Guest guest Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 Muruganar Guru Vachaka Kovai, Muruganar's Tamil-verse record of Bhagavan's teachings, is well known to Bhagavan's devotees. What is less well known is that Muruganar recorded many other teaching statements by Bhagavan. Over fifteen hundred of these two-line verses can be found in a long, 3,059-verse Tamil poem entitled Padamalai. This work was first published in 1996 by the Delhi Ramana Kendra in volume nine of Ramana Jnana Bodham. In Padamalai, which can be translated as 'A Garland for the Feet', the direct statements by Bhagavan are all indicated by the words 'en Padam' that occur at the end of each quotation. These can be translated as 'So says Padam'. In these direct teaching statements Padam refers to Bhagavan himself. Elsewhere in the work, when Muruganar writes about Padam, he is referring to the formless Self . ......................................... Give me your burdens 41 Padam [bhagavan], who possesses the munificence of grace, has given the assurance that his greatest duty is that of affording protection [to devotees]. 42 Padam lovingly said: 'It will be a duty well done if you place all your duties upon me.' The remaining verses in this section are direct quotes from Bhagavan. They are forthright and unequivocal declarations of Bhagavan's willingness to assume all the responsibilities of his devotees. 43 Like the children of an emperor, my devotees are heirs to abundant rejoicing. 44 For the cruel disease of burning samsara to end, the prescribed diet is to entrust all your burdens to me. 'Prescribed diet' is a translation of pattiyam, an ayurvedic term. Ayurvedic practitioners say that their medicine will not work unless the pattiyam, the prescribed diet, is also followed. The implication in this verse is that the medicine is one's sadhana, such as enquiry or surrender, while the accompanying prescribed diet is entrusting all of one's burdens to Bhagavan. This explanation is supported by Lakshman Sarma's Tamil commentary on verse 17 of Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham. Lakshman Sarma received this explanation directly from Bhagavan while he was having private lessons on the meaning of this work: One should, with faith, hand over to Iswara all of the burdens, such as the family and the body, which naturally appear, and then remain without anxiety. Otherwise one cannot perform, with a one-pointed mind, either devotion or self-enquiry. 45 In order that your needless anxieties cease, make sure that all your burdens are placed on me through the courageous act of depending totally on grace. 46 If you completely surrender all your responsibilities to me, I will accept them as mine and manage them. 47 When bearing the entire burden remains my responsibility, why do you have any worries? 48 Why do you still retain this attachment to the mental concepts of 'I' and 'mine' when, on that day, you had offered up all those things to me, avowing them to be mine? Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 317: After surrendering one's body and possessions to the jnana-Guru, to regard the body as 'I' and the possessions as 'mine' constitutes the sin of stealing back what has been given away as a gift. You should know that avoiding this fault is the impeccable worship of the Sadguru. 49 If you enquire and know me, the Self within, in that state there will be no reason for you to worry about the world. Question: Before and after meditation I get many thoughts about the unhappy people of the world.Bhagavan: First find out whether there is an 'I' in you or not. It is this ego 'I' [ahankara] that gets these thoughts and, as a result, you feel weakness. Therefore find out how identification with the body takes place. Body consciousness is the cause of all misery. When you conduct the enquiry into the ego 'I', you will find out its source and you will be able to remove it. After that there will be no more questions of the type you are asking. 50 Abandon the drama [of the world] and seek the Self within. Remaining within, I will protect you, [ensuring] that no harm befalls you. 51 Seek my grace within the Heart. I will drive away your darkness and show you the light. This is my responsibility. http://www.davidgodman.org/books/padamalai.shtml SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.