*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 23

At a girl's college dormitory, dates were permitted only on Saturday night..
One young man showed up on a Tuesday evening, explaining to an older woman in the lobby of the dorm that it was imperative he see a certain young lady immediately.
"I want to surprise her. You see, I'm her brother."

"Oh, she'll be surprised all right," said the woman. "But think of how surprised I am! I'm her mother!!"

A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around.
If he stopped, she stopped.
Furthermore she kept staring at him.

She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to him and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that you look so much like my late son."

He answered, "That's okay."

"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out 'Good bye, Mom' as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy."

She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, "Goodbye, Mom."

The little old lady waved and smiled back at him.

Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, he went to pay for his groceries.

"That comes to $1211.85," said the clerk.

"How come so much?
I only bought 5 items."

The clerk replied, "Yeah, but your Mom said you'd be paying for her things, too...

Bet you thought this was going to be a tear jerker!!!
Everyday is not Mother's Day.

Chapter 72

"In his face there came to be a brooding peace that is seen most often in the faces of the very sorrowful or the very wise. But still he wandered through the streets of the town, always silent and alone." Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter


There comes a time when you know what is light and what is dark and what is right and what is wrong.Yet,many a time we rather walk in the grey that defines the blurred and no mans land that is made up of both light and dark and right and wrong.I,myself many a time have given into anger and vengeance when provoked or hurt by a person who i know did it unintentionally or rather he himself was in the grey area where we learn to live with both good and bad,the proportion is left to each and their own conscience.This balancing act of good and bad is left to each and every person's mind and intelligence and morals.The seven deadly sins wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony are the ones that draw a veil over our wisdom and virtues and they are the ones that predominantly rule and ruin our life.Solitude by itself shields us from these traits that arises from human bonds that tie and lock us up in bondages.Everything we do,every action and thought of that which is classified as life is done for pure selfish reasons and they are for purely happiness and improvement of one, his kith and kin.

Jesus christ is supposed to have spent 30 days in the desert in solitude wandering,wondering and pondering about life and its problems.Ramana maharishi,ramakrishna paramahamsa,vivekananda and many other great leaders spent days,months,years in meditation and in solitude thinking about life and all the problems that stem from it.Life basically stems from procreation and from that stems and flows all problems and evil.Me,mine,ours and a line is drawn that divides that from they,them and everyone else.




The light that is brighter than all visible light


The sun was sinking in the west and its colors lit up the forest and the mountains that lay on the horizon as if they were the great wall of china and the horse that Azhagan was riding on whinnied as if to say that it was tired and also needed water and grass to graze on.Azhagan came awake from his thoughts and gently jumped down from the horse and whispered his thanks to the animal.He stroked its head and ears and told it to graze and then lead it to a small pond that was filled with fresh water that had slithered down a small hill.The birds of the day were chatting and telling good byes and good nights to their families before they turned into the night to slumber and giving way to the birds and beasts of the nocturne.

Azhagan pulled out some parchments that he had brought back from the hidden hall of "Sairandhrivanam" and started sketching on it.He drew avini when she was pregnant with him and he drew his best friend,the lion called Buddha as he stood by him.The tears threatened to pour from his eyes and cascade from his soul and yet he slowly sketched with his memories and love and all that he had lost.

The horse had grazed and with its belly full of sweet grass and even sweeter water slowly came up and plonked itself next to azhagan.He rolled the sketches and put them back into the leather satchel and sat with his horse in quiet and strangely felt peaceful as the the light gave way to darkness.

Azhagan sat in his typical lotus yoga position and closed his eyes and called for his master and his master spoke to him.

" child,why have you waited so long to reach out to me and why are you going through suffering all by yourself.I feel you in my heart and i wish that you were here and never leave again."

Azhagan " i am coming master.But before that there are certain questions that need to be answered and i hope they will be answered.Then,only then will i be able to come back and never leave for i am tired of this life master."

