Souvenir 2 - Foreword

anekajanmasamprāptakarmabandhavidāhine .
ātmajñānapradānena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ  ..

अनेकजन्मसम्प्राप्तकर्मबन्धविदाहिने |
आत्मज्ञानप्रदानेन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः || 

mannāthaḥ śrījagannāthaḥ madguruḥ śrījagadguruḥ .
madātmā sarvabhūtātmā tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ..

मन्नाथः श्रीजगन्नाथः मद्गुरुः श्रीजगद्गुरुः |
मदात्मा सर्वभूतात्मा तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः || 

 brahmanandaṃ paramasukhadaṃ kevalaṃ jnanamurtiṃ
dvandvatitaṃ gaganasadriishhaṃ tattvamasyadilakshhyam . 
ekaṃ nityaṃ vimalamachhalaṃ sarvadhisakshhibhutaṃ
bhavatitaṃ trigunarahitaṃ sadguruṃ taṃ namami..

 ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं 

द्वन्द्वातीतं गगनसदृशं तत्त्वमस्यादिलक्ष्यम् । 
एकं नित्यं विमलमचलं सर्वधीसाक्षिभूतं 
भावातीतं त्रिगुणरहितं सद्गुरुं तं नमामि ॥
 

H.H. श्री योगेश्वरानान्दा        

 

                                                                                                                       

7633936 7633937 7635545

RAMAKRISHNA MATH Ramakrishna Math Marg Domalguda Hyderabad - 500029

FOREWORD

Swami Vivekananda, in one of his very inspiring utterances says: "They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive". There are very few of the above category who dedicated their entire life in the cause of society caring very little for their own self-interest. The great Sanskrit poet Bhartṛhari (भर्तृहरि) classifies them as 'Satpurushah' (सत्पुरुषः), meaning 'noble people'.  The society and humanity at large are sustained only by such people. If the number of such people increases, we can call the society as prosperous.

The late V. Venkatesa Iyer can be called as one such person who devoted his entire life in serving the society in his own humble way. I had the opportunity of meeting him several times during his old age. He believed in a simple life but high philosophy. His association with the Ramakrishna Movement in the twin cities, his contribution in building up a fine centre, and his single-minded devotion to the cause are worth emulating. Any institution can get inspiration and support if more such people are involved in it.

It is befitting that the centenary of this noble soul is being celebrated through a memorial volume as also various service activities through a Trust formed by his sons. Hope the trust will accomplish the cherished desire of the late Venkatesa Iyer.

I convey my best wishes and also greetings to the members of the Trust and pray to Sri Ramakrishna to give them the needed strength and spirit of dedication in carrying on the ideals for which the Trust is founded.

Swami Paramarthanda

President

Ramakrishna Math

Hyderabad

8 September 1998

Souvenir 1 - Shrimukham

We start with the blessings (ஸ்ரீமுகம்) of Periyava (H.H. Shri Jayendra Sarasvati Svamigal) as published in தாதா's centenary celebration souvenir. 

श्री  काञ्ची कामकोटिपीठ जगद्गुरु श्री चन्द्रशेखरेन्द्रसरस्वती

अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् | 

तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ||

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया | 

चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ||

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विश्ह्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः | 

गुरुर्साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ||

      

௨
ஸ்ரீ சந்த்ரமௌலீச்வராய நம:
ஸ்ரீ சங்கர பகவத் பாதாசார்ய பரம்பராகத 

ஸ்ரீ காஞ்சி காமகோடி பீடாதிபதி ஜகத்குரு
ஸ்ரீ சங்கராச்சாரிய ஸ்வாமிகள் அவர்கள் 

ஸ்ரீமடம் ஸம்ஸ்தானம் 

நே. 1, சாலை தெரு, காஞ்சீபுரம் - 631502.

"பரோபகாரார்த்தம் இதம் சரீரம்" என்பது மனித வாழ்வின் சீரிய லக்ஷ்யத்தை விளக்கிக்காட்டும் முதுமொழியாகும். இதனது உண்மை பொருளானது வேறுபாடு எதுவும் கருதாது இயன்ற தொண்டுகள் ஆற்றி வந்த பெரியவர் ஸ்ரீ வெங்கடேச ஐயர் (கணபதி ஆக்ராஹாரம்). இவருக்கு ஏற்ற வாழ்க்கை துணைவியாக விளங்கியவர் ஸ்ரீமதி பூர்னாம்பாள்.

 இவர்களுடைய வம்சத்தினரால் அயைக்கப்பட்ட டிரஸ்ட், பல்வேறு பரோபகாரங்கள் ஆற்றிவரும் டிருஸ்ட்டினர், இவர்களது நூறாவது ஆண்டு விழாவை கொண்டாடி பலரும் வெளியிடுவது அறிந்து மகிழ்கிறோம். தங்களுடைய சீரிய பணிகளைப் பல துறைகளிலும் செம்மையாகவும், விரிவாகவும், அறிந்தவருக்குத் தேவையான மூலதனம் திரட்டும் இவர்களது நல்ல முயற்சிக்கு, அனைவரும் ஆவன செய்து ஸ்ரீ பரமேஸ்வரன் அருளுக்கும் பாத்திரர்களாகி உயர்வார்கலாக.

--- நாராயண ஸ்ம்ருதி

Introduction

|| श्रीः ||

|| श्रीमहागणपति प्रीयताम्  ||

This is a blog dedicated to Smt. Poornambal and Shri Venkatesa Iyer whose lives were shining examples of the maxim परोपकाराय इदं शरीरम्.  

Smt. Poornambal and Shri. V. Venkatesa Iyer

This blog would not be possible without the blessings of our dearest Manimma (Smt. Saradambal Srinivasan), who was the glue that kept our family together,

Prayer to Manimma (*)

लसन्मन्दहासप्रभावक्त्रचिह्नां
सुशान्तां सुदेहां कटाक्षे दयार्द्राम् ।
लसद्गानलोलां सदा सामरूपां
भजे शारदाम्बां अजस्रं मदम्बाम् ।।    

त्वत् पदांभोजयुग्मं बाल्ये स्मृतं नैव जातु
जरायां कथं वा स्मरेयं मदम्ब ।
क्षमस्वापराधं समस्तं मदीयं
क्षमाधूतसर्वं सहाखर्वगर्वे ।।

  (*) With lots of apologies to Adi Shankaracharya and 

H.H. Shri Chandrashekhara Bharathi Svamigal.

                                                                                                            

and also without the constant encouragement and support of Mama (Shri V. Gopalakrishnan), whose unstinting efforts (along with those of other family members) were responsible for the inspiring souvenir published on the occasion of தாதா 's centenary celebrations (September 1998).

(L to R) Smt. Poornambal, Smt. Jayalakshmi, Shri V. Gopalakrishnan
and Shri V. Venkatesa Iyer on the occassion of  Shri Iyer's
Shashtiapthapoorthy , Aug 31, 1958 at Hyderabad.