Pachaiappan

Pachaiappan, a nephew of Krishna Konar, was about 16 years old when he came to Sri Bhagavan around 1941 from Chettipattu. Prior to this he had studied upto the sixth class and was tending sheep at home. He served first in the garden and later began helping in the construction of Mother's Shrine. It was then just above ground level. He recalls the loading of huge stones cut from the hillock, vairakundru nearby, tied with chains on to carts drawn by giant bulls.

Once in a while as he passed by the window near Sri Bhagavan's sofa, He would signal to him to come. As he entered the Hall and stood near Sri Bhagavan, He would hand him the kamandalu asking him to get it filled. On one occasion, Sri Bhagavan advised him: "Never steal; never utter a lie; if you are in need of something ask for it." On another occasion when he was feeling ill, Sri Bhagavan told him: "Whenever you feel ill, lie down and rest for a couple of hours. That would be enough." Pachaiappan said he had followed this advice faithfully. When the temple construction was completed he had to return to his village, as there was no more work for temporary hands like him.

Pachaiappan was married when he was 25, about a year after Sri Bhagavan's Brahma Nirvana. He returned to the Ashram to serve permanently, a short while after. He had two daughters, both given away in marriage. He then took the job of a caretaker of the Morvi Guest-House complex.

As a young boy in the Ashram in those days, he recalled how Sri Bhagavan would take a walk daily to the room east of the Goshala. Seeing Him approaching, Cow Lakshmi would invariably lift her head and "Moo" affectionately to Him. Pachaiappan once saw Sri Bhagavan walk up to Lakshmi who had called out to Him very tenderly. He went near her, stroked her affectionately and then going down on His haunches, eased out a few drops of milk from her full udder into the vessel in His hand. He then raised the vessel and drank the contents. It was as if Sri Bhagavan had acceded to Lakshmi's desire to feed Him! It was a unique sight!

Sri Bhagavan had told him that he could help in cutting the vegetables at the kitchen. Even now he did this on and off, besides his chores in the Guestrooms. He recalled the way tooth-powder was prepared then by roasting iluppai (Mahua) leaves black and pounding them to a powder and mixing with salt, later to be folded in small packets for Ashram use. He would also go to the market to fetch fire-wood for the kitchen fire. Sri Bhagavan had told him that iluppai wood was ideal for the kitchen fire.

At his old age, pachaiappan could work physically no more. He was requested to stay at the Ashram itself, which he did with utter gratitude, till his death at the Ashram itself in 1993!

Cow Lakshmi offering her obeisances to Sri Bhagavan by surrendering her head at the Feet of Sri Bhagavan