Chapter 5: The Closeness I Was Blessed With
(c) S.Gokulachari,Editor,Aalayadharisanam.com
My acquaintance with Swami spans over 40 years. This 40-year period can be divided into four distinct phases:
The First 10 Years: A relatively casual acquaintance.
The Next 10 Years: The relationship took root and became closer.
The Subsequent 5 to 6 Years: It grew even more intimate.
The Final 13 Years (2013 to 2026): Right up to the year he departed from us, it was my absolute privilege that he considered me one of his closest confidants.
Even 40 years ago, I knew of him because he served as the Managing Trustee of the Thillai Govindaraja Perumal Devasthanam. We possessed an ancestral Ramanuja Koodam (a community hall dedicated to Sri Ramanuja) in Bhuvanagiri.
One of the magnificent administrative systems established by Swami Ramanuja in ancient times to propagate Vaishnavism was the creation of these Ramanuja Koodams. (We shall discuss this in detail on another occasion). It was Swami’s unshakeable conviction that Vaishnavism grew and remained vibrant even in tiny villages primarily because of these Ramanuja Koodams. Consequently, Swami possessed a deep involvement in village Ramanuja Koodams, Vaishnava Sabhas, and temples.
To support this cause, Swami organized a massive conference in Thirukkovalur. He attempted to compile data from all Bhagavata Sabhas to create a unified federation. He involved me with sri Ananthazhvaar swami , deeply in this project and even encouraged me to run a newsletter dedicated to this cause.
Some people might hold differing opinions about the fact that Bhagavatas who truly understood him, and students who studied under him, prefixed his name with the title ‘The Ramanuja of Our Times’ or published it in magazines.
But I am someone who witnessed from close quarters, and heard from his own mouth, how he utilized every tiny opportunity for the growth of Vaishnavism without expecting any reward in return. The grassroots fieldwork he accomplished could not have been replicated by anyone else. I will write about this in greater detail later.
His unquenchable desire to involve and guide Bhagavatas across various regions kept growing. Consequently, he treated every single Bhagavata with immense affection and respect. He never let the status of being an ‘Acharya Purusha’ get to his head, nor did he boast about his scholarship or position. Before a rural Bhagavata could even bow to greet him, Swami would fold his hands in reverence first and enquire about their well-being with deep empathy.
Whenever anyone had a doubt, they would approach him to seek clarity. He would visit the Ramanuja Koodam of that particular village, sit down with the people, and discuss auspicious spiritual matters. It would infuse them with immense enthusiasm.
Our Ramanuja Koodam has a history of nearly 110 years, hosting numerous traditional festivals. One such occasion is Masi Magam. After completing the Theerthavari ritual at Killai, the deity would cross the Vellar River (the river sung of as ‘Niva Nathi’ in the celebratory verses of Thirumangai Alvar) and enter our Bhuvanagiri . In Bhuvanagiri , Govinda raja Perumal receives three Mandagapadis (ceremonial stops), the first of which takes place at our Ramanuja Koodam.
This tradition has been observed since the time of Swami’s revered father. My paternal uncle was the manager of the Ramanuja Koodam.
Our Swami would always accompany the deity. I used to see him back then; we did not share a close relationship at the time, but he would never waste a single moment. He would walk briskly like a swift arrow. The moment the curtain was drawn for decoration (Alankaram) after the holy bath (Thirumanjanam), he would immediately begin discoursing on spiritual truths. There was no loudspeaker, and none was needed. What need was there for a loudspeaker before that majestic, resonant voice?
On certain occasions when Perumal could not visit the theerthavari and our Ramanuja Koodam, all of us would gather at the Chidambaram Pattabhiraman Sannidhi. Even on those occasions, our Swami would conduct the Thirumanjanam festival exquisitely.
For the past 50 years, an organization called the ‘Emperumanar Darsana Sabha’ has existed in our town, organizing an Annual Vaishnava Conference. He would reliably visit every year for this event as well. These were my early connections with Swami.
However, I, who had previously been speaking only in literary circles, happened to speak at the Vaishnava conference once. At that time, I was working in Muthiah Polytechnic,Annamalainagar Swami highly appreciated my speech. It was a wonderful trait of Swami to constantly encourage and motivate others in their respective fields of effort, ensuring their spirits never flagged. Following that event, my proximity to Swami increased significantly.
In 1996, I launched a magazine titled ‘Aalaya Dharisanam.’ After reading the magazine, Swami wrote a highly encouraging letter to me. Swami never hesitated to appreciate anyone; he would praise people instantly. He always kept a few postcards handy. The moment an event concluded, he would scrawl a few words of appreciation and mail them immediately.
This practice continued right up to last month, when he called to appreciate an article I had written for the Sapthagiri magazine. There was never a scarcity of praise in his words, nor was there any malice. Even if it occasionally seemed a bit excessive to us, it stemmed purely from a genuine desire to see us progress. I have never seen him use backhanded compliments to diminish anyone. It was the Aalaya Dharisanam magazine that profoundly deepened the bond of closeness between him and me. (contd.,)
