Photos Of Sacred Remains After Bhagavan's Maha Nirvana

These photos are scanned from Arunachala's Ramana Volume VIII Book.

Many thanks to Ramana Ashramam for allowing devotees like us to have a darshan of Sacred Remains Of Bhagavan.





My Friend Subramanian R wants to add few more points

The photo is after keeping the mortal remains of Bhagavan Ramana,in a sitting position and many people garlanded Him and applied sandal paste and vibhuti. Then, in the sitting posture, the mortal remains were descended inside the Samadhi pit before it was closed with granite plates. The Brahma Jnani who never permitted anyone to garland Him while He was in body, His body was profusely garlanded for the Samadhi ceremonies.

Annamalai Swami had been asked by Him not to come to the Asramam,since a year before, and so,he did not see Him or His merger with Arunachala. Nor did he attend the ceremonies.He continued his atma vichara dhyana in his cottage in Palakottu.He had an acute stomach pain for the previous three days and after seeing the shooting star perching on Arunachala, from his terrace,his stomach pain vanished! He simply went downstairs and was sitting in a mood of melancholy.Someone came to his cottage to take a bath,after the ceremonies.He hugged that visitor and took some rose petals that were sticking on his body and ate them!

No one has photographed the shooting star. There were of course,many photographers including some from West.

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Previous life of Draupadi

Mahabharata Adiparva Chaitrarathaparva section 171-172

Hearing the narrative of the Brahmana about birth of Draupadi, and also listening of the Draupadi's swayamvara, Pandavas with their mother set out towards Panchala kingdom. While they were living in Ekachakra town, Vyasa visited them once more to tell them about their future wife.

There lived a certain maiden in a rishis hermitage. Due to her past karma, she couldn't get married in that life. So she did great penance pleasing Lord Shankara. Shiva being Bhaktavatsala appeared before her and told her to ask any boon she wants. She asked him for a husband with various qualities, repeatedly. Lord Shankara then granted that boon and said, she will have five husbands from Bharata clan. She said, "Lord, I want only one husband", to this the Lord said, "You asked for a husband, five times, hence you will have five husbands in your next life".

Having narrated the above story, Vyasa then said to Pandavas "Sons, that damsel is reborn as Draupadi to Panchala king, Drupada. She is set aside as the Queen for all five of you. Go to Panchala and obtain her as your wife".

Reflections From the Story:

When people pray, they have to make a sankalpa (statement of intention) properly and their objective should be clear in their mind. One has to be careful what one utters, and also what one thinks apart from being careful about actions.So we need to be careful even in your thoughts, not only in your actions.Budhdha also said, One has to be clear about the objective of their prayers.

Ramana Maharshi Mind has two faculties [or read it thoughts are of two types] : ahamkara Vritti, idamkara vritti.

Ahamkara Vritti means "I" thought and related modifications.Ahamkara vritti is identification with a particular notion in mind.

Example: If i see a tree the corresponding thought arises in mind. This is idamkara vritti.It just tells us what is.

Pain is idamkara vritti.

Ahamkara vritti's non presence is required. but idamkara vritti is basic necessity for us to function, talk, speak etc.

The scriptures teach "Learn not to come in the sway of Raga-Dvesha" ! that is the essential sadhana.

To have no Raga-Dvesha. Not possible.

To not come under the Sway of Raga-Dvesha is Realization.

Thought has it's place when action is required even in the case of saints. We should not give place to thoughts in our mind which are out of context and not in anyway required and for many it became such a strong habit that it is impossible to stop the thought flow.

Sources:

1) http://atmajyoti-prasad-jayakavya.blogspot.com/2010/04/previous-life-of-draupadi.html
2) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/different-types-of-thoughtsvritti.html
3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/07/role-of-thought-in-daily-life-by-dr-p-v.html

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Ramana Maharshi explains the connection between Self And Tripadis(knower, known and knowledge)

Devotee:

How do the triple factors (i.e., knower, known and knowledge), which are absent in deep sleep, samadhi, etc., manifest themselves in the Self (in the states of waking and dreaming)?

Ramana Maharshi:

From the Self there arise in succession

(i) Chidabhasa (reflected consciousness) which is a kind of luminosity.
(ii) Jiva (the individual consciousness) or the seer or the first concept.
(iii) Phenomena, that is the world.

Devotee:

How can there be a connection between the Self which is pure knowledge and the triple factors which are relative knowledge?

Ramana Maharshi:

CINEMA SHOW	SELF
The lamp inside (the apparatus)	The Self
The lens in front of the lamp	The pure (sattvic) mind close to the Self.
The film which is a long series of (separate photos).	The stream of latent tendencies consisting of subtle thoughts.
The lens, the light passing through it and the lamp, which together form the focused light.	The mind, the illumination of it and the Self,which together form the seer or the Jiva.
The light passing through the lens and falling on the screen.	The light of the Self emerging from the mind through the senses, and falling on the world.
The various kinds of pictures appearing in the light of the screen.	The various forms and names appearing as the objects perceived in the light of the world.
The mechanism which sets the film in motion.	The divine law manifesting the latent tendencies of the mind.

Just as the pictures appear on the screen as long as the film throws the shadows through the lens,so the phenomenal world will continue to appear to the individual in the waking and dream states as long as there are latent mental impressions. Just as the lens magnifies the tiny specks on the film to a huge size and as a number of pictures are shown in a second, so the mind enlarges the sproutlike tendencies into tree-like thoughts and shows in a second innumerable worlds. Again, just as there is only the light of the lamp visible when there is no film, so the Self alone shines without the triple factors when the mental concepts in the form of tendencies are absent in the states of deep sleep, swoon and samadhi. Just as the lamp illumines the lens, etc., while remaining unaffected,the Self illumines the ego (chidabhasa), etc., while remaining unaffected.

Source: Spiritual Instruction OF BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI EIGHTH EDITION 1974 A REVISED TRANSLATION

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Final Part - Few Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi By LUCY CORNELSSEN

Dvaita and Advaita are relative terms. They are based on the sense of duality. The Self is as It is. There is neither dvaita nor advaita, I AM THAT I AM. Simple Be-ing is the Self.(Talks, 433).

One’s efforts are directed only to remove one’s ignorance.Afterwards they cease and the real Self is found to be always there. No effort is needed to remain as the Self. (Talks, 66).

The Truth is that the Self is constant and unintermittent Awareness. The object of enquiry is to find the true nature of the Self as Awareness. Let one practise enquiry so long as separateness is perceived. Once realisation arises there is no further need for enquiry. The question will also not arise. Can awareness ever think of questioning who is aware? Awareness remains pure and simple. (Talks, 454).

The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. Of all the definitions of God, none is indeed so well put as the Biblical statement ‘I am that I am’ in Exodus 3, Verse 14. None is so
direct as the name JEHOVAH... I AM. The Absolute Be-ing is what is... It is the Self. It is God. Knowing the Self, God is known. In fact God is none other than the Self. (Talks, 106).

There is a state beyond our efforts or effortlessness. Until it is realised effort is necessary. After tasting such Bliss, even once, one will repeatedly try to regain it. It is as difficult for a jnani to engage in thoughts as it is for an ajnani to be free from thoughts. (Talks, 141).

Reality is simply the loss of the ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and Reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method whereas all other methods are done only retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest. (Talks, 146).

Effortlessness while remaining aware is the state of Bliss,and that is Realisation. (Talks, 295).

In a sense, speaking of Self-realisation is a delusion. It is only because people have been under the delusion that the non-Self is the Self and the unreal the Real that they have to be weaned out of it by the other delusion called Self-realisation,
because actually the Self always is the Self and there is no such thing as realizing it. Who is to realize what, and how, when all that exists is the Self and nothing but the Self? (Day by Day).

Free-will and destiny are ever-existent. Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned with it? Why do you pay attention to it? Free-will and destiny last as long as the body lasts. But Wisdom (jnana) transcends both. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Should anything happen it happens as the resultant of one’s past actions, of divine will and other factors. (Talks, 193).

Free-will holds the field in association with individuality.As long as individuality lasts so long there is Free-will. All the scriptures are based on this fact and they advise directing the Free-will in the right channel. Find out to whom Free-will or
destiny matters. Abide in it. Then these two are transcended.That is the only purpose of discussing these questions. To who do they arise? Find out and be at peace. (Talks, 426).

Yoga implies prior division and it means later union of one with the other. Who is to be united with whom? You are the seeker, seeking union with something. That something is apart from you. You are aware of the Self. Seek it and be it.That will expand as the Infinite. Then there will be no question of yoga, etc. Whose is the separation (viyoga)? Find it. (Talks, 211).

He who instructs an ardent seeker to do this or that is not a true Master. The seeker is already afflicted by his activities and wants Peace and Rest. In other words he wants cessation of his activities. Instead of that he is told do so something in addition to or in place of his other activities. Can that be a help to the seeker? (Talks, 601).

Love postulates duality. How can the Self be the object of Love? Love is not different from the Self. Love of an object is an inferior order and cannot endure. Whereas the Self is Love,in other words, God is Love. (Talks, 433).

Turn your vision inwards and the whole world will be full of the Supreme Spirit. The world is said to be illusion. Illusion is really Truth. Even the material sciences trace the origin of the universe to some primordial matter... subtle, exceedingly subtle. (Talks, 199).

God is the same both to those who say the world is real and to their opponents. Their outlook is different. You need not entangle yourself in such disputations. The goal is one and the same for all. Look to it. (Talks, 199).

The Bible says ‘Be still and know that I am God’.Stillness is the sole requisite for the realisation of the Self as God. (Talks, 338).

Brahmacharya is ‘living in Brahman’. It has no connection with celibacy as commonly understood. A real Brahmachari finds Bliss in the Brahman which is the same as the Self. Why then should you look for other sources of happiness? In fact the emergence from the Self has been the cause of all the misery.(Talks, 17).

