Female pundit who has officiated a number of Geeta yagnyas in Odisha, watch
She advises young girls of her village to remain in divinity in spiritual consciousness by studying various Vedas and religious scriptures.
Puri: Though normally we find male pundits, there is a female pundit in Odisha who has officiated a number of Geeta yagnyas. Meet Manaswini Swain from Nuagan in Puri district who is not only a female pundit who has got by heart more than 700 verses of Shreemad Bhagbat Geeta, but she also is an ardent devotee of Lord Shree Krishna.
“Lord Krishna is my life’s wealth, He is my heart…” This is what Manaswini tells about her devotion towards God. She sings devotional songs expressing her love for Lord Krishna. Sometimes, holding the photo of the Lord she wipes it with her edge of the saree and sometimes she urges the God in the photo to eat fruits from her hand. “I have immersed myself in the love of Krishna, by surrendering myself to Krishna and making up my mind to spend my whole life unmarried at His feet,” the female pundit says.
Manaswini has carved a niche for herself and as of now she is popularly known as a female priest in the area.
Recently, a yagnya was organised at the house of Mayadhar Malik in Gundalaba village near Astaranga area where the female priests carried out all the rituals of the worship. They not only pronounced the chants but also performed the yagnya. People who witnessed her performing said that the female pundit sang the verses of Holy book Geeta without any mistake.
The female pundit gets invited to many places to do Geeta yagnya. She is attached to divinity since childhood days. Even she advises the young girls of her village to remain immersed in divinity and to read religious books. She is an ardent devotee of Lord Shree Krishna and has vowed not to marry.
She advises young girls of her village to remain in divinity in spiritual consciousness by studying various Vedas and religious scriptures. “My heart always devotes itself to Krishna,” she says.
Manaswini Swain has accepted Ganesh Das of her village, as her spiritual guru or mentor.
By accepting the spiritual consciousness from him, after understanding that the aim of human life is only to achieve, she renounces worldly attachments and remains a virgin all her life, immersed in the love of Krishna, and shows a spiritual path to the society.
An ashram has been established by Manasvini’s Guru Ganesh Das in Nuagan and Manasavini is staying there and practicing his spiritual practice. In this village, the youth are advised to have good character and stay away from drugs.
Today, says Manasini, no youth from her village uses drugs. In today’s society, under the influence of modern society, young people are moving away from spiritual consciousness, while a young woman like Manaswini is immersed in thoughts for Lord Krishna.
Ms Kalinga