in the presence of divine - vol 2 - chapter 4 - sreedhar transformed by deivathin kural

7/23/2019 In the Presence of Divine - Vol 2 - Chapter 4 - Sreedhar Transformed By Deivathin Kural

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3.Sri Sreedhar - Transformed byDeivattin Kural

I was born in Nallangur, a village, ten kilometers from Tindivanam. Maha Periyavas

father, Sri Subramaniya Sastri who was Inspector of Schools, was a good friend of my

grandfather. He visited our village and was hosted by my grandfather. During one of his

visits he told my grandfather, it seems, Look here Krishnaswami, all this property, this land,

wealth everything is impermanent. It will all be gone one day without a trace. Only one thing

endures, knowledge! So why dont you build a school? I will help you with all the

formalities. We heard about this often from my father.

In 1903 the Primary school was started and in 1905 it was recognized. It was the first

school to be recognized in the district. After my grandfathers time my father looked after

the school. One day my father received a letter from the Inspector of Schools that it was to be

handed over to the Panchayat Board. Complaints about several schools run by private

management had been submitted and as a revamping measure all the schools were to be taken

over by the local administration. My father was very upset. So he decided to submit the

matter to Periyava. I was then twelve years old. He took me along with him. Periyava was

then in Kanchipuram. Periyava listened to my father and said, Hand over the school in

writing to the Government authorities. Nothing untoward will happen. When we were

travelling back by bus, my father said, I will do as Periyava says and did so.

Sometime passed. One day my father received a letter. He jumped with joy when he read

it. The letter stated that the Nallangur Primary School which was run by a private

management from the days of its founder and now by his son, had not evoked a single

complaint against it. The order had come from the District Education Officer. My father was

so elated, he started at once for Periyavas darsan, taking me along with him.

Periyava was then in Tenampakkam. My father prostrated to Periyava. After the

preliminary enquiries, Periyava asked my father Sivan Sirs father1has been a visitor at your

house. He has eaten there, hasnt he?

My father said Yes, we remember this with pride.

1Sri Subramania Sastri, father of Sri Periyava in his pre-monastic days; hence referred to as Sivan Sir

Periyavas younger brothers father.


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In the Presence of the Divine

What is it? asked Periyava and after listening to my father and said, So Kamakshi seems

to have taken matters into hand and done this!

My father said to Periyava with tears in his eyes, I did not understand what Periyava meant

when he said Give it away in writing. Nothing untoward will happen. Only now do I seethe truth of Periyavas words.

Later we lived at Chetupattu, in Arcot. I had the opportunity of having Periyavas

darsan several times. I was fortunate to grow up in an atmosphere where Periyava was at

centre of life itself. His word was final in all matters, personal, familial and other. Later I

came to Chennai in 1972. My cousin Chandrasekhar was here in Chennai. I stayed at

Yogashram, of Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati. This was my entry into life in Madras and I

must say that it was by the Gurus grace that I started thus. In 1979 I married and settled

down to a blessed life. In those days I had the opportunity to readDeivattin Kural.2Periyava

says that that performing the last rites of orphan who is deceased is one of the most

meritorious deeds. It is equal to performing anAswamedha yaga.3Periyava says that this

body has housed the Lord. When the soul departs, the body must be respectfully returned to

the five elements which have constituted it. Some people dispose of the dead like getting rid

of rubbish. The corpse must be buried or cremated and honoured with the last rites prescribed

by the religion of the dead person. Periyava says that this divine service was being

performed very well by the Jivatma Kainkarya Sabha in Kumbhakonam. He appeals to all to

2Seven volume collection of this title, comprising Periyavas discourses spanning most of his lifetime. Parts

concerning Vedic Dharma is translated asHindu Dharma. The full collection is translated as Voice of God

(vols1-7).

