The Gandhi Circuit Trains

https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2581/the-daily-guardian-mumbai/15

RAISE THE SHADES

Good Morning!!! RAISE THE SHADES Around the Year with Emmet Fox June 17 We do not have to create good. We do not have to persuade God to be Love, or Life, or Truth, or Intelligence. We do not have to ask Him to remember us. We could not ask for any good. Fundamentally, evil is a false belief about the power and availability of good. If we draw down the shades in every room in a house, that house will be in darkness, and is likely to become damp and unhealthy as well, no matter how brightly the sun may be shining outside. Salvation consists in raising these shades and opening the windows—then He does the rest. “… walk as children of light”. (Ephesians 5:8).

Health- Gurudev Sri Si Ravi Shankar

What is health? Health is having all these – a disease-free body; a quiver-free breath; a stress-free mind; an inhibition-free intellect; an obsession-free memory; an ego that includes all, and a soul that is free from sorrow. Only a healthy bud can blossom into a beautiful flower. In the same way, only a healthy being can achieve the goal they want to achieve. The Sankrit word for health is ‘swaasthya’, which means to be established in one’s self. The ancient scriptures mention that our body has five levels of existence – the environment or the atmosphere: our physical body; life force or prana; mind, which includes our thoughts, ideas, memories and emotions; and the intuitive body, which subtler. Read more 👉🏻 https://wisdom.srisriravishankar.org/the-signs-of-good-health/

