The life story of Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma is a fascinating journey. He was born in Fatehpur jail during India’s freedom struggle and raised by Mahatma Gandhi himself. He was the son of the chief priest of Pushkar, a popular Bollywood film star, a successful management professional, a politician, and a member of the Indian Parliament. But beyond these impressive achievements, Dharam’s journey is ultimately about his quest for spiritual truth and his transformation into a humble servant of the Lord. Join us as we explore the incredible journey of Pandit Dharm Prakash Sharma, a man who defied conventions and sought answers to life’s biggest questions.
Who is Pandit Dharm Prakash Sharma of Pushkar?
Early Life and Background
Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma was born on December 23, 1937, in Fatehpur Prison, in Uttar Pradesh. He was born into a Brahman family and was the only son of one of the leading Hindu religious leaders of the holy city of Pushkar (Rajasthan), a place of never-ending pilgrimage. His father, Pandit Sohan Lal Sharma, and his mother, Gyaneshwary Devi, played an important role in the independence struggle and were sent to prison for this reason several times.
At five, Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma was brought to Pavanar Ashram in Wardha, near Nagpur. He spent his childhood under the care and guidance of Mahatma Gandhi. This experience had a profound impact on his life and shaped his worldview.
Spiritual Seeking and Journey
Early Encounters with the Concept of God
As a child, Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma was introduced to the concept of God the Father by his mother, who was a devout Hindu. When he was about three and a half years old, his mother was playing the harmonium and singing from the Ramcharit Manas, a religious book that tells the story of the king Rama and his brother Laxman. She was weeping copiously as she sang, and her tears falling on Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma’s body woke him up. He asked his mother why she was weeping, and she replied that it was because of the love of God. Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma was curious and asked his mother who God was. She replied God was his father, and that He was “love”. When he asked how he could meet God, his mother told him he could only know God through His love. This encounter marked the beginning of Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma’s quest to know God.
Childhood Curiosity and Questions about Life and Death
At six, Dharm Prakash Sharma witnessed the death of a kind man who used to entertain children in their town. This experience sparked questions in his mind about death, God, and the purpose of life. He asked his mother where the man had gone and what would happen to him after death, but she dismissed his questions. His father later introduced him to the scriptures of Vedanta, which led him on a quest to understand why man was created, who God is, and what happens after death.
Exploration of Various Religious Texts and Philosophies
He searched through various religious texts, including the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Koran, and Buddhist and Zoroastrian scriptures, but couldn’t find satisfactory answers to his questions. At 15, he came across Karl Marx’s Das Kapital and Leninism, but these philosophies did not provide the answers he sought, either. Throughout his search, Sharma’s goal remained to know the God who is love and to understand the meaning of life.
Discovery of the “Sermon on the Mount” and a Mystical Experience
While in college, Dharm Prakash Sharma, with little prior knowledge of Jesus Christ and Christianity, encountered the “Sermon on the Mount” as he read the Bible. He recognized that this sermon had deeply influenced Mahatma Gandhi, who attempted to emulate its principles during India’s non-cooperation movement. As he began to read this passage, a mystical experience occurred, with a voice proclaiming, “I am The One for whom you have been searching since your childhood.” Intrigued, he continued reading and realized that the sermon portrayed a life of unparalleled goodness and truth. Dharm Prakash compared it to the lives of figures like Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Mahatma Gandhi, and Buddha, finding that none of them fully embodied the ideals set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. This realization ignited a profound internal struggle as he questioned whether this life, for which his mother had wept and his father had spoken about, was indeed the life of God. This experience marked the beginning of his spiritual journey, leading him to seek answers about the nature of God and the purpose of life.
Seeking Answers about Lord Jesus Christ
Deeply moved by his experience with the Sermon on the Mount and the voice he heard, Dharm Prakash Sharma sought answers about Jesus Christ from his college principal, a veteran Roman Catholic. He desperately inquired whether Jesus Christ was God, sharing his profound inner turmoil and the sense that his lifelong search for a spiritual truth was on the verge of resolution. Although the principal offered to explain the philosophical aspects of the lesson the following day, Dharm Prakash was determined to receive a direct answer to his question. He was then taken to a Roman Catholic father, a high priest of the local church. Despite being an ardent Hindu Brahmin and not a Christian, he implored the priest to shed light on whether Jesus Christ was God or embodied the very life of God. The priest, however, advised that only through conversion and baptism could he truly understand these matters, to which Dharm Prakash expressed reluctance, emphasizing his Hindu identity. This marked a pivotal moment in his spiritual journey as he grappled with the prospect of becoming a Christian and continued to search for the living God.
