The following episode is narrated in Srimad Bhagavatam.

The servants of the King Rahugana mistake Jadabharata for an ordinary man and make him carry the palanquin of the King through a forest on the way replacing another sick bearer. Mahatma Jadabharata had no experience of carrying a palanquin and hence his clumsy movements bring disturbance in the rythm of the palanquin. Rahugana notices the disturbance and enquires why the rythm in carrying the palanquin is upset. Coming to know that the cause for the disturbance is a new inexperienced bearer the king calls for the new one and enquires why he is not able to carry the palanquin with smoothness like the other bearers. During the conversation that ensued, the king realises that Jadabharata was a Mahatma and therefore seeks enlightenment from him. Jadabharata analyses and narrates great truths of life to the King and finally concludes as below :

"O King! this God realisation does not come to one, either by practising charities or virtues or tapas or worship or visiting sacred places except by sprinkling on own body, the sacred dust of the feet of the realised Souls".

The above episode indicates the greatness of Mahatmas. My father had a craze for Sadhus. Sadhus used to be hosted in our house. My mother who had a burning aspiration for the Divine used to serve these Sadhus who were the quickest medium to the Divine. Thus right from my childhood days I had the fortune of being close to them and developed a great attachment to them. Simplicity is one quality that fascinated me greatly. These Sadhus who wore the simplest thus attracted me. Not that we were not exploited by a few impostors but that did not deter us from our main objective of serving the Sadhus and drawing the inspiration that is necessary during the course of journey unto the Divine. One great quality of the association with the Sadhus is the disappearance of the base desires in the aspirant. In his letters to his devotees, Pagal Haranath says -

"Sadhus are the real magnets quite powerful to purify everything impure and to turn it to all good. So, with heart and soul, wish the company of these favourites who alone will show you the easiest and proper path to eternal bliss and will lead you to Krishna where once gone, you will never come back and where happiness never ceases ........

Just try once to meet and talk to Sadhus, men at whom you look askance; converse with them about the doings of Krishna, and sing praise to the Lord with them You will find that there is no more potent remedy than this on earth to bring peace to the mind ......

If you would desire bliss in yourself in the cool shade of goddess of peace, hold conversation with these poor wandering mendicants, learn to love them and sing praise to the Lord with them .......

Know it for true that the gain which is dear even in Sri Krishna's company, is very cheap in the company of Sadhus. It is Krishna who has bestowed this honour upon them. The Sadhus have resigned everything to the feet of Krishna, hence it is that Krishna also has enhanced their honour to this extent...

With this short introduction I seek your permission to narrate how I came under the influence of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. I would henceforth refer him as Ramjee by which name he is affectionately known to all his devotees. I am a simple man and do not possess the art of extolling the glory of Ramjee. If I have not used superlatives in my narration, it is indicative of my own inadequacy in finding expression to my inner feeling. What is the capacity of man to unfathom the depth of Divinity !

I often wander whether it is we who are seeking the Divine or whether it is the Divine that is drawing us towards ltself. There is no need that we should get bogged in these paradoxes. But it is sufficient to note that whatever may be the reason, the association with the Divine is sweet.

Il was somewhere in 1976 that I first heard of Ramjee. My dear friend Sri R. K. Alwar of Neyveli one day remarked to me, "There is a Swamiji who lives under the trees in Tiruvannamalai. Sri C V. Ramanujachari (V. R ) (the then Director/Finance of Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited) took me to him. The Swamiji is very simple and lovable. You would certainly like him if you meet him". There is emotional similarity between Alwar and I. His remarks triggered the desire in me to see Ramjee. I waited for the right time. One day Sri V. R. along with his wife was proceeding to Thapovanam in his car and Alwar said that he has agreed to give us lift in the car. I jumped at the opportunity. We first visited Gnanananda Thapovanam and spent the night there. Next day we went to Tiruvannamalai. Ramjee was residing in the house arranged for him by the devotees. It is told that previously during day time he would roam about staying under the trees and during evening times he would take shelter in the verandhas of the shops closed for the night. Sri V. R. used to meet Ramjee only in such places.

There were several devotees sitting in the hall. There was no external order of the things around. Ramjee (at least it appeared so to human reason) some packets, sacks of various articles, bottles, tins, withered flower garlands, withering fruits, etc. were lying helter - skelter around. Besides Ramjee is a chain smoker (Where' and why he picked this up, I do not know). I was not conscious of these surroundings. The mind was eager to establish rapport with this Mahatma who called himself "This beggar". Sri V R. introduced me saying "He is a devotee of Kusum Haranath". Ramjee exclaimed. "What! Devotee of Pagal Haranath !". Then he invoked 'JAI HARANATH, JAI HARANATH'. Well, words cannot explain the rapture experienced by my soul at the mention of 'JAI HARANATH' by Ramjee. The thirsting soul tasted the ambrosia. That incantation pierced through my heart like a shaft. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. I was in ecstasies. After prostrating before Ramjee, I sat in the second row before him.

I had not requested Ramjee for any Upadesa, yet the merciful Ramjee gave me the nectar I was thirsting for. It is not that I was not chanting "JAI HARANATH' earlier. Haranath is the Lord of my heart. Though he left his physical body on 25-5-1927, he came into my life when I was wallowing in worldliness, to lift me up and to woo me. I lost my heart to him for he was one of the very few in history who sought to woo the sinners. I feel blessed that I was born a sinner so that I could attract the attention of Haranath. Though Haranath is my companion right from my childhood yet the words 'JAI HARANATH' coming form the lips of Ramjee had the transforming effect on me. It is indeed true that Mahatmas can bring transformation in a trice. Ramjee did it in my case and I have become a slave of his kindness. Ramjee also said: "This beggar had once been fed by a devotee of Pagal Heranath. Pagal Haranath was a Mahatma. His wife Kusum Kumari was also a Mahatma ........

My relationship with Ramjee was something like love at first sight. The first meeting determined everything. All the subsequent meetings were only just to shape what was cast in the first meeting. My path was set on rails. There was nothing else for me to seek except to move ahead. During the several meetings with Ramjee, what I have observed is that he never attempted to change the path of the devotee but confirmed the path the devotee had already been assigned.

In a symposium, it may not be possible to present comprehensively a life-time's experiences. Perhaps with the grace of Rarnjee I may some day be able to prepare the matter for publication as a book. It is enough to say that Ramjee is like a Philospher's stone which converts base metals into gold. If one wants to seek the Divine, here is Ramjee who can put him on, course. I do not want to emphasize on the supernatural powers of Ramjee. It is true that he has done so many things for me. But the greatest thing he has done for me is fixing my direction. I used to desire to go to Ramjee because the mind finds utter peace in his presence. Now all those things have changed. The objective of life cannot be mere culmination into peace of mind. We have to actively participate in the play of the Divine. This we can do when we give up ourselves to the Divine. Ramjee can mould and cast us into beautiful roles, if only we can approach him with meekness. May I quote here from James Allen :

'The man who conquers another by force is strong; the man who conquers himself by Meekness is mighty. He who conquers another by force will himself likewise be conquered; he who conquers himself by Meekness will never be overthrown for the human cannot overcome the Divine..."