Swami Gurukripananda, GK Mama alias Chami

Hari Om

Swami Gurukripananda, GK Mama alias Chami (24.Feb.1927 to 12.Dec.2020)

A Shraddanjali  from GK family

Compiled by T. S. Jayaraman , s/o Smt. G.K. Anandavalli, (poorvasram) younger sister of GK Swami.

 

Swami Gurukripananda, Chami Mama attained Samadhi in the dawn of 12 Dec at 4 a.m. At 3.45 am he wanted to get up to go to the bathroom. He could not get up. He called Mahender for help. It was all over in 15 minutes. As per the custom of Sri Sivananda Guru's Divine Life Society all rites were completed on the same day by 9.30 am. Mama's Sodashi is on Dec 27, when the Ashram does Annadanam to the Ashram inmates.

Lineage:

G K Kailsanatha Iyer, my maternal grand-father was a great Vedantin who lived in Gangaikondan village in Thirunelveli District. An ardent disciple of Sringeri Sri Chandra Sekara Bharati, Thatha himself wanted to live the life of a renunciate (Mama followed this tradition). Swamigal however advised Mama against it and gave Thatha two dictates - not to wear any stitched clothes, so Thatha never wore a shirt. And if the Veshti tore, muduchu poduva but not stitch. And to not read newspapers. Thatha was  a great Sree Vidya upasaka, a true practising Advaitin until his very end, when he attained Samadhi in the Gangaikondan temple after the Mangala Arti.

Many people would come to Thatha for clarification of doubts on Vedanta. Thatha was fond of Avadai Akka, a great vedantin from Thirunelveli. Thatha taught my mother some of these songs and Swami Dayananda always asked Amma to sing these. 

Childhood & Studies:

Srivaikundam is the native village of my grandmother Venkata Lakshmi or Ammakutty as she was fondly called. G K or Chami Mama was born in SriVaikundam village in Tirunelveli district on 24 Feb 1927 and was named Krishnan. Chami Mama was the first born. Known for his brilliance since a child, Mama did his schooling and college in Pathamadai. Mama completed his BA or BA Honours as it was called in those days, from the  Hindu college, Tirunelvelli, being the first from Gangaikondan to complete attain the Bachelors degree.  After this Mama got a chance to study at Benaras but chose not go. 

Calcutta Employment:

Thirunelveli district went through a period of drought around this time which extended for many years and for many of the farming based families especially in the villages, these were trying times. So, Mama joined Andrew Yule in Kolkata in the insurance division and Gangaikondan Krishnan came to be known by his initials as GK or GK Mama in Calcutta. He worked under British bosses. He was interested in Carnatic music and also very spiritual. A close friend of Madurai Mani Iyer.  When in employment, he regularly sent most of the money home, choosing to live a very simple life. Mama was an expert in taxation aspects. Mama had association with many spiritual greats of the time being especially close to both Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Dayananda . Mama held  many posts related to temples in Kolkata and when Swami Chinmayananda asked him to give up these, Mama did the same happily.

Mama lived like a true sanyasi, never aimed for material comforts, posts, name or fame even in his youth. So, it was no surprise when Mama informed Thatha of his decision to remain a Bramhachari. All Thatha said was he should not change his decision later in life and it should be a one-time oath. Mama lived true to this oath, the life of a true Sanyasi until the ripe old age of 93.

Taking Sanyas:

Mama was a devotee of Swami Sivananda Saraswati and often visited the Divine Life Society. Swami Sivananda was also born in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Swami Krishnananda, one of Sivananda Swami's disciples was Mama's Guru. Mama took sanyas on Guru Purnima day in 1984, before retirement, on his Guru's advice and was given the name Swami Gurukripananda. 

There is a building called Gurukripa Kutir in the Sivanada ashram. Mama used to pass through it. Swami Krishnananda once asked Mama the name of the  building that he had just passed through. Mama said Gurukripa Kutir.  And Krishnananda said from now on GK is Gurukripananda. He was 57 when he took sanyas. The resignation letter was handed to Mama's boss when the boss went to visit Sivananda ashram. It was a sudden decision from what little we know. 

