SRI RAMANA GITA STUDY GROUP AN INTRODUCTION by S.Shankaranarayanan

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The Ramana Gita

 

Extracts from Bhagavan and Nayana by S.Shankaranarayanan

[This is the Biography of Ganapati Muni]

 

 

THIS IS one of the important works on Maharshi's teaching by his illustrious

disciple Vasishta

Ganapati Muni. It records the instruction of Maharshi on various themes of

spiritual importance

and mode of sadhana in answer to serious queries addressed to him by sincere

devotees and

aspirants. Most of the queries belong to the period of 1916 and 1917 when

Bhagavan was least

communicative. It is to the credit of the questioners that by their

seriousness of purpose and

sincerity of aspiration they could draw the Maharshi out, and it was most

fortunate that Vasishta

Muni was present on those occasions, himself at times being a questioner, to

give an authentic and

authoritative record of the whole proceedings.

 

The work consists of three hundred verses in mellifluous Sanskrit, and is

divided into

eighteen chapters. The metre employed is mainly anustubh, though in the

eighteenth chapter

drutavilambitam vasantatilaka, rathoddhata and svagata are employed.

 

The work is fashioned on the lines of Bhagavadgita and bears the name of

Gita. It is also

divided into eighteen chapters. A question may arise here that the appellation

Gita belongs only

to Bhagavad Gita and it would not be proper to call any other teaching as Gita.

But there have

been precedents where teachings of spiritual import have been called Gita.

Thus we have rama

gita, hanuman gita, ganesa gita, ribhu gita, etc. The story of Dharmavyadha in

Mahabharata is

known as vyadha gita. As Maharshi's teachings are of great spiritual import and

authoritative

because of authentic experience, the work is called Gita.

 

It is called Ramana Gita because the Teacher is Maharshi Ramana, and

whatever Maharshi

imparts, it is based on his own experience and inner vision and not based on the

scrutiny of

sastras either past or present. This does not mean that Maharshi's teachings

are not according

to sastras. Any discerning reader would find that whatever Maharshi says not

only accords with

sastras, but throws light on many points in the sastras hitherto obscure and

unexplained. One

thing has to be remembered that Maharshi's teaching does not demand as a

prerequisite any

knowledge of the sastras or any religious teaching. Its concern is mainly with

Man and his

essential problem. Though questions might have been asked by each one from

different view

points, the answers from the Maharshi always emanate from the standpoint of the

Self. As Self is

the common denomination to all people in all walks of life, the teaching is

relevant to all

without any distinction and is the need of the hour. The primary purpose of

the teaching is

Self-enquiry and taking one's stand in the Self.

 

It is traditionally explained that man has got four purposes in life, which

are known as

purusarthas. These are dharma righteous conduct, artha the meaning and purpose

of things, kama

desire and moksha liberation. The last one is said to be the supreme purpose of

life,

parama-purusartha.

 

According to Maharshi there is only one purpose in life for man, that is to

seek the Self and

remain in it all the time. Dharma is that which holds, dharanat dharmah and

righteous conduct is

the one that holds the society together. But in truth, that which holds

everything intact is the

Self. Artha is the meaning and purpose. Only because of Self everything has

a meaning. Kama

is desire, and the thing that a person desires most is himself, which is the

Self within him.

Moksha liberation is the state when the Self sparkles all the time as the real

'I'. Thus, behind

the four purposes of life exists only one real purpose, that is seeking the

Self.

 

It is not the purpose of this Teaching to enunciate a new doctrine, to find

a new religion or

creed. Maharshi is gracious enough to share his experience with the enquirer.

As his approach

is so radical, you are shaken to the foundations, all your pet theories get

demolished. But like

some other Masters, he does not leave you severely alone after that. He gives

his gracious

guidance to build on the ruins and he leads you on towards finding the Self.

 

The questions taken up for consideration by the Maharshi are often

intricate, relating as they

do to the deepest experiences in Yoga, and involve very subtle perception and

analysis. But

fortunately ramana gita has been commented upon by the Scholar Yogi, Sri Kapali

Sastriar, the

illustrious disciple of Vashistha Ganapati Muni, and his commentary prakasa, in

simple and lucid

Sanskrit throws a flood of light on all abstruse points and is a great help for

the proper

understanding of the high philosophical concepts and deep spiritual imports

embodied in the

teaching of the Maharshi.

