Part 2 -- Ramana Maharshi Recollects Few Experiences With Mother Alagamma During Virupaksha Cave Days

[Guest guest]

14th February, 1949“When mother came to live with me I was in the Virupaksha Cave itself. At that place there was no water. She was, therefore, inconvenienced on that account. We used to go to the Skandasramam, to bathe as there was a waterfall.

She was too old, you see, and so she could not accompany us. We had at the time two big kamandalams with us. We made one of them ourselves. The other, some one brought and gave us. Each could hold a small potful of water. I used to bring water in both of them, carrying one in each hand.

She used to sit down wearing a small cloth and I used to pour the water over her head just as we do abhishekam over an idol. That is how she used to have her bath. There was no cooking. Some one used to wash her cloth and bring it back.

That was all. If water was brought in those two kamandalams all her requirements used to be met.”“The kamandalams should then be very large,” I said.“Yes. They were large,” said Bhagavan. “What has become of them now?” asked some devotee.

Bhagavan: “One of them must be here. The other disappeared even while we were in the Skandasramam.Vallimalai Muruganar used to visit us even while we were in Virupaksha Cave. After our residence was changed to the Skandasramam, he came again.

He had a loud voice and was very fond of chitchatting. He cast his eyes on thatkamandalam. He knew it was no good asking Perumalswamy and others and so he approached Mother. She was a simpleton. If anyone flattered her by saying that there was no one equal to her in this world, she used to give away whatever was asked of her. He was clever enough to discover this. ‘Mother, you have given birth to a diamond of a son.

There is no one to equal you in this world. Your son is a very great personage, unparalleled,’ and so on. After praising her like that for some time, he finally said, ‘If you give me one kamandalam, I will bring Ganges water in it and will do you abhishekam with it.’ 

No sooner he said that, than she was overjoyed and gave away the kamandalam. He could not,however, bring Ganges water during her lifetime. But recently, that is about twelve years back, he did bring Ganges water in that kamandalam and performed abhishekam over Mother’s image, thus keeping his word. That was the first time she had abhishekam performed with Ganges water.

Subsequently, several people did abhishekam with Ganges water but they brought it in small vessels whereas he brought it in a large kamandalam. The kamandalams that we have just received are small in comparison.”

 

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

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