Diving deep into Spirituality - A STORY OF FAITH AND MIRACLES

CHAPTER 17 Diving deep into Spirituality I won the battle in the mind against the bottle through the faith and belief in Gurudev and the prowess of Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama, yoga and meditation. Added to that was the firm belief and faith of my mother in the divine power and the silent prayers of my wife and grandmother. I always remained an anathema in the eyes of the General Manager of the zone professionally as I never succumbed to his haughty and self-opinionated approach. On account of the renewed tension and continuous feud I sought a transfer out from NF Railway. This was not an easy proposition as I was CFTM of the railway and there had to be another officer to replace me before I could be relieved. Thus, with some trepidation I approached our cadre controlling officer in Railway Board. “We all know about your engagement and relationship with the General Manager. Would you like to be posted as Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), Bangalore?” he enquired. For me this was like mana from heaven. A posting in Bangalore meant being close to Gurudev and the AOL Ashram. This was nothing short of a miracle as I seamlessly moved from Guwahati to Bangalore. Upon joining as ADRM, Bangalore it so happened that the DRM, Bangalore, his wife, my parents and I were to have Gurudev’s darshan at the Bangalore Ashram. As the Master (who was radiance personified) stepped out of his golf cart and we got down from our official vehicles, the Apex body member from Karnataka started to introduce us to Gurudev. He was cut short by Gurudev who said, “I know he is a teacher and is with the railways.” Thus, an immediate connect was established with us. “Are you happy Amma?” the Master enquired from my mother whose eyes became absolutely misty. We all fell at the feet of the Master, who simply scans a person and can foretell the past, present and future. From then on, we had series of darshans of Gurudev. “Ravi you were extremely lucky to meet him at an extremely auspicious moment,” the gentleman from the Apex body has always maintained to this day. A trip to Mangalore We had the unique opportunity to travel with Gurudev to Mangalore and various temples in the neighbourhood. My mother accompanied me on this trip. As it happened our friend from the Karnataka Apex body was also travelling with Gurudev. He was dumbfounded when my mother recalled innumerable events and miracles which took place in our lives and those of others during her forays with Swamiji and other spiritual masters in India and overseas. On my mother’s call we paid obeisance at Udupi, Guruvayur and Kaladi (the birth place of Adi Shankara). My mother was to do Mudra Pranayama and I did Sudarshan Kriya at Guravayur Temple which transported us into ecstasy. Eleven years separated my subsequent visit to Guruvayur Temple in 2022, where I did Sudarshan Kriya once again. It was an amazing experience as I saw my parents draped in white silk somewhere in Vaikuntham (under the warm protection of Lord Vishnu) get up from deep rest and waved at me and smiled. They appeared happy and contended and at home. This is experience one feels after the Sudarshan Kriya. I lost my father to old age complications in 2019 and mother to Covid in 2021 at Prayagraj. I still recall the glaze in the eyes of the lifeless body of my father (when the prana had extinguished from his body) as if he saw Yamaraja who came to take away the soul before the doctors made valiant attempts by pumping his heart to revive him. My mother seemed to be fast asleep like a baby (with her fingers in sanjeevani mudra) as she cast her mortal self after a massive cardiac arrest. The images have been etched in my mind and it has been impossible to erase those painful memories. It is widely believed in Hinduism those who perform good deeds enter heavens; however, those who attain nirvana (that is when they are snapped from the cyclical process of life and death) enter Vaikuntham to be in the fold of Lord Vishnu. The Bangalore Days Diary It was a cool Bangalore morning and I had completed my sadhana and went up to my mother’s room. This was a normal practice I followed. She showed me the statute of Udupi Krishna which she had acquired during our visit to the temple town. “Look at the statute intently,” she said. I rubbed my eyes several times, almost in disbelief as me and my mother were to see the image of Sathya Sai Baba in it. Only a few hours back Baba had cast his mortal self. It was an extraordinary visual to see the image of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba on the idol of Udupi Krishna. The visual passed the test as not only Sai devotees but my father (deeply agnostic by temperament) could see the image of Baba on the idol. Once with the help of a Group Captain of the Indian Air Force we organised Gurudev’s visit to the annual Aero Show of world class fighter planes and choppers at Yelahanka airbase. Gurudev watched the show with amazement and was to informally ask the officials of DRDO and some ace pilots regarding the presence of any birds at the base which was immediately negated by them. But within moments we were to watch two eagles rising from one end of the tarmac and move right across the horizon to the other end. We all watched the spectacle in astonishment and as I was offering Gurudev a glass of orange juice, Bhanu Didi, Gurudev’s sister was to say, “These are always with him, after all they are Garudas who are with Narayana.” The DRDO officials and fighter pilots who were stunned beyond belief and reason fell at the feet of the Master and shed copious tears of gratitude. In a few days’ time the ace pilots, air force personnel and DRDO officials were at the Master’s feet at Ganga kutir (Gurudev’s abode at the Bangalore Ashram) and soon underwent the Part 1 Course of AOL. On the 6th of December 1992, the Babri Masjid (the disputed structure) was brought down by some staunch Hindu activists. Almost twenty years later the Allahabad High Court pronounced its judgement on the disputed site and the construction of temple. The date was 30th September 2010. On security grounds, no vehicle was permitted inside the Bangalore Ashram, despite the fact a very important Teachers’ Refresher Meet was taking place, being conducted by Gurudev himself. There were only 3 cars in the entire Ashram premises. Gurudev’s vehicle, the vehicle of Chief Operations Manager, South Central Railway and our vehicle as we proceeded to Ganga kutir for a special darshan of Gurudev. We were overwhelmed by Guruji’s love and affection for us even though he was amidst such an important Teachers’ Refresher Meet. Two important developments took place, the Chief Operations Manager gave an undertaking to Gurudev to commence Government Executive Programme (or GEP in short) courses for the officers and staff on his railway and second Gurudev quietly mentioned to me that had I been conducting courses regularly I would have been in the Vishalakshi Mantapam with those senior teachers, swamis and rishis rather than sitting in his abode. It was a subtle message to me that as a teacher I ought to conduct courses. I was totally misty-eyed and fell at his feet. Such is the love and concern of the Master. A disciple has to merely surrender and he takes care of the rest and we overcome all obstacles in life. But the Guru’s words would never go in vain as we could organise several batches of the GEP across several zonal railways which provided a panacea for thousands of railway personnel who work under enormous pressure and stress. The two years in Bangalore provided me numerous opportunities to interact with Gurudev and the series of miracles continued unabated which included travelling with him, help in organising courses and satsangs, setting up Divine Stores of the Art of Living at Bangalore and Yeshwantpur stations and organising tree plantation programmes in partnership with the railways among others. On the professional front as the ADRM, Bangalore Division I was exposed to general administration, RTI cases, interacted with trade unions, important politicians, railway ministers, artistes and sports personalities of eminence besides renewing my interest in writing and dramatics. Posting in Hyderabad The two years in Bangalore passed by in a jiffy. I will always cherish those memorable moments. Foray into writing This was also the time where I made serious foray into writing. Sometime in 2011, I began writing for Life Positive E-Magazine which itself was a chance encounter. Vasu Uncle sent me a book Dancing with Life written by Jamuna Rangachary. I assumed the book was on her father’s recovery from alcoholism, but it turned out to be her own resuscitation from Multiple Sclerosis. I seized the opportunity and reached out to her. She was then the editor of Life Positive E- Magazine and encouraged me to write on my recovery from alcoholism on their website. Soon I embarked on writing my story, about the Art of Living, Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, pranayama and subjects pertaining to addictions and on the human mind. These articles were noticed Free Press Journal, Mumbai who asked me to contribute to their column on Mind Matters. It was a miracle that I showed these articles to Gurudev, who prophesised that my books would soon be published. This was certainly a matter of immense fulfilment. A truism of Gurudev Gurudev always emphasizes to speak the truth and positive things as angels are always intersecting our paths and bless us and utter tathasthu or so be it. In the process our desires and ambitions get fulfilled. During Navaratri Pujas at Bangalore Ashram, I always pined to be near Gurudev near the havan kund as I was blessed to get this unique opportunity aeons ago in Mysore Ashram of Swamiji. Fortuitously, this happened. Once all the teachers assembled during the pujas were asked to seek Gurudev’s blessings. He was looking frail on account of fasting but at the same time was looking absolutely radiant like a divine personality. Another opportunity arose when I escorted the General Manager of South Western Railway for Rudra Puja during the Navaratri Pujas and Gurudev asked us to sit very close to the sanctum sanctorum. These were absolute blissful moments which any devotee, seeker, savant or stock individual pines for – that is to be in the close proximity of the Master and draw positive energy. Another occasion came when Ananda Shankar, a Padma awardee performed in the presence Of Gurudev during Navaratri Pujas. The master made me a facilitator in this programme and it was a unique experience to be in Yagnyashala. Suddenly there was a life turner when the spiritual Master unveiled my first book The Matter of the Mind and I was asked to recite a few pages from the book before a packed gathering of devotees on Dusshera day during the auspicious Navaratri festival. “This is the good karma you are carrying on account of the deeds of your ancestors,” postulated a family friend. Interviews with Gurudev The year was 2014 and it was a crisp, cool morning in early November. I was then posted as the Chief Traffic Planning Manager, South Central Railway. As I was poring over files, in walked two gentlemen who had been closely connected with Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba. They were Shri V.S.R. Moorty and Shri G. Ramaniah. We exchanged pleasantries and Moorty garu focussed his attention on my computer screen. Pictures of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar were flipping across the monitor. He looked at Gurudev’s photograph quite intently and in an unfazed manner uttered, “Ravi, I would like to have an interaction with Gurudev.” I was certainly taken aback. Moorty garu added further that the interaction would be recorded by Sri Venkateswara Bhakthi Channel (SVBC). I was not aware about SVBC and expressed my ignorance. Moorty garu dispelled my doubts and mentioned that SVBC was a popular channel which broadcast religious and spiritual programmes across the globe. Zillions of devotees of Gurudev wait to have a glimpse of the Master and I had the onerous task of organising an interaction with the Master himself! But this is a challenge for any seeker. Immediately I contacted Shri Kishore Mukherjee, fondly called Kishoreda. He was excited about the proposal and asked me to send a mail to Gurudev directly, marking a copy to him and the Secretariat. While these developments were taking place, Moorty garu made a few quick calls to the SVBC authorities, their production team among others. I was amazed at the alacrity with which he acted and his supreme confidence about the execution of the project. He then shared, “Ravi, the sankalpa needs to be pure, rest Almighty God will take ensure that things fall in place, Sai Ram.” The two of them soon left my room. I was stupefied and exhilarated. Meanwhile that evening, I received a call from ABC (the media arm of the Art of Living foundation) that dates had been fixed for the interaction between H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the spiritual scientist Sri V.S.R. Moorty. Therefore, the divine planning was already done and we were mere instruments and navigators in the project. Moorty garu, Kumar and Mani Naidu (both members of the Art of Living family) and yours truly made our peregrination to the Bangalore Ashram. We were soon joined by the SVBC team led by a gentleman by name Srinivas. For three days and three nights we were witness to something beyond normal and absolutely extraordinary. The interaction ranged on a variety of subjects from ancient Hindu practices, various schools of Hindu philosophy to the present day. It is well-nigh impossible to decode the Divine and pen the interaction. A senior teacher of Art of Living, Shri Vinod Menon was to tell Moorty garu, “This is the closest one could unravel divinity and you are fortuitous coming so close to the Divine.” Through the television screens, thousands could watch the proceedings across the swathes of the globe. We were overwhelmed and were a witness to two more such interactions. The First Rail Yatra Sri Sri Express – Anugraha Yatra, February 2014 In ancient India, kings performed the Ashwamedha Yagnya to expand their kingdoms through forcible conquests or states accepted the suzerainty and became vassals. Gurudev undertook a cultural conquest spread over five days and won the hearts of the people through divine love. The horse was replaced by a train. This train which included a saloon meant for Gurudev was christened Sri Sri Express (Anugraha Yatra). The journey covered eighteen districts of the former state of Andhra Pradesh. Gurudev interacted with lakhs of people. A Background A chilly and wintry morning greeted us in Bangalore sometime in 2010. As part of my protocol duty, along with other senior railway officials we received Gurudev Express (a special train commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore) at Bangalore Cantonment Station. There was a fleeting thought in my mind that had Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar been the Chief Guest of the function, the headlines would have been GURUDEV RECEIVES GURUDEV. The seed of Sri Sri Express was thus sown. Promptly I sent a mail to Gurudev to travel by a special train in Karnataka, showcasing various facets of Art of Living, particularly Sudarshan Kriya and various seva activities of the NGO. But the proposal did not fructify. Meanwhile, I was transferred to South Central Railway, and along with Kishoreda kept requesting the Master to allot dates and travel Andhra Pradesh by a special train. But a mere request is not answered unless accompanied by a deep sankalpa. It needed to be supported by a concrete action plan. From 2011 to 2012 we kept request letters at the sanctum sanctorum during the Shiv Ratri and Navratri Pujas seeking divine blessings, hoping that Gurudev would give his nod. Finally, at a Teachers Refresher Meet, Gurudev agreed to the dates sometime in February 2014. But we were overcome by anxiety and feverishness which literally forced Gurudev to advance the programme to November 2013. We did not anticipate poor response in bookings, inclement weather conditions and the agitation by the populace of Seemandhra against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The Divine was aware of all but gave us a long rope and in all his magnanimity changed the dates to the earlier planned February 2014. To begin with there were only a few of us involved in this yagnya. And we got caught in the vortex of ego and gurumandal. Gurudev purged it all by his grace thus a larger group was formed to execute the project. The entire thrust of Gurudev’s campaign was against the unjust bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh (keeping the sentiments of Seemandhra in mind), forcible proselytization and the need for good governance not only in Andhra Pradesh but in the country as a whole. He skilfully and succinctly raised these issues during the entire yatra without offending any particular group’s feelings or sentiments. A special train consisting with 1000 voyagers awaited Gurudev’s arrival with a bated breath. Gurudev was greeted by the sounds of the nadaswaram and he literally floated to his saloon. Gurudev who is pure energy personified sprang surprises on the passengers by boarding the train and meeting each and every devotee, celebrating their birthdays, commiserating with their problems if any and primarily making them happy. That night the Master after the satsang at Yerraguntla reached the saloon at 12 am. He smiled when he was briefed that we were running behind schedule. Through that night and early the next morning Sri Sri Express travelled perhaps as fast as Vande Bharat notching may be 180 kms/hour and by 4a.m. we were at Renigunta. I was to open Gurudev’s door at the most auspicious time and there emerged Gurudev absolutely blue in pallor. He was Narayana himself providing a glimpse of his true self. What an experience it was! Not something which can be fathomed through words, just something that has to be experienced. At Tirupati Gurudev was felicitated by the priests of Tirumala with Vedic hymns and incantations which reverberated through the temple. Again, my small mind had small desires bubbling up. I had pined to stand next to Gurudev while watching the Master looking at his mirror image in Lord Venkateshwara. Lo and behold, there I was right next to Him at the shrine. I could feel the vibrations and once again he was absolutely blue in colour. Day 2 was a Monday. The organizing team felt that something was amiss. How could the Master not perform the weekly Rudra Puja? Gurudev had already reached Srikalahasti and was present during the Rahu-Ketu Puja and Rudra Puja too. As soon as the train reached Srikalahasti, he boarded the train. The devout saw the Divine energy spreading as he entered his saloon. But the remarkable moment was when there were seven of us sitting in the saloon occupied by Gurudev at the rear end of the train (known as the window trailing section) from where one can see the track. Gurudev went into a meditative mode and played the sacred Rudram for the seven of us as he sat like Shiva (on a Monday morning!) with a sling around his neck which represented a snake. We were immersed in the incantations and wept like children. Gurudev had purified us in those blissful moments. Guruji touched many towns enroute. Everywhere he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds and the Master spread the divine knowledge and his deep concern to make India a strong country. There are a very few spiritual leaders who make such strong pitch not only to rejuvenate the country spiritually but also politically. At every halt and venue, thousands flocked to catch a glimpse of the Master and His grace simply flowed. Despite the crowds, the Master walked from one end of the platform to the podium in the circulating area of the station which was at a quite a distance. The dream journey culminated on the morning of the 19th at Kacheguda. While one can chronicle the physical aspect of the journey, it is next to impossible to gauge the spiritual energy received by the 1000 travellers, station staff enroute, staff on board, a few lakh people who saw Gurudev in the physical form. People were transported from the mundane to sublime in those five days. There were to momentous events during my stay at Hyderabad which are now an inseparable part of my personality and brought me so close to Gurudev. Soon after the yatra Gurudev gave his dhoti to three of us. We were just astounded. Millions of people flock to Guruji, try to touch him, take his pictures and the Master gave us the apparel he wore. We became inseparable. Another interesting incident was when I had undergone Cranio Sacral Therapy (CST) under the guidance of a doctor. CST is a gentle hands-on treatment that may provide relief from a variety of symptoms including headaches, neck pain and side effects of cancer treatment among many others. CST uses a light touch to examine membranes and movement of fluids in and around the central nervous system. During the session, which spread over two days, I sweated profusely, saw amber light and felt that I was in the times of Guru Nanak and Jesus Christ. Had it gone on like that I would have seen Gurudev as Narayana. But I got up, startled and shocked. But certainly, the process thoroughly cleansed me and I was shining like a diamond. Rail Yatras a few Years Later The journey had just begun and the next major event was at the World Culture Festival in Delhi during March 2016. Artistes, assembled to celebrate Vasudaiva Kutumbakam, and I received a rare opportunity to organise the transportation of thousands of devotees by rail across India to different terminals in Delhi. As we stepped out of the portals of the hotel, the Master stepped out of his car and waved at me with immense love and happiness and pinched my cheeks signifying that he was aware about the proceedings. My entire body, mind and soul was electrified with jollity transporting me to a state of ecstatic happiness. We all pine to be recognised by Gurudev and that is what happened

