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 pointsThe 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...

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Previous life of Draupadi

Mahabharata Adiparva Chaitrarathaparva section 171-172Hearing 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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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....

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 10 And 11

Verse 10Prabu charitra sunibe ko rasiya Ram Lakhan Sita man BasiyaVerse 10 MeaningYou 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 11Sukshma roop dhari Siyahi dikhavaVikat roop dhari lanka jaravaVerse 11 MeaningYou 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...

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Ramana Maharshi Devotee Mudaliar Granny

24th September, 1949The 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 theThondaimandala Mudaliar caste. Her name was Alankaratthammani. She had a son by name Subbiah Mudaliar and a daughter-in-law Kamakshi. The three usedto spend their time in the service of an old sannyasi. That sannyasi passed away sometime in 1908...

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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...

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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, 1949Letter 243A 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...

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Ramana Maharshi's Simplicity In Eating Habits

6th March, 1949One 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...

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Ramana Maharshi Recollects His Bhiksha In Agraharam

20th November, 1948Questioner: “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 peopleused to wait for me outside, with lanterns, to give me alms.In...

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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 iswise 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...

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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...

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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,...

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 8 And 9

Verse 8Sankar suvan kesri Nandan Tej pratap maha jag vandan Verse 9Vidyavan guni ati chatur Ram kaj karibe ko aaturVerse 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 JalasutramIn Verse 8 Tulasidas describes Lord Hanuman as the descendant of Lord Sankar(Shiva). In Nan...

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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 beperplexed 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...

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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...

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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...

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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 diseasesof the devotees, the one with one face, the darling son of...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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