Sri Stuti Vedanta Desika

Sesha Seshi Relationship is vital

Twin Nature of God Hood is Lord and Sri

The goal for each one of us is to reach the two of them - The two together are our refuge

(PART 1)

Vedanta Desika’s Sri Stuti is a terrific piece that defines the Vaishnavite philosophy.  Comprising of 25 verses, it is rich in text and content and ranks alongside Alavanthar’s Chatusloki (will be seen shortly in this section). 

Vedanta Desika starts Sri Stuti with complete surrender at the feet of Goddess Lakshmi and states that she is the one who recommends us to the Lord for Moksha among every other thing. This address to Sri is particularly significant because she constitutes half of the ‘Divya Dampathee’.

In the initial set of verses, he prostrates to her and refers to mere mortals like himself as destitute with no refuge other than reaching out to her as his refuge.

மாநாதீத ப்ரதித விபாவாம் மங்களம் மங்களாநாம்

வக்ஷ பீடீம் மது விஜயிநோ பூஷ்யந்தீம் ஸ்வகாந்த்யா

பிரத்யஷாநு ஷ்ரவிக மகிமா ப்ரார்த்திநீநாம் ப்ரஜாநாம்

ச்ரேயோமூர்த்திம் ச்ரியமசரண த்வாம் சரணாம் ப்ரபத்யே

Sri’s Greatness

Vedanta Desika then showcases the greatness of Sri.

He praises her greatness as being immeasurable. ‘Her greatness is so huge that it defers all measures.’

Not only is her greatness immeasurable but it is also indescribable. She has very distinctive qualities and none of that is measurable. He refers to himself as one with modest intellect and hence poses the question as to how he can even contemplate singing praise of her. And yet he says he is trying to attempt to describe her features.

பூமா யஸ்யா புவநமகிலம் தேவி திவ்யம் பதம் வா

ச்தோக ப்ரஜ்ஞைரநவதி குணாசஸ்தூயஸே ஸா கதம் த்வம்

It is her Mangalam that is treated as most auspicious.  The simple fact that she ever resides on the chest of Lord Vishnu is enough to showcase her greatness. He further praises her as residing on a throne on the chest of the Lord. He describes her as the very structure of all good things. Devotees who with unflinching faith invoke her blessings are granted all good things including non worldly things like Moksham.

He says she is the one who appeared in the milky ocean and the Yagna of Janaka when he ploughed the ground. Her greatness is exemplified by the fact that she possesses this world and the other world i.e Sri Vaikuntam.

And as he goes on, one comes across more of Desika’s humility. He positions himself as being blessed by her and dedicates any good thing done by him to her blessings.

Sri’s Powers

Next one finds a brilliant verse describing the power of Sri.

He says that there are those who seek to start on a mission of singing praise of her. Even as such thoughts crop up in their minds, they become achievers right at the moment that such thoughts come up in their mind.

He may not even have started to compose but the very thought would have raised them to popularity. And how is that possible if it were not for her blessings.

ச்தோதவ்யத்லம்      திஷதி பவதீ தேஹிபி: ச்தூயமாநா

தாமேவ த்வாமநிதர கதி: ச்தோதுமாஷம்ஸமாந:

ஸித்தாரம்ப்: ஸகல புவந ஸலாகநீயோ  பவேயம்

ஸேவாபேக்ஷா தவ சரணயோ: ஷ்ரேயஸே கஸ்ய ந ஸ்யாத்

If one seeks to serve her, then it is likely that all kinds of blessings will be showered on such people. And they need not worry about anything for that very moment when he started to think about her, all benefits would have started accruing to him.

Lord is Great but how does he have that Greatness

He refers to the Lord as the soul of all sentient and non sentient and all moving and stationary things and describes him as the soul and life. It is through his will that one has even got an opportunity to be born in this world and to live and finally die.

Even Yogic like Sanaka meditate on him. While Upanishads use different terms like Sat, Atma, Brahman, it always connotes Narayanan. Having thus praised the Lord, Vedanta Desika moves on to Sri and says that his greatness is all because of her residing in his chest almost meaning to say that without her presence he may be bereft of such powers.

