Pushkar

Pushkar is a graduate engineer from BIT, Mesra, Ranchi, who worked with ONGC and Coal India Ltd. over a period of more than thirty-five years. He is settled in Ranchi and enjoying his retired life with his wife, Suchitra. He remains professionally active, providing consultancy services in coal mining and allied industries. He is also a travel enthusiast, taking frequent trips across the country and abroad, and has undertaken several trekking expeditions in Uttarakhand.

His Spiritual Journey, In His Own Words

I grew up in a very religious family. My parents and grandfather were ardent devotees of Maa Durga and Lord Rama. Right from my early childhood, I heard them singing hymns dedicated to Maa Durga and Lord Rama.

I witnessed the performance of the nine-day Sharadiya Navratra pooja at my home right from my childhood days, and it has continued unbroken for more than the last sixty years. This had a profound impact on my religious belief, and daily worship of the deity remains a part of my routine.

However, my spiritual inclinations evolved in a rather unconventional manner. My aunt, who lived with me, was an ardent reader of Hindi literature. I used to bring her many books from the library — authored by Munshi Premchand, Phanishwar Nath Renu, Mahadevi Verma, Mohan Rakesh, Sharat Chandra, Gurudev Tagore, Vimal Mitra and many others.

One book named Mansarovar — a series of books compiling stories written by Munshi Premchand — left a great impression on me. Most of the stories revolved around life in the villages and small towns of British India, and in most of them the underlying theme was that it never pays to be dishonest, or to exploit the weak and the vulnerable. One may benefit in the short term, but always pays heavily in the long term. This left a deep impression on me, and helped me a great deal to remain on the path of righteous behaviour in both my professional and personal life.

The next turning point was a book titled Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, and another titled The Cosmic Romance by his guru, Sri Yukteshwar Giri.

Subsequently, when I read Who Am I? by Ramana Maharshi, I began pondering the ultimate question that arises in the minds of all seekers of liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In time, I read various compositions of Adi Shankaracharya, and was spellbound by the knowledge he imparted.

I bow my head in salutation to my Guru, Adi Shankaracharya, despite knowing that I am a very unworthy disciple.

The writings on this blog are as per my own understanding of the wisdom expressed by many great masters. The purpose of this blog is to share the treasure trove of Sanatan Dharma in simple words with our readers — especially the younger generation, who are more detached from our vast spiritual heritage.

I bow in salutation to the long lineage of great Gurus of Sanatan Dharma.

I am thankful for the love and support extended by my wife, Suchitra, and my beloved children — Shashank, Shilpa, Pallavi and Ankit.