Telugu original
Sri Krishna Bhikshu

Edited and Translated by
Pingali Surya Sundaram

Tiruvannamalai 2003

© Sri Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai

First Edition : 2003 1000 copies

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Published by:

V.S. Ramanan, President, Sri Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai 606 603 Tamil Nadu INDIA

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RI Ramana Leela in Telugu was one of the three biographies of Sri Ramana Maharshi published during Sri Bhagavan’s physical presence at Sri Ramanasramam. The other two biographies were Self Realisation (English) and Sri Ramana Vijayam (Tamil).

The Telugu book was authoured by Sri Kirshna Bhikshu (1904 - 1981), whose original name was Oruganti Venkata Krishnayya. A qualified lawyer, he was also a Government official and a frequent visitor to Sri Ramanasramam right from the early 1930s.

Sri Ramana Leela was first published in 1936 and was revised over a period of time in subsequent editions.

As the book has some very valuable details about Sri Bhagavan, especially of his works, we have thought it appropriate to place it before a larger audience; hence this translation.

We hope that this biography will be a welcome addition to the large body of Ramana literature in English.

TIRUVANNAMALAI PRESIDENT 8 JANUARY 2003 SRI RAMANASRAMAM

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

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Sri Bhagavan’s ways are inscrutable. Just at a time when I thought that my brief foray into the literary world had come to an end after a little over a decade, I got a long-distance call from the President of Sri Ramanasramam, Sri V.S.Ramanan, asking me to undertake an English translation of Sri Krishna Bhikshu’s Telugu biography of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramana Leela. I took this as a command of Sri Bhagavan and immediately agreed to take up the assignment, though I was aware that it was a formidable task. I was secure in the belief that Sri Bhagavan would ensure the completion of the job.

A little before this assignment came my way I attempted to read this very book and gave it up as being too tough for me. Sri Krishna Bhikshu’s book, first published in 1936 and subsequently revised, is written in a highly classical and Sanskritised style preferred by scholars and pandits of his time. It is replete with several passages which to me appeared to be abstruse and convoluted. Also at several places, the narration does not proceed in a smooth and logical manner. This style of writing has largely gone into disuse.

In attempting to translate the book I was faced with many difficult choices and finally concluded that what I

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should attempt is not a literal translation but one which is closely faithful to the original. For this purpose I had to paraphrase many passages, re-arrange certain paragraphs and generally make the book readable. It is for the readers to judge whether I have succeeded or not.

In this endeavour I have received generous help from Prof Mohan Ramanan, of the Department of English, University of Hyderabad and my daughter, Dr. P. Sailaja, of the same Department. Neither of them has gone through the Telugu original and the numerous useful suggestions they gave after going through the manuscript have provided an invaluable input. Also, the original abounds in Sanskrit quotations which were explained to me by Dr. Poranki Dakshinamurty, former Deputy Director, Telugu Academy, Hyderabad. My grateful thanks to all of them. I also wish to thank Sri V.S. Ramanan who has given me this opportunity in the first place. May Sri Bhagavan shower them with His grace.

This book is the result of Sri Bhagavan’s anugraha. In all humility, I offer it to Him with all its blemishes, confident that with His characteristic graciousness, kindness and indulgence He will deign to accept it.

HYDERABAD P.S. SUNDARAM 17 - JULY’ 03

CHAPTER PAGE Publisher’s Note iii Translator’s Note v 1 The Advent 1

2. The Family 3

3. Childhood 5

4. The Dawn 9

5. Earlier Attachment 14

6. Rebirth 17

7. Agony 20

8. The Command 23

9. Farewell 27

10. The Great Journey 31

11. The Goal 38

12. Initiation 41

13. Place of Tapas 45

14. The Kingdom of Yoga 48

15. Yoga Siddhi 54

16. Victorious Yoga 61

17. Preparation 68

18. The Peerless Hill 72

19. Commencement of Instructions 77

20. Sivaprakasam Pillai 82

21. Echammal 86

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22. Ganapati Muni 93

23. Ramaswami Iyer 104

24. Harassment by Sadhus 107

25. Seshadri Swami 115

26. The Dravidian Poet 120

27. Sri Ramana Gita 132

28. Life on the Hill 137

29. Giripradakshina 146

30. Natanananda Swami 150

31. Alagamma 158

32. The Mother’s Nirvana 163

33. Establishment of Sri Ramanasramam 172

34. Followers 181

35. Publications 193

36. Light of the World 200

37. The Presence 210

38. The Method of Teaching 220

39. Daily Routine 232

40. Withdrawal of the Manifestation 240

41. Conchision of the Mission 247

42. The Dusk 257

43. The Sun Sets 264

44. Quo Vadis ? 269

45. What Next ? 274

46. Some Anecdotes 279

47. Some Light Moments 287

48. Miracles 296

49. The Nature of the Avatar 307 Appendix: Tiruchuzhi Sundara Mandiram 316

NE or two months later Venkataraman chanced upon Periapuranam borrowed by Subbu Iyer from some one. The epic was authored in the following circumstances. The ruler of the Chola territory, Anapaya Chola was a Jain and a tormentor of Saivites. One of those thus tormented was the poet Sekkizhar. “Did not Tirunavukkarasar (Appar) give away in charity all his patrimony and take to Jainism? Did he not reconvert to Saivism due to the ministrations of his sister? Why did not some such thing happen to the king? This is Siva’s territory and there are twelve kshetras, six kumarasthanas, five lingas each of an element and 1008 Sivasthanas. The great Nayanmars devoted their entire lives to the praise of Siva, they revelled in the very thought of the magnificent form of Siva, they looked upon themselves as just specks of dust at the feet of Siva and extolling Siva, sang songs which gave great joy to the common populace. Won’t this king get converted on hearing the stories of these devotees? I shall enshrine them in a book,” thought Sekkizhar and took up the work. But alas, no word came out of him. He wept bitterly and prayed to Siva in utter helplessness. Siva himself spelt out the first word – thereafter Sekkizhar’s devotion poured out, as Siva’s grace, and resulted in

Periapuranam. The poet recited this to the Chola king in the presence of Nataraja and was blessed.

The first religious text that Venkataraman read was Periapuranam. It was as if he entered a new world altogether. The more he read the greater was his thirst. The Lord of Time was the monarch therein hence there was no fear of time. The subjects were all contented devotees of Siva. Devotion, love, peace, and bliss flooded all over as knowledge of Siva himself.

As he was progressing, Venkataraman’s devotion and reverence for the devotees was increasing – he grieved at their travails and rejoiced in their triumphs. Venkataraman felt that Siva was glancing at him also just as he beheld the devotees. On completion of the book his emotional upsurge vanished, Venkataraman became his usual self. He seemed to have forgotten all those devotees and had given up all thought of following them.

Venkataraman’s life was flowing like a deep unruffled stream – of course, there were occasional whirlpools. He was very sensitive and could bear no rebuke. When he was young, Sundaram Iyer reprimanded him once at Tiruchuzhi. The boy was deeply hurt. He did not turn up at mealtime. A prolonged search ensued. He was found in the Sahayamba shrine – possibly, he went there seeking the comfort of the Mother’s lap. Such incidents did occur.

Venkataraman was naturally of a helpful disposition. He assisted his mother and aunt in their household chores. Several mistook this characteristic and ridiculed him as an effeminate person. Some psychologists hold that only a person both with feminine and masculine qualities in equal measure can become a redeemer of humanity. Peace, grace, love and sympathy are feminine qualities whereas determination, courage and strength are masculine qualities. A complete or glorious life cannot be had without an adequate representation of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Can we think of anyone more graceful and at the same time more courageous than Sri Krishna? Is not Easwara an “ardha nareeswara?” A completely soft nature is like a creeper that cannot survive on its own. Similarly, an unyielding courage is like a wooden staff with no sap. Venkataraman’s nature was a combination of both, which was why he became a redeemer of humanity.

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NE year passed by, life went on as usual. In 1895, Nelliappa Iyer left Tiruchuzhi for Manamadurai where he settled down as a secondry grade pleader. In the summer of 1896 both Venkataraman and his brother visited the place.

In 1896, Nagaswami married Janaki Ammal. His in-laws also lived in Madurai. Venkataraman was in his seventeenth year and in his tenth standard, preparing for the public examination. Though not quite studious he had no fear of the examination. He enjoyed games which made him robust and healthy. It was mid-July. One afternoon, Venkataraman was lying in the first floor room when, for no apparent reason, he had a sudden fright that he would die; “I am dying,” he thought. Years later, Bhagavan narrated the experience in the following manner –

“There was no reason for me to think like that. I did not even know what that state was nor why I was afraid. It did not occur to me that I should consult either a doctor or some elders. The only problem for me was what death meant and how it could be avoided. I resolved to solve it at once. Death meant that the limbs stiffened, lips tightened, eyes closed and breath stopped. By intense thinking, all this came to be experienced. But neither memory nor awareness disappeared. In other words, the sense organs ceased to operate externally and an inward look established itself. Even if the body died, the sense of ‘I’ did not go. The consciousness of individuality was very much there. When the body was taken to the graveyard and reduced to ashes ‘I’ did not perish because ‘I’ was not the body.

“The body was inanimate and without knowledge but I had knowledge. Therefore death was for the inanimate body whereas ‘I’ was imperishable and was consciousness.

“The knowledge one had when the body and senses ceased to function was not the product of the senses. The awareness of ‘I’ was direct, self luminous and not a product of any thought. The entity which survived death was consciousness.”

Thus in a trice, Venkataraman had new knowledge.

Though the experience was described step by step, it all happened in a flash. With neither the guidance of a guru nor any abhyasa, did any other yogi obtain that knowledge?

The Bhagavad Gita says:
manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye!
Yatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah (vii.3)
(Among thousands of men scarcely one strives for

perfection and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows Me in truth)

– Tr. Swami Chidbhavananda That knowledge is unprecedented. Such a person is born with a purpose, he is an avatar and a teacher.

About the knowledge of the Atman, Katha Upanishad says:

Nayamatma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena Yamevaisa vrnute tena labhyah tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanu svam-(2.23) (This Atman cannot be attained by study of the

scriptures, nor by sharp intellect, nor by much hearing; by him is It attained whom It chooses – to him this Atman reveals Its Own true form).

– Tr. Swami Rangananthananda

It is entirely appropriate that this miraculous event should occur at the seat of the consort of Siva and the source of all, Sakti Meenakshi. The Bhagavad Gita says that para-prakriti sakti dispels all ignorance. Ramana became Self aware by the grace of the divine power. Madurai is reputed as the dvadasanta mahasthali. (the place of the presiding Deity of the twelve sources of power, the chakras.)

By his direct perception Venkataraman had a re-birth and by his knowledge he attained moksha – simultaneously. He realized he was the imperishable “Aham.” All fear of death left him.

Much later Bhagavan was to say in Ulladu Narpadu (Reality in Forty Verses), “When those who are in dread of death seek refuge at the feet of the deathless, birthless Lord Supreme, their Ego and Attachments die and they, now deathless, think no more of death.”

– Tr. K. Swaminathan

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AVING tasted the bliss of the Self, Venkataraman ever abided in the Self and could bear nothing else, nor was anything else possible. Even if the body participated in some activity, thoughts were centred round the Self, he lost body-consciousness too. All this happened naturally and effortlessly.

Abidance in the Self and devotion were the two strands which governed Venkataraman’s life. For one who abided in the Self what was the need for devotion to God? This is what Bhagavan had to say on this subject much later, “I was not aware that experience of the Self was categorized and described variously. I was not familiar with philosophic terms like “Brahman” nor what an attributeless Truth meant. I was not aware that the individual Self and Easwara were one. I had an awareness of Easwara but not that it was the atma itself. One cannot say whether the thought process (mind) became extinct or was in abeyance. The Self was being experienced without any effort. In a sense it was abidance in the Self. It was the experience of the unbroken atma in the words of Sankara. In Jnana Vasishta it is described as “sattva pathi.”

“Did not Sankara and other self-realised persons worship God with attributes?” One moment it was submergence in the atma at the next it was in God. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa also confirmed the last stages of saints and sages to be similar.

“Other than Periapuranam I had not studied any other spiritual text by then. I had only heard of the Infinite Being with attributes as described therein. I had not heard of any attributeless Truth. Even while being conscious of the external world I was in the presence of Easwara – with no agony, or emotion,” said the Swami.

Yogic ways are of two types – the internal and the external. The jnana-marga (path of wisdom) transcends the five sheaths of the body. Raja Yoga is control of mind, whereas Hatha yoga is control of breath. Among the external yogas, the karma and bhakti margas are the most important. They are easily available even to worldly-minded, ordinary people. Among them, the Sankhyas discriminate against the body and attain the attributeless Parabrahman. Or some become devotees, fix their heart on Easwara with attributes, serve him and consider that other than Easwara there is nothing else. For those like Suka who choose the atma as the goal as well as for those devotees who choose Easwara as the goal – the result is the same – it is the unification of the individual Self and Brahman.

Venkataraman who would earlier visit the temple of Meenakshi only on holy days now became a frequent visitor. On seeing the sport of Sundarareswarar painted in the thousand pillared hall Venkataraman “recollected the emotional upsurge experienced about one year ago on hearing the name of Arunachala.” He also was to further recall the life stories of the devotees which could not influence his life then. “I must also be full of bhakti like the Nayanmars, I thought, Easwara, my father at Arunachala, would grant me refuge at his feet. I would frequently visit the temple and in the presence of the images of the Deities and Nayanmars would be beside myself with emotion and would be tear-filled. I did not know what that agony or emotion was due to. All that I would pray for was that the Lord should make me His devotee, or a member of his retinue or one with unswerving devotion. I knew not whether it was joy or sorrow. Either I was in meditation or in that state of agony. My whole body was flooded with this emotion and had a burning sensation. On beholding the images a storm would rise in the mind. Possibly, because the thoughts lost their anchor of the body some other foothold was needed. That was the reason for visiting the temple so frequently. Sometimes, I prayed for mercy, at some other times even that was absent. Tears would stream down, sometimes I would be stupefied”.

The only thing that showed itself outwardly in Venkataraman was the streaming of tears, he did not show any other visual characteristics of overwhelming bhakti such as dancing in ecstasy or a choked voice or fainting.

What was the cause for this turmoil? Was it due to some memory of an earlier janma? If so, what kind of experience did that earlier janma have?

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Y nature, Venkataraman kept very much to himself and spoke little. Some marked changes occurred in him but neither his family members nor friends could guess what was going on in his mind. He no longer participated in games, nor sought the company of his friends. His visits to the Meenakshi temple were more frequent and he spent most of his time sitting quietly, with his eyes closed in meditation. His former sensitivity and quick reactions got blunted. He, who was formerly intolerant of any offensive remark became indifferent to any jibe. One who protested about any injustice no longer cared about any injustice heaped on him. His former sensitivity gave place to resignation. He no longer had any preferences in the matter of food. He became humble. He continued to attend to household chores but as a matter of routine. He took up his books but his mind was elsewhere. His interest in studies, never great, further slackened.

Such conduct naturally resulted in mild rebukes at first and ended up as punishments. His uncle and brother lamented, “What if he is intelligent, he has always shown very little interest in studies and to make matters worse, he now has these spiritual thoughts which are useless.” Venkataraman’s brother often made sarcastic remarks to him and would say, “You sage, why do you have to bother about studies, you may as well go to the forests.” Whatever be the goodwill and love of the relatives and however much they might wish for his worldly well-being, how could they approve of renunciation?

Beyond the home, in the external world also, Venkataraman faced opposition. His friends avoided him and sometimes ridiculed him. Venkataraman never retaliated, never responded. Some friends, however, had great regard for him and some feared him. The teachers reprimanded him and punished him.

To add to all these there was that burning sensation in different parts of his body. It left him restless and cooled down only when he sat in meditation. Facing hostility both at home and outside, Venkataraman developed aversion towards the world. His only love was for the Lord’s feet. He thought that it would be nice if he were to die, but he had no such ‘luck.’ “When will the Lord show His mercy towards me,” he often lamented.

It was Saturday, 29 August 1896 around eleven in the morning. As he did not study his grammar lesson, his teacher punished him asking him to copy a lesson from Bain’s grammar text three times. Venkataraman sat in the room upstairs and began carrying out the imposition; with great effort he copied the lesson twice. “Am I a machine to carry out a task without any interest in it?,” he asked himself.

The very next moment the writing stopped. He put aside the grammar text, took up a meditative posture and began to meditate.

Nagaswami, his brother, was closely observing all that. He could not tolerate it and without any premeditation he uttered these harsh, but true, words, “For one who behaves thus, what is the need for all this?”

Such taunts from his brother were not new to Venkataraman but this time they pierced his heart like a speeding arrow. “Yes it is true. I have no interest in studies, my interest lies elsewhere. When I cannot carry out any household responsibilities, why do I need a home at all? What business have I staying here?”, thought Venkataraman and decided immediately to leave home for good.

But, what next, where to go or what was the support?

In a flash, “Arunachala” danced before his mental eye. About a year ago the Lord’s Name throbbed in his heart but disappeared later. It appeared again that day. Once again the same thrill, the same devotion, the same emotional upsurge flooded him. He realized that the Father of the Universe would be his Father, his support and refuge.

Was it another flash in the heart that made him hear these words? Or was his Father beckoning him to come? If the Father were to stretch his arms could the son fail to rush into them? Run he must, to Arunachaleswara’s Presence.

Much later Bhagavan himself said that he had left his home to seek refuge in Arunachaleswara and that some powerful, irresistible force brought him over.

“I have discovered a new thing! This hill, the

lodestone of lives, arrests the movements of anyone

who so much as thinks of it, draws him face to face

with it, and fixes him motionless like itself, to feed upon his soul thus ripened. What (a wonder) is this! Oh Souls! Be aware of it and live! Such a destroyer is this magnificent Arunachala, which shines within the Heart!”

Verse 10, Arunachala Padikam (Eleven Verses to Sri Arunachala)

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HERE is no time to waste. I must reach the lap of Arunagireeswara. How to do so? Won’t He show the way?”, thought Venkataraman and got up at once. His brother asked him where he was off to. “I have a special class on Electricity at twelve. I have to attend it,” replied Venkataraman. The brother said, “Very well, there are five rupees in the box downstairs. Take the keys from aunt and pay my college fees. After all, the college is close to your school.” The brother was not at all aware that he was facilitating the journey of Venkataraman who must have thought that his Father was coming to his help. It also confirmed his feeling that his departure was at the command of his Father.

