In Maharshi's words.....

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Gems from the ocean of Ramana Gita continues.....

 

//Hridaya kuhara madhye

Kevalam Brahma maathram

hyahamaha mithi saakshaa

daathma rupena bhaathi

hridiviha manasaashvam

chinvatha majjathaava

Pavanachalana rodha

daathmanishtobhava thvam//

 

 

The story of this verse's composition makes interesting

reading.In 1915 ,Sri Jagadishwara sastry , an ardent and

scholarly devotee of the Maharshi wrote the first few

words

of this verse ,'HRIDAYA KUHARA MADHYE' meaning 'IN THE

CENTER OF THE HEART' CAVE,' but could not proceed further

however much he tried.After some futile attempts, he went

out some where and left the paper under Ramana's seat.Before

he returned Ramana himself had completed the verse.

Ganapathi Muni is of the view that this verse contains the

essence of Ramana's teachings and hence he gives it the

pride of place by having an exclusive chapter for it.

It may be noted that the term BRAHMA, HEART,GURU, ATMANand

SELF are used interchangeably .However , one finds that he

generally uses the expression ''HEART''

The Heart referred to is not the blood circulating organ to

the left but is the spiritual Heart .

 

the scriptures declare that the BRAHMAN shines in the

hearts of all creation.The scriptures also replete with

description of it, as pure ,eternal , and self -luminous.Ramana

describes how consciousness shines forth by itself spontaneously.

In the above verse , Ramana repeats the words as 'I' 'I '

to denote the continues nature of the throb of the

consciousness.The word 'alone' has been used after 'BRAHMAN '

to indicate the absence of duality.

....The ego perishes , daily in the sleep and logically

one cannot be that which comes and goes.Therefore the true

import of the individuality is the HEART which sparkles

away which goes on without a break.

 

The benefit of SELF-ENQUIRY:

Though the feeling of fulness as 'I' - 'I' is present

without let even when one has the notion of seperateness ,

the awareness of this feeling would be absent.When through

conscious effort the 'I' - thought is traced to its source

and merged there , through Ramana's SELF -ENQUIRY ' one

becomes conscious of its source and merged there one

becomes conscious of the continues sparkle of the HEART.'

 

Ramana makes it clear that the consciousness of this 'I' -

'I'

is different from the ego or the idea of individuality.The

feeling of Ego[Aham-vritthi ] is limited ,seperative and

particular.The feeling of 'I' 'I' is limitless expanse of

the consciousness.Ramana describes the 'Aham -sphurthi' [i-

consciousness ] as as an incessant flash of the I -

Consciousness, you can be aware of it , feel it ,hear it

and sense it..When questioned by Kapali Satri as to how to

feel this in the body ,Ramana explained " that the whole

body becomes a mere power , a force current : Life

becomes a needle drawn to a huge mass of magnet and as

you go deeper and deeper you become a mere center and

not even that you become mere consciousness.

 

 

 

The self -enquiry of Sri Ramana is not to be pursued

waekly but with total interest , diving deep like a pearl

diver exploring the ocean bed for pearls, Or like one to

recover something which has fallen into the water.The MIND

has to be gathered completely

at its root , the 'I' -thought.[mind is but a bundle of

thoughts -Sri Ramana ].