When there is contact of a desirable sort or memory thereof, and when there is freedom from undesirable contacts or memory thereof, we say there is happiness. Such happiness is relative and is better called pleasure. (Talks, 28).

But men want absolute and permanent happiness. This does not reside in objects, but in the Absolute. It is Peace, free from pain and pleasure... it is a neutral state. (Talks, 28).

This is the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven mentioned in the Bible and this world are not two different regions. ‘The Kingdom is within you’ says the Bible. So it is.The realised being sees this as the Kingdom of Heaven whereas others see it as ‘this world’. The difference lies only in the angle of vision. (Talks, 609).

Nirvana is Perfection. In the Perfect State there is neither subject nor object; there is nothing to see, nothing to feel,nothing to know. Seeking and knowing are the functions of the mind. In Nirvana there is nothing but the blissful pure consciousness ‘I am’. (Talks, 406).

Source: HUNTING THE ‘I’ according to Sri Ramana Maharshi By LUCY CORNELSSEN

My Spriritual Friend Subramanian R wants to add few points regarding the author

Lucy Cornlessen is one of the old devotees of Bhagavan Ramana.She came and stayed with Bhagavan Ramana till her liberation.When she took seriously ill, her daughter, popularly called Lucy Ma's daughter, came to Tiruvannamalai and stayed there having
darshan of Bhagavan and also simultaneously serving her ailing mother. She did not return to her homeland after her mother's liberation!

She is still in Sri Ramanasramam, even today. She wears a spotlessly clean white sari and a white blouse, with kumkum on her forehead. My wife talks to her whenever we are in Tiruvannamalai. "Lucy Ma's daughter has learnt Tamil and she told my wife: Where can I go? This is my home." She comes in the morning and evening to the Asramam, and she takes food and breakfast and tea there only.

Lucy Carnelessen is the author of her only book Hunting the I.

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Part 2 - Few Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi By LUCY CORNELSSEN

‘Be still and know that I am God’. To be still is not to think. Know, and not think, is the word! (Talks, 131).

Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude. Another may stay in the forest but still be unable to control his mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude. Solitude is a function of the mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he many be; a detached man is always in solitude. (Talks, 20).

You can never find the mind through mind. Pass beyond it in order to find it non-existent. (Talks, 473).

All thoughts are inconsistent with realisation. The correct state is to exclude thoughts of ourselves and all other thoughts.Thought is one thing and realisation is quite another. (Talks, 30).

It must be clearly understood that meditation is not prohibited in the absence of asanas or prescribed times or any accessories of the kind. (Talks, 17).

There is no jnana as it is commonly understood. The ordinary ideas of jnana and ajnana are only relative and false.They are not real and therefore not abiding. The true state is the non-dual Self. It is eternal and abides whether one is aware
or not. (Talks, 499).

Jnana, once revealed, takes time to steady itself. The Self is certainly within the direct experience of everyone, but not as one imagines it to be. It is only as It is. (Talks, 141).

Experience is said to be temporary or permanent. The first experience is temporary and by concentration it can become permanent. In the former the bondage is not completely destroyed; it remains subtle and reasserts itself in due course.But in the latter it is destroyed root and branch, never to appear again. (Talks, 95).

There is no investigation into the Atman. The investigation can only be into the non-Self. Elimination of the non-Self is alone possible. The Self being always self-evident will shine forth of itself. (Talks, 78).

Jnana-marga and bhakti-marga are one and the same. Selfsurrender leads to realisation just as enquiry does. Complete self-surrender means that you have no further thought of ‘I’.Then all your vasanas are washed off and you are free. You should not continue as a separate entity at the end of either course. (Talks, 31).

Surrender unreservedly. One of the two things must be done: either surrender because you admit your inability and also require a Higher Power to help you; or investigate into the cause of misery, go to the source and merge into the Self. Either way you will be free from misery. God never forsakes one who has surrendered. (Talks, 363).

Surrender is to give oneself up to the original source of one’s being. Do not delude yourself by imagining such source to be some God outside you. One’s source is within oneself.Give yourself up to it. That means that you should seek the source and merge in it. (Talks, 111).

If on the other hand you merge in the Self there will be no individuality left. You will become the Source itself. In that case...what is surrender? Who is to surrender and to whom? This constitutes devotion, wisdom and investigation. (Talks, 208).

The ‘Gita’ starts saying that you are not the body, that you are not therefore the doer. So one should act without thinking that oneself is the actor. The actions go on despite this egolessness.The person has come into manifestation for a certain purpose.That purpose will be accomplished whether he considers himself the actor or not. (Talks, 643).

How do we know that actions are ours or not?... If the fruits of actions do not affect the person, he is free from action. (Talks, 40).

The one infinite Unbroken Whole (plenum) becomes aware of Itself as ‘I’. This is the original name. All other names,e.g., OM, are later growths. Liberation is only to remain aware of the Self. The Mahavakya ‘I am Brahman’ is its authority.Though the ‘I’ is always experienced, yet one’s attention has to be drawn to it. Then only knowledge dawns. Thus the need for the instruction of the Upanishads and of wise sages. (Talks, 92).

The ultimate Truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the pristine state. This is all that need be said. (Talks, 96).

Reality is one only. How can it be realised? Realisation is thus an illusion. Practice seems to be necessary. Who is to practise? Looking for the doer, the act and the accessories disappear. Moreover, if Realisation is not present here and now,
how can it, newly got, be of any use? Realise what is present here and now. The sages did so before and still do that only.Hence they say that it looks as if newly got. Once veiled by ignorance and later revealed, Reality looks as if newly realised.But it is not new. (Talks, 439).

Source: HUNTING THE ‘I’ according to Sri Ramana Maharshi By LUCY CORNELSSEN

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Part 1 - Few Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi By LUCY CORNELSSEN

You see, the one eliminates all the not I cannot eliminate the ‘I’. To say ‘I am not this’ or ‘I am that’ there must be the ‘I’.This ‘I’ is only the ego or the ‘I’-thought. After the rising up of this ‘I’-thought, all other thoughts arise. The ‘I’-thought is therefore the root-thought. If the root is pulled out, all others are at the same time uprooted. Therefore seek the root-‘I’,question yourself ‘Who am I?’, find out its source. Then all these will vanish and the pure Self will remain over. (Talks, 197).

Only the annihilation of ‘I’ is Liberation. But it can be gained only by keeping the ‘I’-‘I’ always in view. So the need for the investigation of the ‘I’-thought.
(Talks, 139).

There is only one ‘I’ all along; but what rises up from time to time is the mistaken ‘I’-thought; whereas the intuitive ‘I’ always remains Self-shining, i.e., even before it becomes manifest. (Talks, 139).

The ‘I’-thought is only limited ‘I’. The real ‘I’ is unlimited,universal, beyond time and space. They are absent in sleep, and before seeing the objective world, there is a state of awareness which is your pure Self. That must be known (Talks, 311).

Soul, mind and ego are words. There are no real entities of the kind. Consciousness is the only truth. (Talks, 245).

Just on waking from sleep and before becoming aware of the world there is that pure ‘I’—‘I’. Hold it without sleeping or without allowing thoughts to possess you. If that is held firm it does not matter even though the world is seen. The seer remains unaffected by the phenomena. (Talks, 196).

How is the ego to be destroyed? Hold the ego first and then ask how it is to be destroyed. Who asks this question? It is the ego. Can the ego ever agree to kill itself? This question is a sure way to cherish the ego and not to kill it. If you seek the ego you will find it does not exist. That is the way to destroy it.
(Talks, 615).

Your duty is to be; and not to be this or that. ‘I AM THAT I AM’ sums up the whole truth. The method is, summed up in ‘BE STILL’. What does stillness mean? It means ‘destroy yourself ’. Because any form or shape is the cause of trouble.Give up the notion ‘I am so and so’. (Talks, 363).

The ego is like one’s shadow thrown on the ground. If one attempts to bury it, it will be foolish. The Self is only one. If limited, it is the ego; if unlimited it is the Infinite and is the Reality. (Talks, 146).

‘I am that I am’, ‘I am’ is God... not thinking, ‘I am God’.Realise ‘I am’ and do not think ‘I am’. ‘Know I am God’... it is said, and not ‘Think I am God’. (Talks, 354).

The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractedness; train it to look inward; make this a habit. This is done by ignoring the external world and removing the obstacles to peace of mind. (Talks, 26).

Is it the mind that wants to kill itself? The mind cannot kill itself. So your business is to find the real nature of the mind.Then you will know that there is no mind. When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not
worry about the mind. (Talks, 146).

Mere book-learning is not of any great use. After realisation all intellectual loads are useless burdens and are thrown overboard as jetsam. Jettisoning the ego is necessary and natural. (Talks, 28).

It is in the mind that birth and death, pleasure and pain,in short, the world and ego, exist. If the mind is destroyed all else are destroyed too. Note that it should be annihilated, not just made latent. For the mind is dormant in sleep. It does not know anything. Still, on waking up you are as you were before.There is no end of grief. But if the mind be destroyed the grief will have no background and will disappear along with the mind. (Talks, 195).

The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts arise because there is the thinker. The thinker is the ego. The ego, if sought, will vanish automatically. The ego and the mind are the same. The ego is the root-thought from which all other thoughts arise. (Talks, 195).

To imagine Muladhara at the bottom, the Heart at the centre or the head at the top or over all these is all wrong. In one word, to think is not your real nature. (Talks, 184).

Is not ‘I am’ also a thought?... The egoless ‘I AM’ is not a thought. It is Realisation. The meaning or significance of ‘I’ is God. The experience of ‘I am’ is to ‘BE STILL’. (Talks, 226).

