My family and I express our heartfelt condolence to the family of late Mr Rajah. I have always felt our dear Mr Rajah was a picture of “CALMNESS” which was very perceptible. It was a great force which could influence anybody who comes in his contact! He never lost that treasure even when I saw him a few days before his merge into the “ETERNAL CALM”. His great passion and reverence for SAVITRI made his talks spring from his heart and penetrated into ours.
I dedicate the following lines from SAVITRI to the GREAT SOUL of late Mr Rajah.
“As when the mantra sinks in Yoga’s ear,
Its message enters stirring the blind brain
And keeps in the dim ignorant cells its sound;
The hearer understands a form of words
And musing on the index thought it holds,
He strives to read it with the labouring mind,
But finds bright hints, not the embodied truth:
Then, falling silent in himself to know
He meets the deeper listening of his soul:
The Word expresses itself in rhythmic strains:
Thought, vision, feeling, sense, the body’s self
Are seized unalterably and he endures
An ecstasy and an immortal change:
He feels a Wideness and becomes a Power,
All knowledge rushes on him like a sea:
Transmuted by the white spiritual ray
He walks in naked heavens of joy and calm,
Sees the God-face and hears transcendent speech”. – (Book 4, Canto3)
I dedicate the following lines from SAVITRI to the GREAT SOUL of late Mr Rajah.
“As when the mantra sinks in Yoga’s ear,
Its message enters stirring the blind brain
And keeps in the dim ignorant cells its sound;
The hearer understands a form of words
And musing on the index thought it holds,
He strives to read it with the labouring mind,
But finds bright hints, not the embodied truth:
Then, falling silent in himself to know
He meets the deeper listening of his soul:
The Word expresses itself in rhythmic strains:
Thought, vision, feeling, sense, the body’s self
Are seized unalterably and he endures
An ecstasy and an immortal change:
He feels a Wideness and becomes a Power,
All knowledge rushes on him like a sea:
Transmuted by the white spiritual ray
He walks in naked heavens of joy and calm,
Sees the God-face and hears transcendent speech”. – (Book 4, Canto3)
Jayalakshmi
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Mr. K.S.Rajah. I convey my heartfelt condolences to his family. He was a worthy son of the Mother and we know that his soul rests in peace at the Mother's Feet.
In Her Love,
Manojda,
- Manoj Das Gupta
Managing Trustee, Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
On behalf of all the team at Savitri Bhavan in Auroville, I write to convey our sadness to learn of the passing of Mr. K.S. Rajah, who has been a generous supporter of this project since its inception. We send our sympathies and best wishes to his family at this time of loss, sure that his soul is now safely at rest with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, whom he served with such devotion for so many years. Our prayers are with you all at this time.
- Shraddhavan
Project Coordinator, Savitri Bhavan, Auroville
Needless to say, the news of Mr Rajah’s passing saddened me greatly. A flood of memories came to my mind. He was a person of an extremely sweet, charming, affable and cheerful disposition with a fine sense of humour.
I join all the members of the Sri Aurobindo Society in Singapore in expressing my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved, especially Mrs. Rajah. I pray for peace, joy and tranquility for his soul in the lap of the Divine Mother and in this hour of difficulty also pray that God grant his family members, friends, associates and well-wishers strength to face this loss.
- Prashant Khanna
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi Branch
Being a devoted child of The Mother, K.S.Rajah lived in Her consciousness, enveloped in spiritual aura. Even during his ill health he remained calm, his face glowing with serenity. He was a man of great courage and humility. He never shied away from expressing his views but at the same time respected the views of others. His numerous admirers would miss but remember him with love.
- Jagir Singh Riar
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
hariH OM OM namaH shivaayaH
With my last 10 years of association with Mr Rajah in relation to Gita Jayanti, and in particular the organization of many Jnana Yajna parts of it, like the Gita Forums, he was always a great source of jnana and vijnana with respect to our spiritual literature such as the Gita and the Upanishads as well as Sri Aurobindo's thoughts. His sharp legal brain, soundly based on our perennial wisdom was amply clear during many of the Gita Forum sessions where he served as the chair. His articles in the Gita Vani over the last many years were also reflections of his immense learning, wisdom, acuity as well as humility.
