05Ramanamaharishi20100612

05Ramanamaharishi20100612

சக்தி விகடன் - 12 Jun, 2010 Part 1Ramanamaharishi20100612

Edited Nov 16, 2017

Posted Date : 06:00 (12/06/2010)

ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி                                Author 

Author: Balakumaran

Madurai City of Mīnākṣi Amman Temple

Madurai is a big city. Venkatraman and Nagaswamy from the village sought refuge in Madurai, which they explored well. They were surprised to see people everywhere.

Venkatraman went to two schools: Scot High School first and later American Mission School.

Their house was in Sokkappa Nāyakkar Street near the South Tower. The tower was visible from the upper floor of the house.

The town was busy with bullock carts, tongas, mobile sweets stalls… The temple’s geographic size, the paintings, the idols, the festoons and colored lights made everyone feel Madurai’s greatness.

Mīnākṣi Amman Temple held daily festivities. Many other temples were near Madurai Temple. Azhagiya Perumāḷ Temple built on the namesake mountain enjoyed popularity among devotees. Sweet Poṅgal Prasādam served there was ambrosial.

Venkatraman went for Prasada to the temple where the presiding deity was Kaḷḷazhagar with people knowledgeable with Abhiṣēkam Ārāthanai (Ritual ablution and worship). When the passel of devotees returned home in the night, the burden of carrying the ambrosial Prasada fell on the head (literally) of brawny Venkatraman at their behest. He with a painful wry neck wobbled along in the dead of night carrying the load on his head. He put the load down and discovered his wry neck was swollen and hurting.

From Kallazhagar Temple to Madurai

Venkatraman was harsh on himself thinking, ‘I desired for Prasādam, is it not so…Bhagavan made my neck suffer pain. Suffer, suffer to the full extent.’ Again, he carried on foot the mother lode of Prasādam on his head to Madurai. The workers, the ritual priests who performed the worship and Venkatraman shared the Pongal.

Older brother Aṇṇāsāmy and his peers were the playmates, as Venkatraman was house sitting. When Aṇṇā went for his studies, Venkatraman with his friends went to Māriammaṉ temple for swimming (in the temple pond). If his friends were not available, he went around the temple. He had a liking for all things except studies. Studies are important, if one wanted to be gainfully employed as a clerk and satiate his hunger from the salary. When his elder brother went away to play, Venkatraman read Periyapurāṇam laying around among other books. The written style was hard, though he found the content fascinating.

He wondered, ‘What is this? As a tender child, he sang poetry.’ ‘'தோடுடைய செவியன் விடையேறி யோர் தூவெண் மதி சூடி...' (= The ear-ringed One riding a bull and wearing a pure white moon…’) How could Tirugñāṉasambandar ever sing like this? Why did Śiva and Pārvati appear from nowhere and offer milk to a child? How wondrous, what a blessing!’ He read the poem many times and became immersed in ecstasy.

A wedding for the daughter. Śiva Yogi stands at the entrance. He asks, ‘What is special today.’ The father invites the Yogi inside and tells him exuberantly, ‘My daughter is getting married.’ He calls his daughter and  prospective son-in-law to pay homage to the Yogi. Yogi offering his blessings to the couple, notices the long tresses and says, ‘O my, What long tresses. If you give me the tresses, I will plait and wear them as sacred thread.’ The father thinking there is no blessing greater than making an offering to a Śiva Yogi, sat his daughter, shears her head completely and offers the tresses to the Yogi.

Śivayogi was none other than manifest Śiva. Śivayogi disappears; Śiva himself offers his appearance; the bride’s head appears full of tresses as before. All the people around the bride received great boons.

Venkatraman’s eyes were welling with tears. What a condition of the mind! The mind which keeps nothing for itself. How did this ever happen to them?

An order to graze the cows.  Chandēsvara Nāyaṉār grazed the cattle. He seated a Śivaliṅgam on the grassland. He milked the cows and used it for ritual ablution of Lingam. He had no mental satisfaction. He did another ritual ablution. He milked all the cows and used their milk for ritual ablution. The owners of the cows complained loudly about lack of milk.

One day, his father eyed him from a hiding. He became angry at him milking the milch cows for abhisekham. He caned and pushed him. The son put up with corporal punishment.

‘What is this? Does this constitute God? Is this Śivaliṅgam?’ Saying such blasphemous words, the father raised his leg to kick the lingam but the son immediately landed an axe heavily on his leg. The leg broke off and hit the grassland.

Though you are my father, I will tolerate killing by you. But, no one may abuse my God. Though he is my father, I will punish him.’ Saying such words, he rose in anger. Śiva made his appearance and made him calm and composed.

Of all the stories Venkatraman read, the story of Kaṇṇappa Nāyaṉār was wonderful and impressive. The hunter named Thiṇṇaṉ chased a wild pig, killed it, cooked it and shared the meal with his friends. Something up in the mountain drew him from dinner guests. He saw a Liṅgam. “Are you not alone, you must be hungry.” Saying such endearing words, he embraced the Liṅgam and brought the flesh of the pig and water to feed the Liṅgam. He transferred the flowers from his head to the top of the Liṅgam, poured the water from his mouth on Liṅgam as ritual ablution, placed the meat before the Liṅgam and begged Śiva, “Eat, Eat.”

Image from Wikipeddia of Kannappa Nayanar offering his eye to Sivalinga.

Next day, the priest in charge was shocked to see meat before the Lingam. He cleaned up the place scolding the unknown server of meat. Later, he performed Pūja with Bael leaves and left the site. A little while later, Thiṇṇaṉ came and said to himself, ‘What is all this leafy garbage. Where is the meat I served you yesterday? Did Śiva eat the meat? Or someone else took it away.’

