Nani’s Bhagavad Geeta - Believe in Yourself

Chintu, Bala, and Pushpa sat around Nani’s rocking chair as they did every night, half dozing and half awake in anticipation to hear yet another exciting story. She slowly rocked her chair and began the story.

“Once upon a time, many eons ago, there lived a girl named Cinderella in a small house with her father, stepmother, and two step sisters. She was the talk of the town when the handsome prince went crazy looking for the petite lady in his kingdom, whose glass slipper slipped out at midnight on the famous magnificent ball dancing day. She was later found as the one with the perfect fit for the slipper and was crowned as the princess of the loving prince. People said, Ah! Look at that fair lady. She was destined to be a princess.”

“But Nani we know this story”, cribbed Pushpa.

“Shut up Pushpa. Nani’s story must be different.” Chintu knew his Nani well too much to foresee that she definitely had something more to say. 

“Go ahead, Nani. We are listening.” Ignoring Pushpa’s restlessness, he persuaded Nani to continue her story.

Nani continued.

“Hundreds of years after this fairy tale ended with an ‘And they lived happily ever after..’ folk tales about her charm, kindness, belief in goodness, and emphatic nature are lauded and appreciated by one and all. Little children are spoken to about her morals and dignity in respecting fellow beings and never reacting to adverse situations with malice and hate in her heart. They are told about how she found goodness in everyone, and the magic of “what goes around comes around” (not the slippers literally) that made Cinderella a princess (that she always was).

Well, no matter how sweet and alluring and lovely Cinderella was, this story is not about her and her luck. It’s also about her two sisters Drizella and Anastasia as they are called in films and books, but it doesn’t matter. You can call them by any other name too. They are, after all, not the protagonist of the story to shoulder the entire brand image on their fragile shoulders. They are the “wicked step-sisters” who went down the pages in history as the ones who cut their feet to fit into the glass slipper and whose eyes were pecked by pigeons leaving them blind and crippled.

People said they got what they deserved for mistreating Cinderella and depriving her of love and affection. They say they made her do the chores while they enjoyed the gardens in the sunny springs. They are accused of many such allegations that are true if the reader wishes to see it that way. But, the walls have another side too, a closet in which our storybook is hidden, which lies buried under the heaps of praises for Cinderella. So today, I decided to pick their storybook from under the pile, dust it and read the pages one by one to you. In the end, we’ll both see how it turned out.”

“Are we ready? Here we go.” Nani asked.

The children nodded.

“You may think that the fairy Godmother appeared out of nowhere on that beautiful starry night, and “poof,” she turned ragged doll Cinderella into an elegant lady who instantly caught the prince’s eyes. No, no, my dear, that was not the case. You might have also found the fairy Godmother biassed and selective for only choosing Cinderella amongst all of them waiting for her sympathy and blessings. Selfish or prejudiced? What was she? Let’s hear the back story that began precisely nine days before the ball. The process of fairy dispersal started then, and they were all equally part of a competition and were presented with a fair chance to win. Only the best won and let’s see how?”

..

As the news of the ball was floating around with the drum beats and clown trumpets, the ladies were excited to make their presence remarkable, and Cinderella was one of them.

“Pray, dear clown, tell us more about the gown that the prince’s pretty sister would wear?”

Curiously they asked unanimously. “Oh! Pretty ladies of the kingdom, damsels, and girls, lend me your ears and eyes, for I will tell you of all the glitters from the skies. The sister would wear a peacock’s feather gown, elegant rubies in the crown.”

“And what would the prince wear?” Cinderella asked shyly.

“Ah! The prince would wear a royal jacket with a sword in the pocket, hippo leather boots with lights in the socket.” “Yay,” the screaming girls ran hither and thither.

“What a magnificent ball it would be. What should I wear? Oh! What should I wear?” They shouted at the top of their lungs until the clown could take it no more, and ran with his trumpets and drums to announce the ball in the neighbouring towns.

But alas, there was one problem. They were all dumb and pale and with no money to spare.

“How will my Papa provide a beautiful gown to be worn on a single night, and where will he arrange a four-horse chariot and a butler?” One of them sighed.

“King’s ballet is not for us,” somebody said sheepishly. It was Anastasia who said those words while sitting on the rock “Why not?” Cinderella demanded sternly. “We may not be rich, but we must possess something that matters that the prince may seek?” she asserted.

“Oh! Yes yes. We certainly must have something unique and grand” they echoed.“But, how do we bring it out and present it to the Prince if we don’t go to the ball?” Again, this was a desperate question from Anastasia. “I know a trick to call a Fairy Godmother,” squeaked poor maiden Lisa while waiting on the ground. “WHAT?” They screamed, surprised, looking down on poor maiden Lisa.

“Is that even true? Do they have fairy Godmothers that appear when called?” Drizella asked, perplexed at the very thought.

“Yes, I know a way to knock at her door and call her right away,” said poor maiden Lisa. Astonished, they nodded and begged poor maiden Lisa to call the fairy Godmother.

“Close your eyes and think of an image of a fairy Godmother inside your heart and gently pull her out saying this mantra.”

“Fairy oh Fairy, the one who resides within me, come out oh come out, I seek thee.”

