Hence have I sought refuge at thy feet.

Though [Ganapati Muni] was already an intellectual and spiritual giant, with many achievements to his credit, and a host of followers as well, Ganapati felt distressed that his life purpose was not yet achieved. He suddenly remembered Brahmanaswami, climbed the hill to his abode and prayed to him for upadesa. The meeting was of profound consequence, not only for Kavyakantha, but also for the world at large.

The Muni approached the Virupaksha Cave where Brahmanaswami lived on the 18th of November 1907. Prostrating before the young Sage, he pleaded with a trembling voice: “All that has to be read I have read. Even Vedanta Sastra I have fully understood. I have performed japa to my heart’s content, yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas is. Hence, have I sought refuge at thy feet. Pray enlighten me about the nature of tapas.”

For fifteen minutes Sri Ramana Maharshi silently gazed at the Muni. He then spoke: “If one watches where the notion of ‘I’ springs, the mind will be absorbed into that. That is tapas. If a mantra is repeated and attention is directed to the source where the mantra sound is produced, the mind will be absorbed into that. That is tapas.” Upon hearing these words of the Sage, the scholar-poet was filled with joy and announced that this upadesa was entirely original and that Brahmanaswami was a Maharshi and should be so called thereafter. He then gave the name of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi to Brahmanaswami, whose original name had been Venkataraman.

~ By Shri. K. Natesan, A Disciple of Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni

please see this: http://kavyakantha.arunachala.org/KNatesan.htm

the Reality, clothed in human form

Muruganar entered the Old Hall. Prostrating to Sri Bhagavan he noticed that worship had been offered to some books decoratively heaped, garlanded and placed in front of Sri Bhagavan, near the sofa. He realised it was Saraswathi Puja day. As he glanced at the garlanded books and then at the serenely seated Master, his face broke into an amused smile. Noticing this, Bhagavan gestured enquiringly. Muruganar's relationship with Bhagavan was unique. He knew he was in the presence of the Reality clothed in human form, available to all as the spiritual guide. Containing his amusement with great effort, he said: "Bhagavan! To have offered puja to the sacred books in your presence amuses me. Imagine that a bunch of the best variety of sugar cane was squeezed, crystal sugar of the purest quality made out of the juice and a human form was made with it. Now, picture the superb human form made of this best sugar on the one hand and the sugar-cane-waste on the other! Bhagavan, you are the essence of Truth. These books, however sacred they may be, are just like the sugar-cane-waste. They have offered puja to the juiceless canes while the most beautiful sugar-form, YOU, are seated just here!" Saying this, Muruganar laughed. Bhagavan too had a hearty laugh.

~ from Moments Remembered by V. Ganesan

Echammal

Echammal came to Sri Bhagavan in a distressed condition, having lost in quick succession her husband and her two children. Climbing the hill she stood in silence before him, not telling her grief. A whole hour she stood, no words spoken, and then she turned and went down the hillside to the town, her steps light, the burden of her sorrow lifted. Such was her deep devotion that for the rest of her life she never took her food without serving Sri Bhagavan first, and her house was a veritable haven for devotees.

~ from Bhagavan Sri Ramana, A Pictorial Biography by Joan Greenblatt and Matthew Greenblatt

Palaniswami

When Sri Bhagavan was in Gurumurtham, Palaniswami was regularly doing puja to the Ganesa idol at Ayyankulum and was leading the life of a sadhu. He was born in Vadavanur near Palghat. When he heard of the greatness of the Brahmanaswami he went and saw him. Sri Bhagavan was known as Brahmanaswami at that time. The moment he saw Sri Bhagavan, he was filled with peace and joy. He decided to serve Brahmanaswami. He was older than Brahmanaswami by thirty years. When he saw the austere lad with a shining face, Palaniswami felt like a father towards his son and looked after him with great care and affection. When he had to go out, he would lock the door of Gurumurtham and return as quickly as possible. Nobody was allowed to see the Swami without his permission. As Brahmaswami was seemingly doing intense tapas, perhaps this kind of protection was arranged by Arunachaleswara himself. After spending 1 1/2 years in Gurumurtham, Sri Bhagavan moved to Virupaksha Cave on the hill. Palaniswami also accompanied him there.

