BRAHMASRI  SATCHIDANANDA Yogi R  SIVASANKARA PANDYAJI' the illustrious Founder of the Hindu Theological High School Madras was born on the 6th of August 1853 in  madras; His parents Sri Ramanatha Pandyaji and Srimati Rupa Bai were a pious couple , belonging to the Gujarathi Brahman community. Sri Ramanatha Pandyaji was the Dharmakartha of a Saivite temple in the village of Puliyur, about six furlongs from Kodambakkam. He discharged his duties in that capacity with religious zeal and expended a considerable part of his fortune in the renovation and the maintenance of the shrine. Young Sivasankara imbibed from his god-minded parents deep devotion to Hindu ideals. His filial affection was mingled with a profound respect, bordering   almost on adoration.

Pandyaji's early education was carefully planned by his father who was very keen that his boy should not miss the blessings of Samskrit culture. He employed a special tutor to coach him at home in that classic tongue. A precocious lad he matriculated in 1668, when he was barely fifteen summers old, taking the 13th  rank in the Presidency. Three years later, he passed the First in Arts Examination with flying colors, winning the second place in the list of successful candidates. He could not prosecute his studies in 1872 on account of trouble in the eyes which had been strained by too much reading. The next year he sought admission into the Presidency College in the B.A. class with Mathematics as his special subject. Mention must be made here of an incident which reveals in a striking manner the mettle of young Pandyaji. Mr. Porter, the Principal of the Presidency College just then, refused him admission into the Pandyaji's spirit, and immediately he set to work in order to acquire the required proficiency in the subject with such remarkable diligence and grim earnestness that in 1875 he graduated from the same College and capturing the second rank in the Presidency. That he was as erudite in Telugu as in Samskrit, English and Mathematic is borne out by an interesting incident. The Telugu Examiner for the B.A. Examination was so much struck with Pandyaji's answers that he sent for him and frankly owned that he had learnt much from the candidate's  answer paper !

After graduation he was employed as a tutor in the same College for about six months. The next year he passes the Higher Tests in Civil and Criminal Law, entered the Tanjore District Court and  practiced there for some time. But the legal profession held out no attraction for him. A man of brilliant intellect, possessed of indefatigable energy and supreme patience, he would have easily made his mark in the profession and risen to a position of eminence. But God had fashioned him for a nobler purpose, and he felt that his field of activity lay elsewhere. Consequently, he bade adieu to the legal profession, thanking it for the equipment it had given him, came down of Madras and become a teacher in Pachaiyappa's High School.

It was at this time that his religious consciousness was awakened to its highest pitch. He was sore at heart to note the indifferent attitude of Hindu youths towards the religion of their ancestors. They were slowly slipping away from its fold under the influence of an alien culture. He made up his mind to stem betimes the tide of religious degeneracy. He resolved to dedicate his life to the revival of Hindu ideals. The following extract from an appeal that he issued to his co-religionists, dated the 14th of October, 1888, gives an insight into his feelings in the matter and the earnestness with which he had equipped himself for the noble task he had set before himself: "After graduating in 1875, I set about in earnest to make deep researches in our sacred lore with the help of such distinguished Pandits as Brahmasri K. Venkataratnam Pantulu, the Editor of "the Andhra Basha Sanjeevini," Brahmasri Siddhanti Subrahmanya Sastrulu, the Editor of the Puranas, Sri Ramachandra Saraswati, an eminent Paramahamsa Sanyasin of Conjeevaram, etc. My chief object was to discover the hidden truths of morality and religion enshrined in our Sastras, Srutis, Puranas, Ithihasas, Agamas, Tantras, Mahakavyas and a host of other writings of ancient India. I was amply rewarded for my patience and trouble, for I succeeded in collecting from them many precious gems of morality and religion and many scientific and philosophical treasures. As I was convinced that the apathy and indifference of Hindu students in general towards their noble religion was chiefly due to their ignorance of the existence of such gems in our sacred books, I determined not to allow my collections to be buried within me but to share them with my Hindu fellow-countrymen. With this view, I started in the beginning of 1882 special weekly moral and religious classes to teach Hindu boys and girls the general principles of Hinduism on a non-sectarian basis". These classes were held between 1882 and 1888 in his own house which he christened significantly "the Castle of Diligence," in Pachaiyappa's College and in the premises of the Hindu Excelsior Reading Room. His discourses were in English and in the Mother-Tongues, profusely interspersed with quotations and illustrations from English literature. No wonder, therefore, that these classes were immensely popular and attracted about two thousand eager, regular students during the period when they were conducted.

