01Ramanamaharishi20100414
சக்தி விகடன் - 14 Apr, 2010
Sundaram Iyer (1848–1890) Died age 48 Father
Azakammai (1864-1922) Died age 58 Mother
Older Brother Nagaswami (1877–1900) Died age
23
Ramana Maharshi (30 December 1879 – 14 April
1950) Natal name: Venkatraman (70Yr 3.5M)
Younger Brother Nagasundaram (1886–1953) = 67
Younger sister Alamelu (1887-1953) = 66
SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT Born Dec 30, 1879 in
the village Tiruchuzhi. Venkatraman , Smarta Brahmin
Family history: Paternal Great Uncle and
paternal uncle: Sannyasins.
Upanayana at age 7.
Lived one year in Dindigul at age 11 with
paternal uncle Subbaiyar. Learned English (1890)
Lived in Madurai at age 12 with uncle and
brother Nagaswami (1891)
Father Sundaram Iyar died on 18 February 1892
( Venkatraman/Ramana's age 12 Plus.
Venkatraman and Nagaswami stayed with uncle
Subbaiyar in Madurai.
November 1895, Experience of Turiya
consciousness in Meenakshi Temple
July 1896 (16Y 7M) Fear of death. Discovery of
soul.
September 1, 1896 (16Y 9M) Went to
Tiruvannamalai for good.
· தொடர்கள்
Posted Date : 06:00 (14/04/2010)
ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி Ramaṇa mahaṛṣi புதிய தொடர்கள்
ஸ்ரீரமணார்ப்பணம்! SrīRamaṇārppaṇam
Author: Balakumaran
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The sky flashed its blue sheen. It was pristine.
Looking at the sky from the upper deck, it appeared the gigantic Egg of
Brahma (Expansive Universe) must be the sky.
The mountain, the pond, the river, the ocean, the animal, the
bird...feign no wonder. The earth's wonder is this sky, that too the sky
without clouds and a sky in the blue yonder. This is an indescribable
Piramāṇḍam (Braḥmā’s Egg = Universe). Looking at the sky, Venkatraman
sported a budding smile. It was like the familiar smile blossoming on
the face when seeing a friend. It was that kind of smile that played on
his lips, looking at the sky. Earth is the place for humanity. Sky is
the place for God, the Inner Abider. To the Nāyaṉmārs, Śiva did not give
Darśan on the top of the mountain, on the ocean, on the wall of the
temple, or on the top of the Gōpuram (Temple Tower). The sky was
wherefrom Siva gave Darśan as the Ṛṣapārūḍar (ரிஷபாரூடர் = the Rider of
the Bull). Therefore, Sky is Śiva. The God is immobile; He is
omnipresent and all-pervasive; He is all. Earth is mobile; Sakti is in
the mobility. All planets move.
All mobiles are Sakti. The Immobile is Śiva. Śiva gives Darśan to all 63
Nāyaṉmārs. He gave his love. He held the hand of Kaṇṇappar and begged,
‘Stop, Kaṇṇappa…’ He gave Darśan to Iyaṛpakai Nāyaṉār pervading and
filling the whole sky. When giving Darśan to Tirunīlakaṇḍa Nāyaṉār, all
the town’s people received his vision. He extended his help to Sundarar.
He bequeathed ambrosia to Tirugñāṉasambandar. He gave Darśan to the
warriors. He helped the gamblers. He raised his leg and danced for
Kāraikkāl Ammaiyār in Tiruvālaṅkāttu, as she crawled to Kailās.
Beholding God is easy. But there is a caveat. There is one must-do
fulfilment. You must take the vow that 'God is my Refuge' and hold on to
him firmly.
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Nothing else is important. The determination
should be, you are all; all that is mine are for you (God) only. The
paddy to the very end will not change. If one remains with that thought,
Śiva will for sure give you Darśan as Ṛṣapārūḍar.
