GENERALIA Leaves from an unwritten diary S. Chandrasekhar: Reminiscences and reflections*

C. V. Vishveshwara

Summer of 1963. Boulder, Colorado in *Based on a public lecture arranged by the just watching and listening to USA. Set amongst the lofty Rocky Indian Academy of Sciences on 13 December him.We were five Indian students in Mountains, surrounded by lush green 1999. the summer school. Three had vegetation, with clear blue skies and come all the way from India. Natu- crisp fresh air, Boulder was just the Bust of S. Chandrasekhar rally we wanted to meet the great The public lecture by C. V. Vishvesh- opposite of dreary New York where I Indian physicist. Chandrasekhar wara was organized on the occasion of was studying. A graduate student at the unveiling of a bronze bust of enquired about where we were from Columbia University aspiring to be- Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar by Mrs. and what we were interested in one come a particle physicist, I was at- Lalitha Chandrasekhar at the premises of by one. When my turn came, I told tending one of the famous annual the Indian Academy of Sciences and at him that I was studying at Columbia summer schools at the University of the Raman Research Institute. The University hopefully to become a Colorado. Lecture notes of that year sculptor was Paul Granlund of particle physicist.‘Particle Minneapolis in Minnesota, USA who had would be dedicated to Professor earlier made a similar bust of Srinivasa is not the main focus here,’ George Gamow to commemorate his Ramanujan and which Chandrasekhar Chandrasekhar pointed out, ‘there sixtieth birthday. One of the lecturers had presented to the Academy in 1985. is a summer school going on at the was William Fowler whose topic was Brandeis University devoted entirely ‘Nuclear and Neutrino Processes in to the subject. Why didn’t you go Stars and Supernovae’. Whereas there?’ ‘I am attending this summer Gamow had done pioneering work on school,’ I blurted out, ‘because it is the Big Bang cosmology, Fowler’s so beautiful around here!’ To this sympathies were with the steady state day it is not clear to me why I said universe. The Big Bang scenario is in a that. Truthfulness, stupidity, sheer way akin to that of the Bible in that nervousness or whatever. both have a moment of creation. Fow- Chandrasekhar gave me one with- ler began his lectures with the state- ering look and turned away.Some ment, ‘There are rumours that George twenty years later, I recounted our Gamow wears a halo, while I am a fol- first meeting to Chandra as I had lower of the Anti-Christ. Let me put come to call him by then. He these rumours to rest once and for all’. looked at me steadily and said ‘You And he went on to show a slide of see, people often think I get angry himself being received by the Pope. As easily. I do not get angry’. He gave it transpired, Fowler was destined to me the good old withering look, but share the Nobel prize after twenty did not turn away. He smiled. The years with one of the other lecturers, stern look was probably a reminder namely S. Chandrasekhar. as to how serious he was about We had heard a great deal about seriousness. I ought to have been grey suit. Distant, as though mak- Chandrasekhar. Yet, an aura of mys- serious about either enjoying the ing a brief visit from a world of his tery surrounded him. I had come to own. Eloquent with precise articula- know about the Chandrasekhar limit tion and with the faintest hint of a through Gamow’s books. In his char- charming lisp. Once in a while acteristic way, Gamow had drawn the words came tumbling as though in celebrated mass–radius curve of white competition with thoughts that dwarfs adorned with Indian motifs and rushed in faster. His lectures bore with terms written in Tamil! The im- the formidable title, ‘The higher or- pression Chandrasekhar made, as we der virial equations and their appli- listened to his first lecture, was striking cations to the equilibrium and displaying all the characteristics that stability of rotating configurations’. have been described time and again It was an unfamiliar topic. But the over the years. Handsome, elegantly logical way in which he developed dressed in a dark the concepts and the formalism was impressive. It was a pleasure

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 1025 GENERALIA

