Part 1 - Ramana Maharshi Devotee V. Kameswara Rao Shares His Experiences

(From ‘The Mountain Path’, April 1966)

I found the Ashram a quiet place with a few cottages and a meditation hall. We went straight into the hall and there on a couch sat the Maharshi, the saint of my dream, clad only in a loincloth. I felt that I was in the presence of a god. I fell prostrate before Bhagavan (for this was the name my friend used in addressing him). A group of silent men and women were seated on the floor on either side of him. Close
to him an elderly bearded man was sitting binding a small book by hand.

Bhagavan asked me whether I had had my coffee, so I went out and had a bath and breakfast. When I got back I found that Bhagavan himself was stitching the book. I wondered why he should do it, and then I noticed how carefully he worked at it and showed the bearded man how to do it. God is all perfection.When a man realizes Godhead he also attains perfection, he also pays full attention to every detail. That was the thought that came to me when I saw Bhagavan binding a book.

When we went for lunch Bhagavan sat facing two groups of devotees, Brahmins to his right and non-Brahmins and non-Hindus to his left. I heard him tell the server that the rice was not well cooked. I was told that he himself was a good cook and had often worked in the Ashram kitchen.

As a government servant I had to pass an examination in a second language within a
prescribed period. The term was only a few months off. I decided to take it in Tamil, although I knew very little of the language. I was a bit worried about it, so I told an older devotee that I would like to have Bhagavan’s blessings for my success. He took me to Bhagavan late in the evening and I prostrated and told Bhagavan my trouble and asked for his blessing. He replied “parava illai” , “don’t worry”,which made me feel very happy. He advised me to take the little book Nan Yar (Who am I?) printed in English, Tamil and Telugu (my own language) and read it with the help of a Tamil tutor.

So when I got home, I engaged a tutor and stayed at home during the summer recess of the law-courts,reading ‘Who am I?’ in Tamil. The written test came along. I had to translate an English speech into Tamil,and somehow I passed. Then there was the more frightening oral test in Madras, but it was made very easy and I passed that too.

In February 1949 my eldest son had a severe attack of smallpox. After a few days the doctor warned me that many people were dying of it and the chances of recovery were slight. I sat at the boy’s bedside reading religious poems so as to keep his mind on
God, since he was not expected to live.

Then, on February 4th, the idea suddenly came to me to ask Bhagavan for his blessings, as we were in great distress. So I wrote to him:

Beloved Bhagavan,

I pray for your blessings on the suffering child and his parents.

Ever at your feet,
V. Kameswara Rao.

Early next morning my sister, who had been taking her turn sitting by the boy during the night, told my wife and me that she had had a vision of Ammavaru (the spirit of smallpox) leaving our house and asking her to take care of the boy. She gathered from that,in accordance with popular belief, that the boy would recover and no one else in the house get the disease.

A few hours later a friend came in and gave me some sacred ashes from Sri Ramanasramam. Another good omen. We all began to feel hopeful. On the 8th I
received the following letter from the Ashram:

Dear Sri Kameswara Rao,

We have your letter of the 4th inst. and the same was perused by Bhagavan. Prasadam (sacred ash) is herewith sent with Sri Bhagavan’s gracious blessings for your child laid up with pox.Sri Bhagavan and bhaktas are well.Venkataraman, for Sarvadhikari.

The letter thrilled me, but how did Bhagavan know that my son had smallpox? Why ask? How could I know how Bhagavan knew? Anyway, my son survived and is in good health.

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