A STORY OF FAITH AND MIRACLES- in a different zone

CHAPTER 16 In a Different zone Miracles suddenly occurred once I could overcome the craving for liquor. For years I lived in the throes of fear that my alcoholism could act as a deterrent to get promoted to the Senior Administrative Grade. But once I could eschew alcoholism there was an aperture of hope. My conscience merely said, “This is what I was always trying to convey to your brain, but you never heeded to the advice. However better late than never.” “Boss, you have been promoted and posted as the Chief Freight Traffic Manager (CFTM), North East Frontier Railway,” a batch mate from Mumbai called up to inform me and then hung up before I could react or get any further details. I was taken aback on hearing the news. “Me and CFTM? This is what we as operating officers dream to become,” I reckoned. “The faith and prayers of my close ones is responsible for an extraordinary miracle,” was my grateful thought. That evening my wife and I tried to check the list of promoted candidates, but we could not locate it on the official web site and felt it was a prank. We were despondent. We did share the news with my parents but were still not sure. I placed a slip below Gurudev’s photograph and prayed for his divine intercession. The following day turned out to be time to carouse as the official communique from Railway Board was received. The family was ecstatic about the development. Meanwhile Cassandras of doubt and Prophets of doom (there are Bumboos everywhere) prognosticated that I would be a sure shot failure in the coveted position. I was in a different zone and those covetous about me, these small minds were to spread falsehoods and canards that I was still addicted to alcohol. However, the concerned ministering angels ensured that I was posted as CFTM, NF Railway. I had finally crossed the Rubicon. In fact, one of the foremost Art of Living teacher, an extremely intelligent and cerebral gentleman, during a conversation was once to quiz me as to how many CFTMs were there on Indian Railways. I replied that there were eighteen in all. “Well imagine you are one among the chosen 18 in the entire Indian Railway network and for that matter the country, which speaks volumes about your professional capacity,” he remarked. Once again, the auspicious number 9 (18= 1+8 was looking at me with hope and contentment). As my drinking was legendary some seniors, juniors and peers who had written my professional epitaph were gleefully waiting for me to slip once again and land in the cesspool of drinking. Thus, I had to remain sober and achieve something out of the box to prove my worth to the organisation. My conscience had cautioned me against the green-eyed monsters and envious people and asked me to just stay tuned with the grace of the Master. NFR Bound The Northeast Frontier Railway (abbreviated NFR), is one of the 18 railway zones of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered at Maligaon, Guwahati in the state of Assam. It is responsible for operation and expansion of rail network all across North-eastern states and some districts of eastern Bihar and northern West Bengal. This difficult terrain limits the rail network expansion, and the only state with a decent rail network is Assam. The network is not broad gauge in many parts and the rail lines are antiquated with speeds at some sections being limited to a maximum of thirty kilometres per hour. So, with this geography of the area in my thoughts I looked forward to take charge as CFTM, NF Railway. The enfeebled mind was the enemy and alcoholism was a manifestation. This battle had to be won. Victory over the bottle was achieved once I did not succumb to the weakness. Once I could discover the adversary, I fought it by practising Sudarshan Kriya at the behest of my wife. But above all it was the X-factor in form of the grace of the Master or Guru which played a decisive role in countering any physical, emotional or psychological blockade which triggers a negative change. Upon joining as CFTM, I was in a different zone altogether, both metaphorically and physically. Now that the mandarins of the Traffic directorate had zeroed-in on me to occupy this prominent post, it became incumbent to maintain my sobriety which was barely a year old. Every day of remaining sober and dry counted. A single slip would have sucked a person into the abyss once again. I was fortuitously able to establish contact with an Art of Living Teacher, through my batch mate on the very day I had taken over the charge of CFTM. This was once again a miracle, which just happened in a jiffy. Thus, I could identify a place to attend Long Sudarshan Kriya. Evening falls early in the North-Eastern parts of India. As shadows were lengthening, one could feel the chill in the air. My wife and I reached Pandu Ashram of the Art of Living. The sun was sinking in the colossal Brahmaputra and we were suffused with amazing energy and positive feelings. Pandu Ashram is situated right on the bank of the Brahmaputra River. Standing in the holy precincts of the Ashram if the devout strains his neck, almost akin to perform say bhujang asana he or she can see the shikhara of the majestic Kamakhya Temple. In the ardha matsyendra asana, a seeker can witness the flow of the colossal Brahmaputra. The Ashram reminded us of old times Gurukul where young tutees were imparted esoteric skills by learned scholars. Often when I attended Long Kriya sessions at the Pandu Ashram, I would ponder on the question as to why did I did not learn Sudarshan Kriya earlier in my life. I really wish I had as the trajectory of my life would have been so different. Meanwhile the atmospherics (situated in proximity to the Kamakhya Temple and on the banks of the massive Brahmaputra River) of the Pandu Ashram were such that devotees slipped into meditation in the presence of a large photograph of Pujya Gurudev. Regaining sobriety ensured that the strained and torn relationship between me and my immediate family was repaired. Waves of happiness eclipsed the gloom we had all been enveloped in. My mother who was instrumental in my transfer from Jaipur to Hyderabad was ready to snap the umbilical cord once again as she was convinced the blanket of the grace of Gurudev, practising yoga, pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya and meditation would ward off the baleful eye and most importantly the craving to have liquor. Now it was Gurudev and the Art of Living through Sudarshan Kriya which brought an element of sanity in my life. Faith and belief in the techniques were the harbinger of change which transformed my personality and nothing short of a miracle was performed. While members of the immediate family were deliriously happy, several so-called friends continued to perpetuate the fallacious and malicious theory that behind the veneer of Art of Living, I was still drinking. Every Sunday along with my wife I would attend the Long Sudarshan Kriya at the Pandu Ashram and soon there were a sequence of breath-taking events which rendered us speechless. Divinity manifested in the most facile manner and miracles took place. The Pandu Ashram was administered by one gentleman by the name, Bhanu Bhaiyya (he is now an evolved soul with the appellation Swami Bhavya Tej). This bearded gentleman from Uttarakhand lived in a thatched roof and braved all the vagaries of the inclement weather through the practice of yoga, pranayama, meditation, Sudarshan Kriya and seva. He looked like an attractive youngster with a chiselled body endowed with a long attractive mane and a beard. Ram rod straight back, he almost looked like a rishi of the yore walking straight out of our myths. There was a wonderful, extremely positive aura around him. For some inexplicable reason he took a liking towards me and used to interact after the Sunday Long Kriya We confabulated on a variety of subject ranging from the mundane to the spiritual, from politics to religiosity, about the law-and-order conditions in the North East, to the problems faced in Assam and most importantly Guru stories. The man described various facets of Gurudev, his deep commitment to humanity and the innate divinity as I heard him in rapt attention. Bhanu Bhaiyya was to listen to my long winding story of dalliance with alcohol and subsequent recovery from alcoholism, the problem of fistula and about my parents and childhood with great interest. He merely laughed aloud and remarked, “Ab toh sab theek hai na Guru kripa sey.” One Sunday morning, Bhanu Bhaiyya played the Long Kriya cassette after a session of Suryanamaskar and the yogic practice of Padmasadhana as designed by Gurudev. All the participants were startled at the sound emanating from the cassette player. It sounded as if an individual who was totally inebriated was reciting the Soham Soham (the syllable used by Gurudev in Sudarshan Kriya) chants and we failed to maintain the pace. The cyclical and rhythmic breathing process was getting disrupted and a few started sniggering. A few of us were startled about the development. Bhanu Bhaiyya maintained his poise and composure and stopped playing the cassette and sprinted to his kutir. After some tinkering with the tape recorder, he played he cassette again which settled us down and we were engulfed in profound silence and were deeply rested after completion of the session. Upon completion of the Long Kriya, we interacted with, Bhanu Bhaiyya who often treated my wife and me to a cup of tea and some biscuits. My inquisitive mind kept inquiring from him as to what happened while playing the cassette in the first instance. He parried my queries and laughed. “Guruji ke saanidhya mein yeh sab hota rehata hai. Bas unko pakad ke rakho,” (All this happens under Guruji's grace and presence. Just hold on to him tightly) What was most mystifying was that the batteries in the tape recorder were placed with both + ends touching (not + and – as it ought to have been), yet the cassette played. We were stupefied on hearing this, but such is the power of the Long Sudarshan Kriya cassette that it played despite the batteries being wrongly placed. “If the cassette is so potent, imagine how powerful is the Long Kriya. And Gurudev is none other than a divine personality. We are blessed to be amidst a supernatural one such as Him,” Bhanu Bhaiyya was to add. The administrator of the Pandu Ashram in the meantime set up a meeting between me and a senior faculty of Art of Living. The mission was to counsel the Chief Manager of a leading hotel in Guwahati. “Now begin with performing some seva,” Bhanu Bhaiyya was to tell me quite firmly. As night fell and Guwahati was plunged in darkness, the senior faculty of Art of Living and I interacted with the alcoholic. We made several visits and over a period of time, miraculously the gentleman stayed off liquor and cigarettes. The seeds for transformation were thus implanted in his mind, I reckoned. This miracle occurred only through the narration of Guru stories. One evening, once again I accompanied the Art of Living teacher. I thought we were again going to visit the manager of the ITDC Hotel. But to my surprise he took a detour and we went through a narrow alley and were in a room. What I saw petrified and almost numbed me. I was seeing some known and several unknown faces. They were none other than the top brass of ultras belonging to AASU, ULFA and some other top militant organizations. The teacher had been working with the members of these dreaded organizations, performing yeoman service and spreading Gurudev’s message of universal love, peace and harmony so that they would eschew violence, give up arms and join the mainstream once again. The group present raised their war cries, demanding freedom, sloganeering against the government and the persecution they faced under the rule an oppressive regime. Very soon they were connected through a Skpe call to Bangalore Ashram and they spoke to Gurudev and after some dialogue and quiet persuasion by the Master, the terrorists agreed to undergo a rehabilitation programme at the Bangalore Ashram where they were to eschew violence, be fully disarmed, learn techniques of yoga, pranayama, meditation, Sudarshan Kriya and perform seva. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Army had sanctioned a programme of rehabilitation of these personnel. It so happened that I was tasked to organise the rolling stock to arrange for their transportation from the North East to Bangalore Ashram. It was an onerous responsibility to organise the rolling stock. On the appointed day, a little more than two hundred sullen, dour, angry and hostile groups of rebels who were chained from head to toe, totally disarmed, boarded a train to Bangalore Ashram of the Art of Living to undergo the rehabilitation programme. The terrorists were heavily escorted by army, para military and police officials. As the train chugged out of the Kamakhya station some of them attempted to jump out the moving train and the entire exercise went in vain as there was a virtual pandemonium. I was soundly remonstrated by my bosses on NF Railways for participating in what they considered to be a foolhardy exercise. All my efforts of explanations were unheard and I was questioned by the top officials of the zone. The pleas of NF Railway not to proceed with transportation were turned down by the mandarins of power in Delhi and this time the group boarded the train which chugged along the tracks to Bangalore. The dreaded gun totting menacing men were a transformed lot after participating in the course which became the tipping point in their lives. This was nothing but the grace of the Divine which was again concurred by my conscience. These are nothing but positive vibrations and only an individual blessed with faith and belief can be a witness when miraculous events take place. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The northeast region of India has had a long history of movements for autonomy on behalf of several ethnic groups. Bhanu Bhaiyya was aware about my journey and the transformation in the lives of these terrorists. He was extremely happy about the development and on my participation albeit indirectly in the process. The story resonated with my mother who was to reiterate that, “Faith and belief in almighty can make one accomplish insurmountable tasks.” After a couple of months, upon completing the Sunday Long Kriya, Bhanu Bhaiyya brought a few sheets of papers, he prayed to Gurudev and asked me to sign at the places that he indicated. This was the Teacher’s Training Course (TTC) Phase 1 form. Sometime back in 2007, when we broke silence upon completion of the Advanced Meditation Course at Bangalore Ashram, I was on the terrace of Vishalakshi Mantapam along with a course mate and my wife and daughter who had returned from Ooty to pick me up from the Ashram. Suddenly a stranger walked up to me and she remarked, “You are looking so bright and incandescent. I can foretell that one day you will become an Art of Living Teacher.” Back then I was befuddled by her remark. Many years later, as recently in 2022 when Gurudev visited Tamil Nadu, I was to travel together with the same lady, a senior faculty member. She remarked, “Fifteen years ago I made a prophecy, do you recall?” This is journey of strange incidences, beliefs, faith and miracles which can be appreciated in divine reverie. On the insistence of Bhanu Bhaiyya, I filled up the form where he had proposed my name as a candidate for TTC. Subsequently I was in Bangalore Ashram to undertake Phase 1 of the TTC. The fifteen days of training, spent at the Bangalore Ashram required immense tapasya from four in the morning to twelve in the night. Yoga, pranayama, intense meditation sessions, Sudarshan Kriya, seva, satsang and most importantly a direct contact with Gurudev, all these were part and parcel of the training programme. Celebrating life with Divinity is an experiential feeling which cannot be described in words. No amount of carousing, no pleasure on the world, fame or sharing the stage with a celebrity can match the moments spent in the presence of Divinity. But the moments spent in Gurudev’s saanidhya surpassed all and now outshone everything else. The longing and pining to have his glimpse and meet him is unimaginable, unfathomable and indescribable. For us Gurudev is Lord Krishna or Lord Narayana, reborn after 5,710 years who with his impish smile, soft voice, esoteric knowledge, profound wisdom and contact passes on vibrations to the devotee, seeker, disciple, swami, rishi, celebrities, ultras, politicians and any stock individual. It is dedication on part of the seeker to person to expand his bowl of acceptance to receive the grace transmitted by the Master. Our Gurus or teachers during the TTC were extremely astute and could easily decipher the personalities of all the tutees and remonstrated a participant if his/her gaze fell on some other participant during a momentary lapse of concentration. They knew this meant loss of listening to precious knowledge and capitulating to the mundane and gross when our focus ought to be on the subtle and sublime form of Gurudev and his knowledge. In the Ashram, everything gets dropped as Gurudev through his teachings only promoted happiness through various techniques of Art of Living. During the courses two baskets were kept in all the sessions - a) drop all your worries and b) drop all botheration. Only when the participant dropped all worries and botheration would he or she blossom. Once a person is bereft of problems, he/she lives in the present moment and spreads waves of happiness. We were cautioned to tread the path of sattva very carefully as only the chosen ones are nominated for this taxing course. Thus, a seeker had to necessarily overcome baser instincts of rajas and tamas and tune-in to be at the same frequency as Gurudev to be eligible to be seated on Vyasa Peetha (as the sacred seat is referred to) from where the faculty of Art of Living would be an instrument to impart the profound and life changing knowledge. “The processes are such in the Art of Living TTC, it's amazing, a blossoming of your personality. Just go for it!” says Gurudev. This game changing experience of sadhana, seva, satsang, Sudarshan Kriya, meditation and silence was completed within a period of fourteen days and we transformed personalities, shining like stars and had surrendered all our scars. The transformation one undergoes through intense sessions of Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama, meditation, yoga and seva is to be seen to be believed. One is emboldened to transform society. Several participants in the course were to tell our teachers that TTC is tougher than the commando course a soldier in battle fatigue undergoes. “One should walk like a King and be a humble servant,” says Gurudev. This is essential for all teachers who sit on the Vyasa Peetha to impart the wisdom. “Ab toh railway afsar aadhe teacher ban gaye. Khoob seva karo, meditation karo, seva karo. Jai Guru Dev.” (Now a railway officer has become half a teacher. It is necessary that you engage in plenty of meditation and participate in seva. Jai Guru Dev.) Bhanu Bhaiyya held me tightly and uttered these words. He was in particular very happy for he had been instrumental in journey to the Teacher’s Training programme. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Assam was meanwhile rocked by a series of terror-violence incidents. The IGP (Law and Order) was my batchmate who sought the services of Art of Living to reach out the terror affected people. We were four They were four hundred Hurt and Wounded They were numbed and stunned We approached with caution and the grace of the Master To assuage their feelings and emotions They were terror affected children and women Terror-affected widows and their children were all kept in police custody in some camps. All the bread earners were either annihilated by bloodletting terrorists or had fled the state. We conducted a three-day shivir or camp in which simple techniques of pranayama and meditation were taught. Thereafter, the participants performed some seva, which was followed by a set of games specially designed for the distraught women who had lost their loved ones and for the orphaned children. These 400 people virtually uttered not a word for almost a month once violence wrecked their lives. They looked at us grimly with suspicion while some women spoke in hushed tones. Once the candle of flame which sustained the family was extinguished, the lifeboat had sunk. They had no place to fasten their anchorage. “What could a self-help group do their lives?” was a valid question in the minds of the widows and orphans. At the end of the three-day breath, yoga and meditation workshop their lives were transformed. Torrential tears flowed from the blank eyes of women, who wept inconsolably and hugged each other. The games designed in the workshop turned out to be game changers in their lives. It was like operating simple keys on the key board. Ctrl+Alt+Del Control yourself Alter your thoughts Delete all anger and negativity. The negative emotions file in the computer of the mind were erased and the corrupted file was cleansed. Those were indeed satisfying and fulfilling moments of performing seva. But were we doing the seva? The answer is a plain no as we were only instruments and it was essentially the grace of the Master which was operating and resolving the misadventure encountered by the left-over members of the family. Satsang hastens the seeker to inner peace. “In satsang, both the left and right hemispheres of the brain get balanced. The wandering mind comes back to the present moment and experiences a deeper dimension to life,” explains Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. “The word bhajan is very precious. Bhaj means to share, sharing all that the divine. It is not necessary to know the words or meaning to any song. Singing helps to bring serenity. Sound is energy. Our human nervous system responds to the sounds bhajans and vibrations of ancient Sanskrit chants. Listening to these sounds has a rejuvenating effect on the body, mind and spirit. Gurudev provided us with a wonderful opportunity to organise a satsang to be conducted by a brilliant singer and senior faculty of the Art of Living, none other than Vikram Hazra. Vikram Hazra is like a finely cut diamond with multiple facets, each distinct yet collaborating to sparkle. Vikram was once a journalist and when he filed a story on the AOL, his curiosity got the better of him and he ended up doing the basic course. It is a matter of great pride for this Indian spiritual rock star that people groove to his music at bars in places like Argentina and on those days, liquor is not served. This is once again nothing but spiritual prowess of Gurudev. I had a fortuitous meeting with Vikram Bhaiyya at Pandu Ashram. He was full of positive energy and effervescence and regaled us with numerous Guru stories. A devotee was to tell me, “Vikram is indeed the apple of Gurudev’s eye.” A fleeting greedy thought flitted across my mind. I wished to become someone like Vikram Bhaiyya. Someone close to the Master. “Ravi, can you feel the energy and vibrancy of this place. Ages ago rishis and munis have all performed arduous tapas at this place,” he remarked. The spiritual rockstar soon began strumming his guitar and broke into a soulful number Raadhe, Radhe Radhe Shyam Govindaa Gopalaa Radhe Radhe Shyam It was an ethereal experience which transported all of us to divine ecstasy. The back-to-back satsangs by Vikram Hazra were a big draw as people and devotees of Shillong and Guwahati grooved to the music. For some strange reason I struck a chord with this brilliant musician and mellifluous singer. I also got an opportunity to compere his programme at Guwahati which was not quite appreciated by some AOL followers. They were covetous as they felt an interloper had usurped their place. A person who had merely done TTC Phase 1 and was not even a full-fledged teacher was provided the latitude to toastmaster the programme. The Blast The symphony spun by Vikram Hazra was shattered by the cacophony which rocked North East Frontier Railway headquarters office. A blast killed several railway personnel. Apparently, the terrorists had planted the bombs in the two wheelers and cycles of innocent railwaymen parked outside the office. My driver rushed me home and advised me not to go for the customary evening walk. Section 144 was clamped. A few days later, at the suggestion of an Art of Living devotee and Member of Parliament from Shillong, we conducted a satsang and meditation session in the railway auditorium. This was a welcome move as a large number of railway families who were all locked indoors for almost ten days, stepped out to take part in the celebrations. The session included videos on Gurudev, the work of the Art of Living teachers under the guidance of Gurudev in the terror afflicted places, a satsang, breathing exercises and a session of meditation. This had a salutary impact and several railway personnel enrolled for the Art of Living courses to learn the unique breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya. The district administration, police and railway administration were entirely thankful to the organisation for undertaking this unique seva. We were to witness yet another manifestation of Guru’s grace and kripa. I was to see once again faith transforming into a miracle. Mai Tera, Tera Main Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was born in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, to Visalakshi and R.S.Venkat Ratnam on the 13th of May 1956. Gurudev always jokes about the implication of his birthday being on 13 May. 13th May, in Hindi reads as Tera Mai(n). Gurudev ingenuously flips this around to call it Mai(n) Tera…meaning I am yours. Pandu Ashram at Guwahati, like all other Art of Living ashrams was decked up and teeming with faithful devotees. The day began with several pujas invoking the divine power and seeking blessings from the almighty. This was followed by Guru Puja which is so special as it is the Guru who opens the doors to the Lord. Thereafter teachers conducted yoga, pranayama and meditation sessions and then the army of devotees embarked upon cleaning and sweeping the streets of Guwahati as part of seva, feeding the hungry and planting trees as part of clean and green Guwahati project. But we all were waiting with bated breath for the evening session which included the Long Sudashan Kriya and to be followed by satsang and prasadam. Very soon the assemblage was in deep rest after Long Sudarshan Kriya. They got up totally refreshed. By now it was dark as the sun had set. Only the last leg of the programme, which was the satsang remained. After that devotees would have prasadam and the programme would conclude. Pandu Ashram is situated on hilly terrain. While the main Yagnyashala or hall