This part is written by M.V.Krishnan
ON August 29, 1896, Venkataraman (later Sri Bhagavan) left Madurai for Tiruvannamalai. One week later, Munagala S. Venkataramiah, later known as Ramanananda Saraswati, went home from Madurai to Sholavandan and told his mother that a brahmin boy who was studying in Madurai at an adjoining school had run away from home. At that time he little realised that he was to meet this runaway boy later in 1918 at Skandasramam and that he was to become his disciple, live in close proximity of Sri Bhagavan from 1933 to 1950, and be the compiler of Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.
S.V. Ramanathan and M. V. Krishnan, sons of Munagala S. Venkataramiah came to the Ashram with their parents in the summer of 1930. They were just thirteen and ten years of age. One morning they were standing near the old dining hall (where now Sri Bhagavan’s samadhi stands) when Ramu, the elder brother, remarked that for the last few days no onion sambar had been tasted by them. At that precise moment Sri Bhagavan was passing by the boys, as he was returning from the kitchen. He smiled and asked Ramu: “So, you want vengaaya (onion) sambar!” The boys blushed and kept quiet. Next morning, the boys were served with vengaaya sambar. Everybody thought it was onion sambar. Sri Bhagavan later in the day asked Ramu how he relished the sambar to which he replied: “Very well.”
Ramu, however, was surprised to know the truth only a few days later when his mother told him that what he ate was not onion but garlic sambar! There was no onion at that time in the Ashram and yet Sri Bhagavan wanted to fulfil the boy’s wish. Through his expert culinary knowledge, he brought the smell and taste of onion to garlic itself!
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In the 1930s, Dr. T. N. Krishnaswamy wanted to visit the Ashram and be with Sri Bhagavan during the weekend. He asked a friend to accompany him. This friend at that time did not even put on his shirt. He was in his dhoti and upper cloth and had two or three rupees in his purse. He readily agreed to go then and there. Both travelled up to Katpadi by train, took a bus to Vellore and changed onto another bus for Tiruvannamalai. In Vellore the friend wanted to take something to Sri Bhagavan. On the roadside he saw a woman selling kovai kai. He bought the lot for a few annas. It was about one viss, or 1½ kg in weight. Since he had no bag to carry the vegetable, he bundled them at one end of his upper cloth. Both of them reached Tiruvannamalai in the evening. The vegetable bundle was put in front of Sri Bhagavan when both the devotees paid their respects. On an enquiry from Sri Bhagavan, the bundle was opened. Sri Bhagavan saw the contents and said that if kovai kai was cooked with brinjals it would be tasty. The next morning a devotee arriving from Madras through Villupuram brought brinjals! The curry was cooked in the morning and all of them relished it.
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In 1937, AN elderly American came along with a group to visit Sri Bhagavan. The trend of the discussion was that the five senses were to be put under check. Since the old American was deaf he could not follow the discussions. Sri Bhagavan remarked that the American needed to control only four senses as the fifth (hearing) was already under check. Someone in the Hall explained this to the American and he beamed with joy.
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When Sri Bhagavan was in Skandashram two devotees were having heated discussions regarding siddhis (occult powers). One devotee did not believe in such powers while the other was a firm believer. A challenge was accepted by the latter, who undertook to convert a copper coin into a gold one. It was agreed that this should be done in the presence of Sri Bhagavan. On the appointed day the two devotees were sitting in front of Sri Bhagavan. A copper coin was produced and everybody examined it. It was given to the devotee who kept it for several minutes in his closed palm and then opened it. There was a sovereign. Sri Bhagavan with a faint smile told him to part with the sovereign and repeat the miracle. The challenge was not accepted!
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Mungala V.Krishnan went to Delhi in December, 1940, in search of a job. He could not secure a job up to the end of February, 1941. So he wrote to his father Sri Venkataramiah saying that he had to return to the south as no job was available. This letter was shown to Sri Bhagavan who went through it and said: “Let him stay on in Delhi.” In March he got a job. From then V. Krishnan prospered very well.
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Sri Bhagavan could very well probe deep into the minds of devotees and visitors. He said the following about a sannyasi-devotee who used to sit daily before Sri Bhagavan for three or four hours in meditation: “Aspirants who sat motionless even for longer times have been deceived,” meaning thereby that he lacked concentration or humility or both.
Sri Bhagavan said the following to Sri Salem Rajagopala Iyer about a devotee: “He has some eye defect. When he keeps his eyes open tears fall down. Others mistake this for deep bhakti.” This devotee used to visit people in various towns and demonstrate the tears flowing from his eyes.
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Sri Ramanatha Dikshitar, a pupil in a Vedapatasala, was a puny figure, about four feet and six inches in height. He used to spin cotton yarn, get it woven and present the cloth to Sri Bhagavan for his loin cloth. This Ramanatha Dikshitar was also a freedom-fighter and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Once he wanted to go to Vedaranyam to take part in the salt satyagraha. Sri Bhagavan jocularly remarked that the police would be afraid of him. When Ramanatha Dikshitar went and joined the salt satyagraha, he was not arrested, the police just ignored him.
Ramanatha Dikshitar, who was short and frail, seldom spoke to others and when he did he was full of humility. There was another devotee who was well built and tall. This devotee once got angry with Ramanatha Dikshitar, and raised himself to his full height and thundered, “Do you know who I am?”
Dikshitar meekly replied that it was the very purpose for which every devotee was in the Ashram.
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After Sri Bhagavan moved down and settled near the Mother’s samadhi there was only a thatched roof over the samadhi and an adjoining hut. Some devotees decided to build a more solid hall. So bricks and building material were gathered. The bricks were carried to the site by the devotees. Sri Bhagavan also wanted to work but the devotees would not permit him. One moonlit night, when all were asleep, a devotee woke up and found that Sri Bhagavan was missing. He woke up the others and they all began to search for him. They found Sri Bhagavan taking part in bringing bricks to the site from a kiln opposite the Ashram.
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In the early 1920s there was a big mango tree near Palitirtham. Chinna Swami was also in the Ashram, although he had not yet taken charge of the management. Dandapani Swami, a huge figure, was another Ashram inmate. Chinna Swami and Dandapani Swami did not like each other. One night Dandapani Swami wanted to settle scores with Chinna Swami, so he seized Chinna Swami to crush him. Bhagavan appeared on the scene and slapped the back of Dandapani Swami, who immediately put Chinna Swami down. No words were spoken and each retired to his place of rest. Later Dandapani Swami described the slap as ‘terrific’.