86. The Emperor

Thousand Full Moon: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Dr. Boradkar 83+ is a dear friend and a frequent contributor to the blog. He is a thinker and a poet.  Here is what he has to say:

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Recently I wrote an article, "My Encounter with the Emperor".

I had two books in my mind when I wrote it. First The other side of cancer by Dr Manu Kothari and Dr Lopa Mehta both professors of  Anatomy  GMC Mumbai. Second was the pulitzer prize winning book "The emperor of all maladies" by Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee. The article tells about my views on the subject and how I looked at it. It very personal but I would like to share it. 

 

The Emperor

Dr. R. V. Boradkar

The emperor came unannounced about three years ago. I can’t say that I liked his unexpected appearance, but I was left with no choice other than to receive him. Though unwanted, he made it very clear to me that he was not to go and so I had to allow him to stay.

I must admit that I had some trouble with him initially. He could have made my life miserable, but a major intervention on my part (and a few others) seemed to temporarily clear the problem. I had advice from many quarters suggesting that there were ways and means by which to get rid of him entirely and that I should do it. But I knew how stubborn he could be; he was not the one to leave easily.

And in addition, he had the potential to create trouble if irritated. Was the question “to be or not to be” or was it ‘to do or not to do’? I found myself face-to-face with a dilemma—a doctor’s dilemma really. I knew it was not easy to oust him. I thought of choosing the lesser evil and said to him… “Let us stay together; you have your way and I will have my own.” I assumed he might have agreed to these terms, as he was silent. He said nothing. It was I who got jittery. For every ill that befell me, I tended to hold him responsible. I knew it was wrong on my part and I suspect he knew that I was helpless. He was silent as ever.

Developing a symbiotic relationship with him was not easy. Not only I but everyone was geared up to treat him as an enemy. That was a natural reaction. No one had ever wanted him and neither had I. He was very powerful but in a destructive way. And therefore the only choice one had was to fight him, subdue him and finally defeat him with all the courage and might one could muster.

Though I was familiar with this general belief I did not fully subscribe to it. Somewhere deep within my mind, I thanked him for visiting me so late when I was quite advanced in age. However, it was difficult to call him a friend or a rescuer as there was too much morbidity associated with him. In spite of that, I did not perceive him to be a foe. He gave me time. But  He was what he was. A terminator. No more, no less.

So we lived together. There were days when I used to forget him. But on occasions he used to remind me just to tell me that he was there. I could stay without him but he had nowhere to go. Without me he was nothing and he must have known that. Did he realize that his mission was a suicidal mission? Did he know the day he decides to finish me, he too vanishes? Was this his dilemma too? I knew he was a protoplasmic mass but why was he so foolish to destroy that which sustained him? There were many questions in my mind that neither one of us could answer. Me and my mute partner! A relationship not enviable.

Every morning I get up I thank him for giving me another day. He is taking steady and sure steps. Is he afraid of life that continues in spite of him? Does he know that the forces of life are far stronger and more meaningful than he who has set himself on a destructive course? Has he not been a perpetual failure, the annihilator that failed?

If he could hear, I would want to tell him that I don’t despise him; he too is a part of life. It is very clear to me that we are inseparably bound, and we have to go together, but the ball is clearly in his court. He has to decide when he wants to destroy himself to destroy me. I am ready. He will win the battle but lose the war.

An encounter with an emperor of all maladies.

Raghunath Boradkar

85. I bowed with reverence before his Photograph

 

 

Thousand Full Moon:  Shri Dattatreya Moreshvar Rabade

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Shri Dattatreya Moreshvar Rabade is 85 years old. He has crystal clear memory and has rendered a date wise account of events in his life. He has maintained good health and is a very soft spoken person.

Born in Narayangaon Tahsil Junnar District Pune. He passed his Matriculation examination from Bombay University in 1948. He retired from central Government Service and now stays in Pune.

He qualified for Sahastrachandra darshan  ceremony after 19/11/2009 but that no ceremony was performed then, pains him a little, somewhere deep down in his mind.

He is a regular worshiper of God Savita Godess Gayatri .He observes the daily ritual of Sandhya vandan and is fond of collecting Scientific Historical Religious information about these subjects. According to him till now he has seen1035 full moons.

He has certain, very close to heart, type memories from his younger days and he gives  a brief account of them date wise.

