Madurai, situated in central Tamil Nadu, witnessed intense religious and literary activity in the middle ages. Shaiva Sidhantham, whose origin can be traced in distant Kashmir and dates back to several centuries, fostered a culture of Shiva worship and found its echo all over Tamil Nadu. It dealt with God (Pati) as the object to be attained, soul (pasu) as the subject who aspired to attain and bond (pasa) that prevented the aspiration. The Sidhantam seeks the grace of Shiva for the liberation of the soul from bondages and attain Moksha or eternal bliss. Siva is conceived of in three aspects: the formless (Aruvam), the formless-form (Ruparoopa) and the form (Uruvam). In His formless state, Shiva manifests as all-pervasive, as all-knowing and beyond human perception. He manifests in formless form as Sivalinga which is formless but at the same time retains a form as a piece of stone. The Lord manifests Himself in full form as Nataraja in Chidambaram and many other places to confer his grace on devotees. Among the many places where Shiva Sidhantham flourished, Thiruchuzhi, located around 30 from Madurai, could also claim as the foremost one. The Bhoominatha Shiva temple, located here, is an important centre of Shiva worship. Thiruchuzhi, otherwise a remote village, was to become prominent, world-wide, later, for another reason.

30th December 1879. It was the most auspicious day of Ardra Darshanam when the deity of Lord Shiva was taken out and carried through the village to all local temples. It was on this day, a child was born to Sundaram Iyer- Azhagammal couple who brought the village, Thiruchuzhi, into the world spiritual map. The child turned out to be a brilliant star, a genius, a spiritual beacon of the century. Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharshi, as he came to be known to the world, brought about a spiritual transformation and gave a new orientation to the doctrine of Sanatana Dharma. He dispelled certain wide misconceptions about man and his relation with God. He underlined the value of scriptures, the relevance of different doctrines and defined spiritualism in a most rational manner. A unique personality, a spiritual master, he was enlightened by the grace of Lord Arunachala and his mere presence brought instant admiration of devotees.

Though Sundaram Iyer was not formally qualified to be an advocate, he got the authority to pursue the profession by virtue of his qualities of fairness, justice and integrity. He was also the head of the local Panchayat. But Sundaram Iyer’s fame does not rest on these counts. He found happiness in serving people and offered his residence as the resting ground for pilgrims. His family now consisted of his wife, Azhagammai, three sons and one daughter.

The child, the second one to the couple, was named Venkataraman. Like any other child on reaching the age of five, Venkataraman also started walking towards the Primary School. Though quite intelligent, he did not evince keen interest in studies. On completing the 4th standard, the parents admitted the boy to a High School at Dindigul. But rather than the school, it was the Padmagiri Mountain that fascinated the young mind of Venkataraman. He then made it a habit to walk towards the hill and found happiness in spending his time at the foothill. While continuing his studies at Dindigul, came the message, like a bolt from the blue, that his father was laid up in a critical condition.

The young Venkataraman came rushing to his house at Thiruchuzhi. Seeing his father’s condition, the sobbing mother nearby and the grieving brother Nagasundaram and sister Alarmel Mangai by the side, he felt terribly sad. It seemed as though Sundaram Iyer was waiting for Venkataraman to come. Casting a farewell glance over his wife, Venkataraman and other children, he breathed his last. He was a blessed father who had presented to the world a towering personality but could not live to see and feel proud about it.

As the elder brother conducted the last rites, the young Ramana was immersed in the thoughts about death. It was the first time that he had witnessed death at such close quarters, that too, the death of his own father. The death set a chain of thoughts in his mind. What happens after death? If death means loss to the relatives, what it means to the person concerned? Is it a transition from one world to another and if so what the other world would likely be? Can death be prevented? Death can be prevented only if birth is prevented. Birth is prevented only if the earlier death is an end in itself. How one should qualify for immortality? These were the chain of thoughts that came over the mind of Venkataraman.

