Amrita: A Homage
K AMRITA, Manager, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, passed away on . Friday the 31st January at 8.40 p.m. He was born on 19th September 1895. His original name was Aravamuda lyengar. His father, Rajagopalachari, was a respected village Munsiff of Kazhipervembakam.
An insatiable desire to serve the country brought Amrita to Pondicherry. Here he met a galaxy of refugees from British India, like poet Bharathi, V. Ramaswamy lyengar and others. From that time onward, he used to visit Sri Aurobindo. Finally in the year 1919 he was accepted by the Master as his disciple. Since then up to the last day of his earthly life he was a dedicated servitor of the Master, the Mother and their Ashram.
For fifty years he filled the role of the Ashram's Manager. Lord Acton wrote: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Had he seen our Amrita, he would have changed his view. For here was a Yogi who was serving the Divine egolessly and without any earthly ambition—offering his work as an oblation to the Supreme.
Never have I seen him spending time uselessly; nor was he ever weighed down by work. Warrior-like he faced all trials and troubles. The burden of responsibility that he carried on his shoulders would have crushed a lesser being. With a joyful heart and a constant twinkle in his eyes he would address himself even to the toughest of jobs.
In the very midst of work he would gladly listen to anybody who approached him. He was friend to all, philosopher to many, enemy to none. Not once did I catch him in a temper. His spontaneous amiability disarmed even the most hardened heart.
He was simplicity incarnate; it was a delight to see him bare-tor- soed, going about his daily business without any show. In Kipling's words, he could "walk with kings and never lose the common touch".
Looking at his unassuming behaviour, one would not guess he was quite a learned man. Master of Tamil and fluent in English, he was also admirably conversant with Bengali and French. In all these languages the range of his reading was pretty wide. His early English book. Visions and Voices, is full of a lyrical quality. But what distinguishes
* Reproduced from Mother India, Feb. 1969
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When someone is destined for the Path, all circumstances through all the deviations of mind and life help in one way or another to lead him to it. It is his own
psychic being within him and Divine Power above that use to that end the vicissitudes both of mind and outward circumstance.
Sri Aurobindo