The old master " fool,stupid,young fool.Death is not the final story just as life is not the beginning.All of us,everything from the smallest particle to even those that are invisible are moving to and fro with the source and those movements are life and the tale of our lives.You know this,you understand this and yet you refuse to rise above your bondage and come to terms with what you are really supposed to be doing.My child,you have the gift and so please don't waste it on petty issues such as love,lust and revenge."

Azhagan " i know master and i am beginning to realise it.But i beg you to forgive me and let me do this on my own and in my way.Bless me master for i go to decipher evil and its wily machinations.i will reason and discuss with the darkness of the men and if i do not succeed,i will come back and i will come back to stay forever."

" My child, you are the light.You are the bringer of peace and you have been created for a higher purpose. i give you my blessings for like you i have also fallen into the trap of bondage and that trap is my love for you and for your safekeeping.Come back soon azhaga,come back soon for the darkness of death and transformation is threatening the physical body of this old man."


They came the birds,the beasts such as leopards,jackals and the lions and they sat in a circle around Azhagan and they basked and gloried in the light that sprang from him.The light that came forth was not green in color but a bright orange and it was like a small sun had landed in the middle of the forest.The light entered everything that was around him and they brought new life to green of the vegetation and the animals.


The king stood with the other lights and nodded in approval " it is so and it is happening as the prophecy has said.the king is truly here and now i know that our race will be saved.I was scared when avini died for the green of his anger and lower senses of azhagan blazed so brightly that i feared he would never come back from it.But there is nothing to fear anymore for the light of the source has entered his body and it is a light that has not been seen for many generations."

The king along with his group of lights circled azhagan and knelt before him and let the strange orange light enter their frail bodies and it was magic in the forest.


"I've been making a list of the things they don't teach you at school. They don't teach you how to love somebody. They don't teach you how to be famous. They don't teach you how to be rich or how to be poor. They don't teach you how to walk away from someone you don't love any longer. They don't teach you how to know what's going on in someone else's mind. They don't teach you what to say to someone who's dying. They don't teach you anything worth knowing."
Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones

I am azhagan and i come now with the light of knowledge and power.I rise now with a greater purpose and yet my soul is filled with Avini and Thenmozhi.

All words and all that i write in the coming chapters will be only of redemption and the rise of the soul and the voyage to purity.From the time i toddled i have learnt to shun help and support and wanted to make this world my own and learn it for myself.I wanted to discover the secrets that makes me and others tick and exist the way we do.

Solitude and self imposed solitary confinement is the key to the door of peace and i am halfway through the door.

One word "rise" has always held magic for me for i have always felt that i need to rise,rise above emotions and the commotion of other lives.

I know i am a human but yet there seems to be a higher plane of living and existence that rises above humanity and being human.

Love,empathy,sacrifice and understanding helps you rise even when you fall and sometimes i fall from great heights for there are souls who i need to be with for they are scared of rising and rising alone.

Chapter 73


The more you need people to agree with you, the less open you are to what they think, feel, and believe. You cannot share with them because you are trying to change them, and they cannot share with you because you are not listening. Gary Zukav


I believe that there is a Kill switch hidden somewhere in this nature of life and way of life as it has evolved and in all probability still evolving.If we humans are at the top of the food chain,then don't you sometimes wonder why we are being killed in thousands and millions in the recent past by bacteria and viruses,the tiniest and the earliest forms of life.Just like a product gets better and better with a newer version,shouldn't we have better protection against diseases,when we are the latest and top of the line deluxe model and come fully loaded.

But maybe we are built and protected and yet we damage and ruin our Armour by indulging and reveling in the seven deadly sins that i mentioned as a foreword in the last chapter.Balance is a simple word and yet it holds the most significance and should rightly do so in our lives.Balance in what we eat,spend,love and hate.Simply put,be moderate and don't overdo anything that will lead to tension and stress.It seems and has now been confirmed that most of our physical sufferings come from tensions and a stressful life that arise from the pursuit of goals such as 'earn more,buy a bigger and more cars,have more sex with more and preferably different partners,drink more,eat more,party more,more,more of everything.But less of more exercise,more meditation,more contemplation,more patience,more love and tolerance.Well,i think you all get what i am talking about and where i am heading.



