Sri M
In Episode 16 of The Mindful Initiative podcast, we travel to Madapalle in Andhra Pradesh to speak to Sri M: a spiritual guide, an educationist and a social reformer. In this episode, host Nitesh Batra and Sri M speak about a wide array of topics from different phases and experiences of his life. In this podcast, listeners get to hear words of profound wisdom from the Upanishads, to answers on Mindfulness, interspersed with lighthearted exchanges and fascinating facets of Sri M’s life where he talks about his interests and inspirations as well.
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Nitesh Batra: Hello and welcome to another episode of The Mindful Initiative podcast. I think, it would be an understatement if I say that it’s a privilege and an honor to have the modern living Yogi, the mystic man, Sri M, with us for our interview.
Nitesh Batra: Welcome to the show.
Sri M: Thank you very much. Namaskar.
Nitesh Batra: Usually when I interview people, my first question is, is regarding their upbringing and most of us have learnt about your upbringing through your book.
Sri M: Yes.
Nitesh Batra: That you grew up mostly in Trivandrum and were born in an Islamic family.
Sri M: Yes.
Nitesh Batra: But you had certain experiences. Your grandmother told you a lot about some Sufi saints and their stories.
Sri M: That’s right.
Nitesh Batra: Now, my first question is around ……when all that was happening, you were such a young child.
Sri M: Yes.
Nitesh Batra: Was there any confusion or fear in your mind when you were in two very contrasting faiths? Two very different, but somewhat similar faiths as well. What was that like?
Sri M: Well, that didn’t occur to me at all. I mean, fear of being.. belonging to another faith and then going….that never bothered me. First of all, the society in Trivandrum in those days in which we lived, was quite open. And it was not like…. Orthodox. There was a time in Kerala that passed through orthodoxy but that time it was kind of weaning away. And so, I didn’t have …plus the fact that my parents- my father especially, was quite egalitarian and global in his outlook. Because he is one of the early graduates from the Maharaja’s College, Trivandrum and his subject was philosophy and Malayalam was his sub-subject. So, from childhood, I have seen so many books. Infact, the first time I heard of –read and understood the Gayatri Mantra was from his table. There was a small book by Swami Chinmayananda called Japa Yoga and Gayatri. So, it was not that bad, you know, as it could have been. My mother was not orthodox, but she didn’t know anything about all this. But then there was this factor– she loved me more than anything. So, whatever I did was okay.
Nitesh Batra: And mothers are like that.
Sri M: Yes.
Nitesh Batra: So, contrasting that to when you became a father. You had a family, you had two wonderful, young children. And when you had the opportunity to bring them up –you and your wife, how was your upbringing for your children any different than your parents’? And the reason why I ask that is because the times are different and lot of us– I have a very young daughter and a lot of our listeners do have kids as well. So, I think that’s one question that has been on my mind.
Sri M: Two factors here. One is that, till they reached say, the age of 12th standard– first, they were studying in a completely rural school, very close to Madanapalle but in Andhra Pradesh in Rayalpad.
Nitesh Batra: Rishi Valley?
Sri M: No. The David Horsburgh school –it was called The Neelbagh School. A rural school in the heart of the village. 10 years I lived there, I took it over and ran it for the Krishnamurti Foundation. One of the rural schools –Rishi Valley’s. So, they grew up in a very free atmosphere out there. And from childhood, they have been seeing me doing yoga, meditating, reading and so on and so forth. And some of the people whom today have become hard core, I would say followers or disciple or whatever you want to use –they had already started trickling in. In Rayalpad. So, they have some kind of a background. But, Sunanda & I — my wife and I, we insisted that we will not put them into any kind of forced structure.
Sri M: They need to become…they need to understand why we’re doing this. So, it was always an open discussion. Neither have they gone to temples, nor have they gone to mosque. But I wouldn’t say that they have no respect for that. They would go, but there is no inclination to do that. It was more inner than outer. Then, they went off to the Rishi Valley School and their mother was teaching there– literature. So, they were there, and I was wandering, as you usual here and there. I got this place here–what you see is a modified place now. It was very small. Nobody used to live around because these Lambani tribals lived close by. They are considered dacoits and so on. I never labeled them. So, I’m okay. So, we started this school for the Lambani kids, actually.
