“Mahatma” shabd ka prayog bahut logon ke liye hota hai, lekin agar aapka arth Mahatma Gandhi se hai, to:

• Mahatma Gandhi Jain dharm ke nahi the, ve janm se Vaishnav (Hindu) parivaar se the.
• Lekin unki ahimsa ( हिंसा na karna ) aur satya ki soch par Jain dharm ka bahut gehra prabhav tha.
• Un par vishesh roop se Shrimad Rajchandra (ek mahan Jain shravak, jinhe kai log “Mahatma” bhi kehte hain) ka bahut prabhav tha. Unhone Gandhi ji ko ahimsa, atma, punarjanm, moksh adi vishayon par gahri soch di.

Isliye:

• Gandhi ji Jain dharmi nahi the,
• par unke jeevan mein Jain siddhant (khas kar ahimsa) ka spasht prabhav dikhta hai.

Agar aap “Mahatma” shabd se kisi Jain sadhu / shravak jise log Mahatma kehte hain (jaise Shrimad Rajchandra ji) ke baare mein puchh rahe hain, to ve Jain parampara mein hi aate hain aur unka updesh bhi Jain tattvon par aadharit hai.