Name any incident in the epics of the Ramayanam or a ‘pasuram’ composed by Sri Andal, he is quite at ease to give a descriptive and authentic details about it. He can delve on the single ‘pasuram’ for hours together.
It is hard to believe that E.S. Satajit, who is just 10-years-old and a student of Standard V in Malaviya Nursery and Primary School in Azhwar Tirunagiri village, the birth place of Nammazhwar, is capable of reciting various ‘slokas’ and interpret them in a style characteristic of a senior vidwan.
Asked whether he reads any epic or learns by rote any sloka, he has one simple answer to say: “Whatever I say is imbibed from my grandfather Srinivasa Bhuvarahacharyar Swamy and from my father E. B. Sriram Swamy”.
Sri Bhuvarahacharyar Swamy, a great scholar in Sanskrit and Tamil Vedanta, has been a famous ‘Upanyasakarta’ rendering ‘sampradaya’ discourses for about five decades.
Master Satajit, when he was about four years old, commenced his lecture on ‘Alwargal Vaibhavam’ for a ten-day series session that lasted for 15 minutes every day at Gugai in Salem. There was no looking back and he rendered ‘Tirupaavai’ discourses at Nampillai Sannidhi in Triplicane for 17 days two years later. His discourse on ‘Tirupaavai’ in Margazhi for 30 days at Nampillai Sannidhi went down well revealing his extraordinary talent.
In 2013, he delivered his month-long ‘Tirupaavai’ discourse at Keys High School, Secunderabad. He does not take extra pain to read the books or learn by rote. Neither his father nor mother compels him to learn any religious text. “I intently listen to my grandfather and instantly recite what I hear,” he says in a quiet voice.
In the early stages, an hour was just enough for him to describe a ‘pasuram.’ With more description and details now, he needs more time. After returning from school, he does home work and other academic tasks. “I also play for some time,” he says with childhood pleasure.
He has carved his own style to deliver the discourse, adopts simple language and parables to drive home the high philosophy. “He is gifted with extraordinary memory of instantly reciting any verse he listens to. I do not coerce him to learn any religious text,” says his father.
Presently Satajit is delivering a series discourse on ‘Tirupaavai’ at Srirangam organised by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. “A series is quite different from a single day session. I prepare for some time in advance the previous day,” he says explaining the special efforts he puts in.
He has a passion for sports particularly cricket and chess. And his favourite Andal Pasuram is ‘Kozhi azhaipadan munnam…’