terest in gravitational collapse and the participants were Brandon Carter and ultimate fate of a massive star. He was Stephen Hawking. Hawking’s wife yet to coin the name ‘’ for Jane cooked for them and invited me to this bizarre end product of stellar evo- join them. But, I was too bashful to lution. Wheeler drove down from accept her invitation. Princeton accompanied by three of his Chandra gave lectures on post- graduate students who have over the Newtonian approximation in general years distinguished themselves in rela- relativity. He attended all lectures by tivity – Uri Gerlach, Robert Geroch and the others assiduously. Sometimes . I vividly remember Lalitha, whom I met for the first time, Limit of mass Chandra sitting at the head of the long appeared to be taking notes. If Rockies or attending the summer seminar table, Misner on his right and Chandra was undecided about the school, not both, which meant neither. Wheeler on his left, and all of us stu- importance of a seminar, he would lis- The smile was the result of a long- dents gathered round trying to catch ten for a few minutes standing at the standing association. Over the years, I every word that was exchanged. And back accompanied constantly by a had come to appreciate his innate were they exchanged! Words, facts, graduate student who was also warmth and friendship buried beneath concepts, ideas ranging over a wide dressed in a formal grey suit. If the his outer shell of reserve. After all, one variety of areas – stars, mass limits, seminar was interesting, Chandra has to get close to the moon to see the collapse, end points and so on. I have would sit down. Otherwise, he would other side. Such a closeness growing often wondered why this event signal to the student by cocking his gradually over a period of more than seemed to be of such overwhelming head like a gangster in a Hollywood three decades becomes part of one’s importance. It was more than a meeting movie and off they would go to do own life. As Lord Tennyson wrote in of giants. It was a symbol of the union their own calculations. his Ulysses, between two disciplines, namely as- In those days Ithaca was a sleepy trophysics on the one hand and gen- little campus town. The downtown I am a part of all that I have met, eral relativity on the other that would area close to the university was not Yet all Experience is an arch eventually open up new vistas in as- the vibrant haunt of the students as it wherethro’ trophysics and cosmology. At the end is today. There was a theatre special- Gleams that untravelled world whose of the day, Lester Edelstein, another izing in horror movies with bizarre ad- margin fades student of Misner, and I presented to vertisements like, ‘Blood, blood, Forever and ever, when I move. Chandra, with some hesitation, the set blood! Frankenstein spills it, Dracula of equations governing the perturba- drinks it’. The only American restau- Experience and passage of time cre- tions of the Schwarzschild black hole rant around was too expensive for us ate a composite image of a place or a which we had recently derived. students. However, there was an inex- person fusing together observation Chandra accepted them with many pensive Chinese restaurant which we and inference. Such a subjective image thanks assuring us that he would be frequented. On one occasion, while of Chandra – all too human side of a interested in them sometime in the fu- some of us were having a boisterous profound scientist – is what I would ture. Little did we realize that eventu- lunch, in walked Chandra and Lalitha like to present. ally perturbations of black holes were as a hush fell over our group. They did The next encounter with Chandra to become a passion with him. For the not see us and took the alcove next to took place at the University of Mary- moment, however, he was just knee ours. A brave member of our group land in College Park. I had moved from deep in the water, preparing himself to even peeped over the divider to get a Columbia University to work with dive to the depths of the ocean. Still a periscopic view of the famous couple. Charles Misner in the general theory of novice, not yet the maestro. We were extremely curious to know relativity. This was a total change of It was as a recent entrant to the field what kind of special vegetarian Chi- interest from particle physics. One day that he appeared at the historic sum- nese food they would order. Perhaps we heard the exciting news that mer school in that they knew some exotic dishes we were Chandra would be visiting us. We was held in Cornell University, Ithaca, ignorant of. As we strained our ears to knew that he was getting seriously in the year 1965. The names of the par- catch their words, they ordered tossed interested in general relativity. And ticipants of that school read like an green salad and cottage cheese with Maryland was one of the most active honour list in general relativity. The green tea! What a disappointment. centres in the field. Our excitement was lecturers included Freeman Dyson, The frugal vegetarian diet of the further boosted up by the announce- Jurgen Ehlers, Charles Misner, Roger Chandrasekhars has become quite well ment that John Wheeler would be Penrose, Ivor Robinson, Engelbert known. On one of my visits to Chi- coming down from Princeton to meet Schucking, Joseph Weber and so on. cago, I was invited to lunch at their Chandra. Wheeler, a towering figure in was there. He had discovered home. After a long chat about black physics, well known for his work with his exact solution, but its full impor- holes, science, and science education, Niels Bohr, had been going around tance to black hole physics was yet to Chandra took me home in his car. ‘It is with missionary zeal drumming up in- be established. Among the student a short distance to drive. I am not go-

