Triveni Journal

1927 | 11,233,916 words

Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....

Triple Stream

I. V. Chalapati Rao

I.V. CHALAPATI RAO

Old age has its message. We the senior citizens are a lucky lot. To be alive is itself a blessing of God. We can look upon the happy moments in our lives when our little nameless acts of kindness and love brought a little cheer into the lives of our fellow mor­tals. We rejoice when we recollect that our advice to the youth and services to our friends had paid rich dividends. As we peer into the well of the past, very faint recollections come to surface which appear to be far way. The exact sound of the once-familiar voices is now hardly audible. Yet don’t these sweet recollections make us happy? Smiles, the philospher, said “Happy is the man who can look with pleas­ure on the memory of good deeds and words”, Buffon, another wise man, said. “The view of the past which awakens the regret of the old follies, offers to me on the contrary the enjoy­ments which include agreeable pic­tures and precious images.” Don’t we like to rebuild that by-gone past and re-live those unforgettable moments? Old age is not bondage but privilege because it gives us the pleasures of contemplation, recollection and a re­enactment of happy scenes of life.

It was not for nothing that the poet said “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive; to be, young was very heaven.” We have witnessed those colourful, processions and historic events from our ring - side seats. A few of us were perhaps at the centre of the stage. However they also serve who stand and stare - stare in wide-eyed wonder as events unfolded themselves. We all have created memories. As we remem­ber those eventful days, our batteries are re-charged as never before. We are ready to play another innings, if pos­sible, though on a sticky wicket at present, of course owing to the ravages wrought by time. We have developed wrinkles in the face, pouches under the eyes and perhaps a pate as bold as a billiard ball. We have still the fires, of spring rankling in the cockles of our hearts! Let us re-kindle them.

In his trumpet voice, Swamy Vivekananda thundered:

“They alone live who live for others.
            The rest are more dead than alive.”

What a challenge to humankind, especially for us who have still re­tained a little spark in our souls and sparkle in our eyes! Though old we are for heroic deeds unfit, still we can do a bit. Effort or thought alone is given unto man and the rest rests with God. While attempting to do our best, let us surrender ourselves to His master plan-not helplessly but willingly.

What does it matter if we have a little suffering, physical or mental? Our faith should sustain us. Great calamities make way for greater glo­ries. As the poet said:

“Sad heart, cease repining,
            Behind the clouds the sun is still shining.
            Thy fate is the common fate of all”

When rain comes, sunshine is not far behind. When winter comes spring is waiting in the wings. The darkest hour of the night only shows that the dawn is near. Therefore, physical debility, mental weakness and terminal diseases called ABCD (Arthritis, Blood Pressure, Cancer and Diabetes) which are the natural re­sults of growing old, should not deter us from the pursuit of blameless pleasures and selfless services to fel­low humans.” He alone lives who loves man, bird and beast” – not merely loves but serves and helps.

What does it matter even if we suffer? Happiness or misery is perhaps the sediment of our past life but not the trick of destiny. He who sows a good seed in youth, reaps a whole­some harvest in old age. Those who sow the wind, reap the whirl wind. This is our message to the youth. Even suffering is good because it has the alchemic quality of being transformed and sublimated into wisdom which gives real happiness. Wise astrologers say that Saturn is a friendly planet be­cause it opens our eyes to wisdom by causing suffering.

Swamy Vivekananda said “As I grow older, I find that I took more and more for greatness in little things. More and more the true greatness seems to me that of the worm doing its duty silently, steadily, from moment to moment and hour to hour”. Grilled through our long life-span and drilled in discipline; we oldsters have come to acquire experience leading to wisdom. We have garnered the grain and dis­carded the rest. We have learnt to gather the grain and separate the chaff. Let us share our experience with each other and with the up-coming youth in whose bodies mercenary bones are not found.

The most cherished years of the senior citizens are yet to come. The castle of enchantment is before us. The spires of El Dorado beckon us. A second transformation awaits us. Let us hitch our wagon to the pole star - an ever inspiring ideal. We have before us the Vana Mahotsava – the tree ­planting festival. As we sail along our charted course let us keep in our minds the message of Chaitanya Prabhu:

“Be like a tree. It gives shade even to the person who cuts off its branches. It asks no water of anyone, though it be withering for want of it. Rain and storm and the burning rays of the sun  the tree bears uncomplainingly and yet continues to give fragrant flowers and delicious fruit. Patiently serve others as a tree serves. Let this be your motto.”

Let us get an intra-veinous injection of John Masefield’s incurable optimism:

I have seen flowers come in stony places
            And kindness done by men with ugly faces
            And the gold cup won by the weak horse in the races.

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