Hello everybody! We begin with the end of N. L. Parande’s story and start the new chapter ‘Moving Towards Faith’ in the tenth video of ‘Spinning into a Career’
The music master maintains his garden well. He has dug a fifteen foot well that has perennial water supply. He grows plants and trees and takes care of them. He grows some vegetables in his garden which is always green and colorful. There are many flowering plants. He has built a fence around his house all by himself. He has constructed a toilet outside the house and the drain is used as manure and water for his plants and trees. There is no flooring in his house. The floor and the walls are smeared with cow dung. The inside of the house is very cool during summer and warm during winter.
Kirti takes Ruchi to Asif Khan, who is a student of N. L. Parande. Asif Khan chews betel leaves all the time. Ruchi’s guru chews betel leaves with katha and lime. Ruchi’s visits to the music class decline after she takes up a job. She encounters Kirti on the streets. They sit on the steps of a temple discussing Kabir and Meera bhajans. Ruchi observes a boy and a girl meeting each other every evening. After some weeks, she sees the girl wearing a mangalsutra which seems to indicate that the girl has married the boy.
Now, we begin with chapter three ‘Moving Towards Faith’.
Ruchi does not have faith in herself because of her weak health and stammering problem. She does not have faith in elders and in her parents. She does not bow down before anyone unless she is asked to. She has no religion. Serious thought of God or religion does not enter her mind till she reaches her fourth year in college. She does not despise religion. She goes to temples but does not remain there for long. She feels a force driving her towards something. She is frightened and very often comes out of the temple and waits outside for her family to join her. Diwali is the occasion she goes to the temple. In times of fear, she listens to devotional music.
Susan’s father works for a multinational company. He says his religion is easy to follow and works for human development. Ruchi’s father tells her that Christianity follows a bhakti sutra mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. Following Christianity or any other religion is the same. Ruchi visits a fair conducted in honor of Mother Mary in Sanders. She gets into the bus but does not reach the church. Father David, a Pastor, comes from St. Joseph school. He wears a wig. The Goan reads Ruchi’s palm and predicts, “You will question God”.
Her father reads out ‘Bhaja Govindam’, by the great Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya, and explains its meaning to her. She is inspired to think that she must overcome her stammering defect and become a preacher of Bhakti Vedanta. Ruchi, while returning from her Sunday lecture on English Literature arranged by professor Chidanand, becomes aware of a backward pull. She is not able to lift her legs and walk farther. It is something connected to the mind and not to the physical body. Nights become nightmares. She cannot close he eyes. A vivid vision of a bluish Lord Shiva and scintillating rays of Lord Ganesha in various colors wake her up from her sleep. She cannot bear the bright light and colors. Is it a numinous phenomenon? She does not understand. She wants to sleep. It is midnight. All members of the house are sleeping. She does not want to wake them up. Instead she goes to the balcony and reads Willian Shakespeare’s plays ‘Macbeth’ and ‘As You Like It’ till she gets tired. She tells her dad about it. Her father consults an astrologer, Rama Iyer, who is a relative, father in law of Ruchi’s uncle. He studies her horoscope and infers, ” Your nineteen-year Saturn mahadasha has started. You will have to propitiate Lord Ganesha on Wednesdays. You must not attempt to open the dooor that is closed for you. You should not expect people to listen to you. People, on the other hand , want you to listen to them. This Saturn period will enhance your knowledge and help you to understand family life.”
Thank you for listening. We continue with ‘Moving Towards Faith’ in the next video. Till then, goodbye!
Video can be viewed on You Tube by typing, ‘Spinning into a Career’ by Usha Raman.