Vedanta Desika goes on to imply that such powers will work in full steam only with the presence of her red lotus feet on his chest.

பூர்ணம் தேஜ: ஸ்புரதி பவதீ பாத லாக்ஷா ரஸாங்கம்

Direct Address – Their Qualities are EQUAL

While the 4^th verse extolled God’s greatness and his powers being functional only with her presence, in the next one he addresses her directly and is far more definitive about her role.

Vedanta Desika praises them as a unique couple ever in mutual love. Both have exceptional qualities. One can be denoted by relation to the other and are always working together for the world’s good. He goes on to describe their abodes.

Adisesha is referred to as the abode for both not just for the Lord, Yogis of great blemish-less purity is another and the Vedas is referred as another abode. He concludes referring to their distinctive qualities as being complementary. He also refers to their qualities as being equal. And ends the verse saying the goal for each one of us is to reach the two of them. The two together are our refuge.

Sesha Seshi Relationship is vital

உத்தேஷ்யத்வம் ஜநநி பஜதோருஜ்ஜி தோபாதி கந்தம்

ப்ரத்யக்ரூபே ஹவிஷி யுவயோரேக ஸேஷித்வ யோகாத்

பத்மே பத்யுஸ்தவ ச நிகமைர்நித்யமந் விஷ்யமாணோ

நாவச்சேதம் பஜதி மஹிமா நர்த்தயந் மாநஸம்  ந:

On the one end is the soul that has attained realisation - it is a slave, a servant and a dependent. At the other end is the Divine Couple. This Sesha Seshi relationship is fundamental to our philosophy says Vedanta Desika.

Our aim is to directly surrender to her. Unlike the five yagnas and homams where the names of Indra, Agni, Brahma and Siva are extolled, the surrender of the soul seeks to avoid this last process of going through external deities and is a direct surrender to Her. And Desika reaffirms that we have only goal the Seshi-  the Divya Dampathee.

Our hearts have been able to comprehend the true nature of God hood as a twin personality – the Lord and Consort. Vedanta Desika is delighted at achieving this realisation and is happy at the triumph. 

Thiru Koshtiyur Periyazhvar Thirumozhi

A decad dedicated entirely to the ‘People of Koshtiyur’

Benchmark on how to live life - Their generosity was a standout feature

Even the Asuras would feel ashamed to steal here

Thiru Kottiyur stood for JUSTICE

People always spoke the truth

For ever they performed selfless service

Always welcomed guests with honour

Developed good habits and noble thoughts

Youngsters wanted to emulate their Preceptors

In the entire Periyazhvar Thirumozhi comprising of 473 verses, the people of Thiru Kottiyur get the highest form of praise from Periyazhvar. While he has praised Srirangam and Thiru Maliruncholai in multiple decads with far more number of verses, in his praise of Thiru Kottiyur in the fourth Canto comprising of 10 verses, he cites the people of Thiru Kottiyur as the ‘Gold Standard’ for living our lives.

 

The verses on Srirangam and Thiru Maliruncholai are more about the greatness of the Lord and what he offers his devotees. The one on Thiru Kottiyur is about how one should live life showcasing several examples of how the residents were a benchmark in the art of a Noble Life.

These 10 verses are a beautiful mix of showcasing the greatness of the sacred town through a negative connotation. The residents were seen as people with the greatest of qualities. Even in the most testing of times, their character stood out.

Periyazhvar is so pleased with the way the Thiru Kottiyurans lived life that he even talks about the kind of punishment that should be meted out to those (thankfully they were in the minority- he does not even mention that there were a few, he only questions if there is a possibility of any existing) who strayed away from the normal way of life of the people of Thiru Kottiyur.

The people of Thiru Kottiyur always spoke the truth. They welcomed guests with honour. They performed selfless services to the Lord. Youngsters learnt the Vedas all the time and tried to perfect it through their life time, such was their dedication.