1026 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 GENERALIA ing to wear the seat belt,’ explained (boiled green gram and rice). Mr. Kas- by the ringing of the telephone. It was Chandra looking at me defiantly, ‘of turi Ranga Iyengar of The Hindu who Chandra calling. There was no hot course, feel free to wear your seat belt had been once to England told me that water in his hotel and he could not if you wish’. Their home was impecca- he on one occasion and an English shave. The pipes had frozen and it ble. White walls, white upholstery, lady on another occasion found his would be at least a couple of hours white carpets – pongal tasty’. I do not know about before he could have running hot wa- all white except for the three of us. pongal. But, I have watched Chandra ter. This delay in shaving would throw Chandra’s study was disgracefully enjoy a full meal of several courses, all Chandra’s schedule into unthinkable tidy for a theoretician. On the desk was vegetarian of course. On one occasion, confusion, hamper his calculations and a neatly stacked sheaf of bond paper he had a second helping of rasagullas ruin his day. So Engelbert had to ar- with a black, old-fashioned pen placed for dessert. Probably they reminded range with Larry Spruch, another pro- across it and a single book of reference him of white dwarfs. fessor who lived close to Chandra’s next to it. In the corner was Chandra’s Coming back to the chronological hotel, to have hot water fetched to proud possession, the bust of Ra- order of events, I joined New York Chandra so that he could shave in manujan. Chandra asked me to sign the University in 1969 to work with Engel- time. visitors’ book. I thumbed through it bert Schucking, the eminent relativist After New York, I spent four more and put it down. It looked like an inter- and cosmologist. One of the memora- years in the United States, two each at national who-is-who. Some of the ble events that occurred during my Boston University and the University names there were incredibly famous. I tenure at the New York University was of Pittsburgh. During this period I met did not want to be a who-is-not-who in Chandra’s visit to the physics depart- Chandra thrice: when he visited Bos- it. I flatly refused to sign it. ‘Why ment. Chandra gave a beautiful talk on ton to lecture at Harvard, when I vis- not?,’ queried Chandra, a bit puzzled. rotating fluids. It was a consummately ited Chicago to participate in the ‘To be among those guys will give me orchestrated presentation of historical symposium in celebration of Chandra’s an incurable inferiority complex,’ I ex- background followed by his own con- sixty-fifth birthday and finally when he plained. He laughed and added seri- tributions. visited Pittsburgh. Our discussions, ously, ‘You are our honoured guest We discussed the work I had done on when we met or on the phone, fo- just like all our visitors. There is no scattering of gravitational radiation by cussed on two topics, black hole per- difference. Please sign it’. I had to sign black holes, in particular what came to turbations and Indian science. the book again on my next visit. be known as the quasinormal modes. Chandra was well into black hole As for the lunch, I was wondering In the evening Engelbert gave a party. physics by now concentrating on the whether it would be a South Indian At that time Engelbert lived in the East perturbations of the non-rotating meal. Lalitha had once told me, while a Village, which was known for its Bo- Schwarzschild black hole. The rotating beaming Chandra listened, how good hemian life style as well as for a non- Kerr black hole was to follow later. He he was at making dosais. He ought to negligible crime rate. As the party was had started to give talks on his work in be, I had remarked, being an expert on getting underway, the bell rang and this area as he did at Pittsburgh. One rotating fluids. After all, a dosai is an Engelbert opened the door. In rushed day I got an unexpected telephone call extreme example of a spheroid. an excited young couple. Behind them from a rather excited Chandra. He Chandra sat down with an immense stood two burly gentlemen. Engelbert wanted to discuss the scattering of stack of bread slices and a toaster. ‘I invited them in, waving his arms ex- waves from black holes. There are two shall toast as many slices as you like,’ pansively in a gesture of welcome. To types of gravitational waves of odd he promised ‘and you can have all the