 

The text deals with thirtyseven questions by various aspirants including the

Muni, and

extensive and clear-cut answers to them by the Maharshi. Each chapter deals

with a theme, tells

the occasion, the exact date according to the Christian era in most cases, gives

the background

and details of discussion. But all chapters do not deal with questions and

answers. The second

chapter which is like a crest-jewel in the whole composition, narrates an

incident in 1915 when

the Maharshi gave out the essence of his teaching by means of the famous verse

hrdayakuhara

madhye. An exposition of this verse forms the theme of the second chapter.

Similarly, the

fifth and sixth chapters do not contain any questions. Maharshi, out of his

own volition,

without anybody asking him any questions, imparted to all those present around

him the secrets of

hrdaya vidya and the various methods of controlling the mind. These are

recorded in all detail

in the fifth and sixth chapters.

 

Let us now enumerate the topics discussed in other chapters.

 

In the first chapter are discussed the importance of spiritual practice, the

supreme state

which is the real form of the Self, and what happens when the practice is

started with a desire to

achieve something. In the third chapter is mentioned the most important thing

to be done by man

in this life which is the realisation of one's Self and the role of japa of

mantras like pranava

to achieve it. The fourth chapter deals with the great secret of knowledge and

the poise of all

activities in the Self. The seventh and eighth chapters deal extensively with

the nature of

Self-enquiry, with the fitness of persons for this, the purpose of religious

rituals and rites and

the purpose of the four asramas, stages of life. Here it is unequivocally

declared that

deliberation on oneself is the highest merit to be obtained, the sacred of the

most sacred things

svavimarshah param punyam pavananam hi pavanam.

 

The breaking of the knot in the heart by Self-enquiry is discussed in the

ninth chapter, while

the tenth discusses the place of man in society and advocates universal

brotherhood for the

welfare of mankind. The secret harmony between knowledge and the siddhis one

gets in sadhana is

explained in the eleventh chapter. The twelfth chapter deals with the

questions put by Sri

Kapali Sastriar to the Maharshi and the Maharshi's subtle analysis of the

relationship between

sakti and sakta, the force and the possessor of force.

 

The thirteenth chapter entirely breaks new ground. Vasishta Ganapati

Muni's wife is the

questioner here. The Maharshi declares that a woman has an equal right with

man for sannyasa and

the body of a Self-realised woman, when she leaves the body, has to be interred

and not burnt.

This becomes the authority later on to erect a samadhi over the corporeal

remains of the

Maharshi's Mother who got Self-realisation with the active help of Maharshi

himself. The

fourteenth chapter gives an exposition on jivanmukti, liberation even when

living in a body. The

fifteenth discusses about the true nature of three instruments of devotion,

sravana hearing,

manana thinking and nididhyasana desire to visualise, in their role of seeking

the Self. The next

chapter deals with the true nature of bhakti, devotion. The seventeenth

chapter deals with the

attainment of knowledge. Self-knowledge is not acquired daily little by little.

When practice

attains maturity, Self-knowledge flashes forth suddenly like the sun.

 

The eighteenth and last chapter contains twentysix verses out of which

twentyfour verses are

in praise of the Maharshi, describing his very human and divine qualities.

These are exquisite

pieces of Sanskrit poetry in beautiful metres of druta vilambitam, vasantatilaka

and rathoddhata.

The last two verses in svagata metre comprise the question and answer on the

Siddhas. Amongst

the twentyfour verses of praise is the famous sloka, nilaravinda suhrda which

was later approved

by the Maharshi as his own dhyana sloka and the enunciation of the mantra of

Maharshi in the verse

vedadipaka damanottara, which was later commented by the Muni separately in his

gurumantra bhasya.

 

 

Thus the whole work harmonises every spiritual endeavour and philosophical

concept from the

standpoint of the Self and is an inspiring guide to all those who sincerely

aspire for the higher

values of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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alan

 

 

 

 

 

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