Anirudha Mishra
From where does Maharaj draw his energy?
What puts him into the zone he desires to be?
The answer is simple. 'Ram Siya Ram, Jai Jai Ram.'
Do not presume that we are discussing here about a Sadhu Maharaj (a reputed saint), or a King.
We are neither discussing a politician, nor a magician named 'Maharaj'.
Our focus here is on an international cricketer, who plays for South Africa. He has even led the Proteas on a number of occasions.
Now, there would be no confusion about his identity.
We all know Keshav Athmanand Maharaj, or Keshav Maharaj. He is immensely talented, globally known and a great sportsman.
Maharaj is of Indian origin and is a Durban-born cricketer. He is a great devotee of Lord Ram. He draws his inspiration, energy and mental stability from paying homage to Lord Ram.
This is no cock and bull story. Every ardent cricket fan, who follows Maharaj or South Africa cricket with passion is aware of that.
We all know devotional music is very rare during a cricket match. But in India's recent South Africa tour, every-time Maharaj walked into the ground, the DJ got a special request to play, "Ram Siya Ram, Jai Jai Ram."
During the recent ODI series in South Africa, Maharaj himself prompted Team India captain KL Rahul to ask, "Every time you enter, they play that song".
The answer was short and simple. "Lord Ram is my greatest strength."
After the ODIs, the Tests followed. The series was drawn 1-1. The Cape Town pitch, on which the shortest-ever a completed Test match was played, has been rated by ICC Match referee Chris Broad as ''unsatisfactory."
But what we are interested in here, is not about the Cape Town pitch. But about Virat Kohli's reaction during the Cape Town Test, when the same music on Lord Ram was played in the stadium.
When Maharaj entered to bat, Kohli was seen standing with folded hands. No need to elaborate why he did so.
Now revealing more on the issue, Maharaj, the Durban Supergiants skipper in the SA20 League, which starts tomorrow said, "It was something I put forward to the media lady and requested that the song be played."
He continued, "God has been my greatest strength, and if I get an opportunity, it's the least I can do. It gets me in the zone and earns respect from other players. Respecting religion and culture is important, but it's a nice feeling to hear 'Ram Siya Ram' in the background," Maharaj added.
Of course, we all know Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and killed Ravana in Lanka. But He is not limited to a temple, place or scripture. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, if we trust Him.
Lord Ram is widely worshipped around the globe. 'The Ramayana' has been read by crores of people. It is not that only a few Indians, some religious organisations or political parties, handful of priests, saints or devotees love Lord Ram or popularise his ideologies.
Lord Ram and 'The Ramayana' cannot be limited, isolated or separated. It is not about building temples or fighting for supremacy using His name.
More importantly, it is about following Lord Ram's ideologies and practising them. It is not about paying homage or performing rituals, but about contributing sincerely for establishing 'Ramarajya', which reflects the idea of an ideal society where everyone is equal, and justice prevails.
Well, if it appears difficult or unachievable, let's just trust Lord Ram and do our duty sincerely and honestly. Rest will hopefully be taken care of by Lord Ram. It is not as difficult as we presume.
We may not establish 'Ramarajya' soon, but we certainly will have mental peace and draw energy by surrendering ourselves completely before Lord Ram.
If Keshav Maharaj, born in Durban can draw strength, motivation and guidance from Lord Ram, why not we?
Let's keep it simple and have faith in, "Ram Siya Ram, Jai Jai Ram."