Sri M: So, they had a freedom to learn, to read and probably in those years they were– people would think they were exposed to Krihnamurti–yes, they were. But they were kind of–you know, children rebel when too much of things happen. They were not exactly like…You see, there are two kinds of people. People who listen to Krishnamurti, appreciate Krishnamurti and make some points though you might not agree with certain things. That’s one side. There’s another core called The Krishnamurtite. This guy will not shift here and there. Luckily, they did not become Krishnamurtites. And Sunanda was never –anyway, she comes from a Saraswat Brahmin family in Udupi. Her parents were not so orthodox but her set up was like that. So, this is how the children grew up.
Nitesh Batra: So, they were mostly in an open environment believing more going inside than just being outside or looking– formal schooling, which most of us have gone to or at least looked after.
Nitesh Batra: I think that prompts another question regarding an inner self. So, we, we say that the Self or knowing yourself is very important, right? And I think that’s something, yes, but then we say that ego is not.
Sri M: Okay.
Nitesh Batra: And ego is part of our mind or “manas” in a way of …the way we understand in Indian philosophy. But in the process of knowing Self, this ego becomes bigger and bigger and bigger. How do we disassociate the two?
Sri M: I wouldn’t say that it becomes bigger and bigger in everybody. We can’t make a sweeping statement out there. But yeah, you’re right in many cases because the Inner Self that we seek somewhere around the line because of human self-centeredness, gets mixed up with the Other Self. The Sufis called it the Commanding Self. Many a time, we do things even without knowing that we are actually being commanded to do it –subconscious, you know?
Sri M: So, if we can distinguish between the two and see what is this which is trying to propel your ego and what is the other which is going to take us inside? Luckily for me, Maheshwarnath Babaji, my Guru–well, he was like….he didn’t let anything go in without going into the core. So, from the beginning, he put this in my mind. Watch out. The inner self —to find inner self, this self of yours shouldn’t become like more and more hard and strong and gathered. It should disintegrate. If it disintegrates, then the other self, reveals itself. This kind of unconscious merger between the two. It’s like saying “Aham Brahmasmi“. Now, this a profound statement. I personally think nobody should say this easily or at least openly because it’s an experience. It’s something where you reach, where you understand the Self. What happens then?
Sri M: People notice there is something in this guy which we can’t understand– some energies. Because you’re touching the root. And then, they start projecting things and falling at the feet, this and that. And then, if you are not careful, Babaji always said —it doesn’t matter what others think about you. Let them think what they want. Anyhow, they can’t figure out. Let them think. The moment you begin to believe what they think, you are doomed. He actually said, “keechad mein phans jaogey” (You will be trapped in a cesspool). You know. So, I have been very careful. The result also is– the other side is– that I see some of these teachers–spiritual teachers– I don’t like to name anybody. But slowly, they begin to think that when they say Brahman, this (body) is the Brahman. So, this is how I have tried to keep it at bay. It may be made easier for me because I’m a married, family man. While a Sanyasin doesn’t have the advantage of being tested. Nor does he have the advantage of somebody pulling you down and saying, look, these are facts. Look at what you are doing. They (Sanyasin) don’t have–unless they have a Guru who points it out to them. 
Nitesh Batra: Absolutely. I think that’s what I was trying to understand as well. I think you are enlightened, and you are so aware. So, I don’t think it’s for you. But I think for many of us who face this problem of distinguishing between, you know, where should we draw a boundary? And I think I would like to read something from one of your books that you had written and I think I would like you to expand, even though you have mentioned this in the book but you, i would I would like to hear from your mouth. So, if you don’t mind….
Sri M: Sure.
Nitesh Batra: So, you say that a well-known statement in Ishavasya Upanishad is, “He who worships ignorance enters into darkness”. And that is very clear. Everyone thinks so highly of knowledge that the statement is easily understood. We therefore applaud it. But then Rishis pose a paradox. He (Rishi) says, “And he who worships knowledge enters into greater darkness.”
Sri M: It’s bombshell.
Nitesh Batra: It’s a bombshell and it is a paradox. It is something against what most of us are doing. We are going after knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and I would love if you can explain this paradox and why is it by gaining knowledge we are entering into more darkness?
Sri M: Couple of points. One is the personal point. Which is, you’ll notice, that people who enter, who have –who kind of worship knowledge, knowledge is most important to them. Some of them become kind of …..their egos get very blown up. That is one thing. And the second thing is –they have so much information gathered from the textbooks and so on, that there is no space in the mind for the reality to come into being. Even if there is a small spark of divinity, immediately, they define it with all these things they have stuffed in. They don’t know way of finding out what it is. This is one of the reasons one is warned. This you can get rid of if you’re aware of this happening. It’s not that (difficult).
