Been to a book-launch a few weeks back. Well, the book and the author need an intro.

First, ‘Vedasannidhiyil” (“In the Realm of (Rig)Veda”)  is not a book, in the strict sense of the word. It is an anthology or a compilation of published articles, an effort by his children. The author, who passed away more than a decade ago, was a brilliant Vedic scholar, particularly of Rig Veda, apart from being a Hindi expert. He lost his sight and hearing around the time he was 30. But, he kept on learning, with the help of aides-his children, or anyone else. His intellect remained sharp as ever, and got better with age. He was like a search engine: ask of  him any query related to Vedas, and out comes the answer, without even the need to say “er”.., or “let me think”…

At the launch, my uncle, his contemporary and an author himself, recalled a few interactions with him. My uncle was researching for his new book and wanted to know how the Vedas dealt with the topic of death. He got the answers in the next few seconds of asking, a thought that left him spell-bound , even after so many years!. His intellect was so spell-binding.

One of the speakers, a writer and a so-called intellectual himself, left me gasping. His most striking recollection about the author was rather contorted and weird. He was wondering about the starkness of the contrast: “How could such a grotesque creation of God could also be the seat of such extreme intelligence?”. The late author was born with certain undiagnosed health condition, which gifted him with long limbs and a wiry frame, with an unwieldy gait. By his late thirties, he couldn’t sit down, get up or walk without help….Did he deserve this statement?

Coming back to the anthology, it is not meant for everyone. Every chapter is a gem, a rare voyage into the mighty ocean called Vedas. Some of the chapters, for instance “Rigveda Ghatana” (“The structure of the Rigveda”), could be considered seminal works in those areas, and could potentially spawn a few hundred Ph.Ds ! There is, coincidentally, a chapter titled “Kuppayile Manikyam” (The Ruby on  a Rubble) – which best describes the late author, who lived in extremely poor conditions. And died, unsung, uncared for.