At 84, this swami opens for his team

At 84, with glasses on, you may want to move slowly on a cricket pitch. But not so for Swami Parthasarathy. The man prefers to face the ball when the shine is on, speed fierce and the timing crucial. And had it not been for the damp outfield at the Bombay Gymkhana on Saturday morning, the square cut and the drive almost made it to the boundary.

“You require more power for spinners. Also, as the shine wears off, it becomes easier for the young ones to play,” says Parthasarathy affectionately of his disciples who follow him after his wicket during a friendly match of Vedanta with Bombay Gymkhana. Playing in a match where the average age of players is 30, the spiritual guru of the Vedanta Foundation dismisses retirement as a folly of the thought process.

“Worries of the past and anxieties about the future with selfishness make a person look for retirement. He gets tired faster. If he works selflessly, he will not be troubled by these things. I do not say that people should go on playing cricket, but then they should be active and alert,” said the guru.

Presently in Mumbai to participate in the match and for work, he will be back in the city for his discourses on the Bhagvad Gita, Chapter 18 - The Yoga of Liberation through Renunciation - that begins from January 3. The guru emphasises the importance of knowledge that is necessary in life.

“Everywhere people are distressed, depressed and are divorcing. Violence and terrorism is plaguing the world. Our prime focus is to help a person evolve spiritually and getting rid of past worries and future anxieties is the method,” he adds.

Talking further about his passion for cricket, Parthasarathy says that he likes both Sachin and Dravid, while his all-time favourites have been Jeffrey Stollmeyer (West Indies) and Neil Harvey (Australia). “Dravid is a perfect textbook player. He is very solid and can play the test match well,” he adds. If these comments give you the opinion that Parathsarathy is passionate about batting, you’ve been mistaken. He is a better bowler and is known for his wicket taking ability.

Parthasarathy’s discourses will begin on January 3 and go on till January 7 at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi. Bhajans will be from 6pm to 6.30pm, followed by the talks.