The Sub-Judge of Kumbhakonam

[Guest guest]

The Sub-Judge of Kumbhakonam

The following is an English translation from Tamil original of an

article by `A friend'. The article appears in the souvenir published

by the 450-year-old Raja Veda Kavya Patashala of Kumbhakonam.

He was a Sub-judge in Kumbhakonam (Tamilnadu) during 1961-63. I had

not known him before or after he had assumed charge. One day, in the

latter half of 1961, I was required to meet him. The message came

through his clerk. I was a little surprised but when I went to meet

him, he received me with courtesy and asked me to associate myself

wit the effort to reform some public charitable institutions

initially set up to do dharmic word.

 

Having under his control 35 such institutions, he had occasion to

observe that they were not functioning according to the original

intentions of their founder/donors. As one who had n experience of

running such institutions, I was reluctant to undertake the

assignment offered by the Sub-Judge. When I showed my disinclination,

the Sub-judge told me firmly but in an endearing tone: " Why do you

reject a request to serve a good cause? People are generally inclined

to go on talking endlessly about the deficiencies of public

institutions. They stop with that. I did not know you before, and,

yet, I called you here because God prompted me to do so. If you do

not wish to have a share in this good work, you will be committing a

sin. " I was nonplussed.

 

Fortunately, the Paramacharya of Kanchi, Jagadguru Chandrasekharendra

Saraswati, was then camping at Elayatthangudi. I put in a telephone

call to the manager of the Math, Sri Viswanatha Iyer, and requested

him to ascertain the wishes of His Holiness in the matter. He gave a

reply call conveying the Paramacharya's approval to my undertaking

the assignment. I informed the Sub-Judge about my willingness to take

up the responsibility he had intended to give me. Promptly, and with

joy, he made me a trustee of the Govindakudi Appakkutti Iyer

Charities. (GAC)

 

Along with me two more trustees were appointed. The Sub-Judge made

the three of us responsible for the running of the Veda Patashala

under the auspices of the GAC. He assured us of his help and support

in overcoming all obstacles. Thanks to all round co-operation, we

succeeded in reviving the Vedic school and running it with a strength

of 70 pupils.

 

One day the Sub-Judge took me to an Arabic College in a village near

mayavaram (now Mayiladuthurai). He took me to the classes where the

students were taught the Koran with meaning. Turning to me, he

said: " Like this, even the Vedas should be taught so that there would

be sustained growth of Vedapatachalas. " I remembered immediately that

the Paramacharya had once asked me about a `Vedabhashya College'. I

did not have adequate funds then but when the Paramacharya broached

the subject, I told him without hesitation: " If that be His

Holiness's wish, I will do everything possible to start such a

college. " His Holiness replied that He would ask me to do so at the

appropriate time.

 

Now, that my visit to the Arabic College, I was determined to start

one. I mentioned this to Paramacharya when I met Him the next time

and requested Him to inaugurate it also if He had the time and

convenience. The Paramacharya nodded His head in assent with a smile

on his lips.

 

The initial obstacles to the starting of the Vedabhashya College

having been overcome with the help of Sub-Judge, I reported progress

to the Paramacharya. he remarked humorously: " Yes our own people will

not listen to me. Even without my telling him, the Sub-judge has done

his best. "

 

A few months later, when the Paramacharya was camping at Kalyanapuram

near Veppattur, the Sub-Judge expressed, rather hesitantly, a desire

to meet Him. I told him that I would let him know His Holiness's

convenience to meet Him in two days. When told His Holiness about the

Sub-Judge's desire, the Paramacharya readily agreed to meet him. The

Sub-Judge's joy knew no bounds when I told him that he could visit

the Paramacharya.

 

The next day, late in the afternoon, both of us, the Sub-Judge and I

called on His Holiness. It was raining heavily. The sub-Judge stayed

back in the car and I went to meet the Paramacharya. The Acharya was

in the midst of a discussion on some sastraic subject. The moment He

saw me He gestured with His hand to mean, `Where is he?' When I said

that he was in the car, the Acharya asked me to take the Sub-Judge to

a premises nearby. I did so and within a short time, in pouring rain,

wading through the slush, the Acharya reached the building. His

Holiness enquired of the Sub-Judge about his family and honoured him

with a shawl. The Sub-Judge replied to all the gentle queries and was

on the verge of tears. I was a silent witness to their colloquy. " Be

well, doing good things. " He spoke not a word about the Veda

 

Patashala or the Vedabhashya College. Returning to Kumbhakonam, the

Sub-Judge, asked me to fix the date for the inauguration of the

Vedabhashya College. It was finally opened by the Paramacharya on

Dec. 12, 1963 at the Town High School, Kumbhakonam. About 5000

attended the function. Both the District judge and the Sub-Judge were

present and also spoke on the occasion.

 

The Paramacharya spoke for about two hours. He also introduced the

Sub-Judge to the gathering. When He had concluded his speech and the

crowd had started dispersing, the Paramacharya raised His hand in a

gesture of asking the people to sit down. He then narrated an

incident.

 

When the Acharya's entourage which included the Math animals - the

horse was carrying the drum - was passing in front of a mosque, there

were objections from a group of Muslims. The horse was stopped but a

conflict was somehow avoided. One of the members of the group at the

mosque wanted to meet the Acharya the next day alone. The Acharya

agreed though many objected to the Acharya meeting a stranger from

what was considered to be a hostile community alone.

 

The Acharya brushed aside all objections and met the gentleman all

alone. Did the visitor have any bad intention? No, all that he wanted

was to read out to the Acharya the slokas in Sanskrit he had composed

in praise of the Acharya! Asked how he learnt Sanskrit and what

occupation he was engaged in the visitor replied that he had learnt

Sanskrit from his father and other elders and that he was running a

mutton shop! After narrating this episode, the Paramacharya

said: " There are good people in every community, " and made a brief

reference to the good work of the Sub-Judge.

 

The Sub-Judge had several meetings with the Paramacharya after this

function. When he was in some difficulty and I mentioned it to the

Paramacharya, the Acharya just observed: " Both of you have God's

grace. " The Sub-Judge used to say: `Dharma will protect.'

Innumerable are the acts of benevolence of the Sub-Judge. He saw to

it that the students of the Veda Patashala and the Vedabhashya

College were properly fed and taken care of. This is a divinity that

binds us, the Sub-Judge and I as well as the Math.

What is the name of the Sub-judge? Judge Kamaluddin!