03Ramanamaharishi20100513
சக்தி விகடன் - 13 May, 2010
தொடர்கள்
Posted Date : 06:00 (13/05/2010)
ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி SrīRamaṇa Mahaṛiṣi ஸ்ரீரமணார்ப்பணம்!
Sundaram Iyer (1848–1890) Died age 48
Azakammai (1864-1922) Died age 58
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.
 
ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி Śrīramaṇa Mahaṛṣi  Author: Balakumaran
Sundaram Iyer (1848–1890) Died age 48
Azakammai (1864-1922) Died age 58
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
 
 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.
ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி Śrīramaṇa Mahaṛṣi  Author: Balakumaran

   The biggest and the best quality of Tirucchuzi is its tranquillity. It is a small town and a big village. It is away from the beaten path. The pilgrims on the way to Ramesvaram take a detour to Tirucchuzi and take the much-needed rest before going to Ramesvaram.
The town invites with expectant enthusiasm. The townspeople gather around to take in the sight of new arrivals. The town though used to the pilgrims takes their arrival as a special event. There lived Sundaramaiyar (1848–1890), an advocate.
Sundaramaiyar has no formal education to be a lawyer; but he is a learned man. He had the wherewithal to plead and argue his case. Those days, the British Raj allowed the literate non-lawyers to conduct lawyering business in the courts.
Sundaramaiyar is tall, tight-faced, sharp-eyed, stiff-lipped and full-cheeked. His stance is a lawyer coming to argue his case in the court before the justice should not be sporting smiles. Therefore, he always remained tranquil and sharp of disposition.
He had a thriving law office with a solid income. He bought a house near the temple. He had two adjacent stepped entrances in the house. One side is for his private use; the other is an office for the consulting and overnight clients.
His clients are from the surrounding villages; the cases were land disputes, individual or communal violence, petition for judicial enquiry, judicial appeal… When the night falls, even the men in Tirucchuzi fear traversing the jungle paths. Therefore, the clients stay overnight, ready to leave at the break of dawn. That is the convenience provided by the advocate in his house.
Is lodging enough? How about boarding? Sundaramaiyar is a loving man: ‘Eat dinner, stay overnight in our house, have breakfast of gruel and leave in the morning.’ Hospitality sans deceit: His wife Azakammai takes the eyed cues from the husband and makes it happen.
The couple had a son, named Nagaswamy. The lawyer had an elder sister Lakshmi, who died postpartum after giving birth to a son. Sundaramaiyar adopted and raised the baby, Ramaswamy. Azakammai (1864-1922) was pregnant with their second child. The family elders celebrated the event.
This time a girl was born. He already thought about her marriage. In those days, people entertained thoughts about love and living, and responsibility about weddings of the progeny even before birth. To them continuation of progeny down the ages into the future was important.

 ‘Azakammai, you are as beautiful as your name says. Your cheeks are high-colored. Your lips are full and ripe. It is all delightfully beautiful. This time it is a girl.’
To Azakammai, whatever is the sex of the baby, it brings joy. The baby should be hale and healthy. Sundaramaiyar was famous and privileged for being a lawyer. Not just that. A good man, a helping hand, a friend of the needy and the poor. Around this town, there was a fear of thieves because of penury and joblessness. Ambush, invasion of house through the roof, crowbar entry into the house…were common occurrences.  The police search patrols caught and arrested them. Sundaramaiyar had them as his clients in the court. Even before the verdict, he arranged for out-of-court settlement for the clients.

Hey... You seemed to have burglarized the Chettiar's house.
" Not me, Swamy"
“Don’t tell me fibs. I have a witness. Your friend betrayed you. He is sitting inside the house. What am I to do?”
“You tell me, Swamy.”
“Give it back. It is like a warning.”
“They will ambush and beat me up.”
“I will take care of it. Place your booty at the entrance to the burglarized house and abscond.
“No trouble will befall you?”
“Am I not talking to you? I guarantee your safety.”
“The stolen jewels will be placed at the entrance to the house in a package. The return of the stolen property by the thief and finding it: the owner will thank god and be happy.”
“The womenfolk of the household won't miss even one bead in the returned loot and will shed tears of joy and express gratitude.”
“There is no alternative to honest living. Stealing has become a necessary habit. Please give Dal and rice (to the thief). He (the thief) won't show up on this side of the town.”
 
