In a candid appearance on India TV’s iconic show Aap Ki Adalat, hosted by Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma, Bageshwar Baba, also known as Pandit Dhirendra Shastri, opened up about his encounters with global leaders and his personal challenges with the English language.
Reflecting on his meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand in June, Bageshwar Baba humorously recalled his nervousness due to the language barrier. “The New Zealand Prime Minister came to meet me. I was tense and didn’t know what to say,” he shared. “As soon as we met, he said, ‘Welcome, welcome, Bageshwar Baba.’ I replied, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ What more could I say? I didn’t know English,” he admitted, evoking laughter and empathy from the audience.
He used the moment to emphasise the importance of education, especially for children. “I will only give this advice to our people: do not commit the mistake that I did. Let your children study,” he said. “Whether you give them clothes or not, do educate them. And if you give good ‘sanskar’ to your daughters, your work is done.”
Despite language challenges, Baba expressed pride in his cultural roots and language. “It’s not that we can’t learn English. We can, and we have the desire to. But we must also support Hindi and Hindutva.”
Fortune-telling session in Mauritius
Baba also shared an intriguing experience from Mauritius, where he met both the President and Prime Minister. With the help of a translator, he was able to conduct a spiritual reading or ‘parcha’ for the President, despite the language barrier.
“I was unsure at first, but I prayed to Hanumanji and my Guru Maharaj,” he said. “The meeting was supposed to last 15 minutes, but extended to an hour and a half. The translator helped, and the President even sent away his security so we could speak privately.”
He added, “I chanted 'Jai Bajrang Bali' in my mind, and Hanumanji kept my laaj (honour). Later, the translator told me, ‘I never knew our saheb had so many secrets.’”
Bageshwar Baba’s anecdotes struck a chord with viewers, blending humour, humility, and devotion—traits that have drawn a growing global following to the spiritual guru.
