Only Ramanar saw a guru in a person,  whom everyone perceived as evil. That is why Ramanar remained a saint.

The rogue who resided in Thiruvannamalai had passed away. The people there were overcome with joy. They rejoiced in relief, knowing that the malevolent man, who had threatened many and taken away their belongings, had vanished. All the villagers approached Ramanar, shared the news, and reveled in it. Ramanar, in his meditative state, remained unresponsive. Time passed.

In the evening, the mortal remains of the deceased were carried in the vicinity of  Ramanar's ashram to reach the cremation ground. At that moment, Ramanar stood up and paid his respects to the body with folded hands. Witnessing this, his devotees became infuriated. 'Why show respect to a scoundrel?' they questioned. Ramanar didn't say anything.

Due to the incessant nagging of the devotees, Ramanar finally broke his silence. 'The deceased man was my guru,' he revealed. Everyone was astonished. 'This wicked man, unworthy of life, is the guru of this saint?' they were perplexed. Ramanar spoke with sadness.

"I was 12 years old when I arrived in Thiruvannamalai. Until then, my mother would rub my back, pour water on me, and bathe me. I didn't know how to bathe myself. So, I didn't even know how to take a bath until I got here. One day, I observed him bathing in a pond on the Giriwala path.

I learned from him how to rub our backs, how to clean every part – hands and toes, ears and noses – to remove dirt. I also learned to bathe in the same way by watching him. He was the guru who taught me about body hygiene. That's why I don't want to harbor hatred towards him." Only Ramanar saw a worthy person whom everyone perceived as evil, yet regarded him as a guru. That is why Ramanar remained a saint.

This Tamil story was penned by K. Hari Prabhakar from Chennai-14 and was featured in Sakthi Vikatan on November 27, 2023.