INNERVIEW
ENERGY RULES THE WORLD
Rishidev Narendraji helps spiritual seekers identify the root cause of their sufferings—physical, mental, and emotional—and heals them holistically with missionary zeal. In this interview with Pradeep Krishnan, he elaborates on his methods culled from Vedic wisdom.
Rishidev Narendraji—the founder of Shakthiveda Wellness Mission (SWM), a spiritual centre based in Bengaluru—is a family man, living with his wife and two children. His life proves that one doesn’t have to renounce the world to attain spiritual realisation. He repeatedly stresses that one has to grow spiritually within the established societal and family life.
Born as Narendran Madhavan on January 16, 1950, to Professor Madhava Sastri and Bhavaniamma in Kerala, he grew up in an orthodox spiritual family. After completing mechanical engineering, travelling all over India, he had passionately practised clinical magnetology, treating hundreds of patients. Ultimately, explorations beyond the physical realm led him to discover the causes of human suffering as well as their remedies.
After years of research, he established the centre in April 2006 to provide remedies for the root cause of suffering—physical, mental, and emotional—through the unique method of healing called ‘Shakthiveda.’ Rishidev says that the foundation for a peaceful and harmonious life rests on the four pillars of health, wealth, family harmony, and interpersonal relationships. “If these supports are strong, one can lead a life of contentment resulting in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being and progress,” he argues.
To strengthen these columns, he advocates performing fire rituals, chanting mantras, and meditation, which are deeply rooted in the ancient scriptures. “These paths directly correlate with the perfect functioning of the human body on biological, spiritual, and auric levels, enabling the individual to achieve the required energy, balancing, and healing to attain the ultimate spiritual goal,” he added. In all the activities of SWM, he is ably assisted by Mataji Dr Sripriya, his principal disciple.
Excerpts from the exclusive online interview with Pradeep Krishnan:
Q. Guruji, please tell us about your spiritual journey. What prompted you to take this path?
My late father, a Sanskrit and Malayalam scholar, introduced me to religious texts and spirituality. Interestingly, my father’s late brothers, Brahmasri Brahmananda Swamigal and Brahmasree Prasanthanantha Swamigal respectively became Madathipathies (chiefs) of Sri Narayana Ashram, Sivagiri, Varkala, and Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Trichur.
Though a mechanical engineer, I have been practising clinical magnetology, treating patients using low-frequency electromagnetic energy, exercises, diet control, and meditation. My travels all over India to treat patients prompted me to dwell deep into the root causes of human problems and to realise the relationship between karmic bondages vis-à-vis sufferings, which ultimately led me to spirituality.
Q. Who is your guru?
I do not have a physical guru. Rather, I have been initiated and directed in the subtle level by Lord Shiva, and I work under His direction.
Q. Can you please explain your core technique of Shakthiveda?
Shakthiveda is based on the theory that energy rules the world. Everything is created, maintained, and rectified by energy. We are not just human beings; we are electrical beings too. We are experiencing the world around us through our sense organs. The emotions which we feel are converted into electrical impulses by the sense organs. This is processed and interpreted by our brain. Sense organs work as transducers.
In a second, when we inhale, we lose three million red blood cells, and in the next second, the same number is replaced. In a second, over 100,000 chemical reactions take place in each cell of our body. We have 70 to 100 trillion cells! Scientists have found that communication between cells travels faster than the speed of light. This phenomenal function of the human body depends on the electrical energy produced by the cells of the body.
Everything in nature is made up of matter. Energy is the property of matter, and this stored or potential energy has the ability to make things happen. Energy is inherent in all matter. Whatever happens in nature, in the whole universe, is nothing but energy conversions.
Since we have changed our natural harmonic vibrations into disharmonic vibrations, we don’t realise the truth that we are part of this dynamic universe. This lack of understanding is mainly because of the stressful environment inside and outside the house, the toxic atmosphere within and outside the body. This is the root cause of all suffering.
The only solution is to change disharmonic vibrations into harmonic vibrations. For this, I have developed energy-based pragmatic spiritual solutions to transform the disharmonic beings into harmonic beings who can resonate with the Universe. The methods include the chanting of mantras, meditation, yoga, and fire rituals. This brings peace within and we experience calmness. In that state of calmness, one can realise the Self and lead a coherent life in tune with the Universe.
Q. It is often alleged that spirituality makes a person dull, lazy, and lethargic, and such a person can never succeed in life?
When one experiences himself, he cannot remain dull, lazy, and lethargic. He gets clarity about his purpose in life, which brings dynamism and courage not only to the individual but to the whole society. Spiritual realisation makes one cheerful, calm, loving, creative, and empathic within. Now let us look into the factors which maintain wellness. Nutritious food, water, sunlight, air, sleep, hygiene, a positive attitude, relaxation, and maintaining calmness is enough to enjoy a disease-free life.
There are energies constantly working to maintain the shape of the body and organs and protect the body against any kind of invading microorganisms. This energy is referred to as immune responses.
What exactly are the causes of human suffering: physical, mental, and emotional? How can one get rid of miseries of different kinds?