Sri M: The second thing is quite metaphysical. Because you see, this is personal –the other…You know, when we say knowledge, I need to acquire some knowledge. I don’t know something. I don’t know about this microphone. I need to acquire. I have the desire — suppose, to acquire and then I start working on it. Now, at that point when I’m understanding it, it is not knowledge. It is understanding. It is not intellect. It is intelligence. “Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat” Stimulate my intellect…..nobody said not to put your intelligence into cold storage. It is the intellect which begins to pose that it is the best. Now, Upanishad itself throws that out by saying, among other things– “Chakshu Shaa Na Pashyati” and so on. “Yan Manasaa Na Manute Yenaahur“–that which even the mind, ordinary mind cannot conceive or touch. That is the truth. Nothing that you worship here. “Nedam Yad Idam Upaasate” ..Sweeping statement from Kenopanishad, from the Sama Veda.
Sri M: So it’s there. The points –the seeds of this thought were already there. Okay, now we bring it to one more connecting link. Why Upanishads probably said so. And that is— so, you have acquired the knowledge of the microphone. Now, when I say I want to— which means what? Which means the idea of the microphone has gone into my brain in the form of memory. This is what I mean by knowledge of the microphone. It’s a tiny cubby hole somewhere, where it sits. And anytime I want I can open it, open the drawer and …ah! I know about the microphone. Now, that Truth the Upanishads are talking about is not something which can be by hearted and set up in the memory. That is different. Smriti you can. Not Shruti. So, Shruti is instant. And, “Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam” (which means)”Now, it pervades everything”. Not that “I know that it pervades “, “It is written that it pervades”, “It has pervaded long ago, and it is still stuck there”. No.
Sri M: So, it is an immediate experience and if it is an immediate experience, then it cannot be part of our memory because all memory is in the past. Can you think of any memory in the present? Every memory is in the past. Therefore, that truth, which we think we know is in the past, it’s a memory. It’s not a reality —you know, I hope I’m trying to make myself clear—sometimes you come across the Upanishads–Rishi saying, the teacher saying, “Na Vidmo Na Vijaaniimo Yathaitad Anushishyaat”…. (which means) “I don’t know how to put this to you.” He is finding it difficult. But we’re trying our best. So, when this is understood, then you know that all the knowledge you have gathered, it may be useful at some point to reach there, but it is redundant as far as the reality is concerned. Reality is– it is not even staying in one place. It’s not like a stagnant pool (that) breeds mosquitoes. It’s a flowing river. It is like the Ganga.
Sri M: First meditation that Babaji taught me is, “Do nothing. Open your eyes”. But Babaji, “what to mediate on?” Babaji: “Open your eyes.” Sri M: “What should I do?” Babaji: “From Arundhati Gufa, you can see the Ganga flowing. Watch.” In your mind, you slowly realise why he said that. Your mind is slowly beginning to flow and not get stuck anywhere. So, this is one important factor in understanding the truth. If we think the other way round, then I think we are entering more darkness. I think so.
Nitesh Batra: I think that begs another question, which is around Shraddha. You talk about Babaji and I think in the Yoga Sutras, it’s mentioned, “Shraddha Veerya Smriti Samadhi Pragnya Purvaka Itaresham“. And Shraddha is the beginning. But the contemporary world that we are living in, that total devotion is getting somewhat diluted because of the knowledge that you talk about.
Sri M: See, this is what I am talking about. I’ll give you one example. Take the case of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. No knowledge of conventional kind, anything. I think that was not a disqualification. It was a qualification. He saw it. Swami Vivekananda was a very knowledgeable man even though he was his disciple- scholarly, knowledgeable, speak in Sanskirt fluently. So, two things notice here. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did not want Vivekananda to be his clone. He didn’t want him to be his clone. Very important to note. And second–that Swamiji understood this factor which Ramakrishna understood without studying anything, by studying and understanding Vedanta.