The next manifestation of Pandyaji's burning zeal for bringing about a religious awakening among Hindu youths, was the founding of the Arya Dharma Vidyasala on the 12th of April, 1886. Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and English were taught in this school up to the Upper Primary Standard. The first hour of every working day was devoted to prayer and religious instruction. No fees were levied and the poor boys were provided gratis with books and other school requisites. Side by side with imparting instruction, he continued his religious discourses in four different languages-English, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarathi. His popular expositions of Hindu ideals naturally led  to the publication of books styled the Hindu Excelsior Series. These activities, varied and numerous as they were, did not, however, seem to satisfy Pandyaji's missionary zeal, which sought further scope for its manifestation.

It was at time when Hindu religious ideals and traditions were at a discount with the generality of the English-educated young men who had tasted the new wine of an alien culture. Such a sorry state of affairs was brought about, on the one hand, by the anti-Hindu propaganda carried on by Christian missionaries. The doctrines and customs, dear and sacred to the Hindu heart, were held up to ridicule. To neutralise the baneful effects of these activities, Pandyaji set up a counter-movement by establishing the Hindu Tract Society in April,1887.It had a threefold aim : The defending of Hinduism, the advocacy of Hindu social reform and the furtherance of the cause of morality and learning. The work which he vigorously carried on with fervor of a zealot, told. The Hindu community felt the need for a national institution where Hindu youths would be given, besides secular education, instruction in their own ancestral faith.    

Just at this time, a provocation incident occurred in the madras Christian College which stung the Hindus to the quick and hastened the realisation of pandyaji's ambition. one of its professors,Rev.Laidlaw,while condemning idol worship, wantonly insulted the religious susceptibilities of the Hindu students by suggesting that his shoes might as well be worshipped. To add to this, there was a rumor of the conversion of a Hindu student, the only son of his parents, while the latter were away from Madras     .The Hindu lads were naturally deeply irritated by these happenings. They were besides themselves with range expressed their displeasure and are said to have 'rebelled'. There was a tremendous commotion in the Hindu community which  woke up to the grave menace that threatened its children. It rose as one man to protect the honor of its hoary religion. The need forth establishment ofa Hindu religious institution became more urgent and imperative than ever before. Pandyaji, who had played the most prominent part in the agitation , naturally became the spear - head  of the movement .His selfless labors carried on with  apostolic forever and fiery zeal for the vindication and protection of ancient Hindu Dharma were not viewed with favor by the authorities of Pachaiyappa's college which he served. Mr. John Adam , the then principal of the college , object to pandyaji's activities and demanded their suspension. With rare courage born of a firm  faith in the righteousness of his mission, Pandyaji gently replied that he was prepared to court martyrdom for the sake of his convictions. He was as good as his word , and promptly resigned his appointment. Far from minding the tremendous personal sacrifice that the resignation necessarily involved, he seemed to rejoice over it as it sent him free to work with redoubled zeal for the  fulfillment of his object.

He began his work in right earnest and carried on an intensive propaganda. He made a fervent appeal to the rich and the influential to help him in the realisation of his idea,setting forth clearly the reasons for the establishment of a Hindu Educational Institution. The following is an extract from it:" The proselytising influence of Christian missionaries resulting in serious consequences to many Hindu families, the natural dread of Hindu parents to send their children to missionaries institutions, the deeply-felt want of religious instruction among Hindu students, the gradual withdrawal of government from field of higher education in India by suggesting that the cause should be upheld by rich and influential native gentlemen , the voluntary suggestion of many leading Hindu gentlemen to establish a Hindu National College in the metropolis of southern India to impart both secular and religious education, the ample scope afforded for the establishment of such a college , considering the wide and rapid spread of higher education and lastly the uncharitable demand of heavy fees in schools and colleges-all these circumstances and considerations have inspired us to establish soon a Hindu Theological College for teaching the general principles of Hinduism on a non-sectarian basis and for imparting secular instruction up to the B.A. standard of the Madras University and for promoting thus the interests of Hinduism as a whole." Nor did Pandyaji stop with a mere appeal for help. The very first contribution of Rs.1000 was his own. This voluntary donation from his depleted resources soon after the resignation of his appointment, bears eloquent testimony at once to his spirit of self-sacrifice and magnanimity of heart. He went from door to door collecting funds. It was not always that he was received warmly. Often he met with cold welcome. To give but one illustration, a haughty gentleman scoffed at his idea of starting an institution and insulted him by offering a copper coin as donation. But Pandyaji met this wanton provocation in the gentlest way. Not only did he receive the coin calmly but he also issued a receipt to the gentleman, thanking him for his donation. Thus , indifferent to praise and blame alike, with faith in god with indomitable will and with single-minded devotion he went  on with his work. He toured the distant corners of the presidency, sought interviews with princes and zamindars and raised large sums of money. The most  sublime and touching part of this stage of  his life , however , was that he denied himself all comforts, nay, even necessaries, to save as much as he could. Out of such incessant toil and cheerful self-sacrifice was born on the 14th of January, 1889, The Hindu Theological High School, the child of high ideals and noble endeavors. It is the unique glory of Pandyaji that he had set on foot the work of the resuscitation of Hindu ideals even before the world-renowned patriot-monk of India ,swami vivekananda,strated the Hindu missionary movement, and that he had established the first Hindu denominational school before that noble lady of revered memory, Dr.Annie Besant , founded the Central Hindu College in Benares.

