SHODASOPACHARA PUJA Contd.,

After Sankalpa, Kalasa puja is performed. A clean vessel is taken and filled with pure water. Water for the worship of God has to be holy or sacred. Hence all holy waters of rivers are invited to be present in the water of the kalasa. Trimurthis, Mathru ganas, the seven oceans, the seven islands with the earth, the four Vedas, and the Vedangas, are invited to be present in the water of the Kalasa through mantras! The kalasa is smeared with sandal paste and vermillion. That sacred waterr is sprinkled on self,  all items of puja, and the idol of the chosen God or Goddess. Later the ‘Prana or life’ of the God or Goddess is invoked. This ritual with special Sanskrit mantras is called “Prana prathista.”  Now the most important Vighneswara puja is performed to avoid any obstacles during thepuja celebrations. Regular Shodasopachara puja starts after Vighneswara puja.

1 Avahanam or inviting the God or Goddess: Almighty God is omnipresnt! He is the indweller in every heart. But in our ignorance we are unable to identify His form. Therefore we have to invite him to be present in the idol for our worship. Place your left hand on your heart (chest) and the right hand on the idol or the photo
2 Asanam or offering seat to the invitee: Having invited the God, our bounden duty is to offer proper seat for Him. The seat is not a wooden sofa or bed our heart where in the ce ter is the pedastal decked with diamonds and rubies and emeralds! He is not an ordinary invitee! He is the lord of all worlds, Master, Creator and protector! Think that He is placed in the center of the diamond pedastal in your heart!
3 Padyam or offering water to wash feet: In the same way we invite guests and offer water to wash their feet before they enter the house, we must offer water to wash God's feet also! We should imagine like that and offer some water from the kalasa with a small uddharini or spoon.
4 Arghyam or offering water to wash hands: Visiting God should wash both His hands and feet because He enters our inner chamber of our heart with diamond studded pedestal. Water from the Kalasa should be offered in small quantity.
5 Achamaniyam or offering water to clean the mouth: God is being considered as guest and offered water to clean His hands, feet and mouth! A spoonful of water from the kalasa is shown to the mouth of the idol and left on the plate below.
6 Panchamruta Snanam or bathing the God with five amritas(nectars): The Deity is bathed with milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar, all of the cow, one after the other. What is its significance? The experience of the Senses in the world is the milk! Like milk that becomes curd. Worldly experience added to knowledge is transformed into Viveka or intellect! When curd is churned buttercomes out. Ghee is obtained by heating butter. When the intellect is awakened with worldly experience there is an inner churning and man understands the essence of life! He learns discrimination between the good and bad as well as dharma and adharma! Honey is the result of accumulation. On account of this he realizes the essence of his experiences! Sugar is sweetness solidified. Life shall be sweet like Sugar for anyone that realizes the glory and greatness of God! After Panchamruta Snanam God should be bathed with pure water. Sri Rudram and Purusha Suktham and other stotras can be chanted.
7 Vasthram or offering dress to the deity: After abhishekam with pure water, the idol should be gently cleaned with a soft fresh cloth or cotton. Two cotton bits smeared with turmeric and vermillion should be offered to the deity. By offering vasthra, we pray that Maya or illusion that wraps us should be removed for realizing God!
8 Yagnopavitam or offering the Sacred Thread: Yagnopavitam or sacred thread has to be offered to the Lord. In doing so, one has to feel that all his physical, verbal, mental are the worship that he offers to God! “ Yadyath karma karomi tat thakhilam Sambho tavaradhanam” (Adi Sankara)
9 Gandham or offering sandal paste: Freshly ground sandal paste has to be offered to God. Like the sandalwood that reduces itself in producing the paste, the devotee is expected to have the spirit of sacrifice and service! God is the repository of all good qualities. Those are His ornaments. The bhaktha should also exhibit all good qualities!
10 Pushpam or offering flowers: Fresh, fragrant alone have to be offered. The eight real flowers dear to God are: ahimsa, control of senses, compassion for all creatures, patience, control of outer indriyas, tapas, dhyanam or meditation and truth. No other flowers are required by Him!
11 Dhoopam or incens or agarbathi: offer one or two dhoop sticks ringing the bell.
12 Deepam of showing lighted lamps: lamps with two , three or five wicks are shown to the deity. Like the light that dispels darkness, one should pray that his ignorance should be removed.
13 Naivedya or offering food: Foods of six varieties of taste, fruits, coconut and others are offered! It is God who has provided food and everything to humanity. In reciprocation man offers the saame to the deity. Thambulam or offering betel leaves: Betel leaves, arecanut and chunam constitute Thambulam and is chewed after meals. It is good for health after a heavy meal. This is symbolic of offering oneself, with the three gunas. Nirajanam or offering harati: Finally camphor or wicks, in a plate, are lighted and shown round the deity from His feet twice or thrice. Like the camphor that disappears soon, one should pray that all his karmas or samskaras should be destroyed. Later, flowers are offered with what is called, ‘mantra pushpa' Next is 'Atma pradakshina' which means going round one's own Atma and prostrating before the deity! You realize that God is within you as Atma and you are worshipping Him!
15 Sashtanga danda pranamam or prostrating before the deity: You fall on ground with your belly, head, eyes,  Manas, mouth, legs, hands, and ears touching the floor! Eight parts of the body shouldbow down to God! Later other upacharas like, Vedas, song, dance, palanquin are offered which is called ‘Punah puja.'  Then the holy water as well as Prasadam  (food and fruits offered)is taken.
16 Udwasana or farewell: After all the previous upacharas, God is given a farewell and sent home to come back once again after a while!  All activities, physical, mental, and spiritual, are dedicated to God since he is the cause and motivator!
It is therefore important to understand the significance of the inner significance of worship and perform puja and realize spiritual bliss and the Grace of God!

