A STORY

Vishnushiv, aged about 65, was a resident of a medium sized town in South India. He was in sales function in a private company and had lived in many places throughout the country. During the last decade of his service he had been in Chennai City. He was a bachelor and he lived with his parents. After retirement he came to live in this smaller town with his parents. He was a spiritual person and he had been constantly in search of knowledge of self. It is therefore he chose this place after retirement which contained a well-known temple. Initially he stayed in a small rented house along with his parents and quietly carried on his pursuits. Soon he lost both his parents within a gap of one year. 

With his career savings he was able to buy a house some distance away from the temple. It was a small house in an apartment newly constructed. The house about 500 sq.ft. place that had a large room, a kitchen, a bathroom and toilet. Along one side wall by the side of a window he had put in his bed. His furniture, apart from a single bed, contained a reclining chair and a couple of chairs for any visitors. There was a small refrigerator and some utensils in the kitchen. He cooked his own meals. He particularly liked to cook eggs in the mornings,  with some rice for the afternoon and chapati and a simple subzi for the night. He had early dinner by about 8 pm and mostly retired to bed by 10.30. Somedays if he did not feel like cooking he bought food from a homely restaurant nearby. Between breakfast and cooking lunch he spent his time visiting temple, or reading or writing which he was very fond of. After lunch he rested a bit and went for a walk in the evening. After dinner he listened to carnatic music or bhajans or discourses till going to sleep. This was his routine everyday.

In the apartment, in the same floor, there were two other houses, big ones, sort of 3 BHKs. One on the left was occupied by a family of 6 people and in the one opposite came to reside a young couple with a 2 year old boy. They had bought this house. The woman's  name was Prerana and the man was Srimaan. The little one was named Sandilya. 

Vishnushiv was pleasant to the people in the apartment and greeted people warmly whenever he happened to meet them. Whenever he encountered either Srimaan or Prerana they greeted with a "hello, uncle" and he would respond. Soon hello turned into a few enquiries and the couple became familiar with Vishnushiv. 

Prerana had a homely look about her and her appearance was pleasant. Srimaan was tall and was of amicable personality. 

One day, Prerana met Vishnushiv in the corridor of their floor when she suddenly asked him,

" Uncle, can I call you appa?" I lost both my parents and I feel like calling you appa. Can I?

Vishnushiv said, " Sure, By all means". 

As soon as he said this she suddenly hugged him with tears in her eyes. " Thankyou, appa.". There started a beautiful relationship. After this she made it a practice to hug him at least once a day. Her hugs gave a warmth which Vishnushiv liked. He also responded with genuine affection. Since the house was opposite she would come in and offer food. In fact she offered to give him food all three times in a day. But Vishnushiv said the he would like to keep in touch with his cooking and whenever he did not feel like cooking he would take from her. She also agreed. 

Srimaan's job made him busy and knowing a relationship developing between his family and Vishnushiv, he was able to concentrate on his work without too much worry on the household front. Sometimes the kid used to come into Vishnushivs house to talk and play. At times Vishnushiv helped Prerana with buying vegetables and provisions. He also taught the technique of meditation to Srimaan as he was stressed out at work and needed to cope. When the child became a bit old older, Vishnushiv helped with his schoolwork and told him stories.  For Vishnushiv, getting a daughter like Prerana was a satisfying life experience and he became quite close to her. 

Gradually the two houses became one in terms of their bonding.  By his spiritual pursuits Vishnushiv, who was seeking the knowlege of the self practised unattachment while experiencing this special kind of relationship. He knew attachments would lead to some emotions which are hard to resist. However he let the happenings proceed as events. He taught them that death would bring them pain, but it is unavoidable and they have to learn to cope with it just as they face some of the challenges of life. He taught all three of them the life skills. 

He did write a will to bequeath his humble property to this daughter Prerana after his death to show that life is an experience and memory, it's payoff. 

 

MY GRANDPA

Name : K.P.Thyagaraja Dikshidar

Born : 1st January 1901

Died : 18th August 1981

Educational Qualification : M.A.B.L

Native of : Coimbatore.

Wife : Janaki Ammal

Children : 7 Sons and 2 daughters.

A prominent personality in Coimbatore.  The title 'Dikshadar', meaning one who received God's grace, was awarded to his ancestors, of which he was the last holder. Said to be one of the decendant of Appaya Dikshidar, a sixteenth century saint regarded as an avatar of Lord Shiva himself, well versed in  Hindu scriptures. 

