Bhayavarjana(Fearlessness)

Gandhiji was as conscious of his dietary habits as he was about spiritual development. During his stay in London in late 1890s, he used to write articles for the Royal Vegeterian Society on the importance of proper dietary habits. Gandhi adopted a vegetarian way of life. This mode of life was borne out of his mother’s advice on the importance of vegetarianism, but also his compassion for the living creatures. In this context, he was greatly influenced by the teachings of Buddhism and Jainism. Moreover, he stressed upon the fact that man should prefer nutritious food rather than foods that merely satisfy the taste-buds. He advocated total avoidance of spicy and over-nutritious food that would be counter-productive for the very aim of utilizing the body for noble purposes.

Gandhi exhorted people to be fearless in their life. He used to call it as Sarvatra Bhayavarjana. A man should be fearless against ghosts, fearless against failures and fearless against oppression. However, being fearless does not, in any way, mean developing arrogance or inconsiderate attitude towards the less fearless.