My grandma's prayer

Jun 3, 2009, 12.00am IST
BINDU CHOWDARY.


My grandma lived in a village all her life. She was absolutely hale and hearty.


She claimed to have completed one hundred years, though according to our calculations she was probably in her mid-nineties. She was a strong woman, a leader in her own way. She was the lady- panch member of the village panchayat an adviser, a negotiator and a storyteller. She had a decisive mind of her own and she was both revered and feared by her family and others in the village. She lived on her own and lived quite independently, cooking her own meals without help. We saw that she was generous. We also found that she was frugal. As children we were a little confused by her personality. We were also in awe of her.


I had never seen grandma perform any sacred rituals seated in front of deities. She was never seen reading or reciting scriptures. Anyway, she could not read. Grandma lived her life in a very matter-of-fact manner. She did things the way she liked and the way she felt was right and she had strong justifications for all she did. She was a woman of principles and no one could make her swerve from her path.


What made her so strong and confident? As far as we knew, she lived in total gratitude. For all she did in the day, she would just fold her hands, close her eyes for a split second, and say: " Shukriya Tera " which means, "Thank You." She would say she was rich because God had given her a lot and so she always thanked God for everything that she had and that came into her life. As a child, I thought that she was materialistic, that she thanked God whenever she got something. Sometimes I even doubted the genuineness of her thanksgiving, because she said it so loudly as if it was for everyone to hear.


Her daily one-line prayer intrigued me as a child. Is that a real prayer? How could someone pray like that, the same way, and did she really mean it? The concept of prayer was differently etched in my mind. It meant to read from the scriptures, in a language that none of us understood. Prayer meant lighting a lamp and burning incense sticks. Prayer meant to sit with folded hands and sing the praise of the Lord. It meant going to the temple regularly...


Another prayer that grandma said twice daily was: " Hey Prabhu, Meri Aankhen Aur Ghutne Salamat Rakhna " O God, please protect my eyes and knees. And God did grant her the boon of good eyesight and strong knees till she breathed her last. The human body needs to be in good health so that we can carry out all our activities in life in the most pleasant and efficient manner. Grandma had realised that and so she prayed for good health. Was it the power of prayer that got translated into power of thought that in turn somehow manifested in her as good health? Or did she enjoy stable health because of her physical and mental routine and the selflessness with which she expressed her gratitude to God every day in the form of a thanksgiving prayer? We don't know.


Today, when I remember her, I am forced to admire her wisdom and feel the need for such a prayer to be healthy. It was the simplicity and humility and her prayer of thanksgiving that blessed her with a long, happy and content life.
The writer is initiator, Council for Essential Learning and Research, Mumbai.