Ramana - Leela

[Guest guest]

THE MAHARSHI

September/October 2003Vol. 13 - No. 5

Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma

 

 

 

RAMANA - LEELA

A Timeline

 

Evidence of Dr. Ajay Kumar's one-pointed devotion to Sri Maharshi is

found in the following extensive chronology he left us, detailing

interesting and relevant events in Bhagavan's life gathered from

various books.

 

1879 [Aged 0]

December 30 Monday 1 a.m. - Born at Tiruchuli. [Corresponding to 16,

Margali of Tamil year Pramadi - Star Punarvasu - Arudra Darshan day.

House where born is now called 'Sri Sundara Mandiram'. Tiruchuli

temple Deities are Sri Bhuminatha and Mother Sri Sahayavalli about

which Sundaramuti and Manikkavachakar have sung hymns. Blind nurse

saw a wondrous light at the time of birth [PB1 - Pictorial

Biography]. 'Arudra Darshan' commemorates the occasion when Siva

manifested himself to his devotees as Nataraja [ PB1, SR14 - Self

Realization]. It is also on this date that an endless column of Light

- Siva's transcendental and immanent aspect - was to manifest as the

benevolent Arunachala [PB2].

Siblings - Brother - Nagaswami (1878- 1900) [sR12,124]; Brother -

Nagasundaram, later known as Niranjanananda or Chinnaswami [1886 -

1953 Jan 29, died of heart disease. Joined Bhagavan in 1917

(SR12,262)]; Sister - Alamelu Ammal [1888- 1953 Jan. 3, died of liver

disease ( SR266)]

Nephew - Venkataraman, Chinnaswami's son, at age 24, called to help

ashram in 1938 [sR266]; need for him to come and help confirmed by

Bhagavan [Venkatoo 60]. Now Ramanananda Saraswati.

?1886 [6y+]

- We used to play in the Kalyana Mandapam which is by the side of the

temple. Our classes were also held there for some time. [PB4]

- When Venkataraman was about 6 years old, he was reprimanded mildly

for making kites and paper boats from an old disposed case-bundle of

law suits. The boy took it to heart and disappeared, and the search

for him was fruitless. At the time of puja at the Mother Sri

Sahayavalli shrine the priest saw a figure silently seated behind the

idol. It was the child Venkataraman.[PB5]

1891 [11y+]

Moves to Dindigul, after completing elementary education at Tiruchuli.

Spent one year in the first form at Dindigul [sR15].

1892 [12y+]

February 18 - Death of father, Sundaram Iyer. Moves to Madurai, to

live with paternal uncle, Subba Iyer. Studies at Scott's Middle

School and American Mission High School

1895 [15y+]

November - hears of 'Arunachala' mentioned to him by an elderly

relative. About the same time, or perhaps some months later, reads

Periapuranam [sR17].

1896 [16y+]

About middle of July - 'Death Experience' at Madurai ending in

complete and permanent Realization of the Self. House is now called

'Sri Ramana Mandiram'.

1896 [16y+]

August 29, Saturday - Leaves Madurai for Arunachala.September 1,

Tuesday - Arrives in Arunachala, reports to inner shrine at the great

temple, Sri Arunachaleswara and Mother Sri Apeethakuchamba

Upon leaving the temple, and on his consent to getting his head shaved

after being asked by someone, he was lead to Ayyankulam Tank and had

his head shaved. Threw away all his remaining money into the tank

[PB24]. Stays in temple premises within the Thousand-Pillared Hall,

in Pathala Linga [underground cellar] south east corner [PB29]. He

was completely oblivious when he was bodily carried out of the

Pathala Lingam vault to the Subramanya Shrine [PB24]. Seshadri Swami

tried to guard him [sR47]

Gopura Subramanya Shrine - 2 months stay [PB24] Mouna Swami looks

after [sR49]He then moved to adjoining flower garden and banana

grove, and sometimes in the room where large floats were stored

[PB25]

Next sat under large Illupai tree or in the Mangai Pillayar Shrine

[PB25]. Uddandi Nayinar became an attendant [sR51], returned to his

mutt in 1897, revisited seven years later, once or twice again and

died about 1916 [sR71]

1898 [18y+]

Moved to Gurumurtam in the outskirts of the town [February - SR52]

less than a year and a half after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai

[PB25] on Annamalai Tambiran's request [sR. Palaniswami becomes the

attendant [sR54]. Remains attendant for 21 years [AO 36 - Ramana

Maharshi and the Path of Self Knowledge, by Arthur Osborne].