The causes of human suffering are related to health, wealth, and relationships. The basic causes of various physical, mental, and emotional problems are due to the toxic material present in one’s system; the cells and molecules are constantly torn apart and rebuilt from the food that we eat. Intermittently, all the cells, molecules, organs, and even the physical body is completely replaced. But the destroyed cells and proteins are quickly reproduced without the toxins being removed from the blood. This happens due to the faulty lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits which accumulate toxins in the system, causing various diseases depending on the quantity of the toxins. The remedy is Sakthiveda which prescribes the chanting of mantras, fire rituals, meditation, etc.
Q. What are the lifestyle changes that you advocate to maintain physical fitness?
Avoid alcohol, drugs, and animal products, including dairy. Make it a point to have 2–3 servings of fruit as one meal, preferably for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, include a generous bowl of salad, and take dinner before sunset. Do breathing exercises like pranayama and drink 2–3 litres of warm water every day.
Q. Our prarabdha karma (karma to be worked out in the present life) affects our life. Can one get rid of its impact?
Karma theory has a major role to play in the life of an individual. It is the collection of the effect and impact of all your actions of the past which are ready to be experienced. The impact of bad actions will be experienced as miseries, and good actions will be experienced as luck. The bad effect can be reduced by chanting mantras, meditations, and fire rituals. The areas where prarabdha karma can damage are health, wealth, and interpersonal harmony in the house.
Though one cannot completely overcome the effects of prarabdha karma, one can overcome suffering by contributing positively to society, helping fellow human beings, not harming the environment, not hurting others, abiding in Dharma, and living in the present.
Q. Your redefining procedures connected with several ancient rituals has been criticised by many stating that it does not have the sanction of the scriptures?
Redefining the rituals was essential due to their getting contaminated over a long period. In several rituals, especially in Mahayagyas, some are even offering meat, fish, blood, liquor, etc. to godly energies!
Everything in the Universe is God’s creation, and He will not be happy to see animals brutally killed for His happiness. Even in a temple, if a child has urinated or a drop of blood has fallen in the compound, the priest will have to close the temple and do the Shudhi Kriya (purificatory rites). Then can one submit flesh and blood for the deities in a yagya? To correct a sinful ritual, no support from any scriptures is needed because the scriptures themselves are corrupted. I have corrected the rituals in accordance with Shakthi Vaidikam.
Q. How are performing homas, yagyas or Mahayagyas (rituals) helpful to mankind?
In ancient India, a yagya was accepted as a part of everyday life. A yagya can be performed with a specific purpose for the benefit of mankind and nature. Our survival and well-being depend a lot on ecological relationships. If the energy (the raw material) is disturbed, the matter made out of it will also be adversely affected. So, it is mandatory that the five elements should be maintained as pure as possible. But due to the greed of human beings, everything is contaminated. The Mahayagyas help nature cleanse itself. Homa is a small fire ritual which is performed daily for individual benefits.
In the Shakthiveda tradition, we use medicinal herbs for our rituals. Medicine-rich air is inhaled by the people and all other living beings. The rest will join with the wind and move all over and heal nature. We are microcosm, and nature, macrocosm. So, what is good for us is good for nature also.
Q. What were the findings of the scientific study on the effects of Bhaishajya Maha Yajna (fire ceremony) held continuously for 81 hours on the outskirts of Bangalore during 2013 and 2014 under your leadership?
The study was done to assess the impact of the human energy field and also to observe the pollution level in the environment before and after. The subjects were participants of the yagya who were actively involved, as well as onlookers.
The participants were assessed three times with fixed intervals. Measurements were taken for all ten fingertips of the subjects; the patterns of light emitted from the subjects’ fingertips were digitally recorded and computer-analysed. Three parameters: area, average intensity, and entropy, were calculated and statistically compared between the three measurements. The pollution level was measured using Enviro-Tech, a standard environmental testing equipment, to observe the level of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM).
The results were amazing as the observations showed statistically significant positive changes in both years. Among the three parameters, entropy was maintained constantly at a fixed level, while area and average intensity showed statistically significant changes in both years. In general, the changes between the first and second measurements showed greater alterations than between the second and third readings. Forty-three per cent of the reduction in sulphur dioxide was observed in the environment. It was concluded that a yajya can be one of the practices to invoke the potentials of human internal energy, which helps in cleansing the environment of certain pollutants.
Q. How do you explain the present COVID-19 pandemic situation?
Due to an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of humanness, the toxin levels in our physical body have greatly increased. Also, modern communication systems, with their harmful radiations, have weakened the energy level in our body, thus resulting in reduced immunity.
In nature, there is a perfectly set proportion for everything. Everything in nature is about balance, and in order to maintain balance in nature, all the natural resources and living creatures are to be maintained in proportion. But as man began to develop in terms of technology and economy, his ego took over, and he began to think of himself as a superior being. He stopped living in accordance with the laws of nature. He became disharmonious with nature. He began to develop a notion that every other breed in nature is created for his benefit.
Due to population explosion, man has been destroying natural resources and other species for his own benefit. So, as man is only a tiny part of the Creation, Nature has a duty to balance the entire creation in proportion to the natural resources available. I feel that one should take this pandemic as an eye-opener and a wake-up call to become human beings with the quality of humanness.
Q. Your message to the readers?
Spirituality without logic, love, care, intuition, and facts leads to disaster. In essence, it is about knowing yourself with the careful examination of your thoughts. It is your duty to verify the path of your guru before you decide to join him.