Pune: For men who once dodged gunfire, bore icy frontiers and fought in counter-terror operations, silence was rare and peace even rarer. Today, many veterans are discovering both through spirituality.In a unique confluence of discipline and devotion, nearly 150 ex-servicemen and their families gathered for a week-long recital of Dnyaneshwari, the interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita, written by Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in 1290 CE.The seven-day event, titled ‘Granthraj Dnyaneshwari Parayan Sohala’, concluded on Thursday, marking its fourth edition and offering participants what they describe as a deeply transformative journey.For retired brigadier Sunil Bodhe, the shift from commanding troops to leading devotional singing was not abrupt, it was inevitable. “We have seen life in its harshest forms. After that, you begin searching for something deeper, something permanent. Spirituality gives us that anchor. It calms the mind in a way nothing else can,” he said.Bodhe, who once commanded the 3rd Battalion of the Jat Regiment and later a mountain brigade, now spends his time performing kirtans and bhajans. “The uniform teaches discipline, but spirituality guides you to detachment. Rank and achievements become secondary,” he added.The event followed a strict routine, recitations, Haripath, kirtans, and community meals. “We were trained to fight external enemies. Now, we are learning to understand our inner self. Once only thought about tackling the enemy, now we are thinking about forgiveness,” retired colonel Venkantrao Khadge said.A maximum of ex-servicemen hail from rural Maharashtra, where teachings of eminent sants are woven into everyday life. This cultural grounding, they said, makes their spiritual transition both natural and fulfilling.A participant from Ahmednagar district said, “Since childhood, we have heard about sants and their teachings. But during service, there is no time to reflect. After retirement, we finally understand their meaning and it changes how we see life now.”Some veterans have becoming kirtankars spreading the teachings of sants and guiding communities through spiritual discourse. The transformation is not just internal but visible. The men who once wore olive green now appear in traditional warkari attire-white dhoti, kurta and Gandhi cap-symbolising humility and devotion.Local people, who saw them as soldiers are surprised to hear them singing bhajans. “But this is another form of service,” Khadge, who commanded Corps of Signals regiment in the Baramulla sector in Jammu & Kashmir, said.The week concluded with a devotional procession to a temple dedicated to Sant Dnyaneshwar. “Our saints have explained human psychology, emotions and life’s purpose in a way that even modern books cannot. We need to understand it in the right perspective,” Bodhe said.