Engelbert’s great disappointment, in- and even parity or axial and polar as tea you want’. ‘We have a treat today’, stead of accepting his invitation, the Chandra called them. Their behaviour chimed in two men took to their heels. These two is governed by a Schroedinger-like Lalitha, ‘fig jam. Chandra’s favourite’. gentlemen happened to be muggers equation with potentials that look She served the main course. Tossed who had been chasing the young cou- quite different. This is even more pro- green salad with cottage cheese! I re- ple! Engelbert’s apartment was pre- nounced in the case of neutrinos of membered Cornell with nostalgia. Not dominantly furnished with crates opposite helicities. Now, Chandra that they did not enjoy a good, normal retrieved from supermarkets and asked me whether I had noticed any- meal. Kameshwar Wali lists pongal as topped with cushions to sit on. Nor- thing peculiar about the scattering by one of the favourite dishes from Ma- mally I occupied orange crates, leaving these non-similar potentials. Yes, I dras liked by Chandra in his Cambridge the apple said, in both cases – days. An affinity shared with Ra- crates to senior people. Chandra, gravitational waves and neutrinos, manujan. According to the reminis- dressed in a crisp grey suit as always, scattering was identical for the two cence of Smt. Janaki Ammal, wife of did not sit down and left early so as potentials. Did I know the reason for Ramanujan, ‘He (Ramanujan) did not not to miss his customary bedtime. this? No, I did not. ‘I have discovered know cooking while he was in India. The party went on till the early hours the reason!’ announced Chandra tri- As he had to eat in England by cook- in the morning. umphantly. He asked me to send him ing himself, he started cooking. His Around five or so, Engelbert was my results and in return he sent me his favourite item in cooking was pongal awakened from his deep, tired slumber calculations which very clearly ex-

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 1027 GENERALIA plained this intriguing phenomenon. It build up institutions. Surprisingly he was asked to strike a thinking pose, was typical of Chandra to be quite enough, Chandra reacted very sharply he said with a wooden expression, excited whenever he discovered some- to this. Science, he said, could be inclining his head by a millimeter, ‘This thing new. served in many ways. All of them are is how I think’. Again, when he was At this time I was seriously consid- important and one should choose the asked to smile, his expression became ering the possibility of returning to path best suited to one’s ability and even more serious as he replied, ‘I India for good. Chandra supported according to what is most needed. He never smile’. Jadugar, who is also a such a move strongly. We discussed gave the example of . professional magician, would not give research pursued and the environment Bondi, who had made outstanding up. He took out a coin, made it disap- at different places in India. Chandra contributions to relativity and cosmol- pear at Lalitha’s left ear and made it offered to write to those places that ogy, relinquished active research to reappear at Chandra’s right ear. I would be conducive to my work, which become the scientific advisor to the looked on helplessly preparing myself he did. All this in the end paved the British government. When asked how for the impending explosion. But way for my return to my homeland. he could do such a thing, apparently Chandra was unperturbed. I think he During the years between 1976 and he had replied, ‘Ah, nobody under- was enjoying this novel experience. 1993, I met Chandra several times stands. You see, if I work ten times Only at the end of this bizarre photo- whenever he visited India, whenever I harder, I could do something like what graphic session, did he permit himself visited the United States or when we does. But why should a smile and thank the photographer met at general relativity conferences. I? Roger does it so easily. But, Roger who promptly materialized a rose from On these occasions, we discussed a is incapable of bringing a single pound thin air and presented it to Chandra. variety of topics including science in to science, whereas I can bring mil- I have no doubt that Chandra en- all its aspects – science in relation to lions. Roger should do research and I joyed the sky theatre programme. He other disciplines, science administra- should bring money’. Later on, I asked seemed to be quite moved by the pas- tion, Indian science, science populari- Bondi about this and he said, ‘Yes, sages from the Upanishads as well as zation and, of course, our research. yes, yes. Nobody understood’. by the one that depicts the loneliness Chandra kept himself informed of Chandra gave another example, that of of man in a what was happening in Indian science James Jeans who devoted much of his