Fond memories of Pejawar Swamiji

Sir,

This refers to K. Vijaya Kumar’s befitting tribute to the great memory of late Pejawar Swamiji and going back to his first Paryaya 68 years ago (Star of Mysore dated Jan.5).

As a Udupi born person, I also have  very fond memories of the Swamiji. I remember attending his first Paryaya ceremony in 1952 and as a Boy Scout, I was inside the small hall (called then Madhwa Sabhangala) just beyond the Krishna temple inside the premises.

In the fifties and sixties, my father who was a Meteorological Officer in the Indian Air Force in Delhi used to write regularly scientific articles in the local magazine published by one of the Mutts. Both Pejawar Swamiji and his mentor, the Swamiji of Admar Mutt were his admirers and whenever he came on leave, one of them would ask him to give scientific speech at the Madhwa Hall. Later when Pejawar Swamiji delivered lectures on Gita and wrote a book on the same subject, he asked my father to translate the same into English. Unfortunately, my father died when he had translated about 6 chapters. Later it was translated by someone else but the Swamiji saw to it that both got credit as co-writers. This was in the seventies.

During the last few years, when the Seer was in Mysuru, I had gone to see him at a function. When I did namaskara to him and told him that I was the nephew of my more pious uncle in Udupi whom I was sure the Swamiji would remember, he cut me short and asked me whether I was so and so’s (my father’s name!) son. When I replied in the affirmative, he said he had known my father very well for many years and he had translated his book on Gita! His memory was truly great. He was a very learned man on religious matters as well the recent  worldly matters.

– U.B. Acharya, Mysuru, 10.1.2020

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