The room was quiet, filled with a sense of peace that felt both vast and intimate. Virat Kohli, the king of the cricket field, sat with his wife Anushka and their young children, Vamika and Akaay, at the feet of spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj. There was no fanfare, only reverence.
Anushka spoke first, her voice gentle. She shared that the last time they had visited, her heart had been full of questions. But as she sat there, she found that others had asked them already. And then, in the quiet moments, as they planned this visit, she found herself conversing with Maharaj in her heart. To her wonder, the very next day, his public discourses began to answer the very questions running in her mind. It felt like a silent, divine conversation.
One of Premanand Maharaj Ji’s disciples then revealed the deep bond between his teachings and the Kohli family. Pointing towards Virat, she said, "Maharaj Ji, he listens to your discourses every day and strives to live by them."
This was the heart of their visit. Here was Virat, a man who had reached the pinnacle of the material world through sheer hard work, sitting before a sage who had mastered the spiritual path. How did these two worlds meet?
With a warm, knowing smile, Maharaj Ji began to weave them together.
He saw no separation.
“Look,” he said, his eyes twinkling, “we, through our spiritual practice (sadhana), strive to give people happiness, right? And he,” he said, indicating Virat, “gives the entire nation happiness through a sport. When he wins, the whole of India bursts with fireworks and celebrates. Is that not his sadhana? If he dedicates that effort to the Divine, then his practice is a sacred one.”
He reframed Virat’s cricketing discipline as a form of worship. His rigorous practice in the nets, his dedication to fitness, this was his abhyas (practice). The joy he brought to millions was his seva (service).
“Just as waving a ceremonial fan for the Lord is service, so is this,” Maharaj Ji explained. “God has given him the service of sport. If he excels in this service and brings happiness to the world, all while remembering the Divine name, then he is indeed serving God.”
He then addressed the inevitable companion of any great story: failure.
"Sometimes there is success, sometimes failure," he acknowledged. "In failure, one must remain steady and remember God. It is very difficult," he admitted, "to embrace failure with a smile and move on. But failure, like the night, does not last forever."
He introduced a profound concept: Prabadh (destiny or the result of past actions). He explained that in a team sport, the destinies of many are intertwined. “You may have practiced perfectly, but if the collective destiny has a streak of misfortune, you may have to face the pain of defeat. Both practice and destiny play their part.”
His advice for those tough moments was simple yet profound: “We must wait with patience, remembering God. It is very difficult, because success brings honour, while failure often does not.”
Turning his gaze back to the couple, Maharaj Ji’s voice softened with deep respect. “These people are very brave,” he said. “When one receives so much fame and honour from the world, it is very difficult to turn towards devotion. For them to be walking this path even with such fame and wealth is significant.”
He blessed them with the core of his teaching. “The principal thing is the chanting of the Divine name (Naam Jap). The more we practice this, the more we will progress, both in this world and beyond. Take refuge in God. That refuge is the greatest strength. Have faith in God, chant His name, and live with immense love and joy.”
As the meeting drew to a close, Virat Kohli humbly bowed his head in a final, respectful dandavat. It was a powerful, silent image that said more than words ever could.
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