Bhagavan Ramana
by T. M. P. MAHADEVAN, M. A., Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, University of
Published by
V. S.
RAMANAN
President, Board of Trustees
SRI RAMANASRAMAM
TIRUVANNAMALAI 606-603
Reprinted from Ramana Maharshi and His Philosophy of Existence
© Sri Ramanasramam,
Tiruvannamalai 606-603, Tamil
PREFACE
THE present essay was originally written for a book on The Saints;
and it appears as General Introduction in a work on Bhagavan entitled Ramana
Maharshi and His Philosophy of Existence. As it is felt that this essay may be
of interest to the general readers, it is being issued separately also in the
form of a booklet.
May Bhagavan accept
this offering!
Aradhana Day T. M. P. MAHADEVAN
INVOCATION
O - Vinayaka, who wrote on a scroll (i.e., the slopes of Mt.
Meru) the words of the Great Sage (i.e., Vyasa) and who presides at the
victorious Arunachala, do remove the disease (i.e. maya) that is
the cause of repeated births, and protect graciously the great Noble Faith (i.e.,
the Upanisadic philosophy and religion) which brims with the honey of
the Self.
This a prayer to Lord Ganesa, the Remover of all obstacles, composed by
Bhagavan Sri Ramana. Reference is made to the Puranic story that Ganesa
served as a scribe to Vyasa and wrote down the Mahabharata and His Grace
is here invoked for the protection of the Vedanta philosophy. The
printed Tamil verse is a facsimile of Bhagavan's own handwriting.
BHAGAVAN RAMANA
THE Scriptures tell us that it is as difficult to trace the path a sage
pursues as it is to draw a line marking the course a bird takes in the air
while on its wings. Most humans have to be content with a slow and laborious
journey towards the goal. But a few are born as adepts in flying non-stop to
the common home of all beings - the supreme Self. The generality of mankind
takes heart when such a sage appears. Though it is unable to keep pace with
him, it feels uplifted in his presence and has a foretaste of the felicity
compared to which the pleasures of the world pale into nothing. Countless
people who went to Tiruvannamalai during the life-time of Maharshi Sri Ramana
had this experience. They saw in him a sage without the least touch of
worldliness, a saint of matchless purity, a witness to the eternal truth of Vedanta.
It is not often that a spiritual genius of the magnitude of Sri Ramana visits
this earth. But when such an event occurs, the entire humanity gets benefited
and a new era of hope opens before it.
About thirty miles south of
It was apparently by accident that Venkataraman heard about Arunachala
when he was sixteen years of age. One day an elderly relative of his called on
the family in
Referring to this incident the Sage says later on in one of his hymns to
Arunachala : 'Oh, great wonder! As an insentient hill it stands. Its action is
difficult for anyone to understand. From my childhood it appeared to my
intelligence that Arunachala was something very great. But even when I came to
know through another that it was the same as Tiruvannamalai I did not
understand its meaning. When, stilling my mind, it drew me up to it, and I came
close, I found that it was the Immovable.'
Quickly following the incident which attracted Venkataraman's attention
to Arunachala, there was another happening which also contributed to the
turning of the boy's mind to the deeper values of spirituality. He chanced to
lay his hands, on a copy of Sekkilar's Periyapuranam which relates the
lives of the Saiva saints. He read the book and was enthralled by it. This was
the first piece of religious literature that he read. The example of the saints
fascinated him; and in the inner recesses of his heart he found something
responding favourably. Without any apparent earlier preparation, a longing
arose in him to emulate the spirit of renunciation and devotion that
constituted the essence of saintly life.
The spiritual experience that Venkataraman was now wishing devoutly to
have came to him soon, and quite unexpectedly. It was about the middle of the
year 1896; Venkataraman was seventeen then. One day he was sitting up alone on
the first floor of his uncle's house. He was in his usual health. There was nothing
wrong with it. But a sudden and unmistakable fear of death took hold of him. He
felt he was going to die. Why this feeling should have come to him he did not
know. The feeling of impending death, however, did not unnerve him. He calmly
thought about what he should do. He said to himself, "Now, death has come.
What does it mean? What is it that is dying? This body dies." Immediately
thereafter he lay down stretching his limbs out and holding them stiff as
though rigor mortis had set in. He held his breath and kept his lips
tightly closed, so that to all outward appearance his body resembled a corpse.
