Reminiscences of Shri Kunju Swamigal - 37

[Guest guest]

Ramaswamy Iyengar of Kumbakonam came to Sri Bhagvan much earlier than

I.He was devoted to Him

from his youth.A Brahmachari he used to wear only a kaupina.But

whenever he came to

Tiruvannamalai,he would wear a towel.He thought it was discourteous

to be dressed like

Sri Bhagvan in His presence.He had established a Ramanasram at

Kumbakonam and he used to

celebrate Sri Bhagvan's birthday for ten days on a grand scale.The

birthday celebrations

were marked by pujas,poor feeding and music concerts.Once i went and

spent ten days there

during the jayanthi period.

He would never stand or sit near Sri Bhagvan.He would always stand at

a distance.On arrival

at the ashram,he would prostrate before Sri Bhagvan at the entrance

to the hall and he would

do the same before leaving.He would see Him from a distance on his

way to or from the hill.

Before Sri Bhagvan returned from the hill,he would roll on the spots

on the ground touched

by His feet.He would dust the sheets on Sri Bhagvan's sofa.

On a full moon day,he arrived in the ashram and stayed in Palakothu

with me.He would see

Sri Bhagvan every day when He passed through Palakothu.He got big

earthernware pots and

arranged for the preparation of three kinds of pickles and filled the

pots with them and sent

them to the ashram.Sri Bhagvan appreciated them very much and

said,"His disciples are rich

landlords.He does not have any financial problems.As he is an

Iyengar,he is capable of

doing everything very well.He is very good."

Iyengar felt a little uneasy in the evening on the next full moon

day.He passed away around

4.30 the following morning.He was creamated at Tiruvannamalai itself

and his ashes were taken

to Kumbakonam and a samadhi was constructed over them.

A few months after Iyengar passed away,Sri Bhagvan's attendant

Madhavaswami went to the

Ramanasram at Kumbakonam.He passed away in Kumbakonam.Sri Bhagvan

said,"Iyengar who came

from Ramanasram at Kumbakonam died here and our Madhavaswami who was

here went and died there!"

 

in Sri Bhagvan,

sriram