Alasinga Perumal – a saga of a great devotion

When I was a student of class VII, I heard the name of Alasinga Perumal first in my life in one of our weekly study circles. An uncommon name in our Bengali society. I asked my senior, `who is Alasinga Perumal? `

`A Madrasi devotee, working as a school teacher who collected funds from door to door as the passage money for Swami Vivekananda to his trip to America to attend the Parliament of Religion in 1893` replied my senior.

Later, I purchased one copy of Selected Letters of Swami Vivekananda, published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata. In that book, I have found that Swamiji wrote long long inspiring letters from America to Alasinga Perumal. Most of the letters started as ` Dear Alasinga` …….

I have seen his photograph in some books and I eagerly wanted to read the life of Alasinga Perumal, whose life is the burning example of devotion to his guru, Swami Vivekananda.

Recently, in March 2012 issue of The Vedanta Kesari, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, I have seen an advertisement regarding the release of a book on the life of Alasinga Perumal. From that moment, I took a decision that I will purchase one copy of this book and I will read the life of this great devotee. Recently, by the God’s grace, I have purchased one copy from Advaita Ashrama book stall at Howrah station. While returning by train, I have started to read from the first page of this wonderful biography and still I am reading.

As a student of Swamiji`s life and teachings, we have heard the names of Dr. Nanjunda Rao, Singaravelu Mudaliar (Kidi), Prof. M. Rangacharya, R. Balaji Rao, K. Sundararama Iyer, Biligiri Iyengar, G.G. Narasimhacharya, Rajam Iyer. But we have no clear idea about their lives and devotion to a great cause. In this book, you will find their short biographies of sacrifices and devotion along with some rare photographs. (Page 1 to 25). Moreover, you will find 43 letters of Swami Vivekananda written to Alasinga Perumal (Page 251 to 330), one letter of famous freedom fighter, Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, written to Alasinga Perumal and a tribute to Alasinga Perumal by Subrahmanya Bharati, the great Tamil poet and freedom fighter.

My sincere respect to Swami Sunirmalananda, the author of this book. My sincere thanks and respect to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai for publishing this wonderful biography of `an extraordinary individual`.

Really, this book is an asset to everyone who respects Swami Vivekananda and his mission. 

At a glance

Name of the Book: Alasinga Perumal – An Illustrious Disciple of Swami Vivekananda.

Author: Swami Sunirmalananda

Publisher: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004. India

Pages: ix + 342

Price: Rs 75

www.chennaimath.org

A routine for our everyday life

All we must have a routine for our everyday life. If we frame a routine according to our schedule and try to follow it, we can organize our energy and time. If we prepare a routine for our children from their early childhood and encourage them to follow the routine, they will certainly get benefit from it in future. All we are getting 24 hours in a day but unable to complete our schedule due to lack of a routine. We are unable to organize our daily life. We are blaming the `time` as time is very short. Actually, we need discipline in our daily life. We are not even aware the importance of discipline in human life.

As we are growing day by day, some habits in our life are also growing day by day. These habits are may be good or bad for our human life. Good habits are acting like our good friends. Bad habits are harmful. They can destroy our precious human life. Our human life is our capital. The businessman is going to start his business with some capital. Our human life is also our capital. If we want to develop our human life, we must follow a daily routine strictly.

Try to start your daily life as early as possible. So, early rising is must. If you are an early riser, you can finish some important work like prayer, mental concentration, and physical exercises before the sunrise. Gradually this will be a good habit. The junior members of your family will also follow you. They will also early riser. Divide your daily programme into some areas. The key areas are - prayer, mental concentration, physical exercise, study, newspaper reading, domestic work, marketing, official work, guiding children in their studies, watching news in television etc, etc.

You can fix time for each of this programme and strictly follow it. Suppose, as a student, you have fixed your study hours in the morning from 7 am to 9 am (two hours). You must go to your study table exactly at 7 am and continue your study up to 9 am. If you fix 9 pm to 9.30 pm for watching news in television, you must open your TV exactly at 9 pm. Please remember, 9 pm means 9 pm, not 8.50 pm or 9.10 pm.

It is very easy to prepare a routine for ourselves, more easier to prepare a routine for others. But, it is very difficult to follow that routine, unless we have the urge to develop. In the beginning, it is very difficult to follow the routine, but gradually our good habits will grow through our perseverance.

If you read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790), you will find his daily routine. Please try to collect this book from your nearest library and read the wonderful autobiography of a `self- made man`. ƒ