The drop of wisdom has merged into the ocean of bliss and eternity !
hariH OM OM namaH shivaayaH
Humble pranams.
- Krishna Kumar
Editor, ‘Gita Vani’
I am very sorry to hear the sad news of Rajahji's passing away. Let's pray for him that the blessing of Divine Mother and Sri Aurobindo will be with him. I feel very grateful for the late Rajahji's help in giving me many books of Sri Aurobindo for my Ph.D thesis.
I'd like to express my condolence to the family and members of Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore.
Warm regards.
- Matius Ali.
I have over the years listened to many of Mr Rajah's talks at the Sri Aurobindo Society. Low-key in presentation, his talks were always scholarly and deep, and I found them very absorbing. As an individual too, he was unfailingly pleasant, friendly, and courteous to all - a thorough gentleman. Mrs. Rajah too has been a most worthy companion of his in their journey through life. May God bless his soul, and grant his family members the strength to bear this loss.
With deepest regards.
- Basant Kapur.
I am deeply moved to hear the sad demise of Mr. K.S. Rajah, who has been a guiding force for Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore in particular and to all devotees in general by his amicable endeavours. After long suffering, his mortal activity has come to an end but his contribution shall be cherished by one and all at Singapore for all times to come. I feel sorry for my inability to attend his funeral. May his soul rest in the Divine’s abode.
Regards.
- Sashibhusan Rath,
Rourkela, India.
From the Family of Mr K S Rajah to All…
Dear Friends,
My children and I want to thank you for your prayers, kind words and tributes. Your support has been of great comfort to us during this difficult time of our loss, pain and sorrow.
Yours Affectionately,
Gnanam.
Tributes……
Our Dear Mr Rajah,
When I met him during his last days in the hospital, he was much sedated as he was in acute pain. I held his hand to say “Hello Mr Rajah”, and pop he said “Venkat!”. It was remarkable for him to identify me in that condition, his mind was crystal clear and quick silver sharp as always. He was completely peaceful and ready for the approaching end of his cycle of life, with such equipoise. Indeed, he was so detached and well prepared from within, a trait of his own inner preparedness and yogic attitude.
He was a brilliant lawyer, jurist, arbitrator, intellectual, and community leader – but we in Sri Aurobindo Society were the only ones who experienced his spiritual dimension, something that he revealed only to the nearest and chosen few. As it were, it was a quirk of fate that perhaps his professional interest in the subject of death sentence, a piece of seminal work he did, brought him to the subject of fatality and morbidity of death, and kindled his search for answers in the spiritual works of the great masters. He came to Sri Aurobindo, and found to his great delight the leap from mortality to immortality in his epic poem ‘Savitri’. He devoured it with the interest of a lawyer reading the fine print, and dissecting its myriad hidden meanings, and relished its profound lines with the naivete and charm of an innocent child of The Mother. His talks on ‘Savitri’ at our centre were unique; at times he covered simply 3-4 lines in a whole hour, and would give the seekers a delightful new insight.
During the later years, he practiced what he spoke and certainly achieved an elevated level of consciousness. It was palpable in his company, with flashes of his tryst with the other-worldly peeping through him, sometimes like sunrays. The presence within shone on him. His last “few words”, when he was rather unwell, at our centre on The Mother’s birthday on 21s Feb 2010, came from the depths of his heart and touched one and all.
His sharp mind and quick wit were unbeatable. He maintained a clear sense of righteousness and purpose in whatever he did. He stood tall amongst equals, as a great human being with a deep sense of compassion. His needs were stark simple, and he was such an unassuming soul, self effacing to the core. He would amble into a small restaurant, to tuck in his quick lunch completely unnoticed and enjoy his meal. I once ran into him, and noticed he had a penchant for spicy food, and never liked the blandness of prescribed diets!