In April 1952 when he was 24 he met Swatantrya veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar at his residence Savarkar sadan in dadar  and had a talk with him for an hour. Shri Savarkar presented him with six of his autographed books.

On 14^th May 1952 when he was the secretary of Prakash Mitra Mandal he had a chance to felicitate Swatantrya veer Savarkar. The function was held in Nrusinha Mandie Sardar Abasaheb Mujumdar Road Kasba Peth Pune. The function was presided over by the Second R.S.S. Chief  Shri M.S. Golwalkar [Guruji].

In may1958  when he was 30 he became a disciple of His Holiness Sadguru

Purnavadacharya Doctor Ramchandra Prahlad Parnerkar  and was initiated by him

in the ways of worshiping.

In May 1971 he appeared and passed the Cricket Umpire‘s examination conducted by the Indian Cricket Control Board and came second. He was 43  then.

From 1964 to 1970 he had acted as an umpire in Maharashtra, but after passing the examination he acted on an All India level. He acted as a successful umpire on a national level till 1985. He give the credit for this to the encouragement given by his Guru , Sadguru Parnerkar Maharaj.

From 2005 to 2008 for four years he busied himself with a scientific research on Sandhyavandan and wrote a book Sandhya-samalochan  and published it. The publication ceremony was presided over by the ex vice chancellor Shri S.N. Navalgundkar of Pune university and the book was released at the auspicious hands of Sadguru Parnerkar Maharaj. He was then 81.

On 24 August 2009 he was felicitated by Shri Sharada Sanskrut Vishva Vidyapeeth

On the auspicious day of Rushipanchami as one of the seven ‘Rushitulya’ personalities. The function was held in Lokmanya Tilak Sabhagruha and was precided over by Shri Vijay Bhatkar the International Computer Guru, and Shri Rohitji Tilak Chancellor of Tilak Sanskrut Vidyapeeth. He was then awarded a ‘Manpatra’ and the title of ‘Sandhya samalochankar’ was bestowed on him.

On 29^th September 2009 he was blessed by His Holiness Shri Shankaracharya Bharatitirtha Maharaj of Shrungeri. The blessing was in writing for his book Sandhya Samalochan. He recommended that the book be translated in all Indian languages.

At 82 he visited his daughter Sou Padmaja Bildikar and her husband Shri Makrand Bildikar staying in Sidney Australia. It was his first air travel, and he nearly visited 40 places in Australia. On 19^th October 2010 he celebrated his 82^nd birthday in Sydney Australia with his Daughter  and Son in Law. It was an occasion of great joy for him and in a way felt compensated for feeling that the Sahastracandradarshan was not celebrated on the scheduled day in 2009. Let us now have the account in his own words.

I entered my 83^rd year in Sydney. I was with my daughter and son in law in

Sydney Australia. By now I had seen 1011full moons. At about four in the morning my daughter Sou. Padmaja awakened me. And asked me to get ready. A glass of water and some morning cores and I was ready.  We all got in the car and were out in no time. We went to a place called Blue Mountain a little more than hundred kilometers away. On the eastern side there were three mountains called three sisters. One could see the sunrise there. From the same spot one could also see the sun set on the western side. There was a deep valley and a thick forest. It was extremely cold and I was covered with layers of warm clothes and I kept only my nose open to breathe. In spite of all these thermal coverings I could still sense the cold. At about six I saw the sunrise and my body was flooded with the golden sun rays. That was what my daughter wished. It was a moment of extreme joy and I have no words to express feelings I had at that moment. A large number of Photographs were taken. After that there was a sudden gathering of clouds and no body could see the sun. It started raining.  At about seven we went in to the valley deep down. There we had a breakfast of tea and biscuits and got refreshed. We saw some waterfalls some old coal mine and an old roads built in 1800. We then had a rope way ride and came up admiring the beauty of nature. Then we had our lunch in a good hotel and returned back home at about six in the evening. A little rest and a hot bath freshened me up.

A get together was arranged at about 8 pm. A number of friends were invited with their families. I was given new clothes to wear. A traditional Aukshan was performed by five ‘Suvasinis’ and a garland of 82 flowers was put around my neck. There was a cake and 82 candles were lighted. I cut the cake in the candle light. There were presents and a happy birthday song with loud clapping.

