Venkataraman had been a staunch Hindu since the time of his growing up. He did not understand much of the logic behind the various rules imposed on the Brahmin society, and so he was not averse to much of his other friends as well. But, he was always careful to follow Brahmin tradition as much as he could. He sincerely felt, that though the logic behind many ideas in the Hindu society of the times was not easily explicable, it definitely did have some meaning, or else his ancestors wouldn't have followed it. Vedanta prescribes four ways of learning how to lead your life, from Pratyaksha (from what we see), Anumana (through inference), Upamana (through comparisons) and Achara (through traditions). He lived all his life as a proponent of the fourth way. Sanyasa was something that he had once contemplated before marriage itself, but after reading somewhere that it was a sin to abandon life with such disdain when he had duties, he decided to get married.
Brahmacharya, Grihastashrama and Vanaprastha were over finally in his eyes. His daughter's marriage was the final duty, and once it was done with, he took a trip away from home, and took up Sanyasa without people at home having the slightest hint of what was happening. He came down to Rameshwaram where his close friend from college, Ramachandran lived. A day before his initiation into Sanyasa he told Ramachandran. The latter pleaded and begged with him to not go on with the plans, but finally had to yield to him. He had always been clear about this plan. Also, he had prepared himself mentally for this jump. But, when Ramachandran had come to tell him about Varalakshmi's accident, he admitted to himself, it did shake him up a bit. After all, breaking away from all life in a minute is not a joke. Also, this had been a lifelong dream. Something he wanted to do, something that would take him on the path to moksha. Why would he screw it up when the opportunity was right in his hands? But, after all, there lay his wife, no, his ex-wife, struggling for her life. A struggle for her life, a struggle between his minds, as he entered the shrine of Lord Ramanathaswamy, for some direction to the mind.
Thirty minutes in the shrine did bring some calm to his mind. As he walked out, there was a beggar outside the main doors of the shrine, who saw him and walked straight upto him. Venkataraman, kind of freaked out initially, and then raised his eyebrows, so as to ask him 'What?'. The beggar, spoke to him, saying that he would get the answers to his questions if he visited the ashram down the road. For some reason, the suggestion appealed to Venkataraman's mind, and he made his way down the road.
Brahmacharya, Grihastashrama and Vanaprastha were over finally in his eyes. His daughter's marriage was the final duty, and once it was done with, he took a trip away from home, and took up Sanyasa without people at home having the slightest hint of what was happening. He came down to Rameshwaram where his close friend from college, Ramachandran lived. A day before his initiation into Sanyasa he told Ramachandran. The latter pleaded and begged with him to not go on with the plans, but finally had to yield to him. He had always been clear about this plan. Also, he had prepared himself mentally for this jump. But, when Ramachandran had come to tell him about Varalakshmi's accident, he admitted to himself, it did shake him up a bit. After all, breaking away from all life in a minute is not a joke. Also, this had been a lifelong dream. Something he wanted to do, something that would take him on the path to moksha. Why would he screw it up when the opportunity was right in his hands? But, after all, there lay his wife, no, his ex-wife, struggling for her life. A struggle for her life, a struggle between his minds, as he entered the shrine of Lord Ramanathaswamy, for some direction to the mind.
Thirty minutes in the shrine did bring some calm to his mind. As he walked out, there was a beggar outside the main doors of the shrine, who saw him and walked straight upto him. Venkataraman, kind of freaked out initially, and then raised his eyebrows, so as to ask him 'What?'. The beggar, spoke to him, saying that he would get the answers to his questions if he visited the ashram down the road. For some reason, the suggestion appealed to Venkataraman's mind, and he made his way down the road.
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