Venkataraman went down, hurriedly ate the meal served by his aunt and took the amount as directed by his brother.

How was he to know the way? He did not feel like asking anyone nor could anyone have guessed his plan. Years later, Bhagavan’s class fellow Ranga Iyer had his darshan, prostrated before him and asked, “How is it that you did not even tell me that you were leaving home?” The reply was, “I myself did not know till I actually left the house.” He consulted an old atlas and noticed that Tindivanam on the Villupuram-Madras railway section was the nearest railhead to Arunachala. Actually, Tiruvannamalai station was on the Villupuram-Katpadi railway section laid about four years earlier – but it was not shown in the atlas. The fare for Tindivanam was three rupees. He took that amount and replaced two rupees in the box. He wrote a brief note addressed to his brother and placed it prominently in the box and embarked on his journey. This was what he wrote:

“I have, in search of my Father and in obedience to his command, started from here. This is only embarking on a virtuous enterprise. Therefore none need grieve over this affair. To trace this, no money need be spent.

Thus

P.S. Your college fee has not been paid. Two rupees are enclosed.”

This letter, some say is evidence of the steadily increasing Self knowledge. But was it so? The ‘I’ at the commencement is no indication of Venkataraman’s identification with the body. To say so is to belittle his realization of the distinction between the body and Self, already acquired. His not signing the letter was not due to the absence of any individual doer. After all, he was in any case writing the letter. He was immersed in the formless entity. Therefore, it does not appear correct to assume that he had no consciousness of Venkataraman the individual. In the phrase “your .. fee” the distinction between ‘me’ and ‘you’ is obvious enough. The only things that are clear from the letter are Venkataraman’s knowledge of the Self as distinct from the body, actions taking place without any particular intention, and his anxiety to see that his relations were not inconvenienced on his account, a noble trait in itself!

Had the train arrived at the scheduled time of 12 noon at the station that day, Venkataraman would have missed it. It came one hour late, which was why, though he took time in walking the distance from home he did not miss the train.

Venkataraman thought that it was further proof of God himself attracting him like a magnet and resolving all inconvenient situations on the way. He bought a ticket to Tindivanam paying a little less than three rupees.* Had he seen the fare table a little below he would have noticed the Villupuram-Katpadi line and Tiruvannamalai station thereon. His mind was centred entirely on Arunachala and so he could not notice anything other than his goal. He did not want to ask anyone else as that could be a give-away. He was in a state of excitement and had no interest in any contact with others. He got into the train on its arrival and sat quietly, not speaking to anyone. The train sped on – he did not turn to look back at the beautiful city of Madurai nor at all those dear places where he had played since childhood.

Venkataraman sat, eyes closed, oblivious of his physical body or was it that his body was flying in the “inward sky?”

Along the banks of the South flowing Vaigai were green fields, coconut and mango groves all presenting a picture of Nature’s bounty. Wasn’t this beautiful earth a

* India did not have decimal coinage during those days. The amount paid by Venkataraman was Rs. 2-13-0 or about Rs. 2.80. He had about 20 paise left.

manifestation of Easwara? A little later came the Dindigul fort where Venkataraman played about in his younger days – there was only one game left for Venkataraman thereafter. This was to dwell in the ocean of blissful nectar! Such was Venkataraman’s state; how could he look at Nature’s beauty or his favourite haunts of bygone days?

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ID a jnani need tapas? Venkataraman had already realized the supreme Self. There was no need for any further effort. But for convenience we shall use the expressions “tapas” and “initiation.” Readers must not get misled.

On the very day Venkataraman left his family and offered himself to Arunachaleswara all connection with his earlier life was torn asunder. Yet a few symbols remained. Why retain even them? He had only to be in the bliss of Self knowledge as nothing else was needed. He would tolerate nothing that came in its way. This was the only tapas the only initation (diksha). His earlier life ended. Only abidance in the Self remained.

The sastras say that for initiation a guru is necessary. For Venkataraman the guru was Arunachaleswara Himself. Ordinarily the guru initiates by touching various parts of the disciple’s body and teaches him a mantra. His Father initiated him by just a look and like Dakshinamurti gave him a message through silence.

Venkataraman began discarding the symbols of his earlier life. Some he rid himself of by his own will, others left him on their own. With that, his outward life and inner life became synchronized.

Venkataraman tore and threw away the piece of paper on which Muthukrishna Bhagavatar gave his address at Kilur itself but the packet of sweets and a little money were still with him.

After offering himself at his Father’s feet in the Arunachaleswara temple, Venkataraman came out into the vast temple of the world. He walked about aimlessly and reached the Ayyankulam Tank to the east of Arunachala. He noted that he still had the packet of sweets, “Does this need the sweets too?” he thought and flung it into the tank. Right from his younger days, Venkataraman had thick black hair. It was a natural embellishment. Did the body need any decoration at all? And why take the trouble of taking care of it? As he was returning from the tank, somebody asked him whether he would be interested in having his head shaved. Venkataraman assented and that stranger took him to the house of barber who usually worked at the temple. The stranger disappeared. Why did he ask Venkataraman whether he wanted his hair removed? The barber told Venkataraman that normally he would charge a higher amount for those wanting a tonsure at the temple but that he would give a concession to Venkataraman. He completed the tonsure in no time.

Venkataraman walked around and reached a garden to the east of the tank. There he tore away his clothes except for a codpiece and threw the rest into the tank. Wearing a codpiece is symbolic of chastity in word, thought and deed. The Father had vanquished Desire (kama). Could the son be any different? Venkataraman threw away the little money still left with him.

The yagnopaveetam (sacred thread) is indicative of a Brahmin birth and culture – this indicated that Venkataraman was a Brahmin, son of Sundaram Iyer. Henceforth he was the son of the Universal Father, Arunachaleswara. He was beyond all caste distinctions. The sacred thread could also cause a sense of superiority. Hence, he got rid of it.

After his tonsure he did not want the luxury of a bath, but would the guru Arunachaleswara allow any violation of convention? Venkataraman took to sannyasa in the midst of water. As he was returning to the temple, there was a heavy downpour drenching him. The heavens themselves provided the bath.

Venkataraman did not visit the temple sanctum during the next three years. There was no need for it. After all, the Father was present in the cave of his heart.

Venkataraman avoided speaking to anyone as he did not wish to have anything to do with people. Speaking itself became impossible. When he was always immersed in the Self and never even looked at the outside world how could he speak? This silence went beyond mere voice and touched the Self. Two years later, even when the Swami wanted to speak he could not as the words did not emerge clearly. It was only much later that normalcy was restored. Quite unintentionally silence itself became his characteristic. The Swami once said that silence should be the sadhaka’s aim and that it would become the siddha’s characteristic. But in his case, silence became his characteristic even without his passing through the sadhaka’s phase. This is how he had initiation. What about life in the world? As long as the body was there it needed nourishment. After all, the body is the instrument of all sadhana. But Venkataraman paid no heed to that thought

– for him whatever happened to the body was the responsibility of the Father. The one who provided sustenance to the birds, fish and the other animals would surely not neglect him!

The Swami chose the temple for his dwelling. For a sannyasi, the caves of a hill, the banks of a tank, a temple, the trees of a forest – are all suitable say the sastras.

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HE temple of Arunachaleswara is 1480 feet long and 680 feet broad – the compound wall is said to have been built by a Vellala king (also known as Bhallala king or Bhalla king). The eastern tower is 216 feet tall and has eleven storeys. One could go and sit there. This tower is said to have been constructed by Praudda Deva Rayar.

As we enter from the east in the first perimeter we see a hall, in the southeast a flower garden and to the north a thousand pillared hall. To the southwest is an underground cellar where there is a linga of Easwara. But at the time of our story no poojas were performed here and the place was utterly dark, damp and unkempt. But as it had been the place of tapas for Ramana, in 1949 a devotee, Taleyarkhan, got the place cleaned, repaired and electrified. Here, a picture of Sri Bhagavan is placed and poojas offered regularly.

To the west of the thousand pillared hall is the hall of vehicles and behind it is a flower garden which for some inexplicable reason is called ‘Vazhaithotam’ (plantain garden).

On the southern side of the first compound is a large tank said to have been constructed by Sri Krishnadeva Raya. To its north are two shrines – known as “Kambathilayanar shrine” on the east and “Sivagangai Pillayar shrine” on the west. “Ilayanar” means the younger one – a name of Subrahmanya Swami. “Pillayar” means Vighneswara.

There is a legend about “Kambathilayanar.” Praudda Deva Raya was the emperor of the Vijayanagara empire around 1450 AD. He was an admirer of the poet Arunagirinathar of Arunachala. This was unbearable to the poet Sambanda Andan. Not being able to bear the adulation showered on Arunagirinathar he challenged the king that if the poet was really all that great he should be able to present before the king, his favourite deity Subrahmanya. The king, desirous of having a glimpse of the Deity, pleaded with the poet accordingly. The poet told him: “These eyes, used as they are to seeing the physical world would not be able to stand a vision of the Lord. Anyway, I shall find out from Him and let you know.”

He prayed to Subrahmanya who told him, “If the king beholds me he will become blind. Let him think over this and decide.” The poet conveyed that to the king. “Let me become blind. I must see the Lord,” he insisted. Arunagirinathar invited the Lord who appeared in the pillar. The king had His darshan. As the Lord became visible in a pillar (kambam) he is known as “Kambathilayanar”.

To the west of the Sivaganga, along the pathway for circumambulation, there are huge trees (ippa trees). At the base of one of the trees a platform was put up.

As we enter the second compound, we first notice the tower. This was constructed by Ballala. To the north of the tower is the Subrahmanya shrine. He is known as “Gopura Subrahmanya Swami.” There is a legend about Gopura Subrahmanya. Muthu, a devadasi, lived at Arunachala with her daughter and son. The boy was Arunagirinathar. While he was quite young the mother passed away leaving him in his sister’s care. She asked her daughter to fulfil every wish of the boy. As a young man, Arunagirinathar became a libertine not heeding his sister’s advice.

He frittered away not only the money left behind for him by his mother but even that of his sister. Yet he did not give up and still demanded money. The sister replied, “I no longer have any money but mother has asked me to fulfil all your wishes. Your only wish is to enjoy women. I am prepared to fulfil that wish of yours. What if our mother is one and the same, our fathers were different persons. Hence there is nothing wrong,” saying this, she touched him. With this Arunagirinathar realized the enormity of his degradation and in a fit of penitence climbed up the Ballala tower and jumped down to end his life. Lord Subrahmanya held him midway in his arms, gave him a rosary and initiated him into a mantra. This is the legend. With this we may end the story of Arunachaleswara temple. For those desiring to meditate in solitude and wanting to be inward-minded and absorbed in the Self there are any number of solitary spots – the temple towers, the flower gardens, and the thousand pillared hall. These were frequently used but nobody visited the southern side of “Sivaganga” during night.

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ENKATARAMAN now came to be known as Brahmana Paradesi. In the Tamil region, Saivite non-Brahmins used to take to sannyasa and go about Arunachala in hundreds whereas such wandering Brahmin sannyasins were few. They came to be known as Brahmana Paradesis.

The new Paradesi took his place at a platform in the thousand pillared hall for his meditation. Winter was just approaching, the monsoon had not abated. He had no clothes either to spread on the floor or to cover himself with. He never sought people’s company and even if any such company came his way he moved away. He sat silently, with his eyes shut. Even while walking about he never spoke to anyone. He never sought food from anyone and if anyone offered him food while he was wide awake, he would accept it. He abided in the Self, he held his senses captive and controlled his mind. He was enjoying the Kingdom of Yoga. This lad never sought anything. However, even if he left others alone, they would not leave him alone. For them he was an object of curiosity, or ridicule or blame but for a few, he was an object of respect. He was at a new place, helpless, unprotected – but was he unprotected really? His only refuge were the feet of Siva but that Siva never appeared before him!

This lad became the target of the local urchins who looked upon him as a madcap. Did not ‘Mad Seshadri’ arrive at that town four years earlier? Just as they showered pebbles, or pieces of pots on Seshadri they did the same to this lad also. But they threw their missiles from a distance lest the ‘mad-man’ retaliate. As a result, the missiles missed their target. But they disturbed his meditation. To avoid all this he moved to the Pathala lingam – the cellar. The urchins were afraid of entering that place. The insects and other fauna who had the place all for themselves had now a competitor in their midst. While the lad sat in padmasana and was enjoying the bliss of atma, the vermin enjoyed his flesh and blood. In his meditative mood the Swami was not at all conscious of what was happening. Among those who visited the place during the deepam festival some admired the boy’s severe austerities. One among them was Ratnammal, wife of Velayudha Chetty. She fetched him food occasionally and, moved by his condition, begged him to stay at her house. But the Swami’s attention was elsewhere. He scarcely heard what she said. Where was the question of his acceptance? She was disappointed. Yet she left a piece of cloth for his use – either to cover himself or to use on the floor. The Swami in meditation remained that way, so also the cloth stayed where it was kept.

How did Ramana, in his deep tapas, get his food? On the day he reached Arunachala, Ramana had no food at all. On the following day, when he was in the thousand pillared hall Maunaswami of the Gopura Subrahmanya shrine, a Malayalee, visited the hall and observing the boy utterly exhausted, asked one of his followers to fetch him some food. Some food – that too obtained as alms – was brought. It consisted of coarse rice, a little salt, and pickle. It was served to the lad. Thereafter his requirements of food were taken care of by Maunaswami.

The nuisance of the urchins did not stop – they continued throwing all sorts of things into the cellar. The Paradesi had no fear of being hurt – he was beyond these.

Once some Muslim boys also joined the urchins and tried to enter the cellar but fear held them back. So all that they could do was to throw things. At that very moment one Venkatachala Mudaliar passed that way. He knew that the Swami was in the Pathala linga. He immediately got hold of a tree branch and rushed towards the urchins. Seeing him thus armed they took to their heels. Out of the Pathala linga emerged a dust-laden Seshadri Swami. An anxious Mudaliar asked Seshadri Swami if he was hurt. Seshadri Swami said that Chinna Swami who needed attention was inside the cellar and went his way. Mudaliar went down and in the darkness could see nothing at first but later the outlines of the Swami – covered with dust and seated in the padmasana became visible faintly at first and a little better later.

Mudaliar at once went to the Vazhaithotam where Palaniswami was staying with his disciples. He took four or five of them for help and went back to the cellar. They lifted the Swami and brought him out and seated him. It was only then that the Swami regained his senses.

“It is blasphemous to disturb the tapas of such a one,”

they thought and left the place.

Thereafter the Paradesi became Brahmana Swami.

As long as Brahmana Swami stayed at the Gopura Subrahmanya shrine, Maunaswami who lived there looked after him. Right from day one he took care to ensure that the “silent Brahmin young boy” had food. He shared his food with him especially fruits and milk collected after abhishekam to Uma Devi. The milk was mixed up with water, turmeric, sugar, pieces of fruit and camphor. Brahmana Swami had no preferences and gulped down whatever was offered. One of the senior priests noticed this and was sorry that this concoction was being offered to him and henceforth arranged that milk alone was given to the Swami after the abhishekam without other items being added. If on any day there was delay someone would run to the Brahmana street and arrange for food being offered to the Swami – this was known as bhiksha. Thus two months passed by. NANDANAVANAM:

Vazhai garden was to the west of the thousand pillared hall. As noted earlier it was a flower garden but not a plantain garden as suggested by the name. There were well-grown creepers of pink flowers known as Kasturi patte. Brahmana Swami moved over there from the shrine. He commenced his meditation under one bower and by the time he completed it he found himself under another. With the passage of time his codpiece tore and towards the end of 1896 he was unclothed for some time to which the temple authorities took exception.

HE Saiva sadhus of the South had a number of maths referred to as adheenams. Among them “Tiruvannamalai adheenam” founded by Daivasikamani Desikar was one of the most important. It had several branches all over the land and the one at Kunnakudi was the most prosperous. Perhaps for this reason one of the successor heads, made it his headquarters. The samadhi of Deivasikamani was built at Kilnathur, a suburb of Tiruvannamalai. A temple also was constructed over the Samadhi. This came to be known as Gurumurtam. At the time of this story, pooja and other services at Gurumurtam were being performed by Annamalai Tambiran. Tambiran also once stayed at Kunnakudi but left the place and moved over to Tiruvannamalai for personal reasons. Tambiran spent his time singing thevarams (the Saivite hymns composed by Appar, Sundaramurti and Jnana Sambandar), performing pooja at the Samadhi, going out and collecting alms of which he distributed some to the poor. He led a very principled and austere life.

Tambiran happened to see the Swami in tapas under the iluppai tree. He was astonished and made it a point to have his darshan as frequently as possible. He thought that it would be nice to take the Swami to Gurumurtam – it would benefit him personally and be convenient to the Swami too. So he broached the matter with Nayanar. Both of them pleaded with the Swami saying, “Gurumurtam will be convenient for Swami, there will be no nuisance from the crowds. Yet it is close to Arunachala. Swami must consent to come there.” Swami consented. In February 1897, he moved to Gurumurtam and since then he came to be known as the “Swami of Gurumurtam.”

Gurumurtam: The tapas continued uninterrupted at this place. The austerity became more severe, indifference towards physical comfort increased. The Swami never bathed or cleaned himself, his locks became matted, his nails grew long and curved, his hands fell into disuse.

Gurumurtam was full of ants but the Swami cared nothing about it. He was in their midst unmindful of the havoc wrought by them. He was immersed in the Self. To protect the Swami from ants someone provided a stool with the legs immersed in water. But as the Swami was leaning against a wall, the ants continued to infest the place. The area which touched the Swami’s back got darkened – this patch could be seen for a very long time even after the Swami left Gurumurtam.

