Daughters Come First

The two words at the beginning of Devi Kavacham in the Durga Saptashati says it all:

“Prathamam Shailputri”.

Translation:

“First, the daughter of the Himalayas”.

This is the first representation of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, and it makes perfect sense to me.

I remember it was a warm, sultry night in October at the Holy Family Hospital, with just a hint of the approaching winter. As I walked restlessly in the corridors of the hospital, I got the good news: our daughter was born. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

A few years ago, my wife and I had a son, born at the same location. We really adored our son; he was so lovable and mischievous. However, he needed a sibling to play with, and the second time around we prayed for a daughter. Luckily, God accepted our request, and this gentle little goddess came into our lives.

Prathamam Shailputri

Literally, Shailputri means daughter of the mountain. This is true in every sense of the word. Lord Shiva lives in the Himalayas, and all daughters carry the wisdom of Shiva with them. In every household, they carry forward the spiritual traditions of the family. Every woman is a Shailputri, to some extent.

Every woman is somebody’s daughter, hence every woman we interact with deserves the respect due to a daughter. If more men thought this way, most of the crimes against women would disappear.

Prathamam Shailputri

The word Prathamam means first. Women have shown again and again that they can be first in any field. They are naturally good at studies, and they have all the soft skills needed for success in today’s world. They are betters talkers – trust me, as a married man with one wife and three sisters-in-law, I know this is true. They are good communicators; the number of women journalists is rising exponentially across the world. They are making a huge difference, touching on issues that have been neglected for thousands of years in a male-dominated world.

They are good leaders, too, as they have shown again and again. It is said that if women ran the world, there would be less violence and we would only have a bunch of jealous countries not talking to each other.

Prathamam Shailputri

What is better than a daughter? Maybe something a little grander, perhaps a granddaughter or two. My wife and I have been blessed in this regard. The youngest is still a child, the other is a teen-ager. They are both a delight for their grandparents-tired eyes. My youngest granddaughter has inspired many of my blogs, with her simple and insightful perspective on the world. The older one is full of wisdom, while still retaining her childhood playfulness.

Prathamam Shailputri

Daughters are always source of joy to their parents. They are a joy when they live in their parents’ home, not so much when they leave the home. The pain of parting, once they get married, is terrible. It’s a constant pain, as parents wonder how their daughters are doing in their new surroundings. Also, it’s a terrible pain when parents become aware of their daughter’s adjustment problems. The pain never stops, but pleasure and pain go hand in hand throughout our existence.

Prathamam Shailputri

My mother was a proud daughter. Her father was a well-known zamindar, who rose to the position of Education Minister in the UP government. He promoted arts and culture, setting up a music college in Lucknow. My mother continued the music tradition, culminating in a PhD in Indian classical music. Even more important, she gave me a love of music that has stayed with me all my life.

Prathamam Shailputri

My wife is a proud daughter. Her father did well in the Indian government service, and, after retirement, he became an advisor to the United Nations. She has continued the tradition, giving me advice on a host of issues, and, keeping the family united. She is my soul mate and my life support system; we travel the same spiritual path together.

Prathamam Shailputri

This is my shout-out to all the women who contribute so much to the Om Swami family. I interact with them on-line and on Zoom calls, especially during our writing courses. Its impossible to name them all, but Medha Shri is the leader of the pack, who organizes such beautiful writing courses for us. She keeps motivating us to write more and more for the Om Swami community.

Prathamam Shailputri

Our beloved Om Swami ji has scaled the heights of self-realization, a blessing to all of us. How did he do it? By doing intense meditation on the form of the divine mother. No one succeeds in anything, even in spiritual life, without the help of the female energy.

Prathamam Shailputri

Put women first.

This is the essential message of the Durga Saptashati. If we put women first in every field, the world would be a gentler, more peaceful place. I would much rather live in a world of jealous countries not talking to each other than in a world of non-stop violence generated by the endless clash of male egos.