Beyond Retirement: A Spiritual Feast!

In November 2020, I shared how I was able to reconnect with my colleague from the Space Applications Center (ISRO) - Ahmedabad, Dr. K. S. Rao (Kota Siva Sankar Rao), after a gap of thirty‑five years.

DR K S Rao on the right

See the section Reconnecting With Dr K S Rao at the end.

A Calling Beyond Retirement

In that post, I recounted how, following his retirement, Dr. Rao and his wife, Mrs. Vasantha Rao, devoted themselves to establishing the Prabhupad Ashram at Vasavi Nagar Colony, Jandrapeta, Chirala, Andhra Pradesh.

What began as a new chapter in their lives soon revealed itself as their true calling. Together, they immersed themselves in philanthropy, social service, charitable initiatives, and spiritual pursuits. Their journey stands as a testament to the power of purpose discovered later in life—a reminder that fulfillment often lies not in professional achievements alone, but in the quiet, selfless acts that uplift others.

A Tribute to Dr. and Mrs. Rao

This tribute is offered in admiration of an extraordinary couple whose lives embody compassion, service, and spiritual depth. In rediscovering them, I was reminded that the bonds we form in our professional years can resurface decades later, enriched by the wisdom of experience and the nobility of a life lived for others.

In contrast to the routines that most of us settle into after completing our professional journeys, I found myself contemplating the extraordinary path embraced by Dr. and Mrs. Rao in retirement.

Each day, 7-days a week, 365-days a year, without fail, they dedicate themselves wholly to spiritual seva and the noble act of serving prasadam. Their lives have become a continuous offering — a rhythm of devotion, service, and grace that elevates the mundane into the sacred.

Lives of Compassion and Service

When we speak of seva, we speak of the highest form of worship — service that springs from the heart, free of pride, free of expectation. Seva is not merely an action; it is a prayer in motion. It is the soul bowing before the Divine by serving His children.

And what greater joy than to serve prasadam — the sanctified food that carries the blessings of the Lord Himself. When we prepare, offer, and distribute prasadam, we are not just feeding the body; we are nourishing the spirit. Each morsel is infused with grace, each bite a reminder that God’s love is sweet, sustaining, and abundant.

In the courtyard of the Prabhupad Ashram, when devotees sit together to partake of prasadam, there is no distinction of caste, wealth, or status. All are equal before the Divine. This is the feast of unity, the banquet of harmony. Serving prasadam is not charity — it is sacred duty, a chance to dissolve barriers and taste the joy of oneness.

The daily routines of Dr and Mrs Rao remind us to remember:

• To cook with devotion is to stir love into every grain.
• To serve with humility is to place God’s hand upon another’s heart.
• To share prasadam is to spread light, peace, and divine grace.

Thus, seva and prasadam together become a living yajna — a sacrifice of ego, a celebration of compassion, and a festival of the soul.

The Art of Fulfillment

In this context, it is worth recalling the words of Nobel Prize–winning physicist Richard P. Feynman:

“You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. Fall in love with some activity and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world.”

The pursuit of a definitive answer to life’s meaning often proves elusive—the more we chase it, the further it seems to recede. Feynman's philosophy on living a fulfilling life, reminds us that the richest lives are often built not by searching endlessly for meaning, but by immersing ourselves in the act of doing.

So, Dr KS Rao and Mrs Vasantha Rao, may both of you remain ever engaged in this holy service, offering your hands, your hearts, and your lives at the lotus feet of the Lord!

Reconnecting With Dr K S Rao

(November 19, 2020)

Thanks to Swaminathan Lakshminarayanan (VLS) I was able to locate and talk to Dr KS Rao yesterday after a gap of 35 years!

He had joined RSA, SAC in 1976 along with me and left in 1981 to join the Center of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE) at IIT Mumbai. It seems from 2003 - 2015 he was working with the Kuwait University. He has two sons, one an IT professional in USA and one a Chartered Accountant in London. Elder son left his 15-year career with Cisco and is presently associated with an ISKCON temple near Florida. Second son’s wife is also a CA and they are settled in Mumbai

That is as far as we ordinary humans go!

On his return to India in 2015, and quitting his professional field of Microwave remote sensing, Dr Rao has taken a retreat from the external world and started an inward journey by pulling back his focus from the sense objects to the Self.

He got back to his home town in rural Andhra Pradesh and established a Radha Rasabihari Temple and an Ashram by constructing a two storied structure that also houses two seminar halls and a large dining room. Rao told me that he was associated with the Hare Krishna movement from 1986 onward and used to conduct Bhajan in his house regularly.

You can see here his Ashram's Signature on Google Maps. It is Prabhupad Ashram located at Vasavi Nagar Colony, Jandrapeta, Chirala, Andhra Pradesh 523165, just 5km from Chirala Railway Station.

Today, his busy day starts before sunrise at 3:30 am and continues throughout the day with Mangala Aarti, various types of poojas, bhajans, Shrimad Bhagavatam classes,  distribution of food to the devotees and the poor, evening prayers, etc.

So best wishes to Rao who has found his true calling in philanthropy, social concerns, charity, and spirituality. And to Mrs Rao too who is an active participant in all these activities.