Teacher's Day- Sir S.Radhakrishnan

TEACHER’S DAY—Remembering Sir S. Radhakrishnan.

Swami Pranavananda was one of the earliest devotees of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. He visited Bhagavan in 1910 in the Virupaksha Cave. His integrity and strong spiritual aspirations earned him an enviable position among Bhagavan’s devotees. He was Bhagavan’s intimate companions. His love for Bhagavan was so great that he surrendered himself unconditionally at Bhagavan’s feet, relinquishing all worldly attachments and this filled his heart with joy and peace. He was modest and never spoke about himself and his speech was restricted to the barest minimum.

Pranavananda belonged to the Sarvepalli family which was highly esteemed in the village of Venkatapuram, near Tiruttani in South India. Though Pranavananda did not consider himself as a teacher, his life itself served as a valuable lesson in spirituality.
The Sarvepalli family was a stronghold of learning in the Vedas, Upanishads, the Shastras and the Puranas.The family deity was Lord Yoganarasimha of Sholingapuram and Pranavananda was named Narasimham after the family deity. He took the name of Swami Pranavananda at the time of becoming a Sanyasi.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the world famous philosopher and one of the most illustrious Presidents of India, was Narasimham’s nephew. Surprisingly enough, Dr. Radhakrishnan, who is highly respected and revered for his erudition and wisdom, was rather dull as a child. His father was very much upset by Radhakrishnan’s nature and concerned about his future. Narasimham offered to take the boy to Vellore and take care of his education.

Upon reaching Vellore, Narasimham initiated his nephew in the Rama Taraka Mantram. Constant repetition of the potent Mantram resulted in the blossoming of Radhakrishnan’s intellect and he grew into a brilliant student. He joined the Vhoree’s College in Vellore and passed his Intermediate Course. By taking care of Radhakrishnan during his formative years of his life and by helping him through the initial stages of his academic career, Narasimham laid the foundation for Radhakrishnan’s success later in life.

For Pranavananda, spirituality was not mere intellectual exercise but the very way of life. From his childhood, he had great faith in the Rama Taraka Mantram. He used to impart this Mantram to his students so that their hearts and brains could acquire clarity and brilliance.

Sir S.Radhakrishnan and the University of Mysore:

After teaching Philosophy in Mysore for three years, Sir S. Radhakrishnan left for Calcutta in May 1921 to join the Calcutta University at the instance s of India’s greatest educationist Sir Asutosh Mukherji, who was Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University for five consecutive terms. Recollecting the pleasant days his father had spent in Mysore,
Radhakrishnan’s son Prof. S.Gopal has written;

“He had declined all formal functions to bid him farewell. But the students converted the occasion of his departure to such a function which has become a part of the History of Mysore University.

The horses of the horse-drawn carriage by which he was to go to the railway station were detached. Students in harness pulled the carriage all through to the railway station. The platform was wreathed with flowers and garlands and the compartment packed with rose flowers. Almost the whole faculty and students of the university turned up at the station to see their beloved Professor off. The traffic on all roads was held up for hours and the crowd inside the platform was such that the passengers had to literally wade through a sea of humanity to get into their compartments.

As the train pulled out of the platform, several hours late, to resounding cheers,
Radhakrishnan, like many others present, was moved to tears”.

B.M.N.Murthy


Article No.520--Sir S.Radhakrishnan
Created: Friday, September 4, 2009 9:17 PM