How could one observing such severe austerity fail to evoke respect? Looking at his long nails people concluded that he was very old, they also believed that he could perform miracles. People in large numbers began thronging the place hoping that their desires for health, wealth, progeny would be fulfilled by him. They came with various offerings. Starting with mere darshan soon people began composing various hymns in his praise! Those attending on the Swami erected temporary barricades to prevent people from coming near him. But the people would not agree to leave without the Swami partaking of the eatables brought by them as offerings. Everyone wanted the punya of offering something or the other to the Swami

– this led to quarrels among them also. There had been a time when no food was available at all but now there was a surfeit of it. To solve this, it was decided that only one devotee could offer food on any given day – there were only seven days in a week but those who wanted to serve ran into hundreds. Even this did not work out well. Above all, what the Swami took was very little, even that only once a day. All the offerings would be mixed up and as quite a lot of milk formed the major part of the offerings the mixture became fluid. The Swami would open his eyes only once around midday, when a tumblerful of this liquid would be offered to him. That was all that the Swami took before resuming his meditation.

Regulated diet is always advisable. But for the Swami it could not be enforced then or even later. Frustrated at this state of affairs, the Swami once said much later, “the deity in the temple is lucky. People offer him some food by merely showing it to him and take it back with themselves. But here the Swami must accept whatever is offered even if unwell. If I don’t touch it, nobody else will.”

There was no light at Gurumurtam, Swami himself was the light. After a few months a Chettiar arranged lighting. Tambiran’s devotion and faith increased as the months passed by. Once, he took to worshipping the Swami himself

after completing the usual pooja at the math. He went through the usual process, which the Swami could not tolerate. Tambiran thought that by his example, the visitors’ devotion to the Swami would increase. The following day, before Tambiran returned from the town the Swami wrote on the wall in Tamil with a charcoal piece, “This is enough for this” and showed it to Tambiran at meal time. The latter could not understand it. The next day, the Swami added, “Filling the stomach” and showed it to Tambiran. Even then Tambiran did not stop. Only when the Swami went out at pooja time Tambiran realized that the Swami would not accept this service and gave it up.

The people did not know who exactly the Swami was – they merely referred to him as “Brahmana Swami” or “Gurumurtam Swami”. After seeing that the Swami wrote on the wall for Tambiran they concluded that the Swami was a Tamilian, well-versed in Tamil. A little after this, the original name of the Swami got revealed in the following manner.

Venkatarama Iyer was an official in the local taluka office. He was free till about eleven o’ clock in the morning and made it a point to visit Gurumurtam every day and spend a couple of hours there. He was determined to find out the Swami’s original name and asked Tambiran who confessed his ignorance; finally he told the Swami, “I won’t leave this place without knowing Swami’s real name – whatever be the consequences – even if I lose my job or starve.” Saying this, he gave a piece of paper and a pencil to the Swami. As he was a good person, the Swami wrote in English “Venkataraman, Tiruchuzhi”. Venkatarama Iyer could not make out “zhi” in the spelling. The Swami had a copy of Periapuranam which had hymns by Sundaramurthi on Sri Bhoominateswara. As the Swami had studied it at Madurai, he picked up that portion of the book and showed it to Venkatarama Iyer and thereby cleared his doubt. At that moment Tambiran was present and thus he got to know the Swami’s original name.

After about two months, Tambiran asked Nayanar to look after the Swami as he had to leave the town for about a week. But he never returned for nearly a year. Meanwhile, a few weeks after Tambiran left, Nayanar was summoned by the management of his math. Hence he also had to leave Arunachala. The Swami was left without any attendant.

This particular deficiency soon got covered. There was a devotee, Nagalingaswami at Arunachala. After his demise, one Palani Swami, a Malayalee stayed in his house. He would serve at the Vinayaka temple near the Ayyankulam street and then would partake of the offerings once a day even without adding any salt. Watching his devotion and service-mindedness Srinivasa Iyer, a village official of Eraiyur, said to him, “Why do you waste your life serving this deity of stone? At Gurumurtam there is a living god. Watching his tapas we are reminded of great devotees like Dhruva of whom we read in the puranas. You serve him and lead a blissful life. Presently there is none to look after him.” Encouraged by these adulatory references to the Swami, Palaniswami went to Gurumurtam. By then, the Swami had been at that place for about five months. How could anyone fail to develop devotion to the Swami watching his state? Palaniswami thought, “This Swami is my refuge. Devotion to him will surely help me immensely,” and began serving the Swami. To start with, he worshipped the stone Vinayaka also, but as his devotion towards the Swami increased, he thought, “It is because of my pooja of Vinayaka, that I have obtained this guru. Why continue with that pooja anymore?” From that day, he never left the Swami who was his all – father, mother, guru and God!

With the arrival of Palaniswami, the nuisance of the crowds lessened for the Swami. During his absence, Palani would lock the door from outside, leaving the Swami within. This arrangement helped the Swami a lot in his meditation. He lost all awareness of day and night, day of the week, east and west! Because of such severe austerity he became utterly weak and incapable of getting up and walking even a few steps. In such a state, he fainted once as he neared the door. He was not even aware that Palaniswami caught hold of him and prevented him from hurting himself. As his intake of food was almost nothing the normal body functions got badly disturbed.

An interesting incident occurred once, which demonstrates the utter detachment of the Swami. In the garden close to Gurumurtam there were tamarind trees. Some old thieves, no longer capable of undertaking arduous jobs, thought of stealing tamarind from the trees.

There was no one around except the Swami who was alone without his attendant. The thieves saw him and apprehended that he might watch them and inform others. One of the thieves said to the other, “This man sits motionless with his eyes closed and does not utter a single word. Let us pour some cactus juice in his eyes and see if he reacts.” Yet the Swami did not move or say anything. He seemed to be completely unconcerned about what happened either to his body or to the tamarind trees. The thieves were astonished at this extraordinary self control of the Swami and told themselves “Let us leave him alone and get on with our job.”

The Swami stayed at Gurumurtam for a year and a half. People always used to go there and disturb the Swami’s tapas. Close to Gurumurtam was a mango grove whose owner, Venkataramana Naicker invited the Swami to stay in his garden so that he could be in peace. He also assured the Swami that nobody would be allowed to visit him without his permission.

At this request, the Swami, and with him Palaniswami also, moved over in April-May of 1898. Two platforms were erected for them amidst the mango trees and there both of them lived, like watchmen.

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T is nearing dusk. He is not at the playground. It seems that he did not go to the school. Nor has he returned home. Where has Venkataraman gone without informing anyone? Maybe he left for Manamadurai at being scolded for neglecting his studies. There was nothing special about the scolding beyond what was being said usually,” so thought Subbu Iyer and Nagaswami and made enquiries of friends and acquaintances. They did not know what to do. At last they noticed the letter left behind by Venkataraman in Nagaswami’s trunk. It was confirmed that he left for an undisclosed destination – how to search for him? They felt that they should at least inform people at Manamadurai, which they did the same day (29-8-1896) by telegram. The news came as a shock to Alagamma and her brother-in-law Nelliappa Iyer. This was a major shock for Alagamma within five years of her husband’s passing away.

Several thoughts crossed their minds – could Nagaswami have scolded Venkataraman for neglecting his studies, even if it were so what was wrong with it? Could Subbu Iyer’s wife have harassed him with a lot of household chores? But she was not that type at all. Did the school teacher warn him that he might not get through his examinations. Comments flew past on these lines. But was this all true? When the call of the Supreme comes, it becomes irresistible and no worldly attachment can even come in the way. Venkataraman had no such attachment, all that he was interested in was lying in the lap of his Father. How could such a one stay at home?

The people from Manamadurai went to Madurai to join the search but to no avail. “After all, he has taken three rupees, as soon as that money is spent he is bound to come home,” so they tried to console Alagamma. Days, weeks, months passed by but the boy did not return. The days of consolation also ended.

A rumour reached them that Venkataraman had joined a drama troupe at Tiruvananthapuram. Nelliappa Iyer went there to make enquiries, but it was a futile exercise. Not satisfied with his efforts, Alagamma herself went there. At a street corner she saw someone of the same physique as Venkataraman – but could not catch up with him. Unsuccessful, Alagamma returned home.

In due course, Nagaswami passed his examination and joined the Registrar’s office as a clerk. His wife also joined him. And seeing her son settle down, Alagamma was to an extent satisfied and her sorrow receded into the background.

On 1 May 1898 Subbu Iyer passed away at Madurai. Nelliappa Iyer and others went to Madurai and after the funeral ceremonies Nelliappa Iyer stayed back for a short time. One afternoon, a Tiruchuzhi youth ran into the house excitedly announcing, “Venkataraman’s whereabouts are now known. He is at Tiruvannamalai and he is a famous sadhu there.” In utter disbelief, the family asked him, how he came to know about that. He replied: “I had been to the Tirugnanasambandar math here. One Annamalai Tambiran of a math at Tiruvannamalai was describing with great devotion, a youthful sannyasi at Tiruvannamalai. He knew me because of some properties belonging to their math in the vicinity of our place. He recognised me and said, ‘The young sannyasi belongs to your place’ I, in return asked him who the sannyasi was. He said, ‘Tiruchuzhi Venkataraman – that is what he wrote on a piece of paper.’ As soon as I heard it, I ran up to this place.”

On hearing this, Nelliappa Iyer, along with Narayanaswami Iyer, a distant relative, went to Tiruvannamalai. That was the period when the Swami was staying in the mango-grove of Venkataramana Naicker, and he refused to grant permission to them to visit the Swami saying, “He is a mouni, you should not go and disturb him on any account.” Nelliappa Iyer pleaded, “At least, let us have a glimpse of him,” Naicker did not relent. Finally, Nelliappa Iyer begged, “I will give a note. Please show it to your Swami and allow us to go in, only if he agrees.” Naicker yielded. Nelliappa Iyer wrote: “Manamadurai pleader, Nelliappa Iyer seeks an audience.” The paper had the handwriting of Nagaswami on the reverse, the paper belonged to the Registrar’s office. The Swami saw the note and concluded that Nagaswami was employed. He consented to see them. Nelliappa Iyer entered the grove.

It was true. He was their boy. The dust covered-body appeared repulsive. Several emotions flooded Nelliappa Iyer, he was glad at finding their boy, sad at his unkempt appearance, happy at his being so eminent, moved at his being in such a pitiable state. As the Swami was a mouni, Nelliappa Iyer told Naicker and Palaniswami–

I am happy that a boy of our family has reached such an exalted state. But he need not expose himself to the elements in this manner – there is a huge support for him back home, he need not suffer like this. He need not forsake his path or become a householder. He can continue to be a sadhu amidst his relatives, I shall arrange all facilities for that. There is the samadhi of a mahatma at Manamudarai. If the Swami does not wish to stay at home he may reside there. I will take care of him and ensure that he is not at all disturbed.

All arguments were fruitless. The Swami sat motionless like a rock to such an extent that Nelliappa Iyer began to doubt whether he heard them or whether he was their boy at all! Yet the trials continued for about five or six days.

“The boy has completely changed – he does not like our words,” thought Nelliappa Iyer. Narayanaswami Iyer became angry and wanted to forcibly take away the boy. As he approached the Swami with this intention he felt a burning sensation all over his body. Then he backed out and thought enough was enough. They then decided to return home and inform Alagamma of what had happened. They gave her the comforting news that it was indeed their boy whom they met and the disconcerting news that he refused to return home.

Alagamma was not satisfied and said to Nagaswami, “Would he have returned empty-handed if the boy had been his? Would he not have forcibly brought him? Let us go ourselves.” But Nagaswami pleaded that it would not be possible for him to obtain leave from the office.

After staying at the grove for six months, the Swami felt it advisable to shift, as with frequent visitors the garden might get spoilt. Thus he moved to Arunagirinathar temple.

Arunagirinathar is reputed to be the linga consecrated by Adi Sankara. This temple is to the west of Ayyankulam tank. The Swami moved there sometime in August-September, 1898.

During his stay at the Gopura Subrahmanyalaya, which was before his moving to Gurumurtam, the Swami had to beg for food only once. That was when he declined the food offered by a pious lady who usually offered food to sadhus. He went to a house near the temple and clapped his hands. The lady of the house, Muthamma, recognised him, took him inside and served him good food. She felt that the Swami resembled her son who had just passed away. During his stay at Gurumurtam, the Swami did not have to go out to beg. Several people would bring food and offer it to him. While at the mango grove nobody was allowed to enter it and offer food. Palaniswami would beg for food either at Kilnathur or Arunachala and bring it. Possibly, the Swami now felt like begging for food himself again and wanting to be all alone asked Palaniswami to go his way. But Palaniswami returned to the Swami the same evening. Where could he go? How could he live apart from the Swami?

Within one month, the Swami moved again as the crowds were too much to bear. He went to the Arunachala temple and stayed in the Western tower. But the crowd did not leave him alone either.

To the northwest of Arunachala there is a hillock, Pavalakundru. It is a part of Arunachala and some say it is the foot of Arunachala. There is a temple of Siva, a water spring and a cave on the hill. Gautama, the rishi, did penance here say some. At the foot of the hill is a monastery.

The Swami lived in the temple or the cave. Whether Palaniswami was there or not, for the fun of it, he would go out into the town to beg. As he was the silent one he would simply halt at a house and clap. On the appearance of someone at the door he would show his cupped hands, receive whatever was dropped in it and pass by the street eating the food. He was not concerned at whoever watched him. Those who visited the Swami at his place would be surprised at this behaviour. Swami described the act of begging thus: “As the begging was voluntary there was no feeling of humiliation, one did not care even for the status of an emperor. It was all enjoyable.”

During the Christmas vacation of 1898 Alagamma reached Arunachala, along with her son, Nagaswami. Learning that the Swami was at Pavalakundru the mother and son went there. The Swami was lying on a rock and facing the east. Notwithstanding the matted locks, elongated nails, dust-laden face or the loin cloth the mother immediately recognised her son. She broke down, coaxed and begged her son to return home. The Swami neither spoke nor moved. She entreated him in many ways, recounted to him her tribulations, and pleaded with him but the Swami did not utter a single word or yield. The following day, she visited him at which time he was surrounded by some people. She narrated her sorry story to them. They were moved and one among them, Pachaiappa Pillai, intervened and asked the Swami to have some consideration for the mother and at least give a reply to satisfy her. He gave him a piece of paper and pencil and asked him to write out the reply at least, instead of being silent. The Swami accepted the argument and wrote thus:

The Ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with their past deeds – their prarabdhakarma. Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen – try how hard you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to stop it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is for one to be silent.

– From Self Realization by B.V. Narasimha Swami

This was the first upadesa of the Swami. But at that time, the mother would have been disturbed at this upadesa. They had no alternative but to return as Nagaswami’s vacation was drawing to a close. “Was it for this that I waited? This is all I am destined for,” thought Alagamma and reluctantly left Arunachala.

Some generations earlier, a renunciate had come seeking alms to the house of one of Sundaram Iyer’s ancestors. He could not get any food and incensed at this indifference, cursed the family, “At least one member of your family will have to beg for food like me in each generation.”

For three generations by then that curse (or was it a blessing?) had come true. For us, that is a blessing truly, otherwise how could we have a redeemer like Ramana Bhagavan?

ID Venkataraman who attained Self knowledge at Madurai itself need any further initiation or penance, ask some. The saint-composer Thyagaraja also questioned, “Did one who knew that he was not the body need any japa?” For such a one who had no desires, any penance cannot be for any selfish reason. So, it is implied that the penance of such a one can have some other meaning.

“One with the knowledge of Brahman must be Brahman itself.” Yet in this illusory world his physical body was very much visible, it was performing some functions. Hence for a liberated being there might be no karma but his body did not escape the efforts of karma.

All liberated beings may not be involved in family affairs. Some like Janaka ruled the land, yet some others like Dattatreya acted as teachers to seekers. Those appointed to be teachers needed certain credentials, they had to have practice, knowledge and oratorical skill. Without these, their position would not have the imprimatur of the cosmic force. Did not Sri Ramakrishna say, “People will accept the orders proclaimed through public announcements only if they are made by one authorized by government to do so.”

For acquiring all these and to occupy the position of a teacher, time and practice are needed. One can see such stages of preparation in the lives of every prophet. After acquisition of Self knowledge Jesus spent forty days in seclusion. Everyone is familiar with the experience of the Buddha. Mohammed became a recluse in mountain caves.

Such being the case, why doubt the need for a period of preparation to those divine beings in human form who were to become World Teachers?

The moment Sakti entered Venkataraman it was decreed that the body was meant for the world. Hence it had to be prepared for the prescribed duty in seclusion. Likewise, it had to sever all family ties which were opposing forces and also move to a distant place – Arunachala. For every atom of the body to be filled with Sakti and be ready for the benefit of humanity, time was needed. It was due to the inspiration of that Sakti that Swami’s body abided in the atma and did not even look at the world or people; speech also got internalized.

Nobody, except those great ones with divine eyes, can ever know what chakras were pierced, what occult powers accumulated in that body during that period. Hence, no one can describe these events when they were actually going on. By the time it came to the practical world, the body was not the same. It was the body of Parameswara, every atom of it was sacred, powerful. Having said that Arunachala was the guru of preparation let us now turn towards mundane activities.

It was at the mango grove of Venkatarama Naicker near Gurumurtam that the Swami’s activities in the form of teachings commenced.

During the period of intense preparation the Swami’s power of speech receded, and when he resumed speaking it was difficult. All that the Swami could do was to utter a few words to Palaniswami, his attendant.

Uddandi Nayanar came to know that the Swami had knowledge of Tamil. Thereupon he begged him to give him some upadesa. By then the Swami was not familiar with any scriptural literature, whereas Uddandi Nayanar had already read a lot of it – what he looked forward to was some teaching born out of experience. As if to suit him, the Swami wrote the instructions on scraps of paper. Nayanar retained them until his last days, as precious treasures. He recited them with the reverence reserved for the mahavakyas.

This was how Uddandi Nayanar became the Swami’s first disciple. The instructions of the Swami were lost. Possibly they were specific to that person. But this would scarcely be sufficient for a World Teacher. Sakti would certainly provide him an opportunity to acquire knowledge of the sastras.

Tambiran would constantly be singing Thevarams or Tiruppugazh, which were a treasure house of spiritual thoughts – by listening to him the Swami had by then become familiar with them.

