Narrator: Viewers we welcome you all, Sahaj yoga: a unique Discovery and a gift to mankind. A journey which was started few months back. Where we came to know about the importance of a spiritual life and how we can live a blissful and peaceful life remaining in that spirituality and viewers we are very much thankful to you that many people have contacted us through phones and told us about changes in their life. And in this regard, we will be meeting a very well-known face Dr Chitra Kiran Bedi. Let us listen about Sahaja yoga from Chitra Ji.
Interviewer: Friends welcome once again in this journey whose name is Sahaja Yoga: a unique Discovery and a gift to mankind. The journey is very simple a journey which connects us to those people who have spent their lives in search of something for which they are getting birth in the human body. Though we are searching too but it is another thing that our search has diversified and now it is diverted and instead of searching that Almighty God we search for fulfilling our material needs, money and stature though that search was not wrong but the most important and needed search remained unfulfilled. Today we have in our studio Dr Chitra Kiran Bedi who belongs to Pune she completed her education from Pune. She is also a very famous personality in judiciary she gave her service for 21 years uninterrupted as a Judge. Dr Chitra, you are most welcome in our News Dnn studio. Like every interview, the first question is Chitra Ji we would like to know on behalf of our viewers that when did you start is Sahaj yoga in your life?
Dr Chitra: Actually, in 1998 I joined Sahaj yoga because of health issues, I had hereditary problem, my haemoglobin was very low and workload was also heavy. Few of my relatives had suggested to me that you should do Sahaj yoga meditation. And when I started initially within 8 days my haemoglobin increased from 4 to 10. So the Dr Sanghai he was posted in Amravati, he asked my family Dr Gohar how it was possible? and he replied, “this is the country of gods here anything is possible”. I am telling you the conversation between the two doctors anything is possible and it had happened and since then I didn’t had any problem regarding haemoglobin now my haemoglobin is 40 so I think this is all Shri Mataji’s blessings.
Interviewer: Chitra Ji you have given the answers to our question, that is why and when you came to Sahaj yoga. The reason was your illness. Being a judge was it difficult for you to accept it easily?
Dr Chitra: Obviously I had a great problem accepting that, as I have told you that few of my relatives were doing a Sahaj Yoga for 7-8 years but believing them was simply not possible. initially I was a devotee of Renuka Devi, it is one of the shakti peeth. Basically, I belong to Aurangabad there when I went to Renuka Devi Mandir the priest who used to sit there and he had told me that I would become a judge and now he told me that your path of devotion will change but don’t feel sorry for that. And the next day when I went to Nasik I got Sahaj yoga. So my path was changed and it took me a while to settle down but things that were happening was giving me peace. Like It helped me in haemoglobin and also it also helps in reducing my stress I was feeling very less stress so gradually I needed almost 1 year to settle down. I would like to thank Dr Udwani who was there in Amravati Hospital he was an ideal Sahaj yogi and coordinated and handle things very efficiently. And there was a Yuva Shakti a lady she also motivated me and did great follow up. Today who want to join Sahaj yoga I did like to say them follow up is very necessary as today I am settled in Sahaj yoga.
Interviewer: There must be some reason for people to come to Sahaj yoga. So, friends, there was not so much reason for Chitra Ji to join Sahaj yoga but somehow the suggestionthat her relatives had given her that become the reason for her to come in Sahaj yoga and immediately after coming she got that benefit. Before she was suffering from the haemoglobin problem but she become normal in few days. And after that her profile as a judge and alongside she serves another responsibility of looking after the household as she is a woman.
No matter how much professional a woman become but the quality of a mother is always there inside her and that the feeling of responsibility towards her family and children. So with all the professional engagement you also need full time for your family. Chitra ji we did like to know on behalf of our audience that being a judge is a very tough profession you have to be very balanced and being in that balanced state you have to get rid of all kind of bondage. That is, you have to see what the person in front had done and then you have to take the decision as you are a judge. And along with that when you came to Sahaj, how much improvement you felt in your Workstyle.
