Pujya Gurudev, My humble Pranams to you 🙏
On the grand, historic occasion of your 70th Birthday, my heart overflows with deep gratitude. Looking back at nearly three decades of walking this path, a beautiful journey of documenting a lot of lessons, moments, and events on my blogsite, I realize that every word I have written has been silently guided by your grace.
My journey with you did not begin with immediate, blind faith. Like many who pride themselves on analytical reasoning, I initially approached the spiritual realm with a guard of heavy skepticism. I looked for proof, relied strictly on logic, and questioned the intangible. Yet, you patiently and subtly showed me that life’s deepest truths lie just beyond the boundaries of intellect. You didn’t ask me to drop my rationality; instead, you effortlessly expanded it, transforming my rigid skepticism into a deep, experiential spirituality. Moving beyond mere logic, I realized that true faith isn’t about shutting your eyes to reality but opening your heart to a larger dimension of existence. Read that story here
When people ask what it is like to sprint alongside a Master who moves at the speed of light, I point them to the massive expansions we have witnessed. From the intimate amphitheatre, Narayana Hall or old Kitchen of the ashram before 2003 or so, to the magnificent Vishalakshi Mantap and the new Amphitheatre, and then to the sea of humanity packing Gurupaduka Vanam for Maha Shivaratri, the scale always leaves us breathless. Watching millions gather at the World Culture Festival on a seven-acre stage, or witnessing over a hundred thousand voices sing in perfect harmony during Naada Vaibhavam, taught me a profound truth about you: while the world sees massive logistical chaos, you effortlessly turn it into perfect, divine precision. When the world asks if we believe in miracles, we simply smile and remember your words: “We not only believe, we rely on miracles.” But your greatest miracle hasn’t just been conceptualising, guiding or blessing mega-events, it is the quiet transformation within our everyday lives.
As a professional navigating a career spanning nearly four decades, your wisdom became my anchor. It was through observing you that I discovered the true essence of “Spiritualising Work and Humanising Workplace.” You taught me that spirituality isn’t a retreat into laziness or an escape from responsibilities; it is the ultimate energy source that allows us to work harder and more effectively without burning out. Because of you, I learned to clear the mental cobwebs, access intuition, and practice true equanimity, understanding that success is ultimately “a smile that no one can snatch away.” You showed us how to move past labels, titles, and workplace stresses to recognize the human family underneath.
The way you sharpen and appreciate our work is often filled with your profound, unpredictable play of wisdom. I will never forget the moment I handed you a summary of a complex Himachal Pradesh court order. You went through this 1 page summary and to my utter shock, you looked at me in front of a whole bunch of people and announced, “This guy Suresh, does nothing great or dramatic.” A heavy silence fell all around (in front of Kashyap); everyone was completely stunned and started casting sympathetic looks my way.
But then, in your classic, customary style, you took a small pause, smiled, and added, “He does no great things, but does small things perfectly.” The atmosphere instantly shifted from tension to pure grace. I am simply unable to forget that moment, it remains the biggest, most treasured certificate of my life.
You gave us the ultimate shelter in the form of Satsang. In a world full of noise, you built a nest where our minds could finally rest. You gave us the beautiful formula of Gaana, Dhyana, Gyaana, and Khaana—a sacred space that consistently touches the heart, douches the mind, fills the spirit, and stills the intellect. Through the chanting of the Guru Puja, you didn’t create thought-clones of yourself; instead, you patiently guided us to recognize the Guru Tattva, the eternal essence of wisdom hidden within our own selves. You taught us the real Art of Living: the strength to “DROP IT” and move on. You showed us that holding onto negativity only numbs us to inaction, while dropping the burden of expectations every single moment keeps us fresh, recharged, and ready to grow. You taught us to look at this planet not as a block of sand and stone, but as a living, vibrant entity that responds to our care, inspiring us to clean rivers, plant trees, and serve humanity.
Your protection has not just wrapped around my work and mind, but has deeply enveloped my entire family, generation after generation. I will never forget that unforgettable moment near the Narmada Tank on the hilltop, when you held my young son Vishnu’s hands, gently holding his hands and guiding him to cut his birthday cake. At that moment, looking at the pure grace unfolding, I turned to my wife and everyone around us and said with absolute certainty, “My son is in the safest hands.” I told my boy then that the true significance of that picture would only be understood much later when he grew up. Today, as he navigates his life as a postgraduate student, those words have come full circle. He realizes it now. The grace that held his tiny hands on the hilltop continues to guide and shield his steps today.
Your boundless love similarly shaped my daughter Akhila’s life, encouraging her to soar. When she was given the immense platform to perform a Bharatanatyam recital during the sacred days of Navaratri in the Ashram, your eyes showered her with immense encouragement. The way you showered her with praise afterward, specifically showering compliments on her amazing, vivid expressions (abhinaya) during the performance, is a memory etched into her heart forever.
Years later, when she made the deeply personal decision to marry the person of her choice, you stood by her choice like a pillar of support, ordering us to stand by her decision and that He was certain she would do great, filling her path with abundant blessings at every single step.
The circle of this divine love beautifully expanded when we brought our next generation, our grandson Anay, to receive your blessings. Watching the Master of millions transform into a completely playful, joyful presence just to interact with little Anay was the absolute best part of our journey, a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss.
Year after year, on every single birthday and wedding anniversary, Aparna and I have had the ultimate fortune of standing before you, receiving your personal blessings and taking home memorable mementoes that we treasure as sacred tokens of your love.
On this auspicious milestone of your 70th Birthday, as we look at how securely, lovingly, and beautifully you have held our entire family, Aparna and I consider ourselves truly the luckiest human beings in the world.
Looking back at these seventy magnificent years of your life, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that your journey on this planet has been a monumental gift to mankind. You have walked among us not just as a teacher, but as a living bridge between ancient wisdom and modern life, untangling the complexities of human existence with an effortless smile. From leading massive peace negotiations to healing broken hearts, from inspiring global waves of selfless service to creating a stress-free, violence-free world, your footprint on earth has elevated human consciousness itself. Every river revived, every tree planted, every mind comforted, and every soul awakened stands as a testament to your tireless devotion to the planet. On this historic milestone, we bow down in absolute awe and reverence. On behalf of all mankind, and indeed the entire creation that has pulsated with greater joy under your gaze, we offer our deepest, endless gratefulness for the privilege of walking this earth at the same time as you.
Thank you, Pujya Gurudev, for teaching us to move from the rigidness of “This should be” to the ultimate, meditative freedom of “Let It Be.” We offer our gratitude, our seva, and our smiles at your lotus feet today and always.
🙏Jai Gurudev🙏