The traditional Indian way in which the ceremony was held pleased me. I was served dinner in a silver plate and everybody wished me well. I was then the happiest man.

I consider this as God’s grace and my Guru’s blessings and also feel it to be the outcome of my daily “Upasana”[Worship].

On 7^th November 2010  I was interviewed by Sydney Radio for half an hour about ‘Suryopasana’ and ’Trikal Sandhyavandan’. The program was conducted in Marathi. I must be the first person to talk about Hindu Sanskruti in Marathi on Sydney Radio.

On 1rst March 2013 I visited Andamans where my Political Guru Swatantrya veer Savarkar was incarcerated. I saw the cellular Jail the cell in which Shri Savarkar was kept and bowed with reverence before his Photograph. I also saw the Martyr’s Memorial and paid my respect to all those who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

A moment of contentment in my life that is what I call it.

-Shri Dattatreya Moreshvar Rabade

84. In my life I never had to turn back

Thousand Full Moon: Mrs. Sudha Deo

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Mrs Sudha Manohar Deo at 81 plus is an active lady. Music is her passion and she is devoted to it. Here she shares some of the finest moments in her life with us.

I got married when I was seventeen. I had completed my fifth English standard and gone to sixth. I was a bit confused. I came from a large joint family with lots of people around and here we were only four persons my in laws and my husband. It was as if I was transferred from a joint family to a nuclear family.

My in laws were very orthodox. A large number of rituals had to be followed. A very common ritual was feeding Brahmins. [Brahman Bhojan] My parents  had advised me no to refuse any work allotted and I followed the advice strictly . So I was liked by all.

One day my father in law said if you feel like you can start your schooling again but with one condition that even after completing the education you will not serve anywhere. He also said that I must wear a nine yard saree,   must have an old type of hair do wear traditional ornaments and go to the temple with my mother in law. If I agreed to this there should be no problems he had said.  Of course I did.

Once we were going to Belbag temple. In a nearby shop I saw a saree which I liked very much. We inquired and we were told that it was a five yard saree. I was very dis appointed and did not know what to do. But my mother in law understood and talked to my father in law and pleaded for me. In two days I got the saree on the condition that I must not wear it at home.

My father in law late Shri  Shankar Vaman Deo had an impressive personality. He was six feet tall and harsh looking but very gentle. He used to wear a sherwani had silver handled walking stick, an ear ring [Bhigbali] and gold rings in both hands. Dressed he used to look like the legendary Nanasaheb Peshva. Years back he had asked me ‘How did you win us over’ and I had replied by obeying the elders one can achieve anything.

We had a harmonium in our house. It belonged to my mother in law. Its sound quality was very nice. One day I just tried to play it and sing with the harmonium as an accompaniment. My mother in law heard me singing and said you have a melodious voice so why not join a music class. Why spend time just sitting and doing nothing? My father in law too agreed and I joined Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in shanivar peth. I stood first in every examination and got prizes. Later the late D.V.Paluskar guided me and I started setting to music small compositions and performing in temple festivals. My father in law liked music and listened to Akashvani and the songs used to please him.

Once I set to music Moraya Gosavi’s verses and published an Audio cassette. My father in law was extremely pleased even more than my own father. When I used to return home after performing my mother in law used to caress me and say ‘You sing with A Tanpura so you must be getting a stiff back’.

It is because of their blessings that at 81 we published a C.D. of ‘Geet Gopal’ of G.D. Madgulkar  the credit of which goes to my children.

It may appear surprising and to some impossible, but in my life I never had to turn back.

My husband was an adopted son and they were my adopted Father and Mother in law.

Sou.Sudha Manohar Deo

83. Pilgrim on the path of Joy

Thousand Full Moon: Shrimati Prabha Pardikar

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Shrimati Prabha Purushottam Pardikar was born on  Makar Sakrant,ie 14^th January 1931 in Hyderabad  in  Andhra Pradesh [ It was the Princely State of Nizam then]. She did her B.A. with Politics as a special subject from Ferguson College Pune. Even at this age she is quite active and keeps herself busy by undertaking various activities.

Shrimati Pardikar is an accomplished writer. She has written several books including Novels, collection s of short stories, children’s books and poems. She is versatile and is at ease with all forms of literature. [A list of her published work is enclosed].