Sri M: So, there are two kinds of people who have come to the same point. There’s a story about a Professor who went to a Zen master and said, “Sir, please teach me how to attain Samadhi-Satori.” Zen Master said, “First have a cup of tea.” So, he brings a cup of tea, put it on…you know, Japanese are ceremonial in everything–and he starts pouring the tea. Cup gets full and the tea is flowing down the tablecloth. Man can’t stop himself. He said, “Sir, the cup is overflowing.” He (Zen Master) stops and he says, “Your cup–the head- is overflowing. How can I give you Zen? If I give you Zen, it will also flow out.” Now from the personal point of view, a person who has what we call Shraddha, is a person who has discarded all the intellectual pretentions. Either he is innately like that or he has discovered it. And says, “Hey, this is of no use, man. Throw it off.”
Sri M: And for that, the one type of person may read through many books, to come there, to arrive there. Somebody may be–I think Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a special person. He was born like that. Some people are born like that. You cannot imitate that person. Well, you can see him, you can learn many things and then you on your own become. It’s not as if the realized world–IF there is a world, is like one bed of the same flowers. Each is a different flower. So, idea here is not to make all roses into marigolds or all marigolds into roses. Roses should be allowed to become good roses and the marigold should be allowed to become a good marigold. I think Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is a real teacher who worked that way. I can say, vouch for Babaji Maharaj. He had disciples among the Naga babas who smoked up. But yet, he would make them sit down and discuss matters with them. And I said, “Babaji, these fellows…”
Sri M: He said, “You go and spend six months with them.” And he sent me off. So, Shraddha is when you see something and say, “None of my intellectual explanations fit this. And then, from that, to discover that through my intellectual, cerebral work, this cannot be touched.” Now, to reach that point I might have to cerebrate a bit. Till you come there. Right? So, when this happens, something happens inside one which I would call as Shraddha. People usually translate it as devotion. Shraddha also means complete, one pointed attention –Shraddha.
Nitesh Batra: So, there is something from inside that is just saying that I should do it. It’s not a blindfold kind of a thing that you are blindly following someone.
Sri M: No.
Nitesh Batra: It’s something from inside that says, “This is it kind of thing.”
Sri M: And then for coming there one needs to— you know, it is as if there is a powerful magnet somewhere and I am a piece of iron and I want to become that magnet. I can’t become that magnet because I’m small, but I can get some part of the magnetism into me.
Sri M: But, as long as there is rust that is not effective.
Nitesh Batra: And it’s not a cross section, it’s longitudinal.
Sri M: So, I need to cut off that rust, cut off in various ways till that iron becomes pure. When iron becomes pure, it goes and sticks to the magnet with no barrier. Shraddha.
Nitesh Batra: So that takes me to the next question, and this is regarding your travels. You still travel a lot. You’ve traveled, not just across India, throughout the world a lot. And then you did “Walk of Hope”, which started from the Vivekananda Rock as we know of it, in Kanyakumari and then went up to Kashmir. You were invited to speak in the Parliament as well. Now with this experience of traveling the lengths and breadths across India, what do you think unites us? What is it that why we are this unity in diversity?
Sri M: I think according to me as I’ve seen people in villages, in urban areas, cities –I’ve seen poor people who work in the farm, tribals– we’ve walked through every(village), sit with them, have a cup of tea. I’ve also seen people who think they’re powerful–politicians. What I’ve noticed is, what has kept this country together, not country–this psyche of being a person of Bharat together, is not anything forceful or any militant effect. It is an inborn understanding that has come through several thousands of –several hundreds, let’s say. Hundreds of… because, some people have controversies about saying 1000’s. But, anyway. 100’s of years of understanding the Central Truth, which has filtered down to us in many ways. Even in popular folklore, we know that there are 44 crores of Gods. Everybody can be worshipped. It is not as if we have put a blind and said, this is the only God I will worship.
Sri M: No. Therefore, if some other religion comes, unless it forces you to change to their point of view, man would welcome it if he’s a Hindu and that is what I mean. He would welcome it and he would say, Oh, this is nice, this another way of looking at it– but I like this. So, you look at India’s history, so many people have come, invaded. I would actually say that many of the invaders got colored by what they found here rather than the other way round.
Nitesh Batra: That’s absolute right.
Sri M: By force they might have..you know, like militant might and administrative might—fine, I understand. In fact , one…something good you can say about the Mughal invasion — for the first time, there was an emperor for the whole of India, sitting in Delhi–or before that, Agra…But we didn’t have a concept –they were all …I like that. You know, where each local thing has its own color and what we call Hindu, not Hindutva..this, that. What you call a Hindu is that wide spectrum –it is a rainbow– it starts here and ends (there). You don’t know where this end disappears and where the other end comes from. In the sky –if you look, it is like that like that. So, I would say, nothing can change this. You can try you what you want. You see, the mind is so resilient, it will go hit and come back. I have seen this.