If ever there was anyone away from the aforementioned qualities, he wonders as to why the lord created them at all in the first place (முதல்வனைச் சிந்தியதை அப்பாவ காரிகளைப் படைத்தவன் எங்ஙனம் படைதான் கொலோ).

Blemish-less People

They were blemish-less with almost no faults. From a young age, they cultivated good habits. You could find no one with malice. Their generosity was a stand-out feature. The youngsters always wanted to emulate their preceptors and each one of them strived to perfect the Vedas.

If ever there is anyone from Thiru Kottiyur who does not offer worship to this Lord and who strays from the above qualities, he is likely to cause unbearable pain in the womb of his mother for having been born here (தன்னைத் தொழாதவர் பெற்ற தாயார் வயிற்றினைப் பேரு நோய் செய்வான் பிறந்தார்களே).

Blessed to Sing Praises

Periyazhvar then describes the physical structure of the place. Big mansions and Gem Studded porticos used to cast shadows by their light of brilliance. Those destined to be born at Thiru Kottiyur were blessed to sing praise of his names.

The Lord gave us fingers to use them to count his names. If ever there remained a person who did not understand this wish of the lord even for a moment and who thought that his only job in life was to push food down his throat to create a bad odour, it is unfortunate to have someone like that (உன்னை கண்ட தம் ஊத்தை வாய்குக் கவள முந்துகின்றார்களே).

A pity if the tongue does not utter HIS Names

He describes it further. Rows of swans rise over the fertile fields that are abound with red lotus. Having been blessed to have obtained a birth at Thiru Kottiyur it would be such a pity if his tongue does not utter the Lord’s name.

If he did not use this blessed life of being born at Thiru Kottiyur to utter the Lord’s name, then the water he drinks and the clothes he wears must have sinned, for him to be so (நரக நாசனை நாவில் கொண்டு அழையாத மானிட சாதியர் பருகு நீரும் உடுக்குங் கூரையும் பாவம் செய்தன தாங்கொலோ).

In addition to the swans, Thiru Kottiyur had large number of fishes that jumped on the back of turtles and then on to the fresh lotuses and moved around playfully.

Log of Dead Wood

Periyazhvar compares the devotion-less people to dead wood.

If ever any person from Thiru Kottiyur did not invoke the blessings of the Lord, he is like a log of dead wood and a burden on the entire earth. His anger rises and he even contemplates taking away the food from their mouth and replacing it with grass (நேமி சேர் தடங்கையினானை நினைப்பிலா வலி நெஞ்சுடை ப்தூமி பாரங்களுண்ணும் சோற்றினை வாங்கி புல்லைத் திணிமினே).

He praises that a majority of them as being generous, blemish-less and without enemies. He goes to the extent of saying that when their feet touch the ground, the earth gets sanctified and becomes purer (பாத தூளி படுதலால் இவ்வுலகம் பாக்கியம் செய்ததே).

The seers at Thiru Kottiyur unmindful of their health recite the four Vedas day and night praising their Lord offering their heart and soul. Periyazhvar wonders what penance they would have done in their previous birth to have been blessed with a life in Thiru Kottiyur.

Thiru Kottiyur is a place that provides highest form of justice. Lord has himself assigned Selva Nambi to serve him and chant his names. He praises Selva Nambi as one who has excellent qualities, brings people together, is highly compassionate and sings praise of the Lord of Thiru Kottiyur.

Even Asuras won’t steal here

In the last two verses, Periyazhvar places Thiru Kottiyur as an ultimate place to be for noble people and takes the sanctity of Thiru Kottiyur to a different level. He says that such is the purity of the place thanks to the reverberation of the sacred chants that even Asuras won’t steal grains at Thiru Kottiyur (விளைத்த தானியமும் இராக்கதர் மீது கொள்ளகிலார்களே).

