Ramana Maharshi Devotee Sri Ramaswami

Sri Ramaswami was born on 12th December 1912, in Telugu brahmin family, living in Coimbatore. He was working as a biochemist in Madras Medical College. He visited Bhagavan Ramana three times in mid 1940s. He had some tiff with the bosses in Medical College and left the job. He came to Tiruvannamalai with his family and attended the Kumbabhishekam of Mother's Temple in 1946. He told his family to go back to their place and wanted to stay in Tiruvannamalai for some more time. One day, he came to know of an offer of a medical stores job in Pondycherry. He went to Bhagavan Ramana and asked.

Bhagavan said: Iru. Be. He did not even say Summa Iru, Be Still.

This is the one word dhiksha he got from Bhagavan.

He continued to stay in Tiruvannamalai and was meditating in Virupaksha Cave.His wife came to him for some months and again left.Thereafter he was living all alone.He later moved to the stone seat at the entrance of a house belonging to C.P. Nathan. He never left that stone seat,which is called Tinnai in Tamil.He went for bhiksha for some days and later stopped even that.C.P. Nathan's family gave him food once everyday. He refused any further for the day.

He never changed his clothes, nor took bath. But there was no bad smell when someone went near him. Muruganar and later Sri Sadhu Om became his ardent admirers and they used to discuss Bhagavan Ramana's teachings.


On Mahadeepam Day, 7th December 2003, he passed away peacefully, after watching Maha Deepam in the evening.He never stirred out of Tiruvannamalai for 57 years!

Source: Mountain Path, Aradhana, 2004. An article by Michael James.