What is the Smarananjali?
The word Smarananjali (સ્મરણાંજલિ) joins two Sanskrit roots: smaran (remembrance, memory) and anjali (an offering made with cupped hands). It is, literally, an offering of remembrance — a son's cupped hands raised in tribute to his father's memory.
Published in March 1993 — approximately eighteen months after the passing of Sv. Mu. Va. Shri Indrashankar Prabhashankar Desai (Lalbhai) on 25 October 1991 — this 36-page Gujarati booklet was authored by his son Shri Vyomesh Indrashankar Desai and daughter-in-law Sou. Mayuri Vyomesh Desai. It is not a biography in the conventional sense. It is something rarer: a spiritual portrait of a father written by a son who knew him not only as a parent but as a living embodiment of the Bhagavad Gita's teachings.
The Prastavana: A Son's Words
The preface (Prastavana/ પ્રસ્તાવના) opens with a declaration that reads not as biography but as witness testimony — the words of a son who watched his father live a life of unwavering principle:
“અમારા પૂજ્ય પિતાશ્રી લાલભાઈ દેસાઈ ઘણા જ ધાર્મિક, સાત્ત્વિક અને પરોપકારી હતા. તેમના દૈનિક જીવનમાં શિસ્તબદ્ધ નિયમિતતા હતી.”
Every morning, without exception, Lalbhai would study the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He had undertaken thorough study of virtually every major Hindu religious text. The Smarananjali records that he lived his entire life — until his very last breath — in accordance with the teachings of Lord Krishna:
“જિંદગીની અંતિમ ઘડી સુધી શ્રી કૃષ્ણે આપેલ ઉપદેશ મુજબ જિંદગી જીવી અને દરેક ક્ષણમાં અદમ્ય હિંમત, આત્મવિશ્વાસ અને ઈશ્વર પ્રત્યેની અખૂટ શ્રદ્ધાનો પરિચય આપતા રહેતા.”
The booklet contains the Gayatri Mantra with word-by-word meanings, a detailed translation of the 18th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha-Sannyasyog — which the family considers the summation of all of life, and summaries of chapters 1 through 17. The choice is deliberate: the 18th chapter is the Gita's conclusion, the chapter in which all paths converge. It was the chapter Lalbhai returned to most, and the chapter his son chose to present in full as the centrepiece of this memorial.
The preface closes with a passage that captures the essence of the entire work:
“સ્વ. મુ. વ. શ્રી લાલભાઈની કર્તવ્યનિષ્ઠા, ધર્મપરાયણતા અને જીવનને વાસ્તવિક શૈલીમાં અપનાવવાની દઢ શક્તિ હંમેશાં અમારા જીવનની પ્રેરણા રહેશે અને આ પ્રેરણાનું સોત વિકસતું રહે અને તેની પવિત્ર જ્યોત પ્રજ્વલિત રહે તે હેતુથી સ્વર્ગસ્થ પિતાશ્રીની પવિત્ર સ્મૃતિમાં આ પુસ્તક આપને સપ્રેમ ચિરંજીવ યાદી રૂપે રજૂ કર્યું છે.”
The family gratefully acknowledges Mu. Shri Harkaka for his assistance with the writings in this booklet.
Jivan Vruttant: The Life Account
The biographical section — Jivan Vruttant (જીવન વૃત્તાંત) — opens with the essential facts: Shri Indrashankar Prabhashankar Desai, known universally as “Lalbhai,” was born on 19 November 1907 and passed away on 25 October 1991. His father, Shri Nanubhai (Prabhashankar bhai), was the Talukdar of Vasavad State, and Lalbhai was his only son — the sole heir to a legacy of nobility and responsibility.
In his maternal family, a prominent figure was Shri Mahaprasad Umiyashankar Arvind — known to all as “Arvindmama.” His sister Lilamben was married to Indubhai Joshipura.
