Invitation to World Religions

118  CHAPTER 4  Hinduism

VOICES: An Interview with Jayashree Venkatesan

Jayashree Venkatesan is a wife, a mother, and a retired accountant who lives in Chennai, India. She is a devotee of the goddess Sharada (a form of Saraswati, goddess of wisdom), whose most important temple is in the town of Shringeri in southern India. As a Hindu, what is the most important part of human existence? What should Hindus do or focus on in life? As a Hindu, I believe that God is in all things, in every aspect of creation and in every aspect of life. Consequently, one must practice compassion and nonviolence towards all things. It is how we learn to see and experience the divine presence all around us. I also believe in the tenet that work is worship. It is an act of surrender. You don’t shirk your responsibilities, whatever they may be—whether as a mother, a student, a professional—but do not cling to the fruits of work. As a Hindu, I trust that when you surrender fully, God will provide you with the solution and guide you through both the happy and difficult moments of life. What aspect of your day-to-day life as a Hindu would you characterize as being most spiritually gratifying? Every morning and evening, I light an oil lamp in my puja room (home shrine) before the image of the Supreme Mother, Sharada Ambal. I see Sringeri Sharada Ambal as my mother, as one who takes care of everyone in this world. In these moments of quiet peace, I feel her presence and her guidance. I begin my day by surrendering myself into her loving care. What is your favorite Hindu holiday, and why? I would not say I have a favorite Hindu festival. I like them all, as they are all so different. However, one of the most important festivals for me is Navaratri, which celebrates the Great Goddess. The festival falls sometime between September and October. We worship the goddess in her three forms as Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati over nine nights and ten days. During this festival, I recite the Lalita Sahasranama , the one thousand names of Devi, several times a day. I do more elaborate puja (home rituals) to the goddess. Most importantly, it gives me the opportunity to invite several women of all ages to my home to feed them and give them clothes as I honor them as aspects of the Great Goddess.

Jayashree Venkatesan. Hindu Sacred Texts The great diversity within Hinduism is reflected in its astonishing array of texts, com- posed in many different languages over the course of centuries. Down to present times, Hindu texts have facilitated the asserting of new ideas, the overturning of old ones, and the reasserting of the dominance of fading traditions. In this next section, we undertake a brief survey of Hinduism’s main texts and their continued relevance. PROPERTY OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS