C. Rajagopalachari, P. S. Jivanna Rao

[Guest guest]

 

RAMANA AS I KNOW HIM

I

C. Rajagopalachari

 

I VISITED the ashram in January 1936. Besides the Indian

devotees of Sri Bhagavan, I found some foreign devotees

also seated in the Hall.

I was struck with the high spiritual atmosphere of the

place surcharged with deep silence, Bhagavan radiating love

and simplicity.

 

I am a man belonging to the Visishtadvaita school of thought

and a reader of that literature. Being impressed with Bhagavan, I

asked him how to reconcile it with the Advaita School.

After a pause Bhagavan said, ‘You have to work out your

karma anyhow and you are saved’. Ever since I have been

pondering over that upadesa and felt benefited.

The mulasthanams of temples are places where saints lived

and had visions of him. The ashram is such a place and I feel

convinced that the aura that was there continues today.

 

 

I I

P. S. Jivanna Rao

 

 

I FIRST KNEW about Sri Ramana Maharshi about seventeen

years ago (December 1937) in my fifty-first year. I soon read

 

about his life and teachings from that excellent book

Self-realisation, by Sri B. V. Narasimhaswami and at once made

up my mind to see him. The opportunity came almost

immediately and I saw Maharshi for the first time on

31-12-1937. The desire to know everything about him and his

teachings having increased, I secured all the books I could get

at the ashram book depot, by and about Maharshi and read

them all closely, also at the same time reading and taking cuttings

of the articles by devotees that appeared from time to time in

the dailies and weeklies especially the Sunday Times of Madras.

From 1938 onwards I was a frequent visitor at the ashram for a

number of years. I have even talked to him which event I consider

as the rarest privilege of my life. I will always remember the

beautiful smile of blessing which shone on his divine face

whenever I took leave of him after doing my sashtanga namaskar.

Below I give reminiscences of what took place in three of my

visits at the ashram though they may seem to be of a trivial

nature to many.

 

In one of my visits, I took a bunch of grapes as my offering,

placed it on the stool in front of the Maharshi and took my seat

along with other visitors in the hall. In a few minutes a monkey

came and took away the whole bunch. In that holy and still

presence of the sage, none would dare drive away the monkey

which would disturb the tranquillity and peace of the

atmosphere. Maharshi remarked, “How is it you are all looking

at this? [the monkey, etc.]” And after a pause said, “Let it go.”

In another visit, about which I had not intimated to the

ashram in advance, and Maharshi would not have known about

my coming, he remembered me so well as to call me by name

which was a surprise to me, and asked if I knew Mahrathi

language, to which I replied that Mahrathi was my mother

tongue. He then informed me that a book in Mahrathi was

being published by Gunaji which may perhaps interest me.

 

On a later visit, which was more important for me, when

visitors had just left the hall for the morning meal at 10-30 or

11 a.m., and before Maharshi started to go, I went near his

couch and explained my particular difficulty, which occurred at

certain times, the same as St. Paul gave expression to before

Christ, viz., “The good that I would, I do not; the evil that I

would not, that I do,” which I quoted from memory and asked

how to act in such situations. Maharshi listened closely to this

and said, “Do it all in a spirit of surrender.” Later studies of

Maharshi’s teachings as recorded by devotees, e. g., in Maharshi’s

Gospel and other books have taught me the importance of

surrender. I only pray for his grace to live more and more the

life of the spirit which he has taught us so admirably and in a

unique manner for nearly fifty years.Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.