Now, what would happen? This was what he thought : "Well, this body is now
dead. It will be carried to the burning ground and there burnt and reduced to ashes.
But with the death, of this body am I dead? Is the body I? This body is silent
and inert. But I feel the full force of my personality and even the voice of
the 'I' within me, apart from it. So I am the Spirit transcending the body. The
body dies but the Spirit that transcends it cannot be touched by death. That
means I am the deathless Spirit". As Bhagavan Sri Ramana narrated this
experience later on for the benefit of his devotees it looked as though this
was a process of reasoning. But he took care to explain that this was not so.
The realization came to him in a flash. He perceived the truth directly. 'I'
was something very real, the only real thing. Fear of death had vanished once
and for all. From then on, 'I' continued like the fundamental sruti note
that underlies and blends with all the other notes. Thus young Venkataraman
found himself on the peak of spirituality without any arduous or prolonged
sadhana. The ego was lost in the flood of Self-awareness. All on a sudden the
boy that used to be called Venkataraman had flowered into a sage and saint.
There was noticed a complete change in the young sage's life. The things
that he had valued earlier now lost their value. The spiritual values which he
had ignored till then became the only objects of attention. School-studies,
friends, relations - none of these had now any significance for him. He grew
utterly indifferent to his surroundings. Humility, meekness, non-resistance and
other virtues became his adornment. Avoiding company he preferred to sit alone,
all-absorbed in concentration on the Self. He went to the Minaksi temple every
day and experienced an exaltation every time he stood before the images of the
gods and the saints. Tears flowed from his eyes profusely. The new vision was
constantly with him. His was the transfigured life.
Venkataraman's elder brother observed the great change that had come
upon him. On several occasions he rebuked the boy for his indifferent and yogi-like
behaviour. About six weeks after the great experience the crisis came. It was
the 29th of August, 1896. Venkataraman's English teacher had asked him, as a
punishment for indifference in studies, to copy out a lesson from Bain's
Grammar three times. The boy copied it out twice, but stopped there, realizing
the utter futility of that task. Throwing aside the book and the papers, he sat
up, closed his eyes, and turned inward in meditation. The elder brother who was
watching Venkataraman's behaviour all the while went up to him and said :
"What use is all this to one who is like this?" This was obviously
meant as a rebuke for Venkataraman's unworldly ways including neglect of
studies. Venkataraman did not give any reply. He admitted to himself that there
was no use pretending to study and be his old self. He decided to leave his
home; and he remembered that there was a place to go to, viz.
Tiruvannamalai. But if he expressed his intention to his elders, they would not
let him go. So he had to use guile. He told his brother that he was going to
school to attend a special class that noon. The brother thereupon asked him to
take five rupees from the box below and pay it as his fee at the college where
he was studying. Venkataraman went downstairs; his aunt served him a meal and
gave him the five rupees. He took out an atlas which was in the house and noted
that the nearest railway station to Tiruvannamalai mentioned there was
Tindivanam. Actually, however, a branch line had been laid to Tiruvannamalai
itself. The atlas was an old one, and so this was not marked there. Calculating
that three rupees would be enough for the journey, Venkataraman took that much
and left the balance with a letter at a place in the house where his brother
could easily find them, and made his departure for Tiruvannamalai. This was
what he wrote in that letter : "I have set out in quest of my Father in
accordance with his command. This (meaning his person) has only embarked on a
virtuous enterprise. Therefore, no one need grieve over this act. And no money
need be spent in search of this. Your college fee has not been paid. Herewith
rupees two."
There was a curse on Venkataraman's family - in truth, it was a blessing
- that one out of every generation should turn out to be a mendicant. This
curse was administered by a wandering ascetic who, it is said, begged alms at
the house of one of Venkataraman's forbears, and was refused. A paternal uncle
of Sundaram Aiyar's became a sannyasin; so did Sundaram Aiyar's elder
brother. Now, it was the turn of Venkataraman, although no one could have
foreseen that the curse would work out in this manner. Dispassion found
lodgement in Venkataraman's heart, and he became a parivrajaka.
