Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's Simplicity in Food Habits

[Guest guest]

6th March, 1949

 

When Bhagavan was living in Skandasramam, on a Dipavali day, devotees from

the town came early morning and offered him sweetmeats such as laddoos,

jilebis etc. It was about 8 a.m. The Asramites who had by then finished

their oil bath, took the sweets from the devotees, sent them away after

giving them prasadam, and were about to eat them, when another devotee, an

old woman, came with a meal of millet boiled in water, and placed it before

Bhagavan. She had lost her husband when quite young and was living in a mutt

with the help of her brother.

 

She was giving gruel (kanji) to the poor and to Sadhus. Even when Bhagavan

was living in Virupaksha Cave, she was now and then bringing cooked ragi for

him. One day he told her that ragi makes for chilliness in the body, and it

should therefore be mixed with some ground wheat like suji. From that day

onwards she prepared ragi meal accordingly and gave it to Bhagavan. On this

festival day, therefore, she prepared the food and brought it to the Ashram

like all the others.

 

Thereupon, Bhagavan took the food, put it in a widemouthed vessel, added

water, dry ginger, salt and lime juice and mixed it all together.

 

Telling the people who were serving food that they might eat the laddoos,

jilebis, etc., he ate that mixture himself with great relish.

 

 

The devotees said, “When there are nice preparations available why are you

filling your stomach with ordinary food? How unfair!â€

 

Bhagavan said,“What is unfair? Like all the other items, this food also has

been received. What am I to do? Do you want me to throw it away?â€

 

The devotees replied, “Why throw it away? If all of us eat a little, it will

be finished. Should Bhagavan alone eat it?â€

 

Bhagavan: “Well said! But when there are such nice things available, who

would care to eat this? People would feel disgusted that on a festival day

they had to eat such food. Why trouble others?â€

 

Devotee: “If not now, we can eat it in the afternoon.Why not keep it over?â€

 

Bhagavan: “Will it not be spoiled if kept over for sometime? But the sweets

will not be spoiled, if kept over,and people will eat them without needing

any persuasion.They will merely open the almirah and take them, while this,

if kept over, will stay where it is. That is why I have decided to take it

myself. When she has brought it with such great devotion, could we throw it

away?â€

 

 

It seems Bhagavan ate the whole thing himself. Who knows how often such

things happened in the Ashram?

 

Sources:

 

1) Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and

Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

2) Arunachal's Ramana Volume 1 Book

 

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