Even the cuckoos sitting along the huge trees seem to be singing praise of the Lord with their cooing. These cuckoos and the noble beings that he sees at Thiru Kottiyur symbolise the qualities of the Lord. Just seeing them fills one’s hearts with good thoughts.

Do such people exist now?

Periyazhvar has reserved showcasing the greatest quality of the residents of Thiru Kottiyur for his concluding verse.

During famine, grains sell at such a premium that even a handful of grains cost a gold coin. But even during these most testing of times, the people of Thiru Kottiyur, known for their extra ordinary generosity, feed the guests with honour as if everything was normal. They do not use such tough times to hide their stocks and claim shortfall to their guests. Would you not sell yourselves as bonded slaves to such high quality people, asks Periyazhvar

(காசின் வாய்க்கரம் விற்கிலும் கரவாது மாற்றிலி சோறிட்டு தேச வார்த்தை படைக்கும் வண் கையினார்கள் வாழ் திருக்கோட்டியூர் ...........அடியார்கள் எந்தம்மை விற்கவும் பெறுவார்களே).

Thiru Maliruncholai Periyazhvar Thirumozhi

The Victory Hill – A Pleasant Hill – A Beautiful Hill - A Sanctuary 

A Hill with Fertile Land - Long Ancient Great Mountain

Periyazhvar had a special liking for the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai. In the fourth Canto, he praises the temples of Srirangam, Kadi Nagar and Thiru Koshtiyur. And he begins the praise with a detailed description in two decads of the activities surrounding Thiru Maliruncholai that provides insights into this place. He makes repeated references to Nupur Ganga and its greatness.

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Celestial girls came all the way to bathe in Nupur Ganga that flowed down from the Thiru Malirun Cholai hills. Through the verses, he praises Nupur Ganga as producing sacred water. One also gets a glimpse of the force of Nupur Ganga. She is seen sending down sacred water from atop the hill that streams with great speed down the steep slope of the mountain. In the process, she is showering many precious gifts and it seems like a message to the devotees to place those directly at the feet of the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai.

ஈட்டிய பல் பொருள்கள் எம்பிரானுக்கு அடியுறை என்று ஒட்டரும் தண் சிலம்பாறு உடை மாலிருஞ் சோலையதே

The Kalpataru flowers in heaven that he had earlier described in the 2^nd canto (Satyabhama wanted Krishna to get it for her) is filled with nectar like fragrance and compares that to Nupur Ganga which he as having this fragrance of nectar. Devotees were seen thronging in big numbers through the year to have a sacred bath.

வானாட்டில் நின்று மாமலர்க் கற்பகத் தொத்த இழி

தேனாறு பாயும் தென் திரு மாலிருஞ் சோலையே 

He credits the huge groves of Thiru Maliruncholai to the flowing spring of Nupur Ganga that was producing streams of water round the year.

Rama and Krishna Avatara

Periyazhvar praises the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai as both Rama and Krishna.

Ravana as one who was gifted the great sword Chandra Hasa by Shiva. The Lord who killed that great Lankan King and mutilated his sister’s nose provides darshan here in a grand posture.

Periyazhvar had earlier described the recognition provided by Krishna to the hunch back lady who as a reward for smearing sandal paste on his body was gifted with removal of the hunch. He reminds us once again of that episode in these verses.

Down South to Hell

He is praised as one who sends wicked Asuras down South to Hell. However, at the same time, those who offer sincere prayers at Thiru Maliruncholai are protected by him. Whenever in distress, even the celestials and sages used to invoke the blessings of the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai and those who visit this temple are kept on the same noble path without deviating into doing wrong things.

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தக்கார் மிக்கார்களை சஞ்சலம் செய்யும் சலவரை தெக்கா நெறியே போக்குவிக்கும் செல்வன் பொன் மலை

Cobras and Animals at Thiru Maliruncholai

Cobra is described as a huge long animal. Each time it raises its hood there is a scary hissing sound that one hears. The cobras of Thiru Maliruncholai were so long that their tongue that when stretched seem to be touching the moon.

