INTRODUCTION
A young Bharati Naik (now Sukhatankar) had met Gurudev in 1968 during the Delhi Yajna. Enthralled by what she witnessed during the Yajna, she wrote a six-page letter to Gurudev a few days later, seeking guidance on how to apply in life all the knowledge that he had poured out in the Yajna.
Gurudev’s reply came promptly. "Write a Bala Ramayana for children.”
Bharati was taken aback. She was a science major. “Why would he ask me to write, and that too a Ramayana for children? “ she wondered, thinking he was mistaken.
Bharati Interview Clip 1
THE BEGINNING
24th April 1968
I am sending you a new Ramayana that I got. Read it carefully and pass it all on to the children.
You must rewrite that book, with details taken from Rajaji’s Ramayana --- which is yet another simple text, and thus prepare a Ramayana for our Mission children. Take your own time.
Glorify Bharat’s character more than Rama's.
A NOVICE
Bharati had no prior experience as a writer or working with children. But she studied the epic meticulously and then began writing, sending him 20-25 pages of manuscript at a time.
Gurudev’s reply was prompt and very encouraging.
A NOVICE
Bharati had no prior experience as a writer or working with children. But she studied the epic meticulously and then began writing, sending him 20-25 pages of manuscript at a time.
Gurudev’s reply was prompt and very encouraging.
A HELPING HAND
6th June 1968
Now you must have realised that you are a born writer of children’s literature. Very few can do it. It is a god-given blessing. Cultivate it. Develop it. India needs it. World is awaiting for it.
Throw a little more colour into the emotions. The children leaving Dasaratha is a scene where our children must shed tears!! Sitha leaving Janaka is another instance. Bring out all emotions vividly. Let them weep in sympathy, love, affection, tenderness, devotion, obedience; Sigh in relief, heave in the heroism felt, courtesy shown, goodness manifest.
It is in these deep reactions that children get these qualities ever fixed upon their heart.
FRIENDLY ADVICE
These are suggestions not criticisms. Now you must consider me as an old old friend of yours talking to you with my arms around your shoulders!! Else you will understand that I am dictating my criticism.
Careful. Human mind is a wretch. We don’t know when it will misinterpret the best of your experiences.
FRIENDLY ADVICE
These are suggestions not criticisms. Now you must consider me as an old old friend of yours talking to you with my arms around your shoulders!! Else you will understand that I am dictating my criticism. Careful. Human mind is a wretch. We don’t know when it will misinterpret the best of your experiences.
SKETCHES
As she wrote the story, Bharati would draw some sketches of the characters just for her amusement. She happened to send them along with the manuscript to Gurudev.
Gurudev was very pleased.
It is a boon that you are so very good at sketches. We need only sketches - Crayon or Indian - ink. Let us have it full page and book printed in big types too.
Bharati Interview Clip 2
BHARATI RECOLLECTS
It took all of two months to write the book. Manuscript and feedback were exchanged almost every day. There were times when I was quite overwhelmed by his guidance and appreciation. “I have returned yesterday the Ayodhya khand, with the pages dirtied by my honest tears! Your pen knows how to draw them out!!”
I was taken aback and read those pages again. They were about Shri Rama leaving Ayodhya for the forest.
Bharati Interview Clip 3
BHARATI RECOLLECTS
It took all of two months to write the book. Manuscript and feedback were exchanged almost every day. There were times when I was quite overwhelmed by his guidance and appreciation. “I have returned yesterday the Ayodhya khand, with the pages dirtied by my honest tears! Your pen knows how to draw them out!!”
I was taken aback and read those pages again. They were about Shri Rama leaving Ayodhya for the forest.
Bharati Interview Clip 3
INSPIRING WORDS
16th June 1968
Love inspires. Love discovers new faculties in the lover. Love is creative. You have love for the Balavihar children --- and so you are able to produce such beautiful stuff. Be in tune with the children and talk to them while at the typewriter. Let hundreds of innocent chubby faces be uplifted to you all around. See in your mind their anxiety, fear, love, compassion, tenderness, sympathy, tears, smiles and Thy own Self.
