Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

The Washerman
Over the last few decades, we have seen several long-standing institutions and
entities simply vanish, overrun by the tide of changing custom, fashion and
technology. One of these is the Washermen, who used to collect clothes from our
houses, clean and make them spotless and return them intact, for a small fee. It
would be no exaggeration to say that it is these worthies who kept society clean
and presentable, toiling at various river fronts and tanks to wash, dry and press
the soiled clothes entrusted to them. And despite handling thousands of clothes
belonging to various individuals, they managed, with rare exceptions, to return
the clothes to the respective owners through a unique system of laundry marks.
With the advent of washing machines, fabric conditioners, dry cleaners, etc., the
indigenous Dhobi has been all but replaced by at best poor substitutes like those
mentioned above.
The institution of the Washerman is as old as the hills, which can be deduced by
the fact of his mention in no less than the Manu Smriti, which classifies him under
the group of skilled workers or senior artisans, giving us an indication of the high
priority accorded to his functions
Takshaa cha tantravaayascha naapita: Rajaka: tathaa
Panchama: charmakaarascha karaka: silpina: mataa:
The Washerman was known as Rajaka:, indicating that in days of yore, he did not
merely clean clothes, but dyed them tooRanjayati iti rajaka: (one who colours is
a Rajaka) The processes through which he put the clothes were supposed to
purify them. The Sankha Smriti tells us that just as a house gets cleaned by
wielding a broom, clothes attain purity by being cleaned with water
Maarjanaat veshmanaam suddhhi: kshite: shodhastu tat kshanaat
Samaarjitena toyena vaasasaam suddhi: ishyate

And clothes were considered pure, after they passed through the Washermens
handstena Rajaka sevakaadibhi: sanskritaanaam vastraadeenaamsuchitvam
eva.
As in any profession, the Washermen too had their quota of black sheep, who
mixed up peoples clothes, rented out the clothes of one customer to another and
spoiled water sources by washing clothes anywhere and everywhere. This we
come to know from the penalties prescribed for such misdemeanours in
Yaagyavalkya Smriti. A washerman wearing the clothes entrusted to him for
cleaning was to pay three rupees as fine and one selling or giving the clothes on
hire, a higher amount of pay ten rupees, according to the Smriti.
If you scour the Scripture for mentions of the Washerman, you find a mixed bag:
you find adulatory references as well as unflattering ones.
The first and foremost, of course, is from Srimad Ramayanam, where we find the
Washerman acting as a villain, responsible for the banishing of Sita Devi to the
forests. (Though we have been hearing this story concerning the washerman from
childhood, when I looked for it in Valmiki Ramayanam, I could not find it at all. It
was only after some research that I found it in the Paadma Puranam).
As behooves a sincere sovereign, Sri Rama has a set of spies travelling throughout
the nook and corner of Ayodhya and ascertaining public opinion on various issues,
especially governance and the conduct of the royal family. It was during one of
these assignments that one spy heard a washerman berating his wife for having
spent a day at another mans house. When his mother appealed to him not to
evict the wife, the washerman is supposed to have reacted like this: Am I Rama
to keep a wife who has lived in the house of another man for a year? He may do
it, but not I. This slur cast on Sri Mythilis character resulted in Her banishment to
the forests and caused untold pain to everyone concernedSita Devi, Sri
Raghava, His brothers and to the majority of Ayodhya citizenry. Despite having
been proved to be pure through Her ordeal by fire, Sri Janaki had to face the
unjust accusation again, resulting in a fresh, prolonged and final spell of
separation from Sri Rama.

We need not go into the merits or otherwise of the washermans statement, for it
doesnt even merit discussion.
For those who believe that everything that happens has its roots in the past, here
is another story from the Paadma Purana, (incidentally, I could not find the
relative slokas and am reproducing the narrative for what it is worth) which tells
us the reason for the washerman to act as he did.
When She was a small child, while playing in the palace garden one day, Sita Devi
came across two parrots, husband and wife, speaking to each other about the
story of Sri Rama which was to happen in the future. Attracted to the parrots
conversation by the mention of Her own name, Sita Devi asked for the birds to be
captured and brought to the palace, where She asked them to recount to Her the
entire tale of Her future. The male parrot told Her that they would indeed do so,
but since the female parrot was pregnant, the birds should be allowed to return
to their nest: after laying the eggs and hatching them, the parrots would return
and recount to Mythily as to what lay in Her future. The urge to peep into the
future is indeed strong and brooks no delay, and Sri Janaki too was no exception.
She hence insisted that the parrots stay with Her and let Her know immediately
what the future held for Her. The story goes that the female parrot pined away in
captivity and gave up its life: overcome by grief, the male parrot told Mythily that
it would personally be born in Ayodhya and become the cause of separation of
Sita Devi from Her husband, and that too when She was pregnant. And it is this
male parrot which was born as the washerman, whose words were instrumental
in the parting of the Divine Duo.
Though this is said to be from the Paadma Puranam, it is still not very palatable to
us, as we are simply unable to picturise Sri Mythily indulging in such conduct:
being the personification of mercy, would She ever imprison a parrot, that too a
pregnant one?
The Washermen tribe would appear to have made up its mind to run counter to
the Lord, as is again demonstrated by the conduct of another of its members,
during the Krishnavataram. When Krishna and Balarama arrive in Mathura, they
come across a washerman bearing freshly pressed and colourful clothes. Unable

