Tatya Ajoba passed away at 103.
Reflecting, here are a couple of things that stand out.
I have never seen a penny in his pocket. He never gave anybody any money as a gift. It was a surprise how he managed his life with a ZERO.
Yet, he accomplished some extraordinary things in his life. He was a freedom fighter who refused the pension because he believed that it was his duty and not a job. He was the recipient of the Kalidas Award. He was a teacher all his life, and he taught Sanskrit to several thousand people. He did it without charging any fees. Few of his students came from the elite class. But mostly, all came from the marginalized segments. He broke conventions and taught Vedas to women from the lowest strata of society, religions, and castes.
In his 90s, he resolved that 200 tribal girls would recite Purushasukta in front of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur. People volunteered. They arranged buses, food, secured permission from the Trust. The event went as planned. And this event was not an exception. He did many extraordinary things like building schools and starting Indira Sanskrit Shala to impart free education.
Therefore, it is not money that makes things possible. The enablers are vision, commitment, and selfless work. So, while Ajoba was a ZERO on the financial side, he accomplished INFINITY.
It was a privilege to be part of a person's life who achieved the impossible feat of making the equation Zero = Infinity work.
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