Roots
Nanjund Shastry is in his late thirties. With a family of two kids and a wife to feed, he is a part of a dying breed of brahmins who perform ceremonies for the dead. Pain and suffering are seen everyday in the form of others losing their loved ones while he has to stay stone cold to help their families perform their duties to ensure their loved ones rest in peace. His day starts early to pay his respects to the gods, clad a simple dhoti and angavastra dipped in turmeric water and await a phone call.
The news of a dear one passing away is something to brood over but not for Nanjund Shastry. It's an opportunity to put his knowledge to use and make some money out of it to make ends meet. Such is the paradox of life.
In the process of adapting to modern times, Shastry has tied up with the usual raft of stores and services that one would normally need in these circumstances. Shivu, who drives an ambulance is his aid when it comes to transporting the corpses while Mutthu at the store supplies him with essentials for the rituals. This task of simplifying the process has brought Shastry some success since he has everything at his disposal. People call him up in times of distress when he caters to all needs without them going through the hassle of making a dozen calls. Thus, he has structured a little business of his own.
Shastry's tutor, his father never intended to inspire an entrepreneur in him, but transferred all his knowledge so that one day he could help those in need. After a brief stint in the IT industry, Shastry however knew his true calling was always in his religion. He decided to follow his roots and do justice to the knowledge gained from his father. It's a classic case of spinning out a business in a field you're passionate about, but the upshot is that it has a touch of ethics, which people will appreciate rather than look down upon.
Years of performing rituals with utmost sincerity have taken a toll on the man. He is now tired and just wants to make the most of the time available. Mantras now have less depth in them, his interest to console the families has faded and the sparkling clean angavastram has now jaded. Today, it's all about the money to pay the bills, school fee, groceries and the occasional gift for the wife to remind her of his love. Rather than focusing on the kriyas, he is hanging on to his mobile phone to check if Shivu is on time.
After reading this, please don't judge Shastry. In fact, we must appreciate how much he and his family have moved on from practices of yore. In the past, people were classified based on the work they do rather than color and their religion was dictated by the same. As society started to be more accepting, the eventual mix of various religions gave birth to something that was considered free, bohemian and democratic. No longer was work so important that an individual was judged on it. Rather, it was our ancestors who determined what we would be. Today, people are too tied up in their own lives to spare time and perform basic duties dictated by their religion. The theory of convenience has set in and we are letting others do what they do best while we remain true to our lives of nine to five jobs. It might be a small world I'm talking about here, but it's one that most of us can relate to.
In many ways, we are going back to our roots. We are classifying people based on their work rather than what practices they believe in. If someone can do a job better than you, respect and appreciate it, but don't assume that it's their only strength because deep down we are all humans, with capabilities only limited by our imagination.
The news of a dear one passing away is something to brood over but not for Nanjund Shastry. It's an opportunity to put his knowledge to use and make some money out of it to make ends meet. Such is the paradox of life.
In the process of adapting to modern times, Shastry has tied up with the usual raft of stores and services that one would normally need in these circumstances. Shivu, who drives an ambulance is his aid when it comes to transporting the corpses while Mutthu at the store supplies him with essentials for the rituals. This task of simplifying the process has brought Shastry some success since he has everything at his disposal. People call him up in times of distress when he caters to all needs without them going through the hassle of making a dozen calls. Thus, he has structured a little business of his own.
Shastry's tutor, his father never intended to inspire an entrepreneur in him, but transferred all his knowledge so that one day he could help those in need. After a brief stint in the IT industry, Shastry however knew his true calling was always in his religion. He decided to follow his roots and do justice to the knowledge gained from his father. It's a classic case of spinning out a business in a field you're passionate about, but the upshot is that it has a touch of ethics, which people will appreciate rather than look down upon.
Years of performing rituals with utmost sincerity have taken a toll on the man. He is now tired and just wants to make the most of the time available. Mantras now have less depth in them, his interest to console the families has faded and the sparkling clean angavastram has now jaded. Today, it's all about the money to pay the bills, school fee, groceries and the occasional gift for the wife to remind her of his love. Rather than focusing on the kriyas, he is hanging on to his mobile phone to check if Shivu is on time.
After reading this, please don't judge Shastry. In fact, we must appreciate how much he and his family have moved on from practices of yore. In the past, people were classified based on the work they do rather than color and their religion was dictated by the same. As society started to be more accepting, the eventual mix of various religions gave birth to something that was considered free, bohemian and democratic. No longer was work so important that an individual was judged on it. Rather, it was our ancestors who determined what we would be. Today, people are too tied up in their own lives to spare time and perform basic duties dictated by their religion. The theory of convenience has set in and we are letting others do what they do best while we remain true to our lives of nine to five jobs. It might be a small world I'm talking about here, but it's one that most of us can relate to.
In many ways, we are going back to our roots. We are classifying people based on their work rather than what practices they believe in. If someone can do a job better than you, respect and appreciate it, but don't assume that it's their only strength because deep down we are all humans, with capabilities only limited by our imagination.
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