Long before Narendra Modi became a towering political figure on the global stage, an astrologer in Vadnagar had foretold an extraordinary destiny for the then-14-year-old boy.
Long before Narendra Modi became a towering political figure on the global stage, an astrologer in Vadnagar had foretold an extraordinary destiny for the then-14-year-old boy. “Ye ladka ya to bada tapasvi, ya sadhu purush, ya rajkarani hoga. Aisa hoga ki pura vishwa unko janega,” the astrologer predicted, leaving family and friends both astonished. At the time, Modi was a restless teenager, unsure of his path and far from an exceptional student. “Aur tab to baju wale bhi nhi jaante the,” recalled his childhood friend Mahendrabhai Darji.
Despite the grim poverty his family endured, Narendra Modi’s spirit brimmed with curiosity. His fascination with the saints and wanderers who often rested at Vadnagar railway station left a mark. Between serving tea to passengers and sitting with sadhus, young Modi absorbed a mix of spirituality and wanderlust — a potent combination that would later define his journey.
The Forgotten Days
In 1968, Modi abandoned college midway and embarked on a soul-searching odyssey. He roamed the Himalayas, visited the Ramakrishna Mission in Belur Math and Rajkot, and sought guidance from revered monks. At Belur Math, he even requested to be admitted as a monk but was gently refused. Swami Atmasthananda advised him; his destiny lay not in renunciation, but in action. A disheartened Modi nevertheless set off for the Himalayas, where he immersed himself in meditation and reflection.
He later recalled those transformative years; “I was undecided, unguided and unclear. I didn’t know where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it. But all I knew, was that I wanted to do something.”
For nearly two years, the young wanderer rose before dawn, bathed in freezing Himalayan waters, and learned from sages how to align himself with the rhythm of the universe. “I went wherever God wanted to take me — it was an undecided period of my life but still, gave me so many answers. I learnt that peace, oneness and Dhyan can be found, even in the simple sound of a waterfall,” Modi said.
That search instilled in him a clarity that would later fuel his political ascent. “I aligned and experienced revelations that help me till today. I realised that we’re all tied down by our thoughts and limitations. When you surrender and stand in front of the vastness — you know that you’re a small part of a large universe. When you understand that, any trace of arrogance you have in you melts and then life truly begins.”
Reflecting on his childhood dreams, Modi himself admits with humility, if someone had asked the 8-year-old Narendra whether he imagined becoming Prime Minister, “His answer would be no. Never. It was too far to even think about.”
Narendra Modi’s transformative years
Swarajya columnist Sudesh Verma had chronicled a riveting account of Narendra Modi’s transformative years in his 2014 biography Narendra Modi: The Gamechanger.
Modi’s conversations with close friends often revolved around higher questions: “What should we do and what is our position in this vast world?” Unlike his brothers and peers, who sought secure jobs, Narendra chose the harder path of exploration.
During this period, he visited the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram at Belur Math near Kolkata and the Mission’s office in Rajkot. He sought to renounce worldly life and pleaded with Swami Madhavananda Maharaj to let him become a monk. The swami, however, gently urged him to complete his studies first. Later, Swami Atmasthananda of the Rajkot ashram too refused his request, sensing that Narendra’s destiny lay elsewhere. The Swami advised him: grow a beard, stay rooted, and embrace worldly responsibilities. Years later, Modi fondly recalled, “Yes, the swami did not allow me to become a monk.”
Disheartened yet determined, Narendra set off for the Himalayas, spending time at the Vivekananda Kendra in Almora and among countless wandering souls. After more than a year of solitary exploration, he returned to Vadnagar in 1970—only briefly. Soon after, he embarked on a three-decade-long journey of struggle, service, and action that kept him away from his hometown.
These years of wandering and reflection birthed a profound transformation. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda became his guiding force, helping him realize that true renunciation was not about escape but about service. Gradually, he understood that the life of a saint would not bring him peace, but a life dedicated to society might. It was this conviction that propelled Narendra Modi into the stormy world of politics, setting him on a path that fulfilled the astrologer’s prophecy -that the whole world would one day know his name.