and was surprisingly well aware of the time to science popularization after a A rose from nowhere political scene – science politics that distinguished career in research. is. Although he was totally uninvolved Chandra was quite emphatic in his in all this, he was ready to deal with view that scientists must convey to administrators in order to help the de- the public the work they did. It was serving. Cases such as that of Smt. their duty to do so especially if they Janaki Ammal, wife of Ramanujan, may had the gift of communication. As a be well known. But there are many matter of fact he was very encouraging other obscure cases in which Chandra to the journal some of us ran called went out of his way to meet heads of The Bulletin of Sciences that was de- institutions to make his recommenda- voted to science and society. He read tions. His efforts were not always re- the articles with interest. It was not at warded nor were they universally all surprising, then, that Chandra was appreciated. At least in one instance quite happy to spend a morning at the when he tried to recommend a scientist newly established Jawaharlal Nehru for promotion that was long overdue, Planetarium in Bangalore. he was told in no unequivocal terms A proud possession of the Plane- that as a foreigner, he had no idea of tarium is its visitors’ book signed by how the Indian science machinery many distinguished visitors who have worked and was asked not to interfere. paid very handsome compliments. The This hurt Chandra deeply. All the first entry is by Chandra dated Decem- same, he did not stop helping others. ber 11, 1989 with the remark ‘A happy Chandra was a theoretician of the experience’. It is followed by Lalitha’s highest order whose world centered comment, ‘Very striking program’. Un- around research. I had imagined that in doubtedly Chandra was happy about his estimation only research counted his visit, which started off in a rather most. It was exhilarating to discover strange manner. We wanted some that this was not at all true. During an good photographs to commemorate informal discussion, one of our col- the occasion. Uday Jadugar, who was leagues remarked that he failed to un- going to take the photographs had derstand how Homi Bhabha could made some elaborate arrangements. have given up research in order to Chandra was quite obliging. But, when

1028 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 GENERALIA vast universe. He paid me one of the best Let us keep God out of it’. Then he compliments I have received. ‘It is beauti- went on to enumerate different types ful,’ he said, ‘I cannot understand how of limits encountered by science. Limit someone whose occupation is to compute due to lack of information at any given Riemann tensor can also produce something like this’. He liked the music too. ‘There is moment in time. Newton could have no question that one of the strongest of our arrived at the periodic table, had he memories of India was its music,’ Lalitha has been in possession of the information written. I think that Chandra liked music in that was available to Mendelyeev. On every form not just a concert by a celebrity. the other hand, nature may impose When I introduced to him my late brother C. limitations on the availability of infor- V. Nagaraj, an accomplished violinist, Chandra asked him to play some music and mation as in the case of horizons or as listened with pleasure.The two most wonder- in the case of uncertainty principle. ful photographs of Chandra I have seen are What about limits to human intelli- those with children that have been repro- gence? If Newton had all the informa- duced in his biography. Maybe he was a tion Einstein possessed, would he Lewis Carrol at heart – shy and reserved with have arrived at the general theory of adults, but comfortable with children. Agnes relativity? And finally, how about the Herzberg describes what a hit he was with the children at the Yerkes observatory and possible absolute limit inherent to the how, dressed in black on Halloween nights, human intellect? Is it possible that the he used to chase the ‘observatory brats’. Our mind can never go beyond a certain daughters Smitha and Namitha, aged eleven point? God only knows, I would have and six respectively, sent Chandra a card interjected. But He had been outlawed. made specially for his seventy-fifth birthday. In his later years, Chandra had openly It shows in cartoon form the red giant, the white dwarf and the black hole. Lalitha told admitted to being an atheist which also us that this was the best birthday card meant that he subscribed to no religion Chandra had received. Chandra enjoyed hu- in the customary sense of the word. mour and liked cartoons. He used to ask me Perhaps his religion was that of Chris- to topher Marlowe who wrote,

I count religion but a childish toy, And hold there is no sin but ignorance.

