Poojyasri Swami Dayananda Saraswati started the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, an institute for the traditional study of Advaita Vedanta and Sanskrit, located about 25 km from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, in the picturesque Nilgiri Mountains in the 1990. He had quite a number of foreign disciples who came to the Gurukalam to learn Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Brahmasutras and other related classic texts.

Kovai Medical Center and Hospital, Coimbatore, a 1000-bedded hospital (now) was also started in the same year as a large corporate hospital with all modern medical facilities akin to western countries. Swamiji who came to know about the hospital referred a few of his foreign students to KMCH whenever they and his devotees required medical assistance. I was fortunate as Senior Administrator of the hospital to coordinate their treatment. He ensured that reasonable payment was made for the service every time.

Within a year I developed such reverence towards Swamiji that I visited the ashram on some Sundays and listened to his lecture sessions for about an hour on Bhagavad Gita followed by a free hygienic lunch for all in the ashram. What was very interesting was that none of his disciples or devotees would directly or indirectly solicit donations or favours for the ashram.

Swamiji was very punctual for his lecture sessions and he would start and close on time. His lectures would be full of substance, humour and subtle messages on conversion. He would relate all the Hindu practices and rituals to scientific principles and explain with good reasons to prove they were developed and practiced for the benefit of the society at large. Before and after the lecture sessions he made it a point to spend about half an hour with his devotees debating on religion. He would also meet some individually to counsel them on personal issues.

It was in the year 1992 that his 75-year old mother had a hip fracture after a fall at her native village Manjakudi. Swamiji called me from the U.S. and said I should shift her to KMCH for treatment and medical attention. Dr. Nalla G. Palaniswami, Chairman, and Dr. David Rajan, our orthopaedic surgeon at that time and his team did a hip replacement surgery successfully.

She stayed in the hospital for almost a month and left the hospital healthy and fit. Just a few days before she was discharged, Swamji returned from the U.S. and came directly from the airport to see his mother. I was fortunate to receive him and take him to her room. It was one of the greatest moments in my life to see Swamiji and his old mother together and Swamiji was visibly happy and grateful to Chairman, doctors and me. I believe it was from that time onwards Swamiji and I became closer.

It may not be out of place to mention that Swamiji has built one of the best primary health care centres in the country close to the ashram, which is a model to be replicated. It has good doctors, nurses, a pharmacy, X-ray machine, an operation theatre and a modern delivery room.

He ensured that his devotees spent a lot of time and resources so that the tribal people around the ashram were benefited by the good medical care at a very nominal cost.

Later in the next 25 years there were many occasions in Coimbatore when I had the opportunity to interact with him and the ashram officials like Sri Ramanji during various functions related to hospital and others. I also had the blessing of Swamiji when he visited our house on the occasion of Grihapravesam and my eldest daughter’s marriage.

His words of blessing ‘Nallathu, Nallathu’, for all his devotees, with a fruit will always be ringing in our ears.

We at KMCH had the good fortune of taking care of him during 2010 -11 when he had some medical issues. A lot of devotees would come and see Swamiji when he was recuperating in the hospital. He was always very positive and cheerful and listened to the doctor’s advice.

Even after I moved from KMCH, I made it a point to meet Swamiji where ever he went just to get his dharshan and blessings. The last I saw him and got his blessings was in Hyatt Hotel in Hyderabad when he had come in 2014 to discuss with religious leaders and legal experts on issues related to the management of Hindu temples. This time when we saw him he was in high spirits but poor in physical health.

As a professional who has worked in hospitals for a long time I knew I would not have the opportunity see him again. As his wheel chair moved out of the room and when he waved his hand to bid good bye to me and the devotees in the room, my eyes clouded with tears and I was overwhelmed by emotions.

A 30-year old relationship got snapped physically, but his virtues, character, advice, love, affection, and reasoning, will remain as a golden thread that binds people like us to him until we meet him in heaven one day !!

(The author is U.K. Ananthapadmanabhan, Former President,
Kovai Medical Center and Hospital)