Marriage and Family
Lalbhai married Sou. Pushpavatiben (Pushkalben), the daughter of Shri Kantilal Badaralal Chhaya of Porbandar. Their marriage spanned over sixty years — described in the Smarananjali with a phrase that carries the weight of genuine admiration:
“બાંસઠ વર્ષથી પણ વધુ સમયનું એકદમ સુખી અને દાખલારૂપ લગ્નજીવન.”
Together they raised a family of two sons and four daughters — Shri Kumarbhai (Hemendrakumar), Sou. Pravinaben, Sou. Kokilaben, Sou. Pratibhaben, Sou. Purnimaben, and Shri Vyomeshbhai — all well-settled during his lifetime. The Smarananjali describes this family as a mighty banyan tree: strong at the roots, expansive in its reach.
In all matters, the role of his wife Pushkalben was deeply significant. The Smarananjali records that Lalbhai always upheld her word as a rule — a mark of the genuine partnership that defined their six decades together.
Education and Character
Lalbhai was among the first in Saurashtra to pursue higher education. He completed his BA in English from Bahauddin College, Junagadh (Mumbai University), living in the hostel, and later completed an Agriculture degree course from Pune. He then returned to assist his father in managing the family's affairs and responsibilities.
Simplicity and disciplined regularity were the guiding principles of his life — sadagi (સાદગી) was his gurumantra. During his four years at the Junagadh hostel, he maintained a practice of visiting Girnar's Ambaji temple every Friday for darshan. The word “aalas” (આળસ — laziness) was simply not in his vocabulary. His daily routine of walking three to four kilometres continued well into his eighties, until December 1990.
Temperament and Relationships
Farming was his primary passion. Whatever the weather, he would be out in the fields — never sitting idle, never making a false show. He was always a spasht vakta (સ્પષ્ટ વક્તા) — a plain speaker who said what he believed. He loved jesting and was known for his sharp, playful humour, especially with his brother-in-law Nanavajvar Nanabhai, his cousin Indubhai, Shri Bharatbhai Mankad, Shri Nasabhai, Shri Shantibhai, and Shri Haribhai.
His qualities embodied what the Bhagavad Gita describes in Chapter 16, verses 1–3 as the daivi sampatti — the divine qualities: pure love (shuddh prem) and a spirit of service (sevabhav). He believed that one's own work must be done by one's own hands, and that no task carried shame if it was righteous. This principle he followed to the very end.
Service to Vasavad
From the smallest person to the greatest, Lalbhai helped every resident of Vasavad throughout his life. He secured jobs for many, resolved family and property disputes as an advocate-mediator, and remained the head of the Vasavad Municipality for many years. Any person from Vasavad who came to Rajkot would be received with special joy — the happiness of meeting one's own.
The Nehru Meeting
In 1952, during Shri Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to Saurashtra, Lalbhai was among the leaders of the princely states who met with Nehru to discuss key issues concerning Saurashtra's integration. A private meeting was held at Gondal, where Lalbhai raised issues that were subsequently noted at the national level.
The Closing Prayer
The Jivan Vruttant closes with the Sanskrit prayer that encapsulates a child's complete devotion:
त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव
त्वमेव बन्धु च सखा त्वमेव
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणुं त्वमेव
त्वमेव सर्वं ममदेव देव:
You alone are my mother, you alone my father,
You alone my brother and friend,
You alone my knowledge and wealth,
You alone are everything to me, O God of Gods.
And the final line of the biography:
પ્રભુ સુ. વ. પૂ. શ્રી લાલભાઈના આત્માને શાંત આપે.
May God grant peace to the soul of Shri Lalbhai.
What the Smarananjali Contains
The Gayatri Mantra — Word by Word
Following the biography, the Smarananjali presents the Gayatri Mantra with a careful, word-by-word translation into Gujarati. Each of the mantra's sacred syllables is explained: Om as the universally accepted name of God, Bhu as the foundation of all, Savitu as the creator and sustainer, and so on through to the final invocation prachodayat — “may He guide our intellect from darkness toward righteous action.”
