PVLF 2026

Interview: Madhukar Parikh, Author of "The Luminous Thread"

In this heartfelt interview, Madhukar shares how The Luminous Thread weaves ancient wisdom, global compassion, and inner awakening into a message of hope, harmony, and shared humanity.
on Dec 17, 2025

Frontlist: Your book “The Luminous Thread” beautifully blends ancient wisdom with futuristic innovation. How do you feel this idea of bridging worlds reflects the Christmas spirit of bringing people together in harmony?

Madhukar: The 'Luminous Thread' itself is the harmony achieved when we use our modern capacity (innovation) to actively live with our ancient, shared values (wisdom). Just as the Christmas spirit encourages us to look beyond immediate differences and find that common ground of shared humanity and goodwill, the book suggests that a truly advanced society is one that doesn't discard its foundational spiritual and philosophical knowledge.Bridging these worlds is about recognising that all moments—past, present, and future—are interconnected by a singular, luminous thread of human experience.

Frontlist: The story highlights love, service, and unity through characters like Arjun and Rushik. What inspired you to weave themes of kindness and togetherness, the very essence of Christmas, into your narrative?

Madhukar: That is a very perceptive observation. Thank you for recognising the spirit of kindness and togetherness woven into the narrative through characters like Arjun and Rushik, and comparing for connecting it to the universal essence of Christmas.

The inspiration for weaving these themes wasn't necessarily a specific events, but rather a profound conviction that true advancement is moral, not just technological. My core aim with “The Luminous Thread” was to explore what happens when human beings prioritise service, unity, and unconditional love as the operating system for their civilisation.

Arjun, Rushik and Leon were crafted to be living examples of this principle in their respective time. Their deep bondand their dedication to their society—often requiring great personal sacrifice—demonstrate that unity is not a passive state; it is an active discipline of service.

Frontlist: The Harmony Project in your book aims to create peace between nations. In today’s world, how important do you think such ideas of global compassion and collective goodwill are, especially during the season of Christmas?

Madhukar: The Harmony device in the book is a metaphor—generating specific waves that trigger positive responses in the human brain, transcending religious, caste, or creed boundaries—the underlying need for that effect in the real world is undeniable.

Our world is increasingly polarised. Ideas of global compassion and collective goodwill act as a necessary counterforce, reminding people of their shared humanity beyond national borders, political ideologies, or religious affiliations.

The Christmas season, regardless of one's personal beliefs, is globally associated with themes of peace on Earth, generosity, and goodwill toward men.

Ultimately, whether through the fictional device in my book, 'The Luminous Thread', or through intentional acts of kindness and diplomacy in our lives, the pursuit of global compassion and collective goodwill is not just an ideal—it's a practical imperative for a sustainable and peaceful future.

Frontlist: Your personal journey, from a small-town upbringing to global business leadership, is marked by resilience and growth. How have these experiences shaped the spiritual and philosophical depth of your storytelling?

Madhukar: My journey, spanning a small-town upbringing, a disciplinedspiritual practice, and global business leadership, has profoundly shaped the spiritual and philosophical depth found in my storytelling, particularly in books like 'The Luminous Thread'.

From Business Leadership to Philosophical Themes:

The world of global business is a crucible for resilience and growth. It provided me with a unique lens that informs the philosophical structure of my narratives:

• Systems Thinking and Scale: Managing international business requires understanding complex systems and scaling solutions. This translates into my stories by exploring how grand, sweeping philosophical concepts—like the pursuit of peace in the Harmony Project—can be implemented or imagined on a global scale.

• The Power of Vision: A business leader must bea person of vision. My mother, Kanakdhara, also exemplified this through her intuitive healing and compassionate vision for the impoverished.This duality inspired me to write stories where characters embody a powerful vision and the resilience to execute it, often against immense odds.

• Practical Morality: Leadership often demands difficult ethical choices. These real-world moral dilemmas enrich my narratives, preventing philosophical concepts from being purely abstract. They are grounded in the consequences of action, a core theme in texts like the Shrimad Bhagwat Gita that I studied.

