I am in a mood for a short story .... it's been a long time since I penned one, and I would not like to lose my touch (touche!!!) Here I am folks and it is titled "Irony".
Ram was a legatee of a family which had absolute trust in the credo "Everything is His Will" kind of total saranaagathy. He was in his early sixties, retired, with just adequate economic wherewithal to support his family; a wife, an aged father around late eighties, and a none-too-intelligent son.
The most apt descriptive feature of Ram's entire life can be summed up, as an unique record of not having experienced a single incident which could pass of as a success. It was almost as if the thing called "achievement" would have been acutely embarrassed if there was even a hint of success associated with it.
He had a friend named Arjun from his childhood days. Arjun was born in a rich family, had the best of education, was well known equally in social, cultural, & spiritual milieu/associations/Institutions. He could talk about Music fusion, Financial management, and Advaitha philosophy all at consummate ease over a glass of wine in a cocktail party before an audience for a musical soiree. In effect everything that both the material & the spiritual world could offer was available to Arjun - in exact contrast to Ram who was denied every bit of both. A head of a spiritual Institution with whom Arjun was associated had only superlative praise for the latter's erudition, humility, and grasp of spiritual truths, giving a perception that he was indeed God's chosen one.
The only regret Ram -- without any basis, and at rare times-- nursed during these days, was the fear that his old man may survive him, and his boy may not be mature enough to support the family. This was regardless of his immense faith in God's Will which was equally shared by his father & wife. In one of those melancholy moods he even wrote his epitaph.It was a custom in his family that on the 13th day of ones death, some eulogizing epitaph about the departing soul is read out & he decided that he would ask his son to read it out when he died. It ran somewhat like this:
" Even as I end this chapter of my birth-rebirth cycle, feeling disappointed that I have not fulfilled my duties, I am also glad that my record of not tasting success remains intact. Perhaps it was Providences Will that such an experience of being able to sustain even a no-need-to- relate- to- all round -- failures kind would have been very necessary to hasten the process of liberation." .
It was perhaps God's will : Ram died suddenly one day. His son after the cremations went to his papa's friend Arjun & requested that he say a few words during the 13th day functions. Ram's epitaph was read out after a few kind words of praise from the great Arjun whose command over language was phenomenal.
The functions over, Arjun came to Ram's old father to pay his respects & remarked " I wish Ram had been a bit more worldly wise". .
The old man was for a brief moment sad : here was my son who had absolute faith in Him, had nothing but detachment for the material sukham beyond what was necessary to sustain himself & his family & for whom he felt a surge of pride, and there is this Arjun who had nothing but love for the material world which often found expressions like oh the world is sooooo beautiful etc., & the Providence lets this man talk about his friend and his son -- a true bhaktha -- in such a fashion. He however recovered soon & said "ah, but that's perhaps is His will my son".
While Arjun & Ram's father had their brief exchange, the Gods were rejoicing at their perfect model of "experiencing disappointment" with their creation of Ram.
But one of the biggest ironies was the general public's sudden admiration for Ram based on a simple logic that since Arjun had such nice words for the former, he should have been something. The other was that the Spiritual Institution with whom Ram's father was also associated with in the past, had not noticed anything in Ram & his passing away as expected was not to be found in its radar at all. They were however busy planning a big yagnya for Lok Kalyan where Arjun was to play a huge role....... .
In spite of himself Ram's father could be heard to utter in bewilderment those Tamil words "Adhu Ennathuda" meaning "what is that my friend" exemplifying the ultimate "truth of Brahmn" as being beyond words & minds.......
Hope guys you read it, & perhaps even like it. But like Ram' I may well be embarrassed if I succeed in getting appreciated.......
Love
Ekalavya alias Vichu
Ram was a legatee of a family which had absolute trust in the credo "Everything is His Will" kind of total saranaagathy. He was in his early sixties, retired, with just adequate economic wherewithal to support his family; a wife, an aged father around late eighties, and a none-too-intelligent son.
The most apt descriptive feature of Ram's entire life can be summed up, as an unique record of not having experienced a single incident which could pass of as a success. It was almost as if the thing called "achievement" would have been acutely embarrassed if there was even a hint of success associated with it.
He had a friend named Arjun from his childhood days. Arjun was born in a rich family, had the best of education, was well known equally in social, cultural, & spiritual milieu/associations/Institutions. He could talk about Music fusion, Financial management, and Advaitha philosophy all at consummate ease over a glass of wine in a cocktail party before an audience for a musical soiree. In effect everything that both the material & the spiritual world could offer was available to Arjun - in exact contrast to Ram who was denied every bit of both. A head of a spiritual Institution with whom Arjun was associated had only superlative praise for the latter's erudition, humility, and grasp of spiritual truths, giving a perception that he was indeed God's chosen one.
The only regret Ram -- without any basis, and at rare times-- nursed during these days, was the fear that his old man may survive him, and his boy may not be mature enough to support the family. This was regardless of his immense faith in God's Will which was equally shared by his father & wife. In one of those melancholy moods he even wrote his epitaph.It was a custom in his family that on the 13th day of ones death, some eulogizing epitaph about the departing soul is read out & he decided that he would ask his son to read it out when he died. It ran somewhat like this:
" Even as I end this chapter of my birth-rebirth cycle, feeling disappointed that I have not fulfilled my duties, I am also glad that my record of not tasting success remains intact. Perhaps it was Providences Will that such an experience of being able to sustain even a no-need-to- relate- to- all round -- failures kind would have been very necessary to hasten the process of liberation." .
It was perhaps God's will : Ram died suddenly one day. His son after the cremations went to his papa's friend Arjun & requested that he say a few words during the 13th day functions. Ram's epitaph was read out after a few kind words of praise from the great Arjun whose command over language was phenomenal.
The functions over, Arjun came to Ram's old father to pay his respects & remarked " I wish Ram had been a bit more worldly wise". .
The old man was for a brief moment sad : here was my son who had absolute faith in Him, had nothing but detachment for the material sukham beyond what was necessary to sustain himself & his family & for whom he felt a surge of pride, and there is this Arjun who had nothing but love for the material world which often found expressions like oh the world is sooooo beautiful etc., & the Providence lets this man talk about his friend and his son -- a true bhaktha -- in such a fashion. He however recovered soon & said "ah, but that's perhaps is His will my son".
While Arjun & Ram's father had their brief exchange, the Gods were rejoicing at their perfect model of "experiencing disappointment" with their creation of Ram.
But one of the biggest ironies was the general public's sudden admiration for Ram based on a simple logic that since Arjun had such nice words for the former, he should have been something. The other was that the Spiritual Institution with whom Ram's father was also associated with in the past, had not noticed anything in Ram & his passing away as expected was not to be found in its radar at all. They were however busy planning a big yagnya for Lok Kalyan where Arjun was to play a huge role....... .
In spite of himself Ram's father could be heard to utter in bewilderment those Tamil words "Adhu Ennathuda" meaning "what is that my friend" exemplifying the ultimate "truth of Brahmn" as being beyond words & minds.......
Hope guys you read it, & perhaps even like it. But like Ram' I may well be embarrassed if I succeed in getting appreciated.......
Love
Ekalavya alias Vichu
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