Hallowed halls of Gangaikonda cholapuram

Kulothungan cholan,the mighty emperor stood in silence before the huge linga of his god and he stood in contemplation.He had been doing this from the time he had been a small boy who had toddled and tottered holding his father's hand and had entered the temple.Everyday after his bath,he walked to the temple and worshipped the god alone and since this was his own private temple,he could sing and talk his soul to the presiding shiva.

" Father,my lord i am getting old now and i know that i do not have much time left in this world.I have committed knowingly and unknowingly many sins and have taken many lives in the name of war and in the need of expanding my kingdom and with the selfish thought of bringing more fame to my dynasty.But all that were follies of my youth and now in my old age i realise my mistakes that the madness of young age led me to commit.Age has tempered all that and now wisdom fills my mind and i pray to you and beg you to forgive me for my sins.I beg you for peace and redemption."

His instincts although deep in prayer and in conversation with his god sill alerted him to someone behind him and kulothungan turned and was shocked and thrilled to see azhagan standing there.He did not know why but tears of happiness filled his eyes and getting up he came and hugged azhagan who stood calmly without an expression in his eyes or lips.

Kulothungan " child,i was preparing to come and see you in madurai and here you are.what a pleasant surprise.come,come now for my soul and heart feel lighter and brighter with you by my side.The years of my old age have been filled with lot of disappointments and mistakes that i now know i have to rectify for that will at least bring me some peace as i close my eyes."

Azhagan " Mighty king,mighty lord i need justice,i need answers for what has been done to me and to my village."

Seeing the mighty warrior tremble with pain and loss broke kulothungans heart and he softly whispered " please,tell me how i can help you for i am at your service and i will do whatever that is necessary to bring peace to your mind."

Azhagan nodded " i will tell you everything that has happened in your court with everyone present.And i mean everyone."

A sense of foreboding clutched the kings mind and he knew something bad had happened and something even more terrible was going to happen.

He gently folded his hands in reverence and whispered " whatever happens,will you respect me and not let things get out of hand and will you please be patient until everyone has had their say."

Azhagan smiled and nodded his acceptance.


The entire court was filled within hours and kulothungan cholan sat on his throne and looked at everybody,his minsters,his generals and his son rajendra cholan sitting near him.He then signaled his most trusted minister to go fetch the guest who was waiting for his call to the court.Everyone murmured in surprise and in wonder and whispered about who the mysterious visitor who was going to make his appearance.

The man came slowly and behind him Azhagan entered the long hall of the chola court and to everyones amazement,kulothungan cholan came down from his throne and walked to meet azhagan and proclaimed in a loud voice " welcome brave and mighty warrior,welcome the slayer of moorkan and let your arrival bring peace and prosperity to this land and to the land of pandyas."

A hush fell over the court as for the first time everyone saw the man who had killed moorkan in a matter of seconds.the tale had been whispered and everyone had heard bits and pieces of it and yet had found it hard to believe that a single person could have brought down the terrible giant moorkan and now when they saw azhagan before them,they did not what to make of him or believe for he looked so young and yet he threw off an aura of great and invincible strength.

Rajendra cholan nearly collapsed in shock and confusion and now fear clutched his heart for only he knew and understood why azhagan was here in the court and he knew that the assassins had failed in their mission.He caught the eyes of azhagan and both stared at each other and rajendra cholan knew that destiny was going to be changed and a new course was going to be made.

Azhagan bowed in gratitude and then bent and touched the kings feet and asked him to be seated on his throne while he explained why he had come.

The king sat on his throne and everyone's eyes were on azhagan and he spoke.He told them who he was,how he had killed moorkan and rescued thenmozhi and her father.Azhagan then told the king and everyone how a group of master assassins had killed his mother and dozens of old people including the temple priest.

Azhagan stopped and everyone's hearts saddened as they saw his tears and his pain " I want to ask you my king and i want to ask the people of this country as to why my poor blind mother was killed and what threat she posed to anyone.I want you all to answer me and explain to me the kind of men who would kill old people to achieve their purpose.I stand here before you for the trail of deceit and death led me here for it started from here and touched perumalvaram."