Doubts about the Existence of Jesus Christ
Dharm Prakash Sharma, disheartened by his unfulfilling experiences with Christianity, attended church services near his college, hoping to find the love, godliness, and presence of God. However, the church services left him disappointed. He described them as stagnant, monotonous, and devoid of spiritual vitality, comparing them unfavorably to Hindu temples. The pastor’s sermons lacked the power of the Spirit, and the congregation’s participation seemed lackluster. His interaction with the pastor further troubled him, as the pastor insisted that becoming a Christian and a church member was the only path to knowing God, which Dharm Prakash resisted.
In his search for truth, he began to question whether Jesus Christ and the Sermon on the Mount were mere myths, and if they truly existed, why weren’t His teachings evident in the lives of Christians? Frustrated, he condemned Christianity and the Bible as false and unfulfilled.
A Radical Protest Against Christianity: Burning the Bible
In a bold act of protest, he obtained Bibles from his college library and publicly tore them apart, expressing his dissatisfaction with Christianity and its impact on Indian culture. However, this radical action did not quell his yearning for truth and God. He turned his focus toward worldly pursuits, seeking pleasure and peace. As a poet, journalist, writer, and dramatist, he immersed himself in the world but remained unfulfilled.
Unexpected entry into Bollywood
Dharm Prakash Sharma’s life took an unexpected turn when he met a well-known film star in Kashmir. This encounter led to an invitation to Bombay, the film capital of India, where he quickly found himself signed as the leading actor in several prestigious films. The film industry brought fame, fortune, and worldly pleasures, but Dharm Prakash’s deep spiritual quest never left him.
Leaving the World of Cinema
While riding the wave of success, he received an invitation from the government of the U.S.S.R to study cinematography and the art of acting and direction at the Vakhtangov Institute in Kiev. His life seemed to be in the midst of worldly indulgence. However, an urgent call from India brought him back home, where he learned that his mother had been in a coma for several days after a kidney operation. Miraculously, she regained consciousness and told him that he must leave the film industry and lead a holy life dedicated to God. She reminded him of her promise to God, made when she was childless, to give her son back to Him. Despite his success and commitments, Dharm Prakash respected his mother’s wishes and decided to leave the film industry.
And then he spent a few days in Pushkar to take care of his ailing mother in the hospital.
Meeting the woman of “his dreams”
Pandit Sharma used to have a recurring dream since childhood about a young woman dressed in white coming out of a big fort in the wilderness surrounded by bushes, looking into the distance, and then going back inside the fort and closing the golden gates. He consulted a psychology professor who said it was a type of dementia, but the dream persisted. One day, as he was coming out of the hospital after meeting his mother, saw the same girl from the dream on the road and asked her name and her parents’ names. The girl was shocked and ran away. Later he contacted her father but, he also advised him against the marriage. Then he contacted her and her father seven times during that month, but she refused every time. After that, he gave up. His ego was badly bruised.
Then one day, with no warning, the same girl came to see Dharm and said, “My God has asked me to marry you.”
It began with his bold decision to introduce a Christian girl into his Hindu family, a move met with skepticism and disapproval. However, within a month, this girl’s unwavering love and meekness won over Pandit Sharma’s parents. Her remarkable transformation into a devoted daughter and servant endeared her to his family, ultimately leading them to accept her as one of their own. After leaving the world of cinema, Dharam Prakash had joined Birla Bros. as PRO in Calcutta.
Witnessing the “living Sermon” in his wife, Asha’s life
Pandit Sharma observed a living embodiment of the Sermon on the Mount in his wife, Asha’s life. Despite persecution, trials, and even violence from her husband, she responded with unwavering faith, humility, love, and forgiveness. This challenged Pandit Sharma’s prior skepticism about Christianity.
In a poignant chapter of Pandit Dharam Prakash’s life, a significant transformation takes place. On a crucial day in Calcutta, where he was scheduled to host a team from the World Bank, his wife was assisting him in getting ready. She had always been his dedicated caretaker, ensuring that his suit was perfectly worn, his tie knot was well-tied, and his handkerchief neatly placed in his jacket pocket. Her devotion to him had been unwavering.
