Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

'The Sage of Arunachala' 30th Dec. 1879 to 14th April 1950 Throughout the history of mankind spiritual giants have appeared on very rare occasions to exemplify the Highest Truth. Guiding followers by their conduct in every moment of their lives; Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was such a giant. Unique in our time, He perfectly embodied the ultimate truth of Self-realisation, or complete absorption in the Supreme Itself. Drawn from His home by the power of Arunachala at the age of sixteen, he remained at Its feet throughout the rest of His life and became known as the Sage of Arunachala. He wrote very little, but is known to have translated and corrected a number of important works for the benefit of devotees. He preferred to communicate through the power of overwhelming Silence, a silence so deep and powerful that it stilled the minds of ardent seekers who were attracted to Him from all over the world. Although preferring silence, He was always willing to answer the questions of sincere aspirants and never failed to guide them in the right direction. His highest teaching of 'Self-enquiry' (vichara) was understood in the infinite silence of his presence. Through this silence, countless numbers of devotees and visitors experienced the pure bliss of True Being. That same experience of perfect peace is still available to sincere souls who turn to him and practice his teachings with devotion. This act of perfect grace can be experienced anywhere, but it is especially palpable at the foot of the holy Arunachala Hill, a hill that has attracted saints and sages for thousands of years. The Maharshi's teaching of 'Self-enquiry' (Pure Advaita) is simplicity itself, requiring no outward formalities, no outer change of life, only a simple change in 'point of view' and a sustained effort on the part of the seeker. The goal is no heaven after death or a faraway ideal, but rather the removal of the ignorance that prevents us from knowing that we are eternally One with our Source, the Supreme Self, or God. It is an experience than can be had NOW! All that is required is a sincere effort, which earns us the necessary grace. On his deathbed the Maharshi told his grieving devotees, "You say I am going away, but where can I go? I am always here. You give too much importance to the body." His promise of a 'continued presence' is daily being experienced by numerous devotees around the world, and it is that experience of 'continued presence' that has inspired many to devote themselves to the path of peace and love. Residing at the Holy Hill: The first place of Ramana’s residence in Tiruvannamalai was the great temple. For a few weeks he remained in the thousand-pillared hall. But urchins who pelted stones at him as he sat in meditation troubled him. He shifted himself to obscure corners and even to an underground vault known as Patala-lingam. Undisturbed he spent several days in deep absorption. Without moving he sat in samadhi, unaware of even the bites of vermin and pests. But the mischievous boys soon discovered even this retreat and indulged in their pastime of throwing potsherds at the young Swami. There was at the time in Tiruvannamalai a senior Swami by name Seshadri. Those who did not know him took him for a madman. He sometimes stood guard over the young Swami, and drove away the urchins. At long last he was removed from the pit by devotees without his being aware of it and deposited in the vicinity of a shrine of Subrahmanya. From then on there was some one or other to take care of Ramana. The seat of residence had to be changed frequently. Gardens, groves, shrines – these were the places chosen to keep the Swami who himself never spoke. Not that he took any vow of silence; he just had no inclination to talk. At times texts like Vasistham and Kaivalya Navaneetam used to be read out to him. A little less than six months after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai, Ramana shifted his residence to a shrine called Gurumurtam at the earnest entreaty of its keeper, one Tambiranswami. As days passed and as Ramana’s fame spread, increasing numbers of pilgrims and sightseers came to visit him. After about a year’s stay at Gurumurtam, the Swami – locally he was known as Brahmana-Swami – moved to a neighboring mango orchard. It was here his paternal uncle, Nelliyappa Aiyar, traced him out. He was a pleader at Manamadurai. Having learnt from a friend that Venkataraman was then a revered Sadhu at Tiruvannamalai, he went there to see him. He tried his best to take Ramana along with him to Manamadurai. But the young sage would not respond. He did not show any sign of interest in the visitor. So, Nelliyappa Aiyar went back disappointed to Manamadurai. However, he conveyed the news to Alagammal, Ramana’s mother.

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The mother went to Tiruvannamalai accompanied by her eldest son Nagaswamy. Ramana was then living at Pavalakkunru, one of the eastern spurs of Arunachala. With tears in her eyes Alagammal entreated Ramana to go back with her. But, for the sage there was no going back. Nothing moved him – not pitiable sobs of his mother. He kept silent and sat still.

A devotee who had been observing the struggle of the mother for several days requested Ramana to write out at least what he had to say. The sage wrote on a piece of paper quite in an impersonal way:

The Ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with their prarabdhakarma (destiny to be worked out in this life, resulting from the balance-sheet of actions in past lives). Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.