It was an epic journey that Venkataraman made from Madurai to
Tiruvannamalai. About noon he left his uncle's house. He walked to the railway
station which was half a mile way. The train was running fortunately late that
day; otherwise he would have missed it. He looked up the table of fares and
came to know that the third-class fare to Tindivanam was two rupees and
thirteen annas. He bought a ticket, and kept with him the balance of three
annas. Had he known that there was a rail-track to Tiruvannamalai itself, and
had he consulted the table of fares, he would have found that the fare was
exactly three rupees. When the train arrived, he boarded it quietly and took
his seat. A Maulvi who was also travelling entered into conversation with
Venkataraman. From him Venkataraman learnt that there was train-service to
Tiruvannamalai and that one need not go to Tindivanam but could change trains
at Viluppuram. This was a piece of useful information. It was dusk when the
train reached Tiruccirappalli. Venkataraman was hungry; he bought two country
pears for half an anna; and strangely enough even with the first bite his
hunger was appeased. About three o'clock in the morning the train arrived at
Viluppuram. Venkataraman got off the train there with the intention of
completing the rest, of the journey to Tiruvannamalai by walk.
At daybreak he went into the town, and was looking out for the sign-post
to Tiruvannamalai. He saw a sign-board reading 'Mambalappattu' but did not know
then that Mambalappattu was a place en route to Tiruvannamalai. Before making
further efforts to find out which road he was to take, he wanted to refresh
himself as he was tired and hungry. He went up to a hotel and asked for food.
He had to wait till noon for the food to be ready. After eating his meal, he
proffered two annas in payment. The hotel proprietor asked him how much money
he had. When told by Venkataraman that he had only two and a half annas, he
declined to accept payment. It was from him that Venkataraman came to know that
Mambalappattu was a place, on the way to Tiruvannamalai. Venkataraman went back
to Viluppuram station and bought a ticket to Mambalappattu for which the money
he had was just enough.
It was sometime in the afternoon when Venkataraman arrived at
Mambalappattu by train. From there he set out on foot for Tiruvannamalai. About
ten miles he walked, and it was late in the evening. There was the temple of
Arayaninallur nearby, built on a large rock. He went there waited for the doors
to be opened, entered and sat down in the pillared hall. He had a vision there
- a vision of brilliant light enveloping the entire place. It was no physical
light. It shone for some time and then disappeared. Venkataraman continued
sitting in a mood of deep meditation, till he was roused by the temple priests
who were wanting to lock the doors and go to another temple three quarters of a
mile away at Kilur for service. Venkataraman followed them, and while inside
the temple he got lost in samadhi again. After finishing their duties the
priests woke him up, but would not give him any food. The temple drummer who
had been watching the rude behaviour of the priests implored them to hand over
his share of the temple food to the strange youth. When Venkataraman asked for
some drinking water, he was directed to a Sastri's house which was at some
distance. While in that house he fainted and fell down. A few minutes later he
rallied round and saw a small crowd looking at him curiously. He drank the
water, ate some food, and lay down and slept.
Next morning he woke up. It was the 31st of August, 1896, the Gokulastami
day, the day of Sri Krishna's birth. Venkataraman resumed his journey and
walked for quite a while. He felt tired and hungry. So he wished for some food
first, and then he would go to Tiruvannamalai, by train if that was possible.
The thought occurred to him that he could dispose of the pair of gold ear-rings
he was wearing and raise the money that was required. But how was this to be
accomplished? He went and stood outside a house which happened to belong to one
Muthukrishna Bhagavatar. He asked the Bhagavatar for food and was directed to
the housewife. The good lady was pleased to receive the young sadhu and feed
him on the auspicious day of Sri Krisna's birth. After the meal, Venkataraman
went to the Bhagavatar again and told him that he wanted to pledge his
ear-rings for four rupees in order that he may complete his pilgrimage. The
rings were worth about twenty rupees, but Venkataraman had no need for that
much money. The Bhagavatar examined the ear-rings, gave Venkataraman the money
he had asked for, took down the youth's address, wrote out his own on a piece
of paper for him, and told him that he could redeem the rings at any time.
Venkataraman had his lunch at the Bhagavatar's house. The pious lady gave him a
packet of sweets that she had prepared for Gokulastami. Venkataraman took
leave, of the couple, tore up the address the Bhagavatar had given him - for he
had no intention of redeeming the ear-rings - and went to the railway station.
As there was no train till the next morning, he spent the night there. On the
morning of the 1st of September, 1896, he boarded the train to Tiruvannamalai.
The travel took, only a short time. Alighting from the train, he hastened to
the great temple of Arunacalesvara. All the gates stood open - even the doors
of the inner shrine. The temple was then empty of all people - even the
priests. Venkataraman entered the sanctum sanctorum, and as he stood
before his Father Arunacalesvara he experienced great ecstasy and unspeakable
joy. The epic journey had ended. The ship had come safely to port.
