Mridangam student from USA

 Mridangam student from USA

I was fortunate to meet a few like me, once in a while.😥

My aunt lived at small village "nelluvaya"( famous Dhanwantari temple).

A mridangam teacher lived close by and was a regular visitor to my aunt, as a family friend.

Once an American landed there, keen to learn mridangam from this illiterate malayali 😜

( Fees wasn't any issue. ) But this mallu did everything within him to get rid of this incompatible foreigner. He was a contended soul, with no temptations for $ 

Somehow, mallu had to agree to teach. 

Now, left with only one "weapon" -----heavy, tiring homework, mallu asked his disciple to practice just 4 beats for a month ( don't show your "face" to me, till you can do like this/me----demo)

That guy returns on 6th day, demonstrated that 'beat' exceptionally well 😳

A translator was there. American said "well, I had no other work! Entire waking hours, except eating, bathing and toilet... spent in practicing"

Next level was "meant" to take 2+ months.

This guy came back in a week again 😥. 

Now, the mallu understood what he is "against". A deep bond got forged. ( I was told....that American didn't need 2 years to grab, whatever his Guru could teach. He left, seeking higher level teachers. )

busily yours,

psn(11 aug 2025)

Epilogue: I had a family to look after. A job with responsibility of cash-keys. Couldn't afford “all the waking hours” of intense practice of what I “loved” to do! ( Therefore, a compromise —do that “little a day” with high intensity. )

Prologue: ( a bogus story 😜 It's a “fashion” to mock and ridicule Hindu-epics, when the underlying symbolism seems tough to imbibe,🙏, therefore call it “bogus👍”) The story: Narada boasted to his deity “am I not your Best-devotee?” Vishnu said “nope!😥 A farmer down there, in the”Human world” is better than you”. Narada rushed to verify that farmer. The poor farmer was ploughing his small field by himself, toiling hard, barely able to make both-ends-meet. Busy whole day, eats megerly & sleeps tired. Narada reported”I checked. He chants you name just thrice a day—before ploughing, before lunch, and before sleeping at night…. I chant 24/7 “. Vishnu said “okay, take this oil cup, walk thrice around this small temple and come to me. Not a drop should spill”. The coconut shell was full of oil, with upper-curvature holding extra oil above the edge, due to viscosity, molecular affinity etc. very tough to “hold” it without spillage. But narada had to “walk” thrice 😭. He “managed” somehow, without spilling a drop of oil. Vishnu asked”how many times did you CHANT my name while-walking around thrice?”..... Narada: “😡 nonsense. I had to focus 100% on the oil-cup, to avoid spilling. How can I chant???” Vishnu: EXACTLY…. That poor farmer managed to chant THRICE, despite his family burden, poverty, etc. isn't he the “better” devotee???”