Inward seeking is the path to be gained by man’s intellect.The intellect itself realises after continuous practice that it is enabled by some Higher Power to function. It cannot itself reach this Power. So it ceases to function after a certain stage.Then the Supreme Power is still left there all alone. That is Realisation; that is finality; that is the goal. (Talks, 502).

It is thus plain that the purpose of the intellect is to realise its own dependence upon the Higher Power and its inability to reach the same. So it must annihilate itself before the goal is reached. (Talks, 502).

Why is intellect developed? It has a purpose. The purpose is that it should show the way to realise the Self. It must be put to that use. (Talks, 644).

The mind becomes peaceful for a short while and again emerges forth. What is to be done?... The peace often gained must be remembered at other times. That peace is your natural and permanent state. By continuous practice it will become natural. That is called the ‘current’. That is your true nature.(Talks, 303).

People think that freedom (moksha) is somewhere yonder and should be sought out. They are wrong. Freedom is only knowing the Self within yourself. Concentrate and you will get it. (Talks, 31).

Source: HUNTING THE ‘I’ according to Sri Ramana Maharshi By LUCY CORNELSSEN

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 10 And 11

Verse 10

Prabu charitra sunibe ko rasiya
Ram Lakhan Sita man Basiya

Verse 10 Meaning

You are an ardent listener, always so keen to listen to the narration of Shri Ram's Life Stories. Your heart is filled with what Shri Ram stood for. You therefore always dwell in the hearts of Shri Ram, Lakshman and Sita.

Verse 11

Sukshma roop dhari Siyahi dikhava
Vikat roop dhari lanka jarava

Verse 11 Meaning

You appeared before Sita in a Diminutive form and spoke to her in humility. You assumed an awesome form and struck terror by setting Lanka on fire.


Commentary By Prasanth Jalasutram

In Verse 10 Tulasidas reminds that Lord Hanuman always listens with love and devotion to narrations of Shri Ram's Life Stories.

Similarly Guru Ramana Maharshi was inspired by Periya Puranam which describes the legendary lives of the sixty-three Nayanars, the canonical poets of Tamil Shaivism.

Ramana Maharshi before his self-realisation in Madurai read only Periya Puranam and few parts of Bible.

So it is always adviced to devotees to read and discuss your favourite god's life history and his teachings.

Ramana Maharshi's devotees Mastan Swami and Desur Akhilandamma would make a bundle of provisions, such as rice and pulses, and put them on his head. Loaded in this way, they would start on our journey of forty miles to Arunachala from desur. They would walk slowly and leisurely, telling each other stories of Bhagavan.

So we need to take inspiration from Mastan Swami and Desur Akhilandamma in this regard.

So here total surrender to guru/god is suggested.

In Verse 11 Tulasidas reminds that Lord Hanuman was in a state of humility when spoke to goddess Sita Devi but when required and when his guru/god is in danger then lord hanuman would not hesitate to assume awesome form and destroy the evil and save the guru/god.

Ramana Maharshi Devotee Perumalswami though very strong was very humble in the presence of guru ramana maharshi but when required and if he sees any trouble for his guru he used to fierce back so strongly on the wicked people.

Below is one incident in which Perumalswami protects his guru

In 1916, an attempt was made by some drunken pandarams (sadhus) to take away the Sri Bhagavan from Tiruvannamalai. They came to Virupaksha Cave and solemnly informed the Swami, “We are sadhus from Podigai Hill, the sacred Hill in which the ancient Agastya Rishi is still doing his tapas,as he has done for thousands of years. He has ordered us to take you first to the Siddhas’ conference at Srirangam and thence to Podigai, to give you regular diksha, (initiation) after extracting those salts from your body which prevent the attainment of higher powers.”

The situation was evidently serious. The Swami,with his rule of equanimity maintained silence and awaited developments. Meanwhile, a strong and resourceful disciple of his, Perumalswami, hit upon a remedy. Accosting the newcomers,Perumalswami said, “We have received intimation of your visit and we have been commissioned to place your bodies in crucibles(melting pot) and place the crucibles over the fire. What do you say?” and he also told a fellow disciple Mastan, “Go and dig a deep pit for preparing the fire for those people.” The visitors were dumbfounded and promptly retreated.

But unfortuntely later this same guy Perumalswami for selfish reasons had a tiff with guru ramana for diff reasons.

Sources:

1. http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periya_Puranam
3. http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-devotee-sri-mastan.html
4. http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/incidents-related-to-final-days-of.html

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Ramana Maharshi Devotee Mudaliar Granny

24th September, 1949

The Mudaliar Granny who, like Echamma, was bringing food to Bhagavan daily, gave up her body last night and got merged in the lotus feet of Sri Ramana. She was buried in Gounder’s compound this afternoon.

Her native place is a village called Thillayadi near Karaikal. She belonged to the
Thondaimandala Mudaliar caste. Her name was Alankaratthammani.

She had a son by name Subbiah Mudaliar and a daughter-in-law Kamakshi. The three used
to spend their time in the service of an old sannyasi. That sannyasi passed away sometime in 1908 or 1909.

Subsequently, in 1910, it appears she came here along with her son and daughter-in-law. By then Echamma had been supplying Bhagavan food every day. In the same way
Alankaratthammani also began supplying food. In due course, she began giving food now and then to the devotees also.

The son and daughter-in-law used to help her in the work. After some time the son renounced everything, took to Sanyasa at the Tiruppananthal Mutt and began wandering about as a Tamburan (wandering minstrel).

Kamakshi, the daughter-in-law, concentrated all her attention in the service of Bhagavan with single-minded devotion, without being in the least worried over her husband’s desertion. She passed away sometime in 1938-1939.

The Granny had no money and none to help her in the domestic work in the house. Seeing her desolate condition,and taking pity on her, Niranjananandaswami, Kunjuswami,Ranganatha Gounder and others advised her saying, “Now you are an old woman. You can no longer worry yourself about this service of offering food to Bhagavan. The Ashram is giving shelter to several people. So you eat here and sit in peace in Bhagavan’s presence with closed eyes; or if you so desire we will send you food to your place. Eat and stay at home.”

She replied, “Whatever the difficulties, I will not give up this holy task. If I do not have money, I will go to ten houses, feeling my way with my stick, beg for food, offer it to Bhagavan and then only will I eat. I cannot keep quiet.” So saying, and with tears in her eyes, the woman went away.

Kunjuswami, Gounder, and other devotees took pity on her and gave her financial help so as to enable her to continue her offerings to Bhagavan. It was only after that, that Rangaswami Gounder built two houses in the place where Kunjuswami is now staying with a stipulation that Kunjuswami can occupy them during his life time, and after
him these should be given away for the use of sadhus. He endowed some property also for their maintenance and arranged for this old woman to stay there.

In her last days,her son came to her and helped her in her offerings to Bhagavan, even though he had renounced the world by becoming a sannyasi and a wandering minstrel. In this manner, the life of a devotee who had worshipped Bhagavan for about forty years without failing even for a single day in her self-imposed duty has come to a close.

Granny took great liberties with Bhagavan. During the early days of my stay here she used to bring food and serve it herself to Bhagavan. She used to place on his leaf a handful of curry and a handful of cooked rice. One day, Bhagavan reprimanded her saying, “If you serve so much, how can I eat it?” With great familiarity, she said, “How much is it, Swami? It is only very little.” “There are several other things also to eat. Should not my stomach contain them all?” said Bhagavan.“It is all a matter of the mind, Swami.” So saying, she served him as usual and left. Laughing at it, Bhagavan told people near about him, “Do you see? She is paying me back in my own coin (my upadesa).”

Of late, she has not been able to see at all. Even so,when about four months ago she expressed a wish to see Bhagavan, a devotee led her to Bhagavan’s presence. When a person near Bhagavan said, “Granny, you have no eyesight to see Bhagavan. Why have you come?” She replied,“Though I cannot see Bhagavan’s body, my body can be seen by Bhagavan and that is more than enough for me.”

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) Arunachala's Ramana Volume VIII Book

Readers interested are requested to read below article as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/humour-of-sri-bhagavan-ramana-maharshi.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshis-humorous-comparision.html

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Swami Vivekananda's Brilliant Advice To A Lady Who Asked To Marry Him

When Swami Vivekananda went to USA, a lady asked him to marry her. When Swami asked the lady about what made her ask him such question. The lady replied that she was fascinated by his intellect. She wanted a child of such an intellect. So she asked Swami, whether he could marry her and give a child like him.

He said to that lady, that since she was attracted only by his intellect, there is no problem.

"My dear lady, I understand Your desire. Marrying and bringing a child in to this world and understanding whether it is intelligent or not takes very long time. More over it is not guaranteed.

Instead, to fulfil Your desire immediately, I can suggest a guaranteed way. Take me as Your child. You are my mother. Now Your desire of having a child of my intellect is fulfilled."

The lady was speechless.

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Ramana Maharshi says to perform worldly duties so long as one has the feeling of ego,love and hatred

17th May, 1949

Letter 243

A young lady, by name Rajamma, the daughter of Thiruppapuliyur Krishnaswami Iyer, a devotee who has been coming to the Ashram off and on, came here recently, rented a house in Ramananagar and began staying all alone in that house.

It seems there were differences between herself and her husband and, as they had no children, she came away in 1945, saying that she would remain permanently in Bhagavan’s presence. She was the only daughter of her parents. Perhaps because they were too old, or because of some other reason, the parents could not come to stay here permanently.

As they felt it was not proper to allow their middleaged daughter to stay all alone here, they were writing letters to her saying that she should stay either with her husband or with them. They had no objection to her going to Bhagavan for darshan now and then but they were unwilling to let her stay here permanently. She used to inform Bhagavan about all this and say that she did not feel like going back.

For some time Bhagavan kept quiet as if he had not heard her properly.

