Birthday – A Milestone in the Journey of Life

As they say, life is nothing but a journey—from birth to death. And just like important milestones on a highway in a road trip, birthdays mark key moments along the journey of this life.

Talking of journeys, one of my favourite on-road drives is on the Lucknow–Agra Expressway, which I take to go to Delhi.

 It's not just the smooth road that makes it enjoyable, but the way the stoppage points (read milestones for analogy!) are thoughtfully placed. 

After every 100 km—or roughly one hour of driving—there's a diversion for a well-marked stop (motel/eatery/restrooms). 

These give time to stretch, refresh, and reflect. 

With each stop passed and we reach closer to end of the journey, there’s a rising sense of anticipation: “Just three more to go… two more… almost there.”

Isn’t life the same? 

Every birthday is like one of those stoppage points. We pause for a while—celebrate, reflect, and rejoice. But with every birthday, we are also moving closer to the destination. 

The question is—do we even know what our destination is?

Is it merely death, the end of the physical body? Or is there a higher destination—something more eternal, more meaningful? Moksha—liberation—the merging of the soul with the Supreme?

In life, we get trained for careers and  finances.

But are we ever truly taught how to choose our spiritual destination—or the right route to reach it? 

While there are GPS systems available like the Vedas, Shastras, and Sanskaras that lead directly to liberation, they come with a very heavy price, in terms of discipline, devotion, celibacy, and detachment.

The journey of गृहस्थ (with family and worldly attachments) may seem to be easy in terms of austerity, but it has its own roadblocks—attachments, temptations, and endless responsibilities that often blind us to the very idea of a destination.

Today, as my mortal body completes 43 years of this journey, I realize there is still too much to learn, unlearn and mend; सही कहूं तो मुझ नादान के बस का नहीं; गुरु/भगवत आश्रय ही मार्ग है। 

May the Divine give me the strength to stay true to the right path.

As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (6.5):

"Let a person uplift their own self by their Self; let them not degrade themselves."

For, the self is indeed both friend and enemy of the self.

#birthdayvibes #bhagwatgeeta #reflection #life

The Importance of a Guru: A Lesson from a Pair of Spectacles

During my recent HTA fellowship course in Visakhapatnam, I had a simple yet profound realization. 

After taking a bath, I stepped out and began searching for my spectacles. Being myopic (short-sightedness) with lenses of about -5, it was nearly impossible for me to locate them without wearing them first. Frustrated, I asked my wife to help.

As we both searched, I found myself saying,

"With weak eyes, we won't be able to find our own specs until someone with specs helps us."

In that very moment, a deeper truth hit me—the significance of a guru (teacher) in one’s journey.

This realization also instantaneously reminded me of the Bhagavad Gita. 

 Despite his knowledge and past experiences, Arjuna's vision was clouded by emotions and maya (illusion)—just like my getting blurred vision without spectacles. It was only when Lord Krishna, his divine guru, guided him that he gained clarity and insight.

Krishna says in the Gita (Chapter 4, Verse 34): 

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया | उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: || 4.34||

"Approach a Guru with humility, ask questions with sincerity, and serve with devotion. The wise will impart knowledge unto you."

Just as I needed someone with good sight to help find my specs & thus my sight, we all living amidst overpowering maya, need a Guru to help us see beyond illusions, and guide us toward true wisdom.

A few key takeaways that I could make out of it:

1. Self-awareness is limited without guidance—just as a myopic person like me struggles to see clearly without glasses, we often struggle to perceive truth without the guidance of a guru.

2. Maya clouds our understanding—like Arjuna on the battlefield, our mind is often fogged by emotions, doubts, and illusions.

3. A Guru provides clarity—The role of a Guru is to illuminate the path, helping us see what we cannot on our own.

4. Seeking guidance is a sign of wisdom, not weakness—just as I sought help to find my glasses, we must seek a Guru to gain deeper understanding in life.

In the journey of knowledge and self-discovery, a Guru is like a pair of well-fitted spectacles—helping us see the world with clarity, focus, and wisdom.

Cricket & Chanting - true surrender brings all else in its wake!

On March 09, 2025 at about 9 PM, we (me and my wife) were boarding the plane for Visakhapatnam, having reached Hyderabad in the morning from Lucknow. It was a long tiring day spending hours at the airport lodge, and taking a short but enriching visit to the Statue of Equality in between. 

There was another event unfolding the same moment—the final of the Champions Trophy between India and New Zealand. India was chasing a target of 250-something (probably 252). As I stood in the boarding queue with my wife in front of me, I overheard the familiar buzz of cricket commentary. Almost instinctively, my hand reached for my phone.

And then, a thought arose: Was I truly willing to trade my chanting for a mere cricket score? The temptation was strong, but wasn’t this exactly what Lord Krishna speaks of in the Bhagavad Gita—the struggle between the pull of the material world and the path of spiritual discipline?

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जना: पर्युपासते।

तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्॥ (भगवद्गीता 9.22)

"Ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate,

teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham." (Bhagwat Gita 9.22)

("To those who are constantly devoted to Me and worship Me with love, I provide what they lack and preserve what they have.")

Taking a deep breath, I withdrew my hand from my pocket and resumed my chanting. In that very moment, as if to affirm my choice, I heard a voice from behind exclaim—"163 for 3!"

It felt as though the Lord Himself was testing me, and the instant I surrendered to the mantra-mārga, He chose to fulfill my trivial desire effortlessly. 

Perhaps, He was reminding me that true surrender brings all else in its wake.