Naham Karta Hari Karta by P.V.R.K. Prasad
Publication Date: August 2003
Genre: Memoir, Spiritual
4.5 Stars
One Liner: Inspiring and soothing
Naham Karta Hari Karta translates to ‘it’s not me
but Hari who got things done’. The book is a memoir, a collection of
incidents when the author was the Executive Officer at Tirumala Tirupati
Devastanam (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh during 1978-1982.
‘When I saw Tirupati Balaji’ is
the English translation though I have no idea how it is. You can see that the
title isn’t an exact translation. I hope the book does justice to the
original.
About the Author:
A memoir is only as relatable as the author. PVRK
Prasad was an IAS officer with MA in English and LLB, with a Fellowship from
Cambridge University. He was a Secretary to the Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh (1971-72), Collector, Khammam (1974-77), EO of TTD (1978-82), and Media
Advisor to former Indian Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao (and many more
important positions). He became an advisor to the TTD board afterward.
It was his four years as the Executive Officer at
TTD when a majority of the reforms took place in Tirupati. From building new
pathways to changing internal policies, streamlining administration, fighting
court cases that prevented progress, developing the surroundings around the
temple and its premises, etc., are credited to him.
Prasad garu wrote a couple of books about his
administrative experiences (which I intend to listen to soon). He
passed away in 2017 (aged 75 years).
About the Book:
This book is a collection of incidents from his
4-year stint at Tirupati. It was first published as a series of articles in Swathi magazine. The book starts with how he was chosen for the post and
the subsequent incidents that made him accept the offer. The last two chapters
are more personal, one about his daughter’s marriage and another about how he
became the man he was.
Each chapter deals with a different issue. He
recollects incidents that made him wonder about life, faith, God, and our role
in this universe. However, the book doesn’t preach religion. It is spiritual
and philosophical, with loads of information about how government offices,
bureaucracy, and politics work behind the scenes.
Every position of authority comes with a truckload
of responsibilities and headaches. Pulling the wrong thread will mess things up
rather than undo the intricate knots. He explains how he had to deal with
protesters who objected to progress as it wasn’t beneficial for them.
Prasad garu talks about being stuck in a rock and
hard place where his duty demands he provide the best facilities for devotees
but the resistance from a whole bunch of people who are more than happy to
profit from the loopholes. Of course, he is also answerable to politicians with
wholly different priorities.
My Thoughts:
While this isn’t my regular genre, I was interested
in reading it someday. We have a copy at home, and dad already shared a few
incidents with me. Reading the whole book was going to be time-consuming, and I
was more than happy to delay it.
Then I found an app with Telugu audiobooks and saw
that this title was for free. It was too good to resist, and I decided to give
audiobooks one last try before giving up forever. I liked the first couple of
chapters (as in, I didn’t zone out even once) and continued listening to
it.
I also realized that true to his words in the intro
(there’s a small audio clip in his voice), the book should work for a range of
readers. The bottom line is simple yet complex-
ü Trust
your instincts and stay true to yourself
ü Accept
that things will go wrong but can be sorted
ü The
solution comes in many forms, and it doesn’t have to be what you think it
should be
ü The
universe will help you if you ask (but you have to have faith in yourself and
the universe)
ü Events
cannot be viewed in isolation (chain reactions and cycles are an integral part
of our lives)
ü There
will always be things you don’t know
ü Attitude
matters; you are who/ what you manifest
ü A
change of perspective can clear a roadblock
These aren’t something new. Thousand of self-help
books, podcasts, blogs, videos, etc., say the same. It’s how we take it that
matters.
He talks about his associations and interactions
with the Dasa Sahitya project, the
literature of the bhakti movement in Kannada, Swami
Ranganathananda, a head Swami of Ramakrishna Math,
and MS Subbulakshmi. Balancing
traditions and progress wasn't easy, but he showed how it could be done.
The highlight is the chapter with the book’s title,
which was pretty much an impossible task (replacing the centuries-old dwajha
stambham with a new one). Prasad garu was transferred to another important post
six days after this momentous task was fulfilled. He explains in a different
chapter how it was rare to stay in a position for four long years as an IAS.
The transfers were frequent, but since he brought major developments, the
government extended his responsibilities until he could complete them
all.
His wife and children are also mentioned in the
book. While the kids don’t have much role, his wife, Gopika, played a vital
role in a few chapters. The words reflect his love and respect for her without
any declarations.
What I love the most is how Prasad garu doesn’t shy
away from sharing certain parts of his past. The last chapter is
dedicated to how he changed for the better after becoming the EO and TTD. In
fact, the last chapter makes us see the book and the person in a different
light.
Prasad garu is also open about his uncertainties,
fears, doubts, anguish, happiness, contentment, and tears. How many times has
he mentioned that tears of grief or happiness flowed through his eyes! So what
if he was an IAS and a civil servant? He was a human, and every word reflected
that.
My Audiobook Experience:
Well, this is the first audiobook that worked for
me. The reading isn’t perfect, but it did the job. The narrator, Konduru
Tulsidas, the app's founder and a retired officer from the Andhra Pradesh Board
of Education, brought out the necessary intonations and emotions in his
voice.
Still, I listened to the book throughout the month.
I started with a chapter or two per day and could stretch to three long
chapters (~1hr total).
Since each chapter was independent, the book worked
very well as an audio version. Being in conversational Telugu (but of premium
quality with some poetic metaphors) helped the most. Listening is a different
experience when someone talks in detail about administration (also, I’m used to
it, thanks to my dad).
To Summarize:
I dug out the physical copy of the book and found
that it has black & white pictures included with some chapters. Though I
know that this was a book I had to listen to.
I’ve always felt that some books come to you when
the time is right. This is one of those books. It seems fitting that I conclude
the review in Prasad garu’s words- Naham Karta Hari Karta…
*****
P.S: I read the book for a reading challenge.
