On being humble

Paradigm shift

THE SALES GIRL IN A CHENNAI 'GIRI TRADING' STORE, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE "WASHINGTON POST"

 After the Temple Darshan at the Kapaleeswarar Koil at Mylapore, we entered the "Giri Trading" stores and started searching for this Book on "Thatva Bodha".

We found many people buying various Books and CDs and from their smart walks and accumulation of CDs from Abhang to Aruna Sairam and Bhajans to Bombay Jaishree, sent a nice feeling in us, that we have come to the right place indeed.

I was looking for this Book while my wife started collecting Bharathiar's songs and MS's Music. I searched everywhere for this Book.

There was this Girl, standing next to the Cashier, sincerely watching all our movements - a dark complexioned Girl, should be from a nearby Village, might be 17 or 18, should not have crossed 8th Std., might be out of poverty she is here.. All my Journalist's b rain unnecessarily calculated about this Gullible Girl..and tho' she was repeatedly watching me, I ignored her and started searching for "Thathva Bodha".

I saw many books from "Sandhya Vandanam" to Swami VIvekananda's "Chicago Speech" but having spent a good 40 minutes. I looked at her; she also looked at me curiously.

I did not asked her, knowing fully well that such a girl cannot have any idea of anything, leave alone "Thathva Bodah".

"Sir, may I help you*?*" (in Tamil)
"Yes. I am looking for 'Thatva Bodha' "
"Sanskrit Text or English/Sanskrit*?*"
God..she knows. "Sanskrit & English"
"Do you like to have the Publication from Chinmaya Mission or Indu Publications or by Ramakrishna Mutt*?*"
"I don't know..I just want to only Learn you see.. I don't really know indeed"
"Do you read Tamil Sir*?*"
"Yes I am a Tamilian " (thinking to myself how most of mylife time I like to act in most Other places that I am not)