"UG was a big-time robber !" - Hegde, the palmist.

UG the Prince of Robbers

         UG's portals attracted scores of individuals from all walks of life. He kept everyone engaged with his amazing repertoire of subjects, spanning ‘disease to divinity’.

He was current on a wide range of topics. He dismissed this fantastic ability saying, "All kinds of experts walk into my portals. I get to know so much from these experts. In fact, these chaps tell me all about the latest happenings, I don't do a thing!"              

The portals had a fair share of unusual, eccentric people - palmists, astrologers, 'nadi' readers, face readers, the list is long! The sheer entertainment value and the fun element of such a gathering really lightened one's mood. It helped downplay some of the most intense, fiery discussions and debates on philosophy, religion and spirituality where UG fiercely lambasted iconic figures of yore, tearing them down with vehemence.

This particular incident took place in Bangalore on a weekend in Hridaya Vihar, the home of Chandrasekhar Babu and Suguna.

Over the course of the morning, many friends had gathered to see and hear him. The numbers swelled and spilled into the street.

Everyone was eagerly trying to hang on to his every word that reverberated with such clarity and intensity. UG was seated on his sofa in the living room. Aware that many people were hanging outside, eager to listen, he obliged by raising his voice a few notches! His words now came out ringing loud and clear into the street where we all stood!

              

                           ***********************"**"***************'**

There was a sudden lull in the intense discussions that went on inside since morning. UG came out into the portico where many had gathered. His attention caught an elderly gentleman, 'dhoti-clad' with a simple demeanour. UG recognized him instantly. Seeing an opportunity for fun, he quietly led him into the house, "Banni Swami! ( ಬನ್ನಿ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ,'Come in sir’ in Kannada), please read my palm and tell me how much money I will make   ..." 

I learnt from Major standing next to me that the man Hegde sometimes played the role of a palmist in UG theatre. He was from a village in South Canara, the northern district of Karnataka. His son worked as a software engineer in Bangalore. The old man came to visit his son and stayed on for some time. 

The palm-reading sessions were more like UG 'constitutionals' (car rides) that served as a respite from his non-stop talks and discussions. They acted as necessary interludes in an otherwise busy 'UG day'!

Our palmist Hegde couldn’t utter a word in English. He spoke in vernacular Kannada. As I stood watching the drama unfold, UG suddenly came out once again, this time pulling me inside declaring that I would act as the official translator for this session of palm reading.

Hegde sat close to UG and the palm reading began!

Hegde explained that some lines on his right palm suggested that UG had been born in the distant past, he had already completed two lives and the current one was actually his third. And that in one of his past lives, UG was a great Yogi and had attained a very high spiritual state.

UG's second sojourn on the planet, it turned out was more interesting and entertaining!

"Ivaru bahala dodda kallaragiddaru! (ಇವರು ಬಹಳ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕಳ್ಳರಾಗಿದ್ದರು)” Hegde narrated, which translates to “UG was a big-time robber!” 

There were peals of laughter all around. UG too joined the fun! It was hilarious!

But somewhere inside of me, something exploded! The Vedic chants of Sri Rudram from Yajurveda came flooding back to me! As well as the famous narrative of Robber Kih from Chuang Tzu's classic!

I was suddenly transported to the distant world of Vedas and Taoism! What I heard resonated distinctly with the uncanny wisdom of sages from ancient lands of both India and China.

I resolutely fought back my urge to intervene and narrate my own commentary on the Vedic and Taoist revelations about 'bandits and the kings of bandits'!  But then I decided it would be presumptuous on my part to don the role of a commentator with so many worthies around!

Thinking thus, I suppressed my overwhelming desire to recount ‘the greatness of the chieftain’, as portrayed in the Sri Rudram and the matchless narrative of Robber Kih by the great Chuang Tzu.

I meekly proceeded with the translation.

The exploding fun and laughter evoked by his description of UG as a robber chief did not seem to bother Hegde! He went on with the many capers and exploits of UG as a don!   

This blow by blow account of UG was funny and colourful. And it also raised many eyebrows that day! The palmist said that despite his bizarre calling, UG had shone as a benefactor to many people a la Robin Hood!

In conclusion, Hegde described that UG's current birth was an outstanding one and that multitudes would benefit from his great wisdom and reassured UG that he would continue to sit on oodles of money!

The palm reading ended.

UG thrust a 500 rupee note into Hegde’s hand! The palmist waited for more!  Once again UG reached out to Chandrasekhar Babu, grabbed another 500 note and shoved it into his palm. Mighty pleased, the man bade goodbye and left the scene!

    *********************************************

Just an aside!