MODE OF WORSHIP--Shodasopachara Puja

Among the various modes of worship the most important method is what is called “ Shodasopachara Puja.”  This consists of sixteen ways of serving or worshipping the chosen deity. The word “Shodasa” can be split into “Shut + dasa” which means six plus ten equal to sixteen. “Upachara” means ' to move nearby.' It also means ‘to transcend.' In other words, it indicates that through  association with God and chanting His Name we can transcend all limits of the mundane world. In short whatever services we offer to God enable us to rise above and lessen our mental weakness. They contribute to the purification of our “ Antahkarana” viz Manas, Buddhi, chitta, Ahankara or ego. What are these sixteen upacharas and what is their significance in the worship of the deity? Today these services have become purely mechanical without meditation and concentration on the deity being worshipped. The mind of the worshipper is elsewhere, not in the worship! Such puja cannot be called ideal worship and cannot yield the required result or satisfaction.

 The first and foremost item of worship is to light the lamp otherwise called “ Diparadhana.”  What is its meaning and significance? In olden days, during the yagnas and homas fire was created by the friction of two wooden blocks called 'Arani.' A wooden stick is placed in between the two blocks and churned vigorously by a rope. Smoke is generated through intense friction and sparks of fire emanate. This fire is developed through twigs and this becomes the holy fire for the yagna! By aligning the principle of Jiva to the principle of Deva the Fire of Jnana is created. This Fire destroys the attachment of ajnana or avidya! The ' Vasanas' or tendencies we have developed since our countless births are destroyed by this Fire of Jnana or Wisdom! The oil in the lamp we light symbolizes these accumulated tendencies that are inherent in us since our innumerable births. The cotton wick of the lamp stands for ‘Manas’ with its  ‘Sankalpas and vikalpas' The wick draws oil from the lamp and burns. When the oil is exhausted the wick too is burnt away. Similarly our Vasanas’ represented by oil and the wicks of Sankalpa and vikalpa in our Manas  are totally consumed by the Fire of Jnana! This inner friction in the sadhaka symbolizes the lighting of the lamp-- ' Diparadhana' at the start of any puja!

The second item of the preliminaries of puja is “Ghantarava” or the ringing of the bell. One wonders why this should be done. The bell is rung in order to invite Devas and drive away the asuras!. The sound of the bell, if made of good metal reverberates in the air and slowly merges into silence. Similarly the thought of God should echo in the innermost recess of our heart and merge into the Divine experience which is silence! It is this thought of God that drives out the asura qualities in our heart and promotes Divine qualities. The next ritual is to provide a clean ambience. Our environment is full of negative forces that create obstacles to any good and dharmic act. These negative forces are called rakshasas. We know how these rakshasas, Maricha and Subahu tried to desecrate the yaga of Sage Viswamitra in the R
 It is only the power of God that can drive away these negative forces from our mind and environment. A few Sanskrit slokas are recited to expel the evil forces that may remain in the surroundings and bring in purity in the ambience. Devotion to God is the invincible armor that protects one from all evil influences.

