Natesan, Sri Bhagavan’s Barber

Natesan, a staunch devotee of Sri Bhagavan, had the unique privilege of having shaved Sri Bhagavan for an uninterrupted period of twenty-five years!

Natesan was a native of Polur, a small village to the north of Tiruvannamalai. His father, a staunch devotee of Lord Arunachaleswara, used to visit Tiruvannamalai walking the distance of twenty miles on the first day of each Tamil month in order to do a pradakshina of Arunachala Holy Hill. After reaching a ripe old age, his father eventually died during one of his walks around the Sacred Mountain! Natesan had full faith that it was the merit earned by his father that eventually earned him the privilege of serving Sri Bhagavan.

After his father's death, Natesan was adopted by his uncle, Subbarayan. His uncle first saw Sri Bhagavan at Gurumurtam, the period when he had long matted hair. On seeing Sri Bhagavan, Subbarayan asked for permission to give him a shave. Sri Bhagavan remained silent and Subbarayan took this to be a negative answer, but later when some of the devotees wanted to give Sri Bhagavan a shave, he was approached by them and he happily accepted their invitation. From that time on, he shaved Sri Bhagavan regularly, and when he became too old to continue the work, he advised his nephew, Natesan, to continue the service. Natesan gladly accepted the honour, and he shaved Sri Bhagavan on the morning of each Full-Moon day.

On the mornings when he was due to shave Sri Bhagavan, Natesan would first have a bath, smear vibhuti (sacred ash) on himself and then respectfully approach Sri Bhagavan at exactly 9 a.m. At this time of day, Sri Bhagavan would normally have just returned from his morning walk and on seeing Natesan, Sri Bhagavan would apply oil to the rheumatic swelling in his joints and then slowly walk to the Gosala (Cow Shed). A special place was set aside in the Gosala for shaving and on the days when Sri Bhagavan had his shave it would be specially cleaned and decorated with rangoli (flour patterns). Natesan would prostrate before starting the shave, and then complete the shave in silence; only when it was completed would he say a few words to Sri Bhagavan.

On one occassion, Sri Niranjanananda Swami called Natesan and asked him to start the work an hour earlier. Niranjanananda Swami thought that in the heat of the summer this would be more convenient for Sri Bhagavan. Natesan turned up at the newly appointed hour, and in response to Bhagavan's questioning gaze, he narrated Sri Niranjanananda Swami's new plan. Sri Bhagavan said that the heat was of no importance, and the former timetable was restored.

Natesan also used to play pipe-music for weddings and other festivities, and once when he was shaving Sri Bhagavan, his uncle Subbarayan came to see him and told him that he was required in town to play some music as soon as he had finished shaving Sri Bhagavan. On hearing this Sri Bhagavan remarked: "It seems that Natesan has to go to town by 12 noon, and he has not taken any food since this morning". His attendants who were standing nearby took the hint and brought him some lunch from the kitchen. Barbers are normally treated as outcastes, and caste Hindus would normally only offer them food after they themselves had finished eating. Natesan was overwhelmed by this show of compassion by Sri Bhagavan and felt that only Sri Bhagavan could love like this. Recalling this incident in later years, Natesan was moved to tears and pointed out that Sri Bhagavan always treated devotees equally, and was particular that none went without food.

Natesan considered his service to Sri Bhagavan to be his highest priority, and never failed to appear for the monthly shave. On one occasion, on the day before Full-Moon, Natesan's brother who was living in a village nearby fell sick and his life appeared to be in danger. Natesan explained his position to his relatives and they wisely advised him to go at once to Tiruvannamalai and do his sacred duty.

Soon after concluding the shave the following day, one of his relatives appeared to inform him that his brother had died and that he was required immediately for the last rites. Sri Bhagavan heard this information being passed on and remarked: "It seems that Natesan's brother has passed away and he has to go at once to Polur. He could not have taken his food yet and it is not known whether he has money to travel." On hearing this, Sri Bhagavan's attendant, Ramakrishna Swami, went to the kitchen and brought some food. Natesan had little appetite for food, but he took three cups of coffee and was given five rupees for his journey home.

Natesan once prostrated to Sri Bhagavan when he met him walking on the Hill. "Why here?" questioned Sri Bhagavan, and Natesan took this to mean that his prostration in the Gosala was a sufficient expression of devotion and that he need not do it elsewhere.

Natesan always used to spend a few minutes with Sri Bhagavan after his monthly work had been completed. In those few minutes he would have Sri Bhagavan's uninterrupted and undivided attention. Natesan considered these short sessions listening to the compassionate words of Sri Bhagavan to be the happiest moments in his life.

Although he was old, he continued to serve devotees in the Ashram, and many of them consider it a privilege to be shaved by the same hands which shaved Sri Bhagavan. Natesan spent his last days in his small house near the Ashram. His last moments were very serene and he was murmuring Sri Bhagavan’s Name when he breathed his last in 1983.