The rest of what we regard as Ramana's life - this is how we shall call
him hereafter - was spent in Tiruvannamalai. Ramana was not formally initiated
into sannyasa. As he came out of the temple and was walking along the
streets of the town, someone called out and asked whether he wanted his tuft
removed. He consented readily, and was conducted to the Ayyankulam tank where a
barber shaved his head. Then he stood on the steps of the tank and threw away into
the water his remaining money. He also discarded the packet of sweets given by
the Bhagavatar's wife. The next to go was the sacred thread he was wearing. As
he was returning to the temple he was just wondering why he should give his
body the luxury of a bath, when there was a downpour which drenched him.
The first place of Ramana's residence in Tiruvannamalai was the great
temple. For a few weeks he remained in the thousand-pillared hall. But he was
troubled by urchins who pelted stones at him as he sat in meditation. He
shifted himself to obscure corners and even to an underground vault known as Patala-lingam.
Undisturbed he used to spend several days in deep absorption. Without moving he
sat in samadhi, not being aware of even the bites of vermin and pests.
But the mischievous boys soon discovered the retreat and indulged in their
pastime of throwing potsherds at the young Svami. There was at the time
in Tiruvannamalai a senior Svami by name Seshadri. Those who did not
know him took him for a madman. He sometimes stood guard over the young Svami,
and drove away the urchins. At long last he was removed from the pit by
devotees without his being aware of it and deposited in the vicinity of a
shrine of Subrahmanya. From then on there was some one or other to take care of
Ramana. The seat of residence had to be changed frequently. Gardens, groves,
shrines - these were chosen to keep the Svami. The Svami himself never spoke.
Not that he took any vow of silence; he had no inclination to talk. At times
the texts like Vasistham and Kaivalyanavanitam used to be read
out to him.
A little less than six months after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai Ramana
shifted his residence to a shrine called Gurumurtam at the earnest request of
its keeper, a Tambiransvami. As days passed and as Ramana's fame spread,
increasing numbers of pilgrims and sight-seers came to visit him. After about a
year's stay at Gurumurtam, the Svami - locally he was known as Brahmana-svami -
moved to a neighbouring mango orchard. It was here that one of his uncles,
Nelliyappa Aiyar traced him out. Nelliyappa Aiyar was a second-grade pleader at
Manamadurai. Having learnt from a friend that Venkataraman was then a revered Sadhu
at Tiruvannamalai, he went there to see him. He tried his best to take Ramana
along with him to Manamadurai. But the young sage would not respond. He did not
show any sign of interest in the visitor. So, Nelliyappa Aiyar went back
disappointed to Manamadurai. However, he conveyed the news to Alagammal,
Ramana's mother.
The mother went to Tiruvannamalai accompanied by her eldest son. Ramana
was then living at Pavalakkunru, one of the eastern spurs of Arunachala. With
tears in her eyes Alagammal entreated Ramana to go back with her. But, for the
sage there was no going back. Nothing moved him -- not even the wailings and
weepings of his mother. He kept silent giving no reply. A devotee who had been
observing the struggle of the mother for several days requested Ramana to write
out at least what he had to say. The sage wrote on a piece of paper quite in an
impersonal way thus : "In accordance with the prarabdha of each,
the One whose function it is to ordain makes each to act. What will not
happen will never happen, whatever effort one may put forth. And what will
happen will not fail to happen, however much one may seek to prevent it. This
is certain. The part of wisdom therefore is to stay quiet."
Disappointed and with a heavy heart, the mother went back to
Manamadurai. Sometime after this event Ramana went up the hill Arunachala, and
started living in a cave called Virupaksa after a saint who dwelt and was
buried there. Here also the crowds came, and among them were a few earnest
seekers. These latter used to put him questions regarding spiritual experience
or bring sacred books for having some points explained. Ramana sometimes wrote
out his answers and explanations. One of the books that was brought to him
during this period was Sankara's Vivekacudamani which later on he
rendered into Tamil prose. There were also some simple unlettered folk that
came to him for solace and spiritual guidance. One of them was Echammal who
having lost her husband, son, and daughter, was disconsolate till the Fates
guided her to Ramana's presence. She made it a point to visit the Svami every
day and took upon herself the task of bringing food for him as well as for
those who lived with him.