The next step is to purify one's own body before worshipping God. It is a well known fact that chanting God's name purifies the individual whether he is bodily and inwardly pure or impure. “ Kalauthu smaranan mukthihi” says the Sastra! Purity of mind makes the person recognize purity in everything he sees. There is no restriction of time, place, country, and condition of body for chanting the name of God. What we consider as troubles and sorrows are not sorrows really!! Real sorrow is to forget God and failure to chant His Name! Hence the devotee chants the name of God and sprinkles water on himself for physical and mental purification. After this purification of body and the mind, Pranayama or control of breath is to be performed for a short while. It is very difficult to control one's mind. It is through controlling breath that one can control the mind to a certain extent. Breath control is absolutely essential for keeping in check the unsteady mind and its waywardness! Hence Pranayama is an important need for any puja. But unfortunately, many do not understand its significance and simply touch the nose and think it is Pranayama!

After these preliminaries, the Sankalpam for the puja is done. The devotee speaks of the particular day,. waxing or waning period of the moon, tithi, the star and month of the day, season, Ayana, Yuga, part of the Yuga, Kalpa and others. Generally the Sankalpam is done for the all-round prosperity and well being of the individual concerned. The Sankalpa is a prayer to God for the fulfilment of one's desires! There are others who want the well being of society and pray for rains, alleviation of the distress of others, universal peace and such things. Third variety are those who do Sankalpa for their emancipation. They pray for promotion of their bhakthi, Jnana, and Vairagya or non attachment to mundane things! They also pray for realizing themselves without hurdles and to obtain the real sadguru who can guide them! After Sankalpa, usually Kalasa puja and Vigneswara puja are to be performed. These are essential for any puja and no puja can start without propitiating Lord Vinayaka who is the lord of all obstacles! (CONTINUED

SIGNIFICANCE OF POOJA

It is absolutely essential that man has to realize Paramatma who being whole and undivided appears to be divided! It is He that carries out the three important functions of creation, protection and destruction. Man in his ignorance believes that he is separate from the Divine. It is Bhakthi that allows the Jiva with all his limitations to realize his true nature. Adi Sankara defines Bhakthi as the greatest of all means for mukthi. “ Moksha Sadhana samagryam. Bhakthi reva gariyasi.” It is through Bhakthi that the Jivatma realizes his true self. According to Sage Narada intense love for God is called bhakthi. This is also called 'Para bhakthi'. In this state the bhaktha doesn’t find difference between himself and God and merges into Him. Sage Vedavyasa reaffirms Narada's definition of Bhakti. “ Pujadishu anuraga iti Parasaryaha.”  Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi points out that for the physical, verbal and mental states Pooja, japa or chanting and meditation are necessary. It is impossible to experience God without the purity 'Thrikaranas viz thought, word, and deed. According to the Gita physical penance consists of worshipping Devas, Brahmins, Gurus and scholars, cleanliness and truth. Pooja, Japa or chanting, and meditation –each is better than the other. It is difficult to reach the subtle stage without passing through  the gross outward stages. It is for this reason that Sage Vedavyasa  propounded the worship of  one's chosen deity or “ Ista Devata.” He authored the eighteen Puranas and established the significance of the worship of “ Ista Devata!”
