Ramana Maharshi Explains The Importance Of Yatra And Pradakshina (Pilgrimage And Circumambulation)

[Guest guest]

26th June, 1949One of the devotees who had recently come and had been staying for some time, asked Bhagavan, “Several people here go round the hill frequently. What is its greatness?”

 

Bhagavan told him the following story:“The greatness of this Giri Pradakshina has been described at length in Arunachala Puranam. Lord Nandikesa asked Sadasiva a similar question and Sadasiva narrated as follows: ‘To go round this hill is good. The word ‘Pradakshina’ has a typical meaning.

The letter ‘Pra’ stands for removal of all kinds of sins; ‘da’ stands for fulfilling the desires; ‘kshi’ stands for freedom from future births; ‘na’ stands for giving deliverance through jnana.

If by way of Pradakshina you walk one step it gives happiness in this world, two steps, it gives happiness in heaven, three steps, it gives bliss of Satyaloka which can be attained. One should go round either in mouna (silence) or dhyana (meditation) or japa (repetition of Lord’s name) or sankeertana (bhajan) and thereby think of God all the time. One should walk slowly like a woman who is in the ninth month of pregnancy.

It seems Amba who was doing tapas here, went round the hill on the day of the Krithikai star in the first quarter of the night. Immediately after the darshan of the holy beacon, she became finally absorbed in Lord Siva.

It is stated that on the third day after the festival of the Holy Beacon, Siva himself started for the Pradakshina with all his followers. Really, it is difficult to describe the pleasure and the happiness one gets by this Pradakshina. 

Besides this, there are several varieties of medicinal herbs on the hill.The air that passes over those herbs is good for the lungs. As there is no vehicular traffic there is no worry about making way for cars and buses. One can walk carefree according to one’s wishes.

Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

-- Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth JalasutramLove And Love Alone