Introduction to Shastra

I had been to Calcutta (Kolkatta) then. My maternal uncle was living there, so i was invited to stay there with him, and possibly take up a job there. But, in a couple of days i was sure of not staying there. So, i went for a sight-seeing trip. We had been to all the regular places of picnik, like kalighat, dakshineshwar, RK Mission etc. These have really become that, a picnik spot. And during that time i was not into spirituality, it was before the accident.

In RK mission, there was and interesting think that happenned, i saw people with garlands and goodies standing in queue in front of a building, i asked my uncle, what for they are standing, my uncle replied, it is to see the head swmiji of the mission, can you beleive all these people standing in line to see a SWAMIJI. I commented, i still remember, (not just me, my uncle also remembers and reminds me of this now) They are idiots. The joke was on me, i stood in some of these queues to see different swamijis, in the beginning, till a point. And some people waiting to see me, the biggest joke.

But anyway, after these trips i had spend all the money i had brought and was left with only Rs.100 /= when i returned to chennai. In Howrah Railway station platform, there was a book stall, i had the bad habit, if i walk across a book shop, even if i dont buy, i will atleast know what books they sell. So, because of this bad habit, i checked this book stall. It was a book stall of Gita Press, Gorakhpur, they had books on gita and others. I picked up a big Gita book and checked the price, thought it should be atleast 100/- to 200/- Rupees. To my surpice it was labelled Rs. 25/-, ao i picked up another of the same kind to check for some printing error. It was same Rs. 25/-. I could not control my surprice, i asked the book shop person, for cross checking, and he confirmed the price. I could not stop myself from buying this book and a couple of others.

I was recently introduced to Gita, by a ‘friend’ who had this book in his shelf. And, i had great respect , maybe not devotion, for Krishna. I used to think Krishna was the biggest CHeaTer and not a TeaCHer. And, this brought a comment from my uncle, careful, this boy may become a sanyasi. A clairvoint, that he is. When he says something it will come true, dont rush to ask for his number/address. Normally, he puts all the arguments, the pros and the cons. And it is ought to happen some way or the other, and, presto, he is right all times.

This, is not just the incident he reminds me often. He also says, when i was born, they came to visit me for the first time in the hospital, in dindigul, where my Grand-father was a BDO (Block Development Officer), during that period. As is the case, being the first child, the birth and the other rituals happens in the maternal grand-fathers house. So, when they came to see me ( have a darshan), they had seen the Sankaracharyas of Kanchi Sri Chandrashekarendra and Sri Jayendra Saraswati swamijis. And today he says, i had a thought, it was very auspicious to have had their darshan, so, this boy will become a great man, but never in my dream did i think you will become a sanyasi. He can fail sometimes too.

I finished reading the small bhagavad gita book fully in the train, before i reached chennai. And started to read the big book daily.