Pandyaji was the president f the board of management and the head master of the school. The exacting duties and the onerous responsibilities of these offices did not stand in the way of his further efforts to stabilize and strengthen the infant institution. Such was the power of his magnetic personality and disinterested labours that he was able to get from that philanthropic prince, Rajah Bahskara Sethupathi of Remand, a munificent donation of Rs.15,000 and from Amarambedu Munuswami Mudliar , a noble - minded citizen of madras, the sum of Rs.10,000. Nor did he allow himself to be influenced by well-meaning friends who tried to dissuade him from his purpose by suggesting that he was hiding his light under a bushel. To quote an instance, the Maharajah of Vijayanagar pressed him to give up his school work and to undertake an English Translation of the Mahabharatha for which he promised Rs.20,000 .To him and to other such friends, Pandyaji replied that he believed that his salvation lay only in giving moral and religious instruction to the youth of thee land

Pandyaji's connection with the school covered  the period 1889-1899. He was ,indeed, its soul during the decade of his regime. His voice prevailed in all matters concerning it. As the head of the institution, he was known to be a strict disciplinarian. In addition to his intense work within the four walls of the school, he carried on several useful activities for the uplift of the student community, such as the sowcarpet literary society and citizenship classes at different centres in the city. A leading member of the Theosophical society and a friend  of the best pandits of the day, he frequently arranged for discourses by savants, steeped in our ancient lore. In this connection it may be mentioned that swami vivekananda sanctified the institution by paying a visit to it in 1897. The school was ever in the forefront as long as pandyaji was at the helm of its affairs. Ruling Princes,Dewans of states, distinguished educationists and notable public men came under the spell of thee magnetic personality of this remarkable man. They visited the school and lavished praise on it. The inspecting officers gave favorable reports and the director of public instruction recorded his satisfaction at the steady progress of the school. The anniversaries were celebrated regularly under distinguished auspices. The press of madras especially "The Hindu'" not only gave full publicity to the proceedings but also pleaded editorially for public support to the school. The selfless work of the noble Hindu missionaries made itself felt even beyond the borders of the presidency. The press of Bombay and Calcutta had now and then a good word to say about him and his work. All this was the sheer triumph of personality.

Pandyaji's versatility and soundness of scholarship won the respectful admiration of the people that came into contact with him. Those who had the rare good fortune and the proud privilege of learning at his feet were captivated by the profundity of his learning and the masterly manner  in which he presented highly abstruse religious and philosophical truths. The following is a striking incident in point : While the matadhipathi of sringeri was once sojourning in ramnad, pandyaji happened to be the guest of Rajah Sethupathi. The latter requested him to engage His Holiness in conversation,recognising him to be the fittest for the task.Swamiji was so struck with the sound scholarship and evangelic zeal of pandyaji that he forthwith presented him with a pair of shawls. With characteristic modesty, pandyaji wished to be excused from  receiving the gift. The Swami there upon gently persuaded him to accept the tokens, saying ," You are doing our work. We wish all mutts copied your example and spread Hindu Dharma far and wide." Pandyaji, in deference to the strongly-felt wish of his holiness, took the shawls . He offered one of them to his patron deity at puliyur and worshipped the other as a sacred object to the end of his days.