Mama with my Amma and an ashram inmate

From what Mama told me most of the time he had stayed with friends or relatives. Once his friends started becoming old, they themselves needed someone to take care of themselves. That is when Swami Krishnananda asked him to take Sanyas.  Rishikesh is a place with very hot summer, heavy rains and cold winters. Anyone who takes sanyas should get accustomed to all these. Mama has stayed in all these weathers in Rishikesh before taking Sanyas. So before retirement when GK mama visited Rishikesh, his guru asked him to take sanyas and he agreed.

I feel both my Appa and Mama had a good retirement life because they followed their Guru's advice without questioning. Mama followed Swami Krishnananda, Appa followed Kanchi Periyaval's advice. They did lots of service and enjoyed doing it. That shows importance of having a Guru and following His advice. Most of what I have written is based on what GK Mama has told me.

I went to Rishikesh in 1986 to meet GK Swami. That time, he took me to his Guru Krishnananda Swami. Swami Krishnananda spent an hour or so with me. He  talked about Bhagavad Gita. Karmayeva adhikaraste. That time I did not realize how great he is. But I got that message work is worship. I also realised how close they are, GK and his Guru.

 I was comparing Swami Krishnananda's talk with Dayananda on the same topic. Mid 1980s, when Swami Dayananda used to come to come to Mumbai. I used to go his lectures. One of my friends who came with me got so much influenced by Dayananda's speeches that he became spiritual. And a few years later, he left the software job and went to Puttaparthi. Swami Dayananda's talks make you think a lot.

Sekar and I used to go Chimayananda's lectures which used to be held in a big ground in Bombay. He was a great speaker, in the sense that if he explains something you will remember throughout your life. I still remember many things he talked.

Some of the people Mama introduced to me became world famous. There was Swami Yoga Nanda, a yoga expert. I wanted to learn yoga from him. Few years later when I asked GK Mama about him, Mama said he has become popular and was abroad. 

The Ashram years:

All inmates of the ashram have a strict daily  routine which they follow till the age of 80. After 80, it is relaxed. They are assigned work(seva) in some area. The Ashram runs a free hospital, leprosy centers, publishing house, temple, yoga, spiritual classes and a free kitchen which serves food to 1000s of people during peak time. All the devotees visiting Badrinath stay in one of these ashrams. During floods, which is common in this area, the ashram does  a lot of relief work.

It was  normal office work for Mama till the age of 80. Mama was responsible for steam lining the  finances and ensuring that the Ashram has enough corpus funds. He ensured that the taxation rules are implemented. Morning 5 am to night 8 pm everything works as per time table. Only some office workers and low level staff are paid.

Rishikesh is a town of extreme weathers - hot summers, monsoons and bone chilling temperatures , sometimes reaching sub-zero. Mama lived a spartan yet healthy life in the Ashram in good mental and physical condition till the end. And the only medicine he carried till he was 90 was Triphala powder. Regular Yoga, including many thopikaranams were part of his daily routine.

He used to tell me if I die all my things can be cleared in 3 minutes. Anything extra,  he will give it away to someone. When you go on a 10 day trip you pack a suitcase of things and take it. Imagine some one who lived his entire life on a pack of suitcase, apart from a bed to sleep. That's what Mama did from the time I know.

Mama had a sunny disposition and an easy smile. Always friendly and helpful, Mama had a huge circle of friends and his friendship extended to many decades with his closest. We, my siblings and cousins choose to call him Mama and Periappa though Swami would have been the right way to address. He remained dispassionate and non-judgemental and loving to everyone who came into his sphere. He never chose to give advice unless we asked him for it. He never criticised us or spoke harshly to any of us. Although Mama is no longer with us, his traits and qualities will continue to live to inspire us and stay with us ..

Some of the things we can learn from Mama are

1. We can do seva in many ways. Mama was very good in accounts and he used this skill in service to Sivananda Ashram and Dayananda Ashram.

2. Always lived a simple life but always neatly  dressed with a sunny disposition and humility despite many achievements

3. If someone gives a gift he may not say no but find another to whom it might be more useful and give it to them. Some of coats or jackets with many pockets he used to give to poor people in Rishikesh.

4. Never aspire for any post or good name while doing Seva.

5. Smile and be friendly, be approachable.

Om