The spiritual guru Premanandji Maharaj has several celebrity followers, the most popular of whom are without a doubt Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Over the years, he has also interacted with the likes of Ashutosh Rana and others. Recently, he offered words of advice to TV actors Paras Chhabra and Karan Khandelwal, who approached him with serious personal concerns. Paras said that he was so depressed that he didn’t leave his house for multiple years, while Karan was sure that someone had cast a dark spell over him.
Paras said, “I listened to your advice and chanted the name of Radha Rani. My mother moved to Vrindavan after listening to your sermons. When I started making a name for myself, and began earning, I bought a house in Vrindavan as well. Before I became spiritual, I used to suffer from anxiety and depression. I didn’t leave my house for three or four years. I was sure that I was going to die. I was sure I had cancer. I was overthinking, and I was overwhelmed by negative thoughts. Now, I’m completely fine.”
Paras is best known for the shows Splitsvilla and Bigg Boss. Another television actor, Karan Khandelwal, told the guru that he hasn’t yet emerged from whatever difficulties he’s experiencing. He said that people he has consulted have told him that he’s under the influence of black magic. “No, you aren’t. If there was magic, you wouldn’t have been here,” the guru said, adding, “There is no such thing as black magic, someone is trying to scam you, that’s all.”
He continued, “Listen to me, nobody has cursed you. There is no such thing as ghosts. I’m telling you.” The guru advised Karan not to sit idle. “An idle mind is the devil’s playground,” he said, telling him to exercise and chant the name ‘Radha’. “Nobody has done any magic on you, neither black nor yellow. If you fall for all this, they’ll suck you dry. They just want to rob you,” he said.
Some weeks ago, Virat and Anushka paid a visit to the guru’s ashram. He asked Virat, “Prasanna ho (Are you happy)?” Virat answered, “Ji, abhi thik hain (Yes, I’m okay).” Advising the couple, the guru said, “Prosperity is not merely God’s grace — it is the result of virtue (punya). It is considered to be a movement toward the divine. What truly matters is the transformation of your inner self… Live just as you are living now, fully engaged in the world, but let your inner self change. Let there be no desire for recognition or fame within. Your inner thoughts should be: ‘Lord, enough of all worldly experiences, now, I seek only You)’.”