Nitesh Batra: So, it’s the resiliency of people of India–that is what binds us.
Sri M: You know, today you can see it in technology also. The resiliency. Who is being hired for software and other things? Mostly…
Nitesh Batra: Indians. Yes. I think one point was Akbar but before Akbar, I think hundreds of years ago, there was Ashoka who tried to bind the country together as well.
Sri M: Oh yeah.
Nitesh Batra: Yeah, so that was there as well. I think we’re getting to the close of our interview. One final question that I have before I end it. Do you think we need new scriptures? The reason why I ask that is our times have changed and many new things have evolved. We as humans have evolved and our understanding of the world has changed. And one such example is that most of our scriptures, if you look back, are men. There are hardly any women that are Gurus.
Sri M: Absolutely.
Nitesh Batra: So, do we need to redefine these scriptures? Do we need to write new Upanishads, new ending to the Vedas?
Sri M: You know, it may not be classified as the same as the Upanishads –we already have, but we already have the seeds of the thought which you are expressing, in the Upanishads. They may have been rare, but there were great rishis like Gargi. They were unknown– in the Lingayat–Akkamahadevi. You see, it is there. But now…. you’re right. This is what I’m also trying to do. Change. Give women a chance to understand this. For some reason they were not let into it. We will not discuss the reasons. But yes, so now because if it gets into them, they can change the world. After all the first influence on the child is the mother, right? One point. The other is, the days when we need to study the Upanishads, understand the truth, you have to go…short periods of solitude are essential for thinking deeply, I understand that. Having said that, that you have to wear a special dress, or you have to live in a… these are gone.
Sri M: I think the human brain has now evolved enough to understand that we can live here, work here and still find it. It has, over the years. It was necessary then, but it is not necessary (now). So, what we need today, not in summer, but other times are Jean clad Yogis who cannot be distinguished outside except by their behavior. The externals are not important. And so, this is the trend we have to take now and not to shut people up if they ask questions. It was not like that in the ancient period. It became like that somewhere along the line. Now we need to go back and say, —I’m not saying go back into history. Go back to the thought or saying let’s have a (discussion)…. See the Chandokya Upanishad –Rishi says to his son, “Have you understood the truth?” He says, “Yes, I have understood the truth.”
Sri M: He said, “Let me explain to you in a different way. You see the Banyan tree? There is a seed lying there. Go, pick it up. What do you see?” Son says, “I see the seed of the Banyan tree.” Rishi: “Open the skin. What do you see?” Son: “I see the kernel of it.” Rishi: “Open it. What do you see?” Son: “I see little seeds inside–black seeds.” Rishi: “Pick one of these and break it.” He (Son) opens it. Rishi: “What do you see?” He (Son) says, “I see nothing.” He (Rishi) says: This whole Banyan tree has come out of that nothing.” This mode of communication should restart. I wouldn’t say this is new. Like Jesus Christ, the wandering Parivrajak in Jerusalem said, “This is all old wine in new bottles.”
Nitesh Batra: That’s true. But I think people have got stuck in the last few hundreds, thousands of years where there has been division and people who are powerful have really, really suppressed the other. And I think you are right. But I think more work needs to happen.
Sri M: Very much works needs to be done. It’s time that this is changed. See, look at the definition “Brahmavid Brahma Eva Bhavati“: One who knows the Supreme Brahman is a Brahmana. Today, you are (a Brahmana) by birth. But it happens everywhere. Not only among the Brahmins, but it happens everywhere-film star wants to put his son in films, there may be more talented people outside. So, we think the caste system is broken? There are many castes–business caste, political caste– just look at the spectrum, okay? All three persons in a family bursting into tears… Whatever. So, these things are happening. So, we need to change this and the only way to change is to bring them back on this platform that, “Listen, primarily, we are actually no different from anybody else. We are one.”
Nitesh Batra: And I think that equality is where the future should be, it should be the present and it should have been the past. And I think most important.
Sri M: We can’t afford to lose the treasures. This is what I’m trying to say. And if this is the way it’s going, it will be lost. You need to change it.
Nitesh Batra: Change it, yeah. So, before we end, what we usually do is ask a few rapid-fire questions. If you don’t mind, I’ll ask them …
Sri M: So, the answer has to be also fast and short??? No, I don’t know, I am asking.
