The goal of all ṣāstrās is realization of the Supreme. When one embarks on the long journey, difficult path to understand the true essence of these ṣāstrās, he finds himself face-to-face with the realization that Param-Ishwara is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and this is true Knowledge. When one is enlightened with this knowledge, the essence of ṣāstrās become self-evident because its saṃskārs are engraved in the realized soul. Saṃskār means ‘annihilation of faults so perfection is self-evident’.

Mahabhagwat devotee Pralhada was a realized yogi. While chatting with his friends, he said, “Dear friends, God is watching over each and everyone of us right from the time we are in our mother’s womb. It is only due to His blessings and my dear mother’s saṃskāra on me that the knowledge ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’ is imprinted in my memory. True devotion is the only way to please Paramātman.” Devotee Pralhada established the knowledge of the Self in the hearts of his friends of the Asura clan. This brought about a complete transformation in them, and they too became Bhagwat-devotees. This truly is an inspiration for us all. 

At the heart of any scientific research is elucidation of the truth. A disciplined, sincere, diligent and inquisitive mind of the scientist can make him receptive to true Knowledge. This is evident from the following story. There was once a little boy who returned from the school one day with a letter to his mother. Handing over the piece of paper to her he said, “Mother, my teacher asked me to give you this.” She reads the letter and her eyes weal up with tears. The little boy, noticing the tears asks, “Mother, why are you crying? What is written in it?” She answers, “Dear child, the teacher says ‘Your boy is a genius and we are unable to provide the education he needs. Please teach him yourself.” This boy grows up to become the greatest inventor of the world. Eventually when he returns home, he happens to stumble upon this worn-out letter. When he reads it, he is awe-struck because the letter read, “Your boy is mentally-disabled. As such we can no longer teach him. Please teach him yourself.” Standing in front of his mother, weeping, he says, “Dear mother, the biggest weakness in life is giving up. True success lies in trying just one more time. I never forgot this lesson you taught me. I engraved it in my heart and hence I feel that my success is truly your success.”

We are living in a competitive, challenging, and busy world. Hence, it is very important to instil positive values in our children’s mind so they become confident and succeed in their endeavours. This means that the role of parents is very important and crucial, a lesson that comes forth strongly from the above two stories.