Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

With a smile Bhagavan enquired, “Do you know why these
people get their surname as Gambhiram?” “I do not know,”
I said.

Bhagavan: “These people belong to the family of Akkanna
and Madanna. Gambhiram is the title given to his ministers,
Akkanna and Madanna, by the Golkonda Ruler. That has
become their surname now. You know there is the tomb of
Bhagavantaswami in Cuddalore. That Bhagavantaswami
belonged to this family.”
* An Agraharam is the residential area of a town occupied by
brahmins.

Questioner: “Is that so? Then was that Bhagavantaswami
a brahmin?”
Bhagavan: “Yes. He was a brahmin. When he was lying
some where near Cuddalore unmindful of his body, the
maternal grandfather of Somasundaram Pillai who
happened to be in Cuddalore brought him home and kept
him until he breathed his last. Kuppanna and the rest of
his family were with that Swami all the time. It is only after
that Swami passed away that they came here to be with me.

I suppose you know that he is Gambhiram Seshayya’s elder
brother’s son?”
Questioner: “That I know. But they are Andhras, and
how did they come to style themselves Iyers?”
Bhagavan: “That is because they have been staying in
this part of the country for a very long time; may be for some
generations. When I was in Gurumurtham, Krishna Iyer, the
brother of Sesha Iyer, was working here as Salt Inspector.

After I left Gurumurtham, I stayed for some time in the
Arunagirinatha Temple opposite to the Ayyankulam Tank.

During that period, I went one night to the Agraharam for
alms and I called at Krishna Iyer’s house. He was playing
cards at the time seated on a mat with three others and before
a candle light. When I clapped my hands (as is usually done
by Bhagavan to draw the attention of the householders) they
were startled. Krishna Iyer felt ashamed, hurriedly removed
all the paraphernalia of the cards, mixed some rice and gave
me alms. At that time I did not know who they were. After
Seshayya came here, he told me that Krishna Iyer was his
brother. It seems his brother felt highly repentant for sitting
there playing cards when the Swami came and thereafter
completely stopped card playing.”
Questioner: “So, Bhagavan used to go out to collect
alms personally while staying in Arunagiri Temple?”
Bhagavan: “Yes. I used to go out every night. I went to
Arunagirinatha Temple in the month of August or September
1898.

“As soon as I went there to stay, I told Palaniswami that I
would go my way and he should go his and sent him away. But
although he came back the same evening, I myself went out for
alms. At times I used to go even during daytime. At night people
used to wait for me outside, with lanterns, to give me alms.

Seshayya’s brother also used to wait similarly for my arrival. I
was there for about a month only. As it was near the Agraharam
the crowds of people waiting to see me began to grow. With a
view to avoiding all the rows incidental to crowds, I went up
the hill to stay. In those days, going out for alms used to be an
exhilarating experience. I used to accept two or three handfuls
of food at each place and eat. By the time I had thus eaten at
three or four houses my belly would be full and I used to return
home.”
Questioner: “Perhaps the other householders used to
feel disappointed at your not visiting their houses.”
Bhagavan: “Yes. That is so. That is why the next day I
used to go to the other side of the Agraharam. I do not think
ultimately I left out even one house in that Agraharam.”
Questioner: “How blessed those householders must be!”