Venkatasubba Sastry

                                          

  

                 

      Towards the end of the nineteenth century, brahmin communities were settled down in villages in Palakkad and life seemed to go on smoothly. The lands around were fertile and suitable for paddy cultivation and there was abundant cheap labor to till the land. Even the intrusions of Hyder and Tippo barely affected them. The Nairs did the fighting and bore the brunt of Tippo's wrath. So the Palakkad brahmins had a easy life and plenty of time to lead a life of studies and rituals. It was a very closed community which mixed little and intermarried a lot. They kept up their traditions. However there were the odd trailblazers as in the past who saw ahead and were the pioneers but for whom the community would not have survived all these centuries. One such was Venkatasubba Sastry of Noorni village.

       The monsoon had set in and with a stiff breeze the water was being sprayed all over like waves. You could just see the outlines of the houses. On the slushy road by the side of a few small houses you could just make out the figure of a man clutching a palm leaf umbrella, his tuft of hair flying in the breeze and his dhoti tied like a loin cloth. Up and down walked Sastry, splashing the muddy water with his wooden clogs. He seemed to be muttering to himself and in deep concentration. The neighbors did not bother with him and his family ignored him. They knew that when Sastry was in one of his moods it was better to leave him alone. 

      The village of Noorni was one of the brahmin villages near Palakkad, a small settlement which you reached by a mountain path from the plains of Kovai. After the end of the Chola rule the brahmin priests found that life was no longer easy in Tanjavur and the Kavery delta lands with dwindling patronage from royal houses. The great migration started to different parts of the south and one of the places they migrated to was to Palakkad where the terrain and weather made cultivation of paddy profitable. Local labor was available and life settled down to an easy one with enough time to spend on studies and worship. The times were however unsettled. The arrival of the British in the south and their slow expansion changed the settled life.

     Sastry was thinking of all this when he was walking in the pouring rain. He was barely aware of being drenched by the rain. The British were there to stay and no one was going to dislodge them. You had to accept that no other ruler or power was going to dislodge then in the near future - neither the French nor the Muslims. As for the Hindus they had their last flicker in the Vijayanagar kingdom. Sastry was an unconventional thinker and in the village he was considered a crank. He realized that the brahmin families’ way of life was bound to change and that to be on top they had to change. Few realized that they had done it in the past. Though the majority stuck to priesthood, there had been generals, politicians and even kings. Sastry concluded that for his children the way to go ahead was to have English education. The sooner he was able to arrange for this the greater would be the head start they would have. This was going to cost money and he did know how was he going to manage it. It was past midnight and Sastry decided to turn in.

      Mrs. Sastry was anxiously awaiting him. She took his umbrella, took off his clogs, washed his legs with warm water and dried him.

“Are you OK?  You get some sleep now.”  - Mrs. Sastry. 

“Do not worry Alamelu. I know what to do. There are some details to be worked out. I will have a walk on Fort ramparts tomorrow and work it out.” -Sastry.

       Mrs. Sastry was aware of the turmoil her husband was going through. She was glad that unlike others in the village who had a habit of doing nothing and leaving every thing to fate and god, Sastry was firm believer in the tenet that God helps those who strive and help themselves. Behind his rough exterior was a kind and considerate man who loved his wife and children and would do anything for them. He was a man of deep knowledge who was consulted by many.

     Early next morning, before the sunrise Sastry was on the ramparts of the Hyder Tippo fort talking to himself. The way to survive and prosper was to give his children English education so that they could take up jobs with English government. When the British were driven out this education would give them a head start. This was better than being part of the landed gentry. In any case they would lose their lands when the peasant laborers became smarter. Sastry gave the impression of a very orthodox brahmin who believed in rituals. Inwardly he realised that the heart of Brahmanism meant appreciation and love of knowledge and the ability to question things and arrive at your own answers. He realised that only a wise minority among the brahmins appreciated this.

      It was a misty morning with a fine drizzle of rain and all round him were the paddy fields and in the distance the blue hills. Where else would he see such a beautiful sight?  The sun peeped out and there was the unusual sight of a rainbow in the morning. Sastry took it a sign from the Gods. He walked back to the village and having washed his legs sat on a mat in the veranda of his house and had his morning coffee and tiffin. He explained that he had come to the conclusion that for the sake of the children it was better to move on so that he could give them an English education. This came as no surprise to Mrs. Sastry as her husband had been talking about this for some days.

      Then Sastry started the long preparations to execute his ideas .He did not tell anyone his complete plans except to inform his neighbors that he was migrating with his family to try to better his life. He made arrangements with his close relatives to take over his house and lands so that it remained in the family. His friends and neighbors tried to dissuade him from his mad venture but Sastry was firm. 'Mark my words' said Sastry to his friends 'A hundred years from now all of you would have lost your lands to your tillers. His relatives and neighbors laughed at his madness at leaving a well settled life and risking every thing for an unknown future. They were in awe of his knowledge but did not approve of his unconventional ideas.

