In his inaugural address to the newly constituted Constituent Assembly, Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan articulated a rich vision of India’s forthcoming constitution—one that transcended mere legal form and embraced the deeper moral and spiritual bonds uniting its people. Although he did not use the term “constitutional spirituality” explicitly, his emphasis on shared ethos, moral purpose, and the animating “spirit” of India offers a working definition of this concept: the intangible nobility or inner ethos that informs constitutional norms, binds diverse citizens in fraternity, and inspires public service beyond technocratic rule.

From Power Transfer to Moral Covenant

Radhakrishnan begins by framing the Assembly’s task as more than a technical drafting exercise. He celebrates the “least bloody transfer in human history” of political authority from Britain to India, yet cautions that genuine independence demands “utmost grace” and moral integrity, not mere expediency. This dual awareness—of power’s fragility and of higher purposes—signals that a constitution must root itself in ethical comportment, not just procedural legitimacy.

“A constitution is the fundamental law of the nation. It should embody and express the dreams and passions, the ideals and aspirations of the people”

Here, Radhakrishnan elevates the constitution to a moral covenant: it channels collective hopes and enshrines a nation’s ethical commitments. Constitutional spirituality, in this light, is the living soul that animates legal provisions, ensuring they reflect the people’s deeper values.

Unity in Diversity: Spiritual Foundations

A principal theme of Radhakrishnan’s address is India’s plural unity. He mourns the Muslim League’s absence but insists all Indians—“Hindus or Muslims, Princes or peasants”—share common “hunger, poverty, disease” and psychological chains of “slavery of the mind.” Beyond material needs, he references India’s millennia‑old tradition of “comprehension and charity,” embodied in figures like Buddha and Ashoka:

“If you have understanding, if you have compassion, you will be able to overcome the problems of this world.”

Radhakrishnan thus locates constitutional spirituality in ancient cultural ideals—non‑violence, tolerance, syncretism—that have long transcended communal boundaries. A spiritually grounded constitution, then, must cultivate empathy and mutual respect, forging a polity resilient to sectarian division.

Harmonious Pluralism

Perhaps Radhakrishnan’s most vivid image of India’s spiritual unity is the symphony metaphor. He compares the nation to an orchestra:

“India is a symphony where there are, as in an orchestra, different instruments, each with its particular sonority, each with its special sound, all combining to interpret one particular score.”

This metaphor exemplifies constitutional spirituality as the artistic principle uniting diverse elements into a coherent whole. It holds that true political harmony arises not from homogenization but from creative interplay—each community contributing its distinctiveness to a shared national score. The constitution, therefore, must safeguard plural voices and facilitate their orchestration into collective governance.

Nonviolence as Constitutional Ethos

Radhakrishnan lauds gentleness as India’s supreme strength, invoking the Mahābhārata injunction:

“Gentleness can overcome the hardest things; … the sharpest weapon we have is gentleness.”

Here, constitutional spirituality is expressed as non‑coercive power. The constitutional order should rely on moral suasion and civic virtue rather than on brute authority. This principle undergirds provisions such as fundamental rights and independent judiciary, which restrain state power and empower citizens through consent and reasoned deliberation rather than fear.

Atonement and Collective Memory

Acknowledging historical wrongs—“We have betrayed and done wrong to millions of our own fellow beings”—Radhakrishnan calls for atonement. He frames nation‑building as a moral project of redemption, honoring the sacrifices of generations:

“We have to remember with gratitude all those great souls who worked and suffered for the freedom of this country.”

Constitutional spirituality here involves a sense of collective memory and moral responsibility. The constitution must memorialize past struggles—by enshrining rights, commemorating martyrs, and instilling civic pride—so that the polity retains its ethical compass.

Consent, Rights, and Social Justice

Radhakrishnan emphasizes that the constitution must rest on universal consent and secure basic privileges—education, cultural autonomy, social and economic rights—for all citizens. His integration of political freedom with a promise of economic equity anticipates the Indian charter’s dual structure of fundamental rights and directive principles as the institutional embodiment of constitutional spirituality: negative liberties protected against state overreach, and positive goals guiding legislative action.

Indigenous Roots and Universal Aspirations

While invoking India’s Indus‑Valley heritage, Radhakrishnan underscores that constitutional spirituality draws upon both local and universal sources. He recounts Anatole France’s encounter with the Buddha statue as emblematic of cross‑cultural resonance (p. 8). This ambition—crafting a constitution rooted in indigenous soil yet responsive to global humanistic ideals—reflects Radhakrishnan’s belief that constitutional spirituality lies in the dialectic of particularity and universality.

The Conscience of the Nation

Synthesizing these strands, the definition of constitutional spirituality that emerges from Radhakrishnan’s speech is a triple‑layered ethos:

1. Moral Covenant: The constitution as the written expression of collective dreams, passions, and ethical commitments.
2. Harmonizing Principle: A spiritual framework—tolerance, gentleness, compassion—that unites diverse communities into a creative political whole.
3. Living Tradition: An ongoing practice of atonement, remembrance, and striving for justice—rooted in indigenous heritage and open to universal insights.

These dimensions coalesce into a vision of constitutional spirituality as the conscience of the polity—the unseen force that transcends mere legality to inspire citizens and leaders toward a just, inclusive, and humane republic.

Conclusion

Sir S. Radhakrishnan’s Constitu­ent Assembly address maps out a spiritual architecture for India’s Constitution. By speaking of “dreams and passions,” invoking ancient ideals of harmony and gentleness, and calling for collective atonement, he locates the constitution’s true force in its moral and cultural foundations. Far from a sterile contract, Radhakrishnan’s constitution is a sacred trust, animated by an inner spirit hearkening back to the Indus civilization and pointing forward to universal values. This constitutional spirituality remains essential for interpreting India’s fundamental law—not merely as a set of rules, but as a living embodiment of a people’s ethical vision and shared destiny.