SRI RAMANA’S CONCERN FOR THE NEGLECTED – THREE EPISODES

[Guest guest]

SRI RAMANA'S CONCERN FOR THE NEGLECTED – THREE EPISODES

 

I. The letter, reproduced below written (originally in Telugu) by

Suri Nagamma, a great devotee who lived at Ramanasramam, to her

elder brother on June 15, 1948, is an example of Sri Ramana's

concern for the lowly.

 

When the summer set in, Bhagavan started staying all the time in

the Jubilee Hall. [The Pandal erected outside the meditation hall at

the time of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1946.] At midday,

when it is hot, the attendants shifted the sofa to the north where

there was a bower with crotons on either side and sprinkled water on

khus-khus tatties that were tied around. This afternoon I happened

to go there at about 2 o'clock. Bhagavan was seated with a matty

cloth over his body and the head. There was no one except his

attendant Krishanaswami. He was standing behind Bhagavan with a

sprinkler in his hand, which appeared to be full of rose water. He

opened the screw cap to sprinkle the rose water on Bhagavan like a

light shower of rain. When Bhagavan saw me, he said, " Look! They

are doing abhishekam to me. " So saying he covered his face with that

matty cloth and said, " They have covered me with this wet cloth.

They have tied tatties all around and are sprinkling water thereon.

This place is now cool like Ootacamund. " After thinking for a while,

Bhagavan in a reminiscent mood began to talk:

 

When I was in the Virupaksha Cave, we used to change over to the

Mango Cave during summer, as there was no water in the former. At

the Mango Cave, at midday, some women of the lower castes used to

come for water with heavy loads of grass on their heads and very

tired. Poor people, they start from their homes after taking a

little gruel, go up the hill and secure a head load of grass. As

soon as they came to the cave they would throw down their bundles,

bend down and say, " Swami, Swami, first throw a vesselful of water

down our spines. I threw water on them as desired, to make them

recover from their exhaustion. Then, making a cup of both the hands

they drank stomach-full water, wash their faces, take some rest

and depart. They alone could experience the happiness of it all. It

is only when one experiences the oppressiveness of the heat that one

knows the relief of the coolness of water.

 

When I enquired whether it was Bhagavan who poured the water, he

answered in the affirmative and added, " I knew they would be coming

at that hour and so I used to wait with the water. What could they

do? Being of low caste, they were not allowed to go near the tank

and there was no water anywhere else. The heat was unbearable. They

could not have food unless they sold the grass and got some money.

They had children at home. They must reach home quickly to look

after them. What could they do, poor people! They used to come to

the cave with the hope that the Swami will supply water. We were not

cooking at that time. If any day we did cook, we poured a lot of

water into the rice while cooking and made gruel by adding salt and

ginger, if available. By the time they came, the gruel water would

be quite cool. When a tumbler of it was poured into their hands,

they drank it like nectar. They alone could know the taste of that

gruel and the happiness of drinking that water. " After saying this,

Bhagavan got filled with emotion and assumed silence. (Source:

Letters from Sri Ramanasramam)

 

II. Chalam(Gudipati Venkatkachalam)(1894-1979), a famous Telugu

author, has recorded the following in his book Bhagavan Smritulu

(Telugu):

 

I remember in particular one devotee who had both faith and the

intellectual simplicity that I lacked. He was an old Telugu man

living in the Draupadi Temple about 300 meters from Ramanasramam.

His only possessions were an iron pot and an axe that he used to cut

firewood for cooking. He would beg food in the town and cook it in

his pot. Each day, for hours together, he could be seen standing

and looking at Bhagavan. He would spend the night in the Temple,

which was then dilapidated, abandoned and surrounded by jungle. I

once found him standing alone in front of the Temple. When I asked

him what he was doing in such a remote spot, he told me that he

slept there. I exclaimed, " You sleep here all alone. Are you not

afraid? " " Afraid of what? " retorted the old man. " Bhagavan throws

his light on me. All night I am surrounded by a blue radiance. So

long as his light is with me, how can I be afraid? "

 

This encounter made me deeply humble. Bhagavan's love and light are

given in full measure to a poor old beggar, but there are many in

the Ashram like myself, who called themselves his devotees, but have

failed to receive such grace because we were too busy attending to

the contents of our mind. (Source: The Power of the Presence by

David Godman, part-1)

 

III. Ramanadasa Sadananda (Seshagiri Iyer), the author of Sri

Ramana Dasakam (Tamil ), writes:

 

When Bhagavan was at Skandasramam, I was sitting on the steps

leading up to the Ashram. A man came to the Ashram with his family

and stopped at the gate. He asked whether they could have the

Swami's darshan, because untouchables could not think of entering

the Ashram. I wanted to go inside to ask Bhagavan, but then I

hesitated and allowed them to go inside. The whole party prostrated

before Bhagavan and I well remember how for about ten minutes his

gracious look dwelt on that untouchable and his family; and how many

rich and notable people have I seen fall at his feet without being

vouchsafed such grace.

 

prof laxmi narain (prof_narain)

 

Source and courtesy: Sri Ramana Kendram, Hyderabad

This article was published in Sri Ramana Jyothi,

monthly magazine of the Kendram.