With the demise of father, Venkataraman moved to his uncle, Subbair’s house at Madurai to pursue his studies. His thoughts always centered on mystics aspects of life. He started ruminating on what constitutes life, what constitutes death, what constitutes the World and the Universal Power called God. Gradually, he was awakened to the belief that the soul or the spirit within the person is not different from God.

On one such occasion, a saint appeared before Venkataraman and introduced himself as the devotee of Arunachala and highlighted about the glory of Tiruvannamalai. The very words about Arunachala have moved Venkataraman. He felt some invisible power overtaking him. He enquired more about Arunachala and as the sage was describing the glory of Arunachala, Venkataraman felt a new bond of relation being developed towards Lord Arunachala. As the chain of one relation is broken, it paves way for the link of a new chain of relation.

Having taken admission in the Madurai school, the young Venkataraman should have been studying lessons on science and maths but instead he concentrated on the science of Chekeezhar’s Periyapuranam which highlighted Shiva worship. A youth of his age would be normally playing and doing odd little things but young Venkataraman was endowed with an enquiring mind. Many questions came into his mind and he wanted to find answers to them. He started contemplating on various aspects of life. Unable to find answer, he stood before the image at Meenakshi temple at Madurai. Standing before the deity, he became too emotional. He was impressed by the devotion shown by the 63 saints (Nayanmars) and wanted to cultivate the same kind of devotion within him.

He was hardly 17 then, but his attention turned less on material and more on spiritual matters. Then something strange happened. He was sitting alone in his uncle’s house. Suddenly, he was overtaken by a fear of death. He even felt that he was about to die. He was unable to comprehend why the thought of death should come to him. He pondered over it. This brought chain reactions in his mind. What death means? How does it affect the individual? Whether it is an end to his body or whether it is an end to his self. He then laid down and imagined himself to be dead. This brought about a chain of thoughts in him. He visualized his body being taken to the cremation ground, someone lighting the pyre and the body being turned to ashes. It then dawned on him that death is not something to be afraid of and in fact one should welcome it because death occurs only to the body and not to the soul or spirit. He then felt a spiritual awakening; the awakening that he got without consciously seeking it or without much of efforts on his side.

There was a marked change in his outlook. There was the family, the school, the studies, the surroundings and the friends but none of them interested him. The only thing that interested him was the Meenakshi temple. Standing before the deity, he prayed for being blessed with a correct vision. Apparently, a serious debate was going on within. He had acquired enough knowledge to decide how to direct his life from here. He was matured enough to take some decisive and momentous steps in his life. He imagined something would happen that would mark a turning point in his life. He was expecting some break.

The break indeed came, after some time, in the form of his school teacher who gave the student an imposition of a certain portion of English grammar. "Enough is enough" thought Venkataraman of this stage-managed, uniform way of life. None of these images; the school, the relations, the studies held any worth or relevance in his life. He remained quiet for some time not doing the imposition that was required of him. Seeing him sitting quiet not aware of what is going on in Venkataraman’s mind, his brother remarked: "What is the use of education for one who has no interest in studies". The brother could not apparently tolerate the indifferent outlook of Venkataraman towards studies and made the comment with a sincere intention to correct him. Obviously, his brother did not realize that for Venkataraman, neither the education, nor the life, nor the environment was of any use. His brother was unaware that having heard the call of Arunachala, the young Venkataraman had decided to bid farewell from it all.

Tiruvannamalai was beckoning him. He distinctly heard the call that came from the mountain miles away. His destination now clearly came into his vision. He consulted an old Railway Guide map which gave Tindivanam as the nearest railway station to Tiruvannamalai. His brother had given him five rupees towards fees. He thought three rupees was enough to go to Tindivanam and left a piece of message for his brother enclosing the balance two rupees which he thought he did not need. He had written that he was going in search of his father. "No one should grieve over my departure. No one should go in search of me. Out of the five rupees given for fees, I have taken rupees three for my journey and the balance two rupees is returned herewith".

It turned out that the three rupees he thought enough was not enough. He had no money for food and for additional unexpected journey. Anyway, these were insignificant aspects which never came across his mind and he went ahead with Tiruvannamalai as his only destination and objective. He then walked towards Madurai Railway station, casting his eyes on the towering Gopuram of Sokkanathar and Meenakshi. It marked the beginning of a new era of spiritual awakening, not just for Venkataraman but for the world at large.

The actual ticket fare for Tindivanam was two rupees and thirteen annas. (A rupee consisted of sixteen annas). Left with just three annas, Venkataraman boarded the train and took a seat. A Muslim gentleman, sitting nearby, entered into a conversation. Having learnt Venkataraman’s destination, this co passenger said that train service is available right up to Tiruvannamalai and all Venkataraman could do was alight at Viluppuram and continue onward journey by boarding another train for Tiruvannamalai.

Accordingly, Venkataraman got down at Villupuram. The three annas that remained as balance may not be enough for the actual fare from Villupuram to Tiruvannamalai. Tired and exhausted, Venkataraman walked past the Villupuram Railway Station. He took shelter in the verandah of a restaurant and a slept for a while. For some inexplicable reasons, the Hotel Proprietor felt sympathy for him. "Wait till the food is ready" the proprietor said. When Venkataraman offered the two and half annas he had, the proprietor enquired how much money he had with him in total. These two and half annas are all what I have and I offer it to you for the food you served. The proprietor however declined to accept payment.

Venkataraman then went back to Villupuram station and told the counter clerk to give him a ticket to any station in the direction of Tiruvannamalai up to the value of three annas. The counter clerk gave him a ticket up to Mambalapattu. He then boarded the train which arrived Mambalapattu almost in the afternoon. Now, almost 24 hours had passed after his departure from his residence. Alighting at Mambalapattu, Venkataraman started walking towards Tiruvannamalai. Sometime, in the evening, he reached a town called Arayaninallur. He went to the temple nearby and sitting in the precincts, started praying. The priests woke him up and said it was time to close the doors. The drum player took sympathy towards Venkataraman and offered to share his food, which he was entitled from the temple, with Venkataraman. The drummer directed Venkataraman to the house of one Muthukrishna Bhagawathar. By the time Venkataraman reached Bhagawathar’s house, he almost thoroughly exhausted. Soon, Bhagawathar also turned up and being a kind hearted gentleman offered him food and resting place. Venkataraman had a nice sleep.

As the sun rose on the eastern horizon, Venkataraman woke up. It was 31st August 1896, the Janmastami day of Lord Krishna. As he could not walk further and Tiruvannamalai was still far, Venkataraman decided to pledge his only possession, the ear ring, to Muthurkrishna Bhagawathar and set out to resume his journey. The Bhagawathar and his wife considered it a blessing to feed someone on the auspicious day of Janmashtami. After the food, Venkataraman told Muthukrshna Bhagawathar that he needed just four rupees to pursue his journey further. He offered his ear rings for the exchange of four rupees. The amount of four rupees was too small compared to the value of ear rings. Besides, Venkataraman did not seem to be such a person who would merely accept money without giving anything in return. Bhagawathar then said that he would give the money and accept the ear rings as a guarantee or pledge and Venkataraman could redeem it whenever convenient. He gave such an undertaking in a paper, signed it with his address and given it to Venkataraman. The lady also offered him a packet of sweet and savories prepared on the occasion of Janmashtami. After spending his night at Tiru Koviloor Railway station, Venkataraman boarded the Tiruvannamalai train the next day morning.

