It is now Sep 2018. Who is the CEO of Google? Sundar Pichai. What is Pichai?
In Tamil, Pichai means alms, that which you give to a beggar. This is derived from the Samskritam Bhiksha.
Now, why would someone name his son as Pichai? Isn't this a demeaning term?
In the olden days, any Brahmachari (unmarried spiritual student) should seek alms until his spiritual studies are complete to reduce his ego. He would seek alms to the lady of a house with the words: Bhavathi Bhiksham Dehi (Lady, please give me alms). Now, this doesn't seem as bad as before. But it still doesn't seem like a good name for a son, right?
When a married couple doesn't have a child but are seeking one, they would pray to God for a child. Sometimes, they would pray that if they are blessed with a child, they would name the child Pichai, meaning the child is something that God gave as alms to the couple.
Sometimes, well off people would deliberately give up everything and live as a beggar. This is a form of Tapas (austerity) for a prayer or to deliberately reduce our own ego. The true story of a wealthy businessman who lived in this manner inspired the Tamil movie: Pichaikaran.
There is a wonderful contemporary song composed by Ilaiyaraja on the concept of Pichai. Beseeching in tone, yearning & pleading, what does this song talk about?
What is our human body for? Is it to experience the joys & sorrows of the human condition & depart? Or is there something more? Maybe the purpose is to find out for ourselves the ultimate truth? Maybe this is a tool for that purpose?
Maybe this body of flesh, nerves, bones & blood is a Pichai/Bhikshai Pathiram (begging bowl)? When nothing is truly mine and everything is yours (God's), what can I truly seek with this begging bowl? Is this simply something given by my parents? Or do I exist in this body instead of a pure form because of past Karma? What is the truth? I'm here in this begging bowl because I don't know the truth in the form of a puppet. And you (God) are the puppeteer.
Not once, not twice, you made me take several births. Is it new Karma or old Karma? You make me suffer moment after moment. This life where I hanker after material pleasures is meaningless. I am yearning for your grace.
You look at me with eyes that bless, flowery feet that bless, embrace me with your blessed hand and bless me.
In this song, Ilaiyaraja refers to God as Ayyan. Ayya is derived from the Samskritam word, Arya, which means someone noble. Ayyan can mean father. It also means someone respectable. Ayyan is also used for Shiva.
Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bhikshai+pathiram
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