From this day you are a Brahmin!

 All of us  know that Mahakavi Bharathiyar vested a Harijan youth with sacred thread in a ceremony initiating him into Gayathri mantra. The youth Kanagalingam, in his book “En Gurunathar” (My Master)   narrates how he got into contact with Bharathiyar, and also gives a detailed account of the Sacred Thread Investiture Ceremony.

In 1907, Kanagalingam (age 17) the youth from Puducherry was fascinated by the writings of Bharathiyar in India magazine. He almost became his devotee. He used to visit Bharathiyar’s house daily, and read Swadesamitran and other papers spread on a table. On the first day when the devotee folded his hands as if in prayer, the Master gazed at him and nodded gracefully. He also used to ask Chellamma to give him breakfast, and commanded him to eat. The disciple could not dare to decline. This became a regular practice. The relationship became more intimate when Kanagalingam arranged for Bharathiyar’s discourse in a Cricket Club he was associated with. Of course, this caused Kanagalingam and other friends getting into conflict with the local authorities.

 Kanagalingam was mulling in his mind that he should get some initiation from the Guru. While so, the Guru himself expressed his keenness to initiate him into the Gayathri Mantra, the sacred mantra chanted by Brahmins.

Yes. This materialized. Bharathiyar advised him to get up early in the morning, wear clean clothes, (No shirt, please) and come to the venue. When he arrived at the hall, there was a good gathering, including Brahmins and others as well. Prominent among them were, Va.Ve.Su Ayyar, Kuvalai Krishnamachariyar, Mandayam Srinivasachariyar, Ngasami Iyer, Govindarajulu and others. Soon Bharathiyar appeared in the hall with a prominent vermilion mark on his forehead. All of them chanted Vande Mataram. Bharathiyar sang songs in praise of Parasakthi. In the hall were the pictures of Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Krishna. Below Krishna’s picture was a sword. Bharathiyar put vermilion marks on the pictures and on the Sword.

Bharathiyar asked Kanagalingam to kneel down, put sacred ash in his forehead, arms and body. Then after a long meditation and chanting he put the sacred thread on the disciple, and harangued in his stentorian voice, “From this day, you are a Brahmin”. If anybody asks your caste, say boldly, “I am a Brahmin”. If anybody asks if there is any provision in the religion for such initiation, what should he say? Bharathiyar himself answered the question. “Say, I don’t know. If you have any doubt asks my Master.” Bharathiyar was waiting for such an opportunity to expound the broadmindedness of the Vedic Rishis, and the noblest ideals of the Hindu religion.

“But, no such opportunity arose” writes Kanagalingam.  Nobody dared to put the question to Bharathiyar, it seems.

 

Bharathi's Fable

 

Bharathi’s Parable

 

A worm was crawling in its own course. An ant came near it. The worm contemptuously dismissed it saying,” you flesh eating ugly creature! Don’t you dare to come near me!” The ant was adamant, went still closer. “Why are you coming near me, sinful creature?” shouted the worm. The ant quietly said, “To eat you!”

 

“Fool! I will crush you in no time! How audacious you are! Leave here immediately, or else…” warned the worm.

 

Mean time, the ant got very close to the worm and caught hold of its body. Unable to bear the pain, the worm cried,”Please, please leave me! You must not be violent!” preached the worm. The ant did not care, but left the worm, because on its own it was not able to carry the worm.

 

The worm heaved a sigh of relief, muttered to itself,”Thank God! The wretched fellow is gone” and took shelter under the shade of a plant, and was resting calmly as if in meditation.

 

The ant which went, returned with four more of its comrades, caught hold of the worm and made a feast of it.

 

Bharathi said, “Ants are always united. When there is a problem for one all of its clan will rush to help. But the worms are selfish. They care for themselves only. If they find a comrade in distress, they do not even pause to take notice, and go about with their own jobs. “Why invite trouble for ourselves, after all he is in distress.” It is their attitude”

 

Bharathi asked his listeners,” Which is good? To be like the worm or the ant?” without waiting for the answer, he himself narrated the moral of the story, by singing a poem in his stentorian voice, The stanza recited started with the line,”onru pattaal undu vaazve”

 

In Prof. P.S.sundaram’s rendering the stanza means,

 

“Only united, true life we attain

Divided go down, and none of us gain!

This is the lesson we all have to heed

Once we know this, what else do we need?”

 

 

 (Narrated by an associate of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiyar-Source “Bharathi Vijayam” –a Compendium on Bharathiyar by Sandhya pathippagam)