Why Arunachala?

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Why Arunachala?

For the past one year I have been keenly reading about Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi and his teaching on the Internet and from the books as well.

I was wondering why Bhagavan had given so much importance to the Arunachala Hill. Being a Jnani he should have shown indifference to all worldly manifestations. By worshipping, praising, doing Girivalam, etc., what does a Jnani gain? Is this not duality or am I missing some points? Can someone please comment on this?

The same question was put directly to Sri Ramana Maharshi by a Muslim Professor, Dr. Syed. I will let Bhagavan speak for himself in the following quote extracted from the Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi:

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."

What a Jnani does is only for the sake of others. He is always showing us the way to final emancipation by his actions, words, deeds and even more so in his silence. That is why to study his life is a potent teaching in itself – Editor

 

 

 

 

 

THE MAHARSHI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January/February 2002 Vol. 12 - No. 1

 

 

 

Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma

 

 

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