That Pandyaji was a writer of no mean ability is borne out by his numerous publications, covering a wide range of subjects . One of his books , " Modern British Wisdom," was dedicated to Queen Victoria in whose praise  he composed a poem called the "Victoria Rule." His booklets of the Hindu Excelsior Series which enshrine his religious instruction of Hindu youths are at once a standing testimony to the excellence of his penmanship and to his unrivalled capacity for lucid exposition of the verities of life, in a style simple , telling and arresting. The madras Christian College magazine-to give only one out of seventy-three appreciations from various sources-commended pandyaji's literary activities in the following words :" He labors with indefatigable patience and simplicity of purpose which are refreshing . Mr.Sivasankara pandyaji has entered a field in which much good work may be done, work valuable from a  purely literary point of view as well as from that of moral instruction. In his selection our author has shown sound judgment, and some of his explanations are unexceptionable".

Pandyaji had a charming personality- a face beaming with intelligence, calm self-possession, inflexible determination and spiritual illumination. He was simplicity incarnate. Without any false sense of dignity, he willingly consented to go to any place when invited to propagate Hindu ideals. With him god was not a mere abstraction or an intellectual conception but an ever-present reality. In the midst of his manifold duties, he daily found time for contemplation. The devout Hindu that he was , he went on a pilgrimage to almost all the sacred shrines of our land, and in all those places he often lost himself in meditation and composed extempore hymns of praise in honor of the deities . Such was the man who laid broad and deep the foundations of the Hindu Theological High School. It pleased god to take him suddenly to his bosom on the 14th of february,1899, at the comparatively early age of 45,exactly ten years and one month after the establishment of this great Hindu National Institution.

One hundred and four years have elapsed since his exit from the seene of his labours. But he lives to-day in the hearts of his successors ever inspiring them to march on towards the goal which he set for the school.

SECOND FOUNDER - SRI K.RANGASWAMY AIYANGAR,B,A., B.L., L.T.

It is common knowledge that our School has made phenomenal progress only after the advent of Sri K. Rangaswami Aiyangar as its Head.  The celebration held last year in honour of our good Chief to mark the close of the decennium o this headship of the School, was unique of its kind.  It was, however, inevitable.  Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar lived the period in deeds, not in years.  As the sands were falling from the hour glass, he did not allow a minute to slip by, till he had extracted out fit sixty seconds of work.  He was thus able to crowd into these years the work of as many decades.  The celebration, therefore, came in as an appropriate punctuation to mark the close of ten most strenuous and memorable summers.

As a worker, Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar is hard to beat.  Work with him is worship.  The inspiration and the strength for it come to him from a deep-rooted religious faith.  One day he expressed his creed at a meeting of the Boys' Union in a few pregnant words:" Without religion there can be no faith; without faith there can be no strength; without strength there can be no effort; and without effort there can be no achievement." The language is aphoristic, positive and direct.  It gives in a nutshell his philosophy of action.  He lives up to his creed.   He is a sincere devotee of Sri Rama and has unwavering faith in His Grace.  To his Lord and Protector, he offers always worship in the sanctuary of his heart.   Before he undertakes any work, he prays for Divine Grace.  Then he sees the goal and steadily marches towards it without feeling the strain and minding the cost.  It was said of the English soldiers that fought at Waterloo, that they never knew that they had lost a single battle.  Our Chief knows no failure save failure of effort.

Few teachers can equal Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar in the love that he showers upon his boys.  He knows every one of them by name.  At the sight of any of them, the picture of his home and parents comes before his mind. This is due to his keen powers of observation and to the parental love that he bears towards them. The number of pupils, past and present, that have been the recipients of his personal help financially and in other ways, cannot be counted.  He watches the progress of his pupils as they proceed from class to class and, when the Sixth Form boys leave the School, he feels most acutely the pang of separation.  It is this love that helps him to preserve his link with the Old Boys of  School.  He not only loves but also adores the lads.  He sees divinity in the pure and unsophisticated hearts of the young.  They are his angels, his gods.  He worships them in his heart though he rules them by his voice.  He openly showed it one day.  The work for the year was over.  A meeting of Prayer and Thanks-giving was held.  At the end of it, Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar paid a glowing tribute to the splendid behavior of the boys and lay prostrate before all and offered worship to the impersonal ideal of youth.

The same human element characterizes his relationship with the members of the Staff.  This fact has been clearly brought out in the Address presented to him by the Master' Association.  He has succeeded in achieving the most difficult thing for any Head Master to accomplish.  He has established the pose between the claims of friendship and those of duty without forfeiting either.

Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar is essentially a man of heart though, like the Spartan of old, he disdains to wear it on his sleeve.  It is by the power of his heart that he has come to the forefront.  His positive virtues-in-dependence and resourcefulness-form a plexus of qualities that mark him out as a born leader. But these have their origin in a heart, which is loving, sympathetic and generous and which delights in pouring itself out in service and sacrifice.  Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar's most valuable gift to the School is himself.  The present system of education almost crushes the personalities of those that come under its heavy weight.  Sri Rangaswami Aiyangar has risen above it and has used it as an instrument of National Education.  Within its ambit he has built up and perfected an organization that has served as an appropriate vehicle for the growth of the corporate life of the School and has enabled it to develop a personality of its own.  His personality-vibrant, dynamic and powerful-has infected pupils and teachers with his enthusiasm for work.  The spirit of service which regards work not as a drudgery but as a joy has come to animate the workers.  The transfigured appearance of the School and the national atmosphere that pervades it, are due to his genius.  More valuable than the gift of knowledge by a teacher are the gifts of love, sincerity and courage which are the essential attributes of his spiritual personality.   In laying these at the altar of the School, Mr. Rangaswami Aiyangar has given his all in its service.  He is the greatest a set to the School.  He is also a gift of the gods to the teaching profession.  May he be spared long to be a source of inspiration to his co-workers !

R. S. Subrahmanya Aiyar, B.A., L.T.

KULAPATHY SRI. S. BALAKRISHNA JOSHI , B.A., L.T.

S.B.J. – These sweet-sounding initials belong to the man who stood like a colossus among the practising educationists of South India, during the major part of the last century. He had been known even in North India. There were countless theorists in the field of education but successful practitioners were few and far between.

Sri. S. Balakrishna Joshi was, indeed, a highly successful practitioner of education of the young. He was a Headmaster non pareil who shone like the sun. His tenure of the headship of The Hindu Theological High School, Sowcarpet, Chennai – 79 was long and lustrous - 26 years (from 1944 to 1970). During his leadership the institution, which was his Alma Mater, grew from strength to strength and from success to success. The school became a pattern worthy of admiration and emulation. It is no exaggeration to state here that the headmasters of many other institutions in South India visited the school and considered the opportunity to meet and hold discussion with Joshiji, their great fortune. The educational activities that were going on in the school under the efficient and enlightened guidance of the dedicated and devoted head Sri. Joshi, were countless and teacher trainees with their lecturers and principals from the various training colleges of South India visited the school avidly and derived long lasting benefits. Many a famous educationist from within and without India visited the school and paid eulogy and encomiums to Sri. Joshi. The fame of the institution reached its acme during his stewardship and the school was one of the best in the country.

Those who were connected with education were all praise for Sri. Joshi, admired him and idolized him. Great scholars and prominent personalities like
Dr. Sir. C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, Dr. Sir. A. Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar,
Sir. A. Ramaswamy Mudaliar, Dr. Sir. S. Radhakrishnan and such others treated him as their equal and best friend.

Sri. S.B.J. became a teacher in the school in which he studied, not by chance but by deliberate choice. He loved teaching and looked upon his work not merely as a profession but as a high calling. He served with missionary zeal. He never believed in the force of authority but in the power of love, persuasion and personal example. Without his asking he could easily enlist the whole-hearted co-operation of his devoted colleagues. He tended and trained the children that were committed to his care with rare affection. His students looked upon him as their second-parent. He used to say often to the august assembly of teachers of various institutions that a teacher is truly a vicar of God on earth and indeed he became a vicar of God himself.

It was not a surprise to many that Sri. Joshi became one of the few headmasters of South India, in the year 1964, to win the National Award for Teachers. He received the most coveted award at the hands of no less a person than Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the then President of the Republic of India.

Sri. Joshi was a great scholar, a convincing speaker in English, and a fine writer, an educational expert, a deeply religious man, a man of progressive views, amiable manners and neat habits and high principles, and above all a humane human.

Even after his retirement, in 1970, from his institution, he continued with renewed zeal and zest, to guide not only his school but many other institutions, in Chennai, that sought his advice. He was in great demand as an administrator and soon after he retired from his school he became the Principal of D.A.V. High School, in Chennai, that felt proud of his being its head. He presided over many educational meetings and conferences organised by both private and government agencies and was often consulted by educational experts. He never felt tired of serving the cause of education. He did, doubtless, yeoman service to the education of the Juvenile. His book ‘Education in Practice’ reveals the many facets of his magnetic personality. He lived a happy and long life and when the breathed his last during the last decade of the past century, even the Chennai Doordarshan paid its meed of tribute to him by displaying prominently his imposing photograph and making a broad mention of his unique contribution to education.

May the soul of Sri. Joshi take another mortal attire to inspire us all and to guide us aright in our educational endeavours!

Dr.N.Ramachandran (Teacher)