The mother’s lap is the world’s best university. A mother is the child’s first and best teacher. Amongst Indians living abroad, parents who have maintained Indian values and infused their household with Indian culture raise their children with Indian sanskaars (values).
These sanskaars imbibed in childhood pay rich rewards throughout life. They lend stability and endow the child with a reality-based perception of life. Even the most pernicious western influence leading to an initially wayward life cannot stop the sanskaars imbibed in childhood from coming to the rescue and taking the person on the right path.
We will always be indebted to our parents for what they have given us. It is our Dharma (duty) to serve them by obeying them. Shravankumar is famous for his service to his parents. Lord Ram obeyed his father’s command and gave up his throne to spend 14 years in the forest. It is said in Shri Ramcharit Manas that:
Tanay mātu pitu tosh nihārā, durlabh janāni sakal sansārā – Ayodhyākānd
Pundarik was blessed with the darshan of Lord Pandurang because of his diligent seva to his parents.
Our sanskaars are our true wealth. Our culture is our true identity. And our Dharma is our life. If you truly realise the importance of all three, you will have deep love for all three; and if one loves something deeply and truly, one finds a way of attaining it.
Hence, efforts to convince the next generation of the necessity and value of Indian sanskaars are extremely important.