NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he never feels lonely as God is always with him.
In a podcast with Lex Fridman aired on Sunday, Modi also shared influences of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi on his life.
He also shared anecdotes from his time at Ramakrishna Paramahansa Ashram and his bond with Swami Atmasthananda.
When asked about being lonely, Modi said, “I never feel alone. I believe in the one plus one theory — one is Modi and other is the divine. I am never truly alone because God is always with me.”
The prime minister added that for him, “Jan Seva hi Prabhu Seva hai” (service to mankind is service to God). He has the support of the divine and 140 crore Indians.
During the podcast, Lex Fridman, US-based popular podcaster and computer scientist, recited the Gayatri Mantra and turned to Modi to ensure his pronunciation was correct.
In response, the prime minister recited the mantra himself, sharing its deeper significance.
“Gayatri Mantra is deeply rooted in Surya Upasana and carries a profound spiritual essence. Every mantra is not just a set of words but has a scientific connection, reflecting different aspects of life and the universe,” Modi said.
He emphasized that ancient Indian traditions seamlessly blend spirituality and science, offering timeless wisdom to humanity.
The prime minister shared that during his childhood, he frequently visited the village library, where he read about Swami Vivekananda, whose teachings left a profound impact on his life.
“From Vivekananda, I learned that true fulfilment comes not from personal achievements but from selfless service to others,” he said.
Modi narrated a story from Swami Vivekananda’s life where he goes and asks Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ji that his mother is ill and he needs help.
“To this Paramahamsa ji advised him to go to Devi Kali and ask for help. This incident made Vivekananda ji realise that how can he ask something from the divine who has already given everything to the world, realizing that serving humanity is the highest form of devotion to the divine,” he said.
He recalled his time at the Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Ashram, where he came in contact with saints and received immense love from them.
“I developed a deep bond with Swami Atmasthananda, who became a guiding force in my life. Swami Atmasthananda advised me that his true purpose was to serve people and work for the welfare of society,” he said.
Modi highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s ability to transform India’s freedom struggle into a ‘Jan Andolan’ (public movement) by recognizing the power of ‘Jan Shakti’.
The prime minister shared that in his own approach, he always strives to involve as many people as possible in every initiative, turning it into a mass movement with ‘Jan Bhagidari’.
He emphasised that society’s collective strength is boundless.
“Mahatma Gandhi is the greatest leader of not just the 20th century but also that of the 21st century and upcoming centuries as well,” he said.
Fridman, who had moved to the US from Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, started his podcast in 2018 which was originally titled the Artificial Intelligence Podcast but the name changed to Lex Fridman Podcast in 2020.
Guests on his podcast include Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, SpaceX founder Elon Musk, American businessman Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (PTI)
