Among all the disciples <br />There was one simple, <br />Giri, a gentle-silent-man, <br />When the class was on. <br /> <br />Others teased him, <br />And joked at him, <br />But he kept silent <br />And wasn’t violent. <br /> <br />He raised no doubt. <br />So, others thought <br />He was a dull idiot <br />And senseless misfit. <br /> <br />The Master knew well <br />The talent of this disciple, <br />And he wished to teach <br />A proper lesson to each. <br /> <br />One day, the class was on, <br />In his seat, sat everyone. <br />As Giri didn’t turn up, . <br />The class was held up. <br /> <br />Others were murmuring, <br />Why our Master was giving <br />Undue importance to him <br />And not at all to them. <br /> <br />At last Giri came late. <br />The usual man silent, <br />He was seen singing <br />And happily dancing. <br /> <br />It was a song in praise <br />Of his Master, a wise, <br />Kind, lovable, divine, <br />Teacher-heaven-born. <br /> <br />The song in eight stanzas, <br />Of ‘Thodaga’ style it was, <br />So, he was given the title <br />‘Thodagar, ’ the special. <br /> <br />The ‘Thodagashtam’ song, <br />Even this day is widely sung, <br />In reverence to the Acharya, <br />The Jagadguru Sankaracharya.<br /><br />Rajaram Ramachandran<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/adi-sankara-16-a-silent-disciple/