That Lalbhai's memorial booklet opens with the Gayatri Mantra is no accident. It was the prayer that structured his mornings and, by extension, his life.
The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18: Moksha-Sannyasyog
The heart of the Smarananjali is a complete Gujarati translation of the Bhagavad Gita's 18th chapter — Moksha-Sannyasyog (મોક્ષ-સંન્યાસયોગ) — the chapter of liberation and renunciation. This is the Gita's final and most comprehensive chapter, the one in which Lord Krishna brings together all the threads of his teaching and delivers the ultimate instruction to Arjuna.
The family chose this chapter because they consider it the summation of all of life — and because Lalbhai's own life was, in their words, a lived commentary on these very teachings. Each shloka is presented in the original Sanskrit, followed by a Gujarati translation and explanation.
The chapter's central teaching — that one must perform one's duty with devotion, surrendering the fruits to God — was the principle by which Lalbhai governed both his inner life and his service to Vasavad. The Smarananjali distills this as:
પરમેશ્વરની ભક્તિ કરી શુદ્ધ અંતઃકરણથી પરમેશ્વરાર્પણ બુદ્ધિથી સ્વધર્મ પ્રમાણે કેવળ કર્તવ્ય સમજીને મરણની ઘડી સુધી સર્વ કર્મ કર્યે જવાં એવો આયુષ્યક્રમણનો માર્ગ સર્વથી ઉત્તમ છે.
Summaries of Chapters 1 Through 17
Preceding the full Chapter 18, the booklet provides concise summaries of the Gita's first seventeen chapters. The summaries trace the arc of Krishna's teaching: from Arjuna's crisis of conscience on the battlefield, through the paths of knowledge (Jnana Yoga), action (Karma Yoga), and devotion (Bhakti Yoga), to the ultimate synthesis in Chapter 18.
The Kutumb Vruksh
The Smarananjali includes a hand-drawn Kutumb Vruksh (કુટુંબ વૃક્ષ) — a family tree of Shri Lalbhai's descendants through Pushkalben. The tree documents all the branches: the families of Shri Hemendrakumar (Kumarbhai) and Sou. Neelaben (née Ch. Kokila Mehta); Sou. Kokilabahen and Shri Pripakvadan Bakshi; Sou. Purnimaben and Shri Shirish Bakshi; and Vyomesh and Sou. Mayuri (Kemkar). Each branch extends to grandchildren, creating a living record of the family's continuing legacy.
At the foot of the family tree, the Desai family prayer is inscribed:
ઓ ઈશ્વર ભજીએ તને, મોઢું છે તુજ નામ,
ગુણ તારા નિત ગાઈએ, થાય અમારાં કામ....
હેત લાવી હસાવ તું, સદા રાખ દિલ સાફ,
ભૂલ કદી કરીએ અમે, તો પ્રભુ કરજો માફ....
O God, we worship You — sweet is Your name,
Let us sing Your praises daily, let our work be done.
Bring us joy with Your love, keep our hearts pure,
If ever we err, O Lord, forgive us.
Why This Document Matters
The Smarananjali is not merely a family memento. It is a primary source for the history of the Desai family and Vasavad. The biographical section contains details about Lalbhai's education, his daily habits, his relationships, his governance of Vasavad, and his meeting with Nehru — details that exist nowhere else in written form.
The family tree, hand-drawn and included in the booklet, is one of only two genealogical records of the Desai family — the other being the formal Vansh Vruksh (Ambo) maintained by hereditary Barots. Together, these two documents provide a complete genealogical picture from the earliest recorded ancestors to the present generation.
But the Smarananjali's deepest value lies in something no government record or genealogical tree can capture: the interior life of a man, as seen by the person who knew him best. When Vyomesh writes that his father embodied the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, this is not hagiography. It is the considered observation of a son who had six decades to watch, question, and ultimately understand what his father stood for.
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