Disappointed and with a heavy heart, the mother went back to Manamadurai. Sometime after this event Ramana went up the hill Arunachala, and started living in a cave called Virupaksha after a saint who dwelt and was buried there. Here also the crowds came, and among them were a few earnest seekers. These latter used to put him questions regarding spiritual experience or bring sacred books for having some points explained. Ramana sometimes wrote out his answers and explanations. One of the books that were brought to him during this period was Sankara’s Vivekachudamani which later on he rendered into Tamil prose. There were also some simple unlettered folk that came to him for solace and spiritual guidance. One of them was Echammal who, having lost her husband, son, and daughter, was disconsolate till the Fates guided her to Ramana’s presence. She made it a point to visit the Swami every day and took upon herself the task of bringing food for him as well as for those who lived with him.

In 1903 there came to Tiruvannamalai a great Sanskrit scholar and tapasvin known Ganapati Sastri. By the age of 21 he had mastered Sanskrit, intently delved into all the major Puranas and Vedas, engaged in austere tapas at several holy places and had been awarded the title Kavyakantha (one who had poetry in his throat) by an august assembly of scholars and poets in North India. His father had initiated him into the secrets of the worship of the Divine Mother and he intently pursued the path set down by the ancient scriptures of the land. Ganapati had visited Ramana in the Virupaksha cave a few times, but once in 1907 he was assailed by doubts regarding his own spiritual

practices. He ran up the hill, saw Ramana sitting alone in the cave, threw himself on the ground before the sage and appealed to him, saying, “All that has to be read I have read; even Vedanta Sastra I have fully understood; I have done japa to my heart’s content; yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas is. Therefore I have sought refuge at your feet. Pray enlighten me as to the nature of tapas.”

Ramana silently rested his gracious eyes on Ganapati for some fifteen minutes, and then replied:

If one watches whence the notion ‘I’ arises, the mind gets absorbed there; that is tapas. When a mantra is repeated, if one watches whence that mantra sound arises, the mind gets absorbed there; that is tapas.

To the poet-scholar this came as a revelation, a new spiritual path opened to mankind, and he felt the grace of the sage enveloping him. He then proclaimed that henceforth Brahmana Swami, which Ramana was then called, should be addressed as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He thoroughly surrendered himself to the Guru, composed Sanskrit hymns in his praise and also wrote the Ramana Gita, which explains Ramana’s teachings. From that day on the young sage was known as Ramana Maharshi, the Maharshi, or just Bhagavan by his devotees.

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His Teachings: (find your soul or get surrender)

Ramana Maharshi, perhaps modern India's greatest sage, recommended Atma-Vichara or Self-inquiry as the best and most direct approach for Self-realization. This has caused some to think that he regarded other yogic practices, like mantra or pranayama, as unimportant or even useless. However, a careful examination of his teachings reveals that he recommended various yogic approaches of devotion, mantra or raja yoga - in fact, he encouraged whatever might aid a person in their sadhana.

The Maharshi did not put much emphasis on the outer formalities of practice for Self-inquiry. This has similarly caused some to think that for Self-inquiry there are no prerequisites - that any one at any stage of life or following any life-style can do it and succeed. Again, a careful examination of his life and teachings shows that he never discountenanced the ethical and ascetic basis for Self-inquiry

"Your true nature is that of infinite spirit. The feeling of limitation is the work of the mind. When the mind unceasingly investigates its own nature, it transpires that there is o such thing as mind. This is the direct path for all."
—Ramana Maharshi

Ramana's main teaching is that one is self-enquiry and the other is surrender to god. He himself a great devotee of Lord shiva in the form of Mountain Arunachala.
He wrote "Arunachala Aksharamana Malai" which has 108 two line songs which is devoted to Lord
Arunachala.
He is very much confident that the 'Bhakti'(love towards god) is very important and easy way to
attain self-realisation in the present world.

Sri Ramana Ashramam:

Today lot of devotees from all over the world comes to ashramam where Ramana's body is there
in the form of 'samadhi'. Here people says they are getting lot of peace of mind. So mainly foreigners
used to come and stay for some period.
Here is a Meditation hall there in which Ramana Maharshi spent a lot of his days here. Now it is used
as meditation hall.

Meditation Hall in Sri Ramana Ashramam

In the Main Hall the samadhi of Ramana is there. It is very pleasent to see and sit there. At a time around 2000 people can sit there and view the darshan. Every day poojas are performed twice.
Also lot of peacocks are living in ashramam since Ramana's days.

Main Hall-Bhagavan's Samadhi
Next to his mothers samadhi bhagavan's samadhi is situated. It accompanies the main hall. It is very
pleasent to sit there for a while and do meditation.