Smt Savithri Shankar, wife of birdwatcher or Ornithologist, Shankar, of Ebony (7135), breathed her last on 11 November. She was confined to wheelchair after a fall some time ago. She was never the same since then.
Shankar could get a slot for cremation only for the next morning. They were just the two of them staying at home. So, in order that Shankar did not have to spend the night all alone by the side of his loved one’s body, someone from SFV (who chooses to be anonymous) volunteered to give him company for the night. I repeat, there is no dearth of Samaritans.
I can’t claim close knowledge of the Shankars except that Savithri ji and Lalitha were both members of various ladies’ groups in SFV including Satsang. Savithri-ji had a soft corner for Lalitha, and she was one of the selected few to receive a portion of Rajamudi rice that Savithri ji got directly from a cultivator. For the uninitiated, “Rajamudi rice was originally grown for the Wodeyars, the dynasty that ruled the former kingdom of Mysore. One story says that subjects who couldn't pay taxes to the King of Mysore were asked to pay Rajamudi rice instead.”
Savithri ji also was a member, though not for long, of Lalitha’s Narayaneeyam Group 3 which is all set to complete the course soon. Unfortunately ill health prevented Savithri ji from continuing.
A chance meeting with Shankar at the Joggers Park soon after they had moved in, brought us together. He was looking through his pair of professional binoculars something atop a tree at the Turahalli forest, with a professional camera hanging on his shoulder ready shoot it in his camera. He asked me to view the bird through the binoculars and began explaining its features. And I wrote a blog on that.
A devoted husband, Shankar would bring the ailing Savithri ji to the children’s park unfailingly every morning to get her Vitamin D and fresh air, as well as to permit her meet friends who pass by. We too used to take our turn to have a chat with them.
When we called on Shankar’s house to offer our condolences, we met his tall, handsome, articulate son, Siddarth, who had come from Canada for the obsequies. A very impressive guy. During the chat it transpired that his wife is from Palakkad.
At the Vaikunta Samarathane ceremony Shankar introduced me to Siddarth’s father-in-law’s younger brother, Narayan, from Mumbai, in the hope that we might be able to establish some Palakkad-connection. Narayan stated he originally belonged to Lakshminarayana Puram. I unleashed a few of my classmates from that village – L.V. Raman, L.S. Venugupalan, L.R. Laxminarayanan… Apparently none of them helped him to connect. Understandable, because it was his grandfather who had migrated first to Bombay. So, even his father was born and brought up in Mumbai.
The function was marked by the chanting of Vishnu Sahasranamam and veda mantras by a team of learned purohits. The hallmark was the team’s intonation, pronunciation and the vibration that spread across the hall. I complimented Shankar on engaging a good team of purhoits. “You know who they are?” He asked. I didn’t. “They are Challakere brothers – Savithri’s favourites. So I made sure I engaged them.” Yes, Challakere brothers are the ones whom we too follow in our SFV Vedic Chanting group. I wish I had walked up to them and paid my respects to the Group’s gurus in absentia.
To sum up, Savitri ji was given a befitting send off under able hands. But in the end, as they say in English, “Everything that has a beginning has an ending.” In Malayalam, Innu Naan, Naale Nee (Today Me, Tomorrow You). In Hindi, Aaye akele, jayenge akela (came alone, have to depart alone). In Tamil, Veedu varai uravu, Veethi varai Manaivi (read spouse); kaadu varai pillai, kadaisi varai yaro (Relatives, till home; spouse, till the road; son, till ghat - who will, till the end? Yes, there will be similar sayings in all languages.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
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5 comments:
Om shanti
A good blog but I find it difficult to add any comment. Om shanti. May her soul rest in peace.
Om Shanti. Nice blog . It was really touching to our heart .
Somerset Maugham said in jest, Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.
Savithri Shankar lived a quality life, well read and well travelled. As a Kannada proverb says, it takes years to create but only minutes to be gone. She probably went too soon!
Both in life and death she was surrounded by excellent people. I would like to mention Mr Raghavendra Rao, who gave Prof Shankar company at his home. It is little acts like these that give us, the living, hope in humanity.
May God give Shankar’s the magnitude to navigate these difficult times.
magnitude should read as fortitude!
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