The life journey of a Sadhvi - from Hollywood to "Holy" Wood

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1/31

Who is a Sadhu?

Saffron saree, tilak on forehead and bead of Rudraksha in hand, whenever it comes to a sadhvi or a sadhu, the same image is formed in all of us, but do clothes alone decide who is a sadhu or a sadhvi? No, the definition of sadhu or sadhvi is very different from this. (This piece has been translated from Hindi and the writer is Ila Goswami. The link of the original article is https://bit.ly/3BHSfVW)

2/31

Do you know who is a Sadhu?

We all see life in that dimension where everything is Maya. However, looking at life from the dimension of spirituality where there is a world which is very different from our world and is what brings us into the category of sages. The person who chooses this life is called a sadhu and in today's article we will talk about one such sadhvi.

3/31

Connection with spirituality

The year was 2018 and I had decided to leave the news industry and do something new. This year I joined Speaking Tree, the country's largest spiritual platform. Before this, a different definition of spirituality was in my mind, but after coming here, I came across the real spirituality for the first time.

4/31

Meeting a Sadhvi

Well, we won't be discussing spirituality today. You must have read many of my articles on this. Today's article is on one such sadhvi whom I came to know here. I not only read or saw about her, but also got a chance to meet her many times.

5/31

The story of Sadhvi Bhagwati

She was none other than Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati associated with Parmarth Niketan, a famous spiritual ashram in Rishikesh. Seeing and hearing Sadhviji, no one can say that she is from another country.

6/31

From America to India

Growing up in California, about 13,000 from India, Sadhvi Bhagawati's destiny brought her from Hollywood to Holy Wood. In 1996, Sadhvi Bhagawati graduated from Stanford University and then did her PhD in Psychology. After that she came to India for the first time. She was neither religious nor spiritual, but still a voice resonated in her, which inspired her to go on a new path. This road was not easy......

7/31

Why spirituality?

If you look at the old pictures of Sadhvi ji, you will wonder why would such a beautiful and full of life girl, who had many opportunities to earn a name in various fields, choose spirituality; where there is neither Maya nor worldly things, by which we often get trapped.

8/31

The path of destiny

Then why did Sadhvi Bhagawati choose this path? To find an answer to this question, I decided to meet Sadhvi Bhagawati. Due to the impression that Sadhvi Bhagawati had left on me after the 2018 meeting, the curiosity to know her was born in me, but we got a chance to meet exactly after a year in 2019. It was the month of October a nip in the air had knocked in Delhi. Due to my work, I could not go to Rishikesh to meet Sadhvi, so destiny cleared the way for her to come to Delhi.

9/31

The meeting

Sadhvi Bhagawati reached our office in Film City, she was accompanied by her colleague Sadhvi Karuna, who is from Brazil. Seeing Sadhvi Bhagawati, so many questions arose in my mind. Well, I calmed my mind and asked her the first question which was most important to know. The first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Sadhvi ji, do you know Hindi well?" Even now when I remember this question, laugh and also get embarrased since it was a strange question.

10/31

First meeting

Well Sadhvi ji smiled and said………..ji, I can speak and understand Hindi too. Her language style and Hindi words were so deep and selective that one cannot say that Hindi is not her mother tongue. After that the series of questions started.

11/31

The inspiration

Next, I asked, what was the inspiration she got, due to which she decided to take this path? Sadhvi ji paused for a while, her eyes were closed and a smile on her face, as if she was being happy remembering some good moments. After a few moments she opened her eyes and the first word that came out of her mouth was "Maa Ganga"...ji, Maa Ganga, Sadhvi Bhagwati's life took a new turn when she was just 25 years old and went to visit India. Did destiny bring her to India?

12/31

The reason for choosing India

Probably yes, because Sadhvi Bhagawati was a pure vegetarian since childhood. Before going to visit, she used to research about every country where vegetarian food could be available. Since India has been a country of sages and yogis, there is no dearth of sattvik food here. It was just then that Sadhvi packed her bags and set out on a trip to a country that she knew only through vegetarian food.

13/31

Book opened the path to Rishikesh

When Sadhvi ji came to India in September 1996, she first saw a book "Lonely Planet". As soon as Sadhvi ji opened the book, the first page she saw was Rishikesh. That was just the turning point of Sadhvi Bhagwati's life. After reaching Rishikesh, Sadhvi ji went out to visit with her friends. When Sadhvi ji was telling me this incident, the glow on her face was really different. As Sadhviji was narrating this anecdote to me, all the scenes were going on in front of my eyes.

14/31

Attachment to Maa Ganga

Besides the gushing Ganga, an innocent 25-year-old girl is standing on the banks of the river. Above it is the open sky and there are high mountains surrounding it. This panoramic view of nature was attracting her towards it. The girl had come here to wash her feet considering Mother Ganga as just a normal river, but little did she know that Mother Ganga was going to change the course of her life.

15/31

A miracle

Sadhvi ji was just about to step into the Ganges when she heard a voice from inside. This was the first time that a Sadhvi had realized some supernatural power or rather spiritual consciousness. Then Sadhvi ji immediately withdrew her feet and left the place, bowing to Mother Ganga, with many questions about how she had felt just now.

16/31

Sadhvi and Maa Ganga

Now this had become a daily routine. Sadhviji would leave the hotel and sometimes she would sit near the Ganges and sometimes she would take a dip. In the meantime, he had found a new way to reach the hotel and the Ganges. This route passed through a very beautiful forest and an ashram. At that time even Sadhviji herself did not know that this ashram would change her destiny.

