In Mahatma Gandhiji concept of Satyagraha during the freedom struggle, which two core elements were always combined as guiding principles?

Introduction / Context:
Satyagraha is one of the most important concepts introduced by Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian freedom movement. It shaped the methods of protest, emphasising moral strength rather than physical force. Understanding what Satyagraha really meant in Gandhiji thought is essential for questions on modern Indian history and political philosophy. This question focuses on the two fundamental elements that always lay at the heart of Satyagraha as Gandhi explained it.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The concept in focus is Satyagraha, developed and practised by Mahatma Gandhi.
• The question asks about the two elements to which Satyagraha remained firmly attached.
• The options mention different possible pairs of values, such as knowledge, religion, truth, non violence, chastity, patriotism, hatred of colonial rulers, discipline, and obedience.
• You must identify the pair that truly captures Gandhiji understanding of Satyagraha.

Concept / Approach:
The term Satyagraha can be broken into Satya meaning truth and Agraha meaning firm holding or insistence. For Gandhi, Satyagraha was an active, non violent resistance grounded in the pursuit of truth and the refusal to use violence. He repeatedly stated that non violence or ahimsa was inseparable from the search for truth. Knowledge, religion, or chastity could be important personal values, but they were not the defining twin pillars of Satyagraha in the same explicit way that truth and non violence were.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Gandhi described Satyagraha as holding fast to truth through moral courage. Step 2: Recognise that he rejected violent methods and insisted that the means of struggle must remain non violent to be morally valid. Step 3: Understand that in his writings he connected Satya, or truth, with Ahimsa, or non violence, as two sides of the same ethical ideal. Step 4: Evaluate the options and see that the pair truth and non violence directly reflects this formulation. Step 5: Other pairs, such as knowledge and religion or truth and chastity, may be valuable but do not define Satyagraha in Gandhiji own words. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is truth and non violence.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you read Gandhiji major works and speeches, you will find that he often called his method non violent resistance or Satyagraha and explained that the pursuit of truth must be accompanied by strict adherence to non violence. He insisted that violence would corrupt the cause, no matter how just the objective might be. In discussions of Gandhian philosophy, textbooks routinely summarise Satyagraha as a technique of struggle based on truth and non violence, confirming that this pair captures its core essence better than the alternatives in the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Knowledge and religion: Gandhi valued both, but Satyagraha as a method of resistance was not defined as a combination of knowledge and religion.

Truth and chastity: Chastity was an element of his personal discipline, yet Satyagraha as a public political method centred on truth and non violence rather than on chastity.
Love of motherland and hatred for colonial rulers: Gandhi opposed hatred and insisted that even opponents should be treated with respect, so hatred for colonial rulers cannot be a pillar of Satyagraha.
Discipline and obedience: These may be practical qualities in any movement, but they do not express the moral foundation of Satyagraha.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners mix up Gandhian values and assume that any two noble sounding qualities could define Satyagraha. Others focus only on non cooperation or civil disobedience and forget that Gandhi attached strict moral conditions to their use. To avoid such mistakes, fix in your mind that Satyagraha literally means holding on to truth and that Gandhi repeatedly paired this with non violence, making truth and non violence the two essential elements of his method.

Final Answer:
In Gandhiji understanding, Satyagraha always involved a firm insistence on truth and non violence together.