In 1903 there came to Tiruvannamalai a great Samskrit scholar and savant,
Ganapati Sastri known also as Ganapati Muni because of the austerities he had
been observing. He had the title Kavya-kantha (one who had poetry at his
throat), and his disciples addressed him as nayana (father). He was a
specialist in the worship of the Divine Mother. He visited Ramana in the
Virupaksa cave quite a few times. Once in 1907 he was assailed by doubts
regarding his own spiritual practices. He went up the hill, saw Ramana sitting
alone in the cave, and expressed himself thus : "All that has to be read I
have read; even Vedanta sastra I have fully understood; I have done japa
to my heart's content; yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas
is. Therefore I have sought refuge at your feet. Pray enlighten me as to the
nature of tapas." Ramana replied, now speaking, "If one
watches whence the notion 'I' arises, the mind gets absorbed there; that is tapas.
When a mantra is repeated, if one watches whence that mantra
sound arises, the mind gets absorbed there; that is tapas." To the
scholar this came as a revelation; he felt the grace of the sage enveloping
him. He it was that proclaimed Ramana to be Maharshi and Bhagavan.
He composed hymns in Samskrit in praise of the sage, and also wrote the Ramana-Gita
explaining his teachings.
Ramana's mother, Alagammal, after her return to Manamadurai, lost her
eldest son. Two years later, her youngest son, Nagasundaram paid a brief visit
to Tiruvannamalai. She herself went there once on her return from a pilgrimage
to Varanasi, and again during a visit to Tirupati. On this occasion she fell
ill and suffered for several weeks with symptoms of typhoid. Ramana showed
great solicitude in nursing her and restoring her to health. He even composed a
hymn in Tamil beseeching Lord Arunachala to cure her of her disease. The first
verse of the hymn runs as follows : 'Oh Medicine in the form of a Hill that arose
to cure the disease of all the births that come in succession like waves! Oh
Lord! It is Thy duty to save my mother who regards Thy feet alone as her
refuge, by curing her fever.' He also prayed that his mother should be granted
the vision divine and be weaned from worldliness. It is needless to say that
both the prayers were answered. Alagammal recovered, and went back to
Manamadurai. But not long after she returned to Tiruvannamalai; a little later
followed her youngest son, Nagasundaram who had in the meanwhile lost his wife
leaving a son. It was in the beginning of 1916 that the mother came, resolved
to spend the rest of her life with Ramana. Soon after his mother's arrival,
Ramana moved from Virupaksa to Skandasramam, a little higher up the hill. The
mother received training in intense spiritual life. She donned the ochre robe,
and took charge of the Asrama kitchen. Nagasundaram too became a sannyasin,
assuming the name Niranjanananda. Among Ramana's devotees he came to be
popularly known as Chinnaswami (the Younger Swami). In 1920 the mother grew
weak in health and ailments incidental to old age came to her. Ramana tended
her with care and affection, and spent even sleepless nights sitting up with
her. The end came on May 19, 1922, which was the Bahulanavami day, in
the month of Vaisakha. The mother's body was taken down the hill to be
interred. The spot chosen was at the southernmost point, between Palitirtham
Tank and the Daksinamurti Mantapam. While the ceremonies were being performed,
Ramana himself stood silently looking on. Niranjanananda Swami took his
residence near the tomb. Ramana who continued to remain at Skandasramam visited
the tomb every day. After about six months he came to stay there, as he said
later on, not out of his own volition but in obedience to the Divine Will. Thus
was founded the Ramanasramam. A temple was raised over the tomb and was
consecrated in 1949. As the years rolled by the Asramam grew steadily, and
people not only from India but from every continent of the world came to see
the sage and receive help from him in their spiritual pursuits.
Ramana's first Western devotee was F. H. Humphrys. He came to India in
1911 to take up a post in the Police service at Vellore. Given to the practice
of occultism, he was in search of a Mahatma. He was introduced to
Ganapati Sastri by his Telugu tutor; and Sastri took him to Ramana. The
Englishman was greatly impressed. Writing about his first visit to the sage in
the International Psychic Gazette, he said : 'On reaching the cave we sat
before him, at his feet, and said nothing. We sat thus for a long time and I
felt lifted out of myself. For half an hour I looked into the Maharshi's eyes,
which never changed their expression of deep contemplation.... The Maharshi is
a man beyond description in his expression of dignity, gentleness, self-control
and calm strength of conviction.' Humphry's ideas of spirituality changed for
the better as a result of the contact with Ramana. He repeated his visits to
the sage. He recorded his impressions in his letters to a friend in England
which were published in the Gazette mentioned above. In one of them he
wrote, 'You can imagine nothing more beautiful than his smile.' And again, 'It
is strange what a change it makes in one to have been in his Presence!'
