Sadhus Reminiscences of Raman Maharshi

Author(s): Arunachal Sadhu
Publisher: Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai

Page 35

A Sadhu's Reminiscences of Ramana Maharshi 29 All this goes to show that, approached in the right way, Bhagavan would advise and even direct disciples, though the majority of people who moved with him would deny it. They had never tried in the right way, or, more probably, never intended to take permission at all. They thus bluffed themselves that he had given leave and in this way did what they had themselves intended to do.
Ganapathi Sastry would make dates with Westerners, invite them to visit the Ashram and then go off on some subsequent engagement when they were due, just referring them to me, telling them that I would look after them. Of course he never informed me what he had done and I would be taken completely by surprise when strangers suddenly turned up and asked for me.
This happened in the case of a Dutchman, I forget his name. He was travelling about India with a technical assistant making records of Indian classical music with a van full of instruments. I believe he had a travelling scholarship from Oxford. Anyhow neither of them was much interested in Bhagavan though they did sit in his presence for a while. What they had really come for was to make a record of the Sama Veda. Now, those who have learnt the Sama Veda are few and more orthodox than other Brahmins. Ganapathi Sastry seems to have promised the Dutchman that he would have no difficulty in finding what he wanted if he came to Tiruvannamalai. However I could not help them here. After a lot of enquiries they did eventually find two Brahmins who knew the Veda, but they refused to allow a record to be taken. This is only logical. No Veda is supposed to be