Letters from & Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam

I wrote to you in my letters of yesterday and the day before about the disinclination of Bhagavan to use satin-covered mattresses, pillows, fans and the like. You know, in September 1946 the Golden Jubilee of Bhagavan’s Advent at Arunachala was celebrated. About a month before those celebrations the Maharani of Baroda sent by parcel post a velvet shawl embroidered with silk and gold thread. The office people sent it to Bhagavan through Rajagopala Iyer, one of the office attendants. He showed it to Bhagavan and wanted to spread it on the sofa, but Bhagavan would not permit him to do so. When the devotee tried to place it under Bhagavan’s feet, Bhagavan withdrew his feet and sat with folded legs. Thereupon the devotee placed it over the pillow on which Bhagavan reclined. Immediately, thereafter, Bhagavan stopped leaning on it, moved to the middle of the sofa and sat in padmasana pose without uttering a single word.

The devotee felt it was no use trying any further and so he folded the shawl and took it back to the office. After he left, Bhagavan sat as usual and said, “These are meant for those who wear shirts, coats, turbans and appear in style, but why do I require all these? If I have to sit on them, I feel like sitting on prickly pears. According to the old saying, I have a bare body and a bald head; of what use are these to me? This towel itself is my silk shawl and my lace upper cloth.”

“In some places such things are being used. That is why perhaps they have sent it,” said a devotee. “It may be so. But what status have I to use them? I am a poor man. For my status, even what I now have is too much. This sofa, these mattresses, these pillows — why all these? You people do not agree, but how happy would it be if I could spread out this towel and sit on the floor!” said Bhagavan. “You say even that towel should be no bigger than the present one!” said Mudaliar. “Why a bigger one? It is half-a-yard broad and three-quarters of a yard long. It is sufficient for drying the body after bath, for spreading over the head if you walk in the sun, for tying round the neck if it is cold and for spreading on the floor to sit on. What more could we do with a bigger one?” said Bhagavan.

Some rich people bring silver tumblers and plates and request Bhagavan to use them. Bhagavan would not even touch them, but would send them back to the office if received through them, or give them back to the people if they are brought direct to him. Knowing that such articles would not be accepted, Janaki Ammal, the wife of Dr. Ganapati Iyer, sent through a devotee for Bhagavan’s use wooden sandals with silver fittings. Bhagavan touched them and seeing the silver fittings remarked, “They are rich people. Sandals with silver fittings are therefore suitable for them but not for us. So, send them back to those people. Tell them, ‘Swami has touched them and that is enough’. We have feet given to us by God. Why these ornaments? Give back to them their articles.” So saying he sent them back.

iLet alone the question of wearing sandals with silver fittings. He does not wear even ordinary wooden sandals. Even in the height of summer, when the feet get scorched by heat, he walks barefooted and refuses to use anything to protect the feet. Sometime back, when the path leading to the Gosala from the office was cemented and Bhagavan was walking on it in the hot sun, some devotees, who could not see him suffering thus, poured water along the path, but Bhagavan stopped them saying, “Why are you wasting so much water for my sake by pouring it over the ground? If you open a shed for supplying drinking water to travellers, how much more useful it will be! Why do two or three people waste their time and water for my sake? Please don’t do it.” It was therefore stopped but, instead, the whole passage was covered with a pandal. Bhagavan used to say the same thing even if khuskhus thatties (screens) were hung and water sprinkled on them.

For a great Thyagi and Mahapurusha like this, will there be any desire for silver sandals, satin-cloth mattresses, silk-covered pillows and other ornamental things? Why these luxuries which curtail freedom? Vairagya is his ornament, Siva-vibhuti his glory.