Sukriti ( Good Deeds)

There was a Party at Mr Shetty’s house this evening. It was a regular feature in the Shettys’ household. As the family was into several businesses, this was an important networking activity for both businessman Shetty and Socialite Mrs Shetty.

Their only son, who was into teens was least interested in all these activities and kept himself busy with his own interests. The parents were not really very keen to know what was happening in his life, though they kept themselves informed and knew that he was not into wrong things which attract boys of that age. Not that they did not care but their busy lifestyle kept them distracted.

On that particular day as Mr Shetty had time, he was overseeing the party arrangements. As he was sitting in the living room and observing the servant's work, distractedly he could hear some recitation and to his surprise was coming from his son’s room.

 “Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,

Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani”

(Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 2; Verse 47: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities nor be attached to inaction.)

He was involuntarily drawn towards his son’s room and as the door was open, he stepped inside. There he found his son sitting in front of his computer and with folded hands reciting the sloka. Words failed him totally and he just kept watching his son lest he could disturb him. His Son Ajay did get distracted as he realized the presence of his father in his room.  

As his initial surprise was overcome, Mr Shetty summoned Mrs Shetty and they both sat down with their son and started to know about his tryst with Bhagavad-Gita. Ajay told that during the pandemic all his friends were pursuing some activity or the other online. His best friend Ravi was taking Geeta Recitation classes and he also got curious to know about Bhagavad-Gita and joined the classes. They formed a small group that included two other boys and two housewives. Ravi’s grandfather oversees the recitation of all of them and takes care of their Diction and pronunciation. They will very soon take part in the Geeta recitation competition of the Chinmaya mission and he was preparing for that.

Shetty was happy and could not believe that so much has happened and they did not have any clue whatsoever. For them, he was already a winner! By choosing the right path he made them proud. They were not only proud but it was a humbling experience. While they were busy pursuing their chosen lifestyle, their little boy had the wisdom to choose the right path. Surely they must have done some “Sukruti” (good deeds) in their previous life that their son, in this life was performing “Sukruti”. He could have easily drifted towards the pleasures that attract boys of his age group. Either by his conscious choice or good Karma, he was pulled towards Geeta. They as parents were blessed and chose consciously to support his activities and participate in them as well.

“ tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ

kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet “

(Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 16; Verse 21:There are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul—lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should abandon all three)