Sri V.Subramanian

08 Feb 1939 – 19 Jul 2022

Sri V.Manni-anna, grandnephew of Sri Bhagavan, fell sick in early July but by the middle of the month had recovered and returned to the Ashram in good spirits on the 18th July. The following day he felt some ‘heartburn’ and that afternoon passed away from cardiac arrest at 4.30pm on 19th July^[1]

Sri V.Mani-anna

click to see a large image

Of the seven children of Bhagavan’s nephew, T.N.Venkataraman and his wife Nagalakshmi, Sri V. Subramanian was the first to be born in Tiruvannamalai. On 8th February 1939, V. Subramanian became the third of three boys just as the family had settled into a rented house near the temple belonging to one of the gurukkals (Santhanam of Arunachleswarar). Subramanian’s father, TNV, had taken up service in the Ashram and according to custom, the new-born child was brought before Bhagavan who had given names for the boy’s two elder brothers. Ganesan had been born on Ganesha Chaturthi and named accordingly, thus Bhagavan remarked, ‘Ganesha’s younger brother should be named Subramanian’. In no time, everyone in the family began calling him, ‘Mani’.

Mani and his brothers were blessed to spend their boyhood in the Ashram in the presence of Sri Bhagavan. While going from their house in town to the Ashram, they often went via Virupaksha Cave and Skandasramam and sometimes spent nights with their grandfather, Niranjanananda Swami. They slept in his office opposite the Old Hall near the well, invariably roused early the next morning by the sound of the Vedas. Their playground was next to the Vedapatasala where Bhagavan used to pass by on his way to and from the gosala..

Once when Mani was about nine years old, his fourth standard teacher wrote a one-act play depicting Bhagavan’s teaching which the children performed in Bhagavan’s presence. The performance concluded with a line spoken by the young Mani with his fist firmly placed at the centre of his chest in a gesture of bold conviction, ‘I will strive and work hard for this noble cause till my last breath.’ A prophetic declaration for a young boy. Bhagavan turned his gaze to the child and smiled. He then turned to the devotees and family members and remarked, Mani maniyaaga pesaraane (‘Mani [gem] is talking like a gem [mani]’.)

V.Mani studied engineering and was posted to ACC-Vickers Babcock Ltd., Mumbai, where he eventually served as deputy general manager. In 1969, he was married to Ramani who had been fortunate to have Bhagavan’s darshan in her girlhood. Making annual visits to the Ashram, the couple set up house in Mumbai and played host to numerous Ashram inmates. In 1984, Manianna lost his mother, and the family in Tiruvannamalai felt deeply the pinch of her absence. Even though still having the responsibility of raising two young children, he took a voluntary retirement and came to settle permanently in Tiruvannamalai in 1985. If his active career in recent years had been visited by health issues, once settling in Tiruvannamalai and serving Bhagavan at the Ashram, his health normalised completely. Already trained and experienced in management, Manianna proved invaluable as an administrator and worked hard to assist his father and brother. Seven years later, his eldest brother, V.S.Ramanan, returned to the Ashram to join his brothers in assisting their father.

If as a child Mani had valiantly dedicated his life to Bhagavan, he now had the opportunity to live out this dedication by serving Bhagavan’s devotees. Besides managerial adeptness, he demonstrated social graces as well as a deep respect and tireless solicitude for devotees. He always made it a point to see that guests felt welcome and went the extra mile to maintain contact with them when they were away, or when aged and for health reasons, were unable to come to the Ashram. When devotees left this world, he stood by them by making sure that the moksha deepam lamp in their honour had been lit at Bhagavan’s samadhi. He oversaw more than one hundred obituaries of deceased devotees for Ashram publications as it was his firm conviction that the living should remember and honour the lives of those who had dedicated their lives to Bhagavan. Though Manianna took his service in the Ashram seriously, he carried it out with light-heartedness and ease, bearing hardship with poise and perseverance.

In 2001, Mani was instrumental in establishing the Ashram Archives for the protection and preservation of Bhagavan’s photographic negatives. He oversaw projects such as the construction of the Korunga Thottam guest houses, renovations of the Old Hall, Bhagavan’s birth house in Tiruchuzhi, the Ramana Mandiram in Madurai and other historical sites. He served on The Mountain Path editorial board and helped expand the Ashram gosala, introducing select Indian breeds like Gir, Tarparkar and Kangeyam. He oversaw eco-friendly flora and fauna projects which included beekeeping, micro and macro water-harvesting, an organic farm, and the Ashram gardens embellished with more than 150 varieties of trees, plants and herbs, which provided habitat for the increasing bird population, among them, the Ashram peacocks. He oversaw the planting of 300 banyan tree on the Hill and was a key support for ARS in transforming a formerly barren Hill to the green one we see today.

Mani, Ramani, 50th

click to see a large image

In February 2019, Manianna celebrated his 80th birthday (Satabhisehkam) at the Ashram Veda Patasala and the same month, his 50th wedding anniversary. In May that year, however, he lost his beloved wife of fifty years.

On Monday 18th July this year, following a brief illness, Manianna returned to the Ashram after a two-week absence. He was in good spirits and beamed with joy as he greeted well-wishers. Many commented how happy he looked that morning in the office though he was still regaining his strength. The next morning, on 19th July 2022, however, he complained of mild chest pain (‘heartburn’) but didn’t give it much consideration. That afternoon, just after taking a call while working at his desk at home in the room where his mother had lived, he collapsed. Within minutes, around 4.30 pm, Manianna left this world to merge at the Feet of Bhagavan.

placing silk kathas on the tamarind tree

click to see a large image

Manianna will be missed by family members, friends and the countless devotees whom he served over four decades. He is survived by his son Ramanan, daughter Shanti, son-in-law Bharath and two grandchildren, Dhruv and Diya. Sri Manianna’s life was a shining example of generosity, simplicity and hospitality. If he was energetic and creative, he was also selfless in the care he showed people of all walks of life. Ever gracious, he left an indelible mark on the lives of devotees everywhere and will be sorely missed by all.

