My Grandma and a Prayer

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-90s. She was a strong woman, a leader in her own way. She was the lady-member of the village panchayat — an adviser, negotiator and storyteller. She lived on her own quite independently. 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. 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.” 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. 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…

Source: Economic Times, 8/03/2019