4. THE DAWN
SKIRTING Tiruchuzhi on the North Eastern and SouthEastern sides is the Kaundinya river famed as the
Redeemer of Sins. During a famine, the rishi [?] Kaundinya
performed tapas [?] of Siva and this river was born. The king
of Malva, Somasila, was a leper. He heard of this river as
a Redeemer of Sins and bathed there. True to its name,
the river cured him of leprosy. Such is the legend. The
Tiruchuzhi tank had a peculiar feature. The water level of
the tank was higher than the ground level of the town;
yet the water never overflowed. Opposite the temple, there
was a water bed known as Soola tirtham. The legend goes
that during the deluge Lord Siva lifted that piece of land
with his trident to save it from getting submerged. The
water bed arose out of that — all the water sank into that
space. Because of this water-bed the place got its name
Tiru (sacred) chuzhi (swirl). The Soola-tirtham is to the
east of the mantapa in the temple tank. During the
month of Magha the water level of the tank would rise
step by step and on the tenth day the tank would be full.
Siva in the mantapa was thus given his abhisheka.
Thereafter, the water level would go down during the
next ten days. This was an unfailing phenomenon
irrespective of the intensity of the rainfall. The water
level here had nothing to do with the level of water in
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the town's wells. A bath in the waters of Soola tirtham
would cure several skin ailments.
Sundaram Iyer bought a piece of land on the North
Eastern end of the town and donated it to the public, to
serve as a cremation ground.
In 1892 Sundaram Iyer fell ill. Subbu Iyer, along with
his nephews visited him. But within four days he passed
away. By then he was forty seven. Sundaram Iyer was
cremated at the very ground donated by him.
Sundaram Iyer was popular and well-respected — even
by way-laying robbers. He left behind four children ?
Nagaswami the eldest was fourteen, Venkataraman was
twelve, Nagasundaram six and Alamelu was an infant.
After the ceremonies Subbu Iyer returned to Madurai along
with Nagaswami and Venkataraman whereas Alagamma
stayed back with her two younger children. Their
responsibility was taken over by Nelliappa Iyer, younger
brother of Subbu Iyer.
After this calamity, Nagaswami began bestowing
greater attention on his studies; but there was no change
in Venkataraman at all. In addition to his old sports he
learnt to swim either in the river Vaigai or in the Pillayar
Tank. Also he learnt to throw and catch a small vessel full
of water as if it were a ball without spilling even a drop of
water. To indulge in their midnight games at the Vaigai
the boys used to cover the bed with pillows which in turn
were covered up by mattresses to give the impression that
someone was asleep. They would jump over the wall and
melt in the darkness outside. There was a garden close by
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and near its compound wall each member of the team
used to leave a small stone to indicate that he was on his
way to the Vaigai. The boys played till about two or three
in the early hours and returned home. Apart from this,
swimming in the swirling waters of the Vaigai during
floods was another favourite sport of the boys.
From his very childhood, Venkataraman's words had
an authority of their own. Abdul Wahab, a Muslim, was
the captain of the football team of the boys. Once
Venkataraman went to Wahab's house and on learning
that they ate non-vegetarian food, expressed his revulsion.
With that pronouncement, Wahab gave up non-vegetarian
food forever! Wahab later served in the Police Department
and retired as a Superintendent of Police.
Subbu Iyer moved over to a house in Chokkappa
Naicken street.1
For his ninth standard, Venkataraman joined the
American Mission High School. The college run by the
same Mission was in its neighbourhood. Life was as usual,
listless and aimless. He would visit Tiruchuzhi during
vacations.
It was November 1895, Venkataraman was a student
of ninth standard. He was on his way to the school at
about ten in the morning, when he ran into Ramaswami
Iyer, son of Lakshmana Iyer's brother — a resident of
Tiruchuzhi. He was their relative, elderly too.
Venkataraman, with natural affection, asked him, "Where
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are you coming from?" The reply was "From Arunachala."
The word "Arunachala" was familiar to Venkataraman from
his younger days, but he did not know where it was, what
it looked like or what it meant. Yet that day that word
meant to him something great, an inaccessible,
authoritative, absolutely blissful entity. Could one visit
such a place? His heart was full of joy. Arunachala meant
some sacred land, every particle of which gave moksha [?]. It
was omnipotent and peaceful. Could one behold it?
"What? Arunachala? Where is it?" asked the lad. The
relative was astonished, "Don't you know even this?" and
continued, "Haven't you heard of Tiruvannamalai? That
is Arunachala." It was as if a balloon was pricked, the
boy's heart sank.
Venkataraman had heard the name any number of
times. Yet he was never moved. Why did it happen then?
No spiritual stirring had ever showed itself in
Venkataraman's life till then. There were occasions when
he had trifled with pooja articles too. He was so irreverent.
He worshipped Siva routinely, visited temples on holy
days as a formality but not because of any inner urge.
Once, on a night of festivities the boys went to
Tirupparankundram. They were hungry but food was yet
to be served. They hung around the kitchen. Just then
the temple official went out on an errand. The boys
opened the lock of the door, went in and took as much
food as they wanted and went away to the river bank, had
their fill, left behind the rest, washed themselves and went
back to partake of the food being served! That was the
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boy's prasadam. Normally, nobody touches the food before
it is offered to the deity because it is considered improper
to do so. Long after this event Bhagavan said, "The food
was indeed offered." How true it is! It was offered to the
one for whom it was intended!
The Bible was taught at the school. Venkataraman
was not interested even in the secular education imparted
there — what to speak of the Bible?
Yet how did the emotional upsurge arise? What was
the relation between Arunachala and Venkataraman?