Could I hold that stance? Giving up all, could you hold fast to the
thought God as the only refuge? The thought arises it is possible, but
fear hobbles the mind. Math homework to be done; commit English to
memory; play football; go for a swim in the Māriammaṉ temple tank; game
of Kapadi before swim or swim before the game: determination of choice
must be made. With all these secular thoughts on the mind, how could
Ṛṣapārūḍar give you Darśan? These tormenting thoughts boiled over from
the inside of Venkatraman. He developed an anxiety whether ‘I lived a
lie.’
Loving God, doing the math homework, scoring the first place in English,
winning the game of Kapadi…: How could God give Darśan? That question
popped in his mind. He was boiling angry with himself. He heard the
inner voice, ‘Venkatramanā, you are not all right. Then, he came down
from the second floor of his house. Note: Venkatraman was tottering
between the world of spirit and the world of matter.
He sat for a little while in a small room. He walked back and forth. He
went one floor down, saw a bunch of bananas and broke of two bananas. He
peeled and ate them. He went to the front gate of the house and saw
bullock carts going towards the temple.
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The bullocks had a hard time pulling the cart
overloaded with people. That small bullock had to bear the big burden.
Yet it pulled the weight towards the temple. He thought to himself: Like
the bullock, I had to run, no matter the weight, towards the temple and
God.
His older brother made fun of him: “They all performed austerities. You
enjoy eating and sleeping. You sleep deep like Kumbakarṇa. How could
that help you do Tapas? Enough is enough. Leave the God alone for now.
Now pay attention to your studies.”
This admonition caused him much agony. It wrenched his stomach. Would I
ever get Darśan of God? This despondency enveloped and pervaded his
whole being and boiled over. He was restless going back and forth. He
got the feeling to just walk away from home to wherever his feet took
him.
Here in the new place, I have none to ridicule me. Such thoughts ran
through his mind and he made fun of himself. He chided himself saying,
‘How could you ever get what you wished for?’
Could I reject the invitation to go for a swim in the lake? Could I
object to dividing the boys into opposing teams in the game of Kapadi?
Did you not stand there resting your hand on the hip?
Did you not shed your Vēṣṭi (waist wrap) and jump in with your
loincloth? Did you not charge to the opposite side saying Kapadi-Kapadi?
Those times, where was your God? When you played Kapadi, did Ṛṣapārūḍar
show up? Sundarar, chanting Namasivaya-Namasivaya, gambled. God gave him
Darśan irrespective of what he did. God was Sundarar’s friend. Can’t he
be my friend too? Why can’t he join my team in Kapadi game?
Inside his mind, despondency welled up. High anxiety took hold of him.
Something is wrong. I am rudderless. Nothing works for me. These things
caused rage and created grievance. When he sought help with this younger
paternal uncle, he laughed it off and shifted the responsibility saying,
“Go ask an elder.”
If my father was living, I could have asked him. Father would have been
patient and supportive in answering my questions. He had been dead for a
long time. Because father died, I had to seek uncle’s help, live and
grow under his umbrella of support and go to Madurai.
This house on Sokkappa Nāyakkar Street is near the temple. I could run
to the temple as and when I wished. I could stop at each shrine and pay
homage. Remembering every Nāyaṉmār from my reading of Periyapurāṇam, I
could touch each Nāyaṉmārs icon and offer homage.
If my father was alive, I could ask him to narrate the stories once
again. My older brother knows but will not narrate. Uncle could be
knowing them but will slip away saying, “I have work to do.”
There is no one to teach me about God. My brother told me that knowledge
of God came on its own accord and not from teaching. So, said my uncle.
When the talk on God took place, my brother talks with uncle as if he is
all-knowing. He paid no attention to Venkatraman. “These transcendent
matters you would not understand.” But Venkatraman paid attention to
what his brother said and remembered them by frequent recollection.
The biggest loss in my life is my father’s death. Family unit is split:
Mother, sister, younger brother and Venkatraman (I in third person) and
my older brother belong to different sides. The elder brother always
said, “The responsibility to care for you is mine; therefore, you listen
to me and do your math homework.” My older brother was paternalistic and
simultaneously pleading.
Grievous hurt. A hatred of Math comes over me. “There is a temple
procession with a medley of drums and cymbals going down the street.