is at the lowest level, the rest of the structures are situated at increasing elevation, on three different levels. As a result, the topmost structure which was Gurudev’s kutir overlooked the entire complex. All the beautiful white buildings were decked out in fairy lights and against the dark night time background looked magical. In fact, this was the sight devotees saw as they emerged from the deep slumber after the Long Sudarshan Kriya. Suddenly, there seemed to be a wave of excitement which seemed to pick up momentum. As devotees were attempting to capture the beautiful surroundings, some of them were amazed when the white structures against the night sky appeared in their phones as the silhouette of a bearded man in flowing white robes. This was incredible. We all were well aware that Gurudev was at Buenos Aires on May 13th for the birthday celebrations. So, the question was how Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had appeared in Pandu Ashram? The joy and happiness of us over there at the Ashram knew no bounds. We felt that Gurudev had specially blessed us. It took a while before Bhanu Bhaiyya silenced all by loudly proclaiming, “Jai Gurudev” and brandished the mobile phone and directed the present devotees to pay their obeisance to the Master. This was followed by a grand satsang where everyone present was immersed in the blanket of positivity. On closer look of the photograph, it was apparent that Gurudev was seated just behind a white curtain and one wonders for how long his astral body and spirit was present at Pandu ashram though physically he was at Buenos Aires. Interacting with Gurudev at Itanagar Founded in 2006, the Art of Living Ashram in Jully Basti, midway between Itanagar and Naharlagun is the headquarters of Art of Living in Arunachal Pradesh. The ashram is a perfect place for spiritual practice. Way back in 2008 the Itanagar Ashram was being manned by Bhanu Bhaiyya, who had moved there from the Pandu Ashram. My wife had enrolled for the Advanced Meditation Course. For most people attending the course, it was just an opportunity to be in the presence of Gurudev, rather than actually maintain silence. While most participants in the course were running after Gurudev very few, including my wife were deeply immersed in the Advanced Meditation Course. The belief and faith in Gurudev and in his teachings is more than adequate for miracles to take place and one People in hordes from all parts of the North East descended on Itanagar to have a glimpse of the Master. And when people are in multitudes it is always efficacious to be blessed with positive connections. What are connections? I was blessed to suddenly discover two such connections. One in Vikram Hazra, the man with a golden voice and the other the senior faculty of Art of Living from Calcutta (the teacher who prophesised that I would become an Art of Living faculty one day). These connections helped me and my family to have Gurudev’s darshan several times. If one is not feeling close to the Guru, it is because of one’s own perceptions and predilections. Because of our vacillating mind, on account of our ego concepts we lose the connection with the Master. Gurudev says, “Share with the Guru that which is very important or intimate to you. Share that. Do not feel shame, shy, or judgmental about yourself.” “Unless you express to the Master that which is very intimate and important to you, just being on the formal and informal communication levels cannot make you feel close.” “If you don't feel close to the Master, there's no point in having a Master. It is just another burden to you. You have enough already. Just say goodbye, get rid of it.” We were all stunned when divinity just passes by you like a cloud or touches a person so calmly and gently. The person feels numbed and as light as a feather. The mind is flooded with positive emotions, the heart beats rapidly and only tears of gratitude flow torrentially. It is well-nigh impossible to verbalise with the Master and one can only graciously accept his blessings and feel the vibrations and energy he passes by. It seemed like eternity when I along with my son and daughter were in the Divine aura of the Master in a small room at the Itanagar Ashram. He was looking radiant, neatly attired in a dhoti, kurta and shawl and had a rosary in his hands with his trademark flowing mane. His bright eyes pierced us. We bowed before the Master, touched his feet, but could barely utter any word. We remained speechless and transfixed at our seats A smiling Guruji offered chocolates to my children. These are of Chinese make,” he laughed. There was so much that I was desirous of asking Gurudev but was rendered speechless. My throat was parched and Guruji was quietly observing us and smiling. But he disarmed us, “Kaise ho tum sab log? How are you all?” These words were so comforting. Memories of those twenty to twenty-five minutes spent alone with Guruji, with just my children totally undisturbed, while my wife was going through the processes of Advanced Meditation Course will forever remain etched in the alcoves of our minds. There are millions of devotees of Gurudev across the globe and here me and my children spent quality time with Master all alone as he illuminated us with immense positive vibrations, thoughts and energy. We all were in deep silence just covered by the blanket of love, affection, compassion of Gurudev. “What more could a follower ask for?” I thought. There were several such interactions with Gurudev who to my mind was cleansing and purifying us. There were early morning dhyaan, yoga, pranayama and meditation shivirs. During the evenings, Vikram Hazra played mellifluous numbers which transported all to a different planet altogether. A Bombshell Suddenly, there was a bombshell, volcanic news. Mumbai was attacked by a group of terrorists. The 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November that year. Ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from Pakistan, carried out twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. In all, at least 174 people, including twenty security force personnel and twenty-six foreign nationals, were killed. More than 300 people were injured in the dastardly attack by the ultras. On receiving the news of this deadly attack, the spiritual and humanitarian master cancelled his programmes in the North East and rush to Mumbai to provide succour to the terror-stricken denizens of Mumbai. Those in North East obviously felt the pain of parting from Gurudev, quite like gopas and gopikas felt 5000 years back whenever Krishna would move on a mission mode to maintain equilibrium and balance in the world. However, they accepted the departure as they themselves had been a witness to the spectre of wanton violence. Amidst various activities of Art of Living, the Teacher’s Training programme, enrolling people for courses, attending Navaratri celebrations at Pandu ashram and attending a few Art of Living Courses, my work schedule continued to be quite hectic. As the CFTM, NF Railway, it was incumbent on the operating organisation to supply essential commodities to the seven sisters of India, parts of Bihar and Bengal. People of the mainland have scarce idea about North East and the people are unfortunately referred to as chinki, cast as sexually depraved, drug addicts and alcoholics. While some of these problems are prevalent in these parts of the country but it is also rampant across India. This is where Art of Living has played a pivotal role in organising courses for prison inmates, addicts, ultras, those suffering from medical issues and provide a palliative and an alternative way of living. Meanwhile my immediate bosses found me to be inflexible while discharging official duties. However, I smelt a rat and opined they were not to clean in their dealings. This led to showdowns and repeated difference of opinions. The year was 2008 and I received the call letter for Teacher’s Training Course (TTC) Phase 2. This course is mandatory for an individual to become part of Art of Living faculty. I had applied for twenty-one days leave-against-pay (in government parlance LAP), but it was shot down by the local administration. No amount on entreaties and placatory supplications could convince my superiors, who were bent upon torturing me. In all such tricky situations my mother’s salutary advice was to keep a petition below Gurudev’s photograph, pray and surrender. I persisted with the sagacious counsel and with hope, faith and belief expecting a miracle. Persistence While fervently praying to Gurudev, I had sounded the top honchos of Railway Board about my proposed trip to Bangalore Ashram. And then the miracle happened. The suzerains of NF Railway, were categorically informed that leave had to be granted. Fortuitously my bandwidth with the officers in Railway Board was on a different plane, unlike the trust deficit which I faced with my superiors at the zonal headquarters. Officials at Railway Board were aware as to how I had battled with alcoholism and regained sobriety through the Art of Living programmes. I headed for Bangalore Ashram after a brief stop to see my parents. My father did not quite approve the stand I had taken in infuriating the zonal officials, while my mother stood like a rock and supported my decision. Quite unexpectedly I suffered a severe bout of gastroenteritis at Hyderabad. Since childhood stomach related ailments have always been my bugbear and played havoc innumerable times. Once again with a bruised stomach I arrived at the Ashram running temperature, to undergo the TTC Phase 2 course. A few years later, a noted astrologer based in Hyderabad asked me to recite Hanuman Chalisa unfailingly to ward of any malefic effects of stomach ailments. This was to also to pacify the vata dosha present in my body. The first few days were quite a challenge as I was struggling with the abdominal bug, but finally overcame the pestilence. With a hectic schedule of sadhna, seva, satsang and the stomach ailment I had lost quite a bit of weight, but like a brave warrior kept soldering on with the grace of the Master. Encounter with the Master Meanwhile TTC Phase 2 was in full swing. I realised that the power-packed programme included an absolute surrender to the Guru, to the Master. But there were a few stand outs in the course which were truly path breaking and my conscience was in 100% agreement. The course participants had to identify a buddy in their group and travel around the precincts of the Ashram, with one blindfolded holding the hand of the other and then the process was reversed. On several occasions the participant who was blindfolded fell, slipped, tripped and almost sprained their ankles but fortuitously the buddy with clear vision chaperoned the partner to shores of safety. The theme behind the process and technique meant that whatever be the predicament or misadventure, Gurudev in some form or the other would be appear to save his devotee. The Buddha Process All the TTC participants were to dress up like mendicants and behave like them and seek alms. Seeking alms like Buddha was to shatter our egos totally and surrender to the Master. Upon completion of the process, we were shimmering like prized trophies. That evening during evening satsang every participant of TTC was shining like a star. We felt immensely close to the Master. After the satsang, in a divine reverie Gurudev normally floats away to his kutir or some other place for a small meal or to meet someone. But for a strange reason we found that the Master stayed on, and was perhaps waiting for someone. “He is waiting for you. Muster the necessary courage and go and speak up and share your problem. If you cannot surrender and share your problems, disturbances, botheration with the Master what is the point of having one,” my conscience goaded me. But I could not muster adequate courage to go up to Gurudev. A few days later, once the satsang was over, Gurudev was toying with a garland and playing with it as he placed it on a Nataraja statue at Vishalakshi Mantapam. I finally mustered courage and rushed on to the stage and went straight to Gurudev as a stunned audience on. Gurudev’s secretaries tried to prevent me from tearing into the fold of the Master, but he disarmed all of us and called me over towards him and asked me to speak up. “Gurudev, the General Manager and officers of my railway have been repeatedly sending messages, ringing up and sending fax messages that I return back to Guwahati,” I blurted out. “Complete your training and return,” said the Master and levitated away as strains of the bhajan Jai Jai Radha Raman Hari Bol resonated at Vishalakshi Mantapam. Our General Manager was singularly offended with me as I had managed to attend the TTC using my contacts in the Railway Board. Despite Gurudev’s simple and direct message to go back to Guwahati after completing the training, my mind was cannonaded with antipathetic and confused thoughts. I was to send messages to my wife and mother, who were both surprised and vexed and asked me to have faith in Gurudev’s words and allow the miracle to occur. The TTC reached its summit and upon completion of the course we were given two precious gifts by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Teacher’s Manual and the Sudarshan Kriya cassette. We had all stumbled into infinity and were to share this invaluable knowledge with the world and had joined the army of teachers to spread waves of happiness.