to repress His penchant for sartorial elegance, (doesnt the venerated Shruti call
Him an extremely well-clad personYuvaa suvaasaa: pariveeta aagaat) Sri
Krishna requests the washerman with all humility to lend them (Krishna and
Balarama) a few of the clothes.
Sri Suka uses the term yaachita: to describe Krishnas request to the washerman,
denoting the meekness of the Paramatma, begging for clothes from a mere
washerman. Imagine the scene! The Supreme Lord, who feeds and clothes entire
universes with their innumerable inhabitants, and who saved the modesty of
Droupati by arranging for an endless supply of saree, begging a mere washerman
piteously for a few apparels! Are you able to picture the irony of the Paramatma
holding out His munificent hands, (accustomed only to giving and not receiving)
before a lowly washerman?
However, the ignorant washerman, true to his vocation as Kamsas servant, reacts
with arrogance and questions the temerity of Krishna to be seeking the clothes,
simultaneously insulting the Yadava clan as uncultured hill-dwellers. He calls
Krishna all sorts of names and tells Him to run away before he arranges a sound
thrashing for them at the hands of Kamsas soldiers. Enraged at the uncalled-for
abuse, Sri Krishna separates the washermans head from his torso, with the tip of
his fingers. Thereafter, the washermans assistants run away in fear, whereupon
the brothers Krishna adorn themselves with the fine clothes, in preparation to the
confrontation with Kamsa.
To provide some relief from the serious stuff we have been reading so far, here is
a funny story concerning the washerman, which we find in the Eedu. This is a
story narrated to indicate that when a crime occurs, blame often attaches to the
most innocent of bystanders, who has had absolutely nothing to do with the
crime.
Says Sri Nampillai--teembu seruvadu Krishnanukke aagayaale pom pazhi ellaam
amanan talaiyode ennumaa pole avan talayil erittu solludal. The commentator
says that all mischief is usually attributed to Sri Krishna, just as the Digambar
(nude) monk was made to bear the blame for somebodys death. For those who
are curious, here is the story.

A Brahmin built a compound wall at the rear of his house to keep out midnight
marauders. The very day the wall was built, even before it could dry and firm up,
a thief tried to enter the compound. The wall, still wet and infirm, collapsed,
killing the burglar in the process. The thiefs wife, who came to know of this, went
to the Kings court, holding the Brahmin responsible for her husbands death and
seeking punishment for the offender and compensation for herself.
This king was a rank idiot and quite a stranger to concepts like justice, fair play
etc. When the strange case came up for hearing, the King ordered the Brahmin to
be executed for the offence of causing the burglars death. Alarmed, the Brahmin
told the king that it was really the fault of the mason for having left the newly
constructed wall wet, without ensuring its safety. Off with the masons
head!Cried the foolish king, whose habit it was to rush to conclusions without
any thought. The mason, when brought to the Kings court, blamed his assistant
for having poured too much water during construction, which led to the wall
remaining wet and unset. Sentenced to death immediately, the masons helper in
turn blamed the potter for having made the pot too big, as a result of which the
helper had unwittingly poured more water than necessary. When the King
condemned the potter to capital punishment, he in turn blamed a young woman
who had kept walking this way and that, distracting his attention and resulting in
the pot becoming oversized. In the game of Pass the Buck, the lady held the
washerman (to whom she had entrusted clothes for cleaning and who failed to
deliver on time, making her visit his shop twice or thrice) responsible. When the
washerman was bound hand and foot and brought to the court for receiving
sentence, he in turn told the King that a nude monk had been sitting unmoved on
the washing stone, impeding the washing process. The monk was then brought
before the King, who held the former squarely responsible for the burglars
death! As the monk was observing a vow of lifelong silence, he didnt reply to the
ridiculous charge and was ultimately executed on the orders of the idiotic ruler.
Coming back to the Washerman, whatever were his faults during the Treta
Yugam and Dvaapara Yugam, the cleaner of clothes made adequate amends for
all his past sins in Kali Yugam.
It would be no exaggeration to say that but for a Washerman, we would definitely
not be able to feast our eyes today on Namperumal. What is hailed as Bhooloka
Vaikunttam would be bereft of its beloved Emperor and Srirangam would be an
empty shell, but for the yeomen service performed by this washerman.