As the train reached Tiruvannamalai, he alighted and went straight to the temple of Arunachaleswar. It was lst September 1896. The doors of sanctum sanctorum were opened and the Lord appeared there in all his majesty. This was the moment he was waiting for. It was for this moment that he underwent all the stress and strain. He feasted his eyes on the Lord to his heart’s content, went near the deity and embraced the Lord with his two hands. There was no other devotee at that moment. It looked as though Lord Arunachala was waiting for his dear son to come to him. It seemed as though the Lord was waiting to grace his devotee. He did not know how he was gravitated towards Lord Arunachalala and he felt an extreme sense of fulfillment before Him. Tears rolled down his eyes. He explains his experience in his composition Arunachala Ashtagam thus:

As I saw Lord Arunachala, my mind turned inward and saw him within. Elated, I asked myself who it was that saw? I realized that I saw my own ‘self’, my Athma. How can I describe that which is indescribable? It can only be experienced. Oh Arunachala, this is what you taught me in silence, Manifesting yourself as Dakshinamurthy.

He came out of the temple to freshen up. On the way to the tank, Ayyankulam, a barber offered to shave off his head. He then willingly obliged. On going to the tank, he threw away the packet of sweets given by the lady, his sacred thread and the balance amount left with him. Never for the rest of his life he found any use for money and never for the rest of his life had he an occasion to touch it. He tore off his clothes and wore only a loin cloth. He had already thrown the Promissory Note given by Bhagawathar. Perhaps, these were the last links that clinged as symbols of his past material life. Venkataraman immersed himself in the pond uttering the names of Arunachala and from above the water emerged the enlightened Maharshi. It is evident that Lord Arunachala Himself initiated him to sainthood.

Maharshi then went to the main hall of the temple, known as Thousand Pillared Hall and started meditating. He was elevated to a new world of knowledge, bliss and realization. It was Arunachala who was leading him now. His face itself brightened up with the divine grace of Arunachala. A Swamiji who passed that way was stricken by his serene personality. He was known as Mouna Swamigal and he offered some food to Maharshi. It was the first time, after setting foot at Tiruvannamalai hours before, that he got something to eat.

As the news spread that a Yogi was camping at the thousand-pillared hall of the temple, people started coming to him. Some offered him food. Others queried something but the Maharshi did not respond. He however accepted the fruits and food offered to him by other devotees. While people watched him in amazement, some urchins started pelting stones at him. Maharshi then shifted himself to a remote corner and sat in Samadhi without any disturbance. However, the miscreants spotted him again and started harassing him. Sri Seshadri Swamigal, an erudite scholar and saint, had chosen Tiruvannamalai as his abode. He protected Maharshi from these trouble makers.

Once, while coming in circumbulation of the temple, Maharshi saw a shrine called Pathala Linga Sannidhi, located deep inside a cave. He went inside and found it to be a remote and forsaken place. Only a faint ray of sunlight penetrated inside. However, he found it an ideal and peaceful location to meditate. Sitting in a corner, he started concentrating and dwelled deep in meditation. The place was infested with insects and pests. Seshadri Swamigal, whose Ashram was nearby, used to frequent the temple and surroundings. On noticing the absence of Maharshi, Seshadri Swamigal went out to look for him. Not finding him at usual places, Swamigal went inside the cave in search of Maharshi. But there, he saw Maharshi covered almost up to the waist with pests and insects. The insects were stinging him, inflicting deep wounds, but Maharshi was immersed in meditation, as if the body did not belong to him.

Seshadri Swamigal, along with his disciple, Venkatachala Mudaliar, took the help of some people nearby and rescued Maharshi from his location. They were surprised that the wounds inflicted by insects could make no impact on Maharshi and he was his usual self, always concentrating on Arunachala. They nursed his wounds and attended to his basic necessities.

From then on, Maharshi came to be known as Brahmana Swamy and someone or other took care of his needs. The priest of the temple would bring milk and fruits offered to the deity. Maharshi did not remain at one place. Sometime he was found in the vicinity of the Subramania temple, sometime in the garden nearby or some such places. He always maintained silence and this characteristic quality got him the name, Mouna Swamigal. Over the period, the people who came to the temple to worship Lord Arunachala started paying obeisance to Maharshi as well.

