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saidevo
02 February 2011, 09:56 PM
The idea of this thread is to fictionally explore the life situations in some brahmin families who try to retain some of their tradition, culture and dharma, even in these days of inevitable materialism where cut-throat competition is the order

yatkinjcha brAhmaNOttamam
pATTi and pEran (grandmother and grandson)
'brAhmaNa bandhu'

"pATTi pATTI, let me help you", said the six year old pEran. "You have taught me how to do it!"

pEran holding pATTi's hand, both of them together, using a long bamboo stick, hoisted pATTi's maDi--ceremonially clean, sari, which was hangining on a bamboo clothesline near the ceiling, without coming into physical contact with the garment. "I shall get on from here, kaNNA!", said pATTi. ammA--mother, nudged her shoulder with her chin and went inside the kitchen. appA--father, as usual, was immersed in the newspaper, sitting on the sofa.

After pATTi finished her snAnam--bath, with maDi--ceremonial purity, pEran did his snAnam, and they both entered their small puja room.

"pATTi, today is Sunday, so you should sit and watch me doing my sandhyA-vandanam." "Alright, kaNNA", said pATTi. When pATTi corrected a few pronunciation mistakes in her pEran's sandhyA-vandanam, pEran asked her, "How do you know all these things, pATTi? You used to say that thAtthA--grandfather, was a vAdhyAr--priest, so he taught you all these?" The boy declared solemnly: "Tomorrow, I too shall become like thAtthA. I would like only that."

Then, as pATTi recited some shlokas, and her pEran repeated them elegantly, the puja room became active. In the meantime, appA took his bath--ammA had taken bath early morning, scolding pATTi in murmurs for the rigour--and then pATTi and her pEran ate their meals sitting on the floor. Later, as ammA and appA finished eating their meals sitting at the dining table, pEran was listening to stories from pATTi, and then hearing his ammA's voice--"Enough of story, go and do your homework,"-- went to his room for studying.

In the evening, as ammA and appA had gone for some shopping, pATTi and pEran went to the temple. As usual, pATTi took her pEran to the sannidhi of every god and taught him the related shlokas and stories. After witnessing the dIpArAdhanA--waving of lamp, and having darshan of sVAmi--main deity, when pEran brought home vibhUti-kumkumam wet in his hands, they saw that appA and ammA had not yet returned from shopping. pATTi started rolling her japamAlA--rosary, her pEran listened to some more stories from her and then started reading his school lessons in a loud voice.

Although it was only usual for ammA to find fault with pATTi and complain to appA about it, one night she spoke decidedly to appA.

"Look at this situation, please!" she said. "We should find a way out of it. I cannot suffer any longer in this way. This piLLai--boy, too, always goes around her. At this age, he declares with pride, 'I too shall be a veda-vAdhyar--Vedic priest, like thAtthA'. Your mother told you that her pEran should be given the pUNUl ceremony, before she closed her eyes. You agreed and performed the upanayanam when this boy was just six years old. Now this piLLai does-alakShyam-of--ignores, us. And then his questions: 'Why mA you don't know shlokas like pATTi, why you don't do any pujas, and why appA does not perform even his sandhi.' He takes after his thAtthA full and full. It's all the work of that kisham--old woman. Since we both run here and there and earn something, the kizham enjoys it all in comfort. Otherwise, I would have long back recommended admitting her to an old age home."

"You have pushed your days until now. ammA's age has crossed eighty. Although there is no disease or fever, look how weak she is. By some saMkalpam--will, against being a burden to others, she takes care of her own routine. We are facilitated to that extent, right? Of course, with our earnings we cannot hope to let our child study in an engineering college or C.A. Let us cross the bridge as it gets past us."

Perhaps it was their adRShTam--unseen luck/fortune, the very next week pATTi dropped her mortal coil in sleep. An inexpressible relief for the couple, but the pEran couldn't stand it.

ammA-appA saw an envelope under pATTi's pillow. Opening it, they found a cheque for two lakh rupees favouring appA, with a small note dated a month earlier. "priya putra--dear son, and snuShA--daughter-in-law! I did prArthanA--prayers, to bhagavAn--God, anudinam--every day, that I should close my eyes in-shIghram--quickly, without being too much of a bhAram--burden, to you people. I think it will happen soon by your appA's AshIrvAdam--blessing. This money, which was mainly the savings your appA left for me, plus my own small instalments of savings, and the jewels worth ten sovereigns kept in my bank locker, you people can use as you wish. There is only one condition, however. You people should permit my pEran--in case he wants it--to learn the Vedas, by admitting him to a veda-pAThashAla--vedic school, and letting him do sustained veda-adhyayana (like his thAtthA). I hope you will do it."

pEran did not know anything about his pATTi's letter or money. After pATTi's antima-kAryas--last rites, were over, in the presence of appA, ammA told pEran one day: "kaNNA, don't worry. You have us."

"pOmmA! I want pATTi only. Do you know to tell me stories like her? Teach me four shlokas? Take me to the temple and explain things? Who wants you and the nursery rhymes, the Alice in Wonderland and Matilda stories taught in this school!"

"Only those things are our life hereafter, kaNNA! You should study well, join an engineering college and become a computer engineer. Only then, unlike us, you can earn handsful. Like the annA--elder brother, of JananI who is your classmate, you can go abroad. You understand it?" said ammA and appA in chorus.

"I can't do those things. Like thAtthA I will only study in a veda-pAThashAla and recite the veda. What your problem in that?"

"kizham has left only after shaping up a vArisu--successor, without fail", said ammA.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

NayaSurya
15 February 2011, 08:26 AM
This is so very good. Thank you for adding the words and translations for us trying to learn.<3