The Spiritual Foundation of My Narrative:

My lifelong spiritual quest provides the essential depth, directly addressing the fundamental questions that captivated me from childhood: "Who are we? From whence do we originate, and whither do we journey?"

• The Synthesis of Wisdom: Observing my father, Natwarlal, successfully blend business with profound devotion—writing ten million Ram Namams and reciting the Gita—taught me the feasibility of integrating spiritual life with worldly responsibilities. My study of the Gita, Ramayan, the Upanishads, and the works of Swami Vivekananda ensures that my stories are infused with timeless wisdom concerning self realisation and karma.

• Seeking Enlightenment: My quest for enlightenment—guided by masters like Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Chidanand Saraswati, and my practice of the Sambhavi Maha Mudra—(developed by Sadhguru) has fuelled the inner energy behind my writing. This pursuit is mirrored in my characters' journeys, who are often on a path of spiritual awakening and self-discovery.

• Connecting Ancient Wisdom to the Modern World: The deep-seated need I felt to write for the young generation stems from the desire to take the transformative power of these ancient traditions and translate them into a language and context relevant to modern complexities. My storytelling aims to foster the same harmony I found in the sacred texts, both within ourselves and in our world.

This unique combination of resilience learned in the business world and spiritual depth gained through a disciplined personal journey allows me to craft stories that are not only philosophically rich but also deeply relatable and practically upliftings.

Frontlist: Arjun’s peaceful Himalayan community reflects a life rooted in service and love. Did your own life encounters or travels across India and abroad influence this portrayal of unity and shared humanity?

Madhukar: Yes, my encounters and travels across India and abroad were fundamentally instrumental in shaping the portrayal of Arjun’s peaceful Himalayan community—a place rooted in service, love, unity, and shared humanity.

India : “The Foundation of Universal Brotherhood”

My travels throughout our great country, India, served as the initial and most profound influence:

• 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is One Family): India is a living testament to the concept of universal brotherhood. My journeys revealed that every region of the country, despite its immense diversity, possesses a spiritual richness and inner strength that fundamentally encourages the individual to embrace a global community outlook. This powerful sense of underlying unity became the philosophical bedrock for Arjun's community.

• Service and Love: Witnessing the selfless compassion and service exhibited by figures like my mother, Kanakdhara—who instinctively helped the impoverished with her remedies—deepened my understanding of how a life rooted in service and love naturally creates a harmonious community.

Global Community: Resilience and Harmony in Action

Extending my travels to the global community further moulded and refined this vision:

• Resilience Across Cultures: My experiences in international business and travel across different countries exposed me to diverse human experiences. I learned firsthand the universal importance of resilience in the face of challenges.

• The Power of Harmony: Observing communities abroad, I saw the enduring human desire for harmony and the practical steps people take to achieve it—whether through international collaboration or local initiatives.This taught me that the peace I depicted in the Himalayas is not a distant, passive ideal, but a tangible outcome of persistent effort and shared goodwill.

In essence, Arjun 's peaceful Himalayan Community is a synthesis: it combines the spiritual depth and philosophy of unity I learned from the heart of India with the real-world resilience and diversity I encountered on the global stage. It is a fictional microcosm reflecting the highest ideals of shared humanity and collective aspiration that I have witnessed.

Frontlist: Christmas is often seen as a time of introspection and awakening. Rushik’s spiritual journey mirrors this beautifully. What message did you hope readers would take from his path of inner transformation?

Madhukar: The season of Christmas is often viewed as a time for spiritual introspection and awakening, beautifully mirroring the journey of Rushik. The story of Rushik, beginning from his humble family in a small village (a theme often seen in the journeys of legends and change-makers), is designed to deliver a powerful, practical message of empowerment and self-reliance to the reader.

The central message I hoped readers would take from Rushik’s spiritual journey in ‘The Luminous Thread’ is this:

The Power of Inner Hunger Drives Destiny:

Rushik's journey illustrates that inner transformation is not an accidental event but the direct result of a persistent "hunger for inner strength and peace."

• Action Over Circumstance: His transformation didn't wait for ideal circumstances; his determination moved him forward through different, challenging situations. The message is that the deepest changes begin with an unyielding internal commitment, not external convenience.