At last one day he said, “Look here. You have elders who want you there, but you insist on staying here. You may do as you please. Stay if you like or go if you want to. Why tell me all this? Your parents have been visiting this place for a very long time. If they come here and ask me, ‘Swami, what is this?’, what can I tell them?” She was upset by what Bhagavan said and went out.

Immediately after that, Bhagavan looked at Ramachandra Iyer and said,“When the parents advise her either to stay with her husband or with themselves, what is the use of her coming and telling me all this? What can I do? Will they not think that instead of advising her properly, Swami has kept her near himself? Both the parents are old. She is the only child. Whoever asked her to discard her duties and stay alone here? Whoever asked her to come here?”

Is it not clear from this that Bhagavan wants everyone to perform worldly duties so long as one has the feeling of ego and also the feeling of love and hatred?

Bhagavan wants everyone to perform worldly duties so long as one has the feeling of
ego and also the feeling of love and hatred?

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) Arunachala's Ramana Volume VIII Book

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Ramana Maharshi's Simplicity In Eating Habits

6th March, 1949

One afternoon, the attendants brought in sweetmeats, given in large quantities to the Ashram by devotees, and sought permission of Bhagavan to distribute them amongst the people in the hall as there were lots of them and it would be difficult to dispose of them otherwise.

Just then an old woman arrived,feeling her way with the aid of a walking stick, and brought with her two or three dosais (pancakes) enclosed in a banyanleaf bowl. As soon as she entered the hall, she went straight to Bhagavan and of her own accord said, “Swami,take these dosais. I am sorry, I had nothing better to bring.”

So saying, she tried to hand them over to Bhagavan direct.People nearby tried to prevent her from doing so by saying,“Please put them somewhere else.” She got angry and said,“You had better keep quiet. Who are you to tell me? You have all come here yesterday or the day before. What do you know? Was it not I that got this platform built for Swami and made him sit here? You say I should not go near him.

Enough, enough.” All were taken aback by her authoritative attitude. Bhagavan stretched out his hand and accepted her offerings with the greatest kindness, saying, “Grandma, they are little children, who do not know what is what. Please do not take it otherwise. With what flour did you prepare these dosais? Are none of your brother’s sons looking after you properly? How are you able to maintain yourself? Did you come walking, or in a cart?”

Thus enquiring about her welfare, Bhagavan began eating the dosais. They were not
properly roasted but he ate them with great relish as if they were equal to nectar.

The old woman sat there overwhelmed with joy and unimaginable happiness. Bhagavan afterwards asked for some sweetmeats, took a little of each variety, said that was
enough for him and instructed his attendants to distribute the rest amongst themselves and the people there, giving the rest of his share to the old woman.

She got up, prostrated before Bhagavan, took her share of the sweetmeats as prasadam and left saying, “What does it matter how others look after me, Swami? By your grace I am selling dosais and making a living out of the business. It is enough if I could pass the rest of my life thus.”

After she left, the attendants asked, “Instead of eating those dosais which are not properly roasted, why not give them to us and eat the sweets?” Bhagavan said, “Oh! Those sweets, you think, will be much more tasty than these dosais? If you want, you eat all the sweets. These dosais are enough for me.” The attendants could say no more.

Looking at me, Bhagavan said, “Poor old woman, what can she do? She brought what she had. When I was on the hill, she and her husband used to come to me. She used to
bring me something to eat now and then. After her husband passed away, she lived with her brother. Even he passed away.

As her brother’s sons did not look after her properly and turned her out, she has been staying somewhere else and has been living by selling dosais it seems. It is she that had a platform constructed near Mother’s Samadhi where I used to sit and had it covered by palm leaves.

Till then, I used to sit under a tree. ‘Aye! Swami is sitting on the floor and is
exposed to the sun!’ So saying, she got the platform built. It is her brother’s son that has repaired Draupadamma’s temple.

Having grown old, she does not come here often. See how she has come here all this distance, with great effort, helped by the walking stick!” He ate all the dosais without leaving even a crumb.

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) Arunachala's Ramana Volume VIII Book

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Ramana Maharshi Recollects His Bhiksha In Agraharam

20th November, 1948

Questioner: “It seems Bhagavan used to go out to collect alms personally while staying in Arunagiri Temple?”

Bhagavan: “Yes. I used to go out every night. I went to Arunagirinatha Temple in the month of August or September 1898.

“As soon as I went there to stay, I told Palaniswami that I would go my way and he should go his and sent him away. But although he came back the same evening, I myself went out for alms. At times I used to go even during daytime. At night people
used to wait for me outside, with lanterns, to give me alms.

In those days, going out for alms used to be an exhilarating experience. I used to accept two or three handfuls of food at each place and eat. By the time I had thus eaten at three or four houses my belly would be full and I used to return
home.”

Questioner: “Perhaps the other householders used to feel disappointed at your not visiting their houses.”

Bhagavan: “Yes. That is so. That is why the next day I used to go to the other side of the Agraharam. I do not think ultimately I left out even one house in that Agraharam.”

Questioner: “How blessed those householders must be!”

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

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Ramana Maharshi Says Fearlessness Comes In The Supreme State Of Non-duality

Because of the ignorance of the mind experiencing a sense of difference [bheda-buddhi] in Self, [even] great devas are disturbed by fear. [Therefore] it is
wise to remain without fear in the supreme state of non-duality, having attained the reality, one’s own Self, through negation [of the non-Self].

Sadhu Om: The nature of jiva is to think that fear will be removed only when there is some other person with him. But this idea is foolish. How can there be cause for fear in the state of Self, where no other thing exists?

Only in a state where there exists something other than oneself is it possible for one either to have desire for that thing or to have fear of it. Therefore, true fearlessness can be attained only in the non-dual state of Self, where no other thing
exists.

To illustrate how fearlessness can be attained only when one attains the state of Self, Sri Bhagavan used to narrate the following story:

After Lord Vishnu had killed Hiranya, Hiranya’s son Prahlada was happily ruling the kingdom.

But after some time, a fear arose in Prahlada. “Because Lord Vishnu is kind to me, I am living safely. But if one day He becomes angry with me, He will kill me just as He killed my father,” thought Prahlada.

Being a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, Prahlada had no one else to turn to, so he
prayed to Him. The Lord immediately appeared before Prahlada,who then explained his fear and prayed for the state of fearlessness.

“Yes,” said Lord Vishnu, “You are correct. By seeing me like this in name and form, you cannot be free from fear.

You must see me within yourself. Only when you thus realize me to be not different
from yourself, will you attain the state of fearlessness”. Then the Lord taught him the path of Self-enquiry. When Prahlada followed the Lord’s instructions and realized Self, he attained the state of fearlessness.

This story thus illustrates that even God cannot serve as permanent refuge from fear so long as one retains the sense of difference [bheda-buddhi]. Only by attaining the non-dual Self can one become truly and permanently free from fear.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

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Ramana Maharshi Discusses About The Nature Of Self (Atma Swarupa Tiran)

1) That which appears [whatever it may be], let it appear; that which disappears [whatever it may be],let it all disappear. What [loss or gain] is it to Self-knowledge?

That which remains after everything has entered and ceased to exist in the oneness
[kevalam] of Siva – who surges as the Whole [purnam] – alone is Self, one’s own nature.

2) The pure knowledge which shines forth [as the sphurana ‘I-I’] when that deceitful ego is scrutinized [through the enquiry ‘Who is this I?’] and destroyed,which the Upanishads praise as the glorious darshan of Siva’s dance and which is the true clarity of God’s Grace, alone is the form of Self.

3) Sages say that the state [or place] in which the thought ‘I’ [the ego] does not rise even in the least,alone is Silence [mouna] or Self [swarupa]. [That] silent Self alone is God; Self alone is the jiva; Self alone is this ancient world.

4) Knowing that whatever is known objectively as ‘this’ or ‘that’ is [nothing but] an imagination of the mind, if one remains still [summa irukka] in that which is neutral [i.e. if one remains merely as ‘I am’, the neutral consciousness which does not objectively know any second or third person], that reality which [then] shines forth alone is existence-consciousness [satchit],the supreme and great Self.

Sadhu Om: Sri Bhagavan here condemns the way in which scholars waste their time by reading,learning by heart, discussing and endlessly arguing about the details regarding how the universe is created from the five elements,regarding the functioning of the pranas, jnanendriyas,karmendriyas, nadis and so on in the body, regarding the various kinds of jivas, and regarding all the other innumerable such classifications given in the scriptures.

Since all these principles or tattvas are only second or third persons, the non-Self [anatma], one should not waste one’s time in scrutinizing them, but should instead scrutinize Self, the only real principle, through the enquiry ‘Who am I?’

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

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Ramana Maharshi Says Knower[Jiva],Known[World] And Knowing [Five Senses] Are Equally False

1) If I feel that I see the world, what is the secret behind this? It is that a world of sense-objects and a seer of it rise in ‘me’, the space of the perfect and true light of unbroken [Self-]Knowledge. Know thus definitely.

Sadhu Om: This world-appearance, which is composed of the five sense-knowledges, and the jiva who sees it are not real. They are mere false appearances like a mirage, having Self as their base,and they appear only with the help of the light of Self. Moreover,this world-appearance is not even seen by Self, but only by the jiva, who is himself a part of it.

Refer here to verse 7 of Ulladu Narpadu, in which Sri Bhagavan says, “Although the world [the objects seen] and the mind [the jiva who sees it] rise and set together, it is [not by Self, but] by the mind alone that the world is seen. [Self, on the other hand, is] the Whole which is the base for [the false appearance of] the world and the mind to rise from and set in, but which Itself shines without rising or setting, [and hence] It alone is the reality.”

