Greatness of our Holy Land By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji

[Guest guest]

Dear members,

 

Extracts from the discourse:

 

Source: www.madhuramurali.org

 

'Bha roopey Brahmani ratah iti Bharatah'. ‘Bhãrata’

refers to BrahmaNishta. One who is ever ‘in’ Jnãna.

There has been a continuous lineage of Jnãnis in this

Country. Thus, our Country has been named Bhãrata.

 

‘Hindu’ is not the right name for the Sanatana dharma

that is ‘lived’ here. A name has to be given only to

differentiate it from another of its kind. This

religion of ours was the only one that existed

throughout the world. Thus, the need to have a name

for it did not arise. When other religions and faiths

sprouted up, the need to give a name for this religion

arose and westerners have christened this ancient

religion as Hindu. It is commonly found that a

civilization grows beside a river, as agriculture is

the basis for existence. Thus, those who entered the

Country from river Sindhu side named the civilization

found there as ‘Hindu’. The westerners had referred to

the religion in this Country as Sindhu. It later came

to be known as Hindu. If a name has to be given to our

religion, it has to be ‘Veda mata’ as it is based on

the Vedas.

 

Many westerners (like Maxmueller) as well as Indians

(like Gangadara Tilak) conducted research to learn the

period of the founding of this religion. But, they

could only come to the conclusion that it is indeed

impossible to point to the time when this religion

came to be. Unlike other religions/faiths this

religion has not been founded by Man. This ‘mata’

(religion) is based on the Vedas that is beyond time.

Our Sanatana Dharma is thus beyond time and has not

been founded by Man.

 

China, Egypt are some of the oldest countries and

civilizations of the world. Some of the European

countries also have ancient civilization. Sanatana

dharma flourished in all such ancient countries. Stone

inscriptions bearing proof of this is found in these

nations. One may question if Sanatana Dharma existed

in a country like the United States . But, one should

know that it was ‘discovered’ by Columbus and her

history dates back to only a few hundred years.

 

There has been a continuous lineage of Jnãnis on this

soil of Bhãrata desa. We find that place of birth of

Bhagavãn or Jnãnis is filled with ‘sãnidhya’. People

go on pilgrimage to Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord

Rama and Mathura, the birthplace Lord Krishna as there

is ‘sãnidhya’ (Presence) in these places. Lord Rama

and Krishna did return to their place of birth

although they had left it in their childhood and at

birth, respectively. People also visit Kãladi, the

birthplace of Adi Sankara as it is filled with

‘sãnidhya’. None knows if Sankara ever returned to his

place of birth. He left the place as a young boy and

wandered all over the country and left the mortal coil

at a very young age. Yet, everyone visits this place

as there is ‘sãnidhya’ here. Tiruvannamalai is ever

filled with siddha purushãs. Ramana Maharishi,Seshadri

Swamigal, Guru Namasivãyam, Guhai Namasivãyam,

Yogiramsuratkumar had all lived in Tiruvannamalai.

Tiruvannamalai has existed in all yugas. It has always

been the home of innumerable Jivan Muktas. Kshetras

like Ayodhya, Mathura , Kãladi,were only the

birthplaces of Bhagavãn. But, Tiruvannamalai has been

the home of countless Jnãnis, since time immemorial.

Can then one speak on the ‘sãnidhya’ of this Kshetra?

 

It is here that Goddess Parvati performed tapas and

attained Lord Siva who offered her the left portion of

His ‘sariira’ (‘arda nareeshwara’). Thus, it is a

Kshetra where a lady’s tapas bear fruit very easily.

Arunachala Mahatmyam speaks on the glory of this Great

Mountain . Arunachala is ‘agni kshetra’ (fire - one of

the five elements that everything is made up of). It

is connected to all the other four Siva Kshetras

(Kãlahasti (wind), Tiruvãnaikãval (water), Chidambaram

(ether) and Kancheepuram (earth) through a tunnel. The

Mahatmyam speaks of Lord Dakshinamurti seated below a

huge banyan tree (‘ãlavruksham’) on Arunachala.

 

Bhagavãn Ramana Maharishi has seen this not in dhyana

but just as I see you all here. A leaf (huge in

size)came and fell at His feet. He forbade others from

going in search of such places on the Mountain as they

are ‘deiva rahasyam’ (spiritual secret). Those who

disobeyed His advice lost their vision. It is said

that the tunnel that connects ‘adi Annamalai’ temple

(on the western side of Arunachala) to the Mountain is

filled with precious gems of all kinds. Ramana has

seen this also. Bhagavãn has seen all that the

Mahatmyam describes of the Great Mountain . Arunachala

Mahatmyam is endless.

