If you feel that the picture of the duo carried with this news is that of two Brahmin priests, you are way off the mark. The person on the right side is Jayasooryan Bhattathiri, the young Vedic scholar of the famous Soorya Kaladi Mana while the other person (with Rudrakshas and sacred thread) is Dr C P Mathew, Kerala’s first ever oncologist. The doctor, born in a conservative Christian family, lived throughout his life as a follower of Sanatana Dharma.
Residents of Thuruthy village near Changanassery are yet to recover from the bereavement caused by the demise of Dr Mathew (92) last week. In a career spanning more than five decades, Dr Mathew has saved more than 40,000 cancer patients including a former chief minister of the State who were ‘written off’ by the medical fraternity.
His patients include those from India and abroad. “Physicians like Dr Mathew live and die as unsung heroes. Modern society would not recognise their talents as the medical world is ruled by pharma giants whose profits stand to suffer if physicians like Dr Mathew have their way,” said Prof B M Hegde, eminent cardiologist, one of the very few medical doctors in the country who recognises the talents of Dr Mathew.
Dr Mathew, who retired from Kerala Government service in 1986 as the senior cancer specialist, took up Ayurveda, Sidha and Homeopathy seriously and developed his own integrated treatment protocol. “He was known for his love and affection towards the patients and he was always caring them instead of treating the disease,” said Prof Hegde, who is one of the few medical doctors in the country following the holistic treatment protocol.
Dr Mathew was a disciple of a traditional tribal physician who took him to the deep forests in South India and introduced him to many herbs and plants with potential to cure any diseases. The tribal physician also took him to Lord Muruga temple at Palani, where he saw devotees consuming the water with which the priests bathed the idol.
Lord Muruga statue was made up of nava paasahna (nine poisonous elements) that include mercury, arsenic , sulphur etc. “It was the unique property exhibited by the idol of Lord Muruga that made me study Sidha medicine. Bhogar, an ascetic, was the person who carved out the statue and he was an authority in Sidha medicine. The remains of the Abhisheka performed on the statue is given to devotees and this cures them from all ailments,” Dr Mathew had said.
A J John, long time associate, says that Dr Mathew always told his patients and disciples that there was no light at the end of the tunnel for modern medicine. Post-retirement that he visited Soorya Kaladi Mana and subjected himself to Upanayana from the head of the Mana. The rest of the life he dedicated to learn Vedas, Upanishad, Ayurveda and Sidha.
Dr Mathew was active till the last day of his life. “On Sunday evening he told us that his mission in this world is over and it was time for him to bid farewell. Monday he did not attend to any patients or take any food throughout the day. By night he had a cup of water and retired for the day. The end came peacefully at 7 am on Tuesday,” said A J John, director of the Ashram. Dr Mathew was cremated as per Hindu rites in his farm house amidst chanting of vedic slokas.
