What I learnt from
AHILYABAI HOLKAR

My main area of interest and study has been the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

So, when I was invited to write a book on Ahilyabai Holkar, I accepted the proposal little hesitantly.

But as I started reading about her life and her works, I was in for a surprise. I discovered that Ahilyabai had not simply appeared out of nowhere as an extraordinary ruler. She was the product of a civilizational tradition that had been nurtured for thousands of years.

The ideals described in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Smritis, and the Puranas had found a living expression in her life. She was, in every sense, the Rajarshi as described by the scriptures. Her rule was guided by Raj-Dharma. She saw herself as a trustee of her kingdom, a protector of her people, and a custodian of Dharma.

I had studied the ideals of Shri Rama, Yudhishthira, Bhishma, Vidura, and Krishna in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In Ahilyabai, I saw those very ideals translated into action. Her life demonstrated that Raj-Dharma was not merely an ideal philosophy confined to ancient texts—it could be lived, practiced, and successfully implemented.

Her life and work remain deeply relevant even today, especially for those serving in administration, civil services, and governance.