||Om tat sat||

"September 1 and the Song of "ities" !! (2022)"

September 1st is the birthday of my father - Semya paramaannamu is the perennial special dish of that day made by my mother!

September 1st is also the birthday of my sister Vijaya!

"September 1st and Semya Paramaannamu" - has been the annual headline story on September 1st for the last few years, while sharing memories of the distant past.

This time it is about his favorites. Our childhood remembrance is about two magazines which must have been his favorites. One is a fortnightly 'Bhawan's Journal and other is a monthly or fortnightly magazine of Divine Life Society. Without any doubt the Bhawan's Journal was our favorite, and there was always a competition to see who among us got hold of the journal and read KM Munshis Krishna's stories from Mahabharata. The magazine of divine life society published from Rishikesh is a magazine carrying message of Swami Sivananda. Swami Sivananda was a favorite of my father. One song, which I connect with that magazine, is a song of 'ities'. I think it is also his favorite. I remember him teaching that song to us. The song goes as follows.

(Song of "Ities)

Serenity, Regularity, Absence of Vanity,
Sincerity, Simplicity, Veracity,
Equanimity, Fixity, Non-irritability,
Adaptability, Humility, Tenacity,
Integrity, Nobility, Magnanimity,
Charity, Generosity, Purity.
Practice daily these eighteen "Ities',
You will soon attain Immortality.
Brahman (the Supreme) is the only real Entity.
Mr. So-and-so is a false non-entity.
You will abide in infinity and eternity.
You will behold unity in diversity.
You cannot attain this in the University.
By the grace of Guru you can attain immortality.
Shri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram Om.
Shri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram

We would sing a couple of lines and join the sing-song refrain, "you cannot attain these in the University".

Probably being too young and being too far down in the line of all siblings, I do not remember any occasion of his directly telling us what is right and what is wrong etc. This song was probably the only occasion of his coaxing us to the good ways.

Swami Sivananda occupied a prime place in their philosophical thinking. Going to Rishikesh and having his darshan would have been their dream too. It fell to the lots of my elder brother fulfill their wish. They were able to visit the Ashram of Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh and also perform the Pada puja. Their picture with Swami Sivananda on that occasion of Pada puja is a prized family possession.

In the domain of spiritual enquiry, he was never vocal probably following the Gita teaching, which does not promote push-pull learning modes. But the few books he left with copious pencil marking and some notes indicate his seriousness. One of the serious books was a three-volume set of Ramathirtha,"In the woods of God Realization". A wonderful book. A simpler book, but as deep in its meanings, was Shankaracharya's Bhajagovindam with C Rajagopalachari's commentary. Both are my possessions of pride.

||om tat sat||
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