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UNDERSTANDING KARMA YOGI

 

Great is the person, who controls his or her senses with the mind, 

free of attachment, walks on the path of Karma Yoga.

Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra (1929-2018),

President of Oldest Yoga Institute in the World

The Sanskrit term Karma refers to duty, what everyone performs in daily life as they perceive. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root Yuj, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature[1]. Karma-yoga is the most fundamental path to attain self-knowledge. Since my childhood years, having observed many elders of immediate and extended families, I consider my maternal uncle – Ramanujam, was one of the very few persons who had followed this path of Karmayoga. 

Ramanujam (1924-2021) was born as sixth child to his parents Srinivasa Gopala Chakravarthy (1890-1955) and Chengamalam (1899-1971). His immediate younger sibling is my mother. As the age difference between him and my mother was just a year and seven months, they grew up together almost till my mother got married in 1943. Hence, the emotional bonding between them remained pretty strong throughout.

Kanna mama (Ramanujam was called as Kanna at home) did his B.A (Hons) in history at Maharaja College, Mysore and then subsequently B.T (today’s B.Ed). Soon after graduation he joined Education department in 1946. Except for a brief period of six years when he was a teacher in Teachers Training Institute, Mysore, he spent his entire career as an administrator. As Assistant Education Officer (AEO) he was overseeing the functioning of schools in the revenue district of posting. Whenever he was coming to Bangalore on work, he was staying with us. He was so affectionate to me that I started treating him more as a good friend, though he was much older to me. 

During Kanna mama’s stay with us, we used to play cards game for a couple of hours after dinner. Even as he went up the official hierarchy to become Joint Director, this ritual of playing cards continued. Many a times when he was staying with, teachers working in government / aided private schools used to visit him late in the evenings or weekends to put forth their grievances. As he was staying in my room, I observed that Kanna mama was as relaxed as he was while playing cards, when listening to the teachers’ woes or providing them solutions. On many occasions he had not only helped several needy people in getting transfers or teacher’s job, but even helped a few to save their jobs!

Sometime during May 1978, one of my neighbours who was a typist in Bangalore Telephones, requested me to talk to Kanna mama for helping his son to clear tenth standard public exam, presumably because his son had not performed well. My neighbour was eager that the boy passes the exam, as one of his friends had assured a good job. At that time Kanna mama was holding additional responsibility of Secretary, Karnataka Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Examination Board.

I went to Kanna mama’s office after confirming with his secretary that he is available. Mama took me to his ante-room and asked what the matter was. Hesitatingly I explained him the request of my neighbour. He asked me to give the hall-ticket number and laughingly said, ‘you don’t have to feel bad, as you are only a messenger. I will also hand over this number to the Chief of the Valuation Centre without telling him anything’. When SSLC results were announced, my neighbour’s son had passed and he got the job that was assured. He went on to do well in his job and sometime during late 1980s I happened to attend the house-warming function, when he built his house.

During January 1980 my younger sister got married and immediately after that I got engaged to Hema. I had spent all the money that I had for my sister’s marriage and was wondering how I will organise money for my marriage that was to take place during early May. Again I visited Kanna mama at his office, this time to explain my financial situation and seek his help. He asked me to open a Savings account in his name with a bank close to my home and said, ‘I will deposit Rs.10,000 in the account and sign a few cheque leaves. You can draw the money as and when you need and return it at your earliest convenience after I retire.’ Even today, I have the bank pass-book as a souvenir! Kanna mama had extended financial help to several of his relatives and friends at times of need. Never had he told about the help that he had extended, nor shared any of his problems. He was a man of a few words.

On his promotion as Joint Director, Kanna mama moved over to Bangalore and till he found a house, he stayed with us. As long as he lived in Bangalore, we used to meet regularly atleast once a month. After his retirement, he settled down in Mysore and helped both his brothers also to settle down in Mysore. I had never missed meeting him whenever I visited Mysore. He is perhaps the only gentleman I have come across in my entire family circle who wore only half sleeves white shirt and never wore a shoe, though he was holding a senior position in government.

I was turning seventy in 2020 and was planning to release the book – Doing Well, Feeling Happy, my autobiography around my birthday in July. I very much wished to get the book released at the hands of Kanna mama, as happened when Roots and Wings, a book based on my mother’s life, was released during May 2005 on the occasion of our Silver Jubilee Wedding anniversary. Unfortunately the book release got delayed due to COVID-19. But I was fortunate to visit Kanna mama at Mysore during November to hand over the first copy of the book and take his blessings before it was formally released. He could not speak much as he was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); but when I handed over the book, I could see the expression of happiness in his glittering eyes and felt warmth of his love in the tight hug that he gave! Unfortunately he did not survive beyond April 2021. 

Kanna mama lost his self in goodness and humility beyond anyone’s imagination and it will never be easy for me to find another Karma Yogi in my left over life time!

[1] https://www.mea.gov.in Yoga: Its Origin, History and Development

~~~ 

November 11th, 2023 | Ravi 66 

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