Dr Chitra: In Sahaj inner transformation happen when your Kundalini awakens. Kundalini changes a person from inside and because of that family relations become better has it has been told by Shri Mataji. And also in working place, your relation becomes better, today in management Sahaja Yoga is very popular. Also because of that my working environment become very good like the people who are against me they came in my favour. I have tried my level best to find time to do meditation at home. Because meditation is a must. You can say it is the first Mantra. And before coming to Sahaj Yoga I didn’t follow rituals, my devotion come from my heart, that is I also believe in effortless meditation, even today also when I do meditation I directly go to Sahasrara I do not do all the rituals– like keeping your hand here and there.
Interviewer: There is always connection through which he is connected with his God because somewhere we all believe that every person has a unique relationship with God.
Dr Chitra: So in this regard, my meditation was going very well then I was promoted and my transfer was done to Khamgaon then we invited Dr Udwani Ji and did a public program. Shri Mataji make me the medium to establish a relation their after that public program. Today there are 6-7 centres. After court I used to visit the centre and kept Shri Mataji’s picture there, I took my mother in law and my small child and my husband used to visit that regularly. And I got settled in Khamgaon in Sahaj Yoga. And after that, I was transferred to Pune.
Interviewer: When you started doing Sahaja Yoga meditation you were established as a judge that is the before Sahaj Yoga you were a judge, in this situations what differences do you feel?
Dr Chitra: I always felt a feeling of love inside after coming to Sahaj yoga that is the concept of secularism in our constitution you could actually feel it after coming to Sahaj yoga because earlier I used to belong to a family which was little Hindutva Vadi I can’t surely say that they were, also my father though he was a Hindutva Wadi but he had clients from all religion and caste. He does not like casteism. But he had a preconceived mindset–
Interviewer: It is something that we get from our family from birth.
Dr Chitra: But after coming to Sahaj yoga what happened is that inside me this feeling becomes more pronounced that– there happened an incident in Khamgaon there was a riot between two Muslim sects shah Muslim and Deshmukh Muslim. So what happened was that a boy from Deshmukh Muslim sect was charged with attempt to murder, and there was one of 70 peoples in each group who was accused. And I had conversation for both the parties so I came to the Dias to announce the judgement but before that I pray to Shri Mataji that “is it alright– give me intelligence you are to judge” and when I came out I suddenly felt that how this judgement can teach them a lesson because our objective was to unite them not to make them fight with each other. So I give them very little penalty and give them a condition that one person from both the group to come in front of the court and hug each other. And it goes so well. Otherwise everybody was in a tense condition there, we had done so many arrangements SP and other police officials also came there fearing the riot.
So they came in front of the court and hugged each other, I looked at me and I saw them crying, so the whole fighting was over. After that, their lawyer came and said to me “what a judgement you have given, now they are roaming like friends sticking with each other, all of their fighting was totally over” so I said that this is all Mata ji’s blessings, it is love element. And he was feeling so happy that he was also crying. But the reality is that judgement was given by Shri Mataji. Same thing happened in another case, which was regarding property there were 40 something issues in it and it was impossible to solve, it was the case of Bobade family. With Shri Mataji Grace both families came to Dias along with their lawyer and discussed and that matter was settled forever. And that family was so moved by my judgement that they came and said to me that “we will never forget the way you have settled this matter”.
Interviewer: So it is only blessings of Shri Mataji. All over the world, people are running towards peace and for that, they are born with the human body. Being a judge she doesn’t restricted her responsibility to give punishment but she kept in her mind that how can we end that quarrel forever. If she could have given punishment to end the fight between two sects rather it would have increased it, but she adopted that path that she got from Sahaj yoga, Sahaj yoga have given her that understanding and intellect through which she ended the fighting between two sects in a positive note and sown the seeds of love in their heart. She made a condition that if you hug each other then only this case can become close.
Do you agree that Sahaj Yoga was that medium which brought this change inside you?
Dr Chitra: Yes Sahaj yoga is a reason, along with that family background played a role and Shri Mataji has told me that I am really fortunate that my parents are really very principled, actually now there in heaven–
Interviewer: We want that you shared your family background with our audience.
Dr Chitra: My father was advocate Bhagam Deshpande and my mother was a freedom fighter Pratibha Deshpande– I am sorry I got little emotional.
Interviewer: No it is not a problem we show our audience only the original emotions.