A shiver ran through the king kulothungan for he now knew and had started to realise the gravity of the situation.

Taking a deep breath he composed himself and " Azhagan,i don't know how but i promise you before my people here that i will give you justice and i will bring peace to your heart."

Kulothungan cholan thundered " rajendra cholan,i call your name now in this hall and you shall stand before me not as my son and the prince but as a common citizen of this land.Come,stand before me and answer the charges brought before you for i and many of the wise people here know that only you are capable of this evil act."

Rajendra cholan's shoulders drooped but his spirit did not waver nod did his pride.He stood majestically and stood before the king and faced him bravely.

Kulothungan knew at once that his son was the one behind this evil plot and the murderer of innocent people including a helpless and blind woman.His eyes spat fire as he stared at his son and the mighty king rose and spoke " I,you and our forefathers and this dynasty of cholas are the descendants of the great MANUNEETHI CHOLAN.He was the one who sacrificed his only son when the prince ran over a calf.To deliver justice to the mother cow he ordered his son to be run over by the very chariot with which he had run over the calf.If that great king and my ancestor could sacrifice his only son for the sake of a cow then how do or what do i sacrifice to bring justice to this young man who has lost his mother and to all the innocent villagers you plotted and killed.I have warned you not once but many times and yet you have not changed your ways and now the entire chola kingdom stands with its dignity lost and honor thrown to the winds."

There was pin drop silence in the hall and everyone watched as the mighty king slowly came down to azhagan and knelt before him " i beg your forgiveness for what had been done to you and your village."

The king rose and stared at his son and then at azhagan " Listen to my judgement and listen to this kings declaration.My sons life is forfeit and i place his life in the hands of this man here.The prince's life is his to do whatever he feels like.Let this be written down in history that kulothungan delivered justice and delivered it fairly."

Saying this he drew his mighty sword and handed it to azhagan " please take it and cut this snakes head off and give us back our honor.kill this evil spawn of mine and let me and my people walk in grace and dignity again."

The king and the people watched and waited for azhagan to take the sword and behead rajendra cholan but azhagan did not.

Azhagan closed his eyes and stood in contemplation for a second " My mother is dead,my village is in ruin and whatever i do will not bring back them alive.no, i will not choose life for life but only in fair combat and man to man or even thousands against me.the prince here is no match for me and so there is nothing more to be said.i take leave of you and i hope there is peace in your heart and in your land."

Azhagan turned and slowly walked away and out of the palace and out of gangaikonda cholapuram.

Kulothungan cholan and the people assembled stood in stunned silence at this development and then the king looked at the sword and at his son rajendra cholan and spoke calmly and gently " that is the son i should have had,that is the man that should be ruling this land.not you,you villain.i hope you find peace in your lifetime and i hope you make peace with whatever god you worship to."

Kulothungan took the sword and in one swift move plunged it into his chest.this sudden action took everyone by surprise and before anyone could even move the great king Kulothungan cholan fell to the ground dead and as he life slipped out of his body everyone could hear his lip whisper " azhagan,azhagan my son.forgive me and grant me peace."


Anbilaar EllaamThamakkuriyar
Anbudaiyaar Endrum Uuriyar Pirarkku.
Dheivathaan aahatheninum muyarchi
thanmeivarutha kooli tharum

Ondre Kulam Endru Paaduvom Oruvane Devan Endru Potruvom
Annai Idhayamaaga Anbu Vadivamaaga Vandhu Vazhi Kaatta Vendum Endru Vananguvom

Kadavulile Karunai Thannai Kaanalaam, Antha Karunayile Kadavulayum Kaanalaam
Nalla Manasaatchiye Devan Arasaatchiyaam, Angu Oru Pothum Marayaadhu Avan Kaatchiyaam

Ondre Kulam Endru Paaduvom Oruvane Devan Endru Potruvom
Annai Idhayamaaga Anbu Vadivamaaga Vandhu Vazhi Kaatta Vendum Endru Vanaguvom