• The Catalyst for Change: Rushik's persistent search eventually led him to meet Babaji, who acted as the catalyst for his true awakening. This Symbolises that when the student is ready—when that inner hunger is strong enough—the guidance, wisdom, or opportunity needed to transform will appear.

Inner Peace is the Foundation for Global Action:

The second key message is the link between personal peace and collective good:

• From Self to Service: Rushik's success is not simply personal enlightenment; it's the foundation for his ability to collaborate with Leon and work effectively toward global harmony.

• The Change-Maker's Journey: By showing that a person from a humble background can achieve profound inner change and then contribute to vast, world-altering projects like the Harmony Project, the message is clear: inner peace is the necessary precursor for becoming a positive, powerful change-maker in the world.

Ultimately, Rushik’s path aims to inspire the reader, particularly the younger generation, to recognise that their own spiritual journey—their introspection and awakening— is the most vital step toward achieving any great external goal. This mirrors the universal message of hope, peace, and inner renewal that is celebrated during the Christmas season .

Frontlist: Friendship is a powerful thread in your book, especially between Rushik and Leon, whose worlds seem entirely different. How does their bond symbolise the Christmas value of finding connection beyond differences?

Madhukar: Rushik and Leon: “Symbolising Connection Beyond Differences”

The friendship between Rushik and Leon is one of the most powerful threads in 'The Luminous Thread,' precisely because their seemingly different worlds converge for a singular purpose. Their bond is a vibrant symbol that embodies the core value of unity and connection, regardless of origin.

The Essence of Friendship and Unity:

Friendship, at its purest, is the very ingredient for the harmony you mentioned. It is a bond that connects two or more people—be they friends, a seeker and a guide, or a teacher and student.

• Integrity and Resilience: This genuine connection provides the necessary inner strength and integrity that enables both individuals to thrive. It is a path toward resilience , allowing them to face enormous global challenges together, just as the Christmas spirit fosters strength through community.

• The Sound of Love and Peace: Just as Christmas creates a specific atmosphere—a "sound relationship" between people based on generosity and goodwill—the bond between Rushik and Leon generates a frequency of love and peace that allows them to overcome personal and global obstacles.

Their friendship, therefore, symbolises the truest spirit like Christmas: recognising that the deepest and most meaningful connections are built not on similarity, but on a shared commitment to goodwill and a higher purpose, transcending all external divisions.

Frontlist: “The Luminous Thread” ultimately offers hope in times of conflict. What is the core message of joy, peace, and togetherness you want readers, especially during the festive season, to carry with them?

Madhukar: The Core Message of 'The Luminous Thread'

The ultimate message of 'The Luminous Thread'— especially relevant during the festive season—is the profound simplicity of 'Live and let live' and the urgency of restoring our core humanity.

Joy (Bliss): Recognising Abundance and Sharing

Our universe has provided everything in abundance. The root of joy lies in acknowledging this gift and sharing it.

• The Missing Element: What is currently lacking in our global village is a sincere commitment to harmony and sharing.

• The Call to Positivity: The message is to shift our collective atmosphere toward positivity and integrity . The joy of the season should serve as a reminder that we have the power to live generously and appreciate what we have, rather than focusing on what we lack.

Peace: “The Essential Element”

Peace is not a passive ideal; it is the essential element of humanity's existence.

• Love and Peace: We need to consciously cultivate love, peace, and a sharing nature. These are the fundamental qualities that provide the stable foundation for a truly peaceful world.

• A Fragile Harmony: The book warns that if our harmony has shattered, the human race will vanish . This powerful realisation puts the responsibility squarely in our hands to actively safeguard and maintain peace within ourselves and our global home.

Togetherness: “Global Integrity”

The message of togetherness emphasises a long-term vision of global citizenship.

• Universal Respect: We must strive to live with integrity and respect every being in our globalhome, treating others with the same care and love we offer ourselves.

• The Festive Reminder: The festive season,characterised by family and community gatherings, is the perfect time to carry this message: that our individual well-being is inseparable from the well-being of the whole.Achieving true global togetherness is about recognising our interconnectedness and maintaining our humanity at all times.