The Acharya finds no reason
Come 2007. Prof. Sudarshan was in CMS college once again. After 1986 he had visited the college on quite a few occasions, but this one turned out to be very special for me. Prof Sudarshan and Prof Bhamathi reached Kottyam on a harthal day. I was appointed the "teacher-in-waiting" by the then principal Prof Korulla Isaac. We received the honourable guests at the Kottayam railway station and drove to hotel Pearl Regency with police escort. Before leaving, Prof Sudarshan enquired about my family. He was greatly impressed when I told him that my son Renjan was an undergraduate student at the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI). The next day I had the good fortune of driving them to CMS college in my car. Prof Sudarshan gave a lecture and he was felicitated by the college community on his being awarded the Padmavibhushan, a national honour. They spent the whole day in the college. The next day morning I went to hotel Pearl Regency to officially see them off. They were going to Kumarakom and were to stay at the "Golden Waters" resort. Just when the taxi was about to start, Prof Sudarshan waved to me.I went near him and he said "I want to talk to your son. He can meet me at Kumarokam in the evening". I stood breathless. Just when I was thinking of freedom from the brunt of being with this greatest Physicist over the globe, I am asked to be with him in the evening too!
Renjan refused to come and I had a tough time convincing him. Finally by seven in the evening Renjan, Anna (my daughter) and I were in Prof Sudarshan's room in "Golden Waters". Prof Sudarshan said to Anna "Anna you come here and sit between me any wife. You and my wife look very pretty". Then he turned to Renjan and said "Let us settle down to business. Tell me what did you find most interesting while learning Physics?" I had a mild shock hearing this. I wondered what this first year undergraduate student will say. But he said he could enjoy Quantum Mechanics more once he read Group Theory. For the next half an hour Prof Sudarshan talked on Quantum Mechanics and Group Theory, all looking at Renjan. I was still wondering why we were invited at all. Just when we were to take leave of them the Professor proclaimed "you will have dinner with us". I felt a terrible shock. I was sure that food will not go down my throat in this great man's presence. But I was left with no option but to oblige.
The restaurant was in the midst of a garden beside a beautiful pond. Very close to where we were seated was a goose crying aloud. Yes, it was crying. I could feel it. There was scare and grief in its eyes. Its sound had a heart breaking tone. Then Prof Sudarshan told me that a python had devoured its gander in the evening and since then the goose was crying like that.I was astonished by Prof Sudarshan's pain and sympathy for the goose. He kept talking about the hapless goose.
The dinner was served and finally when the desserts came, Prof Bhamathi told Prof Sudarshan, a chronic diabetic, to share the ice cream with Anna. After having a detailed look at the ice cream, without raising his head, he murmured like a child " There isn't much to be shared"!
Now I summoned all the courage at my command and asked the Professor "Sir, it was a great honour for us when you asked us to be with you in the evening. Then you further honoured us by inviting us for dinner with you. How come Sir"?
Pat came the answer:
"For certain things there are no reasons"I was dumb-founded. Who can question the Acharya?
Come 2007. Prof. Sudarshan was in CMS college once again. After 1986 he had visited the college on quite a few occasions, but this one turned out to be very special for me. Prof Sudarshan and Prof Bhamathi reached Kottyam on a harthal day. I was appointed the "teacher-in-waiting" by the then principal Prof Korulla Isaac. We received the honourable guests at the Kottayam railway station and drove to hotel Pearl Regency with police escort. Before leaving, Prof Sudarshan enquired about my family. He was greatly impressed when I told him that my son Renjan was an undergraduate student at the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI). The next day I had the good fortune of driving them to CMS college in my car. Prof Sudarshan gave a lecture and he was felicitated by the college community on his being awarded the Padmavibhushan, a national honour. They spent the whole day in the college. The next day morning I went to hotel Pearl Regency to officially see them off. They were going to Kumarakom and were to stay at the "Golden Waters" resort. Just when the taxi was about to start, Prof Sudarshan waved to me.I went near him and he said "I want to talk to your son. He can meet me at Kumarokam in the evening". I stood breathless. Just when I was thinking of freedom from the brunt of being with this greatest Physicist over the globe, I am asked to be with him in the evening too!
Renjan refused to come and I had a tough time convincing him. Finally by seven in the evening Renjan, Anna (my daughter) and I were in Prof Sudarshan's room in "Golden Waters". Prof Sudarshan said to Anna "Anna you come here and sit between me any wife. You and my wife look very pretty". Then he turned to Renjan and said "Let us settle down to business. Tell me what did you find most interesting while learning Physics?" I had a mild shock hearing this. I wondered what this first year undergraduate student will say. But he said he could enjoy Quantum Mechanics more once he read Group Theory. For the next half an hour Prof Sudarshan talked on Quantum Mechanics and Group Theory, all looking at Renjan. I was still wondering why we were invited at all. Just when we were to take leave of them the Professor proclaimed "you will have dinner with us". I felt a terrible shock. I was sure that food will not go down my throat in this great man's presence. But I was left with no option but to oblige.
The restaurant was in the midst of a garden beside a beautiful pond. Very close to where we were seated was a goose crying aloud. Yes, it was crying. I could feel it. There was scare and grief in its eyes. Its sound had a heart breaking tone. Then Prof Sudarshan told me that a python had devoured its gander in the evening and since then the goose was crying like that.I was astonished by Prof Sudarshan's pain and sympathy for the goose. He kept talking about the hapless goose.
The dinner was served and finally when the desserts came, Prof Bhamathi told Prof Sudarshan, a chronic diabetic, to share the ice cream with Anna. After having a detailed look at the ice cream, without raising his head, he murmured like a child " There isn't much to be shared"!
Now I summoned all the courage at my command and asked the Professor "Sir, it was a great honour for us when you asked us to be with you in the evening. Then you further honoured us by inviting us for dinner with you. How come Sir"?
Pat came the answer:
"For certain things there are no reasons"I was dumb-founded. Who can question the Acharya?
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