Among the Nine types of devotion, worshipping the chosen deity in the puja room is the easiest. Though it is physical, it helps in controlling the Indriyas or senses and the mind. It gives a large scope for the use of the body, word and mind. Before starting Pooja the room has to be kept clean as well as the pedastal where the idols are placed. The utensils, idols and photos have to be washed and cleaned. Rangolis and festoons have to be arranged and garlands for decoration. All the needed materials for Pooja have to be collected and kept ready. The place must be neat and tidy for cleanliness is next to godliness. Puja room and the pedastal for the idols should be as beautiful as possible. The speciality of puja is that it satisfies the senses! Eyes drink the beauty of the form of God; speech is sanctified by the chanting of the mantras; tongue tastes the sweet offering of prasada; nose appreciates the fragrance of flowers and incense! As such the Indriyas are involved in the thought of God which helps in concentrating the mind. Mind is prevented from running after mundane things at least for the time being. The next step, after the regular outward worship is “Manasika Pooja” or worship within oneself. This is subtle and more powerful. All the worship is offered in the mind itself. Sri Sankara's “ Siva manasa Pooja Stotra” is the best example. “.You are my Atma; Girija Devi my Manas;  five Pranas servants; body your home; my worldly enjoyments service; sleep is Samadhi! Why, every act of mine is worship offered to You, O Lord, Siva” says Sri Sankara!
Is there any sense in worshipping life less stones and photos? This question is being raised by quite a number of rationalists and atheists. There is nothing in the universe that is not the manifestation of the creator God! He is Omnipresent. The aim of puja is to realize this great principle. The idol or the image in the sanctum of the temple is a means of realizing the principle of the Atma. All idols, and images help us in understanding the Divine principle. This type of identifying a stone or idol with God or Goddess or a great principle is called “ Upasana.”  Here we find super imposition of the mighty in the meagre!  God has no beginning or end. “ Ajaymano bahudha vijayathe”—that which has no birth manifests in many forms say the Vedas. It is through the visible that we have to realize the Invisible and the infinite! The IDOL stands for the IDEAL. Idol worship is the stepping stone for realizing Divinity.
The next question is to worship which God or Goddess. It is said that the Hindu pantheon has thirty three crore Gods! A few people make fun and mock at those who worship different forms of God. There is only One God but many forms. The Lord says in the Gita that whoever worships a certain form of God with unshakable faith shall have all his desires fulfilled. Names and forms are many but there is only One God. “ Ekam Eva Adwitiyam Brahma.” Like the water supplied through different channels from the reservoir, it is the same Paramatma that showers His Grace on the faithful devotee! It is important that one should not change his worship to different Gods. He should never entertain the idea that one God is superior or inferior to the other. It is a sign of colossal ignorance. He should see his own chosen God or ‘Ishta daiva' in any form of God he woships. We worship Rama, Krishna, Devi and others according to the festival seasons. They are all forms of the eternal, all pervading principle of the Brahman! No difference has to be attributed to them. Frequent change of loyalty from one God to another results in loss of concentration and needless doubts.
 Individual and personal Pooja or worship has its own advantages. But worship in groups has a speciality. When the name of God is chanted  collectively there