2) The conviction created by the senses that the appearance is real is a mistaken conviction. Know that both the senses, which enable the appearance to be known, and the jiva, the knower of it, are of the same degree of reality as the appearance.

Sadhu Om: Since the knower [the jiva], the known [the worldappearance] and the knowing [the act of perceiving the world through the five senses] form a triad [triputi], all of them are equally false. In other words, since even the jiva who is seen and his act of seeing are both a part of the world-appearance, they are both unreal as that appearance.

To illustrate this, let us suppose that a film is taken of a king watching a cinema show; when this film is projected, are not the king and his act of watching the cinema show, both pictures in the film?

3) Until the false appearance of the snake goes, the real rope, the base, will not be known. [Likewise] until the false appearance of the world vanishes, the real Self,the base, will not be seen.

Sadhu Om: The same idea is expressed by Sri Bhagavan in the following passage of Who am I?: “Just as unless the knowledge of the snake, the imaginary superimposition, goes, the knowledge of the rope, which is the base, will not be obtained, so unless the perception of the world, which is an imaginary superimposition,ceases, the realization of Self, which is the base, will not be obtained”.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.


Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/12/ramana-maharshi-says-self-is-in-heart.html

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 8 And 9

Verse 8

Sankar suvan kesri Nandan
Tej pratap maha jag vandan

Verse 9

Vidyavan guni ati chatur
Ram kaj karibe ko aatur

Verse 8 Meaning:

As a descendant of Lord Sankar, you are a comfort and pride of Shri Kesari. With the lustre of your Vast Sway, you are propitiated all over the universe.

Verse 9 Meaning:

You are the repository of learning, virtuous and fully accom-plished, always keen to carry out the behest's of Shri Ram.


Commentary By Prasanth Jalasutram

In Verse 8 Tulasidas describes Lord Hanuman as the descendant of Lord Sankar(Shiva).

In Nan Yaar PARAGRAPH SEVEN Bhagavan Guru Ramana says,

That which actually exists is only atma-svarupa [our own essential self]. The world, soul and God are kalpanaigal [imaginations, mental creations or fabrications] in it [our essential self], like [the imaginary] silver [that we see] in a shell. These three [basic elements of relativity or duality] appear at the same time and disappear at the same time. [Our] svarupa [our 'own form' or essential self] alone is the world; [our] svarupa alone is 'I' [our mind or individual self]; [our] svarupa alone is God; everything is siva-svarupa [our essential self, which is siva, the absolute and only truly existing reality].

'I am' is Siva or our essential self(atma) is Siva.

This is very important as known we see un-necessary conflicts between Vaishnavaits and Sivaits which occur as they lack proper understanding and imagine Lord Shiva Or Vishnu as human beings.

So ramana maharshi suggests one to attain self-reliasation and see for ourselves whether still these conflicts occur or not.

In Sankara Vijayam it is stated that Adi Sankara witnessed bitter infights between Saivites and Vaishanavites and below is his suggestion to them.

Sankara witnessed bitter infights between Saivites and Vaishanavites. He told the King to renovate both the temples and also told the subsects to pray to their Ishta Devata, their pet god but not have fight with other sects and ill-speak about someone's else's faith.Siva will definitely not allow an ill-speaking Saiva into Kailash and Vishnu will definitely not allow an ill-speaking Vaishnavite into Vaikunta.If you do Atma Vichara, then, you will understand that both reside in your Heart, as nameless and formless, as One Principle!

Shri kesari mentioned in Verse 8 is the father of Lord Hanuman.Kesari was a powerful vanara.

In Verse 9 greatness of Lord Hanuman is described by Tulasidas and it also describes how hanuman was a great bhakta of Lord Shri Rama.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana has made it quite clear that people who have had no literary education could also attain the highest knowledge but people of an emotional nature will benefit themselves more by bhakti and people of a reflective mood will have better appeal to jnana.

Sources:

1. http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html

2. http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/nan-yar-who-am-i-from-original-tamil.html

3. http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/04/part-11-sri-sankara-vijayam.html

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesari_(Ramayana)

5. http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-categories-of-teachings-of-bhagavan.html

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Ramana Maharshi Discusses About One-pointed Devotion To God

1) Those who have one-pointed devotion towards God,like the magnetic needle [of a ship’s compass] which always stands facing towards the north, will never be
perplexed and go astray in the ocean of attachment of this world.

2) If one fixes one’s mind firmly on that pure Supreme Reality which pervades all activities, one will not be affected by any number of activities that are done.

Sadhu Om: Just as the cinema screen, which is the base pervading all the pictures, is not burnt by a picture of fire or drenched by a picture of a flood, so Self, the Supreme Reality which is the base pervading all activities, is not affected by any number of activities.Therefore, since the one who attends to Self remains as Self itself,he is not affected by any number of activities he may appear to be doing.

3) Among all the rice grains, only those which move here and there will be crushed by the hand-mill, while those which do not move away from the foot of the axle will not be crushed.

Michael James: Likewise, among all the people in the world, only those who stray into worldly desires, leaving the thought of the Feet of God, will be ruined by maya, while those who do not leave His Feet will not be so ruined.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

Readers interested are requested to read below article as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/04/ramana-maharshi-says-in-vedantic.html

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Final Part - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

Sri Sankara also composed the famous Govindashtakam in Sri Nagar.

In Sarada Temple, Sri Nagar, Sankara wanted to ascend the Sarvajna Peetam, the Seat of the all-knowing.The four disciples of Sankara held him by their hands and did their prostrations.Sankara then left his sandals and ascended.The sandals were taken by the disciples for puja.Sitting at the Seat of all-knowing,Sankara answered the questions of all pandits.He explained the inadequacies of all philosophies and schools like Nyaya, Vaisesika,Sankhya, Patanjala, Jaina, Bouddha and Poorva Mimamsa of Vedic religions namely the karma marga.He defeated them all.

Then Mother Sarada, who is the embodiment of all knowledge asked some questions to Sankara.Sankara answered all her questions satisfactorily.Sri Narasmiha Bharati of Sringeri Math had written a Stotram on this.Mother Sarada became happy and conferred her blessings with a title of Sarvajna.

Sankara came down from the Seat.He proceeded with his disciples.The disciples were speechless about the silvery mountain.

Sankara said:Go inwards!Look at the Atma within, the incomparable beauty of It.

Sankara came down to the Gangetic plains and visited Ayodhya.Sankara composed the famous Sri Rama Bhujangam here.

He then proceeded to Bengal and from there to Kamakya (the present Assam). This place was full of Saktas, the Sakti Upasakas. He crossed over to Brahmaputra river and reached the place of Saktas.

In Kamakya, the Saktas were awaiting Sankara for debate.One Abhinava Gupta was their leader.He was quite proficient inVamachara, the left handed methods involving black magics.

Sankara got afflicted by terrific piles problem, with bleeding of the anus without break.Sankara smiled at the disciples and told: "Do not worry.This is prarabdha.That which has come will go!The disease is for the body and not for the Atma."

Padmapada, as you all know, was a Narasimha Upasaka.Narasimha is a powerful god and Narasimha will get angry quickly.His anger can be abated only by Siva. Padmapada prayed to Narasimha and found that this is abhichara,black magic of Abhinava Gupta.He chanted Aswini Deva Mantra from Rig Veda. Aswini Deva is a twin and he represents divine physician.

Padmapada then asked Sankara:"Can I perform pradhi-abhicharam?Can I perform counter for black magic?"

Sri Sankara smiled at Padmapada and then said: "Why are you talking like this?Is it all that I had taught you?"Padmapada then replied:"Guru, if you suffer like this and leave the body,what shall the people say?They will all say in future, that the great Sankara had succumbed to a petty black magician.

Padmapada then proceeded with counter-abhichara.He meditated on Narasimha and then the illness of Sri Sankara left and Abhinava Gupta contracted the incurable illness.He came and prostrated before Sri Sankara and asked his forgiveness.Sri Sankara toldhim: "I have never kept cudgels against you.Don't you know
that evil begets evil in life?"

Sri Sankara, Padmapada and others then left for Himalayas.They had the darsan of Siva in Himalayas.Sri Sankara then prayed to Siva and said that it is time that Siva got him back,into the pure space of Brahman.He also met Gaudapada there.Gaudapada is the guru of Sankara's guru Govinda Bhagavadpada,thus became Sri Sankara's parama-guru.He prostrated before Gaudpada.Gaudpada told him to spend a few days in making a commentary for his Karika on Maandukya Upanishad.Sri Sankara agreed to this and proceeded with this composition.

Gaudpada's Maandukya Karika is the quintessence of Advaita Vedanta.This itself is a commentary on Maandukya Upanishad, which is the summum bonum of Advaita Vedanta.This contains only 12 slokas and each sloka is a ruby.The Karika contains about 200 verses, explaining the Advaita Vedanta as per theUpanishad.

Sri Sankara then bid good bye to his four disciples and asked them to go back to their respective places for running the Maths.The four Maths are Sringeri, Puri, Dwaraka and Kedarnath.

Sri Sankara then merged in pure space and became the one without a second.

The Sankara Vijayam biographies end with this.But Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Math has got some historical records that Sri Sankara came down to Kanchipuram and ascended the Sarvajna Peetam, the Seat of All-Knowledge.Here he composed the famous Dasa Sloki, the last will and testament of Sri Sankara and then merged in Pure Space.Sri Kanchi Math is called Moolamnya Math, the source Math, where Sankara after establishment of this Math stayed for a few days.The lineage was handed over to one of the realized souls there in Kanchipuram to commence the guru lineage.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.50
2) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/govindashtakam.html
3) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/ramabhujangam.html
4) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/nirvanadasakam.html

Final Note:

Below information is given to me by my friend Subramanian R garu regarding sankara vijayam

In the absence of recorded history those days, there are no clear cut dates and places about various works of Sri Sankara.For example, there is only a clear message in Sankara Vijayam biography that Sankara composed Dasa Sloki when he was with
Govinda Bhagavad Pada in Narmada valley cave. But regarding Atma Bodha, Govindashtakam and other works there are no clear cut information.

