40 Verses: introduction

[Guest guest]

Maharshi had composed some stray verses.

In 1928, wishing to preserve these, the poet saint,

Muruganar, requested Him to compose a few more to

make it forty in all, in the true Tamil literature tradition.

 

The Maharshi agreed. When the number came to forty,

Sri Muruganar went about deleting some of the original

stray verses on the ground that it was not germane, and

requested to compose fresh ones to make up the

required forty. These verses had been composed as

the mood came upon Bhagavan. They were arranged

afterwards in order by Sri Muruganar with Bhagavan's

approval, according to the thoughts expressed and for

connected treatment of the subject, Reality (The deleted

verses form part of the Supplement to Forty Verses).

 

The Tamil work is called 'Ulladu Narpadu', meaning 'Forty

On What Is'. The Sanskrit Translation, Sat-Darshanam is

by Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni and it truly reflects the

immortal words of divine Ramana. Sat-Darshanam is a

compound word, Sat meaning existence, the Real, the

Truth and Darshanam meaning its perception; it also means

the experience of those abiding in Sat or Truth, the experience

in this case being that of Bhagavan Himself. Ramana, says

the abidance in the Self, the Heart, alone is Sat-Darshanam.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introduction to Sat Darshanam by A.R. Natarajan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~