T. Subba Row
Mr. Subba
Row (left) and the front cover of the 2002 edition of “Esoteric Writings”
Introduction to the 2012 Online Edition
N. C. Ramanujachary
Sri
Tallapragada Subba Row (1856-1890) had a very short period of life and yet his
contribution to the work of the Theosophical Association is highly rich and
commendable. It not only was interwoven with the Founders of the Movement but
too equally with Sir S. Subramania Iyer and Sri Tukaram Tatia who were the
principal instruments to bring his writings under covers of print.
“A Collection of Esoteric Writings of T. Subba Row,
F.T.S., B.A., B.L.” was brought out, posthumously, by the Bombay Theosophical
Publication Fund in 1895, and this underwent two reprints thereafter. Some
articles therein were also issued out by different publishing agencies, over
the years, as pamphlets and booklets.
In his preface to the original edition of “Esoteric
Writings”, Sri Tukaram writes thus:
“Whilst presenting this little volume to the
public, we cannot but pay tribute to the memory of one who had done such good
service to the cause of Occult Science. (….) Blavatsky used always to consult
him whenever there were difficult and intricate problems to be solved. She had
at one time sent the manuscripts of her most valuable work ‘The Secret Doctrine’
to him for correction and alteration; but he declined to undertake the work
because he believed the world was not yet prepared to accept the disclosures of
those secrets which had been, for good reason, hitherto kept within the
knowledge of the sacred few. (….) Though most of the articles reproduced here
are of controversial character, the reader will find them of sterling worth and
merit on account of the originality of thought displayed and the able treatment
of the various points controverted. And,
moreover, they teem with learned and useful suggestions for progress of the
students of Occult Science. (….) Besides
these articles, we are in possession of several notes of a miscellaneous character,
regarding the private instructions given by Mr. T. Subba Row to the ‘chosen few’
who had the good fortune to be in close contact with him. [1] He had also made contributions to the local newspapers and
magazines, but we think it unnecessary to reprint these, as they are solely on questions
political and social…..”
There are groups of keen students of Occult and
theosophical studies, the world over, studying his writings in depth and
further the methods of research indicated by him. As envisaged by him
elsewhere, “it ought to be the duty of every one of us to try to enlighten our
men on the philosophy of religion, and endeavor to lead them back to a purer
faith - a faith which, no doubt, did exist in former times, but which now lives
in name or in the pages of forgotten book.”
It is a very pleasing and heartening factor for me
that his precious writings are now being brought online through www.TheosophyOnline.com, www.FilosofiaEsoterica.com and their
associated websites. The discerning readers will surely be benefitted by
this benevolent action.
Dr. N. C. Ramanujachary
Adyar, Chennai, 04 May 2012.
NOTE:
[1] These notes have been procured later by Sri C.
Jinarajadasa, who brought out in 1931 the revised and enlarged edition of the 1895
book under the present title “Esoteric Writings”. There was a reprint in 1980,
and another edition in 2002, which is presently published online in PDF. The
2002 edition mistakenly reports that the first edition occurred in 1951, while
in fact the 1980 reprint correctly reported: “First edition, 1895; Second
Edition, Revised & Enlarged, 1931; Third Printing, 1980.”
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Dr. N. C.
Ramanujachary wrote the book “The Lonely Disciple”, a Monograph on T. Subba Row, which is published online and can be found
in our associated websites.
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