His discourses on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, are a big draw. The Bhagavatham is also a favourite subject of Dr. Rangan Ramakrishnan aka Ranganji. He can captivate the audience, even though they may have heard the same discourse many times before.
Attracted by the story of Rama, he has been dwelling on the epic since childhood. He quotes John Keats (If poetry comes not as naturally as Leaves to a tree it had better not come at all) when asked about his interest in the Ramayana. His father Sri Krishna Premi aka ‘Anna’ has been his inspiration.
Ranganji was recently in the city for a nine-day discourse (navaham) on Srimad Valmiki Ramayana. “ I did not put in much effort to master the 24,000 slokas of the Ramayana. My father was also particular about my learning English. He thought it would help me take the Ramayana all over the world. That is why I took up English Literature for my Master’s,” says Ranganji. No wonder his discourses are interspersed with English phrases and quotes.
He explains the meaning of Dharmam. “According to Sanskrit dictionary, dharmam means ‘natural’. Any action attuned to human welfare is dharma. That which accomplishes both social and spiritual welfare is dharma.”
Ranganji is qualified in Sahitya, Vyakarana and Vedanta. He has done his Ph.D in ‘Yoga and Education’. He is the founder of Shruthi Rama Gurukulam in Bengaluru, a full-time residential school, where Vedic education, modern education, yoga and the Ramayana are all taught free of cost to vidyarthees.
The medium of instruction and communication is Sanskrit in this school. Vidyavathi Veda Patashala is another institution founded by him in Faizabad. He has published several papers on the impact of the yogic and modern education system on sustained attention, memory and planning ability. He has authored several books in Tamil and English, which includes the English translation of all the 24,000 slokas of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, ‘What is Dharma’, ‘Darshan’, ‘Bliss’ (9th cycle of Rig veda), ‘Marain Maraiporul’ (Tamil translation of selected verses from the vedas), ‘Thozhil Dharmam’ ( a book on professional righteousness) and ‘Ramaganamrutham’ (a compilation of songs covering the entire Ramayana).
He has started Webolim -Web of Life Makers. “This helps people to experience the treasured esoteric values of the Vedas and the Ramayana. Regular workshops and lectures are conducted on both subjects.” Webolim has also released audio and video discs of his disourses (www.webolim.org / www.webolim.blogspot.com).
An international study circle Rama Kutumbam has been floated by him for exchanges on the Ramayana. Its members include sociologists, scientists, psychologists, spiritualists and philanthropists from different parts of the world. His thirst for acquiring knowledge led him to do his Master’s in Management at Symbiosis, Pune. But why when he had decided to devote his time to talking about the Ramayana?
He laughs, “Management concepts have been a part of Indian culture. An example is our mutts. Established thousands of years ago, they continue to exist. This could not have been possible without good management. It also made me realise that these have been well-elucidated in the Ramayana. In the 100th chapter of Ayodhya Kandam, it is said, ‘laghu moolam mahodayam’, which is nothing but ‘minimum effort maximum result’, an important management principle. Mahatma Gandhi stressed on Rama Rajyam since the epic has everything in it to run a country.”
So now Ranganji is writing a book on management principles found in the Ramayana.
