09Ramanamaharishi20100809.html
Edited May 15, 2018
Sakti Vikatan Part 1 & 2
கருணை தெய்வம் காஞ்சி மகான் Kanch Mahan, The Divine Embodiment of Compassion

ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி  Ramana Maharishi

ஸ்ரீரமண வழி Ramana's way    Article By Balakumaran
It is with regret I record here that Balakumaran the original author of this article died today the 15th of May 2018.


Amidst travelers in the train was seated a white-bearded Royal-lookalike: an elderly Muslim. After his speech, his eyes fell on tranquil Venkatraman seated with shut eyes. His physiognomy was a giveaway he was a young Brahmin boy. When Venkatraman opened his eyes, the Islamic elder man engaged him in a conversation.
Islamic Scholar addressed Venkatraman lovingly: “Brother, where are you going?”
Venkatraman replied happily, “To Tiruvaṇṇāmalai.”
The Islamic scholar said, “I too am going to the previous station.”
Venkatraman: “The previous station.”
Scholar: “Yes, my destination is the Sacred Temple Town.”
Venkatraman: “If so, does this train go to Tiruvannamalai?”
Islamic Scholar: Brother, what are you saying? Didn’t buy the ticket to Tiruvannamalai?”
Venkatraman: I did not know this train goes to Tiruvannamalai? I have a ticket to Tindivanam.”
Islamic Scholar: "Tindivanam is out of the route. This train does not go to Tiruvannamalai. But, assuming you buy a ticket for Tiruvannamalai, you must change the train at Vizhuppuram."
Venkatraman: “Is that so? I never knew that!”
Venkatraman was perplexed.
Aṇṇāmalaiyār without giving him a runaround showed how to reach him easily through the help of the Islamic scholar.
Since he was very hungry, he bought two pears for a small amount out of money, from his savings of three Aṇās. One bite into it calmed his hunger.
At three a.m. next day, the trains came to Vizuppuram. He got down and wandered about. He did not know how to reach Tiruvannamalai. He did not know whom to ask. There were very few at the time early in the day to know the details.
He went to the front door of an eating place and asked for food. The eatery manager asked him to wait until noon. At the entrance to the door, he went into Dhyana with closed eyes. When the food was ready, they served him food. He ate the food with gusto. When he asked to pay for the meal, the reply came: Two Aṇās.
He took out and gave him two Aṇās, the manager of the eatery asked, “How much money do you have?”
Venkatraman said, “Two and half Aṇās.” The manager laughed.
The compassionate manager: “No, keep it for yourself.”
The manager must have seen many grinning restless youngsters before him with Venkatraman sitting peacefully in Dhyana. That would have prompted him not to charge for the meal. He came back to the Vizhuppuram railway station. He found out he could buy a ticket up to Māmpazhappattu for two Aṇās. He got on the waiting train going to Kātpādi.
That was a Sunday with very few occupied seats. There were some vegetable vendors and some passengers. He was back in meditative posture on the train. He got down in Māmpazhappattu. He determined to walk the rest of the way to Tiruvannamalai.

The sun was beating down on him. He walked along the rail path, a ten-mile distance to Tiruvannamalai. Trials and tribulations plague all auspicious things.
The evening came and the night fell soon. It was impossible to walk along the rail path.
Therefore, he walked to the nearby village. That was Araiyaṇainallūr, where he found Athulya Nāthēsvarar temple, which was built on a rock by the Peṇṇai river bank. The temple was the object of praise and songs by Tiruñānasampanthar. He sat at the gate of that beautiful and wonderful temple.
The night Puja began. He went into the temple. Except for the lighted Sanctum sanctorum, the premises were dark. He sat at the side of the temple. Again, he delved deep inside himself. Suddenly a light beam appeared before him and spread throughout the temple. Venkatraman wondered, “What is this? Where is it coming from? A question arose in his mind, “Is it coming from the Sivalingam at the Sanctum?” He went fast to Sivalingam and saw it. He found it is not coming from Sivalingam. That beam of light disappeared suddenly.
That youngster realized that the temple, the Sanctum, and the God are inside him. The walkway was closed. The Śivacchāriyār carried a bag of food on his shoulder. He told the priest he was very hungry and wanted some food and stuck out his empty hands. The Śivacchāriyār told him sternly, “No one is served food here.”
“Could I stay here? Could I sleep here tonight? The priest told him firmly, “No permission is granted to anyone to stay in the temple overnight. You should go out.” He joined others, crossed the river and walked towards Kīzhūr on the opposite bank. A fellowman told him, “Kīzhūr has a Siva Temple and food may be available after Ardha Jāma Pūja. Pointing the way to the temple and earning merit for a good deed, the man continued his journey.
Venkatraman walked towards Kīzhūr Vīrattēsvarar temple. The puja was over and waving of lights took place. The Gurukkal and the workers were ready to leave the premises. Waiting for the puja to finish, he sat in the Mandapam and delved deep into meditation. They woke him up and said, “Let us go out. We have to lock up the temple.”
Venkatraman raised his hungry hands for food. Gurukkal rejected his plea, “There is no food available for distribution.” The drummer watching the boy with an eye of scrutiny and compassion, he requested the Gurukkal to hand over his portion of food to the youngster. The food of the drummer was given to Venkatraman.
The youngster sitting still in meditation must have impressed the drummer. 'something big is happening': that must have been his thought. That made his mind melt in compassion. Śivācchāriyār did not notice what the drummer saw in the boy.
Many of us see with half-open eyes, see fleetingly, see with derision, see without looking…and miss many things. Only a few look intently. The astute drummer was the man who earned merit.
Venkatraman rejected the long-held practices such as the mindless dialogue on caste differences, practice of caste discrimination, and became Sattvic by accepting food from anyone. This episode was the beginning of such attitude.
With the Prasada, he received from the drummer, Venkatraman went to the front door of a house in Kīzhūr and asked for water. Before the owner brought the water to him, he fell faint and lost the Prasada to a heap of mud. Finding the unconscious youngster, the people gathered around him, sprinkled water on him and withdrew once he recovered his senses.
Venkatraman drank the water and ate the food that remained uncontaminated by mud. The hunger ameliorated. He was used to eat many kinds of tasty food in the past. Now, that he was picking off the street morsels of food was the beginning of rejection of taste in food.
After he ate the food, he rested his head on a raised platform (திண்ணை) in the front of a house. Kīzhūr received the greatest blessing of offering a sleeping berth.
- தரிசிப்போம்... Let us worship...
படங்கள் வி. செந்தில்குமார் Pictures: V. Senthilkumar