Truly, dear Mr Rajah was a friend, guide and philosopher to many of us and has inspired a whole generation of people. Remembering him and reminiscing his life, will in itself be a great inspiration to many. For those of us who have lived in his company, and shared wonderful moments with him, he continues to live in our hearts and we can almost hear his chuckle – he always enjoyed good humor. He would like to see us smiling, when we think of him. For his soul is resting with The Divine Mother, assimilating the entire journey of life before commencing yet another.
- Venkat Rao
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
A DIVINITY AND KINGLINESS GRID HIS BROW
“Divinity” and “kingliness” emanated from our beloved Chairman, Mr. K. S. Rajah. The name ‘Rajah’ or King most aptly describes him, a wise king touched with light who shed his grandiose ray on human life and illumined our lives.
The Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 16, classifies the entire humanity into two types - dvau bhutasargan, the “ignorant men who are not seeking God and the wise men who are”. Mr. K. S. Rajah was exemplary of the second category comprising the wise man, a seeker of God, with qualities such as “fearlessness, purity of heart, perseverance in acquiring wisdom and in practicing yoga, charity, subjugation of the senses, performance of holy rites, study of the scriptures, truthfulness, straightforwardness, radiance of character” to name a few.
Each one of us who came under his regal influence and heard his words of “ananda amrita varshini” words of divine nectar, were astounded with the fabulous garland he wove together with his deep insights, personal anecdotes, his command over words, which were threaded with his delightful humor, humility, modesty and childlike sincerity and simplicity. We sat in that blissful atmosphere on Sunday evenings as he presented to us talks on ‘Savitri’.
There for an hour untouched by the earth’s siege
They ceased from common life and care and sat
Inclining to the high and rhythmic voice,
While in his measure chant the heavenly seer
Spoke of the toils of men and what the gods
Strive for on earth, and joy that throbs behind
The marvel and the mystery of pain.
- ‘Savitri’
Sri Paramahansa Yogananda said that the right study of scriptures, svadhyaya, leads to emancipation. However “Redemption does not come from what one knows intellectually but from what one becomes as a result of that knowledge”. All of us from the Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore, saw in Mr. Rajah this deep connection between, “one’s learning and oneself”, the deep intuitional wisdom and realization he had attained and generously shared with us.
On a personal note, it was with great delight that I accepted his gracious offer to give me a ride in “his chariot” on Sunday evenings. I marveled at his deep insights and intellect and wished the ride would go on forever without an end. However, as Sri Aurobindo says, life for the embodied is one of “frail impermanence” and everything here begins and ends, but it is the end which will ever begin again as death’s grip can break our bodies but not our souls .
Uncle Rajah, as you begin yet another voyage, a new and mystical one, may it be one which is guided and led by the unerring Hand of Divine Mother and Master, may you be a voyager upon eternity’s seas with your “brilliant arrow pointing straight at heaven”.
He sails through life and death and other life,
He travels on through waking and through sleep.
A power is on him from her occult force
That ties him to his own creation’s fate,
And never can the mighty traveler rest
And never can the mystic voyage cease,
Till the nescient dusk is lifted from man’s soul
And the morns of God have overtaken his night.
- ‘Savitri’
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Mr. K.S.Rajah. I convey my heartfelt condolences to his family. He was a worthy son of the Mother and we know that his soul rests in peace at the Mother's Feet.
In Her Love,
Manojda,
- Manoj Das Gupta
Managing Trustee, Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
On behalf of all the team at Savitri Bhavan in Auroville, I write to convey our sadness to learn of the passing of Mr. K.S. Rajah, who has been a generous supporter of this project since its inception. We send our sympathies and best wishes to his family at this time of loss, sure that his soul is now safely at rest with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, whom he served with such devotion for so many years. Our prayers are with you all at this time.
- Shraddhavan
Project Coordinator, Savitri Bhavan, Auroville
Needless to say, the news of Mr Rajah’s passing saddened me greatly. A flood of memories came to my mind. He was a person of an extremely sweet, charming, affable and cheerful disposition with a fine sense of humour.
