R V S Manian

AN EULOGY - The sad and shocking news of the sad demise of Manimama, on Monday the 30th morning came a bolt from the blue. Honestly, I am short of words to console Mami, and her children at this irreparable loss. The octogenarian, as I know of him, had been a source of strength and a pillar holding your families together when they demanded his support. I couldn't but reminisce about my sweet association with Mama on many occasions during the past four decades and when I used to visit your house at Adyar, in the mid-eighties. This association found its roots in 1985 till last March when we met at Sriya’s wedding function in Kochi. Manimama was a very kind, humane, and affectionate person, always wishing for the well-being of all. I always used to admire his role as a father, husband, and as Anandhi’s uncle. I still remember his ever-smiling countenance when I used to visit your house during his days with SPIC, during our visits to Chennai. An engineer by profession, Mama was an authority on the subject of transmission of power through overhead wires. ASEA, I believe, the Swedish firm was a pioneer in this field of engineering. Anandhi had told me that Mama had traveled worldwide on official preoccupations. He was also very fond of traveling, I believe, far and wide on official grounds. Anandhi briefed me about your happy days and meetings at Asalpha during the 80s and his bachelor days at Calcutta. However old, the loss of a father is always irreparable and the children first look upon their father as their first hero. And I know your proximity to Manimama and the care you and Srikrish took towards the well-being of Mama and Mami. I must add that he had lived a purposeful life and had been blessed with grandchildren, which would pave the path of light for Mama to reach the gates of Heaven. Yourselves and your better half Srikrish had left no stone unturned to see that he lived and led a comfortable life both spiritually and physically. What more can be expected of conscientious daughters and sons-in-law? I must say you were always at his beck and call as and when your presence was required. Mama’s latest picture a few months back still sways before my eyes in all smiles. The divine couple they looked at during your Sashtiabdapoorthi celebrations. Kindly accept my/our heartfelt condolences on this loss and pray to the Almighty to give you all enough strength and courage to withstand this separation. Please pass on the same to close kith and kin. Our condolences to Mami on this grief and I am short of words to console her. Time is the only healing factor for such miseries. I cannot imagine mami without the big round sindhur on her broad forehead with an enchanting smile around her lips. At this hour of need, but for the distance and personal and official preoccupations, I couldn't implement my honest wish to be at your beck and call. Yes, we all have to be fatalists, after all, at the end of the day, we mortals are katputlis, in the cruel hands of destiny. When the Lokaguru Adi Sankara Himself lamented when His mother attained the Lotus Feet of Vishnu, where are we mortals before Him? He said in his Matrupanchakam आस्तां तावदियं प्रसूति समये दुर्वार-शूल-व्यथा नेरुच्यं तनुशोषणं मलमयी शय्या च सांवत्सरी। एकस्यापि न गर्भभार भरण क्लेशस्य यस्याःक्षम: दातुं निष्कृति उन्नतोऽपि तनय: तस्यै जनन्यै नम: ॥ The unbearable pain endured by her at the time of delivery, the lackluster feelings and the emaciation of the body during pregnancy, the year-long sharing of the bed dirtied by the child, none of these sufferings borne by a mother because of pregnancy can be compensated in the least by a son, however great he may be. Salutations to that mother. In the words of Pattinathar, who also lamented at His Mother's demise through' ten verses, significantly, the following three : 1. ஐயிரண்டு திங்களாய் அங்கமெலாம் நொந்து பெற்றுப் பையலென்ற போதே பரிந்தெடுத்துச் – செய்ய இரு கைப்புறத்தில் ஏந்திக் கனகமுலை தந்தாளை எப்பிறப்பில் காண்பேன் இனி ? 2.முந்தித்தவம் கிடந்து முந்நூறு நாள் அளவும் அந்திபகலாச் சிவனை ஆதரித்துத் – தொந்தி சரியச் சுமந்து பெற்ற தாயார் தமக்கோ எரியத் தழல் மூட்டுவேன் ? 3. வட்டிலிலும் தொட்டிலிலும் மார்மேலும், தோள்மேலும் கட்டிலிலும் வைத்தென்னைக் காதலித்து – முட்டச் சிறகிலிட்டுக் காப்பாற்றிச் சீராட்டும் தாய்க்கோ விறகிலிட்டுத் தீமூட்டுவேன் ? Probably, to a greater extent, these verses apply to a father like Manimama, who was so affectionate to his children and family. I am reminded of the Kural திருக்குறள் உறங்கு வதுபோலும் சாக்காடு உறங்கி விழிப்பது போலும் பிறப்பு जीवस्य मरणं लोके निद्रया सदृशं भवेत्। पश्‍चात् प्रबोध तुल्यं स्यात् जीवस्य, जननं पुन: ...। ஜீவஸ்ய மரணம் லோகே நித்³ரயா ஸத்³ருஸ²ம் ப⁴வேத் | பஸ்²சாத் ப்ரபோ³த⁴ துல்யம் ஸ்யாத் ஜீவஸ்ய ஜனனம் புன:|| Thiruvalluvar believed in the theology of rebirths till the individual soul attains mukthi. May your faather’s soul attain the Lotus Feet of Lord Vishnu/Guruvayoorappan for eternal peace / mukthi.