After a little more than a year at Gurumurtam, Brahmana Swami moved to

neighboring mango orchard in May 1898, staying there for about 6

months [PB34]

1898 [18y+]

May - Uncle Nelliappa Iyer visits Bhagavan at Mango Grove. Uncle Subba

Iyer with whom Bhagavan had stayed in Madurai had died in the meantime

[May 1,1898 - SR61].

A month at Arunagirinathar Temple, then a week at one of the towers of

the great temple and in the Alari oleander [sR50] garden [sR64]. He

then moved to Pavalakkunru. [PB24]

September: Moves to Pavalakkunru [one of the spurs of the Arunacchala

Hill ] on which there were an Iswara temple, a spring, a cave and a

mutt at the foot [sR64]

1898 [18y+]

December - Mother Alagammal visits Bhagavan at Pavalakkunru, with Nagaswami [sR64]

1899 [19y+]

February - Moves to the Hill, Arunachala.

Stays in various caves up the Hill - Satguru Swami Cave [Alamarathu

Guhai], Guhu Namasivaya Cave for short periods, then to Virupaksha

Cave [PB44]

But mostly in Virupaksha Cave [lived here for 17 years] , using Mango

Tree Cave [near Mulaipal Tirtham - SR69] as summer residence. [His

first cave on the Hill was the Virupaksha - SR67]

Virupaksha Deva 15th century saint [Glory of Arunachala]

1900 [20y+]

Between 1900 - 1902 [sR74] - Replies to questions put by Gambiram

Seshayya [devout Rambhakta, studying various yogas - SR73], at

Virupaksha Cave. Later published as Self-Enquiry

1902 [22y+]

Answers to questions asked by Sivaprakasam Pillai [Who am I?], published in 1923 [sR77]

1905[25y+]

Moves to Pachaiamman Koil for six months during the plague epidemic. Returns to the Hill

1907 [27y+]

November 18: Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni [previously had visited Sri

Bhagavan twice in 1903/1904 [sR88] visits Bhagavan. Bhagavan imparts

upadesa to the Muni. In a letter Muni wrote next day, he declared

that the Swami should be called Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi [sR90,

91]

1908 [28y+]

January to March: stays at Pachaiamman Koli [with Ganapati Muni and

others]. Returns to Virupaksha Cave

1908 [28y+]

Translates into Tamil prose Adi Sankara's Viveka Chudamani and Drig Drisya Viveka

1911 [31y+]

First recorded visit of a Westerner - F.H.Humphreys visits Bhagavan [November - SR 110]

1912 [32y+]

Death experience at Tortoise Rock in the presence of Vasudeva Sastry and others

1912 [32y+]

First celebration of his birthday - Jayanti, in spite of his protests [sR183]

1914 [34y+]

Composes prayer to Arunachala for Mother's recovery from illness

1915 [35y+]

Song of the Poppadum written for the sake of Mother. The following

were also written during Virupaksha days: Arunachala Aksharamana

Malai, Arunachala Padikam, Arunachala Ashtakam, Translation of

DevikaLottara, Translation of Adi Sankara's Hymn to Dakshinamurti,

Guru Stuti, Hastamalaka Stotra

1916 [36y+]

Moves to Skandashram

1917 [37y+]

Composes Arunachala Pancharatanam in Sanskrit

1917 [37y+]

Mother settles at Skandashram [sR126 - In the beginning of 1916,

mother came to stay, initially with Echammal]

1917 [37y+]

