LITERATURE-LIGHT AND DELIGHT. 47. SRI RAMANA LITERATURE-3

LITERATURE- LIGHT AND DELIGHT

47. SRI RAMANA LITERATURE-3

Sri Ramana's life was totally connected with the devotees for 54 years,ever since he stepped into Arunachala. He had no privacy at all. He stayed wherever he could- in the temple precincts, in the caves on the mountain, etc. Everywhere he was surrounded by devotees, day and night. Thus where he stayed became an Asramam! In the beginning, he used to go begging, but as his name spread, visitors used to come to him, bringing fruits, or other eatables. Whatever was received was distributed among those present then and there- nothing was kept over for the next day.He stayed in Virupaksha Cave on the eastern slopes of Arunachala for 17 years, but faced acute scarcity of water, especially in summer. Around 1916 a devotee named Kandaswamy selected a spot  higher up on the hill where he built a shelter- which was called Skandasramam in his name. Bhagavan's mother had come to live there by that time, and with her coming, regular cooking started. Such was Bhagavan's state that he never asked for anything, never asked any one to do anything, never prevented any one in his work. Things just happened around him. Mother attained Samadhi in May 1922, and a thatched roof was erected over her samadhi at the foot of the hills. Bhagavan used to come down strolling from Skandasramam every day; one day in December he just stayed there, and did not go up. People had to come down to where he was and thus the present Asramam came up! This came up because the devotees wanted it. Years later, he would say the Power that brought him to Arunachala brought him here.

Sri Bhagavan was not given to book learning. But he was approached by devotees who had books which they could not read or understand properly, for clarifications. Some of them  also used to write verses, and would also ask Bhagavan to compose. Thus he wrote verses occasionally,most of which were not preserved. Some form of literary activity was thus going on. With the arrival of the great Sanskrit scholar and tapasvin Kavyakantha Ganapati Sastri in 1907, this received a boost.It was for his sake that Bhagavan broke the silence he had maintained for 11 years, and gave him oral instructions!  Bhagavan was a natural poet, and with his Realisation, the springs could not be stopped.He had written the Five Hymns to Arunachala by 1914. When they shifted to Skandasramam, Mother used to get up at 4 in the morning and recite her stotras loudly, while Bhagavan sat absorbed. Then the inmates would start reciting the Aksharamanamalai- The marital Garland of Letters. This would send Bhagavan into deep samadhi, it was extremely difficult to bring him back to the consciousness of the world- devotees would press his legs, blow coanches in his ears, etc. As Bhagavan wrote the other verses, they were also included in the parayana, morning and evening. The Veda parayana started much later.

When the devotees did not do parayana or meditate, they would be encouraged to read religious literature. Bhagavan had his favourite list: Ribhu Gita, Yoga (Jnana) Vasishtam, Vasudeva Mananam, Tripura Rahasyam, Kailvalya Navanitam, Tiruvachakam, Hymns of Jnanasambandha,etc. He asked even some of the lady devotees working in the kitchen to read the Ribhu Gita; when the said they could not understand, he told them it was enough if they read!

Bhagavan generally did not like or extol book-learning. He used to say 'Grantha is granthi'- books are a bondage. He said acquiring books was like acquiring a samsara- not easy to give up! But literary activity did always flourish in his company.

Ramana was a natural poet, and his poetic instincts could not be suppressed. Over the years, he became proficient in Telugu and Malayalam and devotees speaking these languages would ask him to translate his Tamil poems into these languages. He did oblige them; but he composed 5 new verses in Telugu in  the  difficult Venba metre of Tamil ! They were called Ekatma Panchakam and were later rendered in Tamil. His Malayalam translation of  Upadesa Undiyar is considered an even greater authority than the original Tamil. The Tamil verses are in three lines, but in Malayalam he sang in four lines. He composed them in Malayalam afresh, did not just translate from the Tamil, as academics would do. So, it clarifies some points which might be obscure in Tamil. 

However, Bhagavan was reluctant to write verses in Sanskrit, always leaving the job to others. But he did compose 5 exquisite verses in Sanskrit, called Five Stanzas to Arunachala, which stunned even the regular Sanskrit scholars. 

Even his prose works are poetic in expression. He rendered Sankara's Vivekachudamani in Tamil prose, even before 1917. Once some devotee wanted him to select some important verses from the Gita for daily parayana. He declined, saying all verses were important! When pressed, he pointed out verse 20 of chapter 10 as the single most important. But later, out of his grace, he selected 42 verses, rearranged them and also rendered them in Tamil, with an exquisite Invocatory verse. Sankara's Atma Bodha was the last translation Bhagavan did, towards the fag end, when his eye sight was already weak. A Muslim scholar had given him a copy of his translation. Somehow, Bhagavan had an inner prompting, and gave his own verses. But curiously, Bhagavan said that he had a vague feeling of having seen these verses elsewhere! Bhagavan also rendered two Agama works in Tamil verse, on his own. He was generally reluctant to talk or write anything on his own, and there is a history or story behind everything that he wrote.