There were some people who attended to Maharshi’s needs and Sri Uthandi Nayanar, a Tamil Scholar, was one among them. He saw the divine qualities of Maharshi and held Maharshi in high esteem. He also told about Maharshi’s qualities to his friend, Annamalai Thamburan who was administering the Shivite Mutt, Gurumurtam. As Thambiran expressed an interest to meet Maharshi, both of them went to the Maharshi and paid their respects. At this time, Nayanar told Annamalai Thambiran about the harassment being caused by urchins to Maharshi. Nayanar and Maharshi agreed that Swamigal needed an isolated but safe location to undertake his meditation peacefully. Then, Thambiran himself suggested Gurumurtam, the hall built in memory of Deiva Sikamani Desika Paramacharya Swamigal, the founder of Kunrakudi Thiruvannamalai Atheenam. Accordingly, Maharshi moved to his new abode, Gurumurtam and continued his spiritual mission from there. Gradually, the number of visitors increased and a bamboo fence was erected around Swami so that his peace and Dhyana are not disturbed. However, Maharshi remained in meditation most of the time. He did not ask for anything in particular. If someone offered him food, he could take it otherwise he could go without it. In fact, he remained in ecstatic state of sleep in which only the pure consciousness alone remained and nothing beyond.

Thambiran considered Maharshi as the manifestation of Lord Shiva and attended to all his needs. They ensured that all basic necessities were provided to Maharshi. They both belonged to the Kunrakudi Adheenam Mutt and as their services were requisitioned by the Mutt there, they had to depart. Maharshi’s health had already shown signs of decline. With the departure of Nayanar and Thambiran, it became a question mark on who could take care of him.

Maharshi, who appeared as an enlightened sage in silence, often reminded one of the great saint Dakshinamurthy. Maharshi exuding an aura of supreme divinity became the centre of attention. Gradually, the message about Maharshi remaining in Gurumurtam reached different corners and people started visiting him in large numbers. The message reached the ears of Palaniswamy too. Palaniswamy was working as a priest in the Ganesha temple at Ayyankulam in Kerala. The moment he heard about Maharshi, he was drawn towards that power. He soon arrived Tiruvannamalai and went to Gurumurtham. Prostrating before Maharshi, he experienced the divine power that radiated from the saint. He stayed there for a while and heard about the incidents at the cave. He saw there was no one responsible enough to take care of Maharshi. He decided it was his duty to remain at the service of Maharshi. He never moved away from the place. He remained there as an embodiment of service. The life history of Sri Ramana Maharshi would never be complete without the selfless and dedicated service put up by Palaniswami and the care and protection he provided to Maharshi.

There were many ordeals and obstacles. The hunger had to be suffered. The sleep had to be forgone. The hardship had to be borne. It was struggle all through. But he overcame all merely because of his determination, his conviction and dedication towards Arunachala. There were many occasions when he did not know where his food could come from, where he could sleep, how he could take the long journey, how to overcome the fatigue, how to protect himself. There were many such occasions and any one of these occasions could have been precipitated into a crisis. There was occasion when his life itself was at threat. But he survived them all, without making any effort from his side. Help came from some quarter, least expected. Because right from the moment he departed, he had surrendered himself completely to Lord Arunachala and remained under the satisfaction that Arunachala could take care of him. Like Lord Krishna had said that he could take care of those who surrender unto Him, here, every time the young Venkataraman needed some help or guidance, the Lord Arunachala himself came in the form of some attendants like the Moulvi at the train, Muthukrishna Swamy Bhagawathar at Arayaninallur, the house-wife at Arayaninallur, the drum player, the Mouna Swamigal, the Seshadri Swamigal at Tiruvannamalai, Sri Uthandi Nayanar, Sri Thambiran etc. Now it was the turn of Palaniswamy. They all came from nowhere in particular but they came in time to render necessary help to Maharshi. It is not a coincidence that help came whenever he badly needed it. But it came in some form or other. It is clear that one who renunciates everything and surrenders unto God would be taken care of by God Himself and many more Thambirans and Palaniswamies would come into their life. It is clear that Lord Himself comes in some human form to provide the solace, comfort and guidance to his devotees. A reader might get the impression that Maharshi in his previous Ashrama suffered some hardship. In fact, whatever strains he underwent were suffered by his body and not by himself. Besides, even the physical strains were ultimately culminated into eternal bliss at the sight of Lord Arunachala.