They closed their eyes and prayed, “ Fairy oh Fairy, the one who resides within me, come out oh come out, I seek thee.”

And Lo! A grand fairy mother appeared before in all her splendour.

“Ah! What magic?” They cried, leaping gleefully. They touched her skirt and her socks in the pretty long boots and felt her hair and her delicate skin. 

Just when they were still absorbing her magnificence, they heard the words, “ Oh! Pretty ladies of the kingdom, why have you called me from within?” Startled, one of them answered meekly, “We want to go to the ball and present ourselves in the neatest gown. But alas! Our parents are not so rich to grant us that grand dress and hence we seek your help Fairy Godmother.” Pleased at her honesty, the Godmother asked,

“Who wants to go to the ball?”

“Me, Me” jumping in the air to reach the fairy now perched on the tree, they all raised their hands. 

“Okay, you, you and you. All will be able to go the ball.” She pointed at them. “Yayieee” they rolled.“But, it will not be so easy.” the Godmother snapped.

“You will have to pass a test to prove that you have all the qualities and that the combination of them all is what you will offer, '' she added.

Taken aback, they waited for the Godmother to speak.

“Who wishes to take the test? Both gruelling and difficult. At the end of the test, I will choose the noblest and wisest and would support her dream to go to the Ball.” she asked. 

Each one of them thought long and deeply and finally Drizella, Anastasia and Cinderella agreed to go forward with the Godmother’s test.

“ We are ready,” said the three of them.

“Okay fine my dear, here is the test?”

“First question - When in deep trouble, whom would you seek for help?” She asked to assess each one of them.

“Of course, my Papa. For he is the strongest and finest of all and he has all the answers.” Answered Drizella as a matter of fact.

“For me, I would seek help from God, who listens to me if I promise to offer him goodies.” Replied Anastasia.

“And what about you Cinderella?” The Godmother asked.

“Godmother, when I am in deep trouble, I will not seek help from anyone but ME.”

“Very Good!” Chuckled the Godmother

“Now, the next question; When you are guilty of something, whom would you forgive?” She asked again to judge them.

“I would forgive the circumstances that made me feel guilty” - Drizella

“ I would forgive the Lord for making me commit the mistake” - Anastasia 

“I would forgive MYSELF” - Cinderella 

“That’s excellent!” Exclaimed the Godmother

“Now, the last question; Whom do you love the most?” 

“I love my Mamma and Papa the most”- Drizella

“I love God, the most”- Anastasia

“And what about you, Cinderella?” Asked the Godmother eager to hear her speak.

“I love MYSELF the most, oh Godmother,” she replied.

“Fantastic” the pleased Godmother encouraged.

“All three of you have answered questions as per your natural traits. And I am pleased to tell you that I have chosen Cinderella amongst you to attend the ball. I will help her dress up in the prettiest gown to attend the Ball and get a chance to be people’s princess.”

Saying so, the Godmother whispered goodbye into Cinderella’s ears and disappeared into thin air not before promising to meet her on the night of the big Ball.

…

So, children, that’s the end of the story” Nani declared, tapping gently on Bala’s head.

“But Nani, I don’t get it” as usual the questioning one - Pushpa popped up with her question. 

“Why did the Godmother choose Cinderella? Wasn’t she the most selfish one?” 

Smiling at her innocent face, Nani asked, “What did she reply to the question- Whose help would she take in deep trouble?”

“Cinderella said - ‘ME’” Pushpa answered

“And what did she reply for whom she would forgive?” Nani probed

“Again, she said MYSELF” puzzled Pushpa answered

“And what about - Whom do you love the most?”

“Oh! Nani, Cinderella again said ‘ME’. So selfish of her.” Nani could sense Pushpa's disapproval.

“Beti Pushpa, Cinderella was the strongest of them all. She chose self-help before reaching out to external help, unlike Drizella and Anastasia who instead of helping themselves, turned to her father or God for pulling them out. Isn’t that a sign of weakness?” 

“Cinderella was the most courageous of all. She had the courage to forgive herself and not blame the circumstances and God for her suffering.”

“And lastly, Cinderella chose to love herself the most. Good or bad, perfect or imperfect, she chose to love and accept herself the most. She understood her presence and the importance of inner contentment that would eventually reflect on her outer world making others happy in the process.”

“Thus Cinderella was the wisest and noblest of all, a well deserving candidate to be a future Queen”

“Now, did you understand beti Pushpa on why the Godmother chose Cinderella?” Nani asked the now wide-awake Pushpa.

“Yes, Yes Nani, I got it.” Pushpa sat up straight and posing as Cinderella she acted - “Thank you oh Nani to teach us these valuable lessons. Pray you to tell us which teaching in the Bhagavad Geeta this reflects to?”

Laughing at her dramatics, Nani replied “It reflects upon the teachings of - to believe in ourselves, to take full responsibility for the good and bad in our life without blaming others, and finally; to love ourselves unconditionally.”

“That’s all for tonight. Now go to sleep and dream about Cinderella and her wisdom.” Nani said, getting up from her rocking chair.

The children couldn’t agree more and went to bed happily and peacefully.