INSPIRING WORDS
16th June 1968
Love inspires. Love discovers new faculties in the lover. Love is creative. You have love for the Balavihar children --- and so you are able to produce such beautiful stuff. Be in tune with the children and talk to them while at the typewriter. Let hundreds of innocent chubby faces be uplifted to you all around. See in your mind their anxiety, fear, love, compassion, tenderness, sympathy, tears, smiles and Thy own Self.
APPLAUSE
20th June 1968
You have brought out the mighty character of chaste Bharath. Good. If I have 4 hands I would have applauded with all the four --- Okay: you have 2 hands: now you applaud there and here I will also do.
You go on writing exactly as you are now writing and show the manuscript to none. Let us compile the manuscript complete. Then we shall show them the proof copy from the Press!!
2 DAYS LATER
Ramayan: Chittrakoota beautiful. I will not touch up your Bharat. He is quite alive and brilliant now. Leave him alone. He has come up beautifully.
APPLAUSE
20th June 1968
You have brought out the mighty character of chaste Bharath. Good. If I have 4 hands I would have applauded with all the four --- Okay: you have 2 hands: now you applaud there and here I will also do.
You go on writing exactly as you are now writing and show the manuscript to none. Let us compile the manuscript complete. Then we shall show them the proof copy from the Press!!
2 DAYS LATER
Ramayan: Chittrakoota beautiful. I will not touch up your Bharat. He is quite alive and brilliant now. Leave him alone. He has come up beautifully.
ADVICE FOR LIFE
26th June 1968
Let Ramayan steam ahead. Let stories gush out. Let the love for Balavihar children flood out all over. Take life as it comes along: joy and sorrow. Life is the stream, in which we stand to play His game. Let your attention be on the game that you tirelessly play with Him. The losing or winning have no meaning. His laughter and joy are our goal.
ADVICE FOR LIFE
26th June 1968
Let Ramayan steam ahead. Let stories gush out. Let the love for Balavihar children flood out all over. Take life as it comes along: joy and sorrow. Life is the stream, in which we stand to play His game. Let your attention be on the game that you tirelessly play with Him. The losing or winning have no meaning. His laughter and joy are our goal.
FINE TUNING
27th June 1968
In a hurry-bury don’t kill Ravana - #1 : A criminal like him must die slowly. Sudden death is a blessing. #2: Ravana was a tapaswin. He had acquired many blessings from the Lord and therefore, in your hurry-bury if you kill him only half, he will get up with a vengeance in your bosom again with all the ten heads efficiently working to destroy all the good in the bosom.
In that section, please go a little slow, painting thick the incorrigible devil in Ravana - uncompromising, unrepenting, with inhuman audacity and vicious purposefulness. When the disease is serious, acute, treatment is to be very thorough. Slowly paint how, in the agony of his death, vanity in him gets slowly dripped out, until at last he realises his folly. Show the sense of justice in Rama in honoring and respecting his great enemy.
FINE TUNING
27th June 1968
In a hurry-bury don’t kill Ravana - #1 : A criminal like him must die slowly. Sudden death is a blessing. #2: Ravana was a tapaswin. He had acquired many blessings from the Lord and therefore, in your hurry-bury if you kill him only half, he will get up with a vengeance in your bosom again with all the ten heads efficiently working to destroy all the good in the bosom.
In that section, please go a little slow, painting thick the incorrigible devil in Ravana - uncompromising, unrepenting, with inhuman audacity and vicious purposefulness. When the disease is serious, acute, treatment is to be very thorough. Slowly paint how, in the agony of his death, vanity in him gets slowly dripped out, until at last he realises his folly. Show the sense of justice in Rama in honoring and respecting his great enemy.
