Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's Simplicity in Food Habits

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6th March, 1949When Bhagavan was living in Skandasramam, on a Dipavali day, devotees from the town came early morning and offered him sweetmeats such as laddoos, jilebis etc. It was about 8 a.m. The Asramites who had by then finished their oil bath, took the sweets from the devotees, sent them away after giving them prasadam, and were about to eat them, when another devotee, an old woman, came with a meal of millet boiled in water, and placed it before Bhagavan. She had lost her husband when quite young and was living in a mutt with the help of her brother.

She was giving gruel (kanji) to the poor and to Sadhus. Even when Bhagavan was living in Virupaksha Cave, she was now and then bringing cooked ragi for him. One day he told her that ragi makes for chilliness in the body, and it should therefore be mixed with some ground wheat like suji. From that day onwards she prepared ragi meal accordingly and gave it to Bhagavan. On this festival day, therefore, she prepared the food and brought it to the Ashram like all the others. 

Thereupon, Bhagavan took the food, put it in a widemouthed vessel, added water, dry ginger, salt and lime juice and mixed it all together.Telling the people who were serving food that they might eat the laddoos, jilebis, etc., he ate that mixture himself with great relish. 

The devotees said, “When there are nice preparations available why are you filling your stomach with ordinary food? How unfair!â€Â Bhagavan said,“What is unfair? Like all the other items, this food also has been received. What am I to do? Do you want me to throw it away?â€Â 

The devotees replied, “Why throw it away? If all of us eat a little, it will be finished. Should Bhagavan alone eat it?â€Bhagavan: “Well said! But when there are such nice things available, who would care to eat this? People would feel disgusted that on a festival day they had to eat such food. Why trouble others?â€Â 

Devotee: “If not now, we can eat it in the afternoon.Why not keep it over?â€Bhagavan: “Will it not be spoiled if kept over for sometime? But the sweets will not be spoiled, if kept over,and people will eat them without needing any persuasion.They will merely open the almirah and take them, while this, if kept over, will stay where it is. That is why I have decided to take it myself. When she has brought it with such great devotion, could we throw it away?â€

It seems Bhagavan ate the whole thing himself. Who knows how often such things happened in the Ashram?Sources:1) Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

2) Arunachal's Ramana Volume 1 Book

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