Dr Chitra: They never thought of money ever in their life they were very honest, I have never seen such honest people till now. So I got such honest parents that from there I got the samskara and when I got the
blessings of adishakti then everything becomes clear. So I am very much thankful to my father, mother and Shri Mataji that they have given me such samskara that I stood in full honesty.
Yes I admit that the path of Honesty is very dangerous but I have started their journey with the blessings of Shri Mataji that she has given me the energy.
Interviewer: As you have told honesty is a tough path, we are rewarded for it and sometimes punished for it also. When do you believe that walking in the path of truth it is very important to do Sahaja Yoga and have the meditation and dharana.
Dr Chitra: Yes it is very important because I always felt that I am walking in the path of honesty and I have the blessings of Shri Mataji and because of this feeling and never felt afraid of any situation. For example, if any person tried to allure me I used to speak to him directly in Dias and used to say to him that “whatever you doing here is not recommended in court and you should apologize to me”.
So everybody knew that she is a very strict judge. I used to speak against corruption openly. I did a havan( fire sacrifice) against corruption in Kabela, we went there for Shri mataji’s Shri Krishna and Shri Ganesh puja. So there I did that so that corruption may go from India, I put ahuti in it. So Shri Mataji also feels that it should also go. There is a dire need of good people and when we see honest people in the system we feel very good.
Interviewer: Viewers to walk on the path of truth, and to live that truth in life and marching ahead in life is a power in itself. Sahaj Yoga gives you that internal energy so that you can work in that part with more efficiently. Chitra ji we would like to give you a message for all the working women because their responsibility is not restricted to an office but they have to manage the house as a mother no matter if she is a judge or a big officer but for her child, she is her mother. And they have their own demands, husbands have their own demands and other family members to have their share of expectations. How Sahaja Yoga helped you in balancing all these responsibilities?
Dr Chitra: Sahaj Yoga gives you great energy no matter how much work you do you never get fatigue. And it is a big thing. It is important to do salt water (foot soaking) when I used to come from court I used to do salt water (foot soaking). And it is very important to do meditation twice daily, there in the morning and evening. It is not that I miss, I do miss, but the objective is to do meditation daily. Because to connected with Shri Mataji meditation is must public awareness and spreading is one aspect which was told by Mataji herself but I feel meditation is must it is of pivotal importance. And also it is very important that you surrender yourself. There are situations where we could not able to take decisions so it is better to leave it on Shri Mataji like for example I always tell about women– I haven’t told you earlier but I have done a PhD in the position of women in the domain of law. It is based on gender equality and law.
That is, because of law, equality has come in empowering women but the role has not changed the role remains like that, that is to do the job performing that role is really tiring..
And like he is sitting close more to her than you, may be because you are taking the interview but child has the maximum attachment with his mother. The requirement of a child is best understood by their mother and as Shri Mataji has told that women think from her heart. As Shri Mataji have told that if men are kinetic energy then women are potential in Sahaj Yoga. I always tell today’s generation of wifes that if your maidservant doesn’t come on time– I used to do total work of the house, I didn’t expect my mother-in-law to finish of all those works, seeing her age then looking after the kids then have to go to court and after coming from court I didn’t expect that she would do all the work but her presence was the biggest assets of my life, I am very grateful to my father-in-law and mother-in-law and of my husband because they have supported me all the time because he never made any complain about my job. I think ladies should look after the house properly. But I am sorry to say that in today’s generation of ladies be it Sahaj or any other are not efficient there is a lot of interference from parents. Family is breaking the concept that we are used to see in western countries is now coming into India. The subject of my thesis is that we don’t need that kind of equality that youngster think of. We have different roles there is no nothing to worry about it. But we need balance, good will not come by organising seminars, workshops like there are a lot of seminar on “change of attitude” does that changed anything? Nothing has changed, the social attitude is not changed. But if we want to bring the image of a Lady as a shakti from golden period then you have to do Sahaj yoga this can only be done by inner transformation if people change from inside then their character will also become good and if the character is good then they will get internal power and energy and you have confidence and the social atmosphere will be favourable on behalf of ladies. Rapes or the atrocities, that is Article 498 on the cruelty against women will cease to exist and how it is possible? Only and only if what does Sahaj yoga and Kundalini Jagran awakening otherwise it is not possible. Shri Mataji have taken the form of Adi Shakti because a woman has that Power. Because today we are saying that women are performing different roles and like me there are many others. Any working women does lot of work and she never get fatigue but her stressed will go only with Sahaj yoga. And it is Sahaj Yoga that will bring the understanding that no work is secondary and I am doing my work. If I am cooking in kitchen and my husband is reading the newspaper. Now “why he should not cook the food”, I feel there is no need to think this.
