Swami Sampurnananda said...
We had three Malayalam Literary figures in our Calicut Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Campus. Kunjunny Mash was the most known of the three (The other two being late Revered Swami Siddhinathananda ji and A.K.M. Irrukkoor (Mohana Chandran, who is still around and going and writing strong).
I was a Brahmachari then, in 1982-85, known as Murali Ettan. I have not still read Kunjunny Master (I cannot read Malayalam yet) but heard him very often and lived, talked and walked with him.
A simple Gandhian figure, short statured, clad in a short mundu which was just a wee bit longer than a towel and a man clean in apearance, dealings as well as obviously in heart and habbits. He was rooted in India’s deep spiritual culture. He would be eagerly ready for the prayers, and after his regular short meditation in the temple, would go to take food, which too was a very simple fare.
One or two of his poems are still in my memory. He would give me some money to buy candies or other gifts, when he saw me giving gifts to children when they came up with any literary effort.
The Swamis of the Ramakrishna Mission, Calicut played a role in shaping him and he gave back to the Ashrama in abundant measures.
He spent a long part of his life and a major part of his productive years in our campus.
He took from the environs of the Ashrama and then contributed multifold by his just being what he was, the dearly and aptly named, simple Kunjunny Mash
I would request his ex-students to write their memories and send to me, we can create a blog for him (sampurnanandaswami@gmail.com)
Swami Sampurnananda (Murali Ettan)
Written within a few days of the passing away of Kunjunny Mash.
http://indulekha.com/magazine/2006/03/tribute-to-kunjunni-maash.html
http://indulekha.com/magazine/2006/03/tribute-to-kunjunni-maash.html#114528669250972126
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunhunni_Mash
