Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

Today, thankfully, my parents are deeply proud and supportive. It’s been a really beautiful transformation for them as well.

OMTIMES: Can you tell us more about Swamiji?

Sadhvi Bhagawati Sarasvati: There are so many facets to him. In the brief space here what I would say is that being in his presence feels palpably different from being in the presence of anyone I’ve ever met. There is a light, a love, and an experience of expansiveness that he doesn’t only live in, but actually transmits to those around him.

It’s the experience of being in the presence of Grace. Because his eyes see divinity, fullness, completeness, and perfection, he is able somehow to give us the experience of our own divinity, fullness, completeness, and perfection. Also, he truly lives in a state of constant oneness and unity with the world. There are no barriers or boundaries between him and others. So the service which pours forth from him and which he encourages us to perform, is not service based on separation, pity, or “rich feeding poor;” rather, is service of Self-to-Self. He literally feels the hunger of starving children, feels the pain of women having to venture into the jungles to relieve themselves in the darkness of night, and feels the thirst of farmers whose throats and fields are desiccated.

Michelle Obama: The First Lady’s Speech

OMTIMES: You speak Hindi. I always found it fascinating to hear an American woman speaking Hindi. Is this rare, and was it hard to learn?

Sadhvi Bhagawati Sarasvati: I have always loved the language. It represents, to me, the beauty of this land which has embraced me. It was definitely hard to learn to speak it correctly. The grammar and syntax are completely different from English, so you can’t do basic word substitution. However, I learned it initially from children, and having children laugh at you is wonderful fun. I just kept speaking, and they kept laughing and correcting me, and eventually I could put together some coherent sentences. Then it just kept getting better and better. Yes I think it’s rare. It’s not unheard of, but it is rare. So many Indians speak fantastic English, and the vast majority of Indians speak enough English that one could easily live here without picking up the language.