Memories and some lessons
22 Sept., 2008
The pain is still sharp one month later. It catches me unawares, brought on by her voice chanting slokas in my head, so close, I can almost see her. Standing in the puja room, oblivious to the world, while I sometimes waited somewhat impatiently for her to complete 'naivedya', offering the food to the gods, so that I could have my turn....
Sometime this year, maybe it was when we were discussing the shanidosha in my horoscope, she announced with conviction, 'Your star in mrigashira..your horoscope says that you will be a maha purusha one day.'
One her sick bed, she would suddenly put her finger to chin. 'I wanted to tell you something...', she would smile sheepishly. 'Oh, I forget what it is now.'
What did you want to tell me, mother? Speak to me now...
Some Lessons
Live in the moment - celebrate everyday as if it were your last. Spend time with your loved ones, for you or they will not be here tomorrow.
Just as there was birth, so will there be death. The body is in the middle of the journey of the Atman...before birth there was Atman, and after death, the Atman will continue its journey
posted by Anand Rao at
3:41 AM
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1 Comments
S. Lalita RaoLalita:
childhood was…
When one movie every Sunday evening on television was more than one asked for……
Geeta:
when we had matar ki rotis in our childhood,
when we slept outside on charpoys at 89,Pataudi House & appa would bring in the cots when it started raining at night,
when Maniram Mali worked in our garden tending to the flowers
when the bhisti brought his leather bag full of water & the scent of freshly-watered mud gently wafted up
when I saw a movie & recited the story to my friends Krishna & Sheela sitting on bricks.
when I took Anand to school to Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan'
When he did a dance wearing layers of clothes & then flinging them off in a gay dance of abandon,
when Amma wrote stories for Sarita & I was the Amanuensis,
when Kumar & I played chess together & he invariably won.
When Lalita was one of the sweetest kids in the world teaching imaginary kids with a ruler in her hand & using the door as her blackboard...
You may add to the list......
Lalita: when Kumar would make rotis, and pack for us to take to school;
when we went for Baiju Bawra, sitting in the first row of the cinema hall, thinking it to be the epitome of enjoyment;
when Anand's peon was in the row behind us, at a movie hall, and we did not feel ashamed;
when eating 'gol gappas' from the guy who brought them in bamboo basket, in dum dum, did not mean upset tummy;
when amma was gol matol and giggly;
when appa would cycle to office;
when 'outing' meant going to the cinema in air force campus, and having a 'pink rose milk' after that [AND i would invariably vomit : -) ].....
Now anand can add to this list......
Geeta: when our neighbour Mashi Ma at Dumdum saw Anand & said
"vivekanand motun chokh achche"
Lalita: When I fell off appa's shoulder's and cut my hand, and bawled all the way home; then amma did a dressing [she had nursing training during the war];…..
when we all used to go with packed roti and sabzi made by amma, to Republic Day parade;
when Kumar's friend was asked not to come into the Republic day parade grounds, because he was a Sikh;
when Geeta bowing down to any maami in the mutt, would elicit 'kalyanama??';
when participating in debates was the highlight of my life;
when outing in auxilium hostel, for me, was to walk upto the other end of the grounds, where the image of mother mary was....in the middle of the wooded area;
.......
.......
Lalita:
your memory of delhi days is much better than mine.....good, keep it up....
For me,
when delhi meant going to school in moti babu's car;
when delhi meant holi.... ;
delhi meant, amma stitching dresses for us….
Delhi meant, lots of cultural events….. and amma could go up to anyone and engage them in conversation…….
Geeta:
when Appa taught me this ditty (to accompany the making of rotis)--
"Rotti Angadi Kittappa
Nanige ondu rotti madappa
Sannige,dunduge madappa"
& Amma taught us--"Benaka Benaka
"Ekadanta..." and
"Prabhate Kara Darshanam"
When the flood-waters came inside our Delhi house & things began to float,
when we had a dry toilet at Delhi{ with no flushing system},
When Anand & Lalita were born at Dr. Goel's clinic--
where the baby lay in a cradle & Amma had a handy bell at hand.
When Amma used to feed Sadhu- Babas under the tree & once donated a silver plate to a Sadhu
When Amma used to make delicious gajar- murabbas & rawa-laddus,
When Ajja told me how he was given the title of "Rai Bahadur" & how he used to heal people,
When I went to Ajja's house at Mysore
& ate 2 dozen guavas on a single day, perched atop the tree,
When our Japanese neighbour at ND offered us rat poison very helpfully,
when the mulbery tree behind our house was an endless source of delight
when one Diwali my hair got singed from a diya kept on a window & Kumar saved me by blowing out the flame
but when Amma took out my newly made skirt to show to our neighbours the next day, she discovered holes in it!
When we had a sky- blue colored sofa at home,
When IA used to serve Cadburys to passengrs,
when Appa would give us chopped green mangoes with salt & mircha,
When I came to know of Kennedy's death on my way to school & turned back( we didn't buy newspapers those days)
When I went to see Nehru's funeral procession with Appa,
when we used to go to movies & come home sleepily in taxis!
when an oil bath meant using besan & shikakai
when we used "dant-manjan"
when we reared white rabbits & a parrot as pets
when we would go for Sita Kalyana Puja-ceremony & have a sumptuous lunch in a hall
when we used to have birthday-parties in our lawn
when Maya Rao the Dancer was our neighbour...