Paavam Endra Kallaraikku Pala Vazhi, Endrum Dharma Devan Kovilukku Oru Vazhi
Indha Vazhi Ondruthaan Engal Vazhi Endru Naam
Nermai Oru Naalum Thavaraamal Nadai Poduvom

Ondre Kulam Endru Paaduvom Oruvane Devan Endru Potruvom
Annai Idhayamaaga Anbu Vadivamaaga Vandhu Vazhi Kaatta Vendum Endru Vananguvom

Chapter 74

"It's wrong to deprive someone else of a pleasure so that you can enjoy one yourself, but to deprive yourself of a pleasure so that you can add to someone else's enjoyment is an act of humanity by which you always gain more than you lose." Thomas More

Three days had passed since Azhagan had returned to Perumalvaram and had requested the villagers to be ready to leave to adurai and for all that time he sat on the hill outside the temple without taking any food or water.But on the evening of the third day.Azhagan opened his eyes and looked down to see thousands of people standing at the foot of the hill.He slowly stood up and came down and was surprised to see that many of the people looked familiar and recognised them as the ministers and other high ranking officers of the Chola court.

One of the oldest looking man bowed his head to Azhagan " Mighty warrior,we have come following your footsteps with pain in our heart and a body on our shoulders.The body belongs to Kulothunga cholan and it was his request that you do his funeral rites for he considered you as the son he never had and should have had.He wanted you to do this in your village where your mother's blood was spilt and murdered and where many innocent lives were lost.He wanted this to be done so that there will be peace in his soul and as well as yours.So me and many of us have followed your footsteps and have left the land of cholas and have decided to live in your village of Perumalvaram."

Azhagan's heart broke on hearing the death of the great man and then he asked them to bring his body to him.

Azhagan stood quietly near the dead body of kulothungan cholan and whispered " i am your son.you are my father.Even if we are not of this body,we are one within our souls.Be at peace my king,for you are the chola dynasty and you are the last of the great emperors."

Everyone watched in shock and wonder as the aura that burst out of Azhagan leapt out as flames and covered the body of the dead king.The people gathered there had to shut their eyes for the light from Azhagan suddenly brightened and in seconds there was nothing left of the king and the murmuring breeze swept away the ashes in all directions and they blew away whispering " thank you,thank you.I am in peace now."


Azhagan turned to everybody and they all fell to their knees and bowed to him.In one voice they thundered " you are the king.you are the true king and we will follow you where ever you go and ask us to go."

Azhagan " I welcome all of you to this land of Perumalvaram and i ask all of you to live in peace and harmony.Here in this land, all of you are equal and are one and there will be no divisions of caste or creed or Pandyas and Cholas.Each and everyone of you is the king and queen of this land."

Azhagan then looked at all of them " I am going to Madurai and those that are willing and able can come along with me."


Many followed Azhagan and many decided that they had enough of thrills and opted to stay back and be at peace in Perumalvaram.

Hi Satish,

Thank you spain for those kind and encouraging words and i give you and the rest of those who are faithfully following this voyage of Azhagan the next chapter.I hope you enjoy it and find my words revealing and interesting at the same time.Be well.

Chapter 75

"The best men tell you the truth because they think you can take it; the worst men either try to preserve you in some innocent state with their false protection, or are brutally honest.' When someone tells, lets you think for yourself, experience your own emotions, he is treating you as a true equal, a friend...And the best men cook for you." Whitney Otto, How to Make an American Quilt


Man,woman so similar and yet so different.But for the genitals and reproductive organs and the glands that pump hormones that drives the body and mind,there is not much difference between man and woman and when they rise above this thing called sex,reproduction the true soul,the real mind shines with all that is good and pure.It is the same light that inhabits and beats and pulses with the sacred thing called life which sprang from a source unknown and yet unknown.But saying this is easy and realising it and following it is so difficult for most of the evil that plagues us and our way of life stems from this physical difference.