      Sastry's plan was to make his way to distant Mysore which was ruled by the Wodiyar maharaja. After the Mysore wars he was reinstated by the British in his old throne.  He was a Sanskrit scholar interested in music and in his court, scholars and musicians were patronized and given generous grants. Sastry was confident of impressing the Maharajah and getting a job as a scholar. The Maharajah might even help with the education of his children.

      Sastry and family set out in a bullock cart on an auspicious day.  We of the present generation cannot grasp the enormity of the difficulties of the journey across the southern Indian peninsula. The only mode of transport was the bullock cart on bumpy and slushy tracks. You covered a few miles a day and lodging and rest places were far and few. You slept in the cart or in the open if the weather permitted. You cooked your own food on the way. You changed the cart at every village and had to find a new one. The journey was made more burdensome with young children. This was what Sastry set out to do. 

     Sastry had an iron will and determination to achieve what he wanted to do. He was gifted with an even temper and persuasive skills of the highest order. He was gifted with a wife who was prepared to go all the way for him and even came up with ideas whenever they faced a problem. Sastry was way ahead of his generation in his attitude towards women. When he was stumped he consulted his wife. In spite of all this the journey was tumultuous. Hot words were exchanged. The children were misplaced some times and they had to go back and pick them.

      The journey was made easier by Sastry's charisma and communications skills. He could charm anyone by his soft manners and once you started talking to him you realised that you were in the presence of a person of deep knowledge, vision and compassion. At every village halt he would visit the agraharam and introduce himself. It did not take long for the villagers to realise that they were in the presence of a gifted man. They were welcomed and treated as honoured guests. Sastry's reputation as wise man spread ahead him and at every halt he was given a rousing welcome and help.

       Coming down the Palakkad gap into the Kovai plains Sastry and family made their way to Srirangam temple on the Kaveri river. Here also he was well received and stayed on for a few weeks before slowly climbing the Mysore plateau. This was the route of the Chola and Chalukyas armies in their constant battles. Finally they made it to Bangaluru village. They had a well earned rest and proceeded to Mysore before the monsoon set in to cross the Kaveri at Srirangapattinam. On the way they stayed at the Sriranga temple at Sivasamudra on an island in the Kaveri river. Then on to Srirangapattinam, and the  Ranga remple. Finally they arrived in Mysore after a six month journey. Mrs. Sastry and the children were relieved that the back-breaking bullock cart travel was over and that they could rest for a few days.

       Sastry was full of energy and wanted to get on with the job. The very next day he took his family to show them the maharajah's palace and their eyes popped at the magnificent sight of the palace lit up by lamps. Sastry contacted a few contacts for help in approaching the maharajah. He was told that he was a very learned man well versed in Sanskrit and music and a very generous patron. There was a gathering of learned scholars the following week at the palace where the maharajah sat among them and had discussions. Sastry friend's arranged to introduce him as a scholar from Palakkad.

      The Maharajah had these gathering of scholars and musicians at frequent intervals when he listened and interacted with them as one of them. This was his way of encouraging scholars and musicians to exchange ideas and to innovate. Whenever a new person was brought he had to be briefly introduced by the person who brought him. Then he had to say a few words on his work or music. Sastry with his charisma, melodic voice and deep knowledge made an impression on the maharajah.  He made further inquiries about him and sent for him for a personal chat. Saying that he wanted this jewel of a man for himself he appointed him as the personal teacher of his children.

      Sastry was happy and settled down to a very satisfying career where he had a lot of free time for his scholarly activities. When his children grew up he explained to the Maharajah that he would like them to educated in English colleges for a career with the British Government. They had been educated in Sanskrit and our knowledge and this would make them fend for themselves and who knows, even help our country in the future. The Maharajah totally agreed with him and gave him generous financial help. Sastry also arranged the marriage of his daughters. Those days girls were married at a young age and he kept to the custom.

    As far as his sons were concerned Sastry did not care about the customs but decided to give them the best education to help them in the future. His fist son was similar to him in his outlook. The second son Padmanabhan was traditional and did not want to change his way of life.The third son was more adventurous and off the main stream.  Sastry decided to concentrate on the first and third sons.

     Sastry took his first son Ananthanarayanan to Madras and admitted him to the B.A. course in Presidency College. Ananthanarayanan passed out with flying colours and was a Gold medalist. He was immediately offered a job by the government in the revenue department in Nellore. He was highly thought of by the government for his efficiency and integrity. He climbed up the bureaucratic ladder fast. He lead a full social life in the community and was respected as an English and Sanskrit scholar. He was a talented astrologer consulted by many. 