He was Chairman of Vasundhara Bank founded around 1940 with 273 shareholders. This bank later merged with Indian Overseas Bank in 1972. He was appointed as the liquidator of Indian Overseas Bank and successfully recovered the loans in 7-8 years.

Ran a Company Chemicals & Fertilizers Pvt Ltd. a fertilizer trading company with offices in Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Ooty, Conoor. Kothagiri. Satyamangalam, Pollachi. Udumalpet, Erode and Annur. He had earlier bought this Company from Seshasayee brothers. 

Also ran Soap and Ink manufacturing Company in Thadagam Road. Coimbatore.

Unfortunately none of the businesses saw success and resulted in huge losses. 

Owned 267 acres of Agricultural land near Dharapuram and Karatholuvu village in Udumalpet district. Due to land ceiling act brought out by the then Government, these lands were distributed among the progenies and ultimately had to be sold due to mounting losses in failed businesses.

Achievements include managing the Kozumum estate extending upto Palani consisting of 12 villages. 

One of the earliest donors to Vivekananda College in Mylapore, Chennai where three of his sons later studied.

Other offices held by him include 

- correspondent of Suburban High School

- President of Ramnagar Brahmins Association

- Trustee in Ramar koil in Ramnagar, Coimbatore.

A Sanskrit scholar well versed in Hindi scriptures. 

His house in Ponnurangam Street was a mansion with a large reception room, a huge hall, a veranda with open terrace on two sides, one for water storage and toilets and other, a staircase for first floor. A bathroom, a big dining hall, a large kitchen, a pooja room. The mansion also contained an office room in front near the reception area along with two other rooms in the ground floor and three rooms in the first floor and a large open terrace. The front was also sprawling with a garage and backyard housed a big cow shed and open toilet(in those days). The side space contained many huge trees and plants. It is said that many a marriage was conducted in this house, as part of charitable activities carried out by my thatha and paati.

My paati was known for her kind heart and her charities to families and individuals who made it to good stature in later life. She is talked reverently by some of those recipients.

He lost his fifth son, who was in the Indian Air Force, in a road accident that shattered him. He was a diabetic patient who developed gangarin in both the feet and suffered for long due to this. He was nursed at home by his sixth son during this time. Ultimately he succumbed to this and reached God's abode at the age of 81.

HINDUS WAY OF LIFE

Castes were an integral part of Hindu way of life mentioned in Vedas, which covers all aspects of life on this planet. Castes were divided into 4 categories based on professions(varnas). Brahmins are expected to study Vedas, research on it, expound it so as to guide all humanity. They are expected to live a  simple life, often on alms - that is explained by the fact that they should live by example totally focussed on the relationship between God and human being. Shatriyas are warriors duty bound to protect the humanity. Vaishyas are merchants involved in trade and distribution. Shudras constitute all other functions necessary to maintain life. It is made explicitly clear that It is the choice of the profession that should decide the caste and not birth.But generally speaking, it is a natural corollary that a person born into a particular caste shall naturally follow the same profession. There are exceptions, of course. 

Somewhere along the time, if one were to notice, Brahmins have started to enter into trade in large numbers. Working for a Company may be taken to be a profession of trade because products are made with selling as the prime motive, what we call as the commercialized world. In todays society, priests (purohits), who necessarily have to study Vedas can be taken to upkeep the Brahmin profession. But this field has become commercial too and simple living is not its forte. Teaching profession comes near to Brahminical profession but not being glamorous have less and less takers. Nowadays Brahmins join Defense forces, indulge in other professions which are not truly liberating. To some extent this intermingling happens in other castes too. 

In view of this turbulance and churning of professions in todays society, castes may appear to have lost its credibility. The rituals associated with each caste, particularly for Brahmins. are practised as a routine and in my opinion, have diminishing relevance. But then there are duties prescribed by Vedas such as conducting some worships, duties towards ones ancestors, upkeep and maintenance of temples, which even now, cannot be performed without the help of Brahmins and in these certain procedures prescribed need to be followed in the form of rituals. So there may be some rituals which are necessary and some which are not. It is upto the individual to follow these traditions. Rituals are a means to turn into a devout and in turn to attain liberation, but then Vedas do mention other means to reach the same goal. I feel that an individual, in todays world is in a better position to decide his course of life with two conditions viz., Karma and Dharma. What one does must fall within the ambit of these two irrevocable laws on which even God shall not compromise.