Sankara Vijayam story available in this blog is based on Brahmasri Nochur Venkataraman's Sat sangh which lasted for about 7 days spread over 20 hours. He has said the same thing.He has referred about 5 biographies of Sankara and has conducted the Sat sangh.He is silent about Kanchi Math, since Sankara Vijayam does not say anything about Kanchi Math. Even his ascent to Sarvajana Peetam was in Sarada Temple, Sri Nagar.(Not today's Sri Nagar).Again, there is no mention about the writing of Viveka Choodmani at all! So, some scholars say that these works were NOT written by Sankara,which Nochur Venkataraman denies.

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Part 12 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

Sankara proceeded to the Dakshina Ujjaini Temple, singing Govindashtakam.

Sankara prayed to Mookambika and then came out of the temple.The kabalikas were waiting for him with thunderous laughter.

The leader asked Sankara:"Why all this ochre robe and vibhuti? Why all this rudraksha mala and stick in your hand?Why not wear skull garlands and drink liquor to your satisfaction and dance around Siva?Ugrabairava then said:I shall now chant Bairava mantra and you shall die with blood vomiting!"He started chanting the mantra.

Sankara smiled and kept silent.He sang the famous Kalabairava Ashtakam, Devaraja sevyamana....He meditated on Ugra bairava within the Heart.

Mahakaleswara appeared before the two.He said: O kabalika! Your mantras have been wasted.Please do prostrations to Sankara,who is none else than Me.The kabalika became dumbfounded.He prostrated to Sankara and as a retribution, quickly made a fire and jumped and sacrificed his own life.The rest of the Kabalika clan was given proper upadesa by Padmapada and Sureswara and they were brought to the Real religion.

Sankara in Kollur wrote the Prapancha Saram, the way to non dual realization.

From Kollur, Sankara went across the Vindhyas and reached Puri, the famous Jagannath Temple.In Puri, Sankara went into the temple and found that there was no idol there.The idol has been lost due to some local war.Sankara found through his meditation, that Jagannath idle is lying under a peepul tree nearby,packed in an emerald marked bag.He went to the tree and re-discovered the idol and installed the same inside the Temple, withall necessary pujas.

Sankara composed here, Sri Hari Saranashtakam and Sri Govinda Ashtakam and Sri Jagannatha Ashtakam.

Sankara from Puri came to Kasi again praying to Maha Kaleswara in Ujjaini and Omkareswara in Avanthi.

In Kasi, he stayed in Viswanatha Temple, for some days.In Kasi, he composed the famous Viswanatha Ashtakam,Siva Manasa Puja and Dwadasa Linga Stotram.

Sankara also composed Bhavani Ashtakam,in Kasi.It is also said that he composed Bhavani Ashtakam,in Tula Bhavani, near Salem.

From Kasi, Sankara went to Dwaraka and then to Mathura.In the Yamuna river, Sankara bathed meditating on Krishna's form.As he came out of the river, he found that his hands were having sandal paste and turmeric powder and his head had a Parijata flower and a long hair-line of a lady!It is said that Sankara upon meditation on Krishna, had the same sandal paste and turmeric powder, the Parijata flower and a long
hairline of Radha, as Krishna took bath with Gopikas in Yamuna river!

This incident is mentioned in all Sankara Vijayam biographies.How to react to this miracle?

A few can say, that Krishna and Radha lived around 3000 B.C, as per Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni's kala-nirnay, time calculations. Sankara lived around 700 AD.There are 3700 years in between.How can the sandal paste and turmeric and long black hairline remain in that river?

This doubt is again from our buddhi.The intellect is ever bound in Time and Faith transcends Time.Brahma Jnanis are ever in NOW, and past and future are not in their reckoning.

Sankara sang the famous Yamunashtakam in Mathura.

Sankara from Mathura proceeded to Sri Nagar, the present Sri Nagar in Kashmir.

In Sri Nagar, hundreds of devotees gathered to see Sankara.From Sri Nagar, he gazed at Himalayas.In that silvery mountain,which is housing Kailas, appeared to him, as the dance of Mother Lalita Tripura Sundari, the Mother of all, the Mother of Siva too.She is ever with Siva, as the concorporate Mahamaya.

Sankara there composed Sri Soundarya Lahari, an ecstatic composition of 100 verses.Sankara is in his poetic excellence in Sri Soundarya Lahari, every verse is a mantra, every verse is an appreciation of Mother's indescribable beauty and grace.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100
2) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/govindashtakam.html
3) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/kalabhairavashtakam.html
4) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/shivamanasapooja.html
5) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/bhavaniashtakam.html

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Part 11 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

In Swamimalai town Sankara composed only two verses on this place.One is called Skanda Dyana Sloka, for meditating on Skandawith this verse. Another is praising his Spear, which is not carried by Skanda in this temple!

Skanda Dyana Sloka:

I pray to Skanda, who will confer boons like a Karpaga tree,
to those who prostrate him, the One with hue of red lotus,
who has got two shoulders, the one who will cure the diseases
of the devotees, the one with one face, the darling son of
Uma, Katyayani, the one who keeps his left hand on his waist,
wearing codpiece, and one who keeps a stick on his right hand!

Sankara is said to have composed the following poems also on Skanda.

1. Sri Swaminatha karavalamba Stotram.
2. Sri Guha Pancharatnam.
3. Sri Swaminatha Stotram.

But the biographies of Sankara do not mention about these songs having been composed at any particular temple of Skanda.

Sankara then came to Kumbakonam, a bigger town, wherethere are many temples for Siva and Vishnu.Siva here is called Sri Kumbeswara, the Linga in the form of Kumba, pot.

Sankara composed the famous Kumbeswara Stotram here. It starts as Namo, nama karana kaaranaaya....

Sankara left Kumbakonam and proceeded to south again, to Madurai.He visits the temple of Sundareswara-Meenkashi there in Madurai.

Sankara was by this time 26 years old.He had a darsan of Meenkashi and Sundareswara.He composed his Meenkashi Pancharatnam here.

From Madurai, Sankara came to Tula-bhavani, where Kaveri river moves east from the Western Ghats.This is in today's Salem district of Tamil Nadu.There is a small dam on Kaveri called Bhavani Sagar.Jnani gets all Upasnas from his state of Self. Sankara did Mahalakshmi Puja here.

From here, Sankara came to Tiruvananthapuram, the present day's capital of Kerala.There he continued to worship Mahalakshmi and Narayana in the yoga- nidra.

Sankara then came to Karnataka, to a place called Subrahmanya.

From Subrahmanya, Sankara came again towards east and had darsan of Ekambara Natha Siva in Kanchipuram and the goddess, Kamakshi.Kanchipuram is the place for a variety of religions. Buddhists even had a Vihara there.There are Siva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi, where Ekambaranatha and Varadaraja are there.

Sankara witnessed bitter infights between Saivites and Vaishanavites. He told the King to renovate both the temples and also told the subsects to pray to their Ishta Devata, their pet god but not have fight with other sects and ill-speak about someone's else's faith.Siva will definitely not allow an ill-speaking Saiva into Kailash and Vishnu will definitely not allow an ill-speaking Vaishnavite into Vaikunta.If you do Atma Vichara, then, you will understand that both reside in your Heart, as nameless and formless, as One Principle!

Sankara composed Maya Panchakam in Kanchipuram.

Sankara then left for Karnataka, and reached a place called Dakshina Ujjaini.Biographers feel that this should be the present temple of Mookambika in Kollur,near Mangalore.There were innumerable Tantriks here praying to Kabali, the Ugra-bhaivarar.These Tantriks were practising ill-conceived left handed methods, taking liquor, making abulations with liquor to Siva and sacrificing humans to please Siva!

The king was Sudhanva.He is a humble person.He told Sankara:You can go to Mookambika temple.I shall send my army for your protection.But do not debate with the Tantriks there.They are dangerous guys.I have myself no control over them.

Sankara smiled and then left with a small army, as given by the King.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100
2) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/mayapanchakam.html

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Part 10 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

In Tiruchendur, while having darsan of Subahmanya, Sankara composed the famous Subrahmanya Bhujangam.Bhujangam means serpent.This work is in a metre, which when chanted,comes under the rhythm, which is like the serpent moving about.This work is also appreciated for its power to cure the diseases.The work contains 33 verses.

Sankara then came to Sri Rangam, between the banks of Kaveri and KoLLadam rivers.He had a darsan of Sri Ranganatha and sang the famous Sri Ranganatha Ashtakam.It starts as: Ananda rupe...

In Sri Rangam, Sankara met two sub-groups of Vaishnavites under Vyasadasa and Brahma Gupta.The first group followed Saranagati path and Karma anushtana path.Saranagati path merely said, you surrender to Narayana and he will take care of everything.There is no need even to do Gayatri japa and go to temples and do Vedic sacrifices.The Karma Anushtana path said that you do all karmas,wear tulsi garland and Urthva Pundarikam (the red and white marks on the forehead) and pray to Narayana's idol at home or temple.There is no need to surrender to a Guru or even to Narayana.The karmas themselves will show the path to liberation.

Sankara explained to them how both the subgroups are following incorrect paths without any investigation.The ability to Saranagati,will come only after following all the karmas that are applicable to you, starting from Gayatri, Vibhuti or Urthva Pundarikam etc.,Surrender fore-states the purity of mind.Surrender is possible only by sacrificing the ego and this becomes possible only when the mind becomes pure first.An impure mind, can never give way to surrender.Again, on the same count, mere performance of karmas will not confer Jnana.Karmas again gives you Chitta- suddhi and with that purity of mind, one should explore the way to liberation.Both when done together and properly too, will help you to enquire with Brahman within.

