Sri Pattu Thatha – An Inspiration for Shravanam
Bhakti is constant remembrance of Bhagavan. Among the various expressions of bhakti, shravana bhakti is one of the key forms (Prahlada lists it first in his list of nava-vidha bhakti), and yet it is also one of the most subtle forms of bhakti. Shravana bhakti is devotion through listening to the glories of the Lord with complete love and absorption.
A remarkable example of this bhakti is found in the life of an elderly bhagavata (devotee of the Lord) affectionately known as Pattu Thatha, who lived in Soolamangalam, a village in Tamil Nadu, several decades ago.
Pattu Thatha was a great devotee who cherished listening to the divine stories of Bhagavan. One evening, during the auspicious festival of Lord Muruga, Marudanallur Sadguru Swami, a great saint and pontiff, visited his home unexpectedly. Pattu Thatha was overjoyed, warmly welcomed him, and requested him to discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam. Sri Sadguru Swami began narrating the beautiful episode of Krishna and His dear friend Kuchela, also known as Sudama.
What began at around eight o’clock in the evening continued until two o’clock the following morning! For six uninterrupted hours, Sri Sadguru Swami narrated Bhagavan Krishna’s glories, and Pattu Thatha listened, completely immersed in the divine narration.
Meanwhile, the festival procession of Lord Muruga arrived at his house around ten o’clock, accompanied by drums and nadaswaram. Pattu Thatha’s family was responsible for receiving Lord Muruga’s procession and completing the offerings to the deity that night. But neither Pattu Thatha nor Sri Sadguru Swami noticed the arrival. Both were so absorbed in Krishna katha that the world around them ceased to exist.
When the discourse ended, Pattu Thatha regained his awareness and wondered why Lord Muruga’s procession had not yet arrived. His wife then explained that it had arrived hours earlier, and that she herself had performed the family’s ceremonial offerings so as to not interrupt them.
Pattu Thatha’s love for katha was not confined to that one evening. He regularly attended discourses by Sri Subramanya Shastri, a renowned speaker, whose sweet narration brought stories like the Ramayana and Srimad Bhagavatam to life. Pattu Thatha always arrived early and secured a seat in the front row. During poignant episodes of the Ramayana, he would shed tears. Similarly, when Krishna’s delightful adventures were narrated, he would clap, and sometimes even rise and dance.
His spontaneous and ecstatic expressions worried the organizers, who feared that they were a disturbance to audience members. They politely requested him to not attend the following day’s discourse. Pattu Thatha accepted their request and offered to listen from home through loud speakers.
But the next day, Sri Subramanya Shastri refused to begin his discourse. He was waiting for Pattu Thatha. When asked, he explained that he always looked forward to seeing Pattu Thatha seated in the front row, listening with wholehearted enthusiasm. He asserted that he would only begin when his beloved listener returned. The organizers immediately sought Pattu Thatha’s forgiveness and brought him back. Only then did the discourse begin.
What makes Pattu Thatha’s story especially meaningful is that he belonged to our own times. We often look to figures from ancient scriptures for inspiration. This story shows us that extraordinary devotion also flourishes among people who live in contemporary times!
Such bhagavatas are the living strength of Bhagavata Dharma. Through their love for divine kathas, and their wholehearted listening, they keep bhakti alive. Just as a cow’s milk nourishes not only her calf but many others, the devotion of even a handful of devotees can become a source of inspiration and a beacon of faith for many.
Pattu Thatha’s greatness, therefore, lies not merely in his extraordinary listening, but also in his reminder to us that spiritual greatness can come in simple forms. The ability to express devotion and connect with the Lord can also be attained through the simple yet profound capacity to listen with love.
Shravana Bhakti is much more than simply hearing words with our ears. Listening frequently to divine words with our ears (shravanam) leads naturally to shravana bhakti, which is listening with an attentive mind and a genuine desire to understand and experience the divine. Pattu Thatha serves as an inspiration for us to listen with our hearts, and treat every discourse as an opportunity for worship, and every moment spent in His remembrance, a blessing.
By
Samyuktha Sridhar, Jacksonville, FL