3Horse sacrifice of yore; Periyava identified the performance of last rites to the dead such as burial or cremation

as per the tradition of the dead person, equal to this sacrifice in these times.

a) Last rites to the dead is known as the Final Sacrifice or antyeshti. See pages 373 and 632 of Hindu

Dharmato read Periyavas explanation.

b) For Periyavas message on the greatness of service to the corpse and service of last rites to the dead see

Section 4 of Vol III ofDevattin Kuralfor Tamil and Section 4 of Vol III Voice of God.

c) Also access Can all of us do Asvamedha yaga?Publication No. 42 of the Veda Dharama Sastra

paripala Sabha (Regd.)Kumbhakonam, for the manifesto extolling service to the orphaned dead as

envisioned and initiated by Periyava (published in the 40s)

http://www.kamakoti.org/kamakoti/articles/CAN%20ALL%20OF%20US%20DO%20ASVAMEDHA

%20YAGA.html

d) For the above manifestos Tamil version refer:

http://www.kamakoti.org/kamakoti/old_tamil/aswamedayagam.pdf

e) On 5-2-1946, Periyava instructed Mudradhikaris of the Sri Matha, through a Sri Mukha, to perform

Jivatma Kainkarya, i.e. this service as a bounden act of Dharma; again in 1952, Periyava named it

Anatha Pretha Kainkarya Trust.


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Volume II Article No 3 / S.Sreedhar Transfromed by Deivattin Kural

come forward to perform this service. Periyava elaborated this in the section entitled Pretha

Kadan or Debt to the Dead.

When I read this passage the words entered my very being and it seemed as if the words were

addressed particularly to me. I was inspired to take up this service.

I went to Periyava who was then camping in Kanchipuram.

I wish to perform anatha preta kainkarya4. I seek Periyavas blessings.

Periyava lifted his left hand, blessed me and said You may take up this service. You shall

live a blessed life.

I returned to Madras with Periyavas blessings. I did not know how to go about it,

what one ought to do and what legalities were involved. Where was I to go for the corpses of

orphans? I went to Vishranti, the home for aged destitute women to meet Savithriamma,

Savithri Vaithi. The office there informed me that an old lady had died and that Amma had

gone to cremate the dead person. I sought more information and learnt that Amma would

herself perform this service whenever a destitute person in the home passed away. I waited

till she got back and told her that I had readDeivattin Kuraland inspired by Periyavas words

I had decided to serve this noble cause. I also told her that I had only then returned from

Kanchipuram with his blessings. From then on I joined her in this service whenever an old

lady died at the home.

In course of time I began to work independently. Till date - November 2012 - I have

cremated or buried one thousand one hundred and sixteen orphan-corpses. Inmates in old age

or destitute homes give a written statement to the authorities that they have no relatives. And

that the authorities of the home may attend to their last rites. As far as unclaimed bodies

from Government hospitals are concerned, all the formalities are completed by them and the

body is handed over to us legally. If the corpse is that of an inmate from a place like

Vishranti, then I give it a traditional cremation. This would cost about Rs1500/- if done

independently. If electric cremation is done, the cremation alone costs about Rs 600/- per

individual. Mass burials are less expensive. I follow Periyavas words. Periyava says that

the body of the individual must be given a burial or cremation in accordance with the

individuals faith. In the case of corpses of Christians or Muslims, when they get the

4Lit.service to the orphaned dead, cremation or burial


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information, they come to us and say Please hand it over to us . . . we will do it our way

and we simply hand over the body to them.

It is generally held that we must not go to the cremation ground when ones parents

are alive. Twenty eight years ago when I started this service, my parents were both alive.

They were happy and they blessed me. My father said someone who did not have a

discerning frame of mind has floated this superstition.

In any case I shall depart one day or another. If you wait till then to do this noble service,

time will be lost. Go ahead!

I had their full support and blessings. Later after I got married, I got the same support from

my wife. Of course I came in for a lot of criticism from relatives from my wifes side. They

remarked What is this? All the time like a grave-digger moving around in the hearse with

corpses!

My wife did not get upset and react. She explained to her relatives that what I was doing

was a great service. Now my children are of great support to this cause. If I am out of town

on work, and there is a call, either my elder or younger son take it up and step into my shoes.

Either of them would take the van and do the honours to the orphaned dead. We have never,

by Periyavas grace, run short of funds. It keeps coming in. State Bank has donated a van to

us.