Let us move back to the year nine- show him the ones I had drawn. Gujjar, teen eighty-three, the nineteenth of who has caricatured several scientists, October in particular. I had gone out drew one of Chandra for the Inter- for a haircut in the evening. A haircut Music, one of the strongest memories of University Centre for Astronomy and is a profound existential symbol. To India Astrophysics, Pune. quote Samuel Hoffenstein, perhaps Chandra might have been playful with some negligible approximation, with children. But, on the other hand, if a child wanted to discuss science he Newborn babes have no hair would be dead serious treating the Old men’s heads are just as bare child like any other adult. When Between the cradle and the grave Chandra asked our daughter Smitha, Life is a haircut and a shave. fifteen years old at the time, what she was doing at school, she started de- On my return, I was greeted with the scribing her science project. It was glorious news that Chandra had been based on the book Limits of Science awarded the Nobel Prize. Soon I re- by Peter Medawar. It is a scholarly ceived a call from a representative of book that examines complex ideas such the Press Trust of India. He wanted to as self-limitation, cognitive and logical know my reaction to this event. I asked limits, and so on, ultimately touching him why me? Because I was one of upon the concept of God. Chandra those who knew Chandrasekhar well. started the discussion with the pre- Fair enough. I told him how overjoyed liminary remark, ‘These are big people I was like all my colleagues. Especially with big words. I am a small man. so since Chandrasekhar had been Among children Maybe my ideas are small. But, let me working on black holes which hap- tell them anyway. One thing though. pened to be a subject of particular in-

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 1029 GENERALIA terest to me. Then came the final ques- else, but you, should tell them why the ing derived when Chandra entered the tion. ‘Sir, how are you related to him?’ stars shine?’ He gave me a brooding, field. To systematize all this required I was taken aback to say the least. The pensive look and said ‘You are right’. enormous effort. It is said that if all the logic underlying this inference must The talk, needless to add, was fabu- equations Chandra had derived in his have run as follows. My initials were lous. lifetime were to be written end to end, C.V., the same as those of C. V. Raman. In some ways, Chandra’s work on they would reach the moon. One won- And I worked at the Raman Research black holes formed the epitome of his ders what would have happened had Institute. Therefore I must be related to scientific career. A career that was he been named after the sun rather Raman. Chandra was Raman’s nephew. an arduous but enlightening journey than the moon. Chandra revelled in Ipso facto, I was related to Chandra. I through fertile fields, mountains deriving equations, manipulating and said, ‘Look, we are relativists, not rela- and vales. I can only describe this re- analysing them, squeezing out in the tives’. ‘But, Sir,’ he protested, ‘our lentless venture by borrowing from process every drop of the underlying head office told me that you two are different poets. Chandra’s quest finds physics. But all this he had to do on related’. I told him politely that I expression in the words of Christopher his own, preferably in his own way. should know better than his head of- Marlowe: There were no short cuts. As Antonio fice whether I was related to Machado wrote in Spanish, Chandrasekhar or not. If they wanted Still climbing after knowledge Caminante, no hay camino my reaction as his relative he could infinite, Se hace Camino al andar forget the whole conversation. ‘No, And always moving as the restless Sir,’ he answered me, ‘we are very spheres, Traveller, there is no path, much interested in your remarks’. They Wills us to wear ourselves and Paths are made by walking. were taking no chances. Next day, on never the front pages of newspapers ap- rest. By taking his own path, Chandra peared a boxed item recording the reac- picked up what others, following their tions of two chosen ones: Prime It seems Chandra once said, ac- own courses, might have missed. And Minister Indira Gandhi felt proud and cording to Robert Sachs, that his moti- as he walked his lonely way and C. V. Vishveshwara was happy! vation for research ‘has always been reached his own goal, he looked upon Chandra had a big laugh when I re- systematization based on