The Life of Sri Sadhu Om Swamigal -#1

[Guest guest]

The Life of Sri Sadhu Om Swamigal by R.K. Shankar

Sri Sadhu Om Swamigal tirelessly practised Self-Enquiry in a remote house 'Sri Arunachala Ramana Nilayam' in the interior of Thiruvannamalai for 30-odd years, and scrupulously wrote down the difficulties faced by him in Self-Enquiry and also the methods by which he overcame them. The only way one can pay tribute to this supremely benevolent human being, is by applying his practical hints in our day-by-day self-enquiry, benefit from the same and in the course of our deriving benefit therefrom, pass it on to the future generations of humanity, for them to benefit therefrom.

Vision of Thakur and Early Approaches to Sri Bhagawan

Sri Arunaachala Ramana NilayamThis was founded by Sri Sadhu Om Swamigal in Thiruvannamalai.Life of Sri Sadhu Om SwamigalHe was born in 'PunnaiNalloor' alias 'Maariyamman Koil' near 'Tanjore' in TamilNadu in India in 1922. He was naturally endowed with a mind that always sought the Divine.When he was around 20 years old, sometime in 1942, he read for the first time the Life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and he was deeply indrawn with the thoughts of Sri Ramakrishna filling the inmost recesses of his mind. Then, he had the Divine Vision of the 'Face of Sri Ramakrishna, beaming with a Divine Smile and Radiance'.In June, 1946, when he was 24 years old, he read a magazine by the name, 'Sri Ramana Vijayam', and he came to know about Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharshi in Thiruvannaamalai.He enquired with his friends about the rules and regulations, if any, which were being followed in Sri Ramanaasramam,-the 'hermitage' which by then, had got built around the Divine Presence of Bhagawan,- and for having the 'Dharshan' of Bhagawan.His friends referred him to one 'Maa Jaanaki' staying in Ganapathy Nagar, Tanjore. In her house, the assembled lady devotees sang then the 'Arunaachala Akshara Mana Maalai', a garland made of 108 Divine Couplets composed by Bhagawan on 'Arunaachalaa', the Name of the Divine Hill in Thiruvannaamalai, a solidification of the Lustrous Form of Lord Shivaa. Then, Maa Jaanaki gave him a copy of the sacred text.He got by heart all the 108 Divine Couplets and sang the same in front of Jaanaki Maa during his next visit to her the very next day, in a new raagaa.