Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

(249) FAN

Prev Next 4th June, 1949
Yesterday evening, by the time Bhagavan went out and
came back, some of the modern civilised devotees switched
on all the fans in the new hall and sat there comfortably, awaiting
Bhagavan’s return. As soon as he came, he looked up and
while sitting on the couch, asked the attendants as to who had
switched on all the fans. Pointing to the people sitting there,
they said, “They wanted us to do so and we have done it.” “I
see. What a great thing you have done! If they were feeling so
very sultry it would have been sufficient if only those fans
where they are sitting had been switched on. Why all this?”
asked Bhagavan. “They said that it would be very pleasant if
all the fans were switched on,” said the attendants. “Is that so?
What an amount of electric power will be consumed by these
fans! What a costly bill! Why this expense on our account?
Enough, enough. Stop that,” said Bhagavan. “They are asking
that they may be kept on until at least the Veda Parayana is
over,” said Krishnaswami. “Oh! Is that so? They are rich people
and so in their houses they can sit down with fans whose use
may cost ten times more than this. Why should we have this?
Why this show? The hand fan is there and the hands are
there. Stop them all,” said Bhagavan. At that, the attendants
switched off all the fans except the one above those people.

During the early days of my stay here, i.e. in 1941-42,
someone brought an electric fan and requested that it be used
by Bhagavan. “Why this fan? The ordinary fan is there. We
have hands. I will fan myself with it whenever necessary. Why
do I require all these things?” said Bhagavan. “Is it not some
trouble? If the electric fan is used there is no trouble
whatsoever,” said that devotee. “What is the trouble? If the
ordinary fan is used we get just as much breeze as we want.

The electric fan blows too much breeze and with a whizzing
noise. Moreover, some electric current is consumed. For that,
there will be a bill. Why should we make the office bear that
expense on our account?” said Bhagavan. “We have got it
here, Swami, with the permission of the office,” said the
devotee. “Oh, is that so? Then let them have the fan for
themselves. They are people who work and it is necessary for
them. Why should I need it?” said Bhagavan. The devotee
did not say anything further but went away, leaving the fan
there.

As it was a table fan, it was kept near Bhagavan’s sofa
and it used to be switched on by someone nearby whenever
it was sultry. Bhagavan would immediately say, “It is only
because of such things I had said you should not keep it
here at all. If you want a fan you can keep it near yourselves.”
And if nobody stopped it he used to stop it himself with the
aid of a small stick. When Bhagavan would not agree to the
use of even one fan, would he consent to the use of many
fans? Not only that, he will not allow anyone to fan him
even with an ordinary fan. If any one does so, he will say
that if it is so sultry, he too should serve the devotee by
fanning him. Last May, when the radium needles were
applied to Bhagavan’s hands and Venkataratnam and other
attendants were fanning him Bhagavan admonished them
a number of times.

Prev Next TOC 248. The Happiness of an Independent Life 249. Fan 250. Desirelessness 251. The Importance of Yatra and Pradakshi 252. Sastras 253. Advaita Drishti 254. Jnana Yagnam 255. Pranayamam (Breath Control) 256. Sivam–Sundaram (Bliss and Beauty) 257. The Mudaliar Granny 258. Pilgrimage to Tiruchuli 259. Boyhood Days