April 30, 2025 • Makkal Adhikaram
If Seshadri Swamigal enters the pooja room at 5 a.m. and locks the door, he comes out only at 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. Seshadri was always shouting Arunachalesa, Sonadrinath. He would be chanting the Durga Sukta at dawn.
Anna forgot the proof. The little father and stepmother were worried. If Seshadri is starving, wakes up and performs puja like this incessantly, then something will come to your body. Cut down, they often said.
As the restrictions at home increased, he started spending time in temples. Seshadri sits in the Chakkarathazhwar shrine in Sri Varadarajar temple in the morning and prays. In the evening he goes round and round the Kamakshi temple. He would sit in the shrine and perform Mooga Pancha Sati with tears in his eyes. He would keep doing namaskar to Ambal and sometimes he would not come home for two days.
Ramasamy astrologer would search all over the place, find him in any thinnai or temple mandapam and bring him home with good words. He would obey his uncle’s loving command and stay at home for two or three days. He will go out for a walk again. Dirty clothes, unoiled hair, bearded face, big saffron on his forehead, young Seshadri would be wandering the streets as if he were paranoid, muttering something in his mouth.
Those who saw it were heartbroken. Their stomachs burned. Relatives and people in the village came to Ramasamy astrologer and kept saying something about Seshadri. He’s getting worse and worse. Whoever goes, he falls at her feet. He looks at the sun. Like water and crow, he often drowns in the clan.
He is mumbling something in his mouth. Yesterday in the Kamakshi temple, a relative said that I lost my shame and regretted it. Yes, I saw it too. The day before yesterday Ekambareswarar was sitting in the temple mandapam and was praying something. I asked him what he was doing.
I pray for the removal of karma Uncle, what prayer? I asked him if he was going to do it. He said that he would chant the mantra Kamo Karshith and made him sit down and explained the meaning of the mantra very clearly. What are you studying? What wisdom? I was stunned. Uncle, I have chanted this mantra a million times so far. Half a million is still left, you tell me. Only then can we go to Moksha only when Karma is lost.
Don’t you want to go to heaven? He asked. He speaks so well, he’s not crazy. A family friend consoled the astrologer saying that he had gained wisdom beyond his age and there was nothing else. A boy came running and said, Uncle, Uncle, come and see, Varadaraja Perumal is leaving. Our Sesha is in the street. He has taken all the leaves and put them aside.
He’s talking to himself. Saying that everyone is laughing, Ramasamy called the astrologer. He hit his head. He was pained to think that the fate of the man who was supposed to be a wonder child to the world had become laughter.
Ramasamy Iyer thought that Seshadri was talking about something and said, Will only the angels go? Did not the Gandharvas go? He asked sarcastically. Oh, the Gandharvas are warriors, some have wings, they are very beautiful, the Gandharvas were honey to hear. What tune did you sing? Bilahari was wonderful. You’ve gone mad. If she sings, will your love fall alone? Why didn’t you hear me?
It won’t fall, he said, he would give up everything and be free, in his true state.
Ramasamy decided that Seshadri had gone mad and told four people that Seshadri had heard Gandharva Raga in the sky.