It does not matter. I will bring the meat again.’  So, it happens. Nonplussed and irritated Śivācchāriyār cleaned up the place. Leaf-worship happens. ‘Who put these leaves again?’ Getting upset, Thiṇṇaṉ clears the leaves and goes away to bring meat for liṅgam. There happened a wondrous event.

‘Who in his right mind serves meat to Śivaliṅgam?’ Entertaining such thoughts, the priest was lying in wait to catch the perpetrator of the forbidden act.  Blood was pouring out of one eye of Śivaliṅgam. Thiṇṇaṉ, thinking the remedy for the bleeding eye is another eye (an eye for an eye), enucleated his own eye with the arrow and placed it in the eye socket of the Liṅgam. The other eye also bled.

‘I have the cure in my hands.’ Wait, if I enucleate the other eye, I will be totally blind. How could I apply the donor eye in the place of the bleeding eye?’ Entertaining such thoughts, with no hesitation, he raised his leg and placed the big toe, where his eye had to go. He got ready to enucleate the other eye with his arrow. A hand shot out from the Lingam with a voice saying, “Stop Kaṇṇappa” and prevented him from going further. The title ‘Kaṇṇappa' came from the mouth of Śiva. The Brahmin priest witnessed this wondrous event.

When Venkatraman finished reading the story, he placed the open book on his chest and remained mesmerized. Before God, there is no caste, no hierarchy and no difference. Those with true love in them are the highest. There is no need for an ostentatious ritual worship.  God takes in his good graces those who self-dedicate and surrender to Him, by expelling ego. To them he presents himself in a vision of Ṛṣapārūḍar (ரிஷபாரூடர் = the Rider of the Bull = Siva).

‘Is it possible, could I give myself to Śiva (dedicate my body, mind and soul to Siva)? Whom do I ask? God gave vision of himself to 64 Nāyaṉmārs. Would he give me his vision? What am I doing? Simply going to the temple, apply kumkum and ash on my body and return home.

Have I ever looked at God with an intense concentration? Have I ever opposed my palms and ask for any boons? There was a mad rush in all places. Sloth and slumber afflict me. Why did I not get involved?’  When fatigue came over him and he found himself helpless, he felt death experience.  

The impact of Periyapurāṇam and the death of his father: They gave him fear he was incapable of doing anything. Who am I? is the question that arose in the mind of a sixteen-year-old. Venkatraman thought assiduously about death.

He experienced death, he experienced death. What is known is knowledge; that he knew. That when attained gives loftiness; he attained that loftiness.

After he experienced what death is, Venkatraman did not know what to do next.

- தரிசிப்போம்... Let us have a Darśan
படம் சு. குமரேசன் Photos: S. Kumaresan

·       சக்தி விகடன் - 12 Jun, 2010  part 2

·       தொடர்கள்

Posted Date : 06:00 (12/06/2010)

The personification of compassion is Ramanamaharishi.

Author: Sarukesi

Lakshminarayanan describes an exciting event that took place when Periyava came to Chennai.

The Hindu Newspaper’s author J. Kasturi invited Periyava to Chennai.  Periyava asked him, “Why should I go to Chennai?”

“It was a long time since you came to Madras. I wish your footprints fall on Madras.” Such was his compelling argument.

On his invitation, Periyava came to Chennai. Gindi was on the outskirts of the city. There, Kalki Sadasivam, Sudesmithran, Srinivasan…erected plantain trees, had Pūrṇa Kumbam ready and waited to invite Periyava.  When Periyava arrived, they extended the usual reception and honor with the burst of firecrackers and took him on a procession.

Then, Kasturi requested Periyava to visit ‘Hindu’ office. Periyava visited all departments in the office, spoke to the employees and blessed them. The employers were all happy. Srinivasan requested him to drop into the office of Sudesmithran. Yes, he went there too. Sadasivam took him to ‘Kalki’ office too.

On that occasion, he walked in a procession in Mylapore with his retinue. Devotees walked behind him.

Then, there was a proposed conference of Drāvidar Kazhakam in Māṅkollai. The party volunteers assembled there. They were waiting for Periyār.

The people accompanying Periyava were afraid that the Davida Kazhakam volunteers may talk with fury and bring old disputes to the fore. They worried about what to do with that eventuality as a possibility.

E.V.Rā. Periyār arrived at the conference. He enquired with the volunteers, ‘What is the matter? Why all the excitement?’

They all said, “Kanchi Sankarachariar is in town going on a procession. The volunteers say they want to show the ‘Black Flag.’ We are waiting for your permission.”

Periyār said, “What, Black Flag. Nothing of the sort. Let the Sankarachariar procession proceed without any molestation. Don’t block him. Don’t show him the Black Flag. First, let him pass.”

Periyava’s procession with no interruption came to the Sanskrit College.   No untoward incident took place.

When told to Periyava, he smiled and said, “Kamakshi will take care of it. Did I not tell you that before?”

Periyava usually travelled by ‘Mēṉā’ (= light coach). Like the palanquin, it was light, carried by four people. Periyava sits huddled inside.   

Once in Drāvidar Kazhakam gathering, a person was furious saying, ‘He alone travels by palanquin. Others had to carry him. Aren’t they people? Why can’t he walk?’

That reached the ears of Periyava. Immediately he got down from the Mēṉa and walked. The people said, ’Periyava, please do not listen to him. It is our blessing and good fortune to bear you in the palanquin on our shoulders.’ The devotees begged Periyava to get into the palanquin but he refused. Periyava said, ‘what they say is true. This recluse does not need a palanquin.’ Since then, he refused to travel by Mēṉā. Periyava, rain or shine, stayed where he could and then went on foot, come good weather. No matter the distance, he walked. He never gave up the mental resolve.