scholarship’. the gorgeous valley below and the counted this episode to him. This was His exploration of black holes perfectly lofty summit above, perhaps as others a comic relief to what he thought was a fulfilled such a motivation. A great had seen as well, but from a different sombre affair. As is well known, he had deal of scholarship was needed in mas- angle, from a different view point. his own reservations regarding the tering a new field considered to be Once upon a time, when Chandra award made in recognition of his work quite difficult involving concepts, had arrived at the startling but inevita- of fifty years earlier. techniques and approaches alien to ble conclusion that there was a limit to Chandra had this persistent, nag- other branches of physics. It was an the mass of white dwarfs, he had writ- ging feeling that people were predomi- active field with many younger re- ten, nantly interested in his earlier work searchers who had produced important ‘A star of large mass cannot pass and not so much in what he was doing results and were still continuing to do into the white dwarf stage and one is at the moment. Once he had finished so. While systematizing all this and left speculating on other possibilities.’ with one area, that was it. He moved gaining insights into partially explored The long speculation was over. A on to another. He did not keep in grey areas, Chandra seemed depressed star of large mass ended its lifecycle as touch with the subjects that had inter- whenever he felt that some people did a black hole, the simplest, and there- ested him in the past. He was sched- not attach enough importance to his fore the most beautiful, entity in na- uled to deliver a public lecture which work. But he continued, in all prob- ture. The culmination of the long involved explaining how the stars ability, with the conviction of finally journey had revealed the significance shine. A couple of hours before the attaining the desired goal of consum- of the starting point. Again, to quote talk his aversion to speaking about his mate understanding of this magnificent Eliot, work in the past hit him with depress- edifice. But the passage, for the mo- ing intensity. Like a rebellious child he ment at least, must have been difficult. We shall not cease from exploration started remonstrating, ‘Why should I To quote T. S. Eliot, And the end of all our exploring give this talk? I am not interested in Will be to arrive where we started why stars shine. I am interested in To arrive where you are, to get from And know the place for the first black holes. They don’t shine, do where you are not, time. they? Give me one good reason why I You must go by a way wherein there should give this talk’. Quietly I an- is no ecstasy. In 1989 I had the rare opportunity to swered, ‘I shall give you two hundred interview Chandra at the invitation reasons’. Chandra seemed confused. As I have already mentioned, there from the Indian Institute of Astro- ‘There will be two hundred students in had been a great deal of information physics. We covered a variety of top- that lecture hall,’ I continued ‘who gathered on black holes and more be- ics many of which we had discussed

1030 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 GENERALIA over the years. Profundity of general single most important’ event in his time,’ I kept repeating to myself. But, relativity, the structural unity of black early life which launched him on a re- there was to be no next time. holes and colliding waves, Principia, search career. Chandra sat up. His Chandra has been described in many significance of new theories and so on. keen, piercing eyes were sparkling ways: a giant among scientists, a hero All through the interview, Chandra now. He said with emphasis, ‘Yes, in- ofscience, the supreme aesthete, and a seemed to be in a distant world of con- deed’. He kept nodding as I continued. legend in his own lifetime. No doubt he templation. One dominant theme was ‘But how many students could have was all these. But to a few of us, more what he had pursued with passion, the the good fortune of meeting someone than anything else, he will always be a quest for beauty. He said ‘What man like Sommerfeld? And how many living presence. perceives as beautiful in his mind, he would be prepared, as you were, to finds it in nature’. He was lost virtually make use of such an opportunity? Yet, in a reverie oblivious of his surround- if we create the proper atmosphere and ings as he kept repeating to himself, ‘It facilities, some motivated children may I am deeply indebted to Prof. N. Kumar, is a miracle. It is a miracle’. grow into good scientists, even great President of the Academy, for inviting me to give the public lecture on 13 De- I met Chandra again in 1993 at his ones. Maybe, we will have another cember 1999. brother Balakrishnan’s house where he Chandra, who knows’. He looked at me The following books have been used in writ- was staying on a private visit. We sat wistfully, apparently moved, and ing this article: in the verandah watching the little gar- asked, ‘Are you going to do that?’ ‘I W. E. Brittin and W. R. Chapel (eds), Lec- den. It was late afternoon, bright sun- would like to try,’ I replied. ‘If you do tures in Theoretical Physics, University light playing upon the flowers. As the that,’ Chandra said, ‘I should like to of Colorado Press, 1964. K. C. Wali, Chandra: A Biography, Univer- day wore on, light faded and shadows come and see it’. sity of Chicago Press, 1991. lengthened. Chandra asked me to It was dusk now. Chandra seemed K. C. Wali (ed.), S. Chandrasekhar – The move closer to him so he could hear exhausted. I was reminded of Shelley’s Man Behind the Legend, Imperial Col- better. He looked tired. But, as usual, lines written to the Moon: lege Press, 1997. he asked me in detail about my re- The following articles in the above book search. Then he went on to discuss a Art thou pale for weariness have been referred to: composite picture of what he had done Of climbing heaven and gazing on K. C. Wali, Introduction Lalitha Chadrasekhar, ‘My Everlasting in recent years. He was satisfied that the Flame’ his work on Principia was progressing earth, Agnes M. Herzberg, ‘S. Chandrasekhar, well. Then came Indian science – Wandering companionless The Friend: Some Reminiscences’. research institutions, universities. A Among the stars of alien birth. Robert G. Sachs, ‘Reminiscences About short pause. He looked up with a tinge Chandra’. of melancholy and said, ‘You know the No doubt he had climbed heaven. P. K. Srinivasan (ed.), Ramanujan – Letters and Reminiscences, Muthialpet High worst thing one could do to science? Not only had he gazed on the earth, School, Madras, 1968, vol. 1. Use it for self promotion.... It is sad often he had to come down to it. He Peter Medawar, The Limits of Science, that people think I cannot see what is was blessed with the best of compan- Oxford University Press, 1985. happening. For instance...’. His voice ions in his personal life. Yet, in his Christopher Marlowe has been quoted from trailed off as he closed his eyes. ‘An- quest for beauty and truth, he had A. L. Rowse, William Shakespeare, other time, perhaps...’ he added in a wandered in loneliness often among Harper and Row, 1963. whisper. Depression seemed to be those of alien birth who did not under- T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets, Aurora Publish- ers, 1970. coming on. It was time to change the stand him. Antonio Machado has been quoted from subject. I started talking about science We stood up and shook hands. Alan Mackay, The Harvest of a Quiet education, the need to communicate There was so much we had not talked Eye, The Institute of Physics, 1977. science in the proper manner, creating about. There was a heaviness of un- It is a pleasure to thank Ms G. K. Rajeshwari, opportunities for the young, convey- spoken words, unexpressed thoughts, Sri Pramod G. Galgali and Sri H. R. Mad- ing the excitement of new develop- unshared feelings. Chandra walked me husudan for their valuable help in the preparation of this article. ments through interaction with to the gate and stood outside. Before practising scientists. Chandra opened turning the corner at the end of the his eyes. He was alert now. ‘When you road, I looked back. He was still there. I were a student, you met Sommerfeld,’ I waved to him and he waved back. C. V. Vishveshwara is in the Indian said, ‘wasn’t that an important occa- There is so much to talk about, I Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore sion?’ According to Kameshwar Wali, thought. ‘Next time, Chandra, next 560 034, India. Chandra described this meeting as ‘the

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000 1031 GENERALIA

Edited and published by Prof. P. Balaram and Prof. S. Ramaseshan, Current Science Association, Bangalore 560 080. Typeset by WINTECS Typesetters (Ph: 3327 311), Bangalore 560 021, Printed at Printek Printers, Bangalore (Ph: 3357 763)

1032 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 78, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2000