Indian epics, scriptures have lot to offer: Shalini Modi
Author-astrologer was guest at The Writer’s Circle, a literary event curated and hosted by The Prabha Khaitan Foundation
As a writer of spiritual genre, a subject that tend to incline towards scholarly wisdom and facts than emotional interpretation of those facts, Shalini Modi has earned the tag of being gifted.
Modi, who has written several books in the genre and who has been a practising astrologer for years now, explores the emotional and spiritual depths of human experience, bridging Indian mythology with modern life.
In her 2024 book, ‘Rasas in Divine Relationships’, she delved into rasas — the emotions that shape our existence — drawing from the Natya Shastra and the stories of deific couples to make these timeless concepts relatable today. In her latest book, ‘The Eternal Sun: The Legacy of Surya Dev’, Modi dwells on the lesser known stories of the Sun God, highlighting the significance of the cosmic deity in our lives.
Shalini Modi was a guest at The Writer’s Circle, a literary event curated and hosted by The Prabha Khaitan Foundation in collaboration with the Amritsar Chapter of Ehsaas — Women of Amritsar, led by Praneet Bubber and Sheetal Khanna.
In conversation with educator Dr Kirat Sandhu Cheema, Shalini talked about chapters of her literary, personal and professional journey.
“I believe that Surya Dev or the Sun God is believed to sustain life through warmth and energy, driving away darkness. It stands for knowledge and life, it also comes from a personal space as I have been practising Surya Sadhana for years now,” she said.
Her work mostly centres on how cosmic powers influence our emotions and define our relationships, society and personal growth, encouraging individuals, especially young women, to embrace their feelings as sources of strength. An enthusiast of old Indian scriptures, the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and epics, Shalini feels that they have a lot to offer.
It is her belief that the stories and philosophy in them are relevant to our lives even today and a parallel can be drawn to any situation in our lives. As she said, “Mythology is a mirror for life.”
She is an astrologer and her knowledge of Vedic astrology, mantra chanting and old scriptures enrich her writing, giving it multiple facets. Her engaging style, unconventional approach and her effort to find symbolism in our old texts makes the read an interesting one.
During the course of conversation, Shalini also took on questions from audience regarding their own understanding of cosmic connections. She stressed on the need for clarity while writing in this particular genre, since the massive readership and sustained audience also mean it grows beyond philosophy or self-help and must find purpose.
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