Nitesh Batra: It’s up to you. It can be as long as you want or short.
Sri M: Okay.
Nitesh Batra: So, one childhood memory that sparks a joy in your mind right now?
Sri M: One is– most important, seeing Babaji under the Jackfruit Tree. I’m just giving you a direct answer.
Nitesh Batra: Absolutely. That’s what we are looking for. And, this is something that may or may not be relevant, but person in history that you would like to go and meet?
Sri M: I always wish, even though I’ve been told not to get attached, that Maheshwarnath Babaji, he lived still somewhere in his physical body, so that, once in a year, for three days, I could go and see.
Nitesh Batra: And what does Mindfulness mean to you?
Sri M: Mindfulness to me means, to be mindful of how you live in the outer world and being mindful of the inner thoughts. People have this problem that you sit down and meditate –your mind is full of the inner. But when you come out, you’re not mindful of your behavior. If these don’t go together, it’s not going to happen.
Nitesh Batra: And one artist that has inspired you, because I know you, you yourself are an artist, a great artist…
Sri M: Amateur…amateur
Nitesh Batra: One artist that inspires you from a contemporary …
Sri M: What field?
Nitesh Batra: Artist can be… someone who’s drawing, someone who’s singing, who is…
Sri M: Shall I tell you?
Nitesh Batra: Yes
Sri M: In dance, I adore Birju Maharaj –Kathak.
Nitesh Batra: Beautiful, yes. I’ve seen him perform–I love Birju Mahraj.
Sri M: Incomparable. You don’t know that he’s there on the stage. And as far as songs and music is concerned, I am a great admirer of Dhrupad. So, any mature Dhrupad singer…. (everybody says I am singing Dhrupad) … I would really appreciate that, put him up a notch. I don’t want to go…this is a rapid question, so… and then so this is some of the things. There are many classical dancers, but for me, this is personal—you asked me a personal question.
Nitesh Batra: Absolutely. And that’s…
Sri M: And we are not bringing down the level of any dance. I think a dance form is one of the most beautiful. Because there, you actually use your mind, your body, your action, your…everything…. expression, to depict something. It is bringing out of the inner to present to the outward world. Why? The king of dancers is Nataraj–Shiva.
Nitesh Batra: And one final question. You mentioned Dhrupad and I believe you love classical singing as well. Anything that you can sing for our listeners, it can be a mantra as well. Whatever you would like. We would love to listen to your voice.
Sri M: I can’t sing right now because I am not such an expert in singing Dhrupad. But even a Vedic chant, is set to a certain music. You know why the Gurudwaras—many things including Kabir have been saved because they have been set in a Raagaa and they’re called Raagis because they are in a Raag. So, in the same way, everything has a sound like the Upanishad. If you go to the Taittiriya, there is a Shanti Paath –in Taittiriya. It is very interesting. Even if you don’t know what it means, you may know– but somebody doesn’t know what it means, it has an effect because of ..like.. “Shann No Mitrah: Samm Varunah:, Shann No Bhavatvaryamaa, Shann Na Indro Brhaspatih:, Shann No Visnururukramah:, Namo Brahmane, Namaste Vaayo, Tvaameva Pratyaksamm Brahmaasi, Tvaameva Pratyaksamm Brahma Vadissyaami, Rrtam Vadissyaami, Satyam Vadissyaami,Tan-Maam-Avatu,Tad-Vaktaaram-Avatu, Avatu Maam, Avatu Vaktaaram…Om Shaantih: Shaantih:….”
Sri M: See, it is not just something…that you’re just saying something…it’s measured and that measurement –“rrtam vadishyami ” I kind of derive the meaning of the English word Rhythm–from Rrtam Vadissyami. You know, without rhythm, even knowledge, ANYTHING becomes useless. See. Why music? You can simply sing a song. If it doesn’t have rhythm, what people say, “Hey, this is apasvaro” (Hey, this is out of tune).
Nitesh Batra: Thank you so much. I think that’s a great way for us to end this or bring this interview to close. Thank you so much for being a part on…..
Sri M: I want to thank you to bring this out of me.
Nitesh Batra: Thank you. Thank you so much, whoever has tuned in to listen to our show. We are available on iTunes and Google podcast or wherever you listen to your podcast. Please remember to rate us or share our podcast with your friends and family. Thank you so much.
Editing: Juan Pablo Velasquez Luna
Transcription: Gita Venkat