Interviewer: What you trying to define is that whatever you do being a ladies but your primary role that you were relating to Sahaj yoga is that first is the wife’s duty, mother’s duty, daughter’s duty and daughter-in-law’s duty before anything that duty comes first. Where we have to carry out our responsibility that is linked with those relations if we are doing our job or we are in an established position that will not change our primary role. We have to perform that role with honesty then maybe that will be our primary role and the work we are doing for the society or for our satisfaction that will in all circumstances, gender wise remain secondary.
Dr Chitra: I wouldn’t say it secondary because as I have told you that with blessings of Shri Mataji the efficiency of your work increases. For instance, the disposal of my court was very high so in the interview, it was asked that “how it is that your disposal is so high?”. So I explained to them everything.
So you see there is nothing secondary it is the balancing that Shri Mataji does automatically and we are able to manage both household and workplaces.
Interviewer: So viewers there is nothing secondary about whatever it is, it’s primary. And something that is more primary than anything which we can call pre-primary is Sahaja Yoga. And then when it becomes primary and whatever things are there be it secondary or tertiary or at any level that will come into an equality and there will establish a equilibrium where you could organise all the spheres of your life very easily and you come up as a very balanced person. Now, Chitra Ji, we would like to ask you another question as a woman, as a judge you have been in high position, you have contributed to society. You have told us that throughout your childhood you have been in a family of great sanskars and you got those Sanskaras as a treasure and you have took legacy forward. Why Sahaj Yoga is important for a lady in a society and why should she do it?
Dr Chitra: What happens because of Sahaj Yoga is that it brings balance.
Interviewer: In which aspects, this balance comes?
Dr Chitra: If a woman is in stress we all know that a woman is an emotional person and as Sahaj Yoga says emotion is connected to the left side and you have seen right now that I got emotional when talking about my father and mother.
But this doesn’t mean that I do not love my father-in-law and mother-in-law. I respect them equally and I recognise their support.
But the scenario of today which I have seen that girls are very much attached to parents, we were also attached to our parents but today they do not have any love and respect for their in-laws. Today’s girl thinking that I want equality and I nothing to do with them I have my parents. And this brings imbalance but when someone does yoga we get the service calls of Shri Mataji and we instantly understand that what is our duty? My duty is that to look after both the families, I would not undermine my own parents one should not do it. But at the same time, I should also respect my family here that is my in-laws. Which is something that Today’s girls are not interested in understanding and which bring imbalance.
Being said that I wouldn’t blame girls solely because in U.P and Bihar there are many areas where atrocities are performed upon the girls also in Rajasthan, somewhere they are burned. But what happens is the woman upon whom severe atrocities are performed being poor they tolerate this, but women with whom not much happens she comes forward aggressively. So this imbalance is shorted out automatically when we do meditation from Muladhara to Saharsa all the chakras in our body becomes balanced, any girl from any age group from any society to rectify them there is only one way that is Sahaj Yoga. And you have seen that most of the girls in Sahaja Yoga are doing their work perfectly balancing work and household.
Interviewer: So this was our meeting with Dr Chitra Kiran Bedi who is from Pune she is a retired judge currently also she is performing her duty as a social worker. So the gist of the topic that we have got from this conversation is to bring balance and to create an equilibrium between relationships, to perform your duty be it of society or of the family somehow Sahaj has emerged as a big helper. Chitra ji thank you very much that you have come to our studio. Friends do not go anywhere do not stop anywhere this journey will continue like this with another person and a few discussions regarding them. This was all for today. Namaskar
Narrator: So friends this was our conversation with Chitra Ji, who in her professional life while doing her work she achieved incredible workstyle. Soon we will meet with some new personality. Until then give us permission to go. Namaskar.