So far I have worked in three or four companies. Now I am in India Infoline, which

has its Head Office in Mumbai. I am Vice President, Operations, of their Chennai branch.

As soon as I get a call I go straight from my office to do the necessary work. I have never

met with any difficulties in this office or in the others served earlier. As far as my

professional life is concerned, I have had no difficulties. It is all by Periyavas grace.

A lot of credit goes to my wife. I once got back home after cremating an orphaned

old lady. I bathed, dressed, got ready and left for office. No sooner did I reach the office I

received another phone call informing me of yet another such death. I had to attend to it at

once. In such instances my wife takes on the responsibility of the practical side of things, so

that I manage my office and these commitments without anxiety. As far as I am concerned,

Periyava has taken full charge of my life, my personal and professional life, the professional

placements of my sons, everything. I had a friend, an Auditor-Banker, Suriyanarayana. We

called him Suri, he is no more. He would say, Sreedhara, you have taken one dictum of


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Volume II Article No 3 / S.Sreedhar Transfromed by Deivattin Kural

truth given by Periyava in your life, he in turn his taken over the whole of your life. This is

the truth.

Sometimes I have been through some moving experiences serving this cause. Once

an old man from a home was ill and was admitted at Kalyan Clinic, Adyar, where

Dr.Krishnamurthy was kind enough to treat him free of cost. The nurse would take care of

the old man during the day and at night I would stay in with him. He told me that he desired

to see his daughter once before he died. So I took her address - she was in Perungudi and I

went there. I told her about the fathers condition and wish. She had married a gentleman of

another religion and for this reason her father had disowned her. I spoke to her softly and

attempted to impress upon her the urgency of the situation and the need for her to forget the

bitterness of the past. She was reluctant. Meanwhile her husband stepped in, abused me

vehemently and threatened to throw me out by the force. My friend who had accompanied meand I came out.

My friend said, They used such insulting language. How is it that you did not react at all?

I could only quote Periyava words, Once you resolve to serve a common cause and do good

to the world, you must remain unmoved by praise and blame.

When I returned to the hospital that the old man asked me eagerly if his daughter was

coming. I said, The door was locked. I have left a message with the neighbors. She seems

to have gone out of town. They will give her the news the moment she returns.

I lied. I could not help it, but I could not speak a truth that would hurt a dying old man in his

last moments. That night he passed away he had died without knowing of his daughters

response.It seemed the kindest thing to do then.

In another instance, an old lady in her death-bed wished to see her son. When I met

him and requested him to come back with me to see his mother, he said, I have not seen her

when she was alive. Why must I come now?

I came back with the feeling that it was good that such a son did not see his mother.

Elders in destitute homes, many of them, do have legal heirs. But very often these

children do not come to see their parents at all. At times after the cremation or death is over,

when relatives learn of it - may be from an advertisement in the papers - they contact us.

Then we take them to the place of burial where they perform rites according to their tradition,

for their satisfaction. A group of like-minded friends, all of them in responsible positions

have got together with me and we have started a public trust, Anatha Pretha Kainkarya


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Trust.5 Savithriamma is the Executive Chairman of the Trust and several others, all holding

responsible positions are Trustees. None of my family is a member of the Trust. Once a year,

or as often as we can, my wife and I go to Gaya and offer oblations for those cremated by us.

We carry the list and read out all the names and offer oblations to these persons.

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For thosefrom homes, the names are available and I read out the names. Where names are not known, I

simply pronounce the number of people buried or cremated and pray for their salvation. I am

very happy to have had this opportunity to speak of this great cause put forth by Periyava and

more particularly about Periyavas immense grace upon this service. It is all by Periyavas

grace.

(This narrative is followed by a video presentation of service to the orphaned dead.)

5For details see: http://www.dharmaa.org/html/firstpage.htm

6Offering oblations to the dead at Gaya is held as a final honour and duty done to the departed, completing the

last rites.

in the presence of divine - vol 2 - chapter 4 - sreedhar transformed by deivathin kural

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