is a spiritual resurgence among them. Their looks are converged on the deity and the dirt in their minds shall be washed away. The ambience shall be purified because of the effect of worship and prayer and chanting of the name of God! Collective worship increases concentration of the mind. It also helps in eradicating selfishness and difference of opinion. It cuts at the root of ego also! “ Sanghe sakthih Kalau Yuge.”

ON JEALOUSY AND HATRED

There is none in the world who is not subjected to the invincible and dangerous influence of the inner enemies otherwise called as “ Arishadvargas!” These formidable adversaries are embedded in our inner nature and raise there ugly heads off and on according to situations. Man has progressed in his knowledge and civilization, reached the pinnacle, and controlled almost everything in the universe! The tragedy of man's story is that he has lost control over himself! He has become a slave of the senses and instead of holding the reins, he is being led by them. The  inner enemies, Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya are simply working havoc in the life of man. Is there any person who has won over these triumphant adversaries? Practically there is none! Kama or desire looks good and enjoyable but it is insatiable! The fulfillment of one desire leads to another and there is no end for it. The result it is disappointment and disillusionment. Krodha or anger is a dreadful enemy that paralyses the mind and makes you act irrationally not realizing the consequences of your action. Virtually it turns man into a beast. Lobha or miserliness makes man greedy and possessive and grossly attached to money and material. It is very difficult to get out of its tentacles. Moha or attachment is the strong attachment to kith and kin, family, children and property. It also refers to lust. Both are so tempting that it becomes impossible for man to come out of their grip. Mada or pride and arrogance leads to the downfall of man. Under its influence he thinks too much of himself to the extent of humiliating others. He is puffed with his ego that destroys him finally. Matsarya or hatred or jealousy causes restlessness in man. He is envious of the belongings of others and develops hatred for them. That feeling eats into him and as such he can never be happy and contented. 
Without realizing the dangerous influence of these “Arishadvargas”, man thinks that he is very happy with them! These ingrained feelings endanger individuals as well as others who come into contact with them. “Jealousy and hatred do more harm to those who entertain these feelings than to those towards whom these are expressed.” remarks Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. These feelings are so severe and cruel that they instigate the person to commit even heinous crimes like murder! The life of man possessed with jealousy and hatred can never be peaceful and happy! He will be eternally restless and unhappy at the happiness and possessions of others! He will ever be ready in to destroy the happiness of others and derive the sadistic pleasure of seeing others suffer. Hatred is the chief reason for disliking the other person in our neighborhood. In fact, jealousy is the prime cause for hatred of any other person. The feeling that one has something that you don’t have is the root cause of jealousy that in it turn breeds hatred. The inner agony that these people suffer is indescribable! Why should man subject himself to these emotions? But he is helpless as these enemies are too powerful to be defeated easily. It requires great effort, grit, and determination to keep in check and suppress jealousy and hatred!
Jealousy and hatred has seriously affected the Devas and asuras also! It is through hatred that Hiranyakasipu and his brother Hiranyakasipu lost their lives. They were the haters of Lord Vishnu and wanted to fight with the Lord. They performed severe tapas and obtained boons. But they misused the boons and tormented the sages, saints and others. Hiranyakasipu was a sworn enemy of Lord Vishnu. He could not tolerate his own child Prahlada being an ardent devotee of the Lord. He tried his best to dissuade his son from chanting and singing the name of the Lord. But he failed miserably and as a last resort tried to kill him! Even then Prahlada could not be killed! Though Prahlada was bitten by snakes and trampled upon by elephant and thrown from mountain, he came out unscathed! Prahlada was served with a cup of poison which he drank happily with the name of Lord Vishnu on his tongue. Poison didn’t kill him! Enraged at this Hiranyakasipu demanded to know where the boy's savior, Vishnu was hiding Himself. When Prahlada showed the great pillar nearby, he brought down the pillar with his iron hands! Out came from the pillar, with thunderous noise the form of Man Lion, Lord Narasimha who caught the asura in his strong hands and tore his stomach with His sharp nails! Thus inveterate hatred destroyed Hiranyakasipu!
There are instances galore in our epics and Puranas of people, Kings and others who were undone by their jealousy and arrogance! One such great king was Nahusha. He aspired to become the king of Devas and performed a hundred “ Aswamedha Yagas” to qualify himself for that position. He was being taken in a palanquin by the sages when he grew impatient and wanted them to move quicker! Not realizing the greatness of the renowned sages, he prodded one of the sages with his foot saying “ Sarpa,Sarpa.” Furious at this humiliation, the sage cursed Nahusha to take the form of a serpent! The word “Sarpa” means a snake which moves quickly! The Mahabharata is a classical illustration of the operation of jealousy and hatred in the lives of mortals. King Dhritarashtra, of the Kuru clan and the father of the Kauravas, was an embodiment of jealousy and hatred. The word Dhritarashtra means one who has a firm grip over the nation or kinngdom! He was extremely possessive and never wanted to give up anything in the least.   He was highly possessive and paved the way for the downfall of the Kauravas!
The Kauravas inherited jealousy and hatred from their father! Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas hated the Pandavas though they were his cousins. He did not grant them even a small piece of land though they had the rightful share for it. At every time he attempted to kill them but all of them backfired. He was jealous of the good qualities and popularity of the Pandavas. He cheated them in gambling and sent them into exile in the forest. His hatred and jealousy resulted in the terrible battle of Kurukshetra where the entire Kauravas were decimated! Many other kith and kin were annihilated. Karna is another example of jealousy and hatred in the Mahabharata. He hated Arjuna, the Pandavas warrior from the beginning since Duryodhana wanted him to kill Arjuna.  Arjuna was Karna's rival in archery. Karna lied to his mentor in archery that he was a Brahmin and when his teacher learnt it, he grew angry and cursed him! That was reason why he forgot all his astras on the battlefield when his chariot wheels dug into the ground! His hatred and jealousy for Arjuna cost his life! It is a pity that even great people fall victim to these emotions and appear helpless and  despondent! Man must try his best to rise above these inner adversaries by sincere effort though it may seem impossible!!

