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