நஞ்சுமிழ் நாக மேழுத்தணவி நளிர் மாமதியை செஞ்சுடர் நாவளைக்கும் திருமாலிருஞ் சோலையதே

Thiru Maliruncholai is described as a place home to huge elephants that make their way into the forest at the strike of dusk in large numbers as a herd. The Wild elephants are seen chasing helpless cows into the forest of Thiru Maliruncholai.

Bees are presented as a six legged creature that with its sweet buzzing noise wakes up the residents at dawn. Not only are the Vedic Seers chanting the Vedas, he says that such is the sanctity of this place that even the buzzing noise of the bees seem like they too are chanting the names of the Lord at Thiru Maliruncholai. The bees were enjoying sucking Nectar from the groves and then producing humming melodious tunes.

அறுகால் வரி வண்டுகள் ஆயிர நாமம் சொல்லி சிறுகாலைப் பாடும் தென் திரு மாலிருஞ் சோலையே

The silky worms presented a juice that seemed like nectar emanating from the Kovai fruit that Lord so enjoys.

Thiru Maliruncholai was home to gypsies of the Kurava tribe who were seen singing praise of the Lord in their typical Kurinji melody.

Description of Madurai

It was here at Thiru Maliruncholai that the great Pandya King Nedumaran celebrated his victory. The King is described as one who wielded a Sharp Spear. The name of the place is referred to as KOODAL and as the South City.

கொல் நவில் கூறவேற் கோன் நெடுமாறன் தென் கூடற் கோன் தென்னன் கொண்டாடும் தென் திரு மாலிருஞ் சோலையே

Many Facets of Maliruncholai

Periyazhvar then describes the scene at the top of the Thiru Maliruncholai Hills and makes an interesting comparison. One finds high KONRAI trees that are seen constantly shedding round yellow petals and curved stamens that Periyazhvar compares to generous people who graciously dole out gold coins and open rings.

பொருப்பிடைக் கொன்றை நின்று முறியாழியும் காசும் கொண்டு விருப்பொடு பொன் வழங்கும் வியன் மாலிருஞ்சோலை யதே

He also refers to four specific kinds of trees in the groves of Thiru Maliruncholai - Punnai, Nerundi, Vengai and Kongu. These four seemed to be so shaped that one finds them in the shape of a Necklace on God.

புன்னை செருந்தியொடு புனவேங்கையும் கோங்கும் நின்று பொன்னரி மாலைகள் சூழ் பொழில்...

He calls it the Beautiful Hill, an ‘ancient very long mountain’, a Great Sanctuary where animals enjoy themselves, a Pleasant and Cool Mountain with Nupura Ganga flowing all the time from atop the hill. Periyazhvar shares a positive message based on the experiences of the people. Those who visited the Lord at Thiru Maliruncholai and invoked his blessings before an event always returned with victory. And hence he describes it as a VICTORY HILL.

அலை வலைமை தவிர்த்த

அழகன் அலங்காரன் மலை

குல மலை கோல மலை

குளிர் மா மலை கொற்ற மலை

நில மலை நீண்ட மலை

திரு மாலிருஞ் சோலை யதே

  

A verse of 1000s on Thiru Maliruncholai

To drive home his point about the sanctity of Thiru Maliruncholai, Periyazhvar makes an exaggerated praise to make one understand the size and greatness of the hill. He refers to everything in 1000s - 1000s of lakes, streams and flower groves, the Lord seems to have a 1000 arms and 1000 shining crowns. And he seems to reside on a snake with 1000s of hoods.