A STORY OF FAITH AND MIRACLES

CHAPTER 15 Golconda and more It was the faith of my mother in the breathing techniques and other holistic approaches besides prayer proved providential when my wife enrolled me for the Art of Living Part 1 course in Jaipur. The unique rhythmic became the life boat in such trying circumstances and certainly performed a miracle as I could work despite extraordinary addiction to Bacchus. Humans think, homo sapiens procrastinate but the cosmos unfolds with immaculate timing which ensures that humans maintain time. My mother always hesitated to call us at Jaipur assuming I would pick up the phone and she would be forced to exchange a few words with me. My mother normally never interfered in my transfers and postings. But this time she put her foot on the pedal and pressed the accelerator and sought help from a close family friend and former trade union activist, who was also a staunch devotee of Sathya Sai Baba. It was once again faith and belief which came into play to perform a miracle. As I stepped out at Secunderabad station sometime past midnight my head was reeling on account of excessive consumption of alcohol during our journey from Jaipur to Hyderabad. I scrambled for space, fresh air and was unsteady on my feet much to chagrin and discomfiture of my wife as the coolies who carted our luggage smirked at my hapless condition. My parents believed and were hopeful that the change of place would trigger a positive development and in anticipation clutched the last straws that my star would shine in the land of the Nizams. A visit to a liver specialist “I am amazed at how your son is moving around with this fatty liver…. It would be catastrophic if he continues to drink in this manner,” two noted haematologists of the twin cities were to confide in my father and my wife. Once again in my life the abdomen and the organs (the mooladhara chakra was in question) were to be under the scanner. My mother who had earlier administered various alternative treatments on me at Bikaner resumed these techniques, while my father’s mind oscillated between auto-suggestion and the mysterious person whom he met at Bikaner. On the professional front my wife achieved a breakthrough as she went back to teaching at a prestigious school after a longish break. The children who were now growing up could see the pain in her eyes and tried to assuage her trauma. Though I was practicing Sudarshan Kriya at home regularly, I was still not attending the weekly follow-ups nor did I participate in any of the courses which are recommended to all who undertake the Part 1 Course of Art of Living. But it remained an enigma as to how I continued practicing the home-going kriya (or Short Sudarshan Kriya) unflinchingly. This was a clear manifestation of faith and belief in the power of breath, almost waiting for a miracle to happen. Why this happened remained a mystery! My answer to all doctors and liver specialists who examined me was that I practiced Short Sudarshan Kriya every day (despite consuming alcohol), drank plenty of buttermilk and consumed Liv. 52. The liver specialists did acknowledge that Sudarshan Kriya seemed to have had immense therapeutic value and benefits. It did seem to expunge toxins from the body and the cells were rejuvenated by fresh inject of oxygen. Several medical practitioners agree that this rhythmic breathing technique increases the level of prana or chi, helping it to virtually permeate into each cell of the body. Many studies conducted in AIIMS, NIMHANS and other hospitals only buttressed this point of view. My room at Rail Nilayam, South Central Railway Headquarters while extremely spacious had a very dry and desultory appearance. There was a calendar of Lord Venkateshwara Swami and his consorts Bhudevi and Padmavati. I used to religiously pay obeisance to the Lord whenever I entered my room and as I left the room in the evenings. The job profile was absolutely desultory. I had to monitor the Freight Operations Information System (FOIS). All that I was required to do was make a few phone calls and check certain computerized sheets. My time was largely spent reading a few papers and magazines and discussing politics with a close friend who appreciated my mental state. In the meantime, mother gave me her precious treasure- the Sai Charitra (the story and miraculous powers of Sai Baba of Shiridi) to ward of baleful eye and any malefic planets and asked me to read it while travelling to the office and back and whenever I was free. “The miracles of Shirdi Sai Baba would be an agent of change,” she would say. Every Thursday my mother and grandmother would pray at Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and give us the prasadam. At this point I had once again lost the trappings of power and was compelled to cover about eight kilometres by an autorickshaw rather than travel by an ambassador car (that undoubted sign of power of being a government servant). Much to the delight of my parents and my wife, I remained sober for a few days, till my mind capitulated once again and while returning from work, I started picking up a quarter bottle of gin, which I consumed upon returning home. The quarter very shortly turned into a half and very soon a full bottle and the consumption only grew. The family members were quick-witted to appreciate as to what was going on as I sat stoned, literally like a zombie at the dining table and heard stinging remarks from a concerned mother. However, the following morning, I would touch her feet and do Sudarshan Kriya and before leaving for office would again touch her feet. My mother also gave me a book on Raghavendra Swami, the Dwaita saint of Mantralayam which I kept in my brief case in addition to the Sai Charitra. My grandmother and mother had over a period of time developed deep faith in Raghavendra Swamy and in the miraculous powers of Sai Baba of Shiridi to engineer a change in my personality. My mother and grandmother were also to visit Shivam where Sathya Sai Baba followers held satsangs. Shri V.S.R. Moorty, a spiritual scientist and a staunch devotee of Baba who was also known to our family conducted satsangs at our residence which were well attended. “What was the need of all this? Was it not an overdose of religiosity as there no change in my attitude to life,” my wife thought. Though there was no improvement in me vis-a -vis my drinking, nevertheless I continued reading the two books and practising Sudarshan Kriya every day. I am sure it is my faith that helped me when one fine day on my way back home to my parent’s place (as we had yet to be allotted railway quarters) the autorickshaw I was travelling by toppled during a huge traffic jam. But thankfully and most inexplicably I emerged unscathed. Most certainly it was the faith of my parents, grandmother and my wife which protected me and a miracle took place. The autorickshaw diver suffered minor bruises and I absolutely suffered no injury. The stellar moment was that I had Sai Charitra in my hand and was reading the book … I narrated the incident to all the family members, who gave a wry smile. Promptly my grandmother warded-off the evil eye using salt as is the practice beyond Vindhyas. “At least now for the sake of Shiridi Sai Baba you stop drinking,” she was to say. But days turned into weeks, weeks into months and I continued my dalliance with liquor. Somewhere in between Vasu Uncle took me to AA meetings again as he did so in Delhi. In Hyderabad I learnt the Serenity Prayer, which I still keep in my pouch till date as a reminder about how helpless an alcoholic can be or for that matter any addict. SERENITY PRAYER “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Amidst all this chaos in my life as I continued to drink, I maintained the practice of Sudarshan Kriya without a break every morning and after that a short walk of fifteen minutes. This was essential as I felt extremely uncomfortable in the mornings on account of binge drinking which led to immense problems (the age- old and chronic problems of abdomen continued to be a severe irritant). Years ago, while in the womb the transmigratory souls had once mentioned that it was so essential to balance the three doshas- vata, pitta and kapha and my conscience endorsed this point of view. Thus, it is paramount that all physical exercise (be it aerobics, yoga, muscle training), our diet, breathing techniques and meditation balance the three doshas. I compounded all my problems with the consumption of junk food and quotidian drinking which led to abdominal problems, restlessness in the body and mind and finally a highly disturbed sleep. It was temporally arrested by intake of anti-biotics and butter milk. But it was positively the practice of Sudarshan Kriya which provided oxygen to the moribund cells in my body. During that time, one fine day I was summoned by the COM of the zone. I hastened to his room after paying another round of obeisance to Lord Venkateshwara and his consorts and swallowing two tablets of Alprax to sooth my frayed nerves. He looked at me mischievously and in a stern voice announced that I had been transferred to Guntakal as Sr DOM on the express orders of the General Manager, and that I had to pack up my bags and leave for Guntakal post haste. It was a tough and challenging post as the railway had to load humungous quantity of iron ore to China. This was required by their government for staging the Olympic Games. “Take your family along with you, so that you do not feel lonely. Work hard, get immersed in freight operations and not in liquor,” barked my benefactor, the COM of South-Central Railway. It was a challenging task and they opined as I would be occupied with work over a period of time, I would give up drinking. The bijou railway town of Guntakal dots the landscape of Anantapur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The arid region is replete with iron ore, limestone, cement plants, power houses – the temples of modern India as Pandit Nehru would say. During my stint at Guntakal Division on South Central Railway, I happened to visit the mutt of Raghavendra Swami at Mantralayam. The alcoholic mind smuggled a bottle of gin and a few cigarettes into the precincts of the holy shrine. After paying obeisance at the shrine, I was desperate to consume liquor in my room at the mutt. Upon my return to the room, I was shocked to see the bottle absolutely empty. There was no crack in the bottle nor was the seal tampered with or broken, yet the entire alcohol was spilt outside on the carpet and my clothes. Only my puja material and the notes of Part 1 of the Art of Living course which I had jotted down at Jaipur were spared. To me, this was a strong manifestation from the divine. This was no hallucination, but a clear message sent to me by Raghavendra Swami and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that enough was enough! And I had to positively abstain from drinking alcohol. The seeds of change were being slowly implanted by the divine power. My maternal aunts who were present during the pilgrimage endorsed the view and my inner conscience sent a similar signal. A few months later I was once again transferred back to Hyderabad as consumption of excessive alcohol was not tolerated by the establishment. Despite this, I was able to carve a niche for myself and the division as we won General Manager’s shields for excellent performance in punctuality and in safety. Once back in Hyderabad in a horribly drunken stupor and I found myself in a scrap outside the Chief Minister’s Bungalow on Banjara Hills with the cops. A few hours ago, I had had a tete-a-tete with our COM and that was followed by a lengthy discussion with our family doctor where I was certainly not sober. She concluded I needed psychiatric attention to grapple with the problem of my alcoholism. I was taken to a psychiatrist and was now garrisoned so to speak, in a rehab centre. And as the mind was in an ossified and obfuscated state my thought process was not straight and it became wild. I began to believe that a fiendish plot hatched by my friend and wife to imprison me. Once out of the bars of the rehabilitation centre I was finally consulted a psychiatrist who prescribed a regime of medication. So, yet another word was added to the lexicon that is medicine. It was thus a mix of science, religiosity and spirituality to provide the required succour to my problem. I was soon under a treatment of a psychiatrist to overcome the dependency on alcohol. But this had a partial effect as I continued with unabated drinking. It was not long that my liver and abdomen eventually caved in. First, I suffered from a bout of jaundice and soon developed severe problem of fistula for which I had to be operated upon. The double whammy resulted in my mother and grandmother to attend weekly satsangs of Sathya Sai Baba, the temples of Raghavendra Swamy and Shirdi Sai Baba temple almost every day and prayed for recovery. Incidentally her regular practice of Vipassana, Siddha and Pranic healing she was much sought after by several people suffering from host of physical ailments and they all seem to recover. Patients from various parts of the world began contacting her and my mother continued to alleviate their pain and anguish with startlingly positive results. However, her own son who just recovered from jaundice and the problem of fistula was still addicted to alcohol, cigarettes and Pan Parag. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I can recall the events vividly. It was November 2006 to be exact, I began having apparitions of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Raghavendra Swamy and Sathya Sai Baba virtually every day for a month exhorting me to give up alcohol. Now these are things which a rationalist, an atheist, and in particular science would ridicule. But those wretched nights when I was thoroughly drunk, I kept having visions of Gurudev, Raghavendra Swamy and Sathya Sai Baba, I kept wondering as to why was it happening. Then the penny dropped; a miracle occurred on 9th of December. We were to leave for Delhi that morning by A.P. Express to attend the wedding of my brother-in-law slated for 14th of December and I was having a few swigs from the bottle. My usually calm and self-effacing wife suddenly assumed the incarnation of Goddess Durga and snatched the bottle from my hand and severely berated and admonished me. “This was the tipping point in my life. Number 9 is considered extremely auspicious for Indians especially among Hindus,” the transmigratory souls were once to counsel me in the womb. For many Indians, the number nine plays an important role in their lives, especially while buying property and jewellery as well as registering vehicles. As per Hindu astrology, the number is ruled by the planet Mars, which is associated with power, energy and movement. Upon quitting drinking, I recall attending a mega Advanced Meditation Course of Andhra Pradesh in the year 2007, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met all the participants. I broke down and thanked Gurudev for pulling me out of the morass that I had been sucked into so miserably. So did another youngster who was seated beside me, from the tech field. We did not know each other, yet by a strange coincidence happened to be sitting together at Vishalakshi Mantapam (at the Art of Living Centre Bangalore). Interestingly, we both had emerged from alcohol dependency and were at the feet of the Master. This is what Gurudev does when a person surrenders all problems and botheration to him in no uncertain terms. Gurudev asked me to share my story with the whole world to motivate them to take to this path of happiness. By his grace several railway men have done the course across the length and breadth of this country with astonishing benefits. We have testimonials of engine drivers giving up smoking, drugs and alcohol. Similarly, loco pilots who could barely sleep and only sighted signals (red, amber, and green) in their dreams, now enjoy a sound night’s sleep. This was video graphed by a former DRM of Trichy. Similarly, the office staff of DRM, Bangalore, had undergone a lung function test. Smokers, who had participated in the Part 1 course of Art of Living, were surprised to observe there was no trace of tobacco in their system unlike smokers who did not participate in the programme. In February 2014, I travelled with Guruji by a special train —Sri Sri Express. Anugraha Yatra travelled across the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. The moment we crossed Kurnool, Guruji gave me prasadam from Mantralayam. I was taken aback and was reminded of the incident at Rayar’s Mutt (Raghavendra Swami’s mutt), where I had carried liquor into the holy precincts. It is only divinity which transcends body, mind and spirit. This once reinforced the belief of my mother in deep and profound faith which moved mountains and a miracle was once again performed on me. During the sanctified pujas at Navaratri, photographs taken by advanced cameras are able to capture the extraordinary presence of celestial beings when Gurudev, the Siddha Purush is in deep meditation and the Master slips into ecstasy seeing them. It is inexplicable and almost unbelievable to an ordinary individual. One must see Gurudev being transported to the seventh heaven, only a Siddha Purush or a Guru be in such a state.

