Bhakti and Jnanam

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Bhakti and Jnanam

 

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was a Poorna Jnani in whom Poorna Bhakti too

manifested. To a question: Devotional music also helps one to develop Bhakti,

does it not?

Bhagavan: Yes, yes.

Q:Can the Bhakti marga be followed with advantage? Would it lead to Jnana?

Bhagavan: Yes, yes. Bhakti is Jnana-maata, ie., the Mother of Jnanam. The

spark of Jnana will easily consume all creation as if it were a mountain-heap of

cotton. All the crores of worlds being built upon the weak (or no) foundation

of the ego, they all topple down when the atomic bomb of Jnanam comes down upon

them. All talk of surrender is like pinching jaggery from the jaggery image of

Lord Ganesa and offering it as naivedyam to the same Lord Ganesa. You say you

offer your body, soul and all possessions to God. Were they yours that you

could offer them? At best you can only say, 'I falsely imagined till now that

all these which are Yours were mine. Now I realise they are Yours. I shall no

more act as if they are mine.' And this Knowledge that there is nothing but

God or Self, that I and mine don't exist and that only the Self exists is

Jnanam. Thus there is no difference between Bhakti and Jnanam.

(Based on an account in the Book: Day by Day with Bhagavan by Sri A.Devaraja

Mudaliar)

*****

 

Bhagavan Ramana was 'pulled' by Lord Arunachala to Tiruvannamalai which became

his home, a permanent Home. For Bhagavan, the Saguna Iswara was equally

captivating as the Nirguna Brahman, in the meditation of which he was lost in

Samadhi for several days in the Paathaala Lingam during his early days. Smt

Suri Nagamma, a devotee of Bhagavan, who turned out to be an excellent

chronicler to the happenings at the Ramanashram, reports in her 'Letters from

Ramanashramam':

 

The day before yesterday being full moon, the usual Deepotsava was celebrated

on a grand scale. This morning Sri Arunachaleswarar started for giri

pradakshina (going round the Hill) with the usual retinue and devotees and

accompaniment of music. By the time the procession reached the Asramam Gate,

Sri Niranjanananda Swami came out with Asramam devotees, offered coconuts and

camphor to Sri Arunachaleswarar, and paid homage when the procession was stopped

and the priests performed Arati to the God. Just then Sri Bhagavan happened to

be going towards the Goshala (cowshed) and seeing the grandeur he sat down on

the pial near the tap by the side of the book depot. The Arati plate offered to

the Lord was brought to Bhagavan by Asramam devotees and Sri Bhagavan took a

little Vibhuti (holy ashes) and applied it to his forehead, saying in an

undertone "Appaavukku Pillai Adakkam" = The son is beholden to the father. His

voice seemed choked with emotion as he spoke. The expression on

his face proved the ancient saying "bhakti poornathayaa Janam"= the culmination

of Devotion is Knowledge). Sri Bhagavan is Lord Siva's son. Sri Ganapathi

Muni's saying that he is Skanda incarnate was confirmed. It struck us that

Bhagavan was teaching us that since all creatures are children of Iswara, even a

Jnani should be beholden to Iswara.

 

Om Tat Sat

 

 

 

 

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