One day after Janmashtami, to be exact, on September 5, during my stay in the US, I was taken to two separate celebrations in a town on the East Coast, ostensibly to keep me engaged among NRIs.
While one of them had, apart from the ritualistic puja at a temple in the name of Radhe Krishna, located around a small pond on the outskirts, dance and song performances, it was the second one that interested me the most.
Held in the sprawling lawns of a well-laid-out housing society about 30 kilometres from the place where we were staying, the second celebration had none of the ritualistic puja of Lord Krishna that I had witnessed at the first one. There was not even an image or statue of Lord Krishna on display.
Indeed, the celebration was a complete contrast to the temple event, where a pandit — a Brahmin with a choti — had guided the entire proceedings.
The second celebration was confined to an entertaining skit, meant to convey what was presented as Lord Krishna's worldview. The performers were around a dozen young boys, all dressed in white kurtas and black trousers.
Even as our car reached the society's open ground, I spotted the young boys standing together in a group. I wondered why they were dressed in white, but did not have the courage to ask. Was it because someone had passed away?
My apprehensions soon proved unfounded.
I was courteously offered a garden chair on which I could comfortably sit and watch the skit by an NRI who told me that he had come to the US about 35 years ago and had settled there for good. As with the previous celebration, only NRIs had gathered here to watch the performance. There were no Americans, white or Black.
The young boys were very enthusiastic. After all, they had to convey the message of Pandurang Shastri Athavale, whose sect, Swadhyay Parivar, is currently headed by his daughter, Dhanashree Talwalkar.
At the very outset, we were told not to click photographs or record videos of their performance.
"It's a spiritual skit," the main leader among them declared.
It was quite another matter that, following the performance, I found several videos and images of similar skits performed elsewhere in the US, including one that can be seen here.
Why this double standard, I could not understand. Was it because the young boys did not want themselves to be identified on social media, which is now being meticulously scanned by US immigration officials while making decisions on visa applications?
A few of the performers were professionals, while others were students pursuing courses at different US universities.
The skit depicted different aspects of social life in India, with an invisible "matki" — an earthen pot — as its central symbol, which had to be cracked.
Every performer wondered what the mythical "matki" contained. Was it power, money, food?
Finally, it transpired that it contained the message of the Bhagavad Gita — the philosophical worldview of Lord Krishna that He had imparted to Arjun while serving as his charioteer during the battle of the Mahabharata.
The message was clear: there was no point in craving for "roti". The main thing, the performers suggested, was to acquire and pursue the spiritual message of the Bhagavad Gita contained in the mythical "matki".
And what was this message?
"Universal brotherhood," it was emphasised, in which all human beings had one goal to pursue: the spiritual upliftment of humanity.
Coming from a skit in which only boys participated, I asked myself: wasn't this patently patriarchal? Why was "universal sisterhood" left out?
Scanning through videos and images of similar skits performed elsewhere, I found that no girls appeared to be involved as actors.
The small gathering of around 200 NRIs — I was an exception, being only a visitor — was told, after watching the very well-enacted performance, that around Janmashtami, some 17,000 groups were performing such skits across the globe.
I learned that the script was developed and adapted to suit local requirements. For instance, while Athavale stood for prohibition and vegetarianism, the skit I watched did not contain even a single word about either.
A Swadhyay Parivar source offers this explanation: rather than functioning as political agitation or moral lecturing, their skits frame abstinence from alcohol and the adoption of a vegetarian lifestyle in terms of personal dignity and spiritual self-worth.
Yet the skit that I watched chose not to promote either.
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Note: The skit's photos are screenshots from a freely available Swadhyay promotion YouTube video shot in New York
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The movement’s main principles elevate people across both individual-spiritual and collective-social dimensions:
1. Recognizing the Indwelling Divine
Instead of viewing God as a distant entity to be feared, Swadhyaya emphasizes recognizing the divine within oneself and within others
. It teaches that the true divine presence is the one "who sits within us and causes our breath"
.
How it elevates: This understanding builds profound self-confidence and eliminates feelings of helplessness, insignificance, and pettiness
. By realizing "Krishna Prabhu is with me, so my life cannot be helpless," people are elevated to a state of self-reliance
. It shifts the human mindset from a "god-fearing" mentality to a "god-loving" one (Ishpreeti)
.
2. Shifting to Active, Dynamic Devotion
Swadhyaya serves as the "essence of life" and the "appetizer of devotion," asserting that true spirituality must be expressed through active, selfless service to humanity rather than lazy ritualism
. It challenges an inactive society that reduces worship to mere daily bathing, passive chanting, or simply hanging a photo of God on the wall
.
How it elevates: It encourages people to "take the Lord down into their hearts"
and make their lives and devotion dynamic
. This active devotion purifies the mind, reduces human vices, and drives people to use their bodies, intellect, and wealth for divine work rather than selfish pursuits
.
3. Fostering Social Equality and Reform
Because Swadhyaya encourages individuals to see the same divine presence in every human being, it acts as a powerful equalizer.
How it elevates: On a community level, this has led to significant social reforms across thousands of villages globally
. Because everyone is seen as part of the same divine family, the movement has succeeded in breaking down caste barriers, improving the lives of marginalized communities, and fostering cooperation, unity, and absolute equality
Pandurang Shastri Athavale (Dadaji) addresses the topic through practical illustrations and metaphors in his discourses:
Devotional Symbols as a Shield: Dadaji explains that spiritual symbols and a clean lifestyle naturally deter individuals from entering harmful environments
. He shares a story about a person whose religious gown keeps them from drinking, comparing it to how applying sandalwood (chandan) on the forehead acts as a psychological barrier that prevents a person from going to a liquor shop (pitha)
.
Divine and Maternal Optimism: In describing the broad, loving vision of God (which he compares to a mother's heart), Dadaji notes that even when a son is a "drunkard, spoiled, [or] mischievous," a mother remains optimistic that her child will improve
. Swadhyaya teaches that because God is optimistic about every individual's potential, anyone can improve and rise above their vices
Here are some reflections from Pandurang Shastri Athavale (Dadaji) on the power, intellect, and role of women:
The Power of Women in Social Change: Dadaji highlights that Lord Krishna historically chose to transform and work through the women of Gokul to demonstrate "how much power a woman has"
. He asserts that "as the women changed, the whole world changed"
.
The Crucial Importance of Female Education: The teachings strongly advocate for the education of women, noting that while educating a man is limited to one individual, "educating a woman is like educating a family"
.
A Unique Psychological Perspective: Dadaji discusses the unique spiritual and psychological attributes of women, arguing that conventional societal "faults" attributed to women in old texts are actually essential qualities given by God that allow mankind to exist
. He also notes that "a woman has four times the intelligence of a man," even if their decision-making processes differ