Both the groups were satisfied with Sankara's explanation and they agreed to combine karmas and bhakti, and mature into surrender which will only pave way for Jnana.

From Sri Rangam, Sankara came to Tiruvidai Maruthur.This is the temple of Mahalinga Swami - Siva.This is about 6 kms from Kumbakonam.The temple is quite big.Siva is called Madhyarjuna because he is under a jasmine creeper.This is also called Idai Maruthur, because this temple is in between Sri Sailam and Tirupudai Maruthur in Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu. All the three temples have got jasmine plants under which Siva is seated.

Sankara came to Tiruvidai Maruthur and prayed to Mahalinga Swami.There is also one version of biography which says that Sivananda Lahari was composed here and not in Sri Sailam.

Here Sankara met many Saivites and Vaishnavites. They also listened to his Satsangh but maintained that Siva/Narayana is the primordial god and the godhead should be in form and not formless for effective prayer and meditation.Sankara said that he was not opposing Siva or Narayana, but Advaita maintains that one should go beyond the form and have the formless Brahman within the Heart.For a true non dualist form-worship is not prohibited.The form- woship helps one to concentrate and meditate.Karmas and bhakti cannot be given a go by, just because you are an Advaiti.

Sankara said that They can adopt Advaitam as way for attaining the Self, but this had not quarrel with Siva or Narayana worship.In due course, such worships will also drop away and one would do only Self enquiry and attain Brahman which is Sat, the Substance, and also Chit, Knowledge, and Anandam, Bliss.

Sankara spoke to the great crowd in front of Mahalinga Swami temple in Tiruvidai Maruthur.He said:

1. To attain Jnana and merge in the Self, the mind is the only instrument.It is only with the mind, that the enquiry should be conducted and the Self merged with.The devotion, good karmas etc., will not lead one to Jnana by themselves.

2. Mind should be rubbed with the mind, that is within Brahman and the Brahman would reveal itself, when the time is ripe.

3. Do not be deluded by the gods in forms.Brahman is formless and nameless but it is Bliss, Ananadam.This Anandam should be experienced in nondual state.Seeing Brahman is only Experiencing Brahman.Brahman is not seeing God outside.

4. The one who is intent on attaining Jnana and the Self realization, should start looking at the body as a corpse.You observe Death, do not fear Death.

Brahmasri Nochur Venkataraman said:The Jnanis are opposite to physicians.The physicians experiment with dead bodies and find out medicines for cure.Jnanis, experiment with their own body as dead one, and find out Jnana, the way to Self realization.

Yama offered many things to Nachiketa.He said:"I shall give you gold, horses, ever-full stocks of food and drink and dancing girls!"Nachiketa said:"Keep your dancing girls with you.They will also become old one day and die.The horses and cows will become senile and die.The food stocks and drinks will dry up one day.The gold will dwindle one day.I will also become old and die one day. Give me that which is ever with me, eternal, non-dying, ever fresh, ever pure, untainted, even beyond the lives of gods and goddesses, give me Amrutham, Deathlessness".(Kathopanishad.)

From Tiruvidai Maruthur, Sankara came to Swamimalai, the town of Swaminathan, Murugan, on the other side of the present Kumbakonam Town, about 14 kms from Tiruvidai Maruthur.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100
2) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/subrahmanyabhujangam.html
3) http://www.celextel.org/adisankara/ranganathashtakam.html

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Part 9 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

Padmapada proceeded to Rameswaram from Shrungagiri.On his way, he halted at Sri Rangam, his birth-place.His uncle was there.He stayed with him for a few days.The uncle was listening to Padmpada's Advaita way and his experiences with Sankara, his Guru.He also read out his Brahma Dandigam.The uncle grew jealous of Padmapada.Further Sankara's sutram, Satyam Sivam Sundaram Anantham Brahmam, did not please him.He was a devotee of Sri Ranganatha, Narayana in Sri Rangam.

Padmapada took leave of his uncle and went to Rameswaram.He was somehow restless in Rameswaram and so returned to Sri Rangam, in a few days.There, he found that the house where his uncle was staying had been burnt due to some fire accident.His uncle escaped the disaster but Padmapada's books were all burnt.This fire accident was contrived by the jealous uncle.He came from the next street and cried before Padmapada, for the loss.Padmapada told him not to cry since he could remember in his writings and he could repeat the Brahma Dandigam again.This made the uncle to grow further jealous about the nephew.Padmapada was asked to stay for some more days and he agreed.

During this time, the uncle mixed unmatha leaves' juice in the food.Padmapada became mad. He cried, danced, showed anger, became silent for some time etc.,He regretted for having not heard Sankara's Guru's words, forbading him from going out of Shrungagiri.He prayed to Sankara for his welfare.

Padmapada told his uncle that he would leave for Shrungagiri soon.The happy uncle packed him fast to Shrungagiri, laughing within himself.

Padmapada came to Shrugagiri prostrated before Sankara.He wept miserably.Sankara said:"Do not worry.Atma Anubhava,once attained, shall never a person.Even madness due to brain dysfunction will not affect the state of self realization.Be with me.Do not leave me."He touched him on his head and blessed him.Soon Padmapada became better, but he could not recollect the Brahma Dandigam.Sankara said:"Perhaps it is destined that none of you should write Vartikam on my Brahma sutra bhashyam.Anyway, you take down slowly.I shall tell you the Brahma Dandigam, and also further Vartikam." He dictated the famous Panchapadiga, a layman's elucidation on his own Brahma Sutra Bhashyam.

In a few days' time, Sankara knew through his mediation that his mother was in death bed in Kaladi.He remembered his words to his mother.He rushed to Kaladi, skyward.

In Kaladi, mother Aryamba was lying in bed like a pulled out creeper withering in sun.No doubt, her family friends were taking care of her food and shelter, but the old age had emaciated.She had been living a life absolute renunication, attending to minimum worldly work and praying to Siva and Uma in Vadkkanathar Temple and Sri Krishna near the Poorna river.

Motherhood is praised in Vedas.When a housewife or a girl is giving blessings by elders, they say:Please get 10 children and let your husband become your 11th son!In course of time, a wife also treats her husband as his son, when he becomes old and sick.

This motherhood, the abundance of grace in a man should also come in due course of his life.A man is an incomplete woman, even as per the chromosome theories.He has got one chromosome less in the double-helix structre, and such an incomplete guy becomes a woman only when he develops love and grace in his life towards all living beings.

Sankara came to his mother and sat.He told her:"Mataha Sankaram agadham nija sudham......" O Mother, Sankara has come.He is Your son....

The old mother looked at him, the great Jnani, as only her son.She became extremely happy.By completing her motherhood,being a mother of a Brahma Jnani, she has in fact, become an ascetic.Brahma Jnana comes out of its own accord.Motherhood is door to Divinity.

Aryamba wanted nothing more.Sankara says:Would like to have Siva-darsanam? Vision of Siva?The mother says:Yes.Sankara gave her the vision of Siva with Uma in Kailas.She could see the same Divine Couple of Tiru VeLLai Man ThuLLi, a temple near Kaladi, where Siva and Uma are together as described in Tiruvannamalai, Ardha Nari...She could see the white Kailas, the bull, the Ganga, the crescent moon and the serpents, Siva and Uma with Ganapati and Skanda.Sankara then asked her:O Mother, do you want Vishnu Darsanam too?The mother said:Yes.Then he conferred her Vishnu Darsanam, as Lakshmi-Narayana, on the milky ocean on the bed of the great serpent.

Aryamba then told Sankara:My son!I do not want to go to any of these worlds like Kailas and Vaikunta.I want to get released from all these and get merger with the Principle, which is formless and nameless.Sankara then conferred her merger with Brahman, without any own identity of hers.

As regards the ceremonies after liberation, there are several heresay stories.None of the biographies of Sankara give any detailed account.Sankara then composed his famous Matruka Panchakam, the five verses on the Divine Mother.

The relatives in the village, refused fuel and fire to Sankara on the pretext that a sannyasi cannot do cremation ceremonies for a dead parent.Sankara then picked up some plantain tree trunks, created fire from his palm and cremated her in the backyard of the house! This news spread like wildfire and the villagers and boys from Vedapatasala came to the house in large numbers.Sankara said:O Mother, you wept on the other day that I was embracing ascetism.Today the Vedapatasala boys are weeping for your great motherhood!

The fact that Sankara was not permitted to cremate his mother had happened 1400 years back, when such rotten theories were there in Hindu society.

King Rajasekar was with Sankara for a few days.Sankara asked him, about the three puranic plays which he had written and shown to Sankara, when he was six years old.The king said that the plays had been lost in a fire accident in the palace.Sankara said:Do not worry.They are good puranic plays and I shall repeat them.You can take down!The king was astounded.The boy who had heard the plays read out to him, when he was six years old, said that he would repeat them for taking down.This is the power of memory of a Brahma Jnani.Such a Jnani displays tremendous power of memory because they always stay in Brahman, the knowledge of everything.

Sankara left Kaladi as a person of immense peace, for having completed the last job, he owed to his mother.He travelled via Tamil Nadu and first came to Rameswaram.He prayed to Ramalinga Swami, Siva, who was worshipped by Rama.He composed the famous Siva Panchakshara Stotram there.It starts as Nagendra haaraaya, tri lochanaya....

Sankara then came to Tiruchendur, one of the six barracks of Skanda.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100

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Part 8 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

Padmapada still had a lingering sankalpa for building a Math.Thus Sringeri Math was formed.Sankara advised him:Please do Upasana with a Sri Chakra yantra.Build small cottages for Sannyasins.Start the teaching of Upasana Marga.For Atma-Vichara, no formal Math is required.However, this will help who are eager in Upasana marga, devotion and worshipping.