As of now it is known,proven and understood that the human species alone have the power of contemplation on the differences between the needs of the body and the needs of the soul.Man alone stands at the pinnacle of evolution and has been bestowed the power to know the consequences between good and bad and right and wrong.But he still refuses to take control of this sacred power and responsibility to be better,do better and still gives in to his animal and basic needs.he still lets the physical needs and greed dominate his mind and remains in the shallow and the dark abyss of sin and folly.



The light enters Madurai

Appanar iyya stood before kulashekara pandyan and delivered the news that the chola king kulothungan cholan was coming to see him and importantly to see Azhagan.The news brought great joy to the pandyan king and the celebrations truly began and all that was needed now was the presence of azhagan.

The whole of madurai waited for their famous son to enter the city but they came first,the ministers who had been sent to bring azhagan and his mother to madurai and they came carrying sad news.

The minster stood before the king and told him in detail how the village of perumalvaram had been attacked in the middle of the night and how Azhagan's blind mother avini had been murdered.The news came as a shock to everyone and a pain gripped kulashekaran's heart.his mind was filled with thoughts on what the brave warrior must be going through.

He looked at his minister " where is azhagan and what happened when he saw his mother dead."

The group of ministers and soldiers did not know how to explain but tried " my king,strange things happened that night for we saw a human burn with a kind of green light that can be done and only made possible by the gods themselves.Azhagan asked us to watch over his mothers body and raced into the forest and i guess that all those responsible were killed in the most gruesome manner possible.We saw heads,limbs and bodies hanging in pieces from the branches of the trees and azhagan himself came back drenched in blood and carried his mothers body away.he went away for nearly two weeks and finally came back and told us to return to madurai and to inform you that he was on his way here.But that he would be going to visit the chola king kulothungan before he came to see you."

The death of Avini was a heavy blow to bear for Appanar iyya and he sank into a chair and started crying uncontrollably.

Kulashekaran tried to console him but appanar iyya shook his head " my king,you do not understand who or what Azhagan is for even i have only an inkling as to who he is.i am scared now for the entity the boy will become for his powers are unlimited and none of you realise what destruction he can wreak if he gets angry and loses his mind."

" No,he has not lost his mind.He fell into darkness and yet he has come out of it stronger,wiser and yet more foolish."

Kulashekaran looked at thenmozhi and tried to make sense of what her words meant " my child,how is that you know all this when appanar iyya himself does not know it."

Thenmozhi looked at all of them " I know all this for i went to see him and help him come out of the darkness for only i have the power to do so.I,only i know who he is and why he is here."

Everybody were confused and did not know what to make of this prophetic words of Thenmozhi and then the soldier guarding the entrance came running in and announced that Azhagan was coming into the city with lots of villagers from perumalvaram and hundreds of people from the land of cholas.

This added to the confusion and everyone assumed that azhagan had gone to gangaikonda cholapuram and had come to madurai with the chola king accompanying him.

The trumpets blew,the conches screamed and azhagan entered the city of madurai.

Azhagan stopped at the entrance of the city and knelt slowly down and closed his eyes and whispered a prayer to avini.

" My loved one,my most precious memory.I stand here at madurai and even though you are not here in physical form you are in my soul.Please accept my humble thanks for bringing me into this world and for giving me this life.I swear on your memory that i will not waver from the path that is right and truthful even if it means sacrifice and a path of sorrow.i will bring honor to your memory and when they say the name azhagan they will say the name avini with the same breath.I love you my mother,now and forever."

Azhagan slowly rose and looked at everybody and all those stood there nearly fainted in shock for next to azhagan stood three lights.They blazed brightly for a second and everyone would repeat the story again and again and swear on the lord shiva that they heard a loud roar from the light next to azhagan and he bent and ruffled the huge black maned lions mane as they entered.

Azhagan entered Madurai with the lights of Avini,Kulothungan cholan and Buddha following in his footsteps.

Your light is my light
your sight is my sight
and in your soul and in your actions i will burn bright
my story is mixed with your story
and we are forever inseparable
the song of azhagan will be the song of avini


I am azhagan the son of avini and now along with me and my mother come the lights of buddha and Kulothungan cholan.