Her husband was a professor of Physics in a Government College and was frequently transferred. Shrimati Pardikar has therefore stayed in Nagpur, Amravati and has finally settled in Pune. She has three sons one in Pune , one in US and one in Australia.

Here she tells us about Joy and how to obtain it. In the first part of her write up she analyses Joy and in the second part tells us how she obtained joy in adverse circumstances by striving for it. This is what she has to say and lets have it in first person singular.

Me a Anandyatri[Pilgrim on the path of Joy]

The basic driving force of life is Joy.  It provides the energy for living. Joy is an experience beyond pain and pleasure. Joy comes in many ways and has different shades. To appreciate this joy one has to turn inwards with a crystal clear mind for the spring of Joy is inside us.

Joys may be short lived or could be long lasting. Its difficult to express how you feel when you are joyful  and still more  difficult to put the feeling in words. May be joy is a feeling that one likes to go on having.

Some joys are spontaneous. A beautiful song .an eye catching painting, an inspired poem or a new idea all give joy and it is bilateral. A two way reciprocal transfer of joy between the performer and the spectator.

But one has to strive for some joys. Knowing how to turn adverse circumstances in to favorable

ones and getting the key to do it gives a joy that could be called heavenly. As I have experienced this I will narrate my own experience. I got married and within a few days I learnt that my husband was very fond of playing cards to the extent that it could be called an addiction. He used to go to the club for playing Bridge at about six thirty p.m. in the evening and would return home after one a.m. well past midnight .We never even went out for a walk in the evening. I was so unhappy and angry too. But because of his temper and aggressive nature I could not do anything.

Rather than feeling sorry I thought a little differently. I was fond of reading.  Now I started writing stories for small children .Then I started participating in story writing competitions. I got a good response. I also got some prizes. I also participated in some Radio programs. All this encouraged me further. My husband’s going to club for playing cards became less painful. I had found an eternal source of joy. I would have been miserable if I had gone on endlessly complaining about his going to club. I learnt the most important lesson in my life that we can’t change people but we can definitely change ourselves. I had found the key to my joy and happiness.

I would like to narrate another experience here. We were in Amravati [Vidarbha]. The campus where we were staying was far away from the main township. There was no phone and TV had yet to make its appearance.  The campus was surrounded by small houses of villagers.  Some girls from those houses used to come to me. The girls were studying in municipal schools and sometimes they used to accompany their mothers and help them to pick up cotton. I started teaching them. I also purchased foe them books notebooks pencils etc. The girls were really clever and honest. They started getting good marks in the examinations. Once the mother of one girl said ‘I have simply given her birth, but you are her real mother. You looked after her well fare. I will never forget this and I will never be able to repay you.” This was the moment of fulfilment in my life. I was overjoyed.

Apart from writing which has given me immense joy, I seek joy in everything that I do. Dasbodh and Bhagvadgita are my favourites. These books have given direction to my life.

In Aurangabad I started an Abhivyakti Mandal for children. The idea was to get the best out of children by exposing them to reading writing entertainment and what not? Overall development of the children to make them good citizens was the idea at the back of my mind. I also used to narrate stories from Sane Guruji’s writings to the children. Doing some thing creative gave me a great joy.

I am thankful to God for everything. He gave me power to think and ability to ride over difficulties. At this age I am happy. Anytime a poem suddenly comes to my mind I experience abundant joy and say to myself,

हे मना सम्मित्र हो तू देई मज सद्भावना

सत्य सुंदर आणि शिव ह्यांची असो आराधना

बुद्धी दे तू सिद्धी दे मज तू कल्पना

सृजनतेला फुलव माझ्या देई मजला प्रेरणा

संकटे येता धरी रे कवच ध्येयाचे मना

दुःख आणि कष्ट साहण्या ताठ राहूदे कणा

निर्भयाचे दान दे तू निश्चयाची भावना

तृप्ततेची मधुर गोडी शांतीची संवेदना

ढग निराशेचे कधी झाकूनी टाकी तनमना

अंतरीचा दीप होऊनी देई तू मज चेतना

तूच ईश्वर तू महेश्वर जाण माझी कामना

हे मना सम्मित्र हो तू अर्थ दे मम जीवना

-    श्रीमती प्रभा पार्डीकर