During Bhagavan's life time, the literary output was mostly about the teachings. There were many intense devotees,like Major Chadwick, S.S.Cohen,Visvanatha Swami, but many of them like Muruganar, Sadhu Natanananda, T.K.Sundaresa Iyer resided outside the Asramam. There were regular visitors like G.V.Subbaramayya, Dr.T.N.Krishnaswami, etc.They were mainly intent on sadhana, and not much was known about them. Immediately after Bhagavan's Mahanirvana, there was a sense of despondency and many devotees left. But where could they go? Like the dhobi's donkey, they had to come home! Activity returned to the Asramam, and centred round the Old Hall, and Mother's samadhi shrine, which had been completed and consecrated by Bhagavan in 1949. Devotees found pleasure in being in touch with each other. As Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita:

Satatam kirtayanto maam
Yatantascha drudavrataa:
Namasyantascha maam bhaktya
Bhaktya nitya yukta upasate.

Glorifying me always, and striving with firm resolve, bowing down to Me in devotion, always steadfast, they worship Me. 

Gita, 9.14

Macchitta mad gata prana
Bodhayanta: parasparam
Kathayantascha maam nityam
Tushyanti cha ramanti cha.

With their minds wholly in Me, with their senses absorbed in Me, enlightening one another, and always speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted.

Gita, 10.9

Out of this situation arose a new class of literature: reminiscences of old devotees about Bhagavan. What a treasure trove it has been! Major Chadwick, S.S.Cohen, A.Devaraja Mudaliar, T.K.Sundaresa Iyer,Suri Nagamma, T.R. Kanakammal, Kunjuswami, K.K.Nambiar, Natanananda, Balarama Reddy,  have all given us aspects of Bhagavan's life we could not know even from the biographies. In the 60s Mountain Path started introducing the old devotees in its columns and for the first time we came to know authentic details about the life of the early devotees. So much material was available in the archives, but for some reason they were not all published. Now, we have 3 volumes "Power of the Presence" by David Godman, dealing with some other devotees.

Every devotee has something to say, to reveal. I cannot even attempt to catalogue them. But some things are outstanding. I will just mention one.

Bhagavan took keen interest in the completion of the Mother's shrine, started in 1939 but progressing slowly for want of funds. Bhagavan was against collecting donations in his name. But the very fact that a Jnani was interested in raising the temple over the Samadhi of the Mother is remarkable! In the whole history of India, no Sage has raised a temple for his mother, including Sankara. But Bhagavan's Mother was not just a mother- Bhagavan had granted her liberation, and she had become a Mukta. Bhagavan took interest in every aspect of the construction. Chadwick tells us how Bhagavan used to go round the spot at night, and how he blessed the Srichakra Meru by laying on his hands and how he stood there in the intense heat and smoke. After the consecration, elaborate Navavarana-Srichakra puja was performed on a Friday with all solemnity. Bhagavan remarked how grand it was and how good it would be if it was performed regularly." But who will take the trouble"? , sighed Bhagavan. Major Chadwick took the trouble and organised regular pujas every full moon day, every Friday, and the first day of every month in the Hindu calendar!

There are some other subtle hints in his book. Bhagavan talked about their connection in previous births, the mystic nature of Arunachala hill, its counter-point in the Northern hemisphere, and some rare insight into karma and rebirth. Every book of reminiscence has something, and taken together, they constitute  a modern Maha Bhakta Vijayam.

Though Bhagavan's works are in Tamil, most Tamilians today are unfamiliar with the classic form (in spite of Tamil having been conferred 'classical' status) and are unable to study them unaided. I have seen that over the years, whatever commentaries have appeared add to the confusion. We have the simple commentary of Sadhu Om. Now we also have the favour of T.R.Kanakammal's commentaries. Though she came to Ramanasramam late, in 1946,  and had no scholarly pretensions,she had the benefit of listening to the comments of Muruganar and so gives a faithful account. Bhagavan's writings cannot be understood in a hurry, and demand close attention. I have found two clues to understanding:

• We cannot approach Bhagavan unless Bhagavan approves us. We must be qualified by proper preparation.
• Whatever may be the preparation, our understanding will not open or ripen, unless Bhagavan bestows his grace. This is exactly what is revealed by Sri Krishna in the Gita.

Teshaam satata yuktanaam 

Bhajataam preeti poorvakam

Dadaami buddhi yogam tam

Yena maam upayaanti te.

To them ever steadfast , and serving Me with affection, I give that Buddhi-Yoga by which they come to Me.

Teshaam evanu kampaartham 

Aham ajnanadam tama:

Naashayaami atma bhavasto

Jnana deepena bhasvataa.

Out of mere compassion for them, I, abiding in their hearts,destroy the darkness in them born of ignorance, by the luminous lamp of Wisdom.

Gita, 10- 10,11.

That we can approach Bhagavan is only due to his grace.

We can fittingly close this piece with a string of 5 poems about the grace of Bhagavan Ramana. Known as "Sri Ramana Stuti Panchakam", it consists of Morning song, Kummi Song, Ponnolir Pattu, Ponnaiyotta Pattu and Ramana Sadguru. They are in simple but flowing Tamil. They were composed by one Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer who had visited Bhagavan when he was in the Virupaksha cave- around 1911-12.He stayed there for 4 days and composed the first 4 poems, one for a day. He sent the fifth one after he returned to his place.No further details are known about him. 

Years later, on 1 January 1947, some visitor raised the subject and Bhagavan said: 'He came here only once.He did not return thereafter. We could not gather any other information about him. On the day he gave the Kummi song, Manavasi Ramaswamy Iyer and some other mad caps performed kummi singing this song!' ( Recorded in Day By Day). Narasimha Swami, who collected material for his biography painstakingly, visited Satyamangalam but the locals did not know any such person.

So, God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform!

May the Grace of Ramana abide with all seekers and devotees!

T