Sri Anna N. Subramanian's Life

asimhan Subramanian, later to be known assources of comfort for their grandchildren.
ANNA, entered the world on September 20, 1895.After retiring from working at the Ramakrishna
His mother Arundhati was the only daughter ofMission Home, Sri ANNA continued to teach
Krishna Sastri who had the privilege of being atstudents about the Indian culture. He also began
the Guru Kulam at Sringeri along with the youngto write, translating many ancient Indian scriptures
Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamigal. His fatherand writing many other books. He was a fluent
Naganarasimhan was an Elementary schoolwriter in English, Tamil, and the ancient Indian
teacher and later village karnam. Born into a poorlanguage of Sanskrit. To this day, some of his
family in Tiruchengodu, Salem District, Tamilnadu,translations are still in demand.
India, no one could imagine or predict the glorySri ANNA was the eldest of six sons and three
that he would achieve in his lifetime.daughters born into a poor family in Tiruchengodu,
Sri ANNA was the eldest son/child born to a hugeSalem District, Tamilnadu, India. His brothers were
family consisting of himself, five brothers andKrishnaswami, Ramaswami, Ganapathy,
three sisters in Tiruchengodu, Tamilnadu, India. ByMahadevan, and Sankaran. His sisters were
sincerely devoting his time and energy into hisEswarambal, Sharadambal, and Lakshmi. His
studies, ANNA was able to enroll in themother Arundhati was a home maker and his
Ramakrishna Mission Home, which later enabledfather Naganarasimhan was an Elementary school
him to go to college. In no time the Missionteacher.
became his new home and he became involved inSmt. Visalakshi was married to Sri ANNA at the
every aspect of it that he possibly could. Heyoung age of twelve, when he was 21. She was
claimed himself to be the living proof of the Biblicalthe daughter of the Superintendent of Police of
saying, “Blessed are poor,” because if he hadMadras, and was fairly rich compared to ANNA,
not been poor, he would have never come toyet supported him like a true wife would. Because
know of the Ramakrishna Mission. Unlike anyshe was married at such a young age, she
other student though, ANNA did not just passcontinued to live with her parents until she was 16
through the Mission on his way to college, butor 17. She then came to live with ANNA, who
rather, as many others have said, “The twowas 28 or 29 by that time.
became inseparable.” ANNA was determined toIn a few years both of ANNA’s parents
give back to the Mission as much as it had givenhad passed away, and all of his siblings came to
him; not only out of gratitude, but out of love too.live with them. Smt. Visalakshi, his wife, treated
The lucky woman that he married was Smt.them as if they were her own children, with no
Visalakshi (at the age of 12), an extremely hardcomplaints whatsoever. Around this time three
worker, amazing cook, and a kindhearted soulbeautiful daughters came into their life. The eldest
who loved children. After a few years, threedaughter was named Rajalakshmi, second
beautiful daughters came into their life, all ofdaughter Seethalakshmi and the youngest
whom turned out to be amazing role models anddaughter was named Krishnaveni.