Elders Rock Again

Sunday, 22 September, the day chosen by an organization in Coimbatore to chant pan India One Crore Vishnu namas – for the 15th year.

Hari and Geetha (3192) organized this last year. They were fully geared to repeat it this year, but had to call it off as one of their relatives was taken ill and they had to rush to hometown. Man proposes, God disposes, or, daane daane pe khane walle ka naam. Yes, the honour presented itself to me. Everything is preordained. Not taking credit. Just that Hari’s loss (inevitable) was my gain.

Regardless of the short notice, members of SFV’s Vedic Chant group were equal to the occasion. Seven couples came forward not only to attend but to bring prasadam – Pongal (chutney to go with), puliogare, side dishes (aloo curry, raita, potato chips), jaggery-dipped banana chips, jackfruit chips, chakkara Pongal, appam, curd rice, puli inchi, cut-mango, amla achar, and Andhra spicy mango pickles… So much so, in retrospect one wondered whether it was a case of prasadam for function, or function for prasadam. Anyway, occasional indulgence is permitted, if only it is done with the solemn oath, ‘just this time’ - each time.

The event was not without some snippets.  There was a wild-card entry. The husband came first and said his wife would join soon but asked us to start. She hurried just in time for the second avarthi, with a container full of lemon rice, an unscheduled but welcome prasadam. Another member had to leave after first avarthi lest the domestic help got away with the excuse, ‘locked’. Thus, for counting, the chanting of these two constituted one (2 avarthis by one and 1 avarthi by the other). Yes, we didn’t want any nama-japam to go uncounted.

In another case (just to emphasize the enthusiasm), one friend had recently undergone a surgical intervention. He couldn’t sit for three hours. So, he did it in absentia. He arranged with a participant to give him a miss-call each time a new avarthi began, for him to get started too. Yes, we did 3 avarthis, and we were 17, ranging from 91 years to 57 (not to ignore my 22-year old tall, handsome new neighbour - to take photos and video).  Thus, we were supposed to have chanted 51 000 Vishnu namas (17 x 3 x 1000) for a target of 1,00,00,000. Yes, boond boond se sagar.

With male and female chanting together, modulation, tempo, pitch, could all pose a threat. No, it was a smooth flow. Earlier, the participants were treated with a welcome drink, hot Badam milk. After the first avarthi, hot coffee, and after the third, lukewarm water. But many preferred to skip it, some to do full justice to the plateful on the way, others as they didn’t feel thirsty.

After the chant, it was aarathi, where the ladies sang with supreme confidence and gusto the song that they did for Narayaneeyam, Devi Mahatmyam meets, where the names of almost all Gods figure in.  

Time for prasadam distribution. Each lady was keen to take charge of the dish she had brought, but that would mean equal number of ladies catering to an equal number of gents. So better sense prevailed. Only a select few organized filling and distribution of plates, while Carnatic songs rendered separately by Revathi Balasubramaniam and Kaleeswaran filled the vacuum.

As participants bid adieu, some quipped: “When do we meet again mama for a similar occasion?’; “how about a one-day trip; long-time no travel, sir?”. Yet another said, “Now we know whom to insist on to bring what for such a picnic. The only caution to exercise is to order for not a 21-seater but a sleeper coach, to succumb to the sedative effects such heavy doses bring along.” 

Prasadams turned to be a problem of plenty. It was lunch time. Everyone took back his/her leftover and distributed on way home to the security staff, the gardening staff and housemaids who all felt more than happy.

Yes, one good deed a day. And we fulfilled Sunday’s quota. Lokah samastha sukhino bhavanatu.

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