In a warm and candid conversation with Dr. Devanshu Patel, President of Parul University, Justice B. R. Gavai, Former Chief Justice of India, stepped beyond the law to share reflections on his life and the lessons within it. For students navigating their own beginnings, his words carry a rare weight.
A Father’s Wisdom and a Path Chosen
Justice B.R. Gavai expressed his wish at some point to become an architect if he had had that chance, but his father had advised him to go into the law, and that is the path he took that brought him to the top of the country’s judiciary. Instead of resenting the advice, he took it and indeed sought a path, years later, to continue to follow his passion for architecture in his plans for judicial buildings. His counsel to the youth who felt driven by their parents was kind and firm: parents have a much greater life experience than the young, and their carefully considered counsel is worthy of respect. It’s something to consider when guidance is seen as an impediment in today’s fast-paced world.
Read more about Former Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai at Parul University!
Failure Is Not the End
On failure, Justice B.R. Gavai offered an image every student can hold onto.
When we are toddlers, we fall. When we start standing, we fall and then learn to rise.
– Justice B. R. Gavai, on failure
Failure, he said, is not an end. Setbacks are temporary; the answer is not to give up but to continue with dedication, devotion, and full focus, and, one day, that effort suddenly pays off. For young professionals facing early rejection, it is a reminder that persistence is itself a form of progress.
The Meaning of Success
Asked how his definition of success had changed with age, Justice Gavai gave an answer that reframed the very word. Money matters, he acknowledged, because life has its requirements, but real success lies elsewhere.
The real success would be that in your journey, have you touched the lives of people for their betterment?
– Justice B. R. Gavai, on success
Success, in his view, is measured by whether you have contributed to bettering society and the lives around you. It is a definition that shifts the goal from what you accumulate to what you give.
Power, Coupled With Duty
Reflecting on holding one of the most powerful offices in the country, Justice Gavai was strikingly humble. Power, he said, has to be coupled with duty, and he never let it go to his head, believing power should be used to serve the ends of justice for the country, the society, and its citizens. Tellingly, he said that once he rose from the court each day, he would forget that he was a judge or a Chief Justice, and become an ordinary Indian citizen like everyone else. That humility, more than the office itself, is the lesson.
On Hard Work and the Young Generation
Justice B.R. Gavai has said that today’s youth are under a lot of stress, are always looking for instant success, and are anxious to feel behind at 25. His advice was never to try to be successful without facing challenges and hard work, and to be successful by dedicating oneself to it and surrendering oneself to it, for only then can the importance of success be understood.
In the context of work-life balance, he urged real balance: there are things to do for recreation, but there are also things to do for hard work; lawyers and judges go 12 to 14 hours a day. And he gave a memorable exchange of virtues from one generation to the next: the young, he said, could learn patience from his generation, and his generation could learn enthusiasm from the young.
The Lessons to Carry Forward
Several themes emerged for students throughout the discussion: Respect and honour the careful advice of the more experienced; Failure is a step, not a judgment; Success is defined by the good you do. Duty and humility go hand-in-hand with power and position, and be patient and honest in your efforts rather than taking shortcuts. When asked in a lighter vein what he would have wanted at this age, Justice Gavai replied that he would have opted for peace over ambition. It is a wise lesson for “a generation that is impatient.”
FAQs
What did Justice B. R. Gavai say about failure?
Failure is not an end, Justice Gavai said. Setbacks are only temporary, like the toddler who falls and learns to get back up. He said the solution is not to quit but to work with commitment and focus, work that will eventually be rewarded. It's a reminder that the only way to get somewhere is to get to it.
In Justice Gavai's view, what are the criteria for success?
He doesn't measure success by money; he measures it by whether you have touched and made the lives of others better. He recognises that money is important in life, but he believes that success is determined by what you give, not what you take.
What advice did he give to young people?
Respect the advice of parents and elders (when it is considered); treat failure as a step and not a verdict; build success through hard work and struggle, not quick results; accompany any position of power with duty and humility; value patient, honest effort.