I join all the members of the Sri Aurobindo Society in Singapore in expressing my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved, especially Mrs. Rajah. I pray for peace, joy and tranquility for his soul in the lap of the Divine Mother and in this hour of difficulty also pray that God grant his family members, friends, associates and well-wishers strength to face this loss.
- Prashant Khanna
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi Branch
Being a devoted child of The Mother, K.S.Rajah lived in Her consciousness, enveloped in spiritual aura. Even during his ill health he remained calm, his face glowing with serenity. He was a man of great courage and humility. He never shied away from expressing his views but at the same time respected the views of others. His numerous admirers would miss but remember him with love.
- Jagir Singh Riar
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
hariH OM OM namaH shivaayaH
With my last 10 years of association with Mr Rajah in relation to Gita Jayanti, and in particular the organization of many Jnana Yajna parts of it, like the Gita Forums, he was always a great source of jnana and vijnana with respect to our spiritual literature such as the Gita and the Upanishads as well as Sri Aurobindo's thoughts. His sharp legal brain, soundly based on our perennial wisdom was amply clear during many of the Gita Forum sessions where he served as the chair. His articles in the Gita Vani over the last many years were also reflections of his immense learning, wisdom, acuity as well as humility.
The drop of wisdom has merged into the ocean of bliss and eternity !
hariH OM OM namaH shivaayaH
Humble pranams.
- Krishna Kumar
Editor, ‘Gita Vani’
I am very sorry to hear the sad news of Rajahji's passing away. Let's pray for him that the blessing of Divine Mother and Sri Aurobindo will be with him. I feel very grateful for the late Rajahji's help in giving me many books of Sri Aurobindo for my Ph.D thesis.
I'd like to express my condolence to the family and members of Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore.
Warm regards.
- Matius Ali.
I have over the years listened to many of Mr Rajah's talks at the Sri Aurobindo Society. Low-key in presentation, his talks were always scholarly and deep, and I found them very absorbing. As an individual too, he was unfailingly pleasant, friendly, and courteous to all - a thorough gentleman. Mrs. Rajah too has been a most worthy companion of his in their journey through life. May God bless his soul, and grant his family members the strength to bear this loss.
With deepest regards.
- Basant Kapur.
I am deeply moved to hear the sad demise of Mr. K.S. Rajah, who has been a guiding force for Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore in particular and to all devotees in general by his amicable endeavours. After long suffering, his mortal activity has come to an end but his contribution shall be cherished by one and all at Singapore for all times to come. I feel sorry for my inability to attend his funeral. May his soul rest in the Divine’s abode.
Regards.
- Sashibhusan Rath,
Rourkela, India.
From the Family of Mr K S Rajah to All…
Dear Friends,
My children and I want to thank you for your prayers, kind words and tributes. Your support has been of great comfort to us during this difficult time of our loss, pain and sorrow.
Yours Affectionately,
Gnanam.
Tributes……
Our Dear Mr Rajah,
When I met him during his last days in the hospital, he was much sedated as he was in acute pain. I held his hand to say “Hello Mr Rajah”, and pop he said “Venkat!”. It was remarkable for him to identify me in that condition, his mind was crystal clear and quick silver sharp as always. He was completely peaceful and ready for the approaching end of his cycle of life, with such equipoise. Indeed, he was so detached and well prepared from within, a trait of his own inner preparedness and yogic attitude.
He was a brilliant lawyer, jurist, arbitrator, intellectual, and community leader – but we in Sri Aurobindo Society were the only ones who experienced his spiritual dimension, something that he revealed only to the nearest and chosen few. As it were, it was a quirk of fate that perhaps his professional interest in the subject of death sentence, a piece of seminal work he did, brought him to the subject of fatality and morbidity of death, and kindled his search for answers in the spiritual works of the great masters. He came to Sri Aurobindo, and found to his great delight the leap from mortality to immortality in his epic poem ‘Savitri’. He devoured it with the interest of a lawyer reading the fine print, and dissecting its myriad hidden meanings, and relished its profound lines with the naivete and charm of an innocent child of The Mother. His talks on ‘Savitri’ at our centre were unique; at times he covered simply 3-4 lines in a whole hour, and would give the seekers a delightful new insight.
