An association had arranged for an exhibition of arts portraying the life of saint Ramalinga Vallalar on 07.02.1978 on the open ground opposite the big Arunachalesvara Temple at Tiruvannamalai. They had invited me to be a speaker on the occasion. The special invitees to the function were Tirukkural Munuswamy and another important speaker from Vellore. When I informed Swamiji (Bhagavan Yogi Ramsuratkumar) about this he gave me permission to participate in the function. My intention was to meet Sri. Thirukkural Muniswamy at the guest house where he was staying before meeting him on the dais at the time of the function. When I mentioned this to Swamiji he agreed to this.

Accordingly I went in the forenoon to the guest house where Shri Tirukkural Munuswamy was staying, met him and was talking to him when the persons organising the function came and informed that the speaker from Vellore, who was to have inaugurated the exhibition and presided aver the function had called them up and informed them of his inability to come. It was therefore necessary to find some one to open the exhibition and preside over the function. Sri Thirukkural Munuswamy said, 'Let us call Yogi Ramsuratkumar for this." 'The office bearers of the association said that Swamiji would not come but Shri Gajaraj the Divisional Officer who is to take part in this function knows Him well and perhaps we could make a request to Swamiji through him. Shri Tirukkural Muniswamy looked at me and said, "Let us all go and request Him. We can bring Him in the car to the meeting."

I said "Let me first go and speak to Swamiji about this. If he agrees to come then let us all go and invite Him." This was agreed to by all of them.

Accordingly I went to Swami and said, 'The person who was to have presided over the function and inaugurated the exhibition has expressed his inability to come. Sri Tirukkural Munusamy and the office bearers of the association wish to invite you for this purpose. I told them that Swamiji would not agree to come for this kind of function but they have nevertheless sent me to find out whether you will be willing to come."

Swamiji immediately expressed His consent; "Alright, let us participate in the function". I was very much surprised and delighted. I returned and informed the organisers of Swamiji's consent .

The Organizers, Sri Thirukkurai Munusamy, and I went in the evening of 07.02.78 to meet Swamiji. They requested with love and humility that Swamiji should preside over the function and inaugurate the exhibition. Swamiji also agreed. The car was outside. Sri Thirukkural Munusamy suggested that we could go by car. But Swamiji said, "It is not necessary. We can walk." All of us walked to the dais arranged in the open ground in front of the Arunachaleshvara Temple.

The ground was brilliantly decorated with electric lamps. A large crowd gathered on seeing Swamiji on the dais. The meeting commenced. Sri Thirukkural Munusami and I spoke. After that Swamiji was requested to inaugurate the exhibition. Swamiji pressed the button on the table
in front of him, to open the art exhibition, raised his hand and blessed ' My Fathers blessings." Then he got off the stage, went into the exhibition hall, looked at the exhibits and returned. After the meeting everyone returned to their respective places. Swamiji and I went to his abode.

This was a very rare event, and gave me immense joy as well as surprise. Swamiji said, "I agreed to come for the function only because you were going to speak." I was deeply moved and extremely happy to know of the love Swamiji had for me, which had made him participate in the function.

Whenever Vagisa Kalanidhi Sri. Ki.Va. Jaganathan came to Tiruvannamalai in connection with functions in which he participated he would come to Bhagavan's Sannadhi Street abode and spend time with Swamiji. With Swamiji's permission and blessings he would start singing songs about Swamiji which were spontaneous emotional outpourings. His speed could not be matched by those who wished to take down the songs. Shri Jaganathan was unable to repeat the lines after the inspired singing. It was decided to record the poems as and when Shri Jaganathan sang them.

Sri Jaganathan would invariably give advance information to Swami about his plans to visit Tiruvannamalai and therefore it was possible for devotees to be present with a tape recorder. Later they would be transcribed, typed and sent to Sri Ki.Va.Ja. for corrections, if any, later to be printed in book form.

Sri Ki. Va.Ja. had sung 37 songs in Swamiji's presence on the first occasion 27.07.1977. On the fourth occasion, on 09.04.1978 when Ki.Va. Ja had completed 8 songs the tape recorder stopped functioning. Swamiji and Ki.Va.Ja. noticed this. The non functioning of the tape recorder give me much pain because I was doing the recording at the time.

Shri Ki.Va. Ja looked at me and said 'Was the tape recorder purchased in Andhra Pradesh?' Actually the tape recorder was purchased in Andhra Pradesh by my younger brother who was there. But there was no way that Ki. Va.Ja. or others present could know of this. Why did Shri. Ki. Va.Ja. ask me this question? Later I told him that the tape recorder was indeed purchased from Andhra Pradesh. He said, ' Oh, today it is Ugadi and it is a holiday in Andhra Pradesh. That was why the tape recorder refused to function!" I was quite amazed and delighted. Within a few minutes the tape recorder started functioning again and Sri. Ki. Va.Ja. joyfully started singing. He sang the following :

The sound of Swamiji's laughter when Sri. Ki. Va.Ja. sang this drowned us all in an ocean of grace. It is my conviction that Swamiji accepted the idea expressed in this song. The first book of poems published by Sri. Ki.Va.Ja. 'Jayanthi Malar' contained this song (Page 62, Song No. 84). In a note at the end of the song Sri Ki.Va.Ja. has written that the tape recorder did not function while singing the song.

This incident unfolds before my eyes whenever I read this song. I think those who read this article will also remember this event when they read or hear the song.

(Saranagatam 6 March 2009)