Should you not move a little bit? Why sleep like this?” My older brother
wondered aloud like that.
My aunt in a supportive move said, “He is only a child, let him sleep.”
My brother in a mean spirit of accusatory finger pointing said, “His
desire is to perform Tapas; right now, his Tapas is sleeping.” Shame and
sadness boiled over. I blamed myself over my sleeping. I wanted to find
way to avoid sleep.
What is the use of asking these people? Let me exercise my
self-effort. Whom did Nāyaṉmārs ask about all these things? Where did
they learn from about God? Did they not apprehend God on their own
accord? I must do the inquiry myself. He jumped, ascended the
staircase, reached a room in the upper floor and sat on the floor.
He looked at the wall with blank eyes until the excitement subsided. In
a flash of introspection, he observed his own thoughts on the mind lake.
His thoughts took him to a recollection of his father: his walk, his
stand, his talk, his memory loss, stay on the bed and extension of his
hand towards him.
The near and dear spoke among themselves of the deathbed he was lying
in. Though they spoke in whispers, Venkatraman heard them all. It came
as a sudden shock at the prospect of death of his father. His father
held his hands tight and stared at him. His eyes welled up with tears. The
relatives embraced and took him out.
Dad’s hand fell on the bed like a dead weight. His last look seared in
my memory. The relatives sat him down outside saying, “Don’t worry. Let
it be.” They announced that his father died half hour since his last
look. All this appeared as if I was abandoned in a jungle with eyes
blind-folded.
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The relatives got busy with arrangements. Many came rushing in
anticipation of his death. Bamboo sticks and Palm leaves were gotten
ready. There was a loud wailing in the house. Venkatraman embraced his
mother. He cried and later came out.
In three hours since death, the body was already on the gurney. The
elder bother went ahead of the gurney with a wet cloth and a fire-pot.
They stopped Venkatraman. The paternal uncle cried loud, “I committed
him to the pyre, committed him to the funeral pyre, I committed Sundaram
to the funeral pyre.” That loud cry rang in my mind again. Grief boiled
over. The eyes welled up with tears.
What are departure and death? How did they commit my father to funeral
pyre? Did burning with fire not cause pain? Why did it not cause pain?
What is present to cause pain? What is that which when lost is death?
The answers to these questions, he looked into himself. He searched
deliberately what is inside. Death means the exit of something. What is
it? He analyzed life, death and exit of something at death. If you sit
and think, could you apprehend it? Only when you die, it becomes known.
Even the intellectuals do not like to think hard about death. The
16-year-old Venkatraman wanted to know what death is. Suddenly, fear
enveloped him. Would death come seeking me? Though he was of good
health, fear of death induced panic in him. ‘It is fine, go! He got
ready for death.
Let us get Darśan
Pictures S. Kumaresan
- தரிசிப்போம்... Let us worship.
படம் சு. குமரேசன்
· சக்தி விகடன் - 14 Apr, 2010 2010-04-14-Part 2
· தொடர்கள்
Posted Date : 06:00 (14/04/2010) கருணை தெய்வம் காஞ்சி மகான் = Kānchi
Mahān is god of mercy
குரு தரிசனம்! Guru Darśan
Author: Sarukesi
Periyavā
means only Kānchi Periyavar (Elder). In Vizuppuram where Periyavā
stayed, his close and constant companion was Lakshminarayanan, who since
age six served him well. Presently at 76 years of age
(1956), he cherishes the memory of Periyavā. He will share his
exhilarating memories with the readers. Lakshminarayanan credits
Periyavā as responsible for the establishment of a Veda Learning Center
near Māngāḍu Kāmatchi Amman Temple.
That was 1956. Every Thursday, we came to Kānchi to see Periyavar. On
arrival on a Thursday, Periavā said, “I had a dream yesterday. Because
of the flame of Pañchāgni, my whole body is burning. Ambāl told me in
the dream to perform redemptive ceremony. He added, “Somewhere around
here there is an Ambā Temple in a rundown condition. Find it and let me
know. I will give you a week to report back to me.”