THE FINAL STRETCH
As he was editing the manuscripts Gurudev was simultaneously working with publishers and printing houses to meet a tight schedule and an even tighter budget. Here are some snippets sourced from his letters to Bharati.
THE FINAL STRETCH
As he was editing the manuscripts Gurudev was simultaneously working with publishers and printing houses to meet a tight schedule and an even tighter budget. Here are some snippets sourced from his letters to Bharati.
TitleShould we change it to: A) BALA RAMAYANA or B) BALA VIHAR - RAMAYANA.In case of B. we can repeat as BALA VIHAR - BHAGAWATHAM, BALA VIHAR - STORIES, BALA VIHAR - HISTORY etc.
CoverNowadays coloured cover is not in fashion. Only simple black and white stroke picture is on the run. If you can do one of Bharat with Paduka: or Rama and Sitha in front of their Parnasala in Chitrakoot, occupying only 3/4th of the page in height with space for the Title it will be nice.
I am glad you liked the idea of Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram on the dust-cover.
PrintingI am not keeping quiet. I am at it. One of the estimate got is book of 11” x 8 ½” - about 200 pages Show board both sides, open binding, dust cover, etc - for 5000 copies --- Per book Rs. 4-43 using offset paper 36 lbs (Ballarpur). This is a bit on the big side but they can give us only in 6 months.
Let them find out Ms/ bulk or tell them it is in 169 full-scap double-space typed matter with 31 full page blocks. We want it via slightly bigger type set. So it will be sure 200 - 250 pages. Let him get estimate and an assurance that delivery is by October 27th (1968) at Bombay first 1000 copies.
DecisionI am accepting quotation of Hoe & Co. Thompson Press rejected. 1) Late 2) quotation contains neither sample of paper, nor sample of types. No time for replying. We will get the books ready by October. I am sending dust cover design from here directly to Madras.
BLESSINGS
17th July 1968
As the project neared completion, Gurudev showered his blessings on Bharati, while sharing his plans for their next book together: BALA BHAGAVATA
I had been knowing in what an unearthly mood of utter inspiration you were living these 2 months of work in the company and Ram brothers and under the gaze of Hanumanji! May this mental tempo and productivity continue in you for all times to come.
I am enclosing what I feel is fit for the “inner cover page”. I shall again give an intro or preface later on.
As soon as the Ms/ work and sketches are over you will start reading and filling yourself up with Rama’s revisit to Bharat, in the Jamuna Banks, at Brindaban. Read Bhagawat. We will next take it up --- after August: Say in September middle? Okay?
BLESSINGS
17th July 1968
As the project neared completion, Gurudev showered his blessings on Bharati, while sharing his plans for their next book together: BALA BHAGAVATA
I had been knowing in what an unearthly mood of utter inspiration you were living these 2 months of work in the company and Ram brothers and under the gaze of Hanumanji! May this mental tempo and productivity continue in you for all times to come.
I am enclosing what I feel is fit for the “inner cover page”. I shall again give an intro or preface later on.
As soon as the Ms/ work and sketches are over you will start reading and filling yourself up with Rama’s revisit to Bharat, in the Jamuna Banks, at Brindaban. Read Bhagawat. We will next take it up --- after August: Say in September middle? Okay?
A CAREER IN WRITING
Bharati and Gurudev
Bharati would soon complete the Bala Bhagavata and go on to produce many more books for children including Tell me a Story and The Balavihar Books of Hanuman Chalisa, Picture Parables, Gurudev's Tales, Jokes, Fun and Facts and Jungle Jingles. She has been the editorial advisor of Balavihar, our international magazine for children, for more than two decades. Bharati has also re-edited many books under Gurudev's watchful eyes, including Vivekachudamani, almost all of Gurudev's commentaries on the Upanishads, the Holy Geeta, Hymn to Badrinath and Ganga Stotram. She is another great testament to Gurudev's innate ability to see potential in a person and bring it out to the fullest.