II
G. Lakshmi Narasimham

SRI G. LAKSHMI NARASIMHAM (known as ` Narasinga
Rao' at the Ashram), after taking his B.L. degree stayed at Sri
Ramanasramam for three years from 1930 to 1933, along with
his mother and sister Lakshmi, serving Sri Bhagavan. It was
Bhagavan's Grace that his apprenticeship should be under him.

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Lakshmi Narasimham's marriage also took place at
Tiruvannamalai and when the new couple came to do
namaskaram (prostration), Sri Bhagavan remarked: "Now, your
name (Lakshmi + Narasimham) has become meaningful!"

Sri Niranjanananda Swami (also known as Chinnaswami,
Sri Bhagavan's brother) was the Manager of the Ashram then
and his office was near Bhagavan's Hall. Like others Narasinga
Rao also was meditating in Bhagavan's Hall. Chinnaswami asked
him to assist him in the Ashram correspondence. Getting
Bhagavan's approval for it, Narasinga Rao began going straight
to Chinnaswami after bowing to Bhagavan. Later on this earned
the humorous remark of Bhagavan: "Oh! He belongs to
Chinnaswami, not to the Hall group!"

Chinnaswami was a strict and conscientious taskmaster.

He spared no pains in keeping an exact account of money
received and spent. He looked upon Bhagavan not as his brother
but as God Himself, and so considered it his first duty to serve
Bhagavan's devotees, accommodating them and attending to
their wants. The temple, the big dining hall and well furnished
accommodations are the results of his labour of love. Actually
seeing Chinnaswami's one pointed spirit of service, G.L.N.

dedicated himself to serve him to the best of his ability,
surrendering himself thus to Bhagavan. Saraswati Ammal and
Lakshmi used to do their bit of service in the kitchen. From
their experience too they were led to conclude that whatever
Chinnaswami did had always the distinct approval of Bhagavan.

Gradually all the members of Narasinga Rao's family
became attached to Sri Bhagavan and the Ashram, by bonds of
devotion and reverence. They all regarded Chinnaswami as a
true instrument of Bhagavan. His eldest brother, the late
Sambasiva Rao, was a reputed lawyer of Nellore. Till he passed
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away in 1962, he diligently served the Ashram in the legal and
other spheres. Sister Lakshmi and brother-in-law, B. S.

Ranganadham, are great devotees of Bhagavan. His third elder
brother, the late Satyanarayana Rao, a teacher at the Mahant's
High School, Vellore, from about 1925, was the first to be drawn
to Bhagavan and it was his influence which brought other
members of the family to Bhagavan. He was deeply devoted to
Bhagavan and was blessed with the proximity and touch of grace
of Bhagavan during his last illness within the Ashram premises.

His fourth brother, the late Subba Rao, a teacher at Nellore,
used to assist with his Scout troup during Bhagavan's Jayanti
celebrations. These celebrations and the taking out of Bhagavan's
picture in procession, started by him, continue up to this day at
Nellore.

When G. L. N. came to the Ashram, he did not know
even a letter of the Tamil alphabet. Impelled by Bhagavan's grace
he picked up enough knowledge of Tamil to read and understand
Sri Bhagavan's works in the original. Thus it was nothing but
Bhagavan's grace that enabled him- to translate into Telugu
Bhagavan's Five Hymns to Arunachala and Forty Verses on Reality.

Chinnaswami intuitively hit upon some devotees to help
him and trusted them completely. For instance, when he went
to Rangoon in 1936 to personally select and purchase special
teak wood for the construction of Sri Matrubhuteswara Temple,
he put Narasinga Rao in charge of the Ashram during his absence
of over a month. During the life-time of Bhagavan and
Chinnaswami and even after, right up to the end, Narasinga
Rao had been a devoted servant of the Ashram.

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