Mentor to a million

Pradeep Krishnan talks to Jaya Kishoriji on the importance of inculcating the invaluable lessons from the scriptures to enhance our life journey

A short video clip on WhatsApp caught my attention. A cute, young, fair girl, smiling beatifically, with a small red bindi on her forehead, dark hair tucked neatly at the back with a black band, in a white churidar and saffron-coloured shawl, was giving a talk: ‘I can and I will.’ The intermittent soulful rendering of bhajans invited all-round applause from the audience. She spoke about smart work, tips to overcome failures, and the need for a spiritual orientation in life, and declared that one must have the attitude in life that until one wins, the game is not over. Hearing her mature words at once prompted me to know more about her.

Born on July 13, 1995, in Kolkata, to Shiv Shankar Sharma and Sonia Sharma, Jaya Sharma imbibed her first lessons in spirituality through the stories from the Puranas and the bhajans that her grandparents sang. At the age of seven, singing Krishna Bhajans, she enthralled the audience on a Vasant Panchami day, and at 10, she started giving public talks on Sundara Kanda from the Ramayana.

Since then, Ms. Jaya Kishori, as she is affectionately addressed, never looked back. Her talks soon extended to the Bhagavata, the Bhagavad Gita, and other scriptures. She is of the view that scriptures like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Bhagavad Gita are invaluable in our lives. “Each and every person mentioned in the scriptures teaches valuable lessons of life. They facilitate the understanding of the true meaning of life, and the relatable experiences teach us how to handle tough situations. The answers to all our questions lie in the scriptures,” she says.