SIGNIFICANCE OF COCONUT IN WORSHIP

 It is very difficult to worship God without form. Though God is declared to have no form, a beginning or end, when he incarnates, He has to take human form in order to establish Dharma or righteousness and destroy evil. It is thus we come across different avatars of Lord Vishnu and other Gods and Goddesses! God does not confine himself to the human form alone. He has incarnated in forms of different creatures also. The great Fish or the Matsya Avatar, the Turtle or the Kurma Avatar and the Man-Lion or the Narasimha Avatar are the other incarnations of the Lord. In order to offer gratitude to God for all the gifts He had bestowed on humanity, Man wants to worship him as much as possible and seek his Grace for peace, plenty and prosperity! So the forms of Rama, Krishna, Siva, Devi and various others are worshipped with devotion and religious fervor. Sastras and scriptures have laid down different methods of worship and these are being followed in various temples all over our country! Though the idol of the God or Goddess is sculpted out of stone or other material, it is consecrated, life breathed into it through Vedic rituals and installed in the sanctum of the temple. Later daily worship is performed according to Agama Sastras. The deity has to be worshipped in sixteen ways as per Sastras which is called as  “Shodasa Upachara puja.”

First and foremost the deity has to be requested to arrive or invited with utmost devotion and humility. After a few more rituals the deity shall be given a bath which is called “Abhishekam” and later dressed up with suitable robes and decked with ornaments and beautiful fragrant garlands of flowers. Later ‘archana’ or worship with flowers is conducted. Later various types of fruits and food are offered to the God or Goddess which is called “ Naivedya.”  Man has to offer to God whatever is possible in profound gratitude for all the gifts He has bestowed on humanity! Any fruit or food offered to God is called  “Prasadam” and is considered very sacred! Sweet edibles, even a lump of jaggery or sugar candy or plantains and a coconut are offered as “Naivedyam.” The inner significance of these offerings to God  is “ the recognition that God is full of sweetness. Hence, devotion should be filled with sweetness.” The  coconut offered to the deity is broken into two pieces and offered to the deity. Many wonder why a coconut should be offered to God when so many items of tasty and delicate dishes are offered.

What is the significance of breaking the coconut? Is it an empty ritual for the sake of some novelty or to attract the attention of others? No! It has a very deep inner philosophical importance that one has to understand! The three costituents of the coconut are its outermost hard fibrous cover, the inner hard shell and the pure copra inside the shell. It is very difficult to remove the fibre without a sharp knife! Similarly the shell cannot be broken without a stone or some other hard instrument! The pure white kernel inside cannot be taken out easily without a knife or breaking the shell! What is the symbolism behind this? “ Our body is itself like a coconut. The outer body made up of three Gunas is comparable to the fibrous covering of the coconut. It is the gross body” says Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. This gross body full of ignorance or 'Avidya'  is compared to the hard shell of the coconut. How to remove the hard fibre of the physical body? This can be done with the help of detachment or Vairagya. The gross body is made up of food and is called “ Annamaya kosa.” Our subtle body consists of five sheaths or layers namely those of life breath, mental and the sheath of intelligence. The fifth sheath is the layer of total bliss or Ananda. This is otherwise called the Causal body and represents Atma that is pure and eternal. The outer casings of gross and subtle bodies are absolutely essential for the Atma that is embedded in them.
What then is the significance of breaking of coconut as an offering to God? It is that Man should avoid  attachment to the physical body and keep the mind purified to realize the bliss represented by the spirit within. But how to do that? To realize the Divine bliss he has to give up the shell of sensory desires. The shell can be broken only through detachment from the body symbolized by the removal of the fibrous cover of the coconut. Detachment doesn’t mean renunciation but it is experiencing the Divine in your every act and refraining from all evil tendencies.

People have been performing worship for many ages mechanically without understanding the real significance of breaking the coconut! Religion and worship must bring about a perceptible transformation in the individual and an elevation in his spiritual outlook. But there appears to be no change in the nature of devotees who throng temples in large numbers! It will be very useful and ennobling if the significance of offering coconut is properly understood by every devotee. Worship should not become casual and just a visit to the temple!

My in

HOW I BECAME A TEACHER

“When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past”-Shakespeare
I should say that I became a teacher by sheer accident! I joined the famous Pachaiyappa's College, Chetput in 1948 in the Intermediate class called FA in those days. Looking at the teachers who came to teach us, I developed a liking for their way of teaching. Their coming to the class with some books in hand, their movements up and down the platform, their gestures, occasional jokes and their wide variety of knowledge attracted me. English prose, poetry, and Shakespeare classes were interesting. I remember the then principal of the college R. Krishna murthy, the tall turbaned gentleman with a frightening look who granted me admission to the college. I recollect professor T. I. Johnson who used to handle our Shakespeare and Krupananda Reddy who taught other English subjects. Their lectures were impressive and I felt how fine it would be if I too became a teacher addressing a large class of about a hundred students in the gallery. It was only a passing thought. I passed my Intermediate examination in first class and won a gold medal. It was my ambition to become a doctor and I had the necessary qualifications too. But the political situation in the state and the communal GO denied me the seat! My friend, who got low marks was given the seat since he was not a Brahmin! Man proposes but God disposes! I was disappointed but not discouraged!

