Ashok Mohapatra, IAS
Former Secretary, Govt of India
Saints form a part of Hindu religion and some saints have left an irremovable impression of their life. Barring a few, a large number of saints have started their own sects. The lifestyle of many misguided people like me, have altered and improved. The holy men coax everyone to repeat His name.
A discourse remains incomplete without three qualities, viz., the example of shabad, experience and rationale reasoning. Dr Patnaaikji has spiritual experience and to express it for he has examples of shabads and reasoning.
Only that person can talk out soul and God who has spiritual knowledge, and is a spiritualist. As such, he stays beyond the mind. Being a spiritualist, he talks about heavenly world and only a saint in union with his word can do this. Although he does not dress himself like “sadhus”, yet his mind and soul are in union with God. I got lucky to be one among his audience. He repeats His Name in the ambrosial hours and encourages the Sangat to do so. Whatever he preaches, he practices it too.
Dr Patnaaik has vehemently exposed the falsehood of Guru in physical form Dehdhari Guru. The principle of a single light (jyoti) in all the ten manifestations of Guru has been expressed very beautifully. However, a lot of duplicity is prevalent in the religious field. It is generally seen that people dress like a saint, tie a round turban with a rosary in hand. Ordinarily brown, blue or white loose and long clothes are worn. Innocent people are made to follow them. In this manner their ultimate aim is achieved. A ‘saint’ is not the name of any dress. It is the name of conscience. If the conscience is in union with His Name, then one is a saint, otherwise one cannot be called a saint.
Dr Patnaaik the great wears a simple dress. He has no code of conduct of his own. He propagates the code of conduct of Hinduism. He does not construct any ashram of his own. Therefore, he is not considered a saint. Nevertheless, if we see with deep insight, then his life story indicates that his thought-waves are touching the celestial spheres.
