(F2F with Sri Ramana Maharshi)

My father who worked as a teacher in Municipal High School,
Tiruvannamalai, met the Maharshi in 1927 and asked a question for whichhe was very sorry in the later years of his life: “There are so many sadhuswandering around, how am I to know who is a genuine one?” The Maharshimost graciously said, “He is a real sadhu in whose presence you get an
indescribable peace without making any effort.”

From 1928 to 1961 my father taught at a convent school in
Kodaikanal. During this period, for seven years he was tutor to the princessof Nabha (a princely state in the Punjab), whose Maharaja was brought toKodaikanal as a punishment by the British. The Maharaja and Maharaniwere deeply impressed with the life and teachings of the Maharshi, about
whom my father talked to them.

In 1944, when the Maharaja was not too well, he asked my father
to go and seek the blessings of Bhagavan.When my father spoke toBhagavan about the Maharaja’s condition, he listened with great attentionbut kept silent. The Ashram authorities gave prasad for the Maharaja.After opening the cover containing the prasad, the Maharaja told myfather, “Krishnaswami, the Maharshi has intimated that I am not going to
live long. You see in this envelope there is no kumkum. There is only
vibhuti.” The Maharaja passed away four months later.

Hearing from my father and uncle that Bhagavan used to read
letters written to him by devotees, I used to write to him occasionally fromthe hostel of the high school at Tirukattupally, where I studied from 1941 to1945. Once I went to Bhagavan with my uncle and was looking at him.Bhagavan asked my uncle about me. On being told that I was his nephew,he said, “So you are the person writing letters to me.” This gave me astrange feeling of awe, coupled with great joy, and I said in a low voice,
“Yes.” Bhagavan remarked, “Does your father send money to you so thatyou can write these letters?” and laughed. I wasn’t quite sure whetherBhagavan was being sarcastic or made the remark in a light vein. I sweatedfor a while, continuing to look at Bhagavan.

After completing my SSLC in 1945, I appplied for admission to
American College, Madurai. On the day I was to leave for Madurai, I
went to Bhagavan, prostrated to him and took leave of him. On enquiry,I told him that I was going to Madurai for admission to college.Bhagavan asked, “Which College?” I wanted to say American Collegebut instead said Madura College. Bhagavan smiled and said, sari [Allright]. I could not get admission to American College, but got admissionin Madura College, Madurai.

In 1949, I attended the kumbhabhishekam of Mathrubhuteswaratemple, which was an elaborate solemn affair. In the evening, after aratiwas offered to the deity in the temple, it was brought to Bhagavan. I was
sitting very close to him in the hall attached to the temple. It was a
moving sight when Bhagavan extended his hands and touched the aratiwith great reverence, closing his eyes.

Soon after every operation was performed on Bhagavan’s arm,
I used to visit him. Sometimes I cried uncontrollably looking at Bhagavanfrom a distance. As far as Bhagavan was concerned, he was ever thesame serene, blissful self. He behaved as if the disease belonged tosomebody else.

Once in 1946, when I was an 18-year old student, I was walking
towards the old meditation hall with my head down, thinking of something.When I looked up, I saw Bhagavan talking to a devotee near the well,adjacent to the hall. I did not expect Bhagavan to be there. When helooked at me sideways I stood still, as I did not want to disturb him. I felt apowerful light penetrate and engulf me. The bliss that I experienced wasunique. I was in that state for about 20 days.

Sometime in 1949, I sat at the entrance of the new hall, outside
the Mother’s temple, looking at Bhagavan. Then I thought to myself, “Ihave been coming to the Ashram so often, but have had no experience ofreal meditation. Bhagavan has not granted me this experience.” Thinkingalong these lines, I kept looking at Bhagavan for a considerable time andthen closed my eyes. I do not know how long I was in that state.When I
opened my eyes I found the meditation hall empty. Bhagavan and thedevotees must have gone past me as I was sitting at the entrance. WhenI realised that I had been sitting when Bhagavan went past me, I washorrified. But suddenly I realized that Bhagavan, out of his unboundedgrace had granted me an experience whereby I was completely obliviousof my surroundings.

In August 1949, I visited the Ashram from Madras, where I was studying. After his second operation, Bhagavan was sitting in the newhall. People were not allowed to sit inside the hall. They could enter,prostrate and leave the hall. On August 16, I planned to leave for Madras. Iwent to the hall, prostrated, and went close to Bhagavan to say, ‘I am leaving’.
Normally he would say ‘sari,’ but that day he turned his face to the otherside. I came out, sat outside for sometime and went in again. I prostrated andsaid that I was leaving. Again he turned his face to the other side. Onceagain I came out and sat for sometime. For the third time I entered, prostrated
and said ‘I was leaving’, yet, again he turned his face. I was puzzled.

As I was getting late for the train, I decided to leave for the station.
Hardly had I gone some distance, I felt it difficult to proceed. I came backand decided to leave only after Bhagavan’s consent. When the next day Iwent to the hall, prostrated and said that I was leaving, to my joy andsurprise, Bhagavan said, ‘sari’. Till today I do not know why Bhagavandid not give me permission to leave the previous day.

My final year examinations for B.A.(Hons.) were in March
1950. In February, T.V. Krishnaswami Iyer, my sister’s father-in-law, a great devotee of Bhagavan, gave me a copy of Muruganar’scommentary on Aksharamanamalai, which ran over one hundredpages. Deeply impressed with the manuscript, I copied it in its entiretyin a few days, without worrying for the examination. I felt this was
more important than the examination. The first paper, Old English,contained passages for translation from old English to modern English.I had not prepared well. The day before the examination I opened thebook at random and translated the passage that I found on that page
and went to sleep. In the examination hall, I was astonished to findthe same passage which I had translated the previous night.

Bhagavan treated animals and birds with great affection and
concern. Sometimes a couple of monkeys would walk into the meditationhall. Some devotees used to get agitated. Bhagavan would gently call themonkeys and give them cashewnuts or groundnuts. They would go away
screeching with delight. Sometimes a squirrel would scramble up thecouch. Bhagavan would fondle it and give it whatever was available andit would leave without disturbing anybody. Similarly, a peacock wouldcome and get some puffed rice from his hand.

Once an Ashram deer was attacked by some animals and the
wounds turned from bad to worse. Bhagavan sat near the deer, held itsface in his hand, looking at its tearful eyes. The sarvadhikari of the Ashramasked my uncle who was standing close, to look after the deer and relieve Bhagavan. Bhagavan heard this but did not make any response, and sat
there till the deer breathed its last. There is a samadhi for the deer nearthat of the cow Lakshmi.

My uncle, when young, asked Bhagavan, “Is it true that Ravana
had ten heads?” Bhagavan replied, “How does it help you to know whetherhe had ten heads or not?”

When the Mathrubhuteswara Temple was being constructed,
Bhagavan used to lift the bricks and offer them to the mason. He told myuncle, “I am helping construction work.”

On one occasion a large number of people came to the Ashram
unexpectedly and they had to be provided lunch. One of the cooks went toBhagavan and said, “We are worried because there isn’t enough food.”Bhagavan said, “Don’t worry. There will be enough.” My uncle was presentin the dining hall along with others. Bhagavan looked at almost every one
before he started eating. My uncle said that even before eating most of thepeople felt full. So each one ate very little and what had been preparedwas more than enough.

Dr. K. Subrahmanian