Valli/ A Ramana Story

[Guest guest]

 

Gloria Lee [glee]

 

On one occasion a young deer, which was given the name 'Valli', was brought.

This deer became extremely devoted to Bhagavan and followed Him wherever He

went.

 

One day when she had grown up she disappeared for a few days and upon

returning

she appeared to have a limp. Although Bhagavan lovingly attended to her

wounded

leg, she became ill shortly after. On her last day Bhagavan sat with her

head

resting on His lap throughout the night, stroking and comforting her all the

while. Despite repeated efforts by devotees to coax Bhagavan to retire and

leave

the nursing to someone else, Bhagavan continued to minister to the deer.

 

After midnight, Bhagavan got up from where He sat and returned to His couch.

Valli had attained mukti at the hands of Bhagavan, Lord of Compassion.

(adapted from Moments Remembered, Reminiscences of Bhagavan Ramana,

available

from Sri Ramanasramam).

 

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Thanks for sharing that story Gloria. I am a big fan of the Bhagwan stories

myself. Ramana Maharshi was with his mother until the end holding her head

and heart and also with the long term ashram cow Lakshmi. About those two

souls the sage explicitly indicated that liberation had been achieved as all

vasanas were resolved before the end. He was also there at the end for

Palini Swami, his long time attendant. For him, Ramana said that there would

be a higher birth (but no mukti for now). These three stories are quite

interesting. The story of Valli, I am not familiar with. Did Ramana Maharshi

say or indicate that there had been liberation, or is this the conclusion of

the devotee? Those are two entirely different things.

 

Most spiritual traditions hold that there can only be final liberation in a

human form. Ramana Maharshi's words and actions seem to flatly contradict

that in the case of the cow Lakshmi. That is the only example that I am

familiar with.

 

Ramana was also careful and cautioned devotees to not harass the animals who

came to visit the Ashram. He sometimes said that Siddhas took on animal

forms to be around Him!

 

Love to all

All are in the Heart - Heart Is All

Harsha