Palaniswami could not read well but was interested in doing so. He took great pains in reading the Tamil spiritual texts borrowed from the Nagalingaswamy Library in the town. He could read with great difficulty but could not understand. Sympathizing with him the Swami would go through the texts in a short time and explain them in easy language to Palaniswami. The Swami was intelligent, he had the experience of Reality and was capable of memorizing the terminology. Thus because of Palaniswami the Swami became familiar with the Tamil texts of Kaivalya Navaneetham, Vasishtam, Viveka Choodamani and the like. Palaniswami became the second disciple of the Swami.

The Swami never initiated anyone. But it was said that by his look or appearance in their dreams and touching them on the head or heart he had granted initiation to some. His upadesa consisted mostly in the replies he gave to the questions of seekers. Each one would come to know by his experience whether the Swami accepted him as a disciple. For them there was never any doubt. But there was never any practice of formally accepting anyone as a disciple or initiating with a mantra or some such thing.

By then Sakti had provided sufficient book-knowledge to the Swami, it remained for him to assume his role. But to become a World Teacher a seat was necessary and we shall now see how it was provided.

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“WHEN Ganapati said, “Mother is mine” and sat on the lap of Parvati, Kumara retorted, “Never mind, Father is mine” and got on to Siva’s lap and was kissed by him on the head. Of this Kumara who pierced (with his lance) the Krauncha hill, Ramana is a glorious manifestation.”

– Ramana Gita. 18.9

ROUND March 1899, the Swami left Pavalakundru and ascended Arunachala. It is entirely appropriate that the son who abides in Reality should get on to the lap of his Father in his natural state!

Legend has it that Easwara resided in Arunachala in four forms. The first was the dazzling form without a beginning or an end causing amazement to Brahma and Vishnu, the second was the linga form of Arunachaleswara, the third Arunagiri and the fourth Arunagiri yogi in siddha form.

Arunachala is of brilliant light, yet it appears in brick red colour as a stone with not much of vegetation. The hill is noted to be very ancient originating much earlier than the Himalayas.

It is said by geologists that the hill was formed during the period when the earth, then a ball of fire, was cooling down and solidifying as stone and that it was part of the Lemuria which submerged in the Indian Ocean. For this reason it would appear that this hill is at the centre of the earth as mentioned by the puranas.

For those interested in performing penance, the hill offers many suitable places. Standing behind the western tower of the Arunachala Temple one notices a path to the top of the hill. While climbing along this path one may observe several caves, shrines and the like suitable for performing meditation. One occasionally comes across springs of fresh mineral water sparkling in the rays of the sun like liquid gold and making rumbling noises like musical notes. Along this path are several trees which give ample shade, the groves also are good places for tapas. As one ascends the hill and heads towards the east one beholds the Arunachala Temple and to its east, the town. To the east of the town lies the Ayyankulam tank (also known as Indra teertham). Surrounding the tank one notices fields and orchards, at the distant horizon are rows of hills bringing together the earth and the sky-all of which provide a picturesque setting. Therefore, those not of a particularly religious bent of mind also ascend the hill to witness the splendour of nature, obtain relief from daily cares and get peace and happiness. Those with an other-worldly attitude look at that personification of Easwara and either sing its praise or fall into meditation and obtain peace. SADGURUSWAMI CAVE:

Near the foot of the hill lies a cave. Though in a dilapidated state, during the period under consideration some people stayed there. A Malayali Yogi lived there at one time and in his memory, his disciples began describing the cave as Sadguru Swami cave. There is a temple a little above the cave. Actually it is also a cave but people use it as a temple. It is known as Guha Namasivaya Temple after Guha Namasivaya, a Veerasaiva devotee, belonging to Srisailam. Both he and Virupaksha Deva, another devotee, reached Arunachala and settled in these caves; hence the caves are named after them.

VIRUPAKSHA CAVE:

This most important cave on the mountain is further up. Its shape resembles the syllable “Om” and it is said that as the wind enters the cave, the sound “Om” becomes audible. Close to the cave is a water spring. The samadhi of Virupaksha is there. Those following the Veerasaiva creed ran a math there. At about the commencement of the twentieth century a law suit was going on and neither of the contending parties bothered about the math. Hence anyone could stay there without any hindrance. This became the Swami’s residence until he left for Skandasramam in 1915-1916.

Years after the Swami settled down at Virupaksha cave the question of ownership of the math was settled by the court. The head of the math in whose favour it was decreed appointed an agent, whose meagre income was from the donations of the visitors to the math. But he hit upon the idea of collecting a fee from visitors during Krittikai. Many could not pay this fee and went back. The Swami got to know this and felt that those who wished to have his darshan were being unfairly taxed. He therefore left the cave and sat beneath a tamarind tree opposite the cave. But the agent began levying the fee even on the approach to the tree. The Swami came to know about this and as he had no compelling reasons to reside there, moved to Guhanamassivaya cave. The agent then realised that the visitors came to have a darshan of the Swami and not to see the cave or the math. Having done so, he begged of the Swami to reside at the Virupaksha cave which he did.

MULAIPAL TEERTHAM, MANGO TREE CAVE (CHUTHAGUHA):

Opposite the Virupaksha cave towards the north, was the Mulaipal teertham. (milk spring) which always had copious sweet water. Legend has it that the water at Guhanamassivaya cave sprang from the big toe of Siva and that this spring arose from the breast of Ambika. Near this was a mango tree at the foot of which arose a cave. Hence it came to be known as Mango tree cave. During summer months at the Virupaksha cave, there was no breeze and no water and as the place was pretty warm, two devotees, Ramanujacharya and Rangacharya modified the Mango tree cave and made it habitable for the Swami during the summer. SKANDASRAMAM:

Further up beyond the Virupaksha cave was a perennial spring – with clear, sweet water. The Swami’s devotees felt it could serve as a residence for him. In 1915-1916 they cleaned and levelled the ground and built a house with trees all round. The coconut and mango trees provided a picturesque setting and any beholder was pleased at its sight. It was as if it was the heart of Arunachala. The building had a kitchen and a living area with a verandah in front. The devotee who started it all was Kandaswami. The ashram came to be known as Skandasramam because of the disciple and the belief of several devotees that the Swami was an incarnation of Skanda.

Wherever he stayed there was no dearth of food for the Swami. The increasing numbers of devotees were always anxious to fetch and offer food to him wherever he stayed. If it became inevitable, Palaniswami, the faithful attendant, went into the town and begged for food. Palaniswami was joined by some others who were eager to serve the Swami, one among them would go into the town and collect food.

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FTER the Swami moved over to the Virupaksha cave his visitors increased. All kinds of people visited him-the seekers, the unlettered as well as the learned. Though the Swami did not teach anything, the mere fact that he was taking cognisance of what was going on around was enough to draw people who naturally assumed that such an embodiment of tapas was bound to have great wisdom. Those interested in spirituality and yoga approached the Swami with their doubts. It was natural for the merciful Swami to respond to them. Yet, in order to teach in a manner intelligible to them, it was necessary for the Swami to have an acquaintance with the accepted terminology as laid down in traditional texts. It was also necessary to explain matters in a manner that would enable the listeners to understand and practise them. For this purpose it became necessary to have a look at the Sastras, not for himself but for the sake of others. Though established in “That from which the mind and word turn back,” in order to explain about That, employment of words was unavoidable. For this reason also the Swami had to consult scriptural texts.

One of those who came to serve the Swami after he reached the Virupaksha cave was Gambhiram Seshayya, municipal overseer. Right from 1900 he was a regular visitor to the Swami. He was a Rama bhakta who constantly chanted Rama’s name. He looked upon himself as a servant of the Swami and swept the cave regularly. As he had interest in yoga he studied Rajayoga of Swami Vivekananda and other texts; he also studied the Rama Geeta in English but he could not master them. As his knowledge of Sanskrit was poor he had a large number of doubts-in order to get them cleared, he would bring those texts to the Swami, who read them and wrote down their substance in Tamil on small pieces of paper. Thereupon Seshayya would raise further questions for which also the Swami gave answers in writing.

Seshayya preferred the ashtanga yoga marga whereas the Swami advocated the path of enquiry. The former also attached great importance to pranayama. The Swami realised that it would not do to convert such a one suddenly to his way. So while he clarified the points of Vivekananda’s Yoga he also stressed the importance of the ultimate goal. Yoga practice was for the purpose of achieving concentration, whereas the Self could be experienced only after the mind was eliminated. If the Self was experienced what further need was there for the mind?

The bundles of papers written by the Swami belonged to the years 1900, 1901 and 1902. Those bundles lay in Seshayya’s house who wrote down their contents in a small note book. After his passing away, his brother Krishnayya collected them all and gave them to Sri Natanananda who rewrote them in the question and answer format and published them as Vichara Sangraha (Spiritual Instruction) in Tamil. This was translated into Telugu by Swami Pranavananda and into English under the title Self enquiry. In Vichara Sangraha the Swami also showed how ashtanga yoga could be used as a help to the path of enquiry.

Similarly, a pandit from Chidambaram brought Sankaracharya’s Vivekachoodamani in Sanskrit. By then a poetic Tamil translation of the book was available and brought by Palaniswami. At their insistence the Swami put it in Tamil prose for which the Sanskrit book was helpful.

Uddandi Nayanar who left the Swami while he stayed at Gurumurtham could not return for seven years, till 1904. He offered his entire savings of one hundred rupees as gurudakshina to the Swami who, while appreciating the devotion of the disciple, declined the offer as he would have nothing to do with money. Uddandi Nayanar was insistent and left the amount with Gambhiram Seshayya, who was then looking after the affairs of the ashram and requested him to use the money for any purpose approved by the Swami. For several years the money was not utilised. Once, while cleaning up the Virupaksha cave the manuscript (of Vivekachoodamani) was noticed. Seshayya’s nephew, Krishnayya, prevailed upon the Swami to complete the text. It was a free translation of the Sanskrit original and the Swami added a preface containing the essence of the work. The book was printed with the money donated by Uddandi Nayanar.

Alongside the writing activity the study of Vedanta was also going on. On the hill there was a sadhu Padmanabha Swami known as Jataswami who had a number of books on Mantra sastra, Ayurveda, Vedanta Sastra and several other Sanskrit works. The Swami would visit Jataswami’s residence to study them. One reading was sufficient for him to grasp the contents as well as to remember them. The Swami also discussed these topics with pandits and thus acquired a knowledge of scriptural texts. Even experts in various sastras would visit him to get some points clarified.

Thus the Swami picked up Sanskrit, Telugu and Malayalam by speaking to various persons in those languages. To start with he learnt by mere hearing, but in course of time he began learning through a study of books which enabled him to acquire a good command of all these languages.

Though a scholar himself, the Swami did not approve of mere sastraic knowledge. He expressed his views in this regard both in the Anubandham of Ulladu Narpadu (Reality in Forty verses-Supplement) and Ramana Gita, as follows:–

The unlettered are easier saved than those who are learned but unsubdued. The unlettered are free from the clutches of the demon Pride, they are free from the malady of many whirling thoughts and words; they are free from the mad pursuit of wealth, they are free from many, many ills. -Verse 36. Reality in Forty Verses (supplement)

– Tr K. Swaminathan

“The seeker of knowledge does not achieve his end

merely by a study of the scriptures. Without upasana

there cannot be attainment for him; this is definite”

– Ramana Gita, I. 22

The purpose of learning the sastras is to ensure that one acquires the capacity to discriminate between the true and the false. To assume that salvation lay only in such knowledge was wrong, according to the Swami.

In his teachings also the Swami never followed any tradition. He did not need anyone else’s opinion. For him his own experience was the basis. He quoted his own experience in discussions or in teaching because the listeners had faith in his experiential knowledge. For his devotees, he was the standard.

His way was the path to nonduality (advaita), his method was one of critical analysis, not mere logic. For this reason dogmatists of various schools were never satisfied with him. If they came to him to show off their learning, the Swami became silent. They would argue endlessly but with no response forthcoming they would depart disappointed. The Swami was an expert in practice. We shall say more about this in the pages that follow.

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“Rama! This enquiry into the Self or ‘Who am I?’ is the

fire which burns up the seeds of the evil tree which is the

mind.”

– Yoga Vasishta

IVAPRAKASAM Pillai was a student of Philosophy at college. Even as a student the question of “Who am I?” arose in him. Before he could find an answer to the question by himself, he qualified as a graduate and got appointed in the Revenue Department of Arcot district. When he visited Arunachala in 1902 on inspection work, he heard people extol the silent Brahmana Swami on the hill as a pure, realised soul and as one who was also an embodiment of detachment. He visited the Swami expecting that he would be able to solve the question which arose in him while he was a student.

Replies to thirteen of Pillai’s questions were given by the Swami through gestures and writings either on sand or slate. Pillai copied them and published them after a lapse of over two decades, in 1923, under the title Who Am I ? While the Swami’s earlier works, Spiritual Instructions (Vichara Sangraha) and Vivekachoodamani contained the teaching of others also, Who Am I ? was entirely Swami’s. Hence it may rightly be described as the first of the Swami’s teachings imparting the Jnana marga. The Swami had disclosed his Self experience in the form of a theory even so early.

Pillai sought the Swami’s guidance for his personal benefit but there was no reaction from the latter. But the spark of vairagya got ignited in him. Possibly as a consequence, he resigned his job in 1910.

In 1913, Pillai’s wife passed away, which resulted in his having to choose between re-marrying or remaining single. The former meant that he would have to spend substantial money to obtain a bride according to the custom of his community and money was hard to come by. After much thought, he wrote down the following questions on a paper:

1. What have I to do to escape the sorrows of the world?

2. Will I be able to marry a girl of my choice?

3. If not, why not?

4. If the marriage were to take place how would I be able to raise the necessary money?

He visited the temple of Ganesa one night and placed this piece of paper near the image and prayed “Oh! Lord, you are my only refuge. Before the night is out please answer my questions either orally or in writing. I shall not flout your command. If you do not respond, my only refuge will be the Brahmana Swami”. Pillai’s faith in the Lord was so intense that he spent the whole night at the temple awaiting answers to his questions. There was no reply. It looked as if Vinayaka had made it a point to direct his devotees to Arunachala. Pillai left the stone image which did not hear or see in spite of having ears and eyes and approached the living Sadguru, Ramana.

At Virupaksha cave the Swami had only one occupation, and only one teaching. It was about the atma, experience and enquiry. To such a one what could Pillai submit? In fact, the very life of the Swami was a reply to his questions. He was a bachelor with no thought of marriage, he was poor yet was always happy, if at all he had any desire it was obvious in his teaching. Pillai thought that the Swami taught him to give up desire and follow his example. Pillai gave up all thought of marriage and planned to go home, but before returning he visited the Swami on May 4, 1913 to seek his blessings. There were a number of visitors surrounding the Swami. Pillai sat close to him and was intensely looking at him. In a little while he saw a brilliant light around the Swami, also a boy with a golden body emerged from his head and gradually re-entered him. The scene repeated itself twice at which Pillai was stunned. He could bear it no longer. It became obvious to him that the Swami was capable of bestowing his blessings on devotees. Overcome by emotion, Pillai shed tears of joy and sobbed. He could not utter a single word to express his feelings. The other visitors who did not experience the vision wondered at Pillai’s sobbing. After sometime, Pillai became normal and narrated his experience to others. They dismissed the whole thing as a result of his consuming drugs, but Pillai was in a such a state that he did not care to retort.

The following day, Pillai visited the Swami and sat in front of him. This time he saw cool moonlight enveloping the Swami with the Swami himself being at the centre of it in the form of the rising sun fully smeared with vibhuti (something which the Swami never did) and drops of nectar coming out of the eyes. Those sitting beside him saw nothing. It did not occur to Pillai to ask the Swami its meaning nor did the Swami bother to explain the vision. Two days later Pillai visited the Swami again. This time the Swami’s body appeared as a clear and transparent crystal. Pillai was floating in a space of bliss, and lest he lose that state, he did not move either.

Were these miraculous events possible? If so, why were they not visible to the others? Those who saw Pillai could not fail to have noticed that he was not the type of a person who could utter a lie in a matter like that. It was within the experience of those who stayed near Bhagavan that a transformation took place in their mind and that their latent tendencies would change. Of course, Bhagavan’s grace also was explicit.

Pillai concluded that the visions were a manifestation of the Swami’s grace towards him, and he gave up all thought of marriage or worldly desire, and decided to stay back and perform tapas as a celibate.

Pillai was a good poet. He wrote a poem entitled Anugraha Ahaval in Tamil narrating the Swami’s grace towards him

Pillai who lived at his native village near Chengam as a tapasvin left his body on 13 January 1947.

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“How can I describe the good fortune of Sabari?”

– Tyagaraja

AKSHMI Ammal, usually referred to as Echammmal, belonged to Mandakolutur about twenty miles away from Arunachala. At one time she lived at Karedu village in Nellore district where her husband was posted. Her first born, a boy, passed away. Later she had a boy and a girl.

One night, in a dream, a young boy clad in a cod piece and with a clean shaven head placed something in her hand and disappeared. He was possibly a sannyasi. She consulted a person knowledgeable in omens, who said that the boy was Kumaraswami, the family deity of her in-laws. She concluded that he gave her a prasadam in the dream but she had no way of knowing the form of the prasadam.

Her husband was transferred to Kandukuru. The same form once again appeared in Echammal’s dream and placed a letter, written in Sanskrit script, in her hand. She told him that she could not read that script whereupon the form indicated to her whom she should consult. That person was a Sanskrit Pandit living in the same town. She went to him. He also said that it was Subrahmanya’s prasadam and initiated her in an appropriate mantra.

Calamities befell her almost all at one stroke. Her son, daughter and husband passed away one after the other in quick succession. She bore them stoically and went back to her place with her last daughter. When the girl was about ten Echammal fixed up her marriage. A few days before the wedding the girl developed high fever. Again in her dream the boy appeared and said “Three births of yours are over. Viswanatha is asking for you. Come to the hill.” A few days after the dream the girl passed away.

Echammal lost her last support and life became miserable. The village and the cottage where she lived were full of memories and on that account became intolerable. The words of consolation offered by her relatives were unbearable. Thinking that a change of place would do her good she obtained the permission of her father to visit pilgrim spots where she could be of service to sadhus. She stayed at the pilgrim centre of Gokarna on the western coast and served sadhus. She learned ashtanga yoga from a guru who came from the north. But her agony continued to smoulder and she saw no one who could extinguish it.