சக்தி விகடன் - 09 Aug, 2010 2010-08-09-Part 2. Sakthi Vikatan Part 2

குரு தரிசனம்!  Guru Darsan   Author:

                                                                                      
“It is wrong to think that Periyava shows compassion to those around him. He loves all people at all times. He cannot tolerate their sufferings.” Pattu Sastri gives us the narrative of an incident to illustrate it.
Tirumazhisai Āzvār took his birth in Tirumazhisai. Village of Nūmpal was close to it. Once Periyava camped there.
One day, he took a dip in the sacred pond and went to the adjoining Perumal temple. It was 11 a.m. The sun was hot and ascendant.
At the temple entrance, there was a huge door with a wicket. Periyava entered the wicket and sat in a shade leaning against the wall. I answered all the questions he asked of me standing before him.
I was standing under the scorching sun. If I stood there a while longer, I would have been scorched to death. It was so hot I was standing shifting one hot foot after another alternately.
Periyava is a Mahan who knows our mind. Does he not know that I was standing under the scorching sun shifting from one foot to another? Suddenly he stopped talking and asked me to find the source of a noise.
I went to the temple entrance, craned the neck and saw about 200 people standing outside. It appeared to me, they were waiting to see Periyava. . I reported back to Periyava.
Mahāperiyava said, “Are they not waiting to see the resident god of the temple? Go and ask them.” I went out to enquire.
Thinking, ‘O my, is it not possible that the waiting crowd came for Swami Darśan.,’ I wondered why I did not think of it. How could I guess they all came to see Periyava? I came near the entrance.
“Is that so? Walk over and find out whether they are standing in shade or under the sun.
‘Are you the only one standing and talking to me with the feet under the hot sun? ‘Like you, many people are in the same predicament.’ – That was the idea he wanted to convey to me. I thought.
I went where people assembled in a bunch. I asked them, “Are you here for temple Swamy or Mahāperiyava Darśan.”
They also said in a chorus, “We are here for Darśan of and Blessings from Periyava. I came running to Periyava to tell him of the people’s wish.


He ordered immediately to bring the devotees inside and said, “Here is the shade by the wall. Please be seated in the shade.”
Periyava considering my intolerance of the heat, the oppressive heat outside and the suffering of people asked them sent inside to take refuge in the shade. That is the great compassion of Periyava.
It may sound like a minor matter. We should consider of the love and care he showed for people by looking into such small matters in a minute way.
As he was speaking to the people, he told me, “Go around the temple and look.” Periyava’s order has an inner meaning.
When I was circumambulating the Prākāram, I saw the Piḷḷaiyār Shrine, causing me surprise and confusion. Piḷḷaiyār appeared with a Tenkalai Namam. How is it that Piḷḷaiyār is in Perumal temple? I was pulling hair on the head and thinking, but no answer was forthcoming.
After the walk-around, I showed up before Periyava. For a second, he looked at me intently.
He laughed and said, “Were you surprised to see Piḷḷaiyār with Tenkalai Nāmam? Tradition tells he is Thumbhikai Āzvār (Āzvār with proboscis).”
- தரிசனம் தொடரும் Darśan will continue