Talk 273

[Guest guest]

273. Dr. Syed asked: I have been reading the Five Hymns. I find that

the hymns are addressed to Arunachala by you. You are an Advaitin.

How do you then address God as a separate Being?

 

 

M.: The devotee, God and the Hymns are all the Self.

 

 

D.: But you are addressing God. You are specifying this Arunachala

Hill as God.

 

 

M.: You can identify the Self with the body. Should not the devotee

identify the Self with Arunachala?

 

 

D.: If Arunachala be the Self why should it be specially picked out

among so many other hills? God is everywhere. Why do you specify Him

as Arunachala?

 

 

M.: What has attracted you from Allahabad to this place? What has

attracted all these people around?

 

 

D.: Sri Bhagavan.

 

 

M.: How was I attracted here? By Arunachala. The Power cannot be

denied. Again, Arunachala is within and not without. The Self is

Arunachala.

 

 

Also a devotee walking with the Maharshi up on the Hill heard him

say: " Someone has written from abroad asking for a stone from the

holiest part of the Hill. He does not know that the whole Hill is

sacred. It is Siva Himself. Just as we identify ourselves with a

body, so Siva has chosen to identify with the Hill. Arunachala is

pure Awareness in the form of a Hill. It is out of compassion to

those who seek Him that He has chosen to reveal Himself in the form

of a Hill visible to the eye. The seeker will obtain guidance and

solace by staying near this Hill. "