I AM
SMRITI IRANI TV actor,politician
Spirituality means to converse with God.Most of us remember Him only during difficult times.Many of us are angry with Him for not doing enough for us,but i believe whatever happens,happens for the good.I dont bother Him with hows and whys.I feel the ability to communicate with God through all of the lifes ups and downs is what makes us truly spiritual.
I believe in rituals.God is my friend but Hes also like a father figure to me.Rituals are a means of communicating with God and conducting myself in front of Him as i would behave in the presence of my biological father.I have a temple at home where a pujari comes everyday to perform some rituals.Every year,me and my husband make it a point to visit temples at Mahakaleshwar,Somnath,Dwarka and Sreenathji.However,I dont wear any lucky charms as my faith in God is a protection in itself.I strongly believe in destiny.As they say,you cant achieve more than you are destined to or before you are destined to.
I was brought up by my grandfather a Bengali Brahmin who taught me all the rituals and ensured that i begin each day with a puja and end it with prayer.He also told me that God is within me.This is one of the primary reasons why even in my darkest moments,i never utter anything unkind to anyone.I believe that some things,when spoken from the heart,have a tendency to come true.
At a very early age,my family instilled in me not a fear of God,but a belief that if you stay on the path of truth,God will always be by your side.I was told that at the end of the day,only those who are truthful embrace the knowledge of Gita and will attain moksha (salvation).
My entire life has been a work of God.Else,how is it possible for a girl from such a humble background to attain so much in so little time.There are so many people who leave home and hearth to pursue their dreams,yet how many are successful Moreover,i was always made to believe in the axiom that nobody gets a perfect world.But i not only soared to professional heights,but also blessed with a wonderful life partner and children.
All this has been possible because a supreme power up there has been smiling down on me.Its not as though i havent had my share of challenges.I have been through many rough patches but have survived solely due to my faith.
(As told to Arun Sharma)