It was not all good people that went to the Asrama. Sometimes bad ones
turned up also - even bad sadhus. Twice in the year 1924 thieves broke
into the Asrama in quest of loot. On the second of these occasions they even
beat the Maharshi, finding that there was very little for them to take. When
one of the devotees sought the sage's permission to punish the thieves, the
sage forbade him, saying : "They have their dharma, we have ours.
It is for us to bear and forbear. Let us not interfere with them." When
one of the thieves gave him a blow on the left thigh, he told him : "If
you are not satisfied you can strike the other leg also." After the
thieves had left, a devotee enquired about the beating. The sage remarked,
"I also have received some puja," punning on the word which means
'worship' but is also used to mean 'blows'.
The spirit of harmlessness that permeated the sage and his environs made
even animals and birds make friends with him. He showed them the same
consideration that he did to the humans that went to him. When he referred to
any of them, he used the form 'he' or 'she' and not 'it'. Birds and squirrels
built their nests around him. Cows, dogs and monkeys found asylum in the
Asrama. All of them behaved intelligently - especially the cow Laksmi. He knew
their ways quite intimately. He would see to it that they were fed properly and
well. And, when any of them died, the body would be buried with due ceremony.
The life in the Asrama flowed on smoothly. With the passage of time more and
more of visitors came - some of them for a short stay and others for longer
periods. The dimensions of the Asrama increased, and new features and
departments were added - a home for the cattle, a school for the study of the Vedas,
a department for publication, and the Mother's temple with regular worship,
etc. Ramana sat most of the time in the hall that had been constructed for the
purpose as the witness to all that happened around him. It was not that he was
not active. He used to stitch leaf-plates, dress vegetables, read proofs
received from the press, look into newspapers and books, suggest lines of reply
to letters received, etc. yet it was quite evident that he was apart from
everything. There were numerous invitations for him to undertake tours. But he
never moved out of Tiruvannamalai, and in the later years out of the Asrama.
Most of the time, every day, people sat before him. They sat mostly in silence.
Sometimes some of them asked questions; and sometimes he answered them. It was
a great experience to sit before him and to look at his beaming eyes. Many did
experience time coming to a stop and a stillness and peace beyond description.
The golden jubilee of Ramana's coming to stay at Tiruvannamalai was
celebrated in 1946. In 1947 his health began to fail. He was not yet seventy,
but looked much older. Towards the end of 1948 a small nodule appeared below
the elbow of his left arm. As it grew in size, the doctor in charge of the
Asrama dispensary cut it out. But in a month's time it reappeared. Surgeons
from Madras were called, and they operated. The wound did not heal, and the
tumour came again. On further examination it was diagnosed that the affection
was a case of sarcoma. The doctors suggested amputating the arm above the
affected part. Ramana replied with a smile : "There is no need for alarm.
The body is itself a disease. Let it have its natural end. Why mutilate it?
Simple dressing of the affected part will do." Two more operations had to
be performed, but the tumour appeared again. Indigenous systems of medicine
were tried; and homeopathy too. The disease did not yield itself to treatment.
The sage was quite unconcerned, and was supremely indifferent to suffering. He
sat as a spectator watching the disease waste the body. But his eyes shone as
bright as ever; and his grace flowed towards all beings. Crowds came in large
numbers. Ramana insisted that they should be allowed to have his darsana.
Devotees profoundly wished that the sage should cure his body through an
exercise of supernormal powers. Some of them imagined that they themselves had
had the benefit of these powers which they attributed to Ramana. Ramana had
compassion for those who grieved over the suffering, and he sought to comfort
them by reminding them of the truth that Bhagavan was not the body : "They
take this body for Bhagavan and attribute suffering to him. What a pity! They
are despondent the Bhagavan is going to leave them and go away - where can he
go, and how?"
The end came on the 14th of April, 1950. That evening the sage gave darsana
to the devotees that came. All that were present in the Asrama knew that the
end was nearing. They sat singing Ramana's hymn to Arunachala with the refrain Arunachala-Siva.