Why did Kauravas go to heaven and Pandavas to hell? Is it true?

Why did Kauravas go to heaven and Pandavas to hell? Is it true? It is partly true, and a great deal misleading. After the war. Pandavas rule Hastinapura for 36 years, with Yudhisthira and Draupadi as the king and queen respectively. During their last days, Yudhisthira renounces the throne and crowns Parikshita (Abhimanyu's son) as the king. Pandavas and Draupadi then leave Hastinapura to go on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. During their ascent to Mount Sumeru (considered to be the highest peak of Himalayas), one by one, Draupadi, Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna, and Bhima fall down and die. Only Yudhisthira is able to complete the journey, and is granted entry into the Heaven in his mortal form. Yama (Lord of death/Lord of justice) shows him around, and Yudhisthira notices that Duryodhana and other Kauravas have been granted seats of honor among the deities and the sages. He is enraged and questions the fairness of the gods. Yama gently rebukes him, and asks him whether he will keep feeding his fires of hatred and bitterness even after the death and destruction of his kinsmen. He further explains that the Kauravas have paid for their sins with their blood on the battlefield, and that there is no enmity in afterlife. Chastened, Yudhisthira enquires about his brothers and Draupadi. He is told that Pandavas, Draupadi, and Karna are in hell — Pandavas because of their vanity, Draupadi because of her partiality towards Arjuna, and Karna because he could not stay true to his friend Duryodhana (Karna had vowed to kill only Arjuna in the war; to this end, he spared the lives of the remaining four brothers when he had a chance to kill them). Yudhisthira is given a choice between heaven and hell, and he chooses to remain with his brothers and wife in hell, rather than abandon them in their time of misery. Yama then appears before him and reveals that all this was an illusion created by the gods to test him. He also informs him that Pandavas, Draupadi, and Karna are already in heaven waiting for him. He (Yudhisthira) beheld Govinda (Krishna) endued with his Brahma-form … Blazing forth in that form of his, he was adorned with celestial weapons, such as the terrible discus and others in their respective embodied forms. He was being adored by the heroic Phalguna (Arjuna), who also was endued with a blazing effulgence. […] In another place, the delighter of the Kurus (Yudhisthira) beheld Karna, that foremost one among all wielders of weapons, resembling a dozen Suryas (suns) in splendour. In another part, he beheld Bhimasena of great puissance, sitting in the midst of the Maruts, and endued with a blazing form. He was sitting by the side of the God of Wind in his embodied form. Indeed, he was then in a celestial form endued with great beauty, and had attained to the highest success. In place belonging to the Ashvinis, the delighter of the Kurus beheld Nakula and Sahadeva, each blazing with his own effulgence. He also beheld the princess of Pancala (Draupadi), decked in garlands of lotuses. Having attained to Heaven, she was sitting there, endued with a form possessed of solar splendour.[1] Keep in mind that most of what we see in Swargarohanika Parva is from the point of view of Yudhisthira. And most of what he sees is an illusion cast by the gods to test him. In fact, there is an engaging conversation between Yudhisthira and Indra (chief of the demigods)[2]: न च मन्युस्त्वया कार्यः शृणु चेदं वचो मम | अवश्यं नरकस्तात द्रष्टव्यः सर्वराजभिः ||११|| शुभानामशुभानां च द्वौ राशी पुरुषर्षभ | यः पूर्वं सुकृतं भुङ्क्ते पश्चान्निरयमेति सः ||१२|| पूर्वं नरकभाग्यस्तु पश्चात्स्वर्गमुपैति सः ||१२|| भूयिष्ठं पापकर्मा यः स पूर्वं स्वर्गमश्नुते | तेन त्वमेवं गमितो मया श्रेयोर्थिना नृप ||१३|| व्याजेन हि त्वया द्रोण उपचीर्णः सुतं प्रति | व्याजेनैव ततो राजन्दर्शितो नरकस्तव ||१४|| यथैव त्वं तथा भीमस्तथा पार्थो यमौ तथा | द्रौपदी च तथा कृष्णा व्याजेन नरकं गताः ||१५|| What Indra is telling Yudhisthira is that humans — be they commoners or persons of royal lineage — accumulate both good and evil in their lifetimes. Thus, they must visit both heaven and hell in afterlife. There are those whose good deeds exceed the bad, and there are those whose bad deeds outweigh the good. The former experience hell first (for a time), and the latter experience heaven first (for a time). That is why Draupadi, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva — and Yudhisthira himself — had to experience hell momentarily before ascending to their final abode in the heaven. This leads me to believe that Duryodhana and other Kauravas, though glimpsed by Yudhisthira (and remember that Yudhisthira is only seeing what the gods want him to see) to be living in bliss in heaven, were there only for a time. It is quite possible, even likely, that Duryodhana and his brothers were sent to hell after their time in heaven, especially since we don’t see Duryodhana’s afterlife described in the final passages of the epic (which describes in great detail — apart from Pandavas and Karna — Bhishma, Drona, Dhrishtadyumna, and many other warriors from both the Kaurava and Pandava camps).

MOHAN GURUSWAMY: A TRIBUTE TO CHANDRASHEKHAR. A MOST CIVILISED MAN.

