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    

 
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. 
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.  
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.
 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