One sack of rice, one bag of Dal, other provisions, some coins...are placed where the jewels were left (for the thief who returned the loot).
 
The thief wonders, "All this for me." They talk like children, "I invaded the home for food. I saw the jewels. I just lifted them.” The thieves praise Sundaramaiyar as the manifest god, who rescued them from bodily harm.
"Who is going ahead."
"Sundaramaiyar"
"The Iyar with the attached house... I have 40 acres of land. Own 6 to 7 houses. Stay away from me." (Hubris exhibitionism by the rich man)
The rich man stepped away, Sundaramaiyar paid respects and greetings, and the rich man turned his face away (not returning the greetings). As the hubris of moolah made a show (of arrogance), culture of education (Iyar) sported a faint smile.
A mile was traversed. There was a turn on the road. The cart made a turn. Ten to fifteen people surrounded the rich man's vehicle, removed the wheels' linchpins, one man flailed a blade before his face and threatened him.
“Give up your possessions. Do it now”, shouted the waylayers.
"Hey, another vehicle coming our way."
“Block it, go block it.”
“O my, it is the cart of the Iyar.” As soon as they sighted Sundaramaiyar’s cart, they scooted out of there and disappeared into a thicket of bramble.
“Who are you? Come out of there." Sundaramaiyar shouted with an authority.
Two ruffians came out of the bushes hands folded in respect and with obsequious humility and stood before the Aiyar.
"What did you take."
“We just started.”
“Return it.”
Whatever taken was returned.
“Beat the living daylights out of you and break your back." so roared the cultured (the upright Brahmin) to the thieves. The Moolah (the rich man) cringed in fear and moved to the side.
"If I see you fellows again on this side of town, I will destroy you. Iyar bared his teeth. The thieves withdrew and stood back.
“Hold there, your honor. Give each of us two rupees.”
Two rupees are a large sum, enough to feed each for three days. The rich man destined to lose the gold and the diamonds but for Aiyar, gave two rupees each and expressed thanks to Aiyar.
 
The rich man opposing his palms in gratitude and respect, said, “I thought low of you earlier; forgive me."
 
Sundaramaiyar said, "You must have been distracted. You did not pay attention. You go and I will follow you as a companion."
Intellect and dignity are the jewels of a man. Sundaramaiyar shines as Alankāra Purusha (Bedecked, beautiful and worshipful man or God).
" I have no idea of worship and adoration. Sastri comes home and performs worship. My part in worship is all about sweet poṅgal (Sweet boiled rice, milk, cashews and condiments). I feel sorry for the poor. I pray to god," Can't these people have a better luck."
 
Aiyar has compassion right from his conception, infancy… Right living is more important than rituals. Love to fellow human beings is more important than observing religious rites and rituals. True love is more important than a false cloak of caste superiority. These qualities were innate to the unborn child. Since the seed was strong and healthy, the tree grew big and tall.
That was Māragazi (Dec-Jan) month. The earth was cool. There was a good rain. The earth was verdant. All living beings were jumping for joy. They sauntered, decked in their best.
Māragazi is the dawn of the Devas (one year of Devas is equal to one month of humans). Māragazi is associated with Tiruvāthirai star: Śaivar’s auspicious day. It is the day Nataraja takes a procession in all Śiva temples. Tiruvāthirai festival was celebrated with ostentation in Tirucchuzi Sakāyavalli Samētha Bhūmināthar temple.
Finishing the street procession, Nataraja entered the temple grounds. Puṉar pūcam began as Tiruvathirai ended.
The anteroom in Sundaramaiyar’s house was a beehive of activity with womenfolk. After 1 A.M. their activity took a faster pace. Azakammai’s labor pains caused apprehension in Sundaramaiyar. He chanted continuously, ‘Om Namasivaya.’ At the stroke of 1:15AM, a baby boy was born.
The attendants informed Sundaramaiyar, ‘it was a boy.’ He turned to the temple tower and opposed his palms. That was 1879 December 30.  
Let us obtain Darśan.
Pictures: S. Kumaresan
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