Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

The devotee felt it was no use trying any further and so
he folded the shawl and took it back to the office. After he left,
Bhagavan sat as usual and said, “These are meant for those
who wear shirts, coats, turbans and appear in style, but why
do I require all these? If I have to sit on them, I feel like
sitting on prickly pears. According to the old saying, I have a
bare body and a bald head; of what use are these to me? This
towel itself is my silk shawl and my lace upper cloth.”
“In some places such things are being used. That is
why perhaps they have sent it,” said a devotee. “It may be
so. But what status have I to use them? I am a poor man.

For my status, even what I now have is too much. This sofa,
these mattresses, these pillows — why all these? You people
do not agree, but how happy would it be if I could spread
out this towel and sit on the floor!” said Bhagavan. “You say
even that towel should be no bigger than the present one!”
said Mudaliar. “Why a bigger one? It is half-a-yard broad
and three-quarters of a yard long. It is sufficient for drying
the body after bath, for spreading over the head if you walk
in the sun, for tying round the neck if it is cold and for
spreading on the floor to sit on. What more could we do
with a bigger one?” said Bhagavan.

Some rich people bring silver tumblers and plates and
request Bhagavan to use them. Bhagavan would not even
touch them, but would send them back to the office if received
through them, or give them back to the people if they are
brought direct to him. Knowing that such articles would not
be accepted, Janaki Ammal, the wife of Dr. Ganapati Iyer,
sent through a devotee for Bhagavan’s use wooden sandals
with silver fittings. Bhagavan touched them and seeing the
silver fittings remarked, “They are rich people. Sandals with
silver fittings are therefore suitable for them but not for us.

So, send them back to those people. Tell them, ‘Swami has
touched them and that is enough’. We have feet given to us
by God. Why these ornaments? Give back to them their
articles.” So saying he sent them back.

Let alone the question of wearing sandals with silver
fittings. He does not wear even ordinary wooden sandals. Even
in the height of summer, when the feet get scorched by heat,
he walks barefooted and refuses to use anything to protect
the feet. Sometime back, when the path leading to the Gosala
from the office was cemented and Bhagavan was walking on
it in the hot sun, some devotees, who could not see him
suffering thus, poured water along the path, but Bhagavan
stopped them saying, “Why are you wasting so much water
for my sake by pouring it over the ground? If you open a
shed for supplying drinking water to travellers, how much
more useful it will be! Why do two or three people waste their
time and water for my sake? Please don’t do it.” It was therefore
stopped but, instead, the whole passage was covered with a
pandal. Bhagavan used to say the same thing even if khus-
khus thatties (screens) were hung and water sprinkled on them.

For a great Thyagi and Mahapurusha like this, will there
be any desire for silver sandals, satin-cloth mattresses, silk-
covered pillows and other ornamental things? Why these
luxuries which curtail freedom? Vairagya is his ornament,
Sivavibhuti his glory.