However, on this particular morning, she made a heartfelt request. She implored Pandit Dharam Prakash to come home early, as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, named Brother Bakht Singh, was going to visit. Despite his skepticism, she believed that their meeting would bring a blessing.
Pandit Dharam Prakash, in a moment of anger and mockery, responded callously, insisting he couldn’t make it. Regrettably, he even physically lashed out at his wife, kicking her in the face with great force. The sole of his shoe cut her neck, causing a profuse bleeding wound. Despite the shock and her grievous injury, she did not retaliate or blame him.
As his mother entered the room, aghast at the scene, Pandit Dharam Prakash’s wife concealed the truth, claiming it was merely an accident. She exhibited a remarkable capacity for forgiveness and love, insisting that God still loved him and that he should return early that evening.
Pondering the Nature of God’s Love
Overwhelmed by his wife’s extraordinary compassion after the incident, Pandit Dharam Prakash broke down in tears en route to work, pondering the nature of such selfless love. Her consistent love for 13 years caused him to wonder, “Is this what God is like?” His mother’s words about knowing God’s love resurfaced in his mind. Despite pressing business negotiations, God’s love and authority suddenly encompassed him in a profound, transformative moment.
Remarkably, his World Bank appointment was postponed, freeing him to follow his wife’s gentle call to return home early, where she awaited confidently.
In 1968, Sharma joined politics. Later in 1972, amidst busy political engagements, Pandit Dharm Prakash underwent a pivotal spiritual transformation that forever changed his journey.
The Book That Changed Everything
One fateful afternoon, amidst political chaos, Pandit Dharm Prakash felt compelled to read “With and Without Christ,” the testimony of Indian figure Sadhu Sundar Singh, who transitioned from Sikhism to devotion to Jesus Christ. As Pandit Dharm Prakash read, he heard a gentle, loving voice echo in his ears – the same voice he had heard many times before. It pleaded with him, asking “How long will you persecute me? I love you. You are mine.” Recognizing the voice, a heartfelt conversation ensued.
In response, Pandit Dharm Prakash acknowledged his awareness of God’s love but expressed feelings of unworthiness, confessing to years of sin and blasphemy. Yet the voice insisted “I still love you,” marking a pivotal turning point. Pandit Dharm Prakash then underwent an overwhelmingly powerful transformative spiritual experience. As divine light filled the room, he felt transported, profoundly changed. Overwhelmed by God’s radiant love, he confessed his sins and was assured of unconditional love and forgiveness.
Awakening after 2 unconscious hours, Pandit Dharm Prakash confessed his newfound love for Christ to his wife, who was praying beside him on her knees. He felt weightless, his quest for truth fulfilled, aligning with his parents’ wise words. His life was profoundly altered. Believing life now meaningless without Christ’s peace and presence, he emphasized the need to embrace Christ’s life over manmade religion and philosophy. In predominantly Hindu India, where seekers have long sought the living God, he conveyed that only Jesus Christ, as the embodiment of the Living God who transcends religion, is the answer.
Surrendering to Christ
Resigning from political responsibilities
After years of serving as a politician, Pandit Sharma felt a deep calling to seek something beyond the realm of politics. Overwhelmed by a desire for spiritual fulfillment, he made the brave decision to resign from his political responsibilities in 1977. This marked the beginning of his spiritual journey.
Embracing discipleship and reading the Bible
Pandit Sharma sought guidance from Christian mentors who introduced him to the principles of discipleship. He began studying the Bible and found solace and wisdom in its teachings. The scriptures became his source of strength and enlightenment as he discovered the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
Through his testimony, Pandit Sharma reminds us of the transformative power of Jesus Christ and the profound impact it can have on one’s life. His journey serves as an inspiration for those seeking spiritual fulfillment and a deeper connection with God.
Books written by Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma
My Encounter With Truth
This is his autobiography, co-authored with Dr. Babu K. Verghese, a professional journalist and historian. In this book, he narrates his exciting life story. From being born in a jail during India’s freedom struggle, to being raised by Mahatma Gandhi, to becoming a Bollywood actor, a management professional, a Member of Parliament, and finally a humble servant of the Lord – his journey has been remarkable. He also shares his personal struggles, his search for God, and his miraculous transformation after meeting Jesus Christ.
Source: My encounter with truth : by Pt. Dharm Prakash Sharma (Author), Dr Babu K Verghese (Author)
