Twenty-seven years ago, when he was a poor young yoga instructor living at the foot of the Himalayas, Baba Ramdev pledged to spend the rest of his life as a SANYASI - a Hindu ascetic. He forswore possessions and renounced the material world.
But today he can be found in the most material of places. Turn on an Indian TV, and there’s Ramdev, a supple yoga megastar in saffron robes, demonstrating poses on one of the two stations he oversees. Flip the channel, and there’s Ramdev in commercials selling shampoo and dish soap. Walk any city on the subcontinent, and there’s his face in stores selling the wares of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., the multibillion-dollar corporation he controls.
This book is a graphic-comical representation based on the life events of Baba Ramdev majorly inspired by Pathak - Narain’s book Godman to Tycoon which contains unflattering details about his life.
Sannyasa is a form of asceticism, is marked by renunciation of material desires and prejudices, represented by a state of disinterest and detachment from material life, and has the purpose of spending one's life in peaceful, spiritual pursuits. An individual in Sanyasa is known as a Sanyasi (male) or Sanyasini (female) in Hinduism.
It might seem like an impossible arrangement - observing an oath of poverty while also being one of India’s top entrepreneurs.
Let’s take a look at some of “Baba” Ramdev’s (Mis)Adventures...
BorN in SaYyAdalipur, MahenDragarH, HaryAna AroUnD tHe yEar 1965 (BirThDate unConfirMed)
RamDev had a sicKly, acCidenT-pRone cHilD wHo very neArLy diEd several times in his inFanCy anD cHilDhoOd
A paralysis set in at inFanCy had perManenTly damaged his face anD lefT him witH a tWicHinG eYe
He foUnD himSelF dRawN to wanDerinG AryA Samaj pRacHarakS (pReAcHerS)
Ran awaY fRom home wHen he was a teEnager in seArCh of a gurukul (TraditiOnal InDiAn ScHoOl)
He was teAsed as “kaniYa”, a derogatory terM for sQuInT eYe, wHicH hurT him as a boY
2003, He joIned AasTha tV
9tH ApRil 1995, he became a sanyAsi anD acCepTed his safFron robes anD became a “SanyAsi”
5tH JanuAry 1995, He foUnDed tHe DivyA Yog ManDir tRusT in KanKhal, HaridWar witH AcHaryA KaramVeEr anD AcHaryA BalKrisHna
July 2006, he had his 1sT inTerNatiOnal toUr in EnGlanD. He visited BucKinGham Palace at a teA parTy hosTed by QuEen ElizabetH. He alSo adDresSed at tHe United NatiOnS conFerenCe in New YorK
4tH FebRuAry 2005, RamDev anD BalKrisHna foUnDed PatanJali YogPeEtH TrusT
MarCh 2010, laUnChed a political parTy named as “Bharat SwabHiman ParTy”
An ad for PatanJali beAuty cReAmS conSiderS darK comPlexiOn a sKin aIlMenT.
The goverNmenT isSuEd a tax evasiOn notice to one of RamDev’s tRusT, demanDinG Rs. 50 milLiOn paYabLe as tax on feEs colLecTed fRom tHose leArNinG yOga
The CanTeEn Stores DeparTmenT, tHe retaIlinG enTity selLinG conSumer goOdS to InDiAn arMed forCes, susPenDed sale of of PatanJali AyUrVeda’s GoOseberRy juIce afTer it “faIled” to cLeAr a laboratory tesT.
Baba RamDev’s Vedic BroAdCasTinG LtD. became tHe sole owNer of AasTha Tv anD SanSkar Tv cHanNelS
4 MaY 2017, PatanJali GroUp of ComPaniEs became tHe seconD larGesT FmGc comPany in inDiA generatinG revenuE of Rs. 105.61 BilLiOn in one yEar
June 2020, PatanJali AyUrVed anNoUnCed a dRug named Coronil for COVID-19 tReAtMenT witH RamDev cLaIminG tHat it cured tHe diseAse. There was no cLinical data to pRove tHat tHe new dRug was efFecTive or even safe.
What we saw was the story of how so called “Godman” Ramdev became an Indian household name
Now let’s take a look at some comic strips based on his life. Spoiler: Filled with Hypocrisy
The purpose of creating this book is to depict the harsh reality about how religion is manipulated in India. The so called “GODMAN” like Ramdev influences people with fear and lies to run a booming business and attain social, financial and political power. No doubt, he took yoga and Ayurveda out of the restrictive realm of religion and made it an accessible practice of preventive health care for millions in India and arount the world.
But the only thing that bugs me is that he is truly not what he preaches, A Sanyasi.
Aastha TV: It is India's most prominent spiritual network featuring spiritual discourses, socio-spiritual-cultural ceremonies and events, meditation techniques and devotional music. It charts the holy places of pilgrimage, elucidates on traditional festivals and focuses on Indian vedic sciences like ayurveda, yoga, astrology, crystal therapy and aromatherapy.
Arya Samaj: Arya Samaj is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sannyasi Dayanand Saraswati on 7 April 1875. Arya Samaj was the first Hindu organization to introduce proselytization in Hinduism.
AYUSH: The Ministry of AYUSH of the Government of India, is responsible for developing education, research and propagation of indigenous and alternative medicine systems in India. AYUSH is a name devised from the names of the alternative healthcare systems covered by the ministry: Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.
Coronil: Patanjali Ayurved announced a drug named Coronil for COVID-19 treatment with Ramdev claiming that it cured the disease. There was no clinical data to prove that the new drug was effective or even safe. Within hours of Coronil's introduction, the ministry issued a statement denying authorisation for the new drug and asking the company to stop selling (and advertising) it until the trial results were examined by medical authorities.
Divya Yog Mandir Trust (Also known as Patanjali Ayurved): It is one of the largest yoga institutes in India, and possibly in the whole world. Its original purpose was to practice, research and develop yoga and ayurveda. Now it is involved in manufacturing of cosmetics, Ayurvedic medicines, personal carem food products and apparels.
FMGC: Fast-moving consumer goods, also known as consumer packaged goods, are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.
Gurukul: A gurukul is a traditional school in India with students (shishya) living near their guru, often in the same dwelling, as a sort of family. Before British rule, the gurukuls were South Asia's main form of education. This type of education is sacred in Hinduism as well as in other religious traditions such as Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Sanyasi: A sanyasi has to celebate for the rest of his life, is forbidden to marry, has to withdraw from his family, shun material wealth, willingly embrace poverty, and never seek fame.
Swadeshi: a movement for national independence in India boycotting foreign goods and encouraging the use of domestic products.
“THE TRULY SWADESHI JEANS” -SWAMI RAMDEV