A very interesting memoir by Mohan Guruswamy on chandra sekhar. Its a good read. Mohan Guruswamy is the chairman of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a New Delhi-based think-tank. He has over three decades of experience in government, industry and academia. He was educated at Osmania University, Hyderabad; John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; and Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. He also served as economic advisor to FM during atal ji govt MOHAN GURUSWAMY: A TRIBUTE TO CHANDRASHEKHAR. A MOST CIVILISED MAN. I wrote this on the late Chandrashekhar's 75th birthday. He would have been 97 now. I think of him often. He has sunk from our general cosciousness into an undeserved oblivion. His squabbling family and close courtiers are fighting over the many trusts he set up. I have been telling them to institute an annual memorial meeting for him, but they show no interest. Very sad indeed. I met Chandrashekhar for the first time in early 1981 shortly after his party was decimated by the Congress-I in the mid-term elections that followed the collapse of the dismal Janata Party experiment. We were on a flight to Cochin from Bangalore and since he and I were seated next to each other, and since it was a hopping flight we had much time together. Till then Chandrashekhar was whom I used to see on stage under lights from the dark anonymity of the audience, but I now felt knew the person in the green room as well. It was much later that I came to know the man from the hero and I learnt that little separated these two. The river of time has flowed some since that day in 1981 but the man and hero continue to be indistinguishable to me. If politicians are performers and all politics is theatre, Chandrashekhar is a method actor who would have made that great acting master Lee Strasberg more than proud. He was ordained by history to play a role, but he had imbued the character with his unique personality and every public posture had its roots in a past that had seen enough adversity and struggle. The naiveté of early post independence socialism, its innocent hopefulness, its incredulous belief that we humans are all innately capable of great generosity towards each other, and its belief that all social and economic problems have public policy solutions came through in every speech and every political act. There was nothing fake in this. The sheer honesty of it all showed so clearly. Nothing about him was ever contrived. Thus when he spoke we hung on to every word, when he moved we moved with him. It was as if the stage and audience moved with him never wanting to miss a single performance. Today audience tastes have changed. Professional actors, mere singers and dancers, lip syncing words they don’t understand and moving their limbs to the choreographer’s script, have begun to straddle our public life. Politics is now more about inciting passions than exciting our imagination. It is a vocation rather than a calling. It is about base selfishness rather than selfless service to make a great dream come true. We have all become imbued with a cynicism and hopelessness. Even Chandrashekhar has not been untouched by this. How can he be? After all did he not always tell us that politics was the art of the possible? Even this Chandrashekhar retains much of the authority that his unique character endowed him with, and hence when this lion in his winter now and then roars angrily when Parliament degenerates into nothing more than a jungle, all others in that great hall, all lesser creatures without exception, heed that summons to good sense and order. Here he sits in Parliament, the solitary representative of a party that hardly exists beyond a postal stamp sized borough, yet it is to his counsel the national leadership turns to time and again when it knots itself up in confusion and rancor. His admirers cut across party lines. If Parliament were to elect a leader without the demands of party loyalties, obligations and constitutional fiats, I doubt if a Vajpayee or George Fernandes or Mulayam Singh will find favor over him with the unfettered MP’s. Chandrashekhar’s talents, abilities, passion and razor sharp intellect put him head and shoulders above the rest. This is what makes him unique, even when he sits alone, hunched on the front bench of parliament eyes intent and ears not missing a single nuance or telling inflection, as eager as a newcomer would be on his first day in the marketplace where national aspirations are reconciled into what is possible and feasible. The politics of policy are his only passion and everything that comes in-between him and that, the huckstering, the fund raising, the dust and din of campaigning, the hyperbole and exaggeration of the stump are just steps to that unique pedestal he still occupies. I was with Chandrashekhar one evening in 1985 at Pune airport after a long hot day of electioneering in western Maharashtra. He was campaigning for his candidates as well as those belonging to whatever party Sharad Pawar then had. Those who wanted him had typically provided him with a car that had to be stopped every few dozen miles and cooled down with mugs of water poured into it and over it. When it came, it came practically without any fuel. We paid for the petrol and all day long Chandrashekhar addressed meetings of farmers and small traders who moved by the idealism and sheer decency of the man manifestly apparent, despite not being able to speak their language, plied him with cash, mostly soiled and crumpled small denomination notes and coins smoothened by age. I kept counting each take and they amounted to a tidy sum each time. Chandrashekhar would keep ordering me to dispense this to candidates each time we stopped for him to make the same speech for a different candidate or a different audience. The money never stayed long enough and neither of us had the good sense to keep even our own money from the cause of candidates, many of who were clearly going to lose their deposits and some who were just pocketing what was coming their way and were contesting the elections to raise their profiles with the local constabulary and bureaucracy. A picture or two with a great man helps in this. Anyway when we reached Lohegaon airport late, partly because of the stalling car, the flight to Bombay had left and that was reason enough for the local party officials to leave. We arrived tired and wondering what next when we discovered to our chagrin that neither of us had any money. There was a flight to Bangalore in a couple of hours, which was in any case tomorrow’s destination. After washing up in the small VIP lounge and after fortifying ourselves with some tea helpfully provided by the IA officials we sat down to take stock of our situation. Chandrashekhar found all this truly hilarious and would, much to my irritation, frequently break out into bouts of laughter. “Don’t worry,” he would say, “things will work out” only increasing my irritation. I found an old telephone directory, summoned the names of a few old acquaintances and looked up their telephone numbers so that I could touch them for some money. The only fellow I could reach seemed more in need of help than us. Chandrashekhar found this even more mirthful. Now the Indian Airlines duty officer showed up wanting to know if we wanted to go to Bangalore. Chandrashekhar told him yes, but that we did not have tickets and sotto voce added, no money either. The IA official did not bat an eyelid. He just said: “Sir, I did not ask for the money. If you want to go to Bangalore I will give you two tickets on my responsibility. The money will come, I am sure.” Two tickets were provided and we were off to Bangalore. This was soon after Rajiv Gandhi had stormed into office with 425 Lok Sabha seats and when Chandrashekhar himself lost his seat form Ballia. The India n Airlines officer said something very thoughtful. He said: Sir you may have lost an election, but you have not lost your credibility. Even your word is not required. I consider it an honor to be of some assistance to you.” When we arrived at Bangalore, the run of bad manners continued. The Janata Party was in power in the state. Once again an old claptrap Ambassador was provided. The city was festooned with giant cut outs of the Chief Minister who had just embarked on his version of value-based politics. As we drove through the dusty back roads of Karnataka, there was not a single poster featuring the party president. But there was not even single disapproving reaction from Chandrashekhar. The second day we ran into Deve Gowda at Mandya’s government guesthouse. This was my first encounter with Deve Gowda. It was early in the morning when Deve Gowda rushed in with tears streaming down his ample cheeks complaining about how Hegde was not even providing him with a seat on the dais in the election meetings. Chandrashekhar tried calming down Deve Gowda. But this only resulted in more evocative wails. After Deve Gowda settled down somewhat and went to his room, Chandrashekhar very perceptively remarked: “Deve Gowda is not a man who forgets and one day he will get his back on Hegde.” That day came when Deve Gowda as Prime Minister threw Hegde out of the party, whatever it was called then, without even a pretense of due process. Chandrashekhar’s precise perception is unique. It comes from a deep understanding of the people of India, our history and our present situation. His wisdom is derived not from Marx, Lenin or even Laski, but inspired by the lives and sayings of Buddha, Kabir, Nanak, Gandhi, Narendra Deva, and Jaya Prakash Narayan. It was this perception that made him differ with Indira Gandhi when the Indian Army was sent into the Golden temple at Amritsar to ferret out a man who should have been nipped in the bud much before. After the carnage he remarked to me that anyone who knows Sikh history and understands what has made them so unique would know that this was something that will not go unanswered. The great lady paid the price a few months later. When Rajiv Gandhi embarked on his half baked and ill-advised mission in Sri Lanka soon to lead to the deployment of the Indian Army and the bloodiest fighting it ever saw, Chandrashekhar remarked that this is what happens when people who do not read history set out to make it. Once again there were tragic consequences and India lost a leader who could have towered over today’s crop and who was far better placed to understand today’s problems and solutions than the gerontocrats that came after his demise. Chandrashekhar will be 75 years old on April 17. He walks with the vigor and gait of a much younger man. He thinks like an even younger man. I have been educated at one of the world’s great educational institutions. But what I have learnt from him far exceeds what any university can give. That politics without passion was meaningless. That policy without compassion was useless. That kindness, courtesy and civility to those less privileged than oneself must not be contrived as an act of magnanimity but should come naturally. That consideration to others is the essence of democracy. He taught me a thing or two about what it took to be a civilized person. It has been my good fortune to know this truly and uniquely civilized man and call him my friend and teacher. Mohan Guruswamy Email: mohanguru@gmail.com Wednesday, March 06, 2002

Can the Sudarshana Chakra kill Lord Shiva?

Can the Sudarshana Chakra kill Lord Shiva? It cannot even kill demons protected by boons and beings like devas and Brahmarishis. Ravana tanked Sudarshana chakra hundreds of times in battle due to his powerful battle armor.. Vishwamitra used everything including Shiva's trident and Sudarshana chakra against Vasishta but could not even scratch him. When you dive deep into sectarian stuff, the matter becomes even more hilarious. As per Mahabharata, Sudarshana chakra shattered into pieces upon contact with an asura named Mandhara who was protected by Shiva's boon. . O Keshava! In those ancient times, Vishnu’s terrible chakra and Akhandala’s vajra were shattered on the evil one’s body. Same case for Tarakasura too as per Skanda purana. Regaining consciousness, Viṣṇu seized his irresistible discus which was painted by the blood, suet and fat of leading Dānavas. 194. Keśava vehemently discharged it on the chest of the leading Dānava. That discus with the lustre of the sun fell on the Daitya. 195. Like a blue lotus (hurled) on a rock, it got shattered on his body. Thereupon Mahendra too discharged his Vajra that was being adored for a long time. 196-198a. In his fight with the leading Dānava, it was on this that Śakra had pinned his hope of victory. Reaching the person of Tāraka who was heroic, it split into a hundred pieces and its rays were scattered. As per Anushasana Parva, it originated from Shiva himself whereas majority portions says it's origin from sun's power which was forged into a disc by Vishwakarma.

*Practice a Good Good bye*

*Practice a Good Good bye* News of the Air India plane crash that occurred yesterday has shaken all of us to the core. Watching the visuals - raw, devastating, and painfully real - I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of those on board. My heart aches for the victims and their families. 🙏🏼 Someone who’s often in transit - boarding flights, chasing deadlines, building dreams - It could’ve been any one of us. You. Me. Someone we love. And yet, here we are, making 5-year plans, obsessing over the future… while forgetting that tomorrow isn’t promised. What struck me hardest was not the crash alone - but the quiet, overlooked reality of how we often leave home. No hugs. No pause. No proper goodbye. Just a rush out the door, a distracted wave, or worse - leaving after a fight or silence. The crash reminded me how fragile it all is. And how precious. So if you’re reading this - pause for a second. You’re lucky. You’re breathing. Your family is safe. That alone is everything. My only ask? Don’t wait for moments like this to learn the value of a goodbye. Whether you’re off to work, boarding a train, or taking a flight - never leave without love. Never walk away without letting someone know what they mean to you. Because if that day ever comes - and I pray it never does - the worst pain for those left behind isn’t losing you. It’s not having said enough. Not having loved enough. Not having held you just a little longer. 💔 I hope this reaches you the way it’s hitting me right now. May we all learn to leave with grace, with gratitude, and with goodbyes that feel like love. My deepest prayers and strength to every soul affected by yesterday’s tragedy. 🙏🏼❤️ .....a reminder to us all 🙏🏼