With scholarship in two languages both of which he explored with great acumen, what exactly is Sriramadesikan up to these days? “Why, I’m writing,” pat comes the answer. “God Almighty has been kind enough to keep me mentally alert, although physically I have become weak,” he says. A frail 35 kg, a weight he has maintained for decades, Sriramadesikan is contributing to Bhavan’s Journal and the articles are on Ayurveda and modern medicine, his pet subject.
According to Sriramadesikan, Sanskrit and Tamil have many similarities. “You know something? There is absolutely no ill-feeling towards Tamil among pandits in the North. Down South Tamil scholars have respect for Sanskrit. Tamil actually has assimilated Sanskrit. Any rivalry is politically motivated and has no base,” he avers. “True the cultures are different, so also the scripts, but true intellect has always overcome these issues,” he adds.
Mind as sharp as razor, Sriramadesikan has not forgotten the high points of his splendid literary career. Among these is receiving the President’s award (1971) from the late V.V. Giri. Sriramadesikan’s name was missing from the list in spite of the Tamil Nadu Government’s recommendation. Giri refused to approve the list and to a puzzled Indira Gandhi he said, ‘This award is from the President. If my choice has no respect, why should I approve?’ The name was included and he received the award.
“Mrs. Giri was my student and setting aside protocol, she got up from her seat when I went up to receive the President’s award. This prompted Indira Gandhi, who was in the audience to comment, ‘Who is this small man, everybody is so reverent to him…!” recalls the scholar with a chuckle.
He also recalls the President’s visit to his house, a modest affair that embarrassed the aide, who blurted, “You live in a cramped place like this?”
“I can’t shift my residence just because the President is coming here, can I?” was the matter-of-fact response. That sums up the nonagenarian’s personality – down-to-earth oozing dignity and confidence that comes with knowledge.
Successive Chief Ministers and Governors extended their support to his research and projects. Governors K.K. Shah and Patwari were his students. Irrespective of the party in power, his services were sought and he obliged happily. “When my name was left out of the list of pensioners (aid given to aged Tamil scholars), MGR, who was then Chief Minister called for the paper and wrote my name.” The late CM also feted the veteran for his dedicated translation work.
Sriramadesikan mentions the stint he had with the Engineering College, Guindy. On the request of V.C. Kulandaisamy, Vice-Chandellor, he joined the faculty as part-time teacher (1965-69) and the subject was tharka sastra. “It was all about atom. Nuclear energy was not new to our ancestors; only they wanted it to be used for creative purposes,” he explains.
Which among the body of work is his favourite? “Translation of the Sanskrit Ayurveda texts into Tamil. I have given with pictures, 300 herbs in the Himalayas. Did you know that 1,000 years ago surgery was done – Caesarean section, cataract and even removal of stone from the gall bladder - with as many as 150 instruments? Records have it that Tipu Sultan was operated upon for an ENT problem. Nobody knew the human anatomy as well as those physicians. The text is a treasure. My translation has made it accessible to those who do not know Sanskrit.”
It is with pride that Sriramadesikan talks about the awards given by the Karaikkudi Kamban Kazhagam (1964) and the Tamil Isai Sangam (1969). Regarding the latter, he remembers sharing the honour with Rani Annadurai, Ki.Va. Jagannathan and Ma.Po. Sivagnanam.
Heaped with accolades and feted by Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers, Sriramadesikan has left a mine of knowledge for posterity. With all this behind, what does he think of the present? Sriramadesikan is quite candid.
“There is bhakti and there are scholars, who speak very well on the subject. But how many practice what they preach? And there is no dearth of audience for these lectures. How many go through a change of heart? Everything has become commercial with an eye on publicity.”
