Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

“Yes, it could be changed thus,” said Bhagavan; “That is Aata,
this is Theta.” I was rather intrigued by that saying.

When I went there again in the afternoon at 2-30 p.m.,
Bhagavan had already written it in Theta Gita verse and gave
it to me saying, “See if it is all right.” Though it did not
appear smooth-flowing, I was happy in the thought that
Bhagavan had written it and so without going deeper into
it, I said, “In whatever way Bhagavan writes, to me it appears
quite good.” “It is quite enough even if one person is satisfied
when written by an unqualified person like myself,” said
Bhagavan. People around burst out laughing. He says he is
not learned, and all the other writers are great pandits! What
else is it except a mild reproach to some of us who pride
ourselves on our erudition?
It did not end there. Saying that the meaning is incomplete
here or the grammar is defective there, Bhagavan discussed
it the whole day with Balarama Reddy, and when I went there
yesterday morning for parayana, he gave me a paper on which
the padyam (verse) had been fair-copied.

When I brought it home and saw it, not only did I feel
some doubt regarding the correctness of a particular letter
in the padyam, but also got a desire to copy the matter in the
Ashram note book and keep the original paper for myself
and so, I cut it out neatly with scissors, and put it in my bag
and went to the Ashram by 8 a.m.

Even as I was prostrating before him, Bhagavan made
a mention of the very letter about which I had a doubt. He
said, “It must be changed, give me back my paper. Should I
not show it if anyone were to ask for it?” Yes, he could divine
what I had in my mind. I felt surprised.

Many instances of this kind have occurred previously.

When Bhagavan asked me and insisted on the return of his
paper like a school boy, I felt ashamed of my desire, was
afraid of being chided, and amused at his teasing words —
all simultaneously.

“I have brought it, here it is,” I said and gave it. He
took it, and put it away carefully as though it was a great
treasure. The whole of yesterday he kept on saying that the
grammar was not correct. When I was asked about it, I said,
“For the divine voice, will the grammar come in the way?”
Bhagavan said laughingly, “It is all right,” and ultimately
Bhagavan himself prepared it in Theta Gita and gave it to me
to copy it out on the distinct understanding that I should
return the original paper to him. For a small thing like this,
he played with us for three days and ultimately finished the
verse in Theta Gita.

“That is Aata (play); this is Theta (verse).” This is perhaps
the meaning of his words. That verse is given hereunder:
‘ ̊ˆˆ ˇ&É\T qX ̄«s¡ eT~ dæú‘·+ ãT‹∆‘·+u§
ø£s¡àeX ̄eTTq $&ÉTe&É >∑\j·T>∑\<= ˆ
‘·HÓïiÏ+–q dæ∑q&ÉT
>∑T&ɶqT eT~sêeT∑T&ç¶e ̋...HÓ ˆˆ
Theta Gita