17/31

Do miracles really happen?

Do you believe in magic? Magic is a miracle, which is neither seen nor heard, and you cannot even realize it to anyone else. A miracle can be understood only by the one with whom it has happened. Perhaps you too must have been a witness to some miracle at some point in your life? If yes, then you will be able to understand very well the incident that I am going to describe now with Sadhviji.

18/31

Connect with Swamiji and Parmarth Niketan

So as usual, Sadhvi ji was going from hotel to mother Ganga. Coming close to the ashram, she heard a voice from behind. When Sadhviji looked back, there was no one there. After 30 seconds the voice was heard again and Sadhviji looked back again. After a few seconds she understood that this is none other than the voice of her mind. This was the day when the voice of her mind dragged her to the Parmarth Niketan Ashram where she met Swami Chidanand Saraswati.

19/31

Beginning of the journey

When Sadhviji had come to India, she was with her friends, but after coming to Rishikesh, she was no longer a girl from America. The rest of her companions who came from America had to go to Badrinath, but Sadhvi's mind was so engrossed in Mother Ganga that she could not go away from Rishikesh. Sadhviji went to Swamiji to get out of this confused state and there she realized for the first time that she had met a great sage.

20/31

The decision

She was in this dilemma that she should move forward with friends who came from America or stay here, but where would mother Ganga even let her go. As soon as she came out of Swamiji's room and started going to the hotel, at that time again something miraculous happened to her. Sadhvi's foot remained where it was, it did not even lift, as if the earth had caught her feet and saying that "You are made for this earth, this city of sages, mahatmas and yogis is your life."

21/31

The journey towards Sanyas

At that moment, Sadhviji decided that she would not go anywhere else. Slowly the years passed and Sadhviji used to talk to Swamiji about Sanyas every day, but Sannyas is not like any admission course that when you do not feel like, leave it in the middle. For this reason, Sadhvi had to give a tough test and after 4 years in the year 2000, she crossed every test of Swamiji. It was from here that a common girl of America became the Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati of India.

22/31

Devptee of Hanuman

Who is the Ishta Dev of Sadhvi ji? Bajrang Bali Hanuman is the deity of Sadhvi ji. But why Hanuman? Why not Ganga Maa? The reason behind this is Ramayana. Swami ji believed that there is something different in Sadhvi ji due to which she can influence the world but Sadhvi was not sure how a girl from another country can leave her mark on millions of people. Then Swamiji gave him a book, which was an English edition written by C Rajagopalachari. A 200-page book named 'Ramayana'.

23/31

Getting inspiration from Ramayana

Sadhviji read Ramayana all night and then the next morning she started crying after going to Swamiji. She understood why Swamiji felt that she could reach out to lakhs of people. The reason behind this was Pawan's son Hanuman. A sentence of Hanuman recorded in Ramayana explained everything to Sadhvi ji.

24/31

Inspiration from Hanuman

People asked Hanuman that you reached Lanka in one jump, lifted the whole mountain, burnt Lanka, how do you do all this? Hanuman did not tell them that I am an incarnation of Lord Shiva, that's why I can do all this, he said that I just take the name of Lord Rama with my eyes closed and a miracle happens. Just this thing touched the heart of Sadhviji and she became the ultimate devotee of Hanuman ji.

25/31

Family's reaction

The only child of a wealthy family in America, for whom her family had big dreams, this was a big change; it would be a great shock to any parent but Sadhviji's family accepted it as a blessing from God and they had no doubt that their daughter had set out on a right path. A big reason for this was also that Swamiji had instructed Sadhviji to complete her PhD and never gave her advice but showed her the way to listen to her mind.

26/31

The image of Sadhus

Today the image that was in my mind about Sadhus, Sadhvis and Mahatmas was changing after meeting Sadhvi. The path that Sadhvi ji chose was not to be detached from the world, but to work for the world by renouncing worldly attachment and illusion.

27/31

Serving others through Sanyas

Today Sadhviji is the Secretary General of 'Global Interfaith Wash Alliance'. This institute works on providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene to the people of the world. Through this institution, Sadhviji helps to reach out to those who do not have access to claen water and makes them aware, so that people know that it is their right to drink clean water.

28/31

The lesson

In the end, I would like to share a lesson that I got from Sadhvi. Sadhvi ji says, “Many people think that buying or earning things will bring happiness. However, what I saw first 25 years living in America and then 25 years living in India is that things will not give peace, happiness. It will be deeply intertwined with our consciousness and that supernatural force. Our only mistake is that we are looking for happiness, comfort and peace in the wrong direction.”

29/31

Life of a Sadhu

Like all of you, I used to think that the life of a sage is to be separated from the world, to live without family, relationships, attachments and illusions, but I was wrong. The life of a sage is to live for it even after being detached from the world. Take care of each and every creation of nature with the spirit of service.

30/31

Caring for her mother

This is the reason that for the past few months, Sadhvi ji has gone to America to serve her mother who suffered from a stroke. Even though she is a Sadhvi, about whom people often think that she has nothing to do with the world, but Sadhviji is much above this. The subject with which she linked spirituality and sannyas is really of a very high level. For her, spirituality and sannyas means service and public welfare, that is why people look up to her with respect, love and compassion.

31/31

Ask your questions

The life of Sadhvi Bhagawati is a book in itself, each page of which is an interesting and spiritual experience to read, but that's only what I got to know about her in this article. All of you must tell in the comment box how did you like this article and if you have any questions from Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, you can write them in the comment box.

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