Gurudev, when you came to the Kumbh Mela (a sacred and mass Hindu pilgrimage) at the Banjara river, there were a few Naga Swamis (a clan of ascetics following the Naga school of spiritual practices) there who were very scary. Why are they like that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well I also wonder why they are like that! (Laughter) Perhaps they have never read the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna would not approve of them.
This is why Lord Krishna has said in the Gita: ‘Na-aham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah. Mudho 'yam nabhijanati loko mam ajam avyayam’. (7.25) He says, ‘These people, they do not know Me’.
This is why Lord Krishna has said in the Gita: ‘Na-aham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah. Mudho 'yam nabhijanati loko mam ajam avyayam’. (7.25) He says, ‘These people, they do not know Me’.
Such people are lost in their own world and they keep torturing themselves. But amongst them you will find some really great people as well. So you should not label someone as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ just on outward appearance.
We need to accept that there are different (spiritual) traditions in this country, and different ways of thinking.