     The third son Mahadevan was also very well versed in Sanskrit but was very untraditional. When Sastry took him to Madras he had a look at the General Hospital near the Central Station and told his father, " I want to study there". Sastry being a wise man, agreed, and Mahadevam took his L.M.PandS. He was a brilliant student and the mnemonic training of the brahmins had given him an encyclopedic memory capability which helped him with his medical studies. In addition he had the rare ability not to take things for granted but to experiment.

      Then the First World War started and the British relied heavily on Indian manpower to fight their battles. This helped both Ananthanarayanan and Mahadevan in their respective careers. Ananthanarayanan worked full time in recruiting people for the war. In fact he was so successful that his work was recognised at the end of the war with promotions and he got to the top position in the revenue department in Nellore. Ananthanarayanan was very a well regarded Sanskrit scholar. He had a collection of rare old Sanskrit manuscripts. He was in demand as an astrologer. Finally he was an expert in treatment of snake bites which were quite common those days. He died of diabetes after the war, deeply mourned by the local people.

     Mahadevan was more adventurous and got recruited to the Indian Medical Service and sent to Gallipoli as a doctor surgeon. There was a shortage of doctors to attend to the enormous number of causalities in this sector. Sastry was not happy but took it in his stride even when snide remarks were made about crossing the seas and becoming impure. Ananthanarayanan also fully supported his brother. Mahadevan made full use of the war to hone his skills as a doctor and surgeon on the battlefields of Gallipoli. At the end of the war he used the money he had earned to go to England to get the highest qualifications in medicine and surgery. He had a very successful career in the Indian Medical service.

      The second son also did well as a respected priest . Sastry died a very contented man having achieved what he set out to do. Sastry’s family did very well though as in all families there were one or two black sheep.

      Nearly a century after Sastry's death when he was a forgotten figure one of his great grandsons decided to find out about his ancestors and got the basic facts of Sastry's life. Another great grandson decided to write about Sastry. This story contains a lot of embellishments and imaginative reconstruction of the bare story. The writer apologizes for this but otherwise Sastry's courage and achievements would have not come through. Sastry's farsighted vision paid off and he would have been very happy with his descendants and their achievements. The Sastry family is very large now- so large that some of them do not know the others! A lot of them have made their mark and are spread out throughout world..

   Raja Ramakrishnan

   12th October 2009

Comments

[Kamini]

Brilliant Appa. An excellent read, you really brought Sastry's journey to life.
Now I need to find out exactly who Padmanabhan and Ananthanarayan's descendants were and are (I have inherited my confusion about these matters from you!)I assume Mahadevan is Col. Mahadevan whose name I have heard so many times, but rarely in any context.

[Vijay]

Amazing chronicle! It is too bad there are very few accounts of Indians of that generation as all we seem to get is reams of stuff on the Brits! I know you are an anglophile but such luminaries need more light shone on them!

[aditi]

wow what an inspirational story! what motivated you to write this? really enjoyed reading it, can imagine how hard it must have been riding for such long distances on bullock carts...and wonderful that he had a very modern view of women. great job thath.

[Account Deleted]

How ironic - my mother's side moved from Mysore state to Kovai, and your mother's side moved from Palakkad to Mysore!!

Nice reading, appa!

And Kamini, Ananthanarayan's descendants live at darpana,.... and waterside and bay breeze!

[Account Deleted]

For some odd reason, typepad is not accepting my comment unless signed in.

[Shyam]

Wow, what a read that was, Mr R! Oddly enough, my great-great-grandfather (grandmother's grandad) on my dad's side was also a luminary at the Mysore Maharaja's Court. He was apparently a very renowned Sanskrit scholar and astrologer.

[Durga]

That was a great read Athan!! Oh and Chellama disputes the claim that Venkatasubba Sastry lived in Noorani. She has been told by Ramani Chittappa that the family had moved two generations before to a place called Dharapuram. Not that it takes anything away from the story, just something more for you to research!!

[Ness Pesikaka]

Great story; even if there inevitably there are some embellishments by the great grand son!

My father too was a man who was a visionary who as the first born of 21 in abject poverty in a village, rose to a very senior position by dint of sheer hard work and rectitude.

[Raja Ramakrishnan]

Thanks Ness.Wriiten for my grandchildren.There interest in the past is luke warm but they read it and enjoyed it.
Thanks

[rajamani]

sir raja,

you are right that we are not a record driven society like the western cultures. thanks to village church records, it is possible to reconstruct lives of many a common person from the medieval period onwards in many english villages and towns. i am quite sure it is the same rest of europe.

without putting any slant to it, if it were not for the british many of our ancient treasures might have gone to the dogs.

as such it is unfortunate that none of the pre islamic architecture of the north has survived. atleast we are luckier in the south.

my own antecedents of hundred years or so ago is from palghat, though we moved on to north malabar after that.

a very enjoyable read.

thank you.