Sri Ramana Gita written in Sanskrit by Ganapati Muni [questions put to

Sri Bhagavan between December 1913 and August 1917 on different

occasions, and his answers - SR93]

1922 [42y+]

May 19, Friday about 8 p.m. [sR129] - Mother's Maha Samadhi [bhagavan

kept his right hand on her heart and his left was on her head AO78]

1922 [43y+]

Jan 3 - Sri Bhagavan's jayanti celebrated at Mother's shrine first

time. A week before the jayanti, Sri Bhagavan came to visit the

shrine as usual on his daily walk and stayed on [PB62]. (date

different from above)

1924 [44y]

26th June about 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. - Robbery at the ashram. Bhagavan

receives blow on his left thigh. [sR152- 6]

1926 [46y+]

STOPPED GOING ROUND THE HILL. [sR172], [Kunjuswami. Letters - Suri

Nagamma No. 24 - Poor man's mite]

1926

Old hall constructed [MP Jan 1987, p62] ; had to be dismantled in May

1986 and after six months of sustained, meticulous work, the

renovated Old Hall was reopened at 7a.m. on 5 Dec 1986. Old devotees

declared interior décor and outside appearance now look 'absolutely

the same'. From old structure major portions of Cuddappah slab,

flooring, doors, windows, wooden trusses/rafters and tiles have been

reused. [MP Jan 1987, p63 - 64]

1927 [47y+]

April 24 - Composes Atma Vidya

1927 [47y+]

Composes Upadesa Saram in Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit and Malayalam

1928 [48y+]

Composes [Completes] Ulladu Narpadu in Tamil and Malayalam [sat Darshanam]

1930 - Ganapati Muni translates Sat Darshanam into Sanskrit

1933 [53y+]

Translates into Tamil the Agamas: Sarvajnanotharam - Atma Sakshatkara

1936 [56y+]

Translates into Malayalam Sri Ramana Gita

1939

September 1, Thursday - Foundation laid by Bhagavan for the Mathrubhuteswara Temple

1940 [60y+]

Selects 42 verses from The Bhagavad Gita [now entitled The Song

Celestial] and translates them into Tamil and Malayalam [G V

Subbaramaya p78 - 79]

1940 [60y+]

October 5 - Bhagavan STOPS eating pan (betel leaf). [ G V Subburamaya]

1941 [61y+]

Before May19 - Bhagavan STOPS going to kitchen to help. [G V Subburamaya]

1945

Jan 25 - Foundation of New Hall: June 5 - cornerstone laid in presence

of Bhagavan [Day by Day, p191]

1946 [66y+]

September 1- Golden Jubilee Celebration of Bhagavan's arrival in Arunachala

1946

New Hall in front of Sri Matrubuteswara Temple construction [MP Jan 1987, p62]

1947 [67y+]

February: Composes Ekatma Panchakam in Telugu and Tamil

1948

June 18 - Cow Lakshmi attains nirvana

1948 [68y+]

Translates into Tamil Atma Bodha of Adi Sankara

1949 [69y+]

March 17, Thursday - Kumbhabhishekam of Mathrubhuteswara Temple in the presence of Bhagavan

March 14 - The brief ceremony was over by 9 p.m., when Maharshi was

taken to open the new big Hall attached to the temple. Being too weak

to turn the colossal key of the door, the young stapati turned it for

him. He was taken directly to the inner temple and helped over the

short flight of steps and made to touch the stone Sri Chakra, which

stands immediately behind the lingam, as the symbol of the Creative

Power latent in the Formless Spirit (Chit). He was then taken out and

made to sit for the first time on the stone couch in the new temple

hall, which was covered with red velvet cushions. [Diary March 18

entry - SS Cohen - Guru Ramana]

1949

June 1 - new hall [adjoining Mother's temple] declared open [sR 256]

1950 [70y+]

April 14, Friday Brahman Nirvana of Bhagavan at 8.47 p.m. At that

moment a shooting star, vividly luminous, coming from the South [the

present Nirvana Room] and moving slowly northward across the sky and

disappearing behind the peak of Arunachala was observed by many in

various parts of India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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