New Delhi: Crediting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for shaping his life since childhood days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the organisation inculcated the spirit of a nation first and gave him a purpose in life.
During the Lex Fridman Podcast, the PM said the teachings of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda, and the service-driven philosophy of the RSS nurtured him with a service-driven philosophy.
“I believe that perhaps that small incident in Vivekananda’s life left an impression on me too. The thought of, ‘What can I give to the world?’ Maybe true contentment comes from giving. If my heart is only filled with the hunger to receive, that hunger will never end,” he said, citing an example of how Vivekananda shaped his life.
The Sangh is the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Through the RSS, I found a life of purpose. Then I was fortunate to spend some time among the saints, which gave me a strong spiritual foundation. I found discipline and a life of purpose,” he said.
The PM also highlighted the social causes to which RSS, over the past 100 years, has been linked to whether for the welfare of the tribals, devoted its women, labourers or youth.
“More than anything, the RSS provides you with a clear direction toward what can truly be called a purpose in life. Secondly, the nation is everything, and serving the people is akin to serving God. This is what has been said since the Vedic Era. What our sages have said, what Vivekananda said and what the RSS echoes,” he said.
“A volunteer is told that the inspiration he gains from RSS is not just about attending the one-hour session or wearing the uniform. What matters is what you do for society. And today, inspired by that spirit, many initiatives are thriving.”
Highlighting the difference between the Sangh and the Left, Modi said for the RSS, it is always about keeping the interest of the country and the world first.
“Historically, Leftist ideologies have fueled labor movements worldwide. And what has been their slogan? ‘Workers of the world unite.’ The message was clear. Unite first and then we’ll deal with everything else. But what do the labour unions run by RSS-trained volunteers believe in? They say, ’Workers unite the world.’ Others say, ‘Workers of the world unite.’ And we say, ‘Workers unite the world.’ It may seem like just a small shift in words, but it represents a huge ideological transformation,” he added.
The PM said the RSS is a ‘massive organisation’ and it is now nearing its 100th anniversary’ with millions connected to it. “Such a massive volunteer organisation likely doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. Millions of people are connected to it, but understanding the RSS is not that simple.”
Modi stressed that over the past 100 years, the RSS has “dedicated itself with the discipline and devotion of a seeker staying away from the glare of mainstream attention”.
“I feel blessed to gain life’s values from such a sacred organisation. Through the RSS, I found a life of purpose. Then I was fortunate to spend some time among the saints, which gave me a strong spiritual foundation. I found discipline and a life of purpose. And through the guidance of saints, I gained spiritual grounding. Swami Atmasthananda and others like him have held my hand throughout my journey, constantly guiding me at every step. The teachings of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda, and the service-driven philosophy of the RSS have played a crucial role in shaping me,” he added.
It was Swami Atmasthananda, president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, who had advised Modi to take to politics and not the life of a monk. When Atmasthananda died in 2017, the PM had said that it was a personal loss for him.
Modi went down the memory lane and recounted an incident of his village which had a branch of the Sangh, “where we played sports and sang patriotic songs”.
“Something about those songs touched me deeply. They stirred something inside me, and that’s how I eventually became part of the RSS. One of the core values that were instilled in us at the RSS was, whatever you do, do it with a purpose. Even while studying, study with the goal of learning enough to contribute to the nation. Even when you exercise, do it with the purpose of strengthening your body to serve the nation,” he added.
“We know for a fact that life itself is a whispered promise of death and yet life is also destined to flourish,” Modi said to a query on whether he fears death. “So again, in the dance of life and death, only death is certain, so why fear what is certain? That is why you must embrace life instead of fretting over death. That is how life will evolve and flourish, for it is uncertain.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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