The author Abha Menon, has many feathers in her cap. She has been a Senior Bank Officer, an MBA (Finance), a Certified Insurance Facilitator, a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance, an Accredited Behavioral Science Trainer besides great proficiency in English and Hindi as well as being well versed in the Sanskrit Language! In this amazing book, she has sought to bring her great experience and wealth of knowledge to bring some of the most telling Sanskrit Shlokas to the readers of both English and Hindi, with the intent of changing their perspectives and giving them deep insights into the multifarious pathways that lead to a contented and happy life. The compilation of selected Shlokas, their enunciation as well as meanings and messages in Sanskrit, Hindi as well as English coupled with a unique self-analysis section for personal notes, places this book prominently as a guide to life, always to be carried by each owner where ever their life paths take them.
Abha Menon (nee Sharma) was born in Uttar Pradesh (India). Her parents belonged to western Uttar Pradesh, were very principled and traditionally believed in hard work, respecting others, sharing with and caring for elders and youngsters while honoring all visitors. Abha imbibed simple living and high thinking from them and always set high standards of performance for herself. She led a very disciplined life, and excelled in academics. Her mother Sushila Devi Shastri, was a great scholar, a college lecturer of Sanskrit and also a dedicated social worker. Abha inherited her mothers strong inclination towards education, instilling self-respect in people, and women's upliftment which were her fields of social activitity. Abha Menon became an M.Sc. in Physics, joined India's Premier Commercial Bank as an officer and rose to the rank of an Assistant General Manager. She picked up many qualifications including an MBA (Finance), a Certified Insurance Facilitator, a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance, and became an Accredited Behavioral Science Trainer. She married Deepak Menon, a fellow Bank Officer, and they have two talented children - a daughter Serena who is the Managing Editor of the India Edition of Elle Magazine, and a son Samir Menon who is a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University (USA). Abha and Deepak live in their own house in the beautiful town of Dehradun, surrounded by trees and flowers in their garden! Abha Menon wrote: - "We imbibed moral values and ethics as well as sacraments of good conduct through Sanskrit Shlokas. My grandmother and mother used to recite Shlokas every day early in the morning and we children used to keep listening to them while still lying in bed, and thus we received invaluable guidance and practical knowledge. Today, we see the world of young people, who are facing fierce competition in pursuit of material goals and challenges of day-to-day life. At times unable to find the right path, they become stressed and anxious." The power of these Shlokas lies in their succinctness, simplicity, and profound messages. The guidance provided by the Shlokas, is like water is to a thirsty pilgrim walking through life's winding paths. Thus, was kindled the inspiration for compiling from memory some Shlokas that Abha's mother used to chant from ancient scriptures viz. Vedas, Shastras etc. which are all in the public domain.
