The Healer

This is not on Munnabhai or Vasool Raja MBBS. This is about a very respectful selfless and simple person known as Vaidyar (Ayurvedic Physician) who maintained the health of a village a few decades ago.

I was always fascinated by people who have something to do with this ancient form of treatment. A few years back on my return to Kannur, my native place, I remembered my childhood Physician whose expertise saved me from the consequences of an allopathic treatment I had to undergo for a toothache. It was an irony that his original name was not known either to me or to my father who regularly consults him. Not even to many of the people who were treated by him for ailments which could not be properly cured by other forms of treatments. Affectionately we refer him in our private conversations as Modoan Vaidyar identifying him with his handicap. He was lame, I remorse. This is only to identify the Physician and no disrespect was ever meant to him by any of us.

It was during a vacation that I had gone to Chirakkal a beautiful neighboring village not too far from my place. I had gone there to have dharsan of Lord Sri Krishna of Kadalayi Temple. After the dharsan I walked straight on the road leading north. I reached the Chira (a large pond) situated at the heart of Chirakkal village. The cool breeze emanating from the vast sheet of water welcomed me. The dancing ripples will entertain anyone’s eyes. The bright sunlight makes it appear like a large tank filled with molten silver. The retiring sunlight leaves an impression of a large gold sheet framed in a dark brown carved wooden border. The night enhances its beauty by the swimming and dancing street lights competing with the stars and moon reflected in the lakebed.

With reminisces of the glorious past of the now neglected Chirakkal heritage I walked over the broad footpath adjoining the eastern side of the Chira. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Siva craving for repair and renovation. The ootupura of the temple is dilapidated. Not long ago, after wedding functions in Kadalayi Sri Krishna Temple the feast would be served in this ootupura. Next are the homes and offices of descendants of erstwhile Raja of Chirakkal. The western side of this magnificent lake are houses occupied by the kith and kin of Chirakkal Raja. One among them was an Engineer by profession whom I knew personally. Close friends call him KM.

An ardent believer of Astrology and Ayurveda, KM, consults the experts in the field very often. My father’s uncle, late OV, was his astrological consultant. As a child many a time I accompanied OV to the Engineer’s house. As far as I know this is the only house OV visits to give astrological guidance. All others come to OV’s residence for his advice. The only other person I knew who similarly visited the Engineer was the Vaidyar.

The Vaidyar has aged now. He must be above 80. He had the graceful agility of a man who is comfortable with his age. Dressed in a short mundu (dhoti) his lean frame was bare above the waist. He sat on a cushion-less shiny-oily cane chair. He had a quaint way of sitting. Both his feet on the chair, the knees crossed, and peeping between his skinny arms and legs. The smell of Aswaganda (Physalis Flexuosa) and ghee filled the air. Those who are familiar with the processing of ayurvedic medicines will realize that Aavarthana thailam (medicated oil) is also undergoing its final processing somewhere inside his large house.

When I entered, he was in a serious discussion with someone sitting opposite little away from him. Rendering some slokas from an old book lying on a teapoy in front of him. Vaidyar continued,” I am not against the modern medicine. There were cases I referred to other line of treatments. There are several cases referred to me also by other Doctors as a last resort.” As I said only when the disease is diagnosed and its causes are identified treatment will cure. How many bottlenecks must a person overcome to achieve this? How many patients a physician has to treat and cure before becoming a healer? Healing is not mere treatment to make the patient normal. It is much more.” Vaidyar concluded.

This was the first time I saw such a live discussion on a splendid subject in a non conventional way.” Vagbhata Maharshi, the author of Ashtanga Hridayam will definitely be showering his blessings on this octogenarian from heavenly abode,” I thought myself.

My respect to the Vaidyar grew multifold. My mind was full of appreciation for the great man. A healer need not always stem from the magic letters of MBBS that every one wishes to put after his name. Here is a living legend a great healer whose lifelong qualification was only a mere H…yes …that of a great… HEALER.