 

One can find true sadhaks doing japa, dhyana, Nãma

kirtan or Upãsaks or people doing miracles, etc. But

it is indeed very rare to see a Jivan Mukta. Ramana

Maharishi was one such great Jivan Mukta. Ramana

Maharishi’s life is unique. We find from His

‘charitra’ that unlike others He did not strive hard

 

for years together to attain the state that He was

in.At 16 years of age, when one day, fear of death

took hold of Him, He decided to ‘see’ what it was and

lay down in a room in His Uncle’s house in Madurai.

The young boy controlled His ‘prãna’ and all

‘indriyãs’ and in a fraction of a second ‘Realised’!

Learning the name of the place ‘Arunachala’ that had

been vibrating within Him since his childhood, He

rushed to Tiruvannamalai. He stepped into

Tiruvannamalai on 1st Septemeber, 1896. He stayed on

here until shirking His mortal coil in 1950. Ramana

says, “People think that I practiced sadhana in

‘Pãthala lingam’, Virupãksha cave, etc. This is not

true. I was always in the state that was ‘experienced’

on that day in Madurai as a young boy. It has never

varied - neither increased nor decreased.”

 

Bhagavãn’s gracious look has been spoken by all those

who have visited Him. It is said that only Devas do

not close their eyelids. No photograph of Bhagavãn

with His lids closed can be found. Ramana never left

Arunachala since His advent in 1896. Ramana’s upadesa

of ‘Who am I’ is a great boon to the

 

world. Many great Ones have spoken of Jnana mãrga but

never has anybody advocated it through such simple

practice of seeking the ‘seeker’! Ramana advocated

only this path right from day one to the last. There

never was any change in Ramana’s words throughout His

life. Out of mere compassion a change was made by Him

only in one His statements - ‘The goat that has been

caught in the tiger’s jaws and one who has been caught

in the ambit of the Guru’s look has no escape. But,one

should follow Guru’s words.” In later years a slight

change was made - the line ‘therefore, one should

follow Guru’s words’ was removed. This had been done

out of mere compassion! It is to be noted that all the

Great Ones who lived during this time, visited Ramana

Maharishi.

 

Narayana Guru, a great Saint, who had made a

‘sankalpa’ not to move out of his place of stay broke

it only to have darshan of Ramana.

 

Kãvya Kanta Ganapati Muni born as an ‘amsa’ of ‘Dundi’

Ganapati (Varanãsi) had a huge following. He was a

born poet. He was a great scholar and a tapasvi who

could bring down or stop the rains! He could destroy a

whole town. Once when he was harassed during his stay

in the city of Nasik he cursed that the whole city

should be destroyed. Soon the whole city was destroyed

through the dreaded disease of plague. He came to

Ramana to know the ‘root’.

 

Seshadri Swamigal, a born Saint, was the one who,

recognizing the greatness of the young ‘Brahmana

swami’ who sat inside the ‘pãtala linga’ with no body

consciousness, brought Him out of the underground

cave. Ramana had sat here for a long period while

various insects fed on His body! He was totally

unconscious of this body of His. Maha Periyava has

also said that he has visited Ramana. Kunju Swamigal

who had received the Maha Mantra in his childhood from

none less than Lord Siva came and lived with Ramana.

Ramana was sought by all the greats of His time.

 

When Paul Brunton approached Maha Periyava for

Upadesa, the latter refused, as He could not give

upadesa to foreigners, according to Mutt regulations.

 

Maha Periyava, however, advised him to visit

Tiruvannamalai and have darshan of Ramana Maharishi.

Maha Periyava took a promise from him that he would

not leave India without having darshan of Bhagavãn.

Bhagavãn, who never advocated anything other than

‘Self-enquiry’ (Who am I) not only strongly advised

everyone to do circumambulation of Arunachala but also

Himself did regular ‘Giri pradakshina’. Is there then

any need to explain the greatness of the ‘pradakshina’

of Arunachala? Bhagavãn’s words are wonderful - Ramana

says that when God bears the entire burden thrown on

Him why should we worry ourselves instead of

submitting ourselves to Him? He says, ‘This is like

carrying the luggage on our head after getting into

the train. Why can’t we put it down and feel

comfortable?’ ‘If one knew that all that is given to

another is verily giving unto himself, would one

refrain from giving?’

 

‘Chittam siridasaya samsãram; nirka Mukti iduve’

(‘Samsãra’ is the slightest movement of the

‘chitta’;when it is ‘still’ it is verily Liberation)

 

‘Uditta idathile odungi iruthãl adu kanmamum bhaktiyum

undi para adu yogamum jnãnmum undi para’ (remaining

ever in the place of origin is verily karma, bhakti,

yoga and jnana).

 

Let all be blessed with the Grace of Bhagavãn. "

GOPIKA JEEVANASMARANAM! GOVINDA! GOVINDA!”

 

" HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE "

 

Visit www.namadwaar.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you

with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