ஆயிரம் தோல் பரப்பி முடி ஆயிரம் மின்னிலக

ஆயிரம் பைந்தலைய அனந்தசயனன் ஆளும் மலை

 ஆயிர  மாருகளும் கணைகள் பல வாயிரமும்

ஆயிரம் பூம் பொழிலுமுடை மாலிருஞ் சோலையதே

Irai Anbu IAS

Kalloori Kaalangal - This Simple Down to Earth Top Ranking IAS officer offers easy implementable solutions to teenage challenges

Don't Brag about your Good Deeds - Irai Anbu

                                         

It is 10.30 pm on a Monday evening. As one tunes to Channel 701 on Tata Sky, V Irai Anbu (State Topper in Civil Services Exam in the late 1980s) has just begun a new behavioral challenge for the day. For the next 30 minutes, he provides a simple process to be followed by the parents as well as their teenage kids. It would easily rank as one of the most educative programmes on Tamil Television. And it is touching the magical milestone of 100 episodes. For many months now, Irai Anbu has been addressing the parents as well the students (especially the teenagers) on handling that fascinating phase of adolescence through his half hour programme ‘Kalloori Kaalangal’ on DD Pothigai every evening at 1030pm. Each day (Monday- Friday) he picks up an important aspect of this teenage phase and provides solid implementable methodology / behavioural techniques to the teenage students and their parents to pass through this period unscathed and with a positive developmental attitude.

As he starts talking about his recent experience on a train travel, he points out the insensitive conduct of many of the teenagers today. It was 10 pm when he boarded the train. For the next 5 hours, this boy was shifting from text messages to voice calls to working on the lap top. There were elderly gentlemen around but unmindful of the time of the night, he was loud in his mobile call. The light from the phone and the laptop were bright as well. 

A colleague's daughter who was just into her teens was introduced to him recently. And the 'Confident'!!!!!!!!! young girl greeted him with a Hi! ( there)- probably the influence of chatting on messaging system. It did not mean anything to her that she was meeting this civil services state topper for the first time in her life. There are many such incidents he narrates in the course of his chat. 

He joined work at a sub four digit salary. Today in the city where he did his graduation, students carry bundles of 500 rupee notes to college ( almost as pocket money)...

When he went shopping for his friend, he was shown a Rs. 5000 shoe by his friend. He replied that he had never bought a shoe in excess of Rs. 1500. Shot came the reply from his friend ' even my son buys shoes for over 5000. Irai Anbu sasy he is even selection about the shirts he buys for it should serve the purpose. 

The ‘teenage challenges’ he deals with are those that every parent would be facing almost every day with their college going sons and daughters. His solutions are so well thought out and so very simple that the parents (and their kids) just need to follow it, almost blindly to achieve a positive change in their relationships!!! These involve very relevant tips in the management of inter personal relationship between the parents and children especially till the time the kids complete their college education.

Irai Anbu has been the District Collector of Kanchipuram District, Chairman of TTDC and Director of Anna Institute of Management. He is currently Commissioner, Economics and Statistics and over the last two decades and more has touched the lives of the common man and made a significant impact on the quality of life of the people in Tamil Nadu.

Golden Childhood in Salem

Born in Kattur, near Salem Junction, Irai Anbu did his higher secondary education at Sri Ramakrishna Saradha Higher Secondary School based on the philosophy of the parents in those days -the nearest school is the best one. An added reason was that his mother too worked there in that school.

Incidentally, he belonged to the first batch of ‘Plus Two’ students in Tamil Nadu.

Irai Anbu looks back at his school days with a lot of nostalgia and cherishes every moment while recounting his memories of what he calls the ‘golden childhood’ phase ‘We went to school with joy and used our leisure time in playing various games. Education was secondary to enjoyment. We did not have cut throat competition in those days. Learning was a natural process. Less syllabus, minimum home work, no regimentation and lack of pressure on performance made our school life a beautiful experience.’

"We had teachers who were simple, focussing mainly on teaching. The teachers were less paid in those days. Therefore, they had simple living and high thinking. They were strict without being cruel, disciplinarians without being harsh. They paid attention on all aspects of our personality. I modelled my handwriting based on the calligraphic letters of my science teachers. We loved our physical education teachers."

                         School Boy Irai Anbu

He says that even now, well over three decades after completing his schooling, his sweet school days flashes in his dreams and he often wakes up in a ‘pleasant mood’ having re-visited some of those glorious moments from his school days.

