Ramana Maharhi Devotee T.P.Ramachandra Iyer

[ramana_maharshi]

T.P.Ramachandra Iyer was a native of Tiruvannamalai. His interest in religion and philosophy led him to Sri Ramana in the 1920s. As a lawyer in Madras, he handled much of the Ashram’s legal work. He also served as an interpreter and as an attendant in the Maharshi’s hall.

The following article was published in the July 1966 issue of The Mountain Path.

Sri T. P. Ramachandra Iyer whose native home is Tiruvannamalai itself, has been an earnest devotee of Sri Bhagavan from very early times. He hails from an ancient orthodox Brahmin family who for generations were well known in Tiruvannamalai for their traditional learning, discipline and piety.

Endearingly known and called merely as ‘TPR’ by Sri Bhagavan and others, he has lived as one of Sri Bhagavan's ‘family’ here for decades.

Sri Bhagavan has narrated an incident of 1896, the year of his arrival in Tiruvannamalai, when he was staying in the precincts of Sri Arunachala Temple.TPR's grandfather, an elderly and pious person who used to visit him daily, one day, out of affection and regard, conducted him to his house and gave a ceremonial meal in the householder's manner. This was the only house which Sri Bhagavan entered to take biksha in the usual way after he had left his Madurai home. This information was given in full detail by Sri Maharshi himself.

The present Ashram, almost from its inception has grown and developed to his knowledge and he has been actively associated with every branch of its growth, while maintaining close contact with Sri Bhagavan and depending on him for guidance. Few have had this privilege of moving with Sri Bhagavan for so many years with the ease and freedom of a devoted son to an affectionate parent.

This gave him ample opportunities of receiving instruction, and guidance directly or indirectly from Sri Bhagavan. In later years, it also led to his being helpful in interpreting Sri Bhagavan's utterances to some of the western devotees and those who did not know Tamil.

TPR was also instrumental in seeing through the press a few editions of Sri Bhagavan's early works, particularly the 3rd edition of ‘Sri Ramana Nool Tkirattu’ (‘The Collected Works of Sri Maharshi’ in Tamil).

When Sri Bhagavan's fatal physical affliction appeared for the first time,ending in an operation, and then recurred, TPR made up his mind and wound up his practice and interests in Madras.

Thereafter he was fortunate enough to join the small band of attendants who looked after Sri Bhagavan's personal comforts and needs. During the whole two years the illness lasted, he stayed permanently with him and the opportunities of service he had are treasured by him. He was helpfully assisting the doctors in attendance during the anxious months preceding the 14th April 1950 by his instructive guidance and meticulous attention to prescribed routines.

(Sri T.P.Ramachandra Iyer attained the lotus feet of Sri Bhagavan on August 26th, 1976 in Bangalore.)

Source: http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/pdf/Saranagathi_eNewsletter_September_2010.pdf

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

There is an entry in Day by Day, dated 30.05.1946, giving details
about Bhagavan Ramana's bad health.  This was on that afternoon,
where T.P. Ramachandra Iyer. 

In the afternoon, TPR remarked: "Chadwick has a picture of Bhagavan
in a reumbent posture  where Bhagavan looks a mere skeleton. I don't think anyone else has a picture. [This photograph is there in Arunachala's Ramana, Boundless Ocean of Grace, in one of the volumes].

I [TPR] said: It must have been taken at the time when Bhagavan
was purposely under eating.

Bhagavan said:  Yes. For sometime when I was in Skandasramam, I
used to take only one meal a day at 11.00 a.m. and nothing else.
At that time, I got very thin.

Bhagavan Ramana went on to explain the early days in Arunachala.
He was living in Gopura Subramania's temple.  TPR's father who first took Him to his house for a full fledged meal.  He literally lifted Him up and took Him home.

As otherwise He was begging food.  He, for the first time, begged food from Chinnakurukkal's house.  Thereafter. He went on to tell how after that He freely begged food in almost all the streets of
Tiruvannamalai. 

Bhagavan Ramana further added: "..... First, I felt bashful about it as a result of upbringing, but after that there was absolutely no feeling of abasement.  I felt like a king and more than a king.  I have sometimes received stale gruel at some house and taken without salt or any other flavoring, in open street, before great pandits and other important men who used to come and prostrate themselves before me at my Asramam, then wiped my hands on my head and passed on supremely happy and in a state of mind, in which even emperors were mere straw in my sight.  You can't imagine it.  It is because there is such a path that we find tales in history of kings giving up thrones and taking to this path....."

When I went to the Asramam a few days back, and after each
meal, [hot hot meals with curries, sambhar, rasam, and buttermilk and pickles], I could not but pray specially to Mother Azhgammal.  It is she who gave hot meals for the first time in Skandasramam to Bhagavan Ramana and other devotees like Kunju Swami.  This Brahma Jnani had also to be given hot food only from His Mother who is none else than Annapurani.  Today, thanks to her, hundreds of devotees are continued to be fed with hot meals and hot breakfast, and wonderful tea in the afternoon.

Arunachala Siva.           

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth and others,

The photograph of Bhagavan at Skandasramam, [before arrival of
Mother Azhgammal] is available in Volume 1 of Arunachala's Ramana,
Boundless Ocean of Grace, opposite page 400.

The photographs where Bhagavan appears as a skeleton, [even before His final years] are available in Page 60 of "Heart is Thy Name" and Page 18 of "After the Rain".


Arunachala Siva.