Venkatakrishnan Mama

Venkatakrishnan Mama: A trip to the neighbourhood “Ratnagiriswarar” temple soothes the nerves; there is a tranquil air to the place. It is largely due in large measure to a group of a dozen men chanting slokas in unison. All bare-chested with the angavastram tied on the waist over a 9 yard vesti, foreheads smeared with vibhuti in three horizontal lines, a touch of sandal paste underneath the vermillion dot combine to evoke piety and faith. They are all retired men – ex-bureaucrats, bankers, lawyers, accountants and retired at the top of their profession- and now spending their evening years in devotion and temple service.    

            The leader of the group is the 84 year old and most venerable Mr. Venkatakrishnan mama. Everyday they assemble at 7 in the morning at the temple and it is to their chanting the idols are washed for the first puja of the day. 

He is very fit for his age, stands tall at over 6 feet, lean and flat stomach, walks with a spring on his heels, and sports a 9 yard vesti and face beaming with a cheer. You can’t catch him wearing a shirt or his forehead without the vibhuti and vermillion. He retired from RBI eons ago and fills his time teaching others in the neighbourhood on chanting “Rudram” and “Chamakkam” as entry levels before proceeding to difficult texts like Mahanyasam. There are at least over 20 people who have mastered chanting; live an austere life of devotion and visit pilgrim centres. What a wonderful way to spend for last years!!!

The first time I came across the man, I was enchanted by his sonorous voice and the clear diction in chanting. I was regular to the temples those days; he once accosted me about enrolling to his chanting course. For the next 30 days, a small group of 10 people gathered between 7 and 8 in the evening and what an experience it proved. The group was an assorted mix and ages ranging from 10 to almost 70 and we repeated after him. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, poring through Sanskrit texts on Rudram as the master put us through the grind. He would chant one line, “Namasthe Astu Bhagawan Vishweshwaraya” and we would repeat after him. This way we prodded through Rudram and Chamakkam for a month and now experts ourselves.  

            There is something about tradition whose beauty resonate the heart. His family of 17 members includes married sons and even grandchildren. They have possessions of two flats on the second floor and the family is a model one in the neighbourhood.  Not a whiff of discord noise emanates from the homes. Even the sons and grandsons were trained to chanting sacred texts and it is due to this family that “Ratnagiriswarar” temple owes much of its piety. The ‘Pradosam” here attracts hordes even from far off places.

            Venkatakrishnan mama would exhort us;” Chanting Rudra is no use if you do not do Sandhyavandanam. The darkness of Kaliyuga is due to Brahmins abandoning their nitya karma”. That injunction was sufficient for me to return to the Sandhis. When a person leads such a religious life, people fall at his feet for blessings. One look at that family and you would understand what a blessing it is be born in a cultured and traditional family; one is a swim down the current while I had to struggle against an upward one all my life.   

At the end of the course, he presented me with an angevastram. I still treasure it as a trophy even after so many years. My mind reminisces those cool, breezy evenings under a groove of coconut trees trying to master chanting. Any time, he meets me on the streets or at the temple; he would smile benignly and enquire about my present lot. I would invariable bow down to touch his feet. There is magnetism about the man that my mind intuitively reveres. If only I wish my next birth is on similar lines……

Post Script: He used to read my Tattvaloka articles and take pride in me. I once overhead him saying to his friend: Sathya is one of those true genius always humble and modest about his writing skills. That remark in the middle of 2011 is still savoured.

Verdict: Sattvic

Lesson to be learned: Tradition and culture can never go out of fashion.