Importance of the English Language

In his Kalloori Kaalangal series, he narrates several instances of how students from the villages faced challenges of communicating in English when they entered the college phase of their life and beyond. He himself had studied in Tamil Medium till class V and initially found it challenging when he shifted to an English Medium School. 

He stresses on the importance of learning the English language. ‘Knowledge of English is a must to transact with people from various parts of the world. Any good piece of literature written in other languages is first translated into English. Reference books for research are available mostly in English.’

He provides a lot of encouragement to students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns asserting that it is not difficult to learn English even for a person who did not have English as medium of communication in the initial schooling days.

‘In our days, English alphabets were introduced only in Class 3. Before that, we were very strong in Tamil and we could write Tamil essays in a flawless manner. Today, in many schools, English is taught before the vernacular language is introduced.’

However, he finds a large number of students who are fluent neither in English nor in Tamil. Moreover, they are not able to comfortably read Tamil. He is saddened by this development for he says that the current generation of students are missing out on our ancient wisdom and the cultural elements emphasized in our tradition.

After completing his schooling in Salem, Irai Anbu did his graduation in B. Sc (Agri) and later he also did a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). In addition, he has Masters Degree in Labour Management, English and Psychology.   He also has doctorate in Business Administration and in English as well.

A Great Learning Phase - Coimbatore

The years at the renowned Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore was an important learning phase in his life.

He found out that Agricultural Education involved a different style of academic life.  There was a trimester system with grades in place. His daily routine would start at 7am with visit to the field carrying a spade for his agronomy sessions. Practical classes in animal husbandry, pathology and entomology were conducted in the morning hours. Insect collection, herbarium preparation, insect rearing, project preparations and presentation of seminar papers were a part of the curriculum.

While he enjoyed the food at the college for there was a wonderful mess with delicious cuisines, he remembers the library at TNAU with particular pride. ‘It was of international standard and had numerous journals and excellent books to support our learning process.’

Such was his enjoyment that he says that the four years of his academic life there 'passed like a few seconds'.

Creating a Model Village in TN

One of his incredible achievements has been to turning the fishing hamlet near Villupuram into a remarkable ‘Model Village’. In the early 1990s he had visited the village as an Additional Collector and had initiated the process of converting the bamboo huts into concrete houses. But none of the villagers gave him a hearing. But similar to his Kalloori Kaalangal series, he persisted with his positive message on the long term benefits of this project. And finally they relented. He built several concreted roads in that village that had until then remained under developed and also set up a high school.

Re-kindling memories of his college days, he set up a huge library with 3000 books stressing the importance of reading literature, a topic that has always been close to his heart.

So pleased were the villagers with his contribution that they changed the name of the village from Mudhaliar Kuppam to V. Irai Meenavar Kudiyiruppu. When Tsunami struck, the village was devastated. But Irai Anbu was there again with his transformational activity. He came within a fortnight of the Tsunami to rebuild the entire village with new houses. For the first time in its history, the village had streetlights and drinking water facilities too.

Yet another Novel Idea

Later he also initiated construction in other villages of fishermen quarters by the beneficiaries themselves. This turned out to be a very successful experiment. He was so passionate about this project that even after his transfer, he continued to follow up till the completion of construction.

But Irai Anbu underplays his role with typical modesty ‘I cannot claim anything as my personal achievement. Over the years, certain contributions have been made in the departments where I worked and they were mainly due to team work and excellent co-operation from my staff. It is also because of opportunity given by the government to accept my novel and creative proposals.’

So close he became with the villagers there that he began to look at Mudaliyar Kuppam almost as his own native village so much so that his familiarity with the people there was much more than that of his relatives at his birth place. Irai Anbu has had many more enduring projects over the last couple of decades but those have been done quietly away from the media glare.

Concluding message

He leaves this writer with a message that will make those who have known him love him even more. ‘One should not brag about his good deeds and beat his own trumpet. Satisfaction that we derive after helping a deserving individual gives us more happiness than any award conferred on us or laurels showered on us.’