Upasna should lead to self enquiry.Make the Upasana without any fanfare.You can do abulations with water on a coconut shell.You can offer milk to Sri Chakra, with milk on a coconut shell.You can bring bilva from jungles.Even flowers, if not available,do not bother about them.Flowers are mere adornments for Devi,who is ever-adorned with all the beauties of this world.Do not preach any fanciful pujas to devotees.What is Upasana?Upanishad is the Bow; Mind is the arrow.Sharpen it in Atma within.And aim it towards the lakshya, goal,self realization."

Padmapada became the first chief of Sringeri Math.

Sankara then proceeded with other disciples.He was on the way to Sri Sailam, and was on the bank of Tungabhadra.He had many new disciples. He was teaching Upanishads etc., on the bank of Tungabhadra.One of them is Giri.He is a softspoken man, not much of sastric-learning or Sanskrit scholarship.He had a pure heart and ardent devotion to Guru Sankara.These two made up for all the deficiencies.

Since Giri was not much learned, other disciples, particularly Padmapada and Sureswara had no regard for him. However,Sankara understood his devotion to the Guru which is more important than erudition and scholarship.One day, as Sankara began teaching Upanishads, Giri was not present. He was still washing the clothes of Guru on the other bank of Tungabhadra. Sankara waited for Giri.

Padmapada said:Master, we can start.

Sankara said:Let us wait for Giri.

Padmapada proudly smiled and told Sankara:Master, even if he comes in time, what good is there for him in the Upanishads, since he hardly understands anything.

Sankara said:Okay.I shall call him and see.He called for Giri with a loud cry.

Giri looked at his guru from the other bank of the river and leaving the clothes, he simply walked over Tungabhadra river, as if it was a sheet of timber!Sankara looked at Giri, with tearful eyes with overflowing Grace.His Presence merged in Giri's heart.Giri became learned and a Jnani instantly.This is called Sakti
Nipadam, the descent of divine power, even if a devotee is not fully ripe.This descent makes all the difference in the disciple.He gets anything, be it learning or self realization, anything.

Giri came to Sankara like a calf to the cow and sang his famous Thotakashtakam.It is an euology on Guru in thotaka meter Vidithakila.... bava sankara desika me saranam.This contains eight verses.

Giri had all the ramifications of the mind, killed.He shone like a bright sun.Both Sankara and Giri went into bhava samadhi state.The other disciples, particularly Padmapada got thunder-struck.Giri then came to be called as Thotakacharya.He is the fourth disciple of Sankara.

From the banks of Tungabhadra, Sankara came with his disciples,including Thotakacharya, to Shrungagri again.From there, he further proceeded towards east to Sri Sailam.Here, he lived in a cave, in constant contemplation, in brahma-bhavana. He remained in that state for a long time, when even his breathing became quite less.This is called Manonmani mudra.No thoughts, no mind, only Peace. There is only ever shining Atma.

Sankara composed his Yoga-dharavali in this cave of Sri Sailam.

Keeping the thoughts and the mind in the Heart is the real nyasam.Sannyasam is samayaka-nysam.In fact this is the only definition of Sannyasam in Upanishads, not merely staying away from conjugal happiness, and begging alms.When the mind causing the thoughts and emotions permanently stay in Heart, without any life, it is Brahma Jnana.When a Brahma Jnani is in that state, he sheds of tears of bliss, which the birds will come to drink!

Sankara continued in the state of no-mind Manonamani mudra for several days.He came to Shrungagiri again in that same state.

Sankara continued his teachings of Upanishadic purport to his four disciples, in Shrungagiri.One day, he found Sureswara had been shining more brilliantly than others.Sureswara had the knowledge of Vedas (karma kanda) and had also been a householder.He told Sankara:Master, I have no desires left in my life.If I have to do anything, please tell me.Sankara then told him:Please write Vartikam, (further elucidation) for my Brahmasutra Bhashyam.Sureswara agreed.

Padmapada, who had the habit of doubting any one's capability,(due to his pride and prejudice), told Sankara:Master!Sureswara is an exponent in karma kanda of Vedas. If he writes a Vartikam,he would bring in karma kanda aspects in the Brahma Sutram which would water down your Bhashyam.Sankara knew Padmapda's mind.He smiled and asked: Are you concluding like that?Padmapada:Yes, master.He then called Sureswara and told him: You don't write Vartikam.Let this be postponed.Do something of your own.

Sureswara agreed readily and wrote the famous Naishkarmya Siddhi, the state of no-action.This is the most appreciated work and considered equivalent to any of Sankara's own works.Sankara then told Padmapada to write Vartikam on Brahma Sutra Bhashyam.Padmapada wrote Vartikam for the first four lines or sutras only.This is called Brahma Dandigam.Sankara found it more pedantic which is not a characteristic of a Vartikam.Padmapada became silent and did not proceed with it.

Padmapada then asked Sankara's permission to go to Rameswaram and also Sri Rangam, his birth place.Sankara told Padmapada: You have got bad time now.Please stay back with me.Padmapada did not agree.He proceeded to south.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100

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Part 7 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

Sankara said that the Upanishads and Brahma Sutram are not seeking a reference to worship of any personal god or Saguna Upasana.Saguna Upasana came when the man could not grapple with the formless Brahman.First he resorted to worship of five elements and found the Space to be formless and identified the Pure Space as Brahman.That way, Saguna Upasana gives room to go beyond. Saguna Upasana is seeking reference only to
Puranas and the two epics.

In Mookambika temple, the pandits wanted him to ascend to the Sarvajna Peeta.Before that they said that they should be convinced about Sankara's way of treating Brahman also as of Devi's form.They told him to throw a golden ring into a Sri Chakra which is placed a little far off.If Sankara could correctly throw the golden ring around Sri Chakra, they would agree that Devi also agrees to Nirguna Brahman meditation!

Padmapada laughed at this circus business!But Sankara agreed to the experiement and succeeded in winning too!Then the pandits garlanded him and called him to Sarvajna Peeta ascension.

In Kollur, one miracle took place.There were a couple whose son had died.Sankara went to their house and raised the child from death.

From Kollur, Sankara went to Srivali village. It is a village of 1000 brahmins who were doing agni-hotra, fire sacrifices.There was one such brahmin by name Prabhakara.He had a child, who was not speaking and appearing as a dunce right from his early childhood.The boy had always a vacant look, never talking to anyone, never doing any work, including basic work of eating etc., Several retributory sacrifices were made by Prabhakara to have the son cured.But nothing happened.He was finding his life quite miserable.

When the local population came to know about Sankara's miracle in Kollur, they invited him and Sankara came to the village to see the child.

When Sankara came and looked at the boy, the boy who had hitherto never did a direct look at anyone in life, looked at Sankara intently and Sankara also looked at him intently. The boy then looked at Padmapada and exchanged the look with him.Padmapada immediately knew the problem.But he wanted to witness the entire drama once again, silently.

Sankara slowly asked the boy:Who are you?Whose son are you?Who is your father?Where is your house?From where are you coming?What is your lakshya, goal?

The child replied in melodious verses which are collected now as Hastamalaka Stotra.

Sankara was pleased.He called him, Hastamalaka, the amla fruit on the palm, since he knew the Self so clearly.

The father of the boy became speechlesss with wonder at these words.Sankara told him:"He has become your son because of his incomplete austerities.This is your good fortune.He will not be of any use to you in this world.Let him stay with me."Sankara thus bade him to go back, and taking the boy with him.

The other disciples asked Sankara:How did this boy attain this state of Brahman without sravana, (hearing) etc.,?Sankara replied:His mother left her two year old child in the care of a great and highly accomplished yogi who was practising austerities on the bank of Yamuna while she went to bathe in the river with some women.The child toddled towards the water and was drowned.

The yogi, out of compassion for the disconsolate mother forsook his body and entered that of the child.That is why this boy had attained this high state.

Hastmalaka thus became the third disciple of Sankara and theyoungest.

Sankara proceeded from Srivali village to Srungagiri.The king Aditya Varma welcomed him, with all gifts and presentations.He continued his teaching of Upanishads, Brahmasutram etc., Hastamlaka heard these teachings for the first time.

In Srungagiri,Padmpada developed a small sankalpa, determination, to build a Math in the name of his Guru Sankara.Sankara kept silent without saying yes and no.He told Padmapada:A snake will always live in the holes dug out by frogs and rats and will not have its own house.We, Sannyasis, should also be like that.We should not become a Matathipathi, chief of Maths.

(Here, Brahmasri Nochur told a nice story.There was a dog howling on the forest, near a mediating sannyasi. Sannyasi became annoyed and threw a stone at that dog.The dog died.Both sannyasi and the dog went to hell.Yama, the king of death asked the dog:What punishment should I give to the sannyasi? You tell me, because you are the aggrieved. The dog said: 'Sir, you make him a Matathipathi. a chief of Maths.'Yama was puzzled and asked:Why?Why?.

The dog said:"Sir, I was also a Matathipathi and then became dog, in the next birth.As Matathipathi, I became greedy.I wanted to expand the Math,construct hospitals, schools.I wanted to run TV channel.I became more and more greedy.I started asking for money, more and more money.I did a lot of misdeeds to achieve my goal and thus became a dog! So, if this Sannyasi is made to become a Matathipathi, he will also end up like me, as a dog!")

Sankara here composed the famous Siva-Aparadhamana Stotram and Kaupina Panchakam.Hymn to Siva, for fivegiveness for transgressions, and five verses on the glory of codpiece.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100
2) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/hastamalaka-stotra.html
3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/kaupeena-panchakam-by-sri-adi.html
4) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/04/siva-aparada-kshamapana-stotram-by-adi.html

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