OM NAMO BHAGAVATE SRI RAMANAYA

M.S.Nagarajan

SRI M.S. NAGARAJAN, a staunch devotee of Bhagavan, comes from Mambattu, a village in the Polur Taluk of the North Arcot District of the state of Tamil Nadu. Even as a young boy he used to accompany his parents when they came to TiruvannamaIai for the yearly Deepam festival, at which time and on similar occasions, his father, who was a devotee of Bhagavan, used to take him to the Ashram. Thus he came to know Bhagavan in his childhood. When he was ten years old, his friend, who was a nephew of Echammal, spoke to him about the greatness of Bhagavan. He and this friend used to practise dhyana and yogic asanas (sitting postures) every day in the early morning. In the evening they meditated on Bhagavan. Sri Nagarajan used to have frequent visions of Bhagavan and Lord Murugan in his dreams. At about this time Ranga Rao, an old devotee of Bhagavan, now no more, had set up an ashram at Polur named Indra Ashram, to which other devotees of Bhagavan used to go and talk about Bhagavan and other spiritual matters. In 1930, when Sri Nagarajan was 15 years old Ranga Rao brought him to Sri Ramanansramam. Here he was allotted the work of doing puja, and helping in the bookstall etc. But what he valued most was the privilege of cutting up vegetables and grinding the pulses and coconut gratings for chutney in the kitchen with Bhagavan. But most of the time he was in the hall attending to some minor work or other. He had thus the opportunity of listening to the replies which Bhagavan gave to the questions put to him by visitors and devotees. As a result of this he became a firm believer in the path of Self-enquiry taught by Bhagavan.

At the end of six months Sri Nagarajan went home but soon returned and stayed on for four years. Jobs were offered to him but he was not interested in them since the acceptance of a job would mean parting from Bhagavan. But one day a letter came from his mother informing him that a job had been found for him. This letter came to the hands of Bhagavan along with the Ashram post. After reading it Bhagavan said,“Look here, a job has been found for you. Go and accept it immediately.”Tears came into the eyes of Sri Nagarajan at the thought of parting from Bhagavan. But Bhagavan said again, “You can go on Wednesday and join duty on Thursday.” Unwillingly he left the Ashram. Thereafter he came to the Ashram as often as he could get leave.

While Sri Nagarajan was employed at Sattur from 1955 to 1958 he organised a Ramana Mandali where Bhagavan’s songs like The Marital Garland of Letters were sung and devotees meditated every day. Talks were given periodically at this Mandali — Bhagavan’s Jayanti and Aradhana were also celebrated in a fitting manner. Sri Nagarajan also established a school named Sri Ramana Vidya Mandiram Elementary School at Sattur in memory of Bhagavan.

After holding several important posts in the firm of Burmah Shell, Sri Nagarajan has now retired. Since then he has lived for some time in Tambaram and later joined the Ashram to render his service.