Bhagavans Writing

July 26, 2005

THE MAHARSHI

November/December 2004Vol. 14 - No. 6

Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma

Bhagavan's Writing

By T. K. Sundaresa Iyer

To be still and know that "I am that I am"

is the essence of Bhagavan's teaching.

He wrote little and what he did was nearly always at somebody's request.

The "Marital Garland of Letters to Sri Arunachala," the first and foremost of the "Five Hymns of Sri Arunachala," appeared in response to the request of his sadhu devotees in the days when they used to go round begging for food before there was an Ashram.

They used to walk round singing spiritual songs and the householders would give them food liberally, knowing that it was to be shared with Sri Bhagavan. Knowing this, a few unscrupulous beggars used to pose as Ramana bhaktas and also go round singing.

On account of this his bhaktas asked Bhagavan to make a special song for them to sing. At first he did not respond to their request, but some time later, while they were walking round the Hill, the 108 exquisite, profound verses sprang forth from him spontaneously as a marriage garland for Sri Arunachala. They are the outpouring of a pining soul to its divine Lover. They still remain the solace and delight of his devotees.

Next came the "Navamani Malai" (Nine Gems). These were born on different occasions but were later strung together like jewels on a string. The first of them explains the dance of the motionless Arunachala, while the second equates the term Arunachala with Satchitananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss). Here is a strange thing: while at other holy centres the Shakti dances while Siva looks on, here the display of the Mother's activities ceases and merges in Siva while He dances as Arunachala.

The "Dasaka" and "Ashtaka" (Ten and Eight Verses), which come next, are a group by themselves. The former begins with the word karunaiyal (by Thy Grace). This word kept ringing in Bhagavan's ears, he said. Several times he shook it away, asking what he had to do with it, but still it came back until at last he uttered it. The stream thus started flowed on until the ten superb verses of the hymn had been written. Bhagavan then thought that the flow had worked itself out, but it still continued, although in a different form and with different contents until it had built up the "Ashtakaell. While the "Dasaka" was more an appeal for Divine Grace, the "Ashtaka" is a superb and full explanation of the significance of Arunachala, the Absolute Being-Consciousness-Bliss which, as the "I-I" of our being, transforms itself into all that is. It also shows the way back to the Source, to that state of Being which is

supreme Peace.

The "Arunachala Pancharatna" or "Five Verses to Arunachala," the last of the series, was first composed by Sri Bhagavan in Sanskrit and then translated by him into Tamil. He first casually composed the first stanza. Long afterwards someone showed it to Kavyakanta Ganapati Sastri who urged him to write four more, so that the first would be a benedictory, the second on the Divine, and the next three on the three paths of Jnana, Yoga and Bhakti. Thus the five gem-like verses comprise a complete treatise in themselves.

The "Ulladu Narpadu" (Forty Verses on Reality) and their "Supplement," a second forty, were written on various occasions, this time under the urging of the poet Muruganar, and later strung together in a sequence. These are the less devotional, more philosophical works of Bhagavan. The "Upadesa Saram," (Instruction in Thirty Verses) was also written on the request of Muruganar.

As long ago as 1927, such of Bhagavan's works as were already written were put together as Collected Works in the original Tamil.

The pundits, sitting in the presence of Bhagavan, were talking about the need for a preface to it, all agreeing that one was needed but none undertaking to write it, each one excusing himself and saying that he was not qualified for the task. This went on for some time, each one proposing someone else for the task and that one declining, while Bhagavan sat and watched without saying anything.

Later in the evening I was passing by the hall when Bhagavan looked at me and said, "Why don't you write the preface?" I was taken aback at the suggestion. "I would venture to if I had Bhagavan's blessing for the task," I said. Bhagavan said, "Write it and it will come out all right."

So I began writing at dead of night and to my great surprise within three quarters of an hour had got it written out as though driven by some Higher Power. I changed not a word or comma of it and at two o'clock in the morning took it into the hall and placed it at the feet of Bhagavan. He was pleased with the arrangement of the contents and the simplicity of style. He passed it as satisfactory and asked me to take it away.

But when I had taken up the sheets of paper and gone only a few steps he called me back to show him it again.

I had ended up by writing: "It is to be hoèed that this work in the form of Bhagavan's Grace will give all who aspire to eternal Truth liberation through gaining the Supreme Bliss by the removal of all misery."

Bhagavan said: "Why have you written 'It is to be hoped?' Why not say 'It is certain?'"

So saying, he took the paper and with his own hands and changed nambukiren into tinnam.

Thus did he set the seal of his approval on the book, giving it to his devotees as a charter of liberation in the form of his teaching (upadesa), which leaves no trace of doubt in the mind.

The Mountain Path, January 1966