Skip to main content

Book Review : ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀಧರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಕಥೆಗಳು - ಮೇದಿನಿ ಕೆಸವಿನಮನೆ

 

This is another short book with selected stories from the life of Sri Sridhara Swami of Varadahalli. Sri Sridhara Swami was known for his miraculous healing powers & a general smile that would assuage the bhaktas of their fears, worries & issues. This book recounts some select stories from his illustrious life, also giving a sneak peak to the society of those times. Sri Sridhara Swami was born in Chincholi of modern day Maharashtra, but later travelled to Sajjangad which is considered as Sri Samarth Ramadas’ kshetra. Sri Sridhara Swami is considered as the Manasa sishya of Sri Samarth Ramadas ji.

First word (ಮೊದಲ ಮಾತು) of the author is quite an interesting read. The role of providence in providing the author with the opportunity to write this divine book, specially her journey through the chapters itself is an interesting read. It is pure divine play that some are chosen for such divine tasks and the author sure is a blessed one.

The stories, incidents have some intricate details, but I will capture some very important lessons from the book to give an overview & hopefully pique the interest so that more people read this divine work.

  • Dress for the occasion - A very highly relevant chapter in modern society where dressing for temples & holy kshetras needs a serious overhaul
  • Mother Nature has a way to take control of situation
  • Focus on bettering yourselves continuously
  • It is ordained on who deserves what
  • Be aware, pragmatic & realistic of the society we live in
  • Place your full faith and trust in Guru
  • If you can’t benefit others, at least try not to be a botheration
  • Chapter on Madi is very wonderful - Needs to be read widely
  • Don’t assume that animals are not intelligent - Love all beings equally
  • One has to bear the fruits of Poorva janma Prarabdha
  • Don’t play with the divine - Experience their divinity
  • Think, Introspect before you speak - Does this really help? Will this hurt anyone?
  • Importance of chanting Rama and Krishna namas & why their are beneficial for us



This book is for all i.e. young and old alike. Read the book. Gift the book to children & spread the word.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!


Note: I highly appreciate Ayodhya Publications in bringing out these gems. These are very highly relevant in the modern context.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review : Naayi Neralu - S. L. Bhyrappa (Eng. Translation by L. V. Shanthakumari)

  Naayi Neralu translates to Dog and Shadow - representative of the 2 constant companions of the soul in its journey as a human being. They don’t leave the side of the man and always follow him wherever he goes. This novel from the maverick writer S. L. Bhyrappa covers some very interesting topics including rebirth / reincarnation, societal norms of what is acceptable, long lasting impact of actions, deceit, while also touching upon some minor topics like conversion in the name of rational religion. Beyond all these, this novel is an excellent reminder of what is impact of one’s karma across generations. Spanning three generations, this novel captures the story of Kshetrapala (Vishwesvara) and his previous cum adopting family comprising of Acchannayyanavru, Nanjakka, Venkamma, Achyutha. There are characters like Thirumala Jois who is the father in the latest birth of Kshetrapala who act as a beacon of dharma in the complex web woven by the master story teller. The events are centre...

Temple Circuit : Melukote - KereThonnur - Kikkeri - Govindahally - Nuggehalli

December 2024 has been a very hectic month in terms of travel, specifically temple travels. When my nephew came into town, we usually plan for a day trip at least. Thanks to him, we have embarked on 3 trips in 2024, all to wonderful historical and spiritual places. For this weekend, we decided to embark on a trip, originally planned in 2022, but postponed due to unexpected and unavoidable reasons. As they say, we can have the darshana of Bhagwantha only when he desires so . Melukote First, we travelled to Melukote from Bengaluru on an early chilly December morning. Melukote is one the 5 i.e. pancha Narayana kshetras established by Sri Ramanujaacharyaru. The drive was beautiful, specially after we took a deviation from the Bengaluru - Hassan - Mangalore highway. Arriving at the temple at 8:15 am, we had to wait till 9:05 am for the temple to open. Cheluvanarayana swamy is absolutely magnificent to look at. The view and the presence of the divine is absolutely surreal. Thanks to my frie...

Book Review : Embers of Trust - Part 1: Shadows of Deceit - Rakesh Vallabha Vaidya

      (Pic Courtesy: Amazon Kindle)   This book was recommended by a friend on “X”. When I started reading the book, I had jumped to some “observations”, but pretty quickly realised my folly. As the adage goes “Don’t judge the book by its initial pages”, this book was a beautiful pleasant surprise. A small town with its own ethos is the centre stage for an investigation of a girl. The travails of her mother, secrets buried in the past and her support system that also is part of the journey make for a beautiful opening. Detective Ethan Blake - Eccentric.. Maverick.. Wonderfully sketched character. I personally liked the characterisation of the Psychiatrist Dr. Joe and intertwining of paths between the missing girl and him. The flow is quite decently paced culminating in a wonderful crescendo that sets up the next instalment beautifully. My only peeve is that I need to wait for the second part, but that’s a good problem to have. For lovers of fiction, this is a wonderf...