During the later years, he practiced what he spoke and certainly achieved an elevated level of consciousness. It was palpable in his company, with flashes of his tryst with the other-worldly peeping through him, sometimes like sunrays. The presence within shone on him. His last “few words”, when he was rather unwell, at our centre on The Mother’s birthday on 21s Feb 2010, came from the depths of his heart and touched one and all.
His sharp mind and quick wit were unbeatable. He maintained a clear sense of righteousness and purpose in whatever he did. He stood tall amongst equals, as a great human being with a deep sense of compassion. His needs were stark simple, and he was such an unassuming soul, self effacing to the core. He would amble into a small restaurant, to tuck in his quick lunch completely unnoticed and enjoy his meal. I once ran into him, and noticed he had a penchant for spicy food, and never liked the blandness of prescribed diets!
Truly, dear Mr Rajah was a friend, guide and philosopher to many of us and has inspired a whole generation of people. Remembering him and reminiscing his life, will in itself be a great inspiration to many. For those of us who have lived in his company, and shared wonderful moments with him, he continues to live in our hearts and we can almost hear his chuckle – he always enjoyed good humor. He would like to see us smiling, when we think of him. For his soul is resting with The Divine Mother, assimilating the entire journey of life before commencing yet another.
- Venkat Rao
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
A DIVINITY AND KINGLINESS GRID HIS BROW
“Divinity” and “kingliness” emanated from our beloved Chairman, Mr. K. S. Rajah. The name ‘Rajah’ or King most aptly describes him, a wise king touched with light who shed his grandiose ray on human life and illumined our lives.
The Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 16, classifies the entire humanity into two types - dvau bhutasargan, the “ignorant men who are not seeking God and the wise men who are”. Mr. K. S. Rajah was exemplary of the second category comprising the wise man, a seeker of God, with qualities such as “fearlessness, purity of heart, perseverance in acquiring wisdom and in practicing yoga, charity, subjugation of the senses, performance of holy rites, study of the scriptures, truthfulness, straightforwardness, radiance of character” to name a few.
Each one of us who came under his regal influence and heard his words of “ananda amrita varshini” words of divine nectar, were astounded with the fabulous garland he wove together with his deep insights, personal anecdotes, his command over words, which were threaded with his delightful humor, humility, modesty and childlike sincerity and simplicity. We sat in that blissful atmosphere on Sunday evenings as he presented to us talks on ‘Savitri’.
There for an hour untouched by the earth’s siege
They ceased from common life and care and sat
Inclining to the high and rhythmic voice,
While in his measure chant the heavenly seer
Spoke of the toils of men and what the gods
Strive for on earth, and joy that throbs behind
The marvel and the mystery of pain.
- ‘Savitri’
Sri Paramahansa Yogananda said that the right study of scriptures, svadhyaya, leads to emancipation. However “Redemption does not come from what one knows intellectually but from what one becomes as a result of that knowledge”. All of us from the Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore, saw in Mr. Rajah this deep connection between, “one’s learning and oneself”, the deep intuitional wisdom and realization he had attained and generously shared with us.
On a personal note, it was with great delight that I accepted his gracious offer to give me a ride in “his chariot” on Sunday evenings. I marveled at his deep insights and intellect and wished the ride would go on forever without an end. However, as Sri Aurobindo says, life for the embodied is one of “frail impermanence” and everything here begins and ends, but it is the end which will ever begin again as death’s grip can break our bodies but not our souls .
Uncle Rajah, as you begin yet another voyage, a new and mystical one, may it be one which is guided and led by the unerring Hand of Divine Mother and Master, may you be a voyager upon eternity’s seas with your “brilliant arrow pointing straight at heaven”.
He sails through life and death and other life,
He travels on through waking and through sleep.
A power is on him from her occult force
That ties him to his own creation’s fate,
And never can the mighty traveler rest
And never can the mystic voyage cease,
Till the nescient dusk is lifted from man’s soul
And the morns of God have overtaken his night.
- ‘Savitri’
- Sudha
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore
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