TSR - Spotting and Mentoring R. Ashwin, S. Sriram and Badrinath in 1980s/90s, Appearing for MGR and Moopanar at the Madras High Court AND now at 95, authoring a 750 page book on Tiruvoimozhi
TS Ramaswamy (TSR to those in the cricketing circles) was instrumental in the initial mentoring of India Cricketers S Sriram (TSR holds him closest to his heart), R Ashwin and S Badrinath at his YMCA TSR cricket academy. Promodh Sharma was one of TSR’s favourite cricketers back then. He did not progress as much as TSR would have liked him to playing till the first division league in cricket but in business he has, over the last decade or so, built a $100 m Textile empire with a global presence and he dedicates this success to the importance placed on mental strength and the 'never say die' attitude instilled in him by TSR during his teenage years.
ஆரா அமுதே அடியேன் உடலம் நின்பால் அன்பாயே
நீராய் அலைந்து கரைய உருக்குகின்ற நெடுமாலே
சீர் ஆர் செந்நெல் கவரி வீசும் செழு நீர் திரு குடந்தை
ஏர் ஆர் கோலம் திகழ கிடந்தாய் கண்டேன் எம்மானே - Thiruvoimozhi (5-8-1)
At his peak as an advocate, TSR counted former TN CM MGR and Congress leader Moopanar as his top clients. He has also appeared on behalf of Vaishnavite Mutts in courts cases.
In the second half of his life, TSR turned highly devotional straddling between the professional court cases, the passionate cricket academy and the Devotional visits to his favouriter Parthasarathy temple. Into his 50s he would walk over 10kms every week from his home in South Boag Road, T. Nagar to the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni.
எங்கள் செல்சார்வு யாமுடை அமுதம்
இமயவரப்பன் என் அப்பன்
பொங்கு மூவுலகும் படைத்து அளித்து அழிக்கும்
பொருந்து மூவுருவன் எம் அருவன்
செங்கயல் உகளும் தேம் பணை புடை சூழ்
திருசெங்குன்றுர்த் திருசிற்றாறு அங்கு அமர்கின்ற
ஆதியான் அல்லால்
யாவர் மற்று என் அமர் துணையே - Tiruvoimozhi - 8-4-2
Guidance from MAV
Former Head of Vaishnavite Dept, Madras University and Head of the Adyapaka Prabhandham Ghoshti at Thiruvallikeni, MA Venkatakrishnan has always admired the great commitment of TSR in everything he did. MAV told this writer that as a student of Vaishnavism, TSR showed the same commitment that one had come to hear of him in courts and the cricket grounds. "When he was keen to pursue the doctorate degree, I suggested to him to take up a topic related to the court cases as his thesis.”
Into his 70s and 80s, he began writing books on Dharmic way of life throwing up insights from the Mahabaratha and the like. Even as a school boy, he had taken a liking to Vaishnavite Saint Poet Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi and well past 60, he picked up a Doctorate in Vaishnavism under the guidance of MAV.
And now well into his 90s, with his three sons away in the US and a bed ridden wife, TSR has focused all his energy on the 1000 verses of Namazhvaar from the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham. His several years of research on this subject has helped him put together a 750 page Voluminous book that presents an insight into the ten Cantos of Tiruvoimozhi and what it holds for us in our everyday life.
வெள்ளைச் சூரி சங்கொடு ஆழி ஏந்தி
தாமரைக்கு கண்ணன் என் நெஞ்சினூடே
புன்னைக் காடாகின்ற ஆற்றைக் காணீர்
என் சொல்லிச் சொல்லுகேன் அன்னைமீர்காள்
வெள்ளச் சுகம் அவன் வீற்றிருந்த
வேத ஒலியும் விழா ஒலியும்
பிள்ளைக குழா விளையாட்டு ஒலியும் ஆறாத்
திருப்பேரெயில் சேர்வான் நானே - Thiruvoimozhi ( 7.3.1)
TSR has always been a voracious reader right from his childhood and that can be seen from his quoting renowned global authors on a Dharmic way of life and taking that forward through the verses of Nam Azhvaar.
A meeting with Sriram, his Favouriter Student
His favourite cricketing student, S Sriram, who has had coaching stints with the Aussie team and with IPL teams, is now a renowned TV commentator. He visited TSR recently at his home on the East Car street, where he has been a resident for over three decades and found him to have high energy especially on the devotional front and says his memory continued to be sharp recollecting the cricketing days from the 1980s. It was TSR who predicted when Sriram was just 11 that he would go on to play for the country.
Mental Strength and Never say Die attitude
TSR told this writer in 2021 soon after his 90th Birthday, that his focus had always been on removing fear in the mind of the cricketers. "Usually there was a tendency to get overwhelmed when you came up against the so called big teams. I called for the strengthening of the mind and to take on any opposition without fear. I instilled the belief in the students that they could beat anyone if they developed the self belief. Faith in oneself was most important”.
At 95, it is that faith that has helped TSR work day and night over the last couple of years to pull out this master piece. He is short on physical support these days having also to take care of his wife in addition to managing his own health issues. But like his ever lasting key messages to his wards at his cricket academy in Nandanam in the 1980s and 90s, he is not short on mental strength and that is what keeps him going including having the devotional energy to write a 750 page book on Tiruvoimozhi.
The book was released recently at a grand function in Thiruvallikeni in the presence in leading high court judges and prominent Vaishnavite personalities.
A 2021 story on TSR: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/08/advocate-ts-ramaswamy90.html
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