A Journey with Sri Masti

Mr. Justice NITTOOR SRINIVASA RAU

Chief Justice of Mysore (Retired)

The first occasion for me to meet Sri Masti Venkatesa Iyengar occurred when I was a student of the Central College; Bangalore, a little more than 60 years ago. By that time I had known about him and read his writings. He had already emerged as a major figure in the firmament of Kannada renaissance. I was, therefore, naturally looking forward eagerly to the opportunity of meeting him. At that time he was the Sub-Division Officer, Madhugiri, and visited Bangalore to attend the Central College Day Celebrations of that year. At our request he stayed in the Central College Hostel with an intimate friend of mine, the late Sri N. S. Shankariah. We availed ourselves of the opportunity of spending all the time we could manage with him. From the first, moment we felt totally at home with him. The subsequent years brought me closer to him and all through this time he has treated me as a member of his family and I have been the recipient of the affection of Sri Masti and his gracious wife, the late Smt. Pankajamma.

During this long period, I have had many opportunities of travelling and spending time with him in journeys and visits outside Bangalore. One may have known a person for many years and met him often and still not got into close touch with him personally. But it is a matter of experience that when one spends even a few days with another in an outing when the two are together all the time, they come to know each other far more closely. I have gained immeasurably, by such opportunities I have had of travelling with Sri Masti. His broad outlook, compassion, considerateness to others in regard to the minutest detail, delicate sense of unbarbed humour and his pure heart are characteristics that distinguish him. My association with such a personality has been one of the great blessings of my life. In this article I shall briefly narrate my experience in one of the outings.

Sri Masti was invited by the University of Madras to deliver an extension lecture on Karnataka Folk Culture. He accepted the invitation and the lecture was to take place in the winter of 1927. He extended a most affectionate invitation to me to accompany him. The journey was to be made in his car. His father-in-law, Sri A. Krishnaswami Iyengar, and his Sambandhi, Pandit Cheluva Iyengar, were to be the other members of the party. How could I miss such a glorious opportunity? But there were one or two matters to be considered. I had just recovered from a spell of illness and was convalescing. Would it be wise to undertake a long journey? I had at that time appeared for the examination in Procedures which one had to pass before enrolment as an Advocate of the then Chief Court of Mysore. That examination was to take place in a couple of weeks and I had not been able to prepare for it on account my illness. How could I afford to spend even a few days in an outing without impairing my chances in the examination, Sri Masti had ready answers for both the problems. He said that the climate in Madras was at its best in winter and it was ideally suited for recuperation of health and that I would be a gainer by the journey. As regards the Procedures examination, Sri Krishnaswamy Iyengar had been a Magistrate for many years and that he himself had functioned in that capacity. So, during our journey and stay in Madras they could coach me up in Criminal Procedure. Was this not much better than reading books on the subject? I need hardly say that these assurances dissolved my hesitation and we embarked on the journey.

The first place of our halt was Kolar, where we stayed under the hospitable roof of Sri T. Srinivasachar, a leader of the Bar and a greatly respected public figure. When we continued our journey from there, our host equipped us with quantities of delicacies for munching on the road. I should add that on our return journey we enjoyed at Kolar the hospitality of another leading Advocate, Sri T. S. Venkatachar of Kolar who had been a classmate of Sri Masti. At Madras we stayed at Mohan Vilas, where a hostel was run by the Indian Officers’ Association for the benefit of students hailing from the families of the members of the Association. I had, stayed in that hostel during the years of my study in the Law College of Madras. Some of my friends were continuing to stay there. It was comfortable and homely. Sri Masti’s stay there was a great occasion not only for my friends from Bangalore but for the other students also.

The Extension Lecture was delivered on two successive dates in the Senate House of the Madras University located on the Marina Beach. One would have thought that a lecture by a noted literary figure like Sri Masti Venkatesa Iyengar would attract a sizable, if not a large audience and that many Kannadigas would avail themselves of the opportunity. But the attendance was thin. We, the Bangalore contingent itself, formed a good proportion of the audience. But this was more than made up for by the quality of the audience which included Sri Panje Mangesh Rao and Sri Benegal Rama Rau and by the gracious presence of the Vice-Chancellor, Sri Venkatarangam Naidu who, though in poor health at the time, made it a point to attend the lecture. He personally welcomed Sri Masti on his arrival at the Senate House, presided over the meeting and delivered heart-warming speeches at the commencement and at the end of the lecture. We also had the privilege of visiting him at his residence where we were received most warmly. During the period of our stay in Madras, both Sri Benegal Rama Rau and Sri Panje Mangesh Rao made it a point to spend much time with us and I remember the glorious moonlight night with Sri Panje Mangesh Rao on the sands of the beach when he and Sri Masti regaled us with delightful conversation till beyond midnight.

In the course of our itinerary we went to Kanchipuram and visited the principal temples there. We also visited the temple at Sriperumbudur, the birthplace of the great Vaishnava Saint, Sri Ramanuja. After the mangalarati to the deity in the temple, the Archak gave us the Prasadam which, of course, was in the form of Pongal and Puliodare. After eating the Prasadam I was trying to find out where I could wash my hands. This must have been noticed by ‘Sri Masti, for he came to me and whispered in my ear, “Have you not heard the saying about Sri Vaishnava temples: “Rangane Perumal Pongale, Prasadam Kambame Tanni?” (Which means: After taking Prasadam of Rangaswami no water is needed for cleaning the hands – the temple pillars are to be used.) I accordingly solved the problem oft cleaning my hands in terms of the last part of the adage. One could see from the appearance of the pillars that this prescription must have been followed by generations of devotees.

On our return journey, we visited Mahabalipuram and Pakshi Teertha. Though the car driver Mariappa was with us, it was Sri Masti who was mostly at the steering wheel. He obviously enjoyed being at the wheel. The outing lasted altogether about a week.

I can never forget this episode in my life, for apart from Sri Masti himself the company of others was also most rewarding, Sri Krishnaswamy Iyengar was always a picture of calm and dignity and though not given to speaking more than the occasion called for, one felt the benignity of his presence. Pandit Cheluva Iyengar’s participation in the conversation was always instructive and interesting and enlightened by gentle humour.

Before I close, let me say that Sri Masti’s prophecy on both my problems was amply fulfilled. I returned to Bangalore refreshed and rejuvenated in body and mind. The elders of magisterial knowledge and experience and I, their prospective pupil, forgot during the whole period that I was to be coached by them in the law of Criminal Procedure. I took the examination, if for no other reason at least because I had paid the prescribed fee. It was the practice when publishing the results of the examination, not only to indicate the class in which the candidate had passed, i.e., 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but to indicate the rankings in all the classes. When the results of that examination were declared, it was found that no candidate had failed. My name and that of a good friend of mine were bracketed at the bottom of the list of those who came out in third class. My guess is that the examiners of the Board must have been the most considerate and sympathetic of men and must have felt that, instead of making it necessary for us to embark on a second effort, we could together be pushed above the bottom line and this must have resulted in our unusual distinction.

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