I turned my attention to other venues and noticed an advertisement calling for recruits in the IAF at the Ground Training School, Tambaram. I was eligible and applied immediately. One fine morning I was called for a written test. With great interest I took the test and scored good marks as a result of which I was called for an interview by the authorities. I did well in the interview and was selected for placement. I was asked to check up my eyes and get a no objection certificate from my parents. I was overjo toyed at the turn of events and went home imagining my future in the skies!  Both my elder brothers were employed in Madras(Chennai) and I was the darling child of my mother! She was happy at what I told her and I thought that she would jump with joy at the prospect of my getting a job so early in life. Quite unexpectedly she refused to give me the no objection certificate when I informed her that I may be placed in any part of India. All my dreams of becoming a pilot or some officer in IAF evaporated in thin air! Banking on these possibilities, I didn’t apply for any other course in colleges. College admissions were being filled and it was difficult for anyone to secure a seat. Frustrated and disappointed, I applied to the renowned Presidency College, Madras for a seat in B.Sc. Hons Chemistry course, my favorite subject and waited with bated breath.

A few days went by with my anxious anticipation when I received the admission card for the course of my choice at Presidency College. I was called for an interview with all my original testimonials, by the Principal of the college. It was then the strange and sudden turning point came into my life! I went into the Principal’s chamber with trepidation. He stared at me with a queer look. Examined my mark sheet and certificate. Then lifted up his head, looked intently at me and said, “ Young Man! You have been allotted a seat in B.Sc Hons Chemistry course. I am sorry that I cannot give you admission into that course as the only available seat has been given to some other candidate. Will you choose some other course? I do not want to disappoint you after promising a seat.” I was shell shocked. What a turn of events! Two disappointments already and now the third! Providence is scheming against me I thought. The principal spoke again. “ Look here, Young man! I see you have got very good marks in English. Why not you choose the English (Hons)course? It is a very good course and later you can be a college lecturer and professor! Think and tell me soon.” My heart sank. For a moment I was confused! I had no other alternative since all college admissions were over and if I missed this chance, I would have to wait for another year. I decided to accept the offer of the principal and got myself admitted into the BA (Hons) English Literature course!

However much we try to fulfill our ambitions, there is a destiny that drives us to the goal that we deserve! That is exactly what has happened to me! After 38 years of teaching students, I do not regret the decision that I had taken at the Principal's room of Presidency College. I graduated in 1953 and had the great fortune of getting my Degree from the philosopher Statesman Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan our former president!  I remember my teachers in the Presidency College, Sri R.S. Desican, B. R. Baliga, A.E. Subramanyam and Sri Ayappan Pillai who later became the principal of the College. I have pleasant remembrances of my college life and I recollect the function at the Fyson Park in the College when our former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Madras. Three years of the course ran fast and by 1953 I qualified myself for the post of a lecturer in a college!

Results of our Course we’re published in May, 1953 and I applied for lecturer's post to many colleges  including the Loyola College, Madras. Many offers came for tutor's post but I preferred the post of lecturer. Finally, in June, I received an offer from Islamiah College, Vaniyambadi in North Arcot district and after an interview with the principal of the college joined as a lecturer on June 21, 1953. Life in Vaniyambadi went off smoothly and I acclimatized myself to the climate and situation there. My wedding took place in October of the same year and I settled myself near the college in my own house. I had a very successful profession for all the 38 years I served the institution. I had the love of my students and colleagues in the college and loved teaching my students. The delight for the teacher is to see his students shine in life and I am extremely happy to see some of my students occupy important positions in life. One of my students is a renowned Chartered Account of All India fame, another a doctor, another was an MLA and one more a MP. I am delighted to see them serving society and glad that I have contributed something to their becoming great. I am now retired after a long and continuous service for 38 years at the same college! Recently I was invited by the college Management to receive my pension papers. I was overwhelmed by the love and affection shown by my old students in Vaniyambadi who surrounded me and enquired about my welfare! The Real Teacher leads his student from Darkness into Light, from untruth to Truth and from mortality to Immortality! I think that I have succeeded in doing so!!