She returned to her place in 1906 in the same mood as she left. Though she did so, she had a firm belief that service to a sadhu was the only way her grief could subside. A relative of hers advised her to visit Arunachala where “Brahmana Swami lives. He is only twenty five and has extraordinary powers. He will be able to help you in your distress.” The relative also encouraged her saying that even if the Swami was silent those who served him with full faith were bound to benefit from it. Thereupon she left for Arunagiri. She had relations there but she decided to stay away from them. Accompanied by a friend she visited the Swami who was then staying at Virupaksha cave. She noticed that the form which had appeared in her dreams three times earlier was of this very Sadguru. She sat in silence for an hour. The Swami was as usual silent. She was not inclined to return, it was as if her feet got planted there. Yet she had to return. On reaching home she told her friend that the oppressive weight in her heart torturing her in the recent past had gone.

From that day she regularly visited the ashram, like an iron filing attracted to a magnet. She also began serving food to the Swami. She used the money sent by her father, and later by her brother, for the service of the Swami and his disciples. She would prepare food for them and serve it wherever they went. For a number of Ramana devotees her house became a lodging place.

Nobody knew how her tears dried up. Even if memories of her husband and children arose she would not be overwhelmed by sorrow as in the earlier days. All that she knew was that it was due to the guru’s prasadam and grace. The Swami was her mother, father, guru and God. Her great reward was peace and devotion. She would accept anything that happened to her as Swami’s grace and would promptly report to him.

With the permission of the Swami she adopted her niece, Chellammal, and performed her marriage. She named her grandson after Ramana. One day, she received a telegram from her son-in-law saying that Chellammal had passed away- which came as a bolt from the blue. It was as if the old agony would once again overwhelm her but things were different by then. She had her saviour. She went to the Swami and showed him the telegram. The Swami was moved, he shed tears. The Swami was “one with those in distress!” Echammal attended the final rites and returned, carrying her grandson Ramana, as a symbol of her daughter’s memory. She placed the infant in the Swami’s lap, as she believed that both for herself and the child the Swami was the sole refuge. The Swami who recognised the intensity of Echammal’s sorrow, once again shed tears. Though Echammal’s comfort was shattered by destiny, service-oriented as she was, she did not have to try hard to overcome her latest shock.

It is assumed by some that though jnanis may be endowed with a kind heart they do not sympathise with the sorrows of the common people. For one who was the manifestation of Easwara could sympathy and affection towards his children be unusual?

The Swami dispelled Echammal’s sorrow first and then gave her his upadesa. Earlier she had practised concentration on the nose and meditating on the brilliant light emanating there. She spent hours and days in a state of ectasy because of that. On one occasion when she was thus seated, totally oblivious of the outer world, the owners of the house mistook her to be dead and ran to the Swami to inform him. He heard the news and kept quiet. Later she told the Swami how she practised yoga. The Swami said, “The brilliant light is a vision, it is not the atma realising which is your goal. Why do you go after lesser things?” Thus he taught her, diverted her from the yoga marga and put her on the path of self enquiry. She had full faith in him and followed his upadesa. The Swami showed her his grace in several ways. Here are a couple of such instances.

One day while Echammal was climbing the hill carrying food for the Swami there was a heavy downpour. She took shelter at a particular place and looked at the Swami who was not far away. She observed that the area surrounding him was absolutely dry whereas at a little distance from him it was raining heavily!

On another occasion, a Pandit from the North visited the Swami at Virupaksha cave and was discussing some subtle points with the Swami. When Echammal reached the cave as usual she was astonished at what she saw. She began trembling when the Swami asked her the reason. She narrated her experience thus: On reaching the Sadguru Swami cave on her way, she felt that there were two persons - one of whom was the Swami and the other the visitor close by. Without halting she moved along. As she was doing so a voice said “Why climb when he is here?” When she turned back she could see nobody at the spot or nearabouts. She trembled with fear at this experience and somehow reached Virupaksha cave. The Sastry then said to the Swami. “You have been speaking to me here but appeared before her at a different place! You have not blessed me with your grace similarly.”

The Swami merely said that because Echammal was constantly thinking of him she saw his form elsewhere. But the question still remained as to why she should see the visitor also!

Another day as Echammal was going towards the cave of the Swami she noticed on the top of a tree a crow poking a parrot . As the parrot fell to the ground Echammal picked it up and took it to the Swami. Despite careful nursing by the Swami the parrot died after a few days. The Swami arranged for the burial of the parrot and pronounced that a building would rise at the spot. Just as he said, subsequently, a building arose close by. The cave adjacent to it got the name Kili guha (Parrot cave).

The Swami never subscribed to the view that women were not fit for self-enquiry. Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni’s wife Visalakshi once asked Bhagavan about this. He replied that women who abided in the Self could become renunciates too and that upon death their bodies should be buried. This point is referred to in Sri Ramana Gita (Chapter 13).

Echammal was a sattvic devotee. With all her devotion to the Swami she never ignored other great souls. She had great devotion for Seshadri Swami also who was pleased with her goodness and devotion. Seshadri Swami who neither allowed others to come near him nor go to others, would visit Echammal’s house. He escorted her back home a number of times when she returned from the ashram, if it was dark by then. One day, a Pandit was reciting a Purana and explaining it in Echammal’s house. Suddenly Seshadri Swami appeared there. The Pandit contemptuously said of him, “Will people of this type ever obtain jnana even in a thousand births?” Echammal felt bad and thought within herself that it would be fitting if Seshadri Swami gave a discourse to vanquish the Pandit’s pride. On his own, Seshadri Swami gave a discourse without the aid of any book for about an hour and mesmerised the audience with his scholarship.

On another occasion, Seshadri Swami visited her when Echammal was performing her pooja and asked her what she was doing. She replied that she was worshipping the pictures of Seshadri Swami and Ramana. Seshadri Swami asked her why she did not meditate. Echammal knew about meditation but in order to elicit it from Seshadri Swami asked him to teach her how meditation was to be done. At once, Seshadri Swami sat there in padmasana and demonstrated how to meditate. He also fell into samadhi and stayed in that state for about four hours at the end of which he merely said “Have you noticed?” And went his way. Those who knew his nature could easily guess what a great blessing it all was.

The Swami rid Sivaprakasam Pillai of worldly desires and put him on the path of enquiry. He did the same for Echammal also. But for the Swami’s grace how could a person immersed in sorrow because of worldly affairs, get on to the path of self-enquiry?

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T was 1903. Bhagavan was seated at Adimudi shrine surrounded by disciples. A scholar from Andhra came and interpreted the famous invocatory sloka

“Suklambaradharam Vishnum sasivarnam catur bhujam prasanna vadanam dhyayeth sarva vighnopasantaye”

as if it applied to Bhagavan in this manner:“He also wears a white cloth (Kaupina); as he abides in the Self he is Vishnu (all pervading), he has devoured (destroyed) Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara. He has a peaceful countenance, he removes all obstacles in the way of those who meditate.’’

The following year the same scholar visited Arunachala during Kritikkai and recited the one thousand slokas, entitled Sivasahasri, extolling the Deity. The listeners were very pleased with the scholarship and beautiful style of the composition.

Everyone wondered who that person of simple appearance but with profound scholarship was. They came to know that he was from Andhra and belonged to Kaluvarayi agraharam near Bobbili. His name was Kavya Kantha Ganapati Sastry. They expressed their appreciation of the gifted and blessed being of rare talents.

Truly Ganapati was a blessed child. In 1878 his father Narasimha Sastry was performing japa at Kasi in front of Vinayaka’s image. He suddenly felt that a small boy was advancing towards him fromVinayaka. That was also the time when his baby son was born back home. The father named the child Ganapati.

Till he reached the age of five all kinds of ailments including dumbness troubled Ganapati. In his sixth year he was branded with a hot iron rod upon which all ailments left him. He was also able to speak thereafter.

He then began his studies. Thereafter his life was miraculous with unexcelled intellectual skills of great comprehension, phenomenal memory and amazing intuition.

There was nothing he could not understand, nothing he could not commit to memory after hearing once, no sastra that was not grist to his intellectual mill. By the time he was ten, he had memorized several kavyas. In Astrology he was capable of drawing up a panchangam. He also had the capacity to compose Sanskrit verses extempore. As he studied epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata two great ambitions arose in him. One was to become a great poet like Vyasa and Valmiki - and why not, he thought, was he not already capable of composing poetry? The other ambition was this: in the puranas rishis like Viswamitra, and devotees like Dhruva had by the power of their japa become capable of creating a fresh world or obtaining an abiding place in the firmament. Why not he also become one like them? With such great ambitions the lad continued his studies.

By the time he was twelve, Ganapati composed a Sanskrit Kavya, Bhringasandesa in the mandakranta metre imitating the poet, Kalidasa. Within a couple of years he was proficient in Chandas, Vyakarana, Kavyas, and Puranas. He was an extempore poet, an ashtavadhani and an orator. In 1900, while he was at Kasi his friends encouraged him to visit Nawadweepa to participate in the scholars’ meet held there. At that meet of great and reputed scholars, he demonstrated his unmatched literary gifts and talents. Thus he earned the title “Kavya Kantha,” At that time, he was barely twenty two.

For the fulfilment of his second ambition, Ganapati got initiated in several mantras. Among these, his favourite was the Siva panchakshari. In order to perform japa in the prescibed manner, he studied a number of agama sastras. He mastered all the spiritual literature in Sanskrit.

He got married at the age of eighteen but with the permission of his father and wife he left on a pilgrimage to the banks of Ganga, Narmada and Godavari to perform japa. He visited almost all the holy places of India twelve times, for performing japa. Though there were occasional spiritual experiences he did not obtain the darshan of Siva, which he desired ardently.

At Varanasi, the pleased goddess gave him honey in a dream. At Nasik the temple priest mistook him for a thief and the people of the place beat him up. In anger, he cursed that the people of Nasik should also be hurt like himself physically. Within one month, an unprecedented cyclone struck the town and hurt the people. He had divine powers but they were of no avail to himself!

As Ganapati Sastry was studying Vedic literature there arose before his mental eye the glorious Aryan civilisation where people lived in harmony and discipline and were generally happy and peaceful. He compared it with the conditions obtaining in the country in his own time where people were rigid and lifeless. The people made themselves inflexible and bound themselves to various customs and above all, occupied the first place among the enslaved nations of the world!

He then resolved that he should reform society and restore ancient values. For this, he decided to bring together and lead young men dedicated to eradicating all the divisive forces in society and to performing mantra japa as the rishis of ancient times did so that a new Aryan society could be built. In this endeavour, Ganapati thought, mantra japa was the key.

Ganapati chanted the Sivapanchakshari a billion times; so also he wrote down the name of the Deity a billion times all of which had gone waste. In 1904 Ganapati was appointed as a Telugu pandit at Vellore. He began taking practical steps to realise his ideal and gathered a band of disciples round him. He spent his time in teaching than in imparting mantra japa to the students. He felt even that was not fruitful and decided to resume mantra japa at Arunachala and reached that place in 1907.

Even that was useless in that in spite of all his learning he could not grasp the implication of mantra japa. He was sorry that years of japa did not secure for him the darshan of his ishta devata.

During the Krittikai festival of November 1907 while Ganapati was seated in meditation he heard a voice saying that the Deity was asking for him. He opened his eyes but could not see anyone in the vicinity. It was as if it was a disembodied voice. He began walking towards the Arunachaleswara temple, performing his mantra japa within. As he came near, the temple car which had not moved till then began moving. Ganapati prostrated there but even then the Diety did not grant a darshan. Ganapati’s grief only increased. The following afternoon he sat in a disciple’s house quietly and the name Brahmanaswami occurred to him suddenly. Then he thought that the Swami who had direct experience of the Self would know the secret behind japa and that he would be able to solve his problem.

He resolved to seek the Brahmanaswami’s refuge. He was not sure whether the Swami would still remember his interpretation of the sloka Suklambaradharam but thought he would still seek the Swami’s guidance. The Swami was his only saviour, he concluded. Ganapati Sastry immediately set out for the hill in the hot midday sun.

By the time the emotion-charged Ganapati reached Virupaksha cave, the Swami was sitting alone on a rock. Ganapati prostrated before him and clasped his feet with both hands and in a choked voice said,

I have studied all that has to be studied. I have learnt Vedanta sastra completely. I have performed mantra-japa to my heart’s content. But till now I have not been able to grasp what tapas really means. I have now approached you to know what it is. Please enlighten me on the nature of

tapas.

The Swami fixed his gaze on Ganapati for fifteen minutes. Ganapati was awaiting the reply anxiously. No one else intruded and disturbed them. The Swami spoke in Tamil- “If you enquire and observe where this I-thought arises from, the mind gets absorbed in it. That is tapas. While performing mantra japa if you enquire and observe where the sound of the mantra arises from, the mind gets absorbed in it. That is tapas.”

The tormented heart of Ganapati had instant solace and got pacified. He recognised that after the Vedic times this was the only upadesa of its kind. A new path for attaining moksha was indicated here. Nobody else had discovered this path earlier. The Swami, the yogi par excellence, had spelt out his supreme upadesa to the mortal Ganapati at the sacred spot of Arunachala in appreciation of Ganapati’s prolonged japa. Subsequently, this upanishad was taught to disciples and seekers all over the world.

Those who saw the path to moksha were rishis. Ramana who showed this unique path was also a Maharshi.

Ganapati Sastry stayed for some hours there and after ascertaining the name of the Brahmama Swami he composed extempore five slokas in praise of “Ramana”. At that time Sastry was not aware that Lakshmana Ayyar had referred to the boy Venkataraman as Ramana. Ganapati was instrumental in reviving the name which had fallen into disuse. The next day, Ganapati gave the upadesa to his disciples and told them that it was given by Ramana.

He also enjoined on them to refer to the Swami as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. This name became world famous.

By definition, a person with the following attributes is traditionally referred to as a rishi – one who is celibate, one who performs severe penance, one with complete control over passions, one who is absolutely truthful and one who has mastered the Vedas and Vedangas.

The syllables “bhaga” in the word Bhagavan meant prosperity, perfection, dharma, fame, sreyas, jnana, vairagya and the like. Both the words ‘rishi’ and ‘bhagavan’ were appropriate in the case of Ramana. Ganapati felt that he got the upadesa due to the grace of Goddess Uma. As a token of gratitude, he composed Umasahasram (one thousand slokas in praise of Uma) and dedicated the book to her-all in three weeks. Inspired by the divine presence of the Maharshi he dictated the last three hundred slokas to four amanuenses. The Maharshi who was watching silently till then asked, “Has everything been noted?” Kavyakantha submitted that it was all noted. Those slokas are held to be Maharshi’s but merely voiced by Ganapati. Though he revised several slokas of the work subsequently, Ganapati found nothing to revise in the last three hundred slokas.

In the first three months of 1908 the Maharshi, Ganapati, and other disciples stayed at the Pachaiamman Kovil at the foothill of Arunachala. Most of the expenses relating to the stay were borne by Ramaswamy Ayyangar, a devotee. During that period, Ganapati, took to meditation as taught by Bhagavan. One dawn, a brilliant light arose and touched the forehead of the Maharshi six times, Ganapati noticed this and also observed that the light got absorbed in the aura around the Maharshi’s head as six starlike formations.

Though he practised the Maharshi’s way Ganapati’s original ideals did not leave him. Towards the end of March (1908) he wanted to leave Arunachala and asked the Maharshi whether the enquiry into the source of the ‘I-thought’ would result in the fulfilment of his ideals or whether he had to do mantra japa also. The Maharshi replied that the former was enough. Ganapati also asked the Maharshi whether his intention was good, to which the latter replied “Leave everything to God, your burden will cease and He will take on your burden. He knows what to do.”

Much later Bhagavan said, “While God sustains the burden of the world, the spurious ego assumes its burden grimacing like an image on a tower seeming to support it.”

Reality in forty verses - Supplement verse 17

– Tr. K. Swaminathan

With the Maharshi’s permission Ganapati left Arunachala in 1908 for Tiruvottiyur near Madras for performing tapas. He performed tapas in a Ganesa temple for eighteen days. On the last day he had a problem during the tapas and felt that it would be fine if the Maharishi were to give his darshan. He was asleep while being, wide awake. All of a sudden Ramana arrived there and sat by Ganapati’s side. Surprised at this, Ganapati tried to get up but the Maharshi pressed him on the head and made him sit. Ganapati felt as if an electric current had passed through him. He took it to be initiation by hand (hastadiksha).

Ever since 1896 the Maharshi never left Arunachala but how can anyone account for Ganapati’s experience?

About twenty one years later, on 17 Oct 1929 to be precise, Ganapati narrated his experience to the Maharshi. The Maharshi also confirmed it, saying, “Several years ago I was resting at Virupaksha cave. I was not in samadhi. Yet I felt as if the body was floating in air. As the upward floating continued all material objects vanished from my sight, only white light was all around. Suddenly the body began descending and objects came into view. I thought this was what was meant by the disappearance and reappearance of those with occult powers (siddhas). It struck me that it was Tiruvottiyur and I walked along a main road. As I did so I noticed a Ganesa temple at a distance and I went in. I do not remember what I did or what I spoke. At that stage I woke up and found myself to be asleep at the Virupaksha cave. I narrated this experience at once to Palaniswami.”

Ganapati in turn confirmed that the description of the Ganesa temple as given by the Maharshi was accurate.

Kavya Kantha would visit Arunachala occasionally to have the darshan of Bhagavan. Between 1922 and 1929 he stayed at Arunachala with his family. Once, while at the mango tree cave the bones of his skull loosened and he experienced a softening of the area where the Brahmarandhra exists.

Ganapati himself confessed that however much he tried to follow the jnana marga he had not been able to achieve abidance in the Self. In the first years possibly the latent tendencies proved to be insurmountable obstacles. Also, the activities of the sakti in the body were intense which it could not bear. On such occasions he would seek Bhagavan’s help and get over that.

Ganapati Sastry used to say that sakti was of two types-mahas and sahas of which the former was divine and that only when sahas got transformed as mahas the bones of the skull loosend. Because of this sakti he could not bear to touch any metallic object and he always had to wear sandals made of wood. A number of his disciples also had experienced that sakti. Any copper coin held in the palm became golden.

