30. August 1896

[Guest guest]

At 3 a.m. 30th August Ramana reached Villupuram and alighted.

He walked up and down the street of Villupuram to discover which raod to take.

He was too shy to ask any one. Then he became hungry and went to a hotel

for food. Food was served only at noon so he had to wait. Again he lost himself

in samadhi. Then the hotel-keeper gave him something to eat. Ramana wanted

to pay with his last annas, but the hotel-keeper refused to take the

money and gave him the hint that Mambalapattu was the right

direction.

Venkataraman took the train to there with the last money he had. He reached

Mambalapattu and thought to walk the rest to Tiruvannamalai.

 

Ten miles he walked and reached the temple of Arayaninallur in the evening. It has been hot and he

felt quite wearied. Some time later the temple was opened for puja. He took his seat in a

pillared hall and fall again into meditation. Here he had a vision of dazzling light suddenly

streaming forth and pervading the place. He thought this coming from the inner sanctuary and

looked if it was so - but found it did not come from the image there. The light disappeared again

and he plunged again in Samadhi.

 

Puja was finished meanwhile and the temple cook wanted to close the temple. Ramana asked

for some food but there was no food to give there. He requested to may be allowed to stay

here, but this also was refused. But others told him if he would accompany them to Kilur,

a place nearby, there perhaps he could have something to eat.

So he joined the party to go there.

 

In the temple of Kilur a second puja was done. Ramana was again in Samadhi from which he

was roused by the priest when puja was finished.

He again asked for food - again a negative reply. The temple drummer feeled pity for him and gave

him his share of boiled rice. Something to drink was not available, so

he was sent to a Sastri's house

to get some water there. But as he waited there for it he felt asleep

or fainted - he fall on the ground.

 

When woke up he picked up the rice, which was scattered on the ground,

ate some of it and slept there.

 

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according to Narasimha Swami: Self Realization

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to be continued