Sarkar Swami

Wayne Dyer has said many times, that, when he sits in his sacred place to write, he feels that he is being guided by a higher power.When he puts his pen to paper, thoughts become very fluid and he can easily convey his ideas ,as if they are being channeled through him. As I begin this process, I notice that sometimes it happens to me as well, only when I am fully present, though!!

Today, I am going to introduce to you Sarkar Swami a learned scholar of the Ramayan, a saint who lived in a tiny village called Bithore. He had renounced all worldly goods and lived on the shores of the holy river Ganges, along with his three 'Chelas' or disciples. A man of few needs, he devoted his life singing the praises of Shri Ram. He had a powerful melodious voice with witch he did' Kirtan' (chanting) . It went like this;

Jai Sia Ram Jai Jai Sia Ram
Jai Sia Ram Jai Jai Sia Ram

His discourse of the Ram Charitra Manas' , which started at 5 o'clock sharp, every day in the evening, preceded the Kirtan. His recitations were so powerful that, Hanuman jee the God of wind came to listen. It is said, that where ever the stories of Ram are being told Hanuman jee is present, as he is his prime devotee

To set the stage, how my family started listening to the renderings of Sarkar Swami comes as no surprise. After our family's Guru Paramhans Narain Swami, died suddenly in Badrinath, my father became very disillusioned. He started missing 'Maharajjee' (a respectful title for a saint) a lot, and started a search for another saint. So one day my father took all of us to Bithore, which is not far from Kanpur (my hometown) and met with Sarkar Swami. From that day onwards, every Saturday evening was spent in Bithore. It was a half day at work for Daddy. He came home for lunch at 1 o'clock, took his afternoon siesta, and then Mummy and him would leave around four. We the kids, my brother Rakesh, sister Rashmi and me were always roped in (my older brother Vijay Bhai was studying in England and my oldest brother Kuldeep Bhai Sahib) was working in Bhilai by then. My Dad always liked to take his kids with him for any outing. Only if the kids had another engagement were we allowed to stay home.

This is how I was initiated into Ramayan. I must have been 12 years old when I sat in the small hall, listening to the strains of music accompanied by the Harmonium and the Tabla. I remember the time when I looked at my watch and day dreamed, not knowing the seeds were being implanted all the same. Growing up, in that atmosphere (others, I will talk about later) I started reading a few pages of the epic every day. That was in my twenties!! I have never left that habit since!

The Ramayan intrigued me fascinated me, as Sarkar Swami asserted that it had all the answers for life and death. He unabashedly proclaimed that if one only recited the appropriate 'chaupai'(couplet) then any problem in our daily lives could be solved, thus leading to a happy and contented life.

Hence the birth of my Ram Rajya. Reading the pages of Ramayan got me this far !! So just before you go to bed tonight say Jai Sia Ram and then we will have Ram Rajya!! Jai Ho Again!!!