Bhagavan had great love for Ganapati Sastry. His erudition, exalted ideals, and the power of his tapas endeared him to Bhagavan. But for Ganapati’s encouragement Bhagavan would not have composed poetry in Sanskrit and Telugu.

Bhagavan addressed Ganapati as “Nayana” as did the latter’s disciples. Ganapati was a great man with extraordinary foresight, and power of speech.

One may go to the extent of saying that he was a Vidyadhara in human form. His glory can be fully appreciated by going through Kapali Sastry’s Vasishta Vaibhavam. But for his ideals and love of the country which bound him, Ganapati would have attained Self reatisation.

He wrote a lot of poetry in praise of Bhagavan, one of these poems, Sri Ramana Chatvarimsat was recited in Bhagavan’s presence every morning. It is still recited at Bhagavan’s shrine.

In order to realise his ambitions Ganapati participated in politics and social reform activities till 1930. Thereafter he gave them up and devoted himself to tapas. He left his mortal body on 25 July 1936 at Nimpura near Kharagpur in his ashram.

More than the service he did for Bhagavan, Ganapati’s service to the nation in propagating Bhagavan’s message is greater. The answers Bhagavan gave to the questions of the disciples were incorporated as slokas in Sri Ramana Gita composed by Ganapati Sastry. This book is an invaluable guide to all. Simirarly, he translated into Sanskrit Bhagavan’s Ulladu Narpadu under the title Sat-darsanam. As early as 1903 Ganapati Muni, through his foresight, recognised the greatness of Bhagavan and spread the word. Under his guidance, his disciples Pranavananda and Kapali Sastry wrote commentaries on Bhagavan’s Upadesasaram and Sat-darsanam respectively. Kapali Sastry also wrote an excellent commentary on Bhagavan’s Arunachala Pancharatna. Ganapati’s disciples were all Bhagavan’s disciples too. They were spread all over the country and they carried forward Bhagavan’s message.

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N April 1908, Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer, a supervisor in the PWD at Tiruvannamalai visited the Maharshi at the Virupaksha cave. A friend who accompanied him felt that the visit was a waste. But Ramaswami Iyer desired to have Maharshi’s darshan again. So, he visited the Maharshi again all by himself. The Maharshi was at that moment quite alone.

For some unaccounted reason there was an emotional upsurge in Iyer on seeing the Maharshi and he asked him, “Swami, great souls like Jesus arose on the earth to redeem sinners. Is there no hope for me?” The Swami was moved and rising from his seat said in English, “Yes there is hope, there is hope, there is hope.” Iyer noted this in his diary, a habit he had cultivated since then.

Iyer not only came from a family with a tradition of music, he himself was a composer. On the very day of this visit he composed a song which means: “You are my refuge. I have none else to turn to. You are a sweet and fragrant bouquet of flowers charming to the bees of the devotees swarming at your feet.” Subsequently he composed several songs among which the one with the refrain, “In you I take refuge” (Saranagati song) is extremely beautiful and moving.

Subsequently, Iyer visited the Maharshi in the evenings whenever possible. On one occasion, the Maharshi sat absorbed in silence for half an hour and later looked at Iyer. The latter at once felt a hot current flow into him. He had a similar experience on another occasion also.

Iyer suffered from indigestion and sleeplessness. Because of these problems he felt uneasy in his head and could not sleep one night. The Maharshi asked him what the matter was. Soon thereafter Iyer felt normal in the head and could sleep soundly.

It was the eighteenth day of the Tamil month, Adi of the year, Sowmya. A lady devotee brought delicacies specially prepared for the occasion for the Maharshi and his devotees. Owing to his dyspepsia Iyer could not partake of anything other than thin gruel. But at the Maharshi’s insistence on that occasion he partook of good, rich food. Strangely, it had no effect on him and he also slept soundly.

Thus he began experiencing the grace of the Maharshi even in minor physical matters and came to rely on him without any care. The family members of Iyer at first demurred at his going and staying with the Maharshi but after learning that his indigestion got miraculously cured they no longer objected and began sending his food to the hill. Ailments which did not yield to expensive medication vanished at the mere look of the Maharshi. This diksha by sight of the Maharshi was more potent than that by touch.

The one upadesa Bhagavan gave to Iyer was, “Never forget your Self, any forgetfulness is harmful.” Here are some extracts of Ramaswami Iyer’s diary to show his

attitude: “Whenever I am forgetful of the Self I become low and beastly. When I am conscious of “I am” there is no more bad nature. How happy I feel when once I enquire “Who am I ?” and come by another stream to the brain! The very act of questioning involves using the will. The greater the will power, the greater is the happiness. The reverse also is true. I have no doubt about this.”

The substance is this: the Sakti of the atma is superior to all and through the method of enquiry it can be strengthened. With that, not only the sufferings of the soul but even those of the body can be eliminated. The Maharshi always abided in the Self. In his very presence every infirmity vanished!

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ONG ago Sankara said that there were far too many pretenders among sadhus. The scriptures have condemned them, yet their number has increased and in the present times substantial amounts are wasted by the public on them. Such hypocrites have anger as well as fear towards true sannyasis and hence do everything possible to harm them. But the reputation of truly noble men only gets enhanced by such acts of the pretenders, whose true nature gets revealed.

From the very moment the Swami settled down on the hill, Arunachala, the income of the hypocritical sadhus began dwindling and instead started pouring at the Swami’s feet. The Swami’s great vairagya and his teachings were attracting people in large numbers. This caused heartburn to the sadhu pretenders. Among them was one, Jataswami who had some tapas to his credit and was also learned. In fact, the Swami used to visit him frequently and consult the books available with him. Jataswami was celibate and frugal in his eating habits but his great weakness was jealousy. He had the habit of rolling rocks towards any real sadhu who attempted to settle on the hill and most of them went away apprehending some approaching earthquake. Jataswami employed the same trick towards the Swami but it had no effect; on one such occasion the Swami climbed up further and caught the elderly Jataswami who, strangely, not only did not express any remorse but merely laughed it off as a practical joke.

Jataswami’s friend was Balanandaswami, a peculiar Brahmin character. He was acquainted with English, French, Marathi, Hindustani, Sanskrit and Malayalam. He studied the Prasthana Traya (scriptures). Appearance-wise also he was attractive with sharp features and good complexion. He also had the gift of the gab and by spinning yarns was able to win over any stranger. As darkness is dispelled when the sun rises, with the arrival of the Swami on the hill, Balanandaswami’s glamour began to fade. But he was not one to give up. He tried to win over the Swami by all kinds of tricks. He would tell all visitors that the young Swami was his disciple and would ask them to give his “disciple” something to eat. Not only that, he would place a lot of eatables in front of the Swami in the presence of visitors and urge him to eat.

The Swami was guileless yet he could easily notice the hypocrisy of Balanandaswami but was not inclined to act against evil which was why possibly he never exposed him. Quite brazenly Balanandaswami said to the Swami, “I will declare you to be my disciple and make some money thereby. What do you lose, just be silent”. After 1908 a number of persons learned and unlearned, rich and poor, children and elderly - became devoted to the Swami. They began showing their resentment towards Balanandaswami at first indirectly but later, directly. Balanandaswami went to ridiculous lengths to establish himself as the Swami’s guru without realizing that his acts were harmful to himself. The climax came one night with his passing urine in the verandah of Virupaksha cave before leaving the place. Palaniswami who guessed that it could only be the act of Balanandaswami washed the place. After the Maharshi and others went to have a bath at a distant teertha, Palaniswami threw out the bundle of Balanandaswami’s clothes, among them were some costly ones too, and left the place locking up the cave. Palaniswami also felt that even if he did not express it the Maharshi must have been revolted at Balanandaswami’s act.

Balananda returned and became furious at what happened to his clothes and began ranting “this must be Palani’s work”. As soon as Palani returned he belaboured him and said to the Maharshi, “This fellow Palani is quite arrogant, see how he threw away my clothes. Get rid of him at once.” The Maharshi did not respond, Palani did not stir. With uncontrollable anger Balananda spat on the face of the Maharshi, even then the latter kept silent. For some unknown reason the Maharshi’s devotees present at the spot also kept quiet. Another disciple, Muthaiah, living in a different cave got to know of this and with great fury was about to beat the forty year old Balanandaswami with a stick, when the Maharshi intervened and stopped him. Balanandaswami realized that his ways would not succeed and decided to leave the place but even then his pride would not leave him. He said, “This hill does not deserve to be the place for me to do tapas” and left for the railway station. He seated himself in an upper class compartment. Even there he did not behave himself. There was a young couple already seated in the compartment. Balanandaswami began ordering about the young man who, naturally, ignored his commands. Furious at this, Balananda shouted at him: ‘By ignoring my words you are insulting me. This is because of your infatuation with this tart.” At this, the young man took out his sandals and beat up Balananda. After this treatment, Balananda disappeared from Arunachala.

Two or three years later, when the Maharshi was residing at the mango tree cave, Balananda reappeared, stood before the cave and sent for the Maharshi. The latter, assuming that Balanandaswami was reformed came out. When no one was about, Balananda asked the Maharshi, “Have you heard what had happened at the railway station?”. The Maharshi gave an affirmative answer. Balananda resumed, “Possibly, I needed that experience also! I regret having spat on you the other day, when I was beside myself with anger. If you so wish you may now spit on me as many times as you like” and went closer to the Maharshi. The Maharshi who had no trace of revenge in him did nothing of the kind.

But true to his form Balananda began ordering about everybody from the very next day. Naturally, nobody cared. A few days later he came to the mango tree cave and said to the Maharshi, “I shall teach you how to attain nirvikalpa samadhi.” So saying he forcibly took him to the pial opposite the cave. Turning to Vasudeva Sastry and other disciples of the Maharshi he said, “What business have you in the company of elders? You had better go.” He looked again at the Maharshi and said, “You keep looking into my eyes and take a deep breath.” He cautioned the Maharshi to relax-thus he harassed the Maharshi for about half an hour and at the end, he himself fell asleep. The Maharshi and his disciples quietly went back to the Virupaksha cave.

Balananda indulged in such antics on one more occasion. He ordered Rangaswamy Iyengar, a disciple of the Maharshi to fetch a twig for him to brush his teeth. Rangaswamy Iyengar brought a big branch and said, “For the elderly, is this not the appropriate thing?” Balananda ordered another disciple so fetch some fire to light his cigar. He, in turn, brought burning pieces of coal in a huge basin. Bringing it close to Balananda’s face he asked, “What should be lighted?”

Balananada realized that the Maharshi’s disciples would no longer care for him and thought it better to leave the place before they drove him out. Before leaving, he addressed the Maharshi thus: “This hill is unfit for persons like me. On top of it your disciples have insulted me. It was I who gave you various powers and because of them people are reverential towards you. I am withdrawing all the powers. Henceforth no one will respect you.” So saying he left for the town.

He went to a sweetmeat shop owner and boasted about what he had done. The shop owner had great regard for the Maharshi; upon hearing what Balananda said he got ready to thrash him. With that, Balananda left Arunachala again. Sometime later Balanandaswami returned to the Maharshi and saying that he had no attachment towards the body, he became nude and behaved in a repulsive manner with the Maharshi’s attendant. All those present were incensed but the Maharshi was as usual indifferent. After this event Balananda left Arunachala for good. Nobody heard of him any more.

Another sadhu also tried to project himself as the Maharshi’s guru. This Mahaswami had learnt the preliminary lessons of philosophy; he performed mantra japa, and was acquainted with music also. He resented the Maharshi who did not perform any japa but who still ‘earned’ a lot of money. He would go to the post office and collect all the letters addressed to the Brahmana Swami (by which name also the Maharshi was known). His justification was that he also was a Brahmin residing on the hill! Once he returned from a pilgrimage to Kalahasti and said to the Maharshi, “I returned only for your sake. I shall initiate you in the Dattatreyamantra”. The Maharshi did not jump with joy at this unsought for attention. He was, as usual, indifferent. But the Mahaswami would not give up. “God appeared in my dream and ordered me to initiate you” he said. The Maharshi replied “If He appears in my dream also and orders me to receive the upadesa I shall do so”. “No, no it is a very brief mantra, get up and we shall commence” said the Mahaswami. The Maharshi replied “What is the use of this upadesa when I have no inclination towards performing any Japa?”

The Mahaswami got angry and whenever any of his visitors expressed a wish to have the darshan of the Maharshi, he would try to dissuade them saying that the Maharshi was not great nor learned enough to be able to give any instruction to them. The Maharshi heard this but as usual kept quiet. One day when the Mahaswami was in meditation at the banana grove near the temple he had a vision of the Maharshi who said to him “Don’t be deceived,” and disappeared. With that, the Mahaswami trembled and realized that Ramana was no ordinary person and that he did possess certain powers. Thereafter he decided not to trifle with the Maharshi. He ran to the Maharshi, and narrating his experience pleaded with him to see that he no longer had such visions. The Maharshi replied calmly “I have no such powers. Further I have no hatred towards you at all.” Mahaswami got pacified with these words and went his way.

Round about 1916, a group of sadhus planned to abduct the Maharshi. They came to him at the Virupaksha cave in a drunken state and said, “We are from Podigai the place where the sage Agastya is still in penance. He ordered us to take you to Srirangam first, where a meeting of the siddhas is on, and later bring you to him. He said that there were some elements still in your body which were preventing your attaining complete Siddhi and that he would remove them for your own benefit. He also said that he would initiate you in the proper manner.”

The position was critical but the Maharshi just did not utter a single word. Perumalswami who was there, was quite strong and quick-witted. He intervened and said to the visitors, “We have been already told by God of your impending visit and He ordered us to fry you in a pan. What do you say to this?” He further turned towards Mastan, a fellow disciple, and asked him to make necessary preparations for this. This acted as an excellent antidote which made the visiting sadhus run away.

It is not that such “gentlemen” were wanting among the educated classes, either. In the early days of the establishment of the Ashram some rich gentlemen of Madras, felt that the administration of the Ashram was not being carried out properly. They chartered a bus from Madras and arrived at the Ashram with the objective of changing the management or failing that, taking the Maharshi away to Madras. They entered the hall where Bhagavan sat. He was serious, immobile and silent. Each one of the visitors developed cold feet and having nothing to say they simply returned to their bus and went away. The Maharshi later on came to know as to why they came in the first place. He said, “I did not know why they came. Did they come here to imporve the Ashram or themselves?”

So long as one lives in the world even a jnani may have to face critical situations. There is no escape from prarabdha for any one – that is the moral of these episodes.

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F to the inhabitants of Arunachala the Maharshi was the sun, Seshadri was the moon. Both were unique, each in his own way. Seshadri was born an Ashtasahasram Brahmin in1870 at Vazhur of Vandavasi taluq. As he lost his father quite early his mother’s uncle Kamakoti Sastriar, a musician, pouranic and scholar brought him up. Seshadri had a retentive memory and, was proficient in vocal music, and puranic lore. At a very early age he mastered the principal Sanskrit classics and was able to compose poetry in Sanskrit.

Seshadri’s favourite Deity was Goddess Kamakshi of Kanchipuram. Reciting the five hundred slokas in her praise, Mukapanchasati, he went round her shrine day and night. In his fifteenth year he got initiated in the sakti (Bala) mantra and carried on spiritual practices at the dead of night alone in a burial ground adjoining a river near the Periandavar shrine. He obtained a vision of the Goddess Sakti.

Thereafter, Seshadri went round several places for acquiring knowledge in mantras and finally reached Arunachala in 1890 where he stayed till his end. He had acquired occult powers such as reading other peoples’ thoughts, clairvoyance and vaksiddhi.

Seshadri avoided the company of people and to ward them off acted like a lunatic throwing stones at people.

On seeing Ramana he noticed that he was a realised soul who abided in the Self. He developed great affection for Ramana.

Seshadri who declined invitations from anyone, on his own used to visit Ramana’s place at Pavalakundru occasionally and sit along with Ramana’s devotees for a meal. While having his meal Seshadri would sprinkle rice all round, at which Ramana’s devotees would object. Seshadri would agree with them and take care to ensure that the rice did not fall on the ground. He also used to visit Echammal’s house even without being asked by her. Seshadri loved Maharshi’s disciples too and used to advise them to surrender themselves to the Maharshi.

One, Venkatarama Ayyar stood before Seshadri, though with a desire to have the darshan of the Maharshi. Seshadri who read his thoughts said, “The Maharshi’s darshan will purify the mind” and encouraged him to go. Another devotee of the Maharshi, Somasundara Swami, left the Maharshi’s ashram for certain reasons and was looking for another guru and in that connection sought Seshadri’s advice. Seshadri Swami grasped what Somasundara Swami was about to ask and said, “Go back to Ramana.” But Somasundara Swami was hesitant to do so. Seshadri shouted at him saying “Go, go to Ramana Swami” Somasundaram thereupon returned to the ashram immediately, It was midnight by then.

Seshadri always said that one should follow only one path and one guru. So if any one with devotion to Ramana came to him he would urge him to go to Ramana. On one occasion he asked T.V. Subrahmanya Ayyar, who had great devotion towards the Maharshi, “There are three lingas here, do you know?”

Ayyar: The hill is the only one. It is the

jyotirlingam.

Seshadri: Not at all and you know that there are

Seshadri: You know them too.
Ayyar: Sorry, I do not know.
Seshadri: People say it is Ramana Swami.
Ayyar: Alright, what is the third?
Seshadri: You know that too.
Ayyar: I do not know, Swami.
Seshadri: The third lingam is known as ‘Seshadri’.
Ayyar: Is it you?
Seshadri: You know it, isn’t it?
Aryyar: I don’t know.
Seshadri: Yes it is me.
There were occasions when Seshadri said he was not

different from Ramana.

Lakshmi Ammal came to Arunachala in order to serve the Maharshi and stayed with Echammal. One day on her way to the Maharshi’s ashram, she ran into Seshadri Swami and regretted that she was not able to serve him. Seshadri grasped her unspoken thought and to lessen her grief said to her, “What if the service is there (i.e to Ramana) or here (i.e. to Seshadri)?”

