Parivaar — The Art of Living Life: The Art of Living Life

“Vasudaiva Kutumbakam” -- “the world is my family.” Indian culture teacher us this motto, i.e. to treat all beings, animate and inanimate, in the world as our family members. Our small family is run by a father and a mother. The father works and earns money, and with it the mother runds the houshold. Both look after the children in the best way possible. In the Hindu pantheon there is a famous family or Parivaar -- that of Lord Shiva comprising his consort Parvati and children Ganesh and Kartik. If we look at the vehicles or vahanas used by this family, we find each one is an enemy or prey of the other, but the composite picture shows a unified family without any sign of animosity. We should take Lord Shiva’s family as an example. A family togetherness depends upon the role each member plays, and the members’ sacrifices, devotion to ideals and respect to family values form the ladder to success. The Kogatas have also seen Lord Shiva’s family as the ideal, and have beautified this book with pleasing illustrations of the divine parents and children in different activities and moods, followed by charming and delightful verses.