Just before the muslim invaders overran and occupied Srirangam, Sri Pillai
Lokacharya and a devoted band of acolytes spirited Namperumal away, after
having raised a stone wall to hide Periya Perumal sannidhi. The devotees carried
Namperumal from one place to the other over great distances, fearing for His
safety. Sixty long years passed by thus, with Namperumal making a tour of almost
the whole of south India including a bit of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh too.
In the meanwhile, at Srirangam, an entirely new generation had grown up after
the departure of the marauders and feeling the absence of an Utsavar, concerned
devotees arranged for the installation of a new idol at Srirangam Sannidhi. The
temple began slowly to regain its old glories and the festivities too recommenced
in all their grandeur.
One day, a group of traders, having lost their way in a jungle, was wandering
round and round, till they came to a clearing, in the midst of which was a
magnificent idol of Sri Mahavishnu. The eldest of the traders, a native of
Srirangam, cried out that the idol resembled that of Sri Ranganatha. It was
obviously the Lords own way of letting people know of His whereabouts. When
the tradesmen brought the magnificent idol to Srirangam, the temple staff, the
Bhattars and the devotees all had a huge doubtan idol had already been
installed and was being worshipped as Namperumal: now another divine form
had emerged. How to find out the credentials of the new moorthi and to
ascertain whether it was the real Namperumal, sanctified by the glorious tributes
of Azhwars and Acharyas? While there was absolutely nothing wrong with the
existing idol, which had captivated the minds of one and all by its unparalleled
beauty, still the residents of Srirangam were eager to pay obeisance to the real
Namperumal, who had been the object of adoration of saints, sovereigns and
commoners, from time immemorial.
The devotees dilemma eventually reached the ears of a nonagenarian
washerman, who had served the Srirangam temple sincerely in his youth, prior to
the muslim invasion. He was now practically blind and half-deaf, but the rest of
his senses were fully active. He repaired to the Sannidhi and tried to speak to the
Bhattars, but no one paid him any heed on account of his age and apparent
senility. Eventually, however, he managed to catch the attention of one of the
senior temple staff and offered to identify the real Namperumal. Though skeptical
about the doddering old mans offer, the staff member took him before the two
idols. The washerman prayed for the tirumanjana teerttham of both the Utsava

Moorties and was given the same. When he imbibed the sacred bath water of the
second moorthi, the Washerman gave a cry of exhilaration and told the
authorities that here indeed was the real Namperumal. Quizzed as to how he
could know for sure, the Washerman replied that he would any day know the
smell of the Kasturi emanating from the clothes of the magnificent Namperumal.
The old man told the devotees that as a young boy, he had been given the water
squeezed from the clothes of Namperumal, taken by his father (who was the
official washerman for Sri Ranganatha) for washing and it had a heady scent of
Kasturi. It was the same fragrance of Kasturi which emanated from the
tirumanjana teerttham of the second utsava moorthi, which made the
Washerman positive that there was the real Namperumal. The rest of the story is
of course history.
So, if today we are able to drink in the splendour of the Namperumal which drove
Azhwars and Acharyas mad with love, it is to the Washerman that we owe our
gratitude.
And it was no empty story that the Washerman told the devotees on that longpast dayfor, it is indeed true that Namperumal had His clothes washed, dried
and pressed by a washerman. We learn this from the Eedu, when it talks about Sri
Bhashyakara being extremely impressed with the quality of laundering delivered
by the temple washerman. The Emperor of Ascetics was so pleased with the
impeccable services rendered by this cleaner of clothes, that he took the
washerman to Periya Perumal and spoke appreciatively of the formers quality of
work. Sri Ranganatha is supposed to have replied to Bhashyakara that He was
indeed pleased with the Washerman and had decided to forgive the latters
offences committed during the Ramavataram and Krishnavataram. Here are the
glorious words from the Eedu, chronicling the accolade to the Washerman, from
no less a person than Sri Ramanuja himself:
Oru naal Sri Vaishnava vannatthaan tirupparivattangalai azhagiadaaga vaattik
kondu vandu Emperumaanarukku kaatta, pora triptaraai, avanai Perumal
tiruvadigalile kaippidittuk kondu pukku, naayante!ivan tiruvaraikku eedaam padi
vaattina padi tirukkan saathi arula venum endru ivattrai kaatti arula, kandu
ugandaruli, Udayavarai arulappaadittu aruli, ivanukkaaga rajakan nam tirattil
seida kuttram poruttom endru tiruvullam aagi arulinaar.

To conclude, let me record a hoary practice that Elders at Sri Rangam recount: It
appears that in recognition of the washermans yeomen service to the
sampradayam, Sri Ranganatha continued to wear the clothes washed and pressed
by the washerman till a couple of decades ago. And the several generations of
wahsermen who served the divine Emperor of Srirangam adhered scrupulously to
strict codes of conduct and behavior, washing no clothes other than those of
Periya Perumal and Namperumal. Now, of course, the quantum of new clothes
offered by devotees to the deities at Srirangam is so huge that there is simply no
need for the Lords apparel to be washed and worn.
Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: