RSN Memorial Library and Indological Research Institute

RSN Memorial Library and Indological Research Institute

Why do some persons collect books?: Perhaps, every man reads books, keeps books and many store books continuously with him. Yes, when a man reads one book and likes it very much, he wants to have it with him. In the same way, he likes the second, the third and so on, he likes, he loves and considers as valuable. After reading many books, when he comes to know the facts, reality and truth, he could find out the differences also. The more he reads about one subject, he comes to know, the more he is ignorant about the subject. Yes, knowledge is infinite, but the human mind is limited. The pursuit continues.

How books continue to live with the book collector?: When such books continue to live with him for years together, he remembers every line, paragraph, page;

• book, where and how he purchased it,
• that one could not buy immediately as he did not have enough money, but purchased later and added to his collection,
• for buying books and storing how sometimes he got objection from the parents, friends, room-mates and even from his wife – would be a normal experience.

Thus, he may be branded or dubbed as a bibliophile, book mania, worm of books and so on.

The book collector has to face many objections and opposition: He would not allow any book to be torn; damaged by insects and eaten away by white ants /termites. There would be fight between him and his wife for storing huge books occupying room, rooms and house. Sometimes, wife may sell them off secretly to wastepaper buyer. The wastepaper buyer tempts to add something with the newspapers to round off, so that it would weigh exactly ten kgs. Thus, she would bring one or two books and put in the scales to get adjusted. Besides, there would be by heavy rains, cyclones, floods and thereby his house is suffered with all natural climatic calamities. After rains, floods recede away, the moisture would be there and it produces insects and white ants that start attacking books.

to be inaugurated on 28-10-2023

Books not returned by friends: But with all these problems, that book collector goes on living with more and more books. Many times, he would be fooled and cheated by his friends also, as some of the take books from him but do not return. Thus, the book collector would start noting down in his diary, the names with books list would increase, but, never all books noted are returned. Many times, the book borrowers would reply, “I have already returned, you check up.” As bibliophiles, there are kleptomaniacs specialized in book stealing. Particularly, with rare books, it happens regularly.

Indological Research Institute….

What would happen to the book collection, after the book collector?: Thus, he lives with his family now with sons and daughters with the hope that they would or might carry on his hobby, venture or project with commitment, but, mostly, they would not be interesting. They may read some books of their choice and keep quite. The book collector grows with age and books. Saving the books from others, termites and floods, what to do with them – question arises? “What would happen to my valuable collection after me?” He would have spent more than Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 lakhs during the last 50 years. For steel racks, periodical cleaning and maintenance he would have spent many more lakhs for the same period. However, now, money is not matter, but the books have to be preserved and protected so that some others might use them.

William Jones, Max Mueller, Hermann Jacobi, Heinrich Zimmer, George Thibaut, Gutava Oppert

News cuttings and books in our Research Institute…

All book collector or displayers are not interested in books: The collection books for a cause, principle and ideology has been different from that of other collection of books. A devotee too has a large collection books on Vedas, Itihasas, Puranas and related literature, but, he is concerned about bakti, devotion, God and God related divine activities. A new advocate, consultant or even politician too fills up the book shelves behind with books.  He is not interested in the history, chronology, archaeology and other aspects of those subjects. But, our friend book collector is.

Racks containing books in our Institute….

Books destroyed to suppress the past, even the recent past: Moreover, there have been groups of people that buy old, rare and other books and destroys, because, they want to destroy the past, even, the recent past. We know how many libraries were, were burnt during the last 3500 years at many places. Even though, the Alexandrian library is talked about, there had been many-many Universities, Gurukulas and Patasalas, where the attached libraries had also been attacked, burned and razed down completely in India. Therefore, the preservation of the old and rare books is necessitated.

Even childish habit may convert to book collection: At earlier years, I started collecting books perhaps with “Ambulimama” (also known as Chandamama) and then converting serials like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc., into bound volumes. This created interest in buying and colleting Puranas. Of course, I learned such practice from my uncle. Book reading practice continued with book collection. When I was studying 9^th standard, I completed reading of Ponniyin Selvan, Kadalpura, Yavanari etc. One Rajagopalan, old book seller of the Station Road, West Mambalam used to provide me many books.

Thus created the library and research institute: The “RSN Memorial Library and Indological Research Institute” has been started with the collection of books, 60-years newspaper cuttings, booklets, pamphlets and other materials of S/Sri R.S. Narayanaswamy, Dr S. Kalyanaraman, K. V. Ramakrishna Rao and others. It is to be inaugurated by Dr Subramanian Swamy on October 28^th, Saturday, 2023 4.00 pm at Sri Vedanta Bhavanam, T. Nagar, Chennai, 600017 and Sponsored by the Vishva Hindu Vidya Kendra. Whoever is in Chennai, is invited to attend the function and who are away, kindly bless from your place.

K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

26-10-2023