The Garland of Guru's Sayings

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Born to Sri Krishna Iyer of Ramanathapuram in 1890, the child was originally named Sambamurti. However, in the official name was C.K. Subramanya Iyer. He, who in later year could sing and pour out verses in torrent, could hardly speak and was almost dumb till the age of five. Having lost his father early in life, he lived in Coimbatore and received his education there.

He grew up in an atmosphere of Tamil learning and evinced a deep love for his mother tongue; consequently he specialized in it and soon became a highly accomplished scholar in his ancient and still living language. He was a Pandit- member in the lexicon committee preside over by Dr. Chandler.

Having studied the Tirukkiural thoroughly he followed its precepts meticulously in his life. Out of love for Tamil he changed his name to Mugavai Kanna Murganar (see v.13 of The Garland), corresponding to his original name.

Not only was he a noted scholar, but also a spiritually oriented nationalist and was greatly influenced bu Gandhiji’s liberation movement. His first volume of poems was “Swatantra Gitam.”

He first came to Sri Bhagavan in 1923. This darshan and the intense gaze of Sri Bhagavan transformed his being. When thus he came under the spell of the Master, all lesser lights were absorbed in the radiance of His presence and he never again wrote on any theme other than the glory and the sayings of the Master. Murugana himself tells us what happened when he came to Bhagavan:

With blazing bright, unwinking eyes

He gazed and drunk in my whole Being.

Swept off by such enchanting beauty

His utter slave I have become.(1) To sing His praise, to pracise His presence and to explain His teachings the poet uses word which, whether richly sensuous or austerely intellectual. Are invariably appropriate, while his repertory of metrical form is astounding in its vastness, flexibility and power. Like some great temple complex with its shrines and tower, its tanks and groves. Te immense output of this poet constitutes a massive and worthy monument to the Master, whose mighty message Sri Muruganar manages to convey, because he is himself a consummate and humble scholar, poet, saint.

Muruganar’s self-effacement was total and he sat immortal in the shadow of Ramana’s Feet He passed away on August 28,1973 amidst the chanting of the devotes in praise of Sri Arunachala and Sri Ramana.