Providential Dictates: A Guiding Light To Meaningful Life

It’s that time of the year when you crave to splash in the cool waves to escape from the sweltering sun rays. So, sit back and relax by the beach with your sunglasses on, as comes your way a perfect cocktail of stories, poetries, biographies, excerpts, and political commentaries. Right from swooning romance to emotional drama, tragic incidents to mythological thrills, personal premiums to professional tales, administrative and democratic issues to Hindi poems, all in a platter poignantly presented in ‘Providential Dictates: As You Sow, So Shall You Reap’ by Dr. Shambhu Sharan Shrivastava and Dr. Madhuri Shrivastava published by Leadstart.

A medical professional having served as academic director, professor, and dean across medical institutions both in India and abroad, Dr. Shambhu Sharan Shrivastava has strived for deliverance from the rustic system of imparting knowledge about drugs through teachings and research. An author of ‘Toils Unsung’, a classic, Dr. Shrivastava has visited several European nations to study the Quality Control and Assurance process in drug manufacturing. A crusader of truth and integrity, he is a regular contributor on various platforms advocating ‘Right to Work’, and ‘Worship of Duty and Love for the Country’.

Dr. Madhuri Shrivastava is a remarkable educationist and amiable professor who has received accolades for her path-breaking treatise, ‘The Role of Governors in the state of Bihar’. Guiding her students to attain commendable heights in medical and technical institutes, she has helped numerous girls of underprivileged stratum to complete their education leading them towards employment. Relentlessly campaigning to inspire admirable creativity in women, she has been an outstanding teacher.

The duo provides the readers a perfect blend of tragedies, comedies, romances, and contradictions of cultural biases prevailing in our society through this amazing read, ‘Providential Dictates’. This professional and emotional memoir depicts the signs of progress in the lives of respectable people in the medical profession. A collection of eleven stories and four poems, the book categorizes different genres through six sections.

While the stories are candidly relatable, refreshingly inspiring, and overwhelmingly emotional, the poems written in the Hindi language portray a brilliant poetic sense. The rich language, lucid and brilliant narrative make the reading experience highly comprehensive. Raw emotions are captured through the stories and poems in an unusual manner and yet deliver a fresh perspective on life and relationships. Ranging from the professional highlights and personal space, the book gives a window to their lives, and at the same time, lays out a panoramic view of the society at large.

“Anything born must die. You do not die before your assigned time. But die not a thousand deaths, before your destiny gives you a call.”  According to the dictates of the Holy Vedas and a sermon echoed in the Holy Gita, the book covers facets like why would a glamorous woman from an affluent upbringing and married to a perfect officer husband, take her own life? How do the social contradictions and mythological aberrations obstruct the progression of society? What is the other side to the glittery lives of medical professionals? How far goes the generosity and morality of the patrons of clubs and mall culture?

The engrossing tales, anecdotes, and reflections inspired by real-life form an amalgamation of a mature outlook towards life and its events in various stages. The beautiful section of Hindi poems adds an additional value to the book making it a worthy read. To accept the surprises that life throws at us intermittently and to balance both professional and personal fronts to sail through the daily hassles of life, is evident throughout the book. A pragmatic approach that mirrors the societal aspects of our daily living remains a highlight spanning across various topics as covered in the book. Beyond the rudimentary thoughts and activities, the authors focus on deep insights into life through every chapter. The multi-layers of compactly structured narrations make it a masterly work.

An alluring and fascinating book cover and the enticing title make it an instant pick while the journey through turning those pages provides an immersive experience into mixed genres and varied elements. Whether you would like to read the book in one go or finish it in a few sittings, a slow-paced reading is more likely to let you soak in the wisdom emanated by the book and connect to the thought-provoking components. Get ready to elevate your happy quotient as you sit back and relax with this soothing book and get guided towards a meaningful life.  An insightful read to explore the realities of life and various phases, this memoir is sure to quench the thirsty souls of readers this summer.