The sage asked his attendants to make him sit up. He opened his luminous and
gracious eyes for a brief while; there was a smile; a tear of bliss trickled
down from the outer corner of his eyes; and at 8-47 the breathing stopped.
There was no struggle, no spasm, none of the signs of death. At that very
moment, a comet moved slowly across the sky, reached the summit, of the holy
hill, Arunachala, and disappeared behind it.
Ramana Maharshi seldom wrote; and what little he did write in prose or
verse was written to meet the specific demands of his devotees. He himself
declared once : "Somehow, it never occurs to me to write a book or compose
poems. All the poems I have made were on the request of someone or other in
connection with some particular event." The most important of his works is
The Forty Verses on Existence. In the Upadesa Saram which is also
a poem the quintessence of Vedanta is set forth. The sage composed five
hymns to Arunachala. Some of the works of Sankara like Vivekacudamani
and Atma-bodha were rendered into Tamil by him. Most of what he wrote is
in Tamil. But he wrote also in Sanskrit, Telugu, and Malayalam.
The philosophy of Sri Ramana - which is the same as that of Advaita-Vedanta
has for its aim Self-realization. The central path taught in this philosophy is
the inquiry into the nature of Self, the content of the notion 'I'. Ordinarily
the sphere of the 'I' varies and covers a multiplicity of factors. But these
factors are not really the 'I'. For instance, we speak of the physical body as
'I'; we say, 'I am fat', 'I am lean' etc. It will not take long to discover
that this is a wrong usage. The body itself cannot say, 'I' for it is inert.
Even the most ignorant man understands the implication of the expression 'my
body'. It is not easy, however, to resolve the mistaken identity of the 'I'
with egoity (ahankara). That is because the inquiring mind is the ego,
and in order to remove the wrong identification it has to pass a sentence of
death, as it were, on itself. This is by no means a simple thing. The offering
of the ego in the fire of wisdom is the greatest form of sacrifice.
The discrimination of the Self from the ego, we said, is not easy. But
it is not impossible. All of us can have this discrimination if we ponder over
the implication of our sleep-experience. In sleep 'we are', though the ego has
made its exit. The ego does not function there. Still there is the 'I' that
witnesses the absence of the ego as well as of the objects. If the 'I' were not
there, one would not recall on waking from one's sleep-experience, and say;
"I slept happily. I did not know anything". We have, then, two 'I's'
- the 'pseudo-I' which is the ego and the true 'I' which is the Self. The
identification of the 'I' with the ego is so strong that we seldom see the ego
without its mask. Moreover, all our relative experience turns on the pivot of
the ego. With the rise of the ego on waking from sleep, the entire world rises
with it. The ego, therefore, looks so important and unassailable.
But this is really a fortress made of cards. Once the process of inquiry
starts, it will be found to crumble and dissolve. For undertaking this inquiry,
one must possess a sharp mind - much sharper than the one required for
unravelling the mysteries of matter. It is with the one-pointed intellect that
the truth is to be seen (drsyate tu agraya buddhya). It is true that
even the intellect will have to get resolved before the final wisdom dawns. But
up to that point it has to inquire - and inquire relentlessly. Wisdom, surely,
is not for the indolent!
The inquiry 'Who am I?' is not to be regarded as a mental effort to
understand the mind's nature. Its main purpose is 'to focus the entire mind at
its source'. The source of the 'pseudo-I' is the Self. What one does in
Self-inquiry is to run against the mental current instead of running along with
it, and finally transcend the sphere of mental modifications. When the
'pseudo-I' is tracked down to its source, it vanishes. Then the Self shines in
all its splendour - which shining is called realization and release.
The cessation or non-cessation of the body has nothing to do with
release. The body may continue to exist and the world may continue to appear,
as in the case of the Maharshi. That makes no difference at all to the Self
that has been realized. In truth, there is neither the body nor the world for
him; there is only the Self, the eternal Existence (sat), the
Intelligence (cit), the unsurpassable bliss (ananda). Such an
experience is not entirely foreign to us. We have it in sleep, where we are
conscious neither of the external world of things nor of the inner world of
dreams. But that experience lies under the cover of ignorance. So it is that we
come back to the phantasies of dream and of the world of waking. Non-return to
duality is possible only when nescience has been removed. To make this possible
is the aim of Vedanta. To inspire even the lowliest of us with hope and
help us out of the Slough of Despond, is the supreme significance of such
illustrious exemplars as the Maharshi.
