PAYRE PADO BETA
"Payre pado beta," the mother reminded her teenager son, as I entered their palatial house. The son, my student, bent forward to touch my feet. A tall and handsome young man he was; but, his hand barely reached my knee.
"It's alright." Before I could complete my sentence, he was already standing, all erect!
I hardly felt his 'Payre pado'!
But, the mother did, immensely!
Bunty never, ever starts his car unless he does a small religious gesture before. His both hands touch the steering and his heart, automatically. Ditto before he enters his restaurant. His both hands go down to the floor and quickly to his forehead and heart. Never, ever would he talk to any one - even a waiting Income tax Officer - unless he climbs up his chair, lights an agarbatti, says five-minutes silent prayer with closed eyes and folded hands, then again touching with his both hands God's feet , his forehead and his heart. But, as soon as he climbs down, the first thing he does is: shower a heap of lavish abuse on his hapless waiters!
That's how it has been, with Bunty!
Anil, one of my ex-students, hails from a prosperous business family. Today, he is really a 'big' man. A couple of times, when I had some work with him, I had called him up to fix an appointment. He never gave me one; he took from me one ... and, he showed up at my place!
That's how it has been, with Anil!
I feel sorry for all of us, when I read those writings on the BEST buses, reserving seats for the elderly, handicapped and ladies. I feel disgusted - even funny - when I see those familiar scenes: "Uto; ye ladies seat hai." Or, a handicapped or an elderly person has to struggle to stand helplessly, even though the persons sitting on their 'reserved' seats have noticed them. Then, some one strong has to remind them sternly, "Dhikta nahin hai tumko, kya likha hai, uper?"
That's how it has been, on our BEST!
Yesterday, four of us - Dr. Lulla, Naresh, Vivek and myself - had to go to Santacruz. Dr. Lulla had asked us to meet him at a particular place so that we all could travel by his car. At the scheduled time, we three - Naresh, Vivek and myself - reached the spot where Dr. Lulla was waiting for us. I sat in the front, Vivek got in from behind, but I saw Naresh going to to the window and pleading Dr. Lulla to sit behind.
"It's alright," I heard Dr. Lulla telling Naresh.
"No, I look up to you; you must relax behind," Naresh tried to convince Dr. Lulla, who was even much younger to Naresh. "You are one of my idols."
Finally. Dr. Lulla had to give in. As Naresh drove us towards our destination, Dr. Lulla, in his inimitable style, began to pull Naresh's legs:
"Naresh, you know what? You are now the Lord Krishna, the 'Ratha Saarati'- the Charioteer. We are merely your 'Arjuna's'." He continued, "It is we who look up to you, for you direction ... You know, our fate is in your hands!"
On that highway - with that maddening traffic - I knew, it was. Naresh brought us back, however, safely!
Vivek is very friendly with his young Guruji. While every one around - the children, young ones and elderly - bend forward to touch the Guruji's 'Holy' feet, Vivek has told the 'Holy man' this: "At home, I don't do the same with my parents. So, I feel being a hypocrite if I attempt it here. The day I do it with my parents, I will do it with you, too."
Vivek's parents are not happy with their son's 'frankness' and 'liberty' with their Master. But, the Master is very happy with Vivek's thinking!
Manjeet always tells me this: "If we do the 'kar seva' at our homes with the same reverence as we do at the Gurudwara, then only the 'kar seva' makes sense. Else, it is just a mockery."
The Bible doesn't become less Holy, if some one refuses to read it, even spits on it. So is the case with the Guruji's feet ...
I am also talking about this 'Guruji' here ... whose feet that youngster, my student, had reluctantly touched ... when his mother, so reverentially, had asked him to do, saying:
"Payre pado beta."
GERALD D'CUNHA
"It's alright." Before I could complete my sentence, he was already standing, all erect!
I hardly felt his 'Payre pado'!
But, the mother did, immensely!
Bunty never, ever starts his car unless he does a small religious gesture before. His both hands touch the steering and his heart, automatically. Ditto before he enters his restaurant. His both hands go down to the floor and quickly to his forehead and heart. Never, ever would he talk to any one - even a waiting Income tax Officer - unless he climbs up his chair, lights an agarbatti, says five-minutes silent prayer with closed eyes and folded hands, then again touching with his both hands God's feet , his forehead and his heart. But, as soon as he climbs down, the first thing he does is: shower a heap of lavish abuse on his hapless waiters!
That's how it has been, with Bunty!
Anil, one of my ex-students, hails from a prosperous business family. Today, he is really a 'big' man. A couple of times, when I had some work with him, I had called him up to fix an appointment. He never gave me one; he took from me one ... and, he showed up at my place!
That's how it has been, with Anil!
I feel sorry for all of us, when I read those writings on the BEST buses, reserving seats for the elderly, handicapped and ladies. I feel disgusted - even funny - when I see those familiar scenes: "Uto; ye ladies seat hai." Or, a handicapped or an elderly person has to struggle to stand helplessly, even though the persons sitting on their 'reserved' seats have noticed them. Then, some one strong has to remind them sternly, "Dhikta nahin hai tumko, kya likha hai, uper?"
That's how it has been, on our BEST!
Yesterday, four of us - Dr. Lulla, Naresh, Vivek and myself - had to go to Santacruz. Dr. Lulla had asked us to meet him at a particular place so that we all could travel by his car. At the scheduled time, we three - Naresh, Vivek and myself - reached the spot where Dr. Lulla was waiting for us. I sat in the front, Vivek got in from behind, but I saw Naresh going to to the window and pleading Dr. Lulla to sit behind.
"It's alright," I heard Dr. Lulla telling Naresh.
"No, I look up to you; you must relax behind," Naresh tried to convince Dr. Lulla, who was even much younger to Naresh. "You are one of my idols."
Finally. Dr. Lulla had to give in. As Naresh drove us towards our destination, Dr. Lulla, in his inimitable style, began to pull Naresh's legs:
"Naresh, you know what? You are now the Lord Krishna, the 'Ratha Saarati'- the Charioteer. We are merely your 'Arjuna's'." He continued, "It is we who look up to you, for you direction ... You know, our fate is in your hands!"
On that highway - with that maddening traffic - I knew, it was. Naresh brought us back, however, safely!
Vivek is very friendly with his young Guruji. While every one around - the children, young ones and elderly - bend forward to touch the Guruji's 'Holy' feet, Vivek has told the 'Holy man' this: "At home, I don't do the same with my parents. So, I feel being a hypocrite if I attempt it here. The day I do it with my parents, I will do it with you, too."
Vivek's parents are not happy with their son's 'frankness' and 'liberty' with their Master. But, the Master is very happy with Vivek's thinking!
Manjeet always tells me this: "If we do the 'kar seva' at our homes with the same reverence as we do at the Gurudwara, then only the 'kar seva' makes sense. Else, it is just a mockery."
The Bible doesn't become less Holy, if some one refuses to read it, even spits on it. So is the case with the Guruji's feet ...
I am also talking about this 'Guruji' here ... whose feet that youngster, my student, had reluctantly touched ... when his mother, so reverentially, had asked him to do, saying:
"Payre pado beta."
GERALD D'CUNHA
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