(from "Reminiscences of Kunju Swami"):
Bhagavan has never been seen lying stretched flat on a bed with a pillow under his head. He used to recline with tiṇḍu (cylindrical cushions) supporting his back. Sometimes he would recline, using his hand as a prop to the head. He was never in the habit of sleeping lying down on a bed like everyone else.
We all used a tooth powder prepared in the āśram itself, that was kept folded in tiny packets. Bhagavan, after opening a packet, would carefully refold it even if there was only a slight excess quantity of powder left, and hand it over to us. We were expected to preserve it and give it to him the next morning. In case we missed out on this, he would draw attention to our carelessness in matters of thrift. While in Skandasramam, and even after moving down to the present āśram, for several years Bhagavan was in the habit of taking his bath only after applying pañca kaṟpam, a medicinal concoction of bath oil and herbal extracts. Later on we started preparing another variety of it: coconut milk from a ripe coconut kernel would be squeezed out and by boiling the milk extracted, its oil was obtained. To this oil was added pepper and tumbai flowers [A tiny wild plant having medicinal properties] and this mixture was again boiled. It was then filtered and the extract obtained after filtration was stocked and used as bath oil. Bhagavan used to rub this herbal oil over his body prior to his bath. It was a fragrant and clear extract. Daily he took a small quantity of it in his palm and rubbed it in into his scalp first. By then we would keep the hot water ready for him. He would enter the bathroom, take a small quantity of water and rub it into his scalp and create a viscous mixture of the oil and water. Wiping it off his scalp with his palm, he would smear it downwards, coating his entire body with a film of oil.
Repeating this smearing action several times, he would see to it that no portion of his body was left uncovered by a filmy coat of oil. All this from only a minuscule quantity of oil! He would then pour the bath water little by little over his body, then roll the Cuticura soap a few times within his cupped wet palm until it left a thin soapy smear on his palm. With that smear of soap on his palm he would lather his entire body without touching the soap again. His handling of oil, water and soap was a fine art in frugality, a spectacle that never failed to evoke our admiration!
Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni, known to all as Nayana, was staying at Palakothu [on the western side of the present āśram]. As usual, Bhagavan one day went that way at noon on his daily after-lunch walk. Nayana, after cutting sheets of white paper to the size required for making a note book, had discarded the palm-width strips of excess paper as waste.
Seeing this, Bhagavan suggested that the discarded bits of paper could be utilised by stitching them together into a pocket-sized notebook. Viswanatha Swami undertook to do it, and stitching them neatly into a notebook, he put a front cover on it, on which he inscribed a śloka (devotional verse). He did the job to spare Bhagavan the bother of it.
Bhagavan saw the booklet and said with delight, “Just as I thought! You did a good job of it!” The next day when Nayana entered Bhagavan’s hall, saluted him and seated himself, Bhagavan showed him the notebook and told him how it came to be made. Nayana could not help admiring Bhagavan’s skillfulness at converting even discarded trifles into useful objects. Though Lord of all, Bhagavan lived as one who possessed nothing and taught everyone the value of thrift.
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