10Ramanamaharishi20100824.html
Sakti Vikaan 2010 August 24  Part 1     Revised April 29, 2018


Author:   Balakumaran  Part 1
Author

Vicissitudes hobble life’s well-laid plans. Has the water seeking the pit cut a perfect predetermined path?
Asceticism does not fit into any mold or plan. It is of the state of nature. It is devoid of ulterior motive. It is a great surrender. Venkatraman’s past life Vāsaṉas (Fragrance, residuals) pushed him into an aimless state.
Next day August 31, 1896 was Gokulāṣtami, the day of his birth when Kaṇṇaṇ reached Gōkulam. Early in the morning, Venkatraman, struck by growling hunger, was pacing up and down. He had no clue about how to reach Tiruvannamalai. He had no cash on hand.
He stood at the doorstep of Muthukrishna Bhagavathar's home. He said, “I am hungry; I need food.” They invited him into the house and served him meals. It was the leftover rice from yesterday. It pacified his hunger.
To go further on his journey, he needed to buy a rail ticket. No cash, what to do? He pawned his earrings to Muthukrishna Bhagavathar and asked him for money. Bhagavathar appraised the earrings and valued it at 20 rupees. Those days twenty Rupees is equal to 10,000 rupees in today’s money. He took the earrings and gave Venkatraman four rupees. Bhagavathar gave him a piece of paper with his address. Happily, Venkatraman took the money and put it inside a knot at the end of his dhoti at waist level.
The wife of Muthukrishna Bhagavathar took him inside and gave him packets of victuals meant for service to the Lord. He took them and exited the house.
Those who had the yearning to become Jñāṉi find it easy to identify his ilk. The Jñāṉi does not come with a label. Something impels: a platonic love, a movement. ‘The guest must be Krishna Himself. These food preparations are meant for service to the Lord. Here I give.’ The woman of the house gave the food to him in the same spirit she did to Krishna Himself and sent him on his way.
For Venkatraman, the waist cloth, the shirt, and a four-rupee fortune are his property. It may be small but he was bubbling with exuberance. He walked from Kīzhūr to Tirukkōvilūr, slept on the Railway station platform, the next day on September 1, 1896 boarded the train and went to Tiruvaṇṇāmalai. The daybreak was dazzling through the dense mist as he got off the train in Tiruvaṇṇāmalai.
On September 1, 1896, the ancient city of Tiruvannamalai extended its invitation to a young man destined to blossom into its illustrious son.
It was a small town unlike what it is now. From the Railway Station, he witnessed the majestic mountain and the tall tower and opposed his palms offering homage.
The next stage of a Tapasvin Bhagavan Ramanar is taking refuge in the mountain. As we study Ramanar intensely, we discover. ‘asceticism' is not easy; leaving kith and kin, giving up good clothes, food, home, friends, acquaintances…are not asceticism; abandoning hubris is the mark of an ascetic. We can rustle up hubris anytime. Instead of stirring up the hubris, it should be nipped in the bud and pulled by its roots. For living with no mental agitation, the cure is asceticism. If you lose cognition, death is a certainty. Likewise, if there is even a little bit of mental agitation, the hubris is kindled (raises its ugly head), and we experience loss in our endeavour. When we pay attention to Bhagavan Ramanar’s life, we notice he always remained well-balanced.
An ascetic he was, starting at 16 years of age. Leaving the house, he is now in Tiruvannamalai, (unbeknownst to his immediate family). Before him is the majestic mountain; in the foothills, is the temple tower; around it is the small town. He was awe-struck and walked towards the Sanctum sanctorum.

                                       

That time, the sacerdotal services were in progress. The temple is not open to the public yet. But there was a scattering of people. He went through the open doors and walked towards the sanctum. No one stopped him. No one queried him. Since he was invited by Aṇṇāmalaiyār, the Darśan was waiting for him with no impediment. He went to the sanctum, opposed his palms and had a Darśan of the Lord with mental satisfaction. A great tranquility pervaded his mind and soul.
What was inside was Sivalingam. Something made an appearance from beyond the idol. It was not just a room with granite walls. He had an inner feeling it was a special place. Peace prevailed.
All are for this place only. The dedication is to the God: A sense of relinquishment filled him. A sense of well-being came on him that accompanies relinquishing all. A plenitude of divinity filled him from abandonment of ‘I’ and ‘Mine.’ The face and the eyes, lighted up with a smile and a glow. The body felt weakened. (Ascension of spirit.)
He did not know how long he stayed there. He filled the Sivalingam and the room so he and the objects in the room were undifferentiated mass of oneness.
‘What exists everywhere is here. What is here is everywhere. It is inside me. What is inside me stands as Aṇṇāmalaiyār and invites me with monosyllabic  (‘Vā’ = Come). Hereafter, there is none to call my own. There is nothing I possess. There is nothing that is my conduct. There is nothing that I desire. What is inside me is It: That Aṇṇāmalaiyār pulling me is acceptable to me. It does. It does whatever… This world revolves without impediment. It moves me. Let It move me anywhere.’ When these thoughts dawned on him, a great freedom came upon him. On the way, a smile appeared. Buddhi was brimming with ecstasy.
When a person has a form, it is impossible to worship the one without form. If one rejects the notion he is of any form, realization of that beyond the forms (and names) is possible. Worship of a form (image, idol…) is not merely to see the form. Seeing the form helps seeing the inside. There is fire before your eyes. If you see the fire intently, close the eyes and oppose your hands, the fire will burn inside you; it should burn.
Sivalingam is a formless form. It is not a form. It is not formless without a form. It is a mere sign. It is showing the principle and proof of existence of God in a stone. If you look hard, that principle gains entrance inside you and blossoms big and strong. Finding Sivalingam everywhere is a certainty. That we can apprehend the whole world is the principle of Sivalingam.
Venkatraman saw the Sivalingam, knowing neither the principle nor its explanation. Principle as a word was unknown to him. It became a brimming feeling or sentiment. The principle was not of the form of prose or poetry in his mind. It flashed as a news inside him. He fell prostrate flat on the floor in the worship of Aṇṇāmalaiyār, saying to himself, “Please accept me. This (I) is your property. This body, wealth, and soul, you own. There is no ‘I.” Abandoning all, he fell like a wooden stick and paid homage. It was genuine.
As he went inside with no obstruction, he exited with ease. He went beyond the South Tower. He continued walking. There was no destination and no aim. What for (to where he was going) did not register. What next was not a planned event. He just walked. Periyōr (Great man) has no aim. The one with resolute aim, does not attain it.
- தரிசிப்போம்...Let us get Darśan
சக்தி விகடன் Sakthi Vikatan - 24 Aug, 2010 2010-08-24-part2
கருணை தெய்வம் காஞ்சி மகான் Kanchi Mahan is God of compassion.
குரு தரிசனம்! Guru Darśan Author Sarukesi     Author:


                                                                                          
There was a Keralite, Āññan (ஆஞ்ஞன்) Madhavan Nambudiri. He was a great pundit. Bhagavata explicator and a great scholar had much devotion to Periyava.
He told Nambudiri, pointing to me, “Buy him a book on Bhagavatam.”
Madhavan immediately left his presence, bought a book on Bhāgavatam, gave it to Periyava and asked him, ‘Please give this book to him yourself with your blessings.'
Mahāperiyava took the book held it on his head, overlaid the book with flower garland, after a while blessed the book and gave it to me.
From that gesture I knew he cared for me, had good wishes for me in life and blessed me for continued success. I was happy to know that his blessings will continue to guide me throughout my life. I thanked Nambudiri wholeheartedly.
It occurred in my mind I should sit by Ganges river in Rishikesh, perform Dhyana, and chant Bhagavatam. That would be nice, auspicious and satisfying to the mind. When I had opportune time, I took Bhagavatam and left for Rishikesh. There I stayed there for many days and chanted Bhagavatam.
Vyāsar called his son ‘Sukhā’. The trees, the plants, the vines, the rivers, the mountains…asked, ‘Why.’ Reading Bhagavatam in that vein, made reading exciting. 
I rose at 3 a.m., performed Sahasra Gayatri, sat on the bank of Ganges and recited Bhagavatam.
Vasiṣtha Guhai (cave): That was a supernatural place. It was about 24 km from Rishikesh. The cave had a Sivalingam for worship.
There Ganges was very sedate and tranquil. When I chanted Bhagavatam at the cave entrance with blanket on my shoulders, I had a feeling Ganga Devi ran deep and silent in my mind with no ripples, causing me exhilaration.
Is it not that the tree, the plant, the vine asked ‘Why’?
One day, I had a dream sleep early in the morning. Mahāperiyava came in my dream and said to me, ‘Hey, I am Sukappirammam. When I was in my mother's womb, I attained the state of Brahman. I am Sukappirammam.’

I did not understand whether it was a dream, or he came to bless me with that narrative. But, there was no one on the banks of the River Ganges. I was overwhelmed with emotional upheaval and shed rivers of tears.
It appears even now as the Vedic Truth; alternately I perceive Mahāperiyava himself came in person and told me so.
When I was seven years of age, I performed Pāda Pūjai (worshipful ablution of feet) to Mahāperiyava on the banks of Kāvēri River. He appeared effulgent as the idol made of molten gold. The same vision I had of Periyava on the banks of Ganges River.
My observation of celibacy, because of Periyava’s blessings, his divine grace and my recitation of the Bhagavatam Book I received from Periyava, and paid for by Nambudiri, have been of immense help. I had been to many temples, river banks… and received Darśan. I still don’t know whether a manifest God like Periyava exists. That should not be interpreted as disbelief or slander of God. In my estimate, Periyava is in par with God.


The incomparable compassion of Periyava helped me tolerate many sufferings and insults and advance this far in life.
Not that I was the only beneficiary of his compassion. Many were his beneficiaries.
I shared my experience with the readers of Sakti Vikatan, enjoying immense happiness. Making such observations, Pattābhi immersed himself in the thoughts of Kanchi Mahan.
"My observance of celibacy, because of Periyava’s blessings, his divine grace and the recitation of Bhagavatam Book I received from Periyava and paid for by Nambudiri have been of immense help. I had been to many temples, river banks… and received Darśan. I still don’t know whether a manifest God like Periyava exists. That should not be interpreted as disbelief or slander of God. In my estimate, Periyava is in par with God.
The incomparable compassion of Periyava helped me tolerate many sufferings and insults and advance this far in life."

"Not that I was the only beneficiary of his compassion. Many were his beneficiaries."

"I shared my experience with the readers of Sakti Vikatan, enjoying immense happiness." Making such observations, Pattābhi immersed himself in the thoughts of Kanchi Mahan.


- தரிசனம் தொடரும் Darśan will Continue.