In order to facilitate dhyana, a Sastry of Chidambaram used to resort to opium though the Maharshi advised him against it. On one occasion as the opinum was not pure, the mind of the Sastry became perverse and all sorts of thoughts sprang up. Not knowing what to do, he ran to the Kambathu Ilayanar shrine and waited for Seshadri. As soon as he came the Sastry prostrated at his feet and even before he could say anything the Sastry was admonished thus: “I had already advised you against using the drug but you persisted.” These were not the words of Seshadri, but of the Maharshi. The Sastry realised that Seshadri said those words to demonstrate that there was no difference between him and the Maharshi.

Tiruvallur Subrahmanya Mudaliar was a businessman who got entangled in litigations in his thrist for acquiring more wealth. Seshadri rebuked him several times on this score. In 1910 Seshadri went to the Mango tree cave where Mudali was in the presence of the Maharshi and said to Mudaliar, “Look, the income of the younger brother is ten thousand per month; for me it is one thousand, Why don’t you try to earn at least a hundred?” Mudaliar understood that the ‘income’ mentioned by Seshadri meant spiritual wealth and that ‘Younger brother’ meant the Maharshi, yet he replied, “Where is the time Swami, I am immersed in various transactions”. Persisting, Seshadri told him several times that ‘atma vidya’ was easy but to no avail. On one occasion Seshadri sudddenly said to him “You will be branded a sinner for having killed a Brahman.” Mudaliar’s heart skipped a beat at that. He ran to the Maharshi for whom he had great reverence and told him what Seshadri said. The Maharshi consoled him saying “Yes it is true. Because you do not desire to know that you are the Brahman, it amounts to killing Brahman, nothing wrong with that description.”

Whether Seshadri worshipped God with attributes or without attributes is dealt with in the chapter on “Giripradakshina”. It is shown therein that he appeared to have had devotion to the Lord with attributes. He also demonstrated nirvikalpa samadhi. Hence it may be appropriate to conclude that he worshipped the Formless One also.

One day, Seshadri stood watching a buffalo in the agraharam. V.C. Narayana Ayyar came there and asked him what he was looking at. Seshadri said “This.” Ayyar asked him if he was referring to the buffalo. Seshadri turned towards him and asked him to tell him what it was. Ayyar replied, “It is a buffalo”. Seshadri said, “Is it a buffalo? You beast, you had better refer to it as Brahman” and walked away. Recollect the upadesa of Seshadri to Natanananda also in this context.

Seshadri Swami attained Siddhi on January 14, 1929.

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POKEN word, song and written word have an ascending order of stability. Spoken word and song are sustained by the memory of people but nowadays such people are decreasing in numbers. Even for the written word there is danger if it is not in print. Such a work can always be plagiarised. Further, one can incorporate one’s own ideas in it. Anyway, with printed books being available in plenty who will bother to read unprinted books?

Though from ancient times song, verse poetry, and prose work formed a literary hierarchy Bhagavan adopted the universally accepted Silence. Hence his literary activity did not follow the aforementioned order. At the instance of Gambhiram Seshayya Vichara Sangraham and Viveka Choodamani, two prose works, came first.

In Bhagavan’s view silence was the pre- eminent method of imparting instruction. Yet, he wrote for the sake of those devotees who could not absorb his silent teaching. Hence the pattern of his writings doesn’t reveal his nature but reflects the mental capacity and maturity of those who sought his instructions. Among those who asked him, his disciples were the foremost-they were Ayyaswami, Palaniswami and Perumalswami. It will be no exaggeration to say that Bhagavan wrote because of these disciples.

Ayyaswami, who was from Kerala, began his service of the Maharshi in 1918. Everyone agreed that his devotion and service-mindedness were unequalled. In 1910, there was a great function at Sringeri math, the math established by AdiSankara. On that occasion books of various teachers were exhibited and sold. Ayyaswami bought some of Sankara’s works and later requested the Maharshi to render them into Malayalam. The Maharshi translated some parts of Sankara Vijayam. At Palaniswami’s request the Maharshi translated Gurusthuthi and Hastamalakam into Tamil.

Gurusthuthi contains the message of Padmapada and other disciples to Sankara who entered the body of the King Amaruka and forgot to get out of it. The message was a repetition of Sankara’s teaching itself. Hastamalakam contains the reply of Hastamalaka to the question of Sankara as to who he was.

At the time he wrote these poems the Maharshi was not acquainted with Tamil prosody but he was familiar with the rhythm of song due to constant listening. The Maharshi wrote them in that pattern but they conformed to the prosody required of verses.

The next work was Aksharamanamalai. Among the works of Bhagavan this is to be regarded as the foremost. The title means “marital garland” Akshara means imperishable, it also means alphabet. This song has couplets each of which commences with a letter in the alphabetical sequence of the Tamil language.

In his early days of service to the Swami, Perumalswami used to fetch food for him from a choultry. After some time the authorities of the choultry demanded service from him in exchange for food. As Perumalswami was not inclined to do so he began begging for food. Even if some devotees brought food for the Maharshi and his disciples it was not always sufficient. So some devotees had to go into the town begging. To begin with, Perumalswami and others would sing songs with which people were already familiar. As the Maharshi’s disciples they received alms aplenty. Noticing this, some others began imitating them and they also began wearing ochre robes. In order to be marked out as the Maharshi’s disciples Palaniswami and others wished to have a special song for them to sing when they went begging.

Normally those going out for begging sang a song with the refrain “SambaSadaSiva, SambaSadaSiva, SambaSadaSiva Hara Hara” At first, the Maharshi composed a few similar lines with the refrain “Arunachala” and stopped. Perumal was awaiting the next lines but was disappointed. One day, the Maharshi went for giri pradakshina alone. That day some more lines of the song were composed.

The very name of the song reveals its import (bhava); the bride was the Jiva (Maharshi himself) the bridegroom was Lord Arunachala. The Maharshi created situations where the bride pined for the bridegroom and thus composed the song.

Normally a pining lover’s words would be piteous but when they are accompanied by devotion the effect is perfect. The bride displays various feelings like self-pity, bashfulness, maturity and hurt at being spurned; all these make the poem exquisite with a remarkable co-mingling of bhakti and sringara. Like sugar in milk, the poem abounds in upadesa of wisdom also. In the original Tamil the words employed have more than one meaning, therefore translating the poem into another language adequately is almost impossible. Those who sing and listen to the song at the Ashram are overwhelmed with joy. When the bhava is sweet and the words are delicately balanced this is only to be expected. This song is more delicate and melodious then the songs of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda. It soothens the hearts of all devotees.

In the Saiva agama called Devikalottaram there is a chapter entitled “Jnanachara vichara patalam”, which details numerous regulations relating to worship. Kuppuswami Raju of Tanjavur noticed that some extracts of the agamas contained slokas which supported advaita, contrary to the constant criticism of advaita by Saiva siddanthis. He thereupon requested his friend Yagnarama Dikshit to obtain some other passages supportive of advaita. This was one of the passages thus obtained. Dikshit during one of his visits to the Maharshi spoke to him about this matter. Bhagavan told Dikshit that earlier one Ramalingam of Vriddachalam showed some manuscripts of agamas to him and that one of those was this very chapter.

Yagnarama Dikshit immediately started copying some of them. The Maharshi also took up a chapter for copying, but he put it aside somewhere. Even at the time the Maharshi composed Aksharamanamalai his knowledge of Tamil prosody was incomplete. But later when he learnt prosody he tried out the ‘Venba’ metre in a few verses. While doing so he recollected the agama chapter of Devikalottaram. Thus without having the original with him the Maharshi wrote the translation from memory. The Tamil translation follows the bhava of each sloka but it is not a literal translation.

During his stay at the Virupaksha cave (i.e. before 1916) the Maharshi collected nine of his verses on Arunachala and collectively named them Navamani-malai (Necklet of Nine gems).

The first verse has a beautiful bhava. At the Sabha (in Chidambaram) Siva danced in front of Sakti whereas at Arunachala he had Sakti within him and became immobile. In the second verse Arunachala is remembered as Sat-chit-ananda personified.

One day, while the Maharshi was seated at the Virupaksha cave the phrase “By thy Grace” (Karunai yaal) kept on recurring in his mind, and would not leave him even if he wanted to ignore it. Then he decided to compose a verse commencing with that phrase. Next, the concluding phrase of that verse began to haunt him, so he wrote another verse commencing with that phrase. Thus a series of eleven verses followed as a flow. That is how ‘Arunachala padikam’ (Eleven Verses to Sri Arunachala) was born.

This hymn is suffused with the spirit of devotion. It delineates the devotee’s yearning for God’s grace. Here are the verses:

1. Now that by thy grace Thou hast claimed me, what will become of me unless Thou manifest Thyself to me, and I, yearning wistfully for Thee and harassed by the darkness of the world, and lost? Oh love, in the shape of Arunachala, can the lotus blossom without sight of the sun? Thou art the sun of suns; Thou causest grace to well up in abundance and pour forth as a stream!

2. Arunachala, Thou form of grace itself! once having claimed me, loveless though I be, how canst Thou let me now be lost, and fail to fill me so with love that I must pine for Thee unceasingly and melt within like wax over the fire? Oh nectar springing up in the heart of devotees! Haven of my refuge! Let Thy pleasure be mine, for that way lies my joy, Lord of my life!

3. Drawing me with the cords of Thy grace, although I had not even dimly thought of Thee, Thou didst decide to kill me outright. How then has one so weak as I offended Thee that Thou dost leave the task unfinished? Why dost Thou torture me thus, keeping me suspended between life and death? Oh Arunachala! fulfil Thy wish, and long survive me all alone, Oh Lord!

4. What did it profit Thee to choose out, me, from all those struggling in samsara, to rescue my helpless self from being lost and hold me at Thy feet? Lord of the ocean of grace! Even to think of Thee puts me to shame (Long) mayst Thou live! I bow my head to Thee and bless Thee!

1. Lord! Thou didst capture me by stealth and all these days hast held me at Thy feet! Lord! Thou hast made

2. me (to stand) with hanging head, (dumb) like an image when asked what is Thy nature. Lord! deign to ease me in my weariness, struggling like a deer that is trapped. Lord Arunachala! what can be Thy will? (Yet) who am I to comprehend Thee?
5. Lord of my life! I am ever at Thy feet, like a frog (which clings) to the stem of the lotus; make me instead a honey-bee which (from the blossom of the Heart) sucks the sweet honey of pure consciousness; then shall I have deliverance. If I am lost while clinging to Thy lotus feet, it will be for Thee a standing column of ignominy, Oh blazing pillar of light called Arunachala! Oh (wide) expanse of grace, more subtle than ether!

6. Oh pure one! If the five elements, the living beings and every manifest thing is nothing but Thy all embracing Light, how then can I (alone) be separate from Thee? Since Thou shinest in the Heart, a single expanse without duality, how then can I come forth distinct therefrom? Show Thyself planting Thy lotus feet upon the head of the ego as it emerges!

7. Thou hast withheld from me all knowledge of gradual attainment while living in the world, and set me at peace; such a care indeed is blissful and not painful to anyone, for death in life is in truth glorious! Grant me, wasteful and mad (for Thee), the sovereign remedy of clinging to Thy Feet!

1. Oh Transcendent! I am the first of those who have not the supreme wisdom to clasp Thy feet in freedom from attachment. Ordain Thou that my burden be

2. transferred to Thee and my free will effaced, for what indeed can be a burden to the sustainer (of the universe)? Lord supreme! I have had enough (of the fruits) of carrying (the burden of) this world upon my head, parted from Thee, Arunachala, supreme Self! think no more to keep me at a distance from Thy feet!
8. I have discovered a new thing! This hill, the lodestone of lives, arrests the movements of anyone who so much as thinks of it, draws him face to face with it, and fixes him motionless like itself, to feed upon his soul thus ripened. What (a wonder) is this! Oh souls! beware of It and live! Such a destroyer of lives is this magnificent Arunachala, which shines within the Heart!

9. How many are there who have been ruined like me for thinking this hill to be the Supreme? Oh men who, disgusted with this life of intense misery, seek a means of giving up the body there is on earth a rare drug which, without killing him, will annihilate anyone who so much as thinks of it. Know that it is none other than this Arunachala!

– Tr. K. Swaminathan

In 1916, at Skandasramam, Bhagavan translated into simple Tamil Dakshinamurti Stotram and Gurusthuthi. By then there was already another translation in long complicated verses, but Bhagavan thought of writing one in simple language to be easily understood by all. (In the chapter entitled “Miracles’ below will be seen several instances where the Maharshi showed himself in the form of Dakshinamurti, to several devotees)

The next work was Arunachala ashtakam (Eight stanzas to Arunachala). One day as the Maharshi was about to start for giripradakshina, Palaniswami gave a piece of paper and a pencil to Ayyaswami who was accompanying Bhagavan and asked him to note down if the Maharshi were to compose anything. On that occasion, six verses were composed, which were noted down. That very day or on the following day a devotee by name Narayana Reddi, visited Bhagavan and offered to get the verses printed. The Maharshi added two more verses to make it an ashtakam and gave it to Narayana Reddi.

In the ashtakam the Maharshi spelt out his philosophy and the way he came to it in detail. From this poem one may discern the opinions held by the Maharshi during that period. In the verses, the Maharshi indicated the reasons for his leaving his home ,what he saw thereafter and what he ultimately learnt. The poem is a succinct statement of his upadesa and its nature. Here are the verses:

1. Hearken, It stands as an insentient hill. Its action is mysterious, past human understanding. From the age of innocence it had shone within my mind that Arunachala was something of surpassing grandeur, but even when I came to know through another that it was the same as Tiruvannamalai I did not realise its meaning. When it drew me up to it, stilling my mind, and I came close, I saw it (stand) unmoving.

1. ‘Who is the seer?’ When I sought within, I watched the disappearance of the seer and what survived him. No thought of ‘I saw’ arose; how then could the

2. thought ‘I did not see’ arise? Who has the power to convey this in word when even Thou (appearing as Dakshinamurti) couldst do so in ancient days by silence only? Only to convey by silence Thy (transcendent) state Thou standest as a hill, shining from heaven to earth.
2. When I approach regarding Thee as having form, Thou standest as a hill on earth. If (with the mind the seeker) looks for Thy (essential) form as formless, he is like one who travels the earth to see the (ever-present) ether. To dwell without thought upon Thy (boundless) nature is to lose one’s (separate) identity like a doll of sugar when it comes in contact with the ocean (of nectar; and) when I come to realise who I am, what else is this identity of mine (but Thee), Oh Thou who standest as the towering Aruna Hill?

3. To look for God while ignoring Thee who art Being and Consciousness is like going with a lamp to look for darkness. Only to make Thyself known as Being and Consciousness, Thou dwellest in different religions under different (names and) forms. If (yet) men do not (come to) know Thee, they are indeed blind who do not know the sun, Oh Arunachala the great, Thou peerless gem, abide and shine Thou as my Self, one without a second!

1. As the string in (a necklet of) gems, it is Thou in Thy unity who penetratest all the diversity of beings and religions. If, like a gem when it is cut and polished, the (impure) mind is worked against the wheel of the (pure) mind to free it of its flaws, it will take on the light of Thy grace (and shine) like a ruby, whose fire is unaffected

2. by any outward object. When a sensitive plate has been exposed to the sun, can it receive impressions afterwards? Oh benign and dazzling Aruna Hill! is there anything apart from Thee?
4. Thou art Thyself the one being, ever aware as the Self-luminous Heart! In Thee there is a mysterious power (sakti) which without Thee is nothing. From it proceeds the phantom of the mind emitting its latent subtle dark mists, which illumined by Thy light (of consciousness) reflected on them, appear within as thoughts whirling in the vortices of prarabdha, later developing into the psychic worlds and projected outwardly as the material world transformed into concrete objects which are magnified by the out-going senses and move about like pictures in a cinema show. Visible or invisible, oh hill of grace, without Thee they are nothing!

5. Until there is the I-thought, there will be no other thought. Until other thoughts arise, (asking) ‘To whom?’ (will call forth the reply) ‘To me’. He who pursues this closely, questioning ‘What is the origin of the I?’ and diving inwards reaches the seat of the mind (within) the Heart becomes (there) the sovereign Lord of the Universe. Oh boundless ocean of grace and effulgence called Arunachala, dancing motionless within the court of the Heart! there is no (longer any) dream there of such dualities as in and out, right and wrong, birth and death, pleasure and pain, or light and darkness.

6. The waters rise up from the sea as clouds, then fall as rain and run back to the sea in streams; nothing can

keep them from returning to their source. Likewise the soul rising up from Thee cannot be kept from joining Thee again, although it turns in many eddies on its way. A bird which rises from the earth and soars into the sky can find no place of rest in mid-air, but must return again to earth. So indeed must all retrace their path, and when the soul finds the way back to its source, it will sink and be merged in Thee, oh Arunachala, Thou ocean of bliss!

– Tr. K. Swaminathan

Scholars of Tamil extol Sri Ramana’s poetic style as one of surpassing excellence. The language employed is the ordinary day to day one but the style has lilting beauty. The words used have various meanings some of them have exalted concepts hidden beneath the surface. The words are simple but with profound and vast connotations. The meaning of the poems can be grasped according to the capacity of the reader. Elaborate commentaries have been written on Bhagavan’s works. Bhagavan’s devotional hymns have a beautiful cadence and convey emotions which can overwhelm anyone. They have an attractive brevity too.

By his poetic works also Bhagavan can be considered as an avatar of Jnana Sambandar who suckled the breast of the Divine Mother herself.

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N July 1917, Ganapati Muni and others sat near Bhagavan. During the course of his conversation, Ganapati Muni informed Bhagavan that while he was at Mandasa, Ramanatha Brahmachari had showed him a sloka “Hridaya kuhara madhye’’ written by the Maharshi . The sloka means:

“In the interior of the Heart-cave Brahman alone shines in the form of the Atman with direct immediacy as I, I. Enter into the Heart with questing mind or by diving deep within or through control of breath and abide in the Atman’’.*

This sloka arose in the following circumstances: In 1915, the Maharshi spent the rainy season at Skandasramam. One day Jagadeesa Sastry, sat with a paper in his hand which the Maharshi noticed and enquired about. Sastry said “I have commenced writing a sloka. I could compose only the first phrase but could not go any further’’ Bhagavan took up the paper containing the phrase “Hridaya kuhara madhye’’ (In the interior of the Heart cave). Thereupon he completed the sloka.

