My Experience Of Ramana Maharshi By Rao Saheb Sri K. K. Nambiar

It was in the year 1933 that a friend of mine spoke to me about Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and suggested that I should meet him.

On reaching Sri Ramanasramam,I went direct to where Sri Bhagavan was seated, prostrated myself before him and sat down on the floor at some distance.

One or two incidents during this period may be recounted here, miracles to the faithful, but casual coincidences to the sceptics.

One evening in the year 1936 when I visited the Ashram I decided to ask an important question of Sri Bhagavan concerning certain spiritual practices. But amidst the solemn hours of Veda Parayana in the evening and during meditation that followed I could not make up my mind to ask the question,and returned home somewhat disappointed.

Early next morning, when I was lying half awake, Sri Bhagavan appeared before me in a dream and answered the very question which I had failed to put to him the previous evening. And before he vanished he also told me that he wanted a note-book. I said I had only one readily available and that it was of the octavo pocket-size. He said it was enough. I woke up with a pleasant thrill.

The dream or vision, whatever one may call it, made such a deep impression on my mind that I could not delay carrying out the behest, however strange it might seem. After early bath and ablutions I traced out the pocket note-book and hurried to the Ashram. Prostrating myself before Sri Bhagavan as usual, I handed over the note-book to him. He received it smiling, and asked me why I took it to him, when I related to him, in a whisper, all about my dream.

Immediately he called his personal attendant, the late Madhavaswami, and remarked to him “Did I not ask you last evening to fetch a good notebook to write down a Malayalam translation of the Sanskrit text of Sri Ramana Gita? You didn’t bring one. Here is Nambiar who has brought it for me. It seems he had a dream in which I asked him for the book, and he has brought it.” This incident aroused a great deal of interest among the devotees.

On another occasion in the same year I dreamt of Maharshi as seated on his couch as usual, surrounded by a number of devotees seated on the floor and engaged in meditation. Among them I recognised a young devotee from Goa, seated in padmasana performing pranayama. I think he was known by the name, Sridhar. While he was doing pranayama, I saw, in the dream, sparks of fire rising from the base of his vertebral column up to his head. Bhagavan,who was watching this practicant, interjected “There is no need for all this gymnastics with breath-control. It is easier and safer to follow the method of Self-enquiry as enunciated by me.” That is the sum and substance of the dream I had.Next day, when I went to the Ashram, I sought out this young Goanese Swami. I had no previous acquaintance with him and no occasion even to speak to him before. I gave him a full description of the dream I had. He was visibly moved and, somewhat to my embarrassment, embraced me with delight in the North Indian fashion.

He said “Brother, I was all the while waiting for an opportunity to ask Bhagavan whether I should continue or give up this practice of pranayama which I have been steadily carrying on for the past several years. Indeed, last night while sitting in the presence of Sri Bhagavan I eagerly awaited an opportunity to put him the question but I couldn’t find a suitable occasion for the purpose. Now, there is no need for me to ask him about it. Bhagavan answered it through you.”

When I was in England last year, I went to see a venerable, old lady, by name Mrs. Victoria Doe. She must be nearing 80 and lives in a quiet house at 17. St. Martin’s Avenue, Epsom, Surrey, with her only daughter, Miss. Leena Doe. She has never come to India, never seen Bhagavan Sri Ramana in flesh and blood. Yet, I was deeply moved by her devotion to him. She had read about him, prayed to him,meditated on him, and lives in him day in and day out.

She showed me sheaves of letters she took from a corner of a shelf, and kissed them with great reverence before handing them to me. All the letters were from the Ashram and were meticulously preserved for the past several years. She had also with her all the English publications of Sri Ramanasramam. She opened one of the books and, running her shaky finger along the writing on the first page “With Gracious Blessings from Sri Bhagavan” burst into tears of joy and devotion. She said “Mr. Nambiar,how lucky you are to have been able to be with him, to see him and hear him speak. Here, we treasure these books and letters as representing him. Now he has sent you here. I feel that he is with us now.” Such love, such devotion to the Sage, so tenderly expressed to me, a total stranger to her till the other day, moved me to the depths of my being.

I do not profess competence to interpret Sri Bhagavan’s philosophy and teachings. The first publication I remember to have read on his teachings is the booklet entitled “Who am I?”. Having read it, I felt no need to read other books propounding some different approach to the realisation of the Eternal Truth. I am convinced that the method of Selfenquiry suggested in that great little book is all that is needed
for the highest achievement in life, namely, Self-realisation.

Source: Golden Jubilee Souvenir