SAROJ MY MA: FORESEES HER FUTURE WITH OXFORD OF THE EAST

SAROJ MY MA: FORESEES HER FUTURE WITH OXFORD OF THE EAST

Before I go ahead, in my quest to find out more about my mother during the Google search under her official name Dr Premlata Paliwal, I chanced upon a brief summary about her achievements (pl correct her exact date of birth it is 18/10/1933 and it was Chotti Diwali on that day, so to her parents she came as Laxmi the last child, the PET PONCHHA as we say in local dialect meaning the Tummy Wiper the last child!) and a TREASURE OF 31 CHOICEST FAVOURITE BHAJANS of Saroj sang by her during Guru Ma's Birthday celebrations in 1978 or 1979 at Ma's Vrindavan Ashram! OOOOO to hear her voice after so many years was great! ( Think about using them in the book and if possible in her voice bhajans can be inserted each one translated in English by me for better understanding! ) 

Epitome of courage, Saroj is now encouraged by her supporting husband to pursue her higher studies while he remains back with his not so good health and the small girl, that's me left  in the willing care of her parents. I am told a humorous incident of that time. Before leaving for higher studies a ceremony to name the child is held and I am named KISHORILAL by the Pandit, thinking that I am a boy. Horrified my mum makes the correction but nothing much could be done so I become KISHORIDEVI! Saroj much later told  me once that you were rightly named as I was no less than a boy, I suppose.

Now amazingly with all the personal troubles she was going through she still chose to proceed to the TOPMOST UNIVERSITY of that time, the illustrious ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY also known as Oxford of the East for Masters in English Literature. During early 50s in remote India that was a courageous bold step taken by her to go and live in the far away city hostel  for her studies leaving an ailing husband and a little toddler behind. She never compromised on the quality of purpose in life. Allahabad is the pious city of SANGAM, where three great rivers meet, Holy Ganges, Holy Yamuna and Holy Saraswati (the hidden one). It is also thus known as PrayagRaj, meaning the king of Prayag (where more than one river meet). Allahabad is also the pious land of KUMBH MELA (fair) where the humanity from all over the world takes a journey to the biggest gathering in history, every 12 years for Purna Kumbh. Almost 70 million pilgrims descend upon India’s Allahabad for the Kumbh Mela festival. From this incredible event comes a powerful and uplifting message of harmony, unity and peace for all humanity. The last Kumbh Mela was held in January-February 2013. It was much later that I understood the attachment, the sentimental bond that Saroj had with Allahabad!

So Saroj passed out her Masters in flying colours and of course her teachers were great doyens of English Literature like Prof  David and World famous Poet FIRAQ GORAKHPURI (such was the illustrious faculty of Allahabad University). All this time her attention towards her family never weaned and she suffered silently looking at her sinking husband and little daughter clinging and longing for her love, time and attention.

Much later when I grew up and faced problems of life, I once asked her about this suffering and her words ring in my ears even today. I quote ' As per Hinduism , the very fact we are born means that in our last life, we did not get libration or Moksha. It also means that there were some of the sufferings which were left in our last birth. Therefore, the purpose of this birth is to face those sufferings.

When purpose of our life is to face sufferings, why suffer from them?

This should be considered as ‘sukh’ (happiness) and not ‘dukh’ (sorrows). As per vedic literature, every diversity is an opportunity to learn or to do something different. The notable principles of Budha also talk about the same. The first is that suffering exists, second that there is a reason for every suffering and third that it is possible to neutralize the suffering by understanding the paths of cessation of suffering.

Also remember my dear that in every ‘dukh’ you think of ‘sukh’ and in every ‘sukh’ you think of a ‘dukh’. Next time you have a problem, think differently and learn to enjoy them.