Palaniswami used to wear only a towel reaching his knees. He had only two towels. All the vessels he used were earthen vessels. There was not even a tumbler made of either brass or aluminium. The number of visitors increased at Virupaksha. When visitors asked for water, it was served in an earthen mug. At least for the sake of those who were disinclined to drink from an earthen tumbler, Palaniswami was asked on occasions to keep a couple of aluminium or brass tumblers. Some even offered to buy them. But he refused to accept their suggestion. He never accepted anything from others, and without fear or favour, he acted in a straightforward way. He spurned everything in the world except service to Sri Bhagavan.

When Sri Bhagavan was at Virupaksha Cave, some sadhus who had already established their Ashram on the hill feared that fewer people would visit them as more and more went to see Sri Bhagavan. They tried to give trouble to Sri Bhagavan in several ways. Thinking that the sadhus should not suffer in any way because of his presence, Sri Bhagavan decided to go and live in the forest.

~ from Living with the Master, Reminiscences by Kunjuswami:

"I am only afraid of two devotees ..."

Ramanatha Brahmachari used to feed Bhagavan with such love and devotion, Bhagavan felt he had been captured by his love. That is why Bhagavan said on one occassion, 'I am only afraid of two devotees, Ramanatha Brahmachari and Mudaliar Patti'. It was not a physical fear, it was more a feeling of helplessness. If a devotee has a strong, burning love for his Guru, the Guru is compelled to do anything that the devotee asks. Bhagavan always felt apprehensive whenever Ramanatha Brahmachari appeared because he knew he would not be able to resist any of his requests. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once expressed the same idea when he said: 'When you have attained ecstatic love, you have found the rope to tie God with.'

~ from Power of the Presence, Part Three, by David Godman

Mother Alagammal's love for Sri Bhagavan

A kind devotee has directed our attention to Letter 102 in Letters From Sri Ramanasramam, written by Suri Nagamma to her brother.

Here is a portion of that letter:

“Though I {Bhagavan} was remonstrating with my mother, she slowly started cooking, first a vegetable, then soup, and so on. We went to Skandasramam afterwards. She used to wander all over the hill, gather something or other, and say, ‘He likes this vegetable and that fruit’. She took no notice of my remonstrations. Once, while she was coming to the jungle at this side, her saree got in a thorny bush. It was only then that this path was cleared of all bushes and the like. She said she would not leave me and go anywhere else. If she went anywhere, she was afraid that she might die there. She was particular that she should die in my arms. When Alamelu (Bhagavan’s younger sister) built a new house in their village near Manamadurai, she begged mother just to go over there and see the house. She said it was enough if she (mother) just set her foot in it. But she never went. She declined because she was afraid that in case she fell ill there, there might not be trains running properly at that time to bring her back here and in that case, she might not die in her son’s arms.

She used to say, ‘Even if you were to throw away my dead body in these thorny bushes I do not mind but I must end this life in your arms.’” As he was saying that, his voice began to falter through emotion. My eyes got moist. I said, “Renunciation should be as firm as that with everybody.” “Yes, yes!” he said and was silent.

Because she said, “Even if you were to throw away my body in these thorny bushes,” we now see that the place of her burial is adorned by a temple fit to be worshipped by kings and emperors.

to read the whole letter (a must!) please see: http://suri-nagamma.blogspot.com/2007/07/letter-102.html

Sri Bhagavan's love for his mother

Some people are under the erroneous impression that jnana, which involves total disidentification with the body-mind complex, implies a certain lack of emotional depth. It is assumed that since people, events and things are viewed by jnanis purely as witnesses, with total detachment, they would not have the normal human feelings with their relatives and others. The fact however is the exact opposite and it is only jnanis who can truly bestow total undistracted love on one and all including their own blood relations ....

Coming to the life of Ramana Maharshi we find an extraordinarily beautiful and tender relationship between Sri Ramana and His mother, Alagammal.

~ Sri A R Natarajan, The Maharshi and His Mother