 There is a great revelatory verse in Yajurveda from the most ancient literature known to mankind. This is the third Anuvaka (stanza) of Sri Rudram of Yajurveda Samhita:

  

नमः॒ सह॑मानाय निव्या॒धिन॑ आव्या॒धिनी॑नां॒ पत॑ये नमो॒ नमः॑ ककु॒भाय॑ निष॒ङ्गिणे॓ स्ते॒नानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नमो॑ निष॒ङ्गिण॑ इषुधि॒मते॑ तस्क॑राणां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नमो॒ वञ्च॑ते परि॒वञ्च॑ते स्तायू॒नां पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नमो॑ निचे॒रवे॑ परिच॒रायार॑ण्यानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नमः॑ सृका॒विभ्यो॒ जिघाग्ं॑सद्भ्यो मुष्ण॒तां पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नमो॑‌உसि॒मद्भ्यो॒ नक्त॒ञ्चर॑द्भ्यः प्रकृ॒न्तानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नम॑ उष्णी॒षिने॑ गिरिच॒राय॑ कुलु॒ञ्चानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमो॒ नम॒ इषु॑मद्भ्यो धन्वा॒विभ्य॑श्च वो॒ नमो॒ नम॑ आतन्-वा॒नेभ्यः॑ प्रति॒दधा॑नेभ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ नम॑ आ॒यच्छ॒॑द्भ्यो विसृ॒जद्-भ्य॑श्च वो॒ नमो॒ नमो‌உस्स॑द्भ्यो॒ विद्य॑द्-भ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ नम॒ आसी॑नेभ्यः॒ शया॑नेभ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ नमः॑ स्व॒पद्भ्यो॒ जाग्र॑द्-भ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ नम॒स्तिष्ठ॑द्भ्यो॒ धाव॑द्-भ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ नमः॑ स॒भाभ्यः॑ स॒भाप॑तिभ्यश्च वो॒ नमो॒ नमो॒ अश्वे॒भ्यो‌உश्व॑पतिभ्यश्च वो॒ नमः॑ ॥ 3 ॥

            In this rare Sanskrit verse, Shiva, the Godhead is described as the Leader of Leaders of every hue and colour! He is seen in the brilliant spark evident in the skill and finesse of even among robbers, gangsters, scamsters, cheaters, tricksters, land grabbers, murderers, highway robbers, looters, brigands, fly-by-night operators, sadists, plunderers of forests and mountains, glib-tongued men, smooth operators etc.

            The Vedic hymn, in a bold voice proclaims that it is the same Consciousness or Energy or Intelligence that lights up and animates every kind of intellect, upright or pervert! The many shades of intellect being the result of one's own background.

Regardless , it is the same life spark that is behind the duke or the crook!

Behind all outward attributes and manifestations of human perfection or perversion, there lies pure Consciousness – the Eternal , Untouched, Uncontaminated, the pure Essence of Life!

                 *********************************************

Come to think of it, the gang leader or the chieftain is renowned for his strategic skills, he is brilliant in planning and startegising. He has a meticulous eye for detail, an uncanny ability to choose the right person for the right job, call it the Human Resource management at its very best!

He exhibits tremendous ability to motivate his men by leading them by his own example! He instills courage in men by leading from the front! He is the first one to break in during a robbery and the last one to leave the premises thus lionising his men.He shows utter fearlessness but whips up fear in the hearts of opponents.

His matchless leadership qualities are evident in his uncommon understanding and awareness of threats, opportunities. He is completely aware of own flaws and follies as well as those of followers and opponents.

He is endowed with great vision in sustaining and growing his illegitimate empire. There is an utter lack of hypocrisy. There is no mincing of words - he means what he says and says what he means! His empathy is total and complete, he could sacrifice his life to protect that of his followers.

            His statesmanship and financial wisdom is evident in the distribution of plundered wealth or loot. He shares and cares for fellowmen.

                      

                  Rare indeed is a human being where thought, speech and act flow together in unison. A robber-chief or leader is supposed to possess this rarest of rare quality in great measure. Only that he is given to perversion and espouses wrongful ideology! This is imperative in order to run his illegitimate empire or government.

                **********************************************

Assuming that the palmist was right in his palm-reading, it comes as no great surprise to those who associated with UG that this brilliant, magnetic personality could very well have sparkled as the prince of thieves!

It takes rich imagination to picture UG as Robin Hood!  He rather comes through as the prince among men, given his qualities of utter fearlessness and immeasurable strength. His exceptional courage or rather utter lack of fear to expose the fraud and falsehood and call the 'spiritual bluff' finds resonance among the daredevilry exhibited by robber chieftains and plunderers of yore!