By that time the Maharshi had not become proficient in Sanskrit. But due to the constant company of Sanskrit scholars like Ganapati Muni several Sanskrit words struck

* All translations of Sri Ramana Gita into English - are by Viswanatha Swami and K. Swaminathan. (Sri Ramana Gita - 5th Edition)

him during casual conversations as also when he was in silence. Thus he picked up certain metres like ‘Arya’ of Sanskrit. Bhagavan expounded his philosophy in this single sloka and bestowed a boon on the entire country. All his earlier works were in Tamil. The time had come for the light of Tamilnadu to become the light of India – but that was feasible only through Sanskrit. There was also a need for a book in Sanskrit which was simple, clear and easily intelligible to people who were not necessarily scholarly. It also had to clear doubts which arose during sadhana. This thought crossed the minds of all the disciples present. They begged of the Maharshi to clear their doubts and Ganapati Muni to encapsulate them in Sanskrit verses. Both the Maharshi and the Muni assented.

In December 1913, Ganapati Muni stayed at Virupaksha cave with Bhagavan. During the stay he got certain doubts cleared by Bhagavan. He made that dialogue-chapter 1 – of the proposed book. The second chapter was woven round the sloka “Hridaya kuhara madhye’’

Actually that was the only verse of Bhagavan’s in the entire book. The book was a compilation of the conversations between Bhagavan and his disciples during the period July 1907 to 25 August 1917. It was named Ramana Gita.

Sri Ramana Gita appears to be a commentary on the sloka “Hridaya kuhara madhye”. The fifth, sixth, and sixteenth chapters entitled respectively, Hridayavidya, Manonigrahopaya and Bhakti make this plain. Sri Ramana Gita is a Yogasastra supplementing the Bhagavad Gita. Also, the book dispels the doubts of the seeker. In Sri Ramana Gita the names of the questioners are merely indicated by their respective gotras. Here are some details:

Daivaratha: Gajanana, resident of Gokarna, he compiled Vibhaktyashtakam in praise of Bhagavan. Proficient in Vedas and a great devotee.

Bharadwaja (Karshi): Overseer Vaidhyanatha Iyer, son of Krishna Ayyar.

Yoganatha Yatindra: Before taking to sannyasa was known as Sankaranarayana.

Kapali Sastry: Commentator of Sat-darsan (both in English and Telugu), Arunachala Pancharatna, and Uma Sahasri of Ganapati Muni. Author of the biography of his guru Ganapati Muni, Vasishta Vaibhavam. He was for some time employed as a teacher. Became a disciple of Ganapati Muni, later of Sri Ramana and much later of Sri Aurobindo. A good Sanskrit poet.

Visalakshi: Wife of Ganapati Muni.

Bharadwaja Vaidarbha: Resident of Ongole. Name prior to becoming a sannyasi, Chivukula Venkata Sastry, and later, Upanishadbhramendra Saraswati.

Amritanatha Yatindra: A Keralite.

Ganapati Muni brought before the world the personality of Bhagavan Ramana through Ramana Gita, in the following passages:

i) (I bow to) Maharshi Ramana, Kartikeya in human form (1.1)

ii) Oh Brahmin, through god-given vision, I behold you again and again as Subrahmanya, the best of Brahmanyas, in human form. (11.7)

iii) Lord, not on Swamimalai, nor on Tiruttani Hill, nor on the top of Venkatachala do you now dwell. In reality you are in Arunachala. (11.8)

iv) Oh Lord! you taught in ancient days, the secret bhooma vidya to Maharshi Narada, who served you as a disciple. (11.9)

v) Those learned in the Vedas say you are Brahmarshi Sanatkumara. (11.10)

vi) Only the names differ, not the person. Sanatkumara and Skanda are in reality but synonyms for you. (11.11)

vii) Once before, born as Kumarila the best of Brahmins, you re-established the dharma propounded in the Vedas. (11.12)

viii) Oh Bhagavan, when Jains caused confusion in the dharma, you came down as JnanaSambandar in Dravidadesa and established the path of devotion.

(11.13)

ix) Now again you have come back to earth, Oh glorious one, to safeguard the knowledge of Brahman obstructed by those who are contented with mere scriptural learning. (11.14)

Sri Ramana is Kartikeya, one among the adhikara devatas. Kartikeya also appeared as Sanatkumara and Kumarila Bhatta. He appears on the earth whenever the occasion demands. He has now come to save Brahmajnana, menaced by mere scriptural knowledge. An elaboration of this hypothesis will be found in the chapter, ‘’The Nature of the Avatara”:

“This pure Ganga, Ramana Gita springs from the majestic Mountain, Sri Ramana, and flowing through the poetry of Ganapati, removes impurities at every step and reaches the ocean of the devotee’s heart.”

At the request of Swami Pranavananda, Ganapati Muni composed a concluding benedictory poem called Gurugitam. The descriptions of Ramana in Ramana Gita are exquisite and informative; yet they do not equal those in Gurugitam which, like the utterances of Vedic rishis, have excellent connotations. Gurugitam is like a Vedic verse and serves as a guide to all humanity.

One day, Bhagavan wrote a Sanskrit sloka in Arya metre commencing with the phrase “Karuna purna Sudhabdhey’’ (Ocean of nectar, full of grace) and left it like that. It came to the notice of others during the period immediately after Sri Ramana Gita was concluded. Ganapati Muni thereupon requested Bhagavan to write five slokas with the above sloka as a benediction to start with. The other slokas would indicate the nature of the atma, and the Vichara, Yoga (Karma) and Bhakti paths. That is how Arunachala Pancharatna (Five Stanzas to Sri Arunachala) came to be composed. It was Gajanana who wrote the mangala sloka.

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N the early days of their stay on the hill the Maharshi and his disciples were menaced by insects, monkeys and other animals. Yet the Maharshi told his disciples that the hill was the territory of the animals and that as guests there it was their duty to ensure that no harm came to the animals on their account. It is said of sadhus that they extended protection to all living beings (abhayam sarva bhutebhyah). This saying applied to the Maharshi who protected even poisonous insects. Deadly scorpions stung him on three occasions but nothing happened to him.

A snake once crept into Skandasramam. Bhagavan’s mother was terrified but he began walking towards the snake very calmly. As he did so the snake began withdrawing and went into a crevice, the Maharshi followed it till that stage. All of a sudden the snake turned back and lifted its hood. It also began steadily looking at Bhagavan who returned the gaze. This game of mutual hypnotising went on for some time. By then the snake presumably grasping that the Maharshi was harmless approached him confidently. It almost touched his feet, and later left. The same snake would often visit the ashram for Bhagavan’s darshan even when he was amidst visitors. The snake would occasionally try to climb on to Bhagavan, but he would not encourage it. There were two peacocks in the ashram. They never attacked the snake. Also, quite surprisingly, the snake would join the peacocks in their dances.

Squirrels, crows and other birds also would show a natural affection for the Maharshi. The latter, in turn, would feed them. A particular crow used to leave its young ones in Bhagavan’s care and go out. The Maharshi would take the trouble of feeding them whenever they cried for food. MONKEYS

There seems to be a natural affinity between monkeys and humans. Recall how the monkeys assisted Sri Rama in the Ramayana.

Bhagavan was able to converse with monkeys and after a close observation of their ways discovered that they had a social and political structure or hierarchy. On several occasions the monkeys would go to the Maharshi with their disputes for arbitration. He would patiently listen to them and effect reconciliation among the contending parties.

A monkey-chief once bit an infant monkey which fainted. Taking it to be dead the monkey group left it there and went away. A little later the infant regained consciousness and made its way to Bhagavan’s ashram. As it was limping, the ashramites referred to it as Nondi (the Lame one). Nondi was nursed back to normalcy. On one occasion the group of monkeys to which Nondi belonged passed by the ashram and took him back into their group. This was unusual because monkeys generally avoid anyone of their clan who had contact with human beings. Nondi was a frequent visitor to the ashram and he would take quite a few liberties with Bhagavan. Nondi was quick to take offence; he was meticulously clean in his ways. Once, when Nondi spilled some rice on the ground the Maharshi scolded him. Immediately Nondi slapped him near the eye. As a punishment, the Maharshi became very cold towards Nondi for some days. But Nondi pleaded with him and found his way back to the Maharshi’s lap.

On an earlier occasion also Nondi had misbehaved. The Maharshi was once blowing hot milk to be given to Nondi but the latter thought that the Maharshi was going to sip the milk and slapped him. Soon after realising his mistake Nondi repented and got back into Bhagavan’s good books. On that occasion Bhagavan was not hurt badly and that helped Nondi’s quick rehabilitation. Making fun of Nondi, Bhagavan once said to him “You should not forget us when you become the Chief.” By a strange coincidence Nondi did become the Chief of their group bypassing three senior members. Nondi was keen on being anointed in Bhagavan’s presence and went to the ashram with his retinue but not finding him there spoilt all the trees of the ashram.

On his return, the Maharshi noticed the havoc and wondered why Nondi and his gang did what they had done. The next day Nondi visited the ashram but instead of climbing on to the lap of Bhagavan, as he usually did, climbed up a tree and shook a branch – a privilege enjoyed only by a Chief of a group. On seeing that, the Maharshi guessed that Nondi had become a Chief. After that Nondi came down and sat on the Maharshi’s lap. Thereafter Nondi’s predecessor in office came up and paid homage to Nondi. This confirmed Bhagavan’s guess. At mealtime Nondi sat beside Bhagavan but refused to touch the food and walked away. Surprised at this, the Maharshi followed him. Nondi went and sat among his subjects, with his queens sitting closeby. (Among monkeys the queens of the previous king continued to retain their status even under the new regime). It became clear that Nondi would not partake of any meal without his subjects also being served. So, the ashramites, arranged a ‘royal banquet’ for Nondi.

A little later due to the machinations of his minister Nondi lost his position and began living apart from his group with his progeny. Two months after the Maharshi left Skandasramam and settled down at Ramanasramam, Nondi came searching for him and continued to visit him every fortnight.

Once, an old monkey-chief became sick. He left his group and stood outside the Virupaksha cave. On coming to know this the Maharshi went out to look him up. He also noticed that two previous Chiefs who were expelled by that monkey were on two nearby branches grieving for their erstwhile Chief. The Maharshi took the sick one inside the ashram and nursed him but to no avail. While the old monkey was about to die the other two let out a cry of agony. The Maharshi arranged for the burial of the dead monkey with all honours due to a sannyasin.

It is said that monkeys have little gratitude. But the experience of the Maharshi was different as may be seen from this incident: The Maharshi and his disciples set out on giripradakshina on a hot day. By the time they reached the vicinity of Pachaiamman Kovil at midday they were tired and thirsty. A group of monkeys who noticed this, climbed on to a nearby tree which bore a number of juicy fruits and shook the branches. As a result, a number of fruits fell on the ground. The group of monkeys left the spot leaving the Maharshi and his party to enjoy the fruits. Possibly, the group of monkeys had received the Maharshi’s hospitality earlier and it was their way of reciprocating.

A tiger frequently visited a waterfall close to the ashram. He would usually growl to announce his arrival. The Maharshi would know it to be a friendly growl but his disciples would panic and make all sorts of noises to drive away the tiger.

When Ramana moved to the hill his only human companion was Palaniswami. Some others joined him about whom we have scanty information. Even they served Bhagavan and were suitably rewarded. We shall now turn our attention to them, some of them were animals. According to Bhagavan those animals also were jivas who sought refuge in his ashram to work off their karma and therefore were not inferior to human beings. The Maharshi always would refer to the animals as ‘he’ or ‘she’ but never as ‘it.’ Both humans and animals who stayed with the Maharshi constituted his ‘family.’ Obviously, therefore, even the Maharshi had ‘family responsibilities.’ Just as in any family the younger members were particularly taken care of, even in the Maharshi’s ‘family’ the voiceless members were looked after with great care. The Maharshi took care of the food, bath and bed of these ‘children.’ Great care was taken if any of these ‘children’ fell ill. Also, appropriate functions were conducted in connection with the delivery, wedding or funeral of any of the animals.

FAMILY OF DOGS:

Kamala was the founder of the family of dogs, a family which was fairly large. The Maharshi knew the members of the different generations and each one of them bore a name. For facility we shall refer to them as 1, 2, 3 etc. The descendants of Kamala included Neela, Jack and Rose. A little before Kamala’s end Bhagavan asked Rose to go and look her up. After Kamala passed away he consoled Rose.

Chinna Karuppan: This dog was dark-skinned and came to be known as the Dark one (Karuppan), Karuppan was very fastidious. He would generally keep aloof and not mix with other dogs. He would stay close to the Virupaksha cave amidst bushes. Noticing his aloofness the ashramites would serve him his food at a short distance from him. However, one day as the Maharshi was on his way to Skandasramam, Karuppan leapt up and wound himself round the Maharshi’s feet and played with great joy. Thenceforth he became a member of the ashram.

Karuppan was intelligent, large-hearted and sensitive. At the ashram he mixed freely with the other members and played about with them. He even tried to play with those who were orthodox and resented any dog.

On one occasion, Karuppan went near a Brahmin, who was performing japa, little knowing that it was prohibited. The disturbed Brahmin hit the dog with a stick. After that incident Karuppan never again stepped into the ashram. Extremely sensitive as he was, Karuppan disappeared altogether from the sight of those who slighted him.

On an earlier occasion, a similar incident had occurred. On a rainy night, Palaniswami was rude towards Karuppan who at once left the place and lay on a bag of coals at Skandasramam. He did not return to the Virupaksha cave till he was specially invited.

Palaniswami also scolded a pup once who thereupon jumped into a water tank and killed himself. On that very day, Bhagavan had told his disciples that those animals came to live with him to work off their karma and that they should be respected. Yet sometimes his disciples did not follow his precept and were insensitive.

On several occasions, the dogs Kamala and Seguppan were ordered by Bhagavan to take new visitors to different shrines and teerthas, which they did.

Jack 1: This dog was both intelligent and obedient. Once the Maharshi set out on giripradakshina with his disciples by a short-route across the hill. He asked Jack1 to go down the hill to the town. Accordingly, Jack left and was sighted by the Maharshi on its way down. Midway on their walk the Maharshi changed course and walked down the hill. As they were descending, Jack was returning from the town. The Maharshi then directed Jack to go back to the ashram. Though reluctant to leave Bhagavan’s company, as an obedient fellow, Jack went back to the ashram. Jack was soft and austere in his ways. His daily routine was like this: early in the morning he would visit a devadasi’s (temple dancer’s) house for breakfast and then go to a priest’s house to accompany him to the shrine at Guha Namassivaya. After that he would go to Virupaksha cave for Bhagavan’s darshan and later to a resting place nearby. Around 9.30 in the morning he would visit the shrine at Guha Namassivaya for prasadam and get back to his place of rest. Again by evening he would visit the devadasi’s house for food. After supper he would go to a math to keep company with the priest. To the extent possible he would spend his time in the vicinity of Arunachaleswara, much like a yogi.

In 1905 - 1906 when the plague broke out in the town most of the inhabitants of Tiruvannamalai left the place leaving it deserted. Leopards roamed about the streets during daytime. Bhagavan and some of his disciples stayed, at Pachaiamman Kovil during that period. Jack did not stay with Bhagavan but stayed with the priest at Guha Namassivaya. After sometime he left the place never to be seen again.

The Maharshi looked upon the animals as sadhus. He ensured that they had their share of food before others in the ashram did. The Maharshi arranged for the proper burial of the ashram animals upon their death and in some cases erected samadhis. HUMAN COMPANIONS:

(1)

Palaniswami: The devotion of Palaniswami has already been recounted. The Maharshi had great affection for this elderly attendant of his. For Palani life without Bhagavan was meaningless. He breathed his last when he

was about sixty in 1918 during the period when Bhagvan stayed at Virupaksha cave.

(2)

The ‘old lady of greens’ (Keerai Patti): Ramana went to live on the hill in 1900. An old lady who lived at a corner of Guha Namassivaya shrine used to collect greens and cook them. One day she brought some greens for the Swami, the new arrival on the hill. The Swami partook of it and ever since the old lady began regularly serving the Swami. He also was a frequent visitor to her place. Not only that, he would, on occasion, help the lady in collecting greens and in getting them ready for cooking. The old lady had great mother-like affection for the young Swami. Devotees of Bhagavan believed that the old lady was reborn as the Cow Lakshmi who stayed at Ramanasramam. Bhagavan also appeared to subscribe to that view as may be seen from this: A devotee once asked Bhagavan whether it was possible for a human being to be re-born as an animal. Bhagavan’s reply was, “Why not? Do we not have Lakshmi?”

3) Ayyaswami: Ayyaswami was a Malayalee who was endowed with great detachment like Uddandi Nayanar. For sheer service-mindedness he was unequalled. He looked after the upkeep of the ashram. He would be busy throughout the day and quietly go out into the town begging without anybody noticing him. This serviceable member of the ashram passed away quite young, in the same year as Keerai Patti.

z

“Whatever a great man does is followed by others”

– Bhagavad Gita.

N 1908, Seshadri Swami paid a visit to the Maharshi who was then staying at the Mango tree cave. He spent some time closely observing the Maharshi with a view to reading his mind. As he could not do so he threw up his hands in exasperation and said that he could not understand what the Maharshi was thinking about. The Maharshi didn’t respond. Seshadri continued, “It is enough if one worships Arunachaleswara. He will grant liberation.”

Maharshi: Who is it that worships and who is worshipped?

Seshadri broke into a loud laughter and said: “That is not clear; that is the whole problem”. Thereupon Bhagavan gave a long discourse on the experience of advaita which Seshadri listened to very attentively. At the end he said, “I am not able to say anything, all of this is unintelligible to me. It is all a blank. As for myself, I am content to be a worshipper always.” Later he prostrated to the peak of the hill fifteen times and left the place. Seshadri seemed to prefer worshipping the peak of the hill as being symbolic of Arunachaleswara, the Almighty.

Most people had a similar opinion. For them, the hill was the form of Arunachaleswara, the column of light. The recollection of the very name “Arunachala” or a darshan of the hill would erase all attachments.