Who am I?

The compilation of different judgements passed on me over the years:

Tenth standard:

Teacher A: "Manda ganam Pidichavan da nee" (You are very head strong)
Teacher A: "PB, I wish you score a state rank"

Teacher B: "Intha Vayasilaye shavinga..urupada maata, rowdya thiriya pora" (You shaved at this age, I can see you becoming a rowdy soon)
Teacher B: "Paravalla Nalla than Padikira, nalla mark than, namma school ku ithu athigam" (Guess you study well, considering our school standard you did well in the exam)

My sanskrit teacher: "There wont be a class if pb is absent, he is my pet student"

Eleventh and Twelfth standard:

Teacher C: "I can see that you have capability to score state rank, you are very brilliant"

Teacher D: "You acted well in the drama as 80 year old man. Given your avaerage performance in studies better you try an acting career"

Teacher G: "PB has good general knowledge and he is a good actor on stage. Definetly a good student"

Teacher E: "Muthukumar Mannangatti Kumar" on my score of 2/50 in botony

Teacher F: " Why did you not pay the fees for science talent test. Dont think your low scoring in exams means Poor dtudent. I really like your attitude towards studies. You raise good questions in the class. I am paying you for the exam, please take it" ( I did not take the exam eventually though. You long live Sir!)

Teacher E: "You are a shame to our school"

Teacher E: (when I was about to enter exam hall for 12th std exam) "I think you really need not take the exam. I am sure you will not pass and ours is a school of rank holders, I am afraid you will spoil our 100% result record"

Teacher E: (When I scored 93% in 12th stad: botony exam) "Sheer luck"

Teacher C: "Very good you scored well in public exam"

During BE:

Teacher H: "Mariyathai theriyatha payan, even in first year his behaviour is very bad. Fellow teachers beware of him"

Teacher H: "Sorry I mistook him, avan padikira payan"

Teacher I: "You are a total introvert"

Teacher J: "You are a total extravert"

Teacher K: " Muthukumar, please know that what you know is very less, you might be raising good questions in the class room, but please be respectful for my education and experience"

Teacher K: "How are you progressing in you "Naan-Yaar" Vicahara marga"

Teacher L: "Muthukumar, you are arrogant, get out of the class"

Teacher L: "My class will start only muthukumar leaves, this is a rule" (later lifted)

Teacher L: "I dont like your change as calm student, I liked you better when you were playing pranks in my class and was sent out always. Be happy always. Dont be worried or thinking" (L was a lady staff)

Teacher M: "Even though your batch had many brilliant students, I will always remember how PB did that DPSK circuit with a simple resister and diode. Never seen anybody being so creative during exams" (on our farewall, our communications system staff).

So many teachers have said so many things all along, opinions varying from one end of the spectrum to other. I am not sure which of them were true and which of them were not. I salute them for their inputs though. Same goes to every person. People just keep on saying opinions about one and none of them are absolutely right. Opinions are framed from the stand point of the seer.


Similarly goes a stanza in abirami anthathi which says all things attributed to mother godess like, Deer like eyes, lotus like bossoms all are laughable and one has to stay away from all these imaginations and think of her true nature.

"நகையே இது, இந்த ஞாலம்
எல்லாம் பெற்ற நாயகிக்கு,
முகையே முகிழ் முலை, மானே,
முது கண் முடிவுயில், அந்த
வகையே பிறவியும், வம்பே,
மலைமகள் என்பதும் நாம்,
மிகையே இவள்தன் தகைமையை
நாடி விரும்புவதே!

In nutshell, one has to have a holistic approach when we try to analyse anything or anyone. Before trying to do such analysis on anything else, let us start on our own self!.

Jagad Guru Defined

Once a foreigner asked His Holiness Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamigal how he could claim to be a Jagadguru, World Teacher, when there were so many non-Hindu faiths in the world.

His Holiness replied: The word Jagadguru does not mean at all that I can claim any right as spiritual teacher over everybody in this vast world. It only means that, if anybody residing anywhere in the world earnestly seeks My spiritual guidance, I am bound to give it to him as far as it lies in My power.

A person may live in a distant country and yet be prepared to be guided by Me. Another may reside in the Mutt itself and be unwilling to abide by My advice. It is My duty to help the former and not the latter. To the former I am his Guru; to the latter I am not. The word therefore defines only My duty; it does not signify any right or jurisdiction over others who do not seek My guidance.

Let me try a story in zen style.

There was a very famous self realized guru who was visited by so many disciples from all over the country. Most of them came to him seeking material benefits and however, few of them were aspirants of Self-Knowledge. This sage was famous for removing the doubts of those aspirants but he always insisted on answering them in private and there were never been public speeches. However, He allowed his dearest student to observe the conversations.

Once a merchant asked a question in karma yoga, “Bhagawan, if everything that is happening to me is based upon my previous karma, what is the use of trying for anything? “. The Guru said, “Your Past Karma is like a nail on the wall. You can only see its head which is your current state and you cannot know what exact length it went inside the wall. Let us assume that you want to remove the nail through your effort and if you find it difficult, that means the nail is hit deep inside the wall and you need to put more effort. Similarly, if your fate has put you in a situation, there is always a free will that can change it. In the event of failure, please know it is because of lack of effort. The theory of karma always provides lot of hope about the future in contrary to what you say”. The merchant felt this answer satisfying and departed.

Next came a sadhu, who has performed much of austerities, asked the sage in private “Bhagawan, is everything fixed by fate or karma?” The sage replied “Yes”. The sadhu continued, “I can understand that bigger events in ones life, like marriage, job, and place of living could have been controlled by fate. Do you say, even if trivial things like my raising hands or putting down when I talk are also pre determined?” The sage replied “Yes, they are, you do nothing new, everything is already done”. The sadhu got his doubts cleared and left the place.

Then the Sage looked at his student and the student said "I know Lord Krishna danced with each of the gopikas seperately by taking several forms and he was different krishna for different gopikas". Guru Replied, "Well Said".