Vinobha’s parents were religious. Vinobha received religious education at home. He completed his primary education in 1917 and joined a college. College education did not interest him. He met several scholars at Banaras and was influenced by Gandhiji’s ideas of humanism and realism. The principle of universal brotherhood and the principle of freedom attracted Vinobha and he joined the freedom struggle led by Gandhiji. He became a disciple of Gandhiji and lived with him at Sabarmati Ashram run by Gandhiji. Gandhiji then deputed Vinobha Bhave to go to Wardha and start a Sevashram which Vinobha did soon. He also took the responsibility of running that Ashram on Gandhian lines. It later became a famous place of stay for Gandhiji.
Vinobha Bhave was a disciplined student of Gandhiji and he followed all the principles of Gandhiji namely truth, non-violence and village reconstruction. Vinobha was convinced that unless the gap between the haves and have notes was bridged, Ramraj was not going to be achieved in its real sense. He said that each village should be self-sufficient in all matters and that was possible, only when all those who cultivated land own the land themselves. Such a distribution of land was not easy. As long as Gandhiji was alive Vinobha was following him in all movements. Vinobha was jailed many times. When in jail Vinobha Bhave read and wrote many books. Bhagavadgita was his favourite book. While he was in jail at Maqnili, he wrote a valuable book called ‘Geetha Pravachana’ in Marathi. Along with Gandhiji he participated in the Salt Satyagaraha, and Flag Satyagraha held at Nagpur.
After the death of Gandhiji, he continued to live at Wardha and carried on his ideals. He started a new movement called the “Bhoodan Movement”. The landlords were requested to willingly part with their excess lands. He started this hoodan Movement at Pochampalli village of Nalgonda Distgrict in Andhra Pradesh. The first donor of land was Sri Ramachandra Reddy of Pochampalli. The movement spread rapidly and Vinobha Bhave was able to distribute the gifted lands to landless poor easily.
Vinobha Bhave lived a simple life till the last and he showed the way, as to how economic equality could be achieved through non-violent methods. After Vinobha Bhave, the Bhoodan Movement lost its momentum. The Sarvodays Movement of village self sufficiency and equality of all human beings is still a distant dram. But Vinobha has laid the foundation for it. It is for the future generations to build the super structure. Vinobha Bhave was a true Gandhian all through his life. He breathed his last at the age of 88 years.