SRI
RAMANASRAMAM, TIRUVANNAMALAI.
IDEALS
AND ACTIVITIES
Sri Ramanasramam, where Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi lived and taught
his Eternal Message of Advaita Vedanta, is situated in a picturesque
spot on the western end of the sacred town of Arunachala - Tiruvannamalai - and
the air of calm, peace and beauty that prevails in the noble buildings that
constitute the Asramam, where several activities are carried on, has to be
experienced to be believed.
The entire Asramam
is an ideal spot for calm and quiet meditation. People of all nationalities
look upon it as their own home.
Devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi who have not been in touch with
the Asramam since His Mahanirvana, have been making constant enquiries
about the work of His Asramam ever since. In response to such enquiries, we
bring to their notice that Sri Ramanasramam is functioning as in the days prior
to Sri Ramana Maharshi's Mahanirvana. The normal activities of the
Asramam are as follows:
1. Sri Ramanasramam is saturated with the Benign Grace of Bhagavan Sri
Ramana; and the greatest benefit that it has been conferring on his devotees of
all religions is Mental Peace, Bliss and Happiness.
The chief aim of the Asramam is to give every possible aid to devotees
who seek the said benefits. Many devotees gather in the morning and evening for
silent meditation and prayer and they get all the help and convenience they
need.
2. Puja is performed at the Mahasamadhi of Sri Bhagavan
both in the morning and in the evening and also to that of Sri Bhagavan's
mother, Sri Mathrubhuteswarar.
3 Veda Parayana (Chanting of Vedas) is done regularly
every day both in the morning and evening. Devotees gather both times at the
Shrines at the time of Arathi (Waving of Lights).
4. The old Hall in
which Sri Bhagavan used to sit, is a very inspiring place and devotees gather
there for meditation.
5. The room in
which occurred the Brahma Nirvana of Bhagavan is a very sacred place for
one and all of His devotees.
6 Study groups meet
in the new Hall and discuss Sri Bhagavan's teachings.
7. To give wider publicity to the teaching of Sri Bhagavan the Asramam
is publishing a quarterly The Mountain Path. which goes to distant parts
of the world.
Subscription Rates : Annual : In India Rs. 30/-, Foreign U.S. $15 by
surface mail. Air Mail Surcharge, differs from country to country. Life
Subscription : Rs. 500/- in India and U.S. $250 abroad.
8. The devotees of Sri Bhagavan visit the Asramam from far and near and
they are accommodated at the Asramam and every effort is made to make their
stay comfortable, so that they may enjoy the peace of Sri Bhagavan's Being that
pervades the Asramam.
9. The Veda Patasala is a limb of the Asramam and the boys who
study there have free education, boarding and lodging. They are taught the
Yajur Veda, Sanskrit literature and English, Tamil, Mathematics and General
Knowledge.
10. The SRI CHAKRA (Meru Prasthara) which Sri Bhagavan
consecrated by His Touch is located within the precincts of the Mother's Shrine
and is offered special puja on all Fridays, the full-moon day and the Masa
Pravesa Day (The 1st day of Tamil Month). The devotees of Sri Bhagavan are
very keen in participating in these pujas and obtaining the benefit of
the worship.
11. The Gosala is maintained as of old in an ideal condition.
Milk supply for the needs of the Asramites and the visiting devotees is made
adequate and self-supporting.
12. The Asramam kitchen functions as of old, catering to about 75
inmates and visiting devotees and a number of poor people.
13. The Free
Dispensary runs as of old and the doctor gives his unstinted honorary services
three days in a week.
14. The Asramam is also active in bringing out new publications and
reprinting the old, in all languages. The spoken words of Sri Bhagavan, which
were recorded then and there, are being published. Price lists on application.
15. The Asramam has an excellent Library of 10,000 to 15,000 books in
various languages on philosophical, religious and other subjects for the free
use of the devotees.
16. Every effort is
being made to make the Asramam a centre wherefrom the message of Sri Bhagavan
will radiate.
17. The Asramam maintains a permanent roll of Life Members, and devotees
of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi enlist themselves, by paying Rs.100/- (Foreign
£12.50 or U.S.$30.00). They are kept in touch with the Asramam by communication
from here at least prior to and after the JAYANTHI and the ARADHANA of Sri
Bhagavan. ---- No longer applicable from 1993.
18. The Asramam is
run purely out of the voluntary contributions of the devotees.
May His benign
Grace be ever upon one and all.