Next week, when we saw him, he told us that Ambāl came again in his
dream on the first night. That day an elephant took him by hand.
Periyavā went with the elephant. To Periyavā, it did not appear as an
elephant. It was Ambāl herself in his perception.
The elephant took him for a long time on a long journey. Periyavā went
behind the elephant. After many hours of journey, the elephant made a
turn on a mud road. After going for a while, the elephant disappeared.
Periyavā guessed that the ruined Ambāl temple must be in the vicinity.
He made up his mind to spend the night there. There was a cow shed
nearby. Periyavā slept there for the night.
In that area, Ramakrishna Mudaliar was the chief. Finding out that
Periyava was in the vicinity, he came to see him. He assured him,
“Whatever that needs to be done, I will do it. Don’t worry.” Periyava
told him that Samprōkṣaṇa (Purificatory ceremony) must be done within 24
hours. The wheels started rolling. He gave Re.1000 to each worker. They
cleared the area of weeds, bushes, snakes and anthills. A small tower
became visible. Periyava said, “This is where Ādisankara stayed for 10
months continuously. Ardhameru was established there. Ambal is very
angry now. We should appease her anger.
After Periyava oversaw the completion of all the events, he went back to
Kanchi. Completing all the preliminary tasks, we brought Kumbabishekam
to fruition. Ekāmbara Gurukkal was the officiating priest for the
ceremony. Nobody knew anything about Māngāḍu Temple those days.
If Periyava asked for an exclusive private place, I would not have
hesitated to do the same. The proposal never took place and got pushed
back because of other commitments. In 1956, Periyava reminded me of my
offer saying, “Did you forget to buy a place for me in Māngāḍu? Periyava
imposed a condition saying, “You should never borrow money from anyone.
Only your money can be used for the purpose.” Therefore, the proposal
never found enactment. Periyava here and there kept reminding me of it.
In 1976, I bought the land, 3.5 grounds in all at a cost of
Re.500,000.00. I sold my wife’s jewels and my house and bought the plot
with the proceeds.
Here on this plot, Ambāl Temple should rise. As priority, wooden sandals
representing Ādisankara should be put in place. Later a temple can rise.
The foundation is 16 feet deep. One hundred eight crores of written
five-letter Mantra (NaMaSiVāYa) should be strewn in the pit. 1 crore =
10 million. The school children wrote the Mantras and gave the papers to
the management. Periyava discussed about the foundation with Judge
Balasubramaniya Aiyar. On his order, VIPs were waiting to act on it.
In 1982, I (Lakshminarayanan) bought a small plot, built a house and
moved. I worked in the Accounts Section in Simson. After work, I go to
the construction site for supervision and go back home late in the
night.
The work dragged on and came to competition by the end of 1992. I hoped
to have Periyava perform the consecration. “I did all these things. Why
are you calling me? Call Jayendran. Jayendrar said, “The auspicious time
for consecration should be a constellation of Guru Vāram, Pañchami and
Aṉuṣam.”
On 8th January 1994, I fell ill with a sudden onset of high fever and my
family admitted me in the hospital. The doctor pronounced that I
sustained a heart attack. I stayed in the ICU for three days. On the
fourth day, to the surprise of the doctors, I made a recovery. “We will
discharge you. You cannot travel for 45 days. I came to know later that
on the day I sustained a heart attack, Periyava attained Mukti (shuffled
off his mortal coil).
Later, Vijayēnthirar performed the Consecration ceremony.
Periyava suggested Yajur Veda Pātasālai (school) conduct classes at this
site. I carried out his instructions. To begin with, we had six students
come from outlier villages. The student body grew to ten and twelve. The
attendance gradually wilted and for the past one and half years, no one
comes to the Vedic school. It is my great deficiency. This is the temple
built according to desire. The Vedic School started on his command. My
desire is it continues to function.
Lakshminarayan’s voice as he spoke showed a halting hesitation.
- தரிசனம் தொடரும்
படங்கள் கோகுலகிருஷ்ணன், ஆ.முத்துக்குமார்
Darśan will continue
Pictures by Gokulakrishnan, A, Muththukkumaran
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