INTERVIEW WITH Mrs and Mr RAMANATHAN

The sweet couple, Mrs Radha Ramanathan and Mr Ramanathan smiled at me disapprovingly, when asked for an interview.  But soon, they began to share their valuable experiences quite spontaneously.

Dr Ramanathan is a Professor of English in Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham at Amritapuri Campus.  Ms Radha serves in the HQ administrative office of Amrita Vidyalayam Schools of Amma, helping in co-coordinating the activities of several schools, most of them affiliated to the CBSE Board.
When asked about Amma, they responded enthusiastically, describing Amma as ‘everything’.  They are very much inspired by Amma’s acts of selfless service, love and compassion.  They feel that it is not necessary for any individual to think of being spiritual ‘separately’ or ‘additionally’ – it is enough to take her advice seriously and ‘simply’ follow Amma.  Life would become meaningful, beautiful and complete as a matter of course, then.
When asked about their first meeting with Amma, they felt nostalgic. They came to know of Amma about twenty years ago from their friend Prof. V.A.Muralidharan.  They met Amma for the first time in Chennai and felt a deep sense of devotion sprouting from within towards ‘The Lady in White’.  They soon became devotees of Amma and decided to be at Amma’s service till their last breath.  They decided to settle in Amritapuri and to spend their time at the lotus feet of Amma.

Here is a very interesting incident narrated by them.  They had decided to leave Chennai for good to settle in Amritapuri and were considering if ten months would be sufficient to distance themselves from Chennai,  where they have their roots and for the completion of medical treatment Ms Radha was undergoing.  They, then happened to meet an astrologer who asked them if they were planning to move to a location of divinity soon!  They answered him in the positive, rather surprised at these words.  The astrologer then told them that if they were ‘really serious’ about their plan, they had better make it out of Chennai ‘right away’ – that, if they delayed, the chances would be that they would never leave Chennai!!  When the couple revealed to the astrologer then, that their plan was to go to Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s Ashram in Amritapuri, the astrologer advised them to make it without the least delay, and they did.

Within a week of reaching Amritapuri, Mr Ramanathan had to assume office as the Head of the Department of English in Amma’s University here – as if the ‘summons’ had been sent through that astrologer only for this purpose!  But before the first month at Amritapuri ended, Ms Radha had an accidental slip-and-fall, suffered a spinal jam and had to undergo related treatment at Amma’s super specialty hospital, AIMS, at Kochi.  Mrs Ramanathan feels that if that fall had occurred in Chennai, every word of the astrologer could have come true, whereas, here, though the ‘accident’ did happen, the hospitalization was for a couple of days only, the treatment surprisingly minimal and inexpensive, and the suffering quite ‘manageable’!

The couple is convinced that the visit to the astrologer (whom they had never met before that day or thought of consulting!) was just one example of Amma’s immense Mercy towards Her children.  Here, it was for the dual purpose of giving Mr Ramanathan the opportunity to serve in Amma’s institution and to ‘take under protective care’ Mrs Ramanathan who had suffered health problems of serious nature.

Mrs. Ramanathan became highly emotional about a recent incident too.  She was found to be suffering from acute pneumonia rather suddenly and was admitted to AIMS.  She was taken straight to the intensive care unit and those were moments of terrible anxiety.  That night, she woke up in the ICU feeling the scent of ‘vibudhi’ (holy ash, given by Amma) but found that no one else there, patient or nurse, had any idea of such a scent!  It suddenly occurred to her that it was Amma’s inimitable way of reassuring her devotees and felt confident that all would be well soon.  In the next forty eight hours, the doctors found her improving surprisingly fast (for her  age and previous physical conditions).
This couple poured out their feelings which gave expression to their deep love and gratitude to Amma.
This interview left me – a rather ‘casual’ interviewer – with a stronger faith on Amma, than ever before.  I was able to perceive Amma’s Grace, that the couple had experienced.
Mrs Ramanathan assured me that Amma responds to any person whose prayers are sincere and for a worthy cause.  Nothing can bring one closer to AMMA, than staunch adherence to values like truthfulness, devotion, honesty and selfless service to all.

by Raviteja