Will Always Take Care Of Me

Bedecked with stunning glittering jewels, a whole lot of flowers and yellow silk garments the presiding deity of the Pandava Thootha Perumal(Vishnu) temple was being taken in a procession around the town. It was the annual ten day brahmotsavam(festival) at the temple. The scholars led the procession chanting the hymns. They were followed by men holding bright lights and there were musicians playing the drums. It was the Yaali vaganam(vehicle); the deity seated on the Indian version of the dragon. The procession was moving in the street bordering the temple in the north. Every few steps, people residing on the street gave their offerings and fell prostrate on the ground to worship the almighty.

Pattabiraman was seated in his arm chair. It was a quintessential old Tamil house. On any other day he would have been waiting with a plate filled with his offerings and would have rushed outside the moment he heard the drums from a distance. Today he just sat without any reaction. In fact he did not even hear the rhythmic blaring beats of the drums.
He was dressed in a panjakacham, the traditional dhoti worn by Vaishnavite Hindus. He had thiruman and sindhooram smeared on his forehead, arms, front and back; twelve in all. Half of it had worn off. A white cloth was draped across his chest. A tear stood at the corner of his eye ready to trickle down any moment and there was a lump in his throat. There are moments when we feel extreme sadness; yet we need someone to help us break down and let the tears out. His wife had gone to a home, two streets away, to teach music to a couple of young girls and was not yet back.

Priyamvadha entered the house, tired after a long day’s work. She taught nursery kids at a nearby school. She saw that none of the lights had been switched on in the house and proceeded to turn them on.

“Appa (father)! Where are you?” she asked aloud. She had not noticed Pattabiraman.

“I am here kanna(dear)” Pattabiraman tried answering in his usual tone but only a whisper came out. His throat was choked.

One look at him was all that Priyamvadha required to understand that something was wrong.

She touched his shoulder and asked “What happened?”

Pattabiraman took her hand in his, took it to his forehead and broke down like a child.

“What happened pa? Is somebody not well? Where is amma(mother)? ” panicked Priyamvadha.

Through muffled sobs he said “That company …. That….”

“Which company pa?”

“Selvam Finance. It seems they are bankrupt. All our money is gone Priya. All is gone”

Pattabiraman had inherited two things from his ancestors. One was a few lands and the other was an in-depth knowledge of the sastras. (Scriptures)He was a Hindu pundit and conducted ceremonies; auspicious and obsequies; for a living. Unlike his counterparts he discharged his duties with devotion and piety. He had some friends who were strictly business-like. They wore a 7 sovereign gold chain with a huge locket bearing some deity’s picture and huge gold rings. They rode on expensive two-wheelers and possessed the latest mobile phones. They had fixed rates for every task which they hiked every year. They accepted that fixed rate-not a penny more not a penny less. Pattabiraman accepted whatever was given by the families after he performed the ceremony or in some cases he even provided his services free of cost.

Seven years earlier an MNC that was building a huge factory in that area, was interested in buying his lands. With his meager earnings, a thought that incessantly came to his mind was how he would financially manage Priyamvadha’s wedding. This offer seemed like a solution to his worries and he agreed to sell his lands.

Selvam Finance had been operating in his town for quite some time and gave a decent though not exorbitant interest. His friends were also of the opinion that if he deposited his money there it would be safe. He had in fact promptly received his interest amount for the previous six years.

The afternoon news broadcast announced the possible bankruptcy of the finance company. A highly perturbed Pattabiraman immediately went to their office. A huge crowd had gathered outside and security guards were toiling to prevent anything untoward from happening. Priyamvadha had turned twenty two now and he was planning to find a suitable groom as soon as possible and get her married. Now all his dreams had shattered. The Pattabiraman household was immersed in grief that night.


The next day morning Pattabiraman was again seated on his arm chair. There is usually a phase in life between moments of sorrow and reconciliation from the same. In this phase the mind is numb and blank. The feelings of sadness reach the saturation limit and the mind goes into this thoughtless clueless blank stage. Pattabiraman was in this sort of a state. His wife sat on the floor a few feet away from him, her hands on her head and a devastated look on her face.

The ringing of the calling bell brought him back from the distant world that he was lost in. He got up from his chair and went out. Srinivasan was standing there with a bereaved expression.

“Mama(uncle)!!!” Srinivasan said “Appa has left us all” and he broke into uncontrollable sobs.

Srinivasan was in his thirties and belonged to a neighboring village. Along with his father he used to take up cooking assignments for various ceremonies in and around his village. His father fell ill and had been bed ridden for the past few months. With new hotels emerging in the locality, people started preferring their catering services rather than entrusting the job to a single person like Srinivasan. He had five mouths to feed including his wife and two children and his father’s medical expenses had been mounting day by day. Pattabiraman was aware of his financial difficulties and would try to fetch him cooking contracts for the ceremonies that he conducted.

Srinivasan’s father had breathed his last in his sleep the previous night.

“God’s way to relieve him from all his suffering Srinivasaa.”

“I don’t have enough money even for the funeral mama. I am helpless and clueless right now” and he continued sobbing.

“Wait” Pattabiraman said.

He went inside and checked his shirt pocket. There were a few cash notes he had earned at a wedding the previous day. He checked cupboards and shelves and all places in the house where he would normally keep money. After gathering a considerable amount he came out and handed the notes to Srinivasan.

“Come” he said and went with the grieving man.

Pattabiraman held Srinivasan in a comforting hold as he cried out aloud and let out his emotions near his father’s lifeless body. Later he performed all the rites needed for the funeral. These rites also had a fixed rate for the other Pundits As he was about to leave Srinivasan caught hold of his hands and said choking back tears

“Helping people for happy occasions is not a big thing mama. You have provided much needed financial and emotional support to me today. You will have no difficulties in life. My father's soul will bless you and these good deeds will always protect you”

Pattabiraman returned home, took a bath and sat on his arm chair. He felt extremely sorry for Srinivasan’s loss. At the same time a strange kind of peace and fulfillment entered his mind. He was no longer agitated by the loss of his money. He felt a self contentment; a pride about having been a good human being; a feeling of having performed his duties right. A confidence swept into him that there would be definitely some way for Priyamvadha’s wedding. He did not know how or what but he was sure that something would turn up.

The sun set and the distant sound of temple drums reverberated through the air. Pattabiraman washed himself, and applied thiruman and sindhooram. He filled a plate with betel leaves, betel nuts, two apples, camphor and a ten rupee note. He went and sat outside in his verandah.

It was chandraprabhai today; the deity surrounded by a lunar aura. He could see the lights of the procession at a distance. As the procession neared he felt as if the utsava murthy(the idol for procession) was smiling at him. He stood with his hands folded, his eyes and mind filled with piety and devotion. “I have nothing to worry. You will always take care of me” he thought and closed his eyes.

 

Glad to have made you feel good

love
jaish

 

Actually I have seen Pandavathoothar only in pictures. I have never been to that temple

 

Thanks a lot for the fb Sridhar sir....An fb from you indicates a pass mark for my post

Helping others would clear our mind of our worries is what I have tried to convey.

Glad that you liked it,

Regards
jayashree

 

Thanks ILT....

I loved the way you said 'da',....has a personal touch