Reminiscence of Mani from KVS Mama

Memoirs of Bhagavan Ramana

It was 1987. I was living at Pondichery (now more known as Puduchery) on the shores of the Bay of Bengal among the fisherfolk. They ate crabs and fish, I ate rice and idlies. They called me thatha (grandpa) for at 55 I looked 75. One evening my friend and fellow-admirer of J Krishnamurti Susunaga Weeraperuma, Sri Lankan writer, and his Swiss German wife Claudia visited me. They were on their way to Sri Ramanasramam and I accompanied them. When we were leaving after a few days' stay, I told Weeraperuma that I would leave Pondichery and settle down near the Ashram as soon as I could.

I came after several months and was looking for a room near the Ashram at an affordable rent. Ashram President T.N.Venkataraman's second son V.S.Mani, who was the Administrator of the Ashram, told me Why do you look for a room outside the Ashram? I shall give you a room inside the Ashram. You know many languages, serve the Ashram by showing visitors around.

If one wanted to know what a welcoming smile is, one should see Mani receiving devotees and visitors. His smile was so warm, full, heartfelt, natural and unfailing. I have never seen Mani frown except for administrative reasons. He would correct an erring worker with a brief benevolent frown.

Dedication was Mani's middle name. Surrender to Bhagavan, dedication to the Ashram and love for and service to the devotees. His devotion to Bhagavan was quiet, seen more in his life and action than in words. He knew that Bhagavan in his infinite wisdom had entrusted the running of the Ashram to the care of his brother and his descendants while his limitless Grace and timeless liberating teaching were equally for all. His brother Chinna Swami knew that they had to be worthy of the Master's trust and to this day they have been totally alive to their responsibility to be true to Bhagavan.

Mani like his siblings had a strong intellect. On Bhagavan and his teachings he spoke and wrote little but very perceptively. He never claimed to know Bhagavan and the teaching. He was dedicated, courteous, kind, selfless, honest and ever alert. Are these not the fruits of deep devotion?

I interacted a good deal with Mani. There was not a single instance of disagreement or misunderstanding. We had the same Master , imbibed the same teaching and were on the same page in all matters.

Bhagavan has graced all his devotees with the strength to face the vicissitudes and challenges of life. Mani had seen the Ashram pass through rough times and he had his own share of crises in his life but the staunch karmayogi, grhasthasannyasi that he was, he served the Ashram and devotees wholeheartedly and uninterruptedly. If as the Administrator he expected obedience from others, he himself was a model of implicit obedience to the Ashram President, his courageous father T.N.Venkataraman first, his brother Sundaram who was a model of surrender and then to his nephew Dr.Anand who has a fine insight into Bhagavan's incomparable teaching. Mani did not look at them as kinsmen from three generations but as representatives of Bhagavan. He had a beautiful relationship with his elder brother Ganesan who served the Ashram and devotees tirelessly for thirty years and retired to talk and write books on Bhagavan's devotees.

I often said that there was no sacrifice that Mani would not make for the sake of Ashram.

Mani had an ideal life-partner in Ramanibehn and they raised a lovely family. Their children Shanti and Ramanan are beautiful, brilliant, humble and affectionate. Shanti found for herself a dream-husband in tall, handsome, brilliant, versatile and urbane Bharat who comes from one of the most distinguished and gifted families of Kerala. They are gifted with wonderful children Dhruv and Diya. Mani lives in them all, in all devotees of Bhagavan, while he is dissolved in the Ocean of Ramanasatchidananda.

Sri V.Subramanian, 08 Feb 1939 – 19 Jul 2022

click to see a large image

Mr V.Subramanian (affectionately known as Mani-anna) merged at the lotus feet of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. He was around 85 years of age. Mani Anna was the administrator in the day-to-day running of the Ashram in Tiruvannamalai.

He had taken voluntary retirement as Project Manager in ACC-Vickers Babcock Ltd., Bombay in 1985, and returned to Tiruvannamalai to assist his father in Ashram administration and continually performed his duties since then.

Mani Anna took a keen interest in the upkeep and development of Sri Ramanasramam and was instrumental managing the gardens and goshala and in ensuring the in smooth execution of the many initiatives at the ashram such as the solar lighting, water treatment, conservation projects and the modern archive housing items and articles used by Bhagavan as well as some of his rare hand written pieces. In addition, till the very end he deployed his innate administrative skills in ensuring that the ashram functioned smoothly during and after the demise of his brother V.S.Ramanan, the erstwhile President of Sri Ramanasramam

The wonderful state of the Ashram bears testimony to his excellent service to the Ashram. As a helpful, ever-smiling administrator, he was a shining example to all the devotees and visitors to the Ashram.

from: michael highburger 
date: Tue, 26 Jul 2022 18:49:43 +0530
subj: Sri VS Mani In Memoriam (1939-2022)

Dear All,

Please share your stories, reflections, remembrances and thoughts on
Manianna's life. We will do a short obituary in the coming days and then a
longer biography in a subsequent issue, probably under the feature title, In Profile.
Please write or audio-record sound notes of things remembered, said, heard or observed
pertaining to Manianna's life and service in Sri Ramanasramam including any personal anecdotes.
Please know that all sharings will only be included with your permission.

Michael Highburger
Sri Ramanasramam Publications
Saranagati