As the number of pilgrims swelled, the Gurumurtham premises was found too inadequate and Palaniswamy approached the Sri Venkatarama Naickar and requested him to spare a space for Maharshi in his mango orchard. Naickar readily agreed and Palaniswamy arranged the shifting of Maharshi to the Mango orchard. Apart from providing a congenial atmosphere for meditation, it also provided a kind of protection and security for Maharshi. Palaniswamy was always at the beck and call of Swami. He recited the Malayalam version of Adhyathma Ramayanam. He had brought with him some rare scriptures and he used to recite them before Maharshi.

The sudden departure of Venkataraman, the name Maharshi held in his earlier Ashrama, naturally created anxiety and tension in his house. His mother felt intensely sad by the unexpected separation of her son. They thought they almost lost him. Then, Nagaswamy, the brother, found the letter left by Venkataraman. He did not know how to go about searching his brother. They were left with no clue to where he could have gone. Almost two years passed. The mother, the brother and relations remained helpless and continued to look forward to some break. The mother eagerly looked for a day when her son would come and knock the door. Then, one fine morning, they got answer to the question that was bothering them. It came in the form of a message through a common friend who had just returned from the Mutt that Thambiran was associated him with. The friend said that he heard about a Maharshi belonging to Thiruchuzhi residing at Gurumurtham.

On hearing the news, uncle Nellayappar immediately proceeded to Tiruvannamalai along with a friend and managed to reach Maharshi. He was surprised that in place of the Venkataraman, the person he was very familiar with, he found a totally different sage. Rather than the affinity of a relation, he felt the veneration of a devotee towards his Guru. However, he had to fulfill the purpose for which he had come here. He knew it was futile to request Maharshi to come back to his maternal home and to come back to his ‘old self’. But he could not bear to see him in slender health and thought that if he could be located at Manamadurai, at least his basic necessities could be taken care of, while he could continue with his spiritual pursuit. He then mustered courage to express his suggestion that Maharshi should consider returning to Mana Madurai without in any way compromising his position. He said Mana Madurai is a sacred place and Maharshi could continue his spiritual mission from there. It would also bring some solace and comfort to Maharshi’s mother and relation, he added. Maharshi just listened to the pleadings of his uncle and reacted to it with his characteristic silence.

Maharshi was camping at Pavalakkunru, the place noted for its peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. Apart from Pavalagirinathar temple, Maharshi also used to sit in meditation at the cave here. Maharshi’s fame had spread far and near and devotees came in large number to seek the blessings of Maharshi. There were number of visitors seeking his blessings and guidance. One day, there were two special visitors who came to see Maharshi. The Maharshi was resting on a mount of rock at that time. They were none other Maharshi’s mother, Azhakammai and brother, Nagaswamy. As Azhagammai saw her son in the form of a saint she felt as if something undesirable has happened. After the normal exchange of enquiries, she repeated the pleas which Nellappar had already made; to return home. She soon realized that her son no more belonged to her, no more belonged to the family of Sundaram Iyer and no more belong to Thiruchuzhi. He now belonged to the entire world; and his only home was the Ashram.

Maharshi kept changing his seat of meditation. In the month of September 1899, he moved to Virupaksha cave, located on the eastern slope of the hill. The Virupaksha cave happened to be an ideal ground for Maharshi. It provided the seclusion, the serenity and solemnity needed for his pursuits. The cave got its name from that of a saint, Virupaksha Devar, who resided here for a long time and attained liberation. There is a Mutt here and also a memorial for the saint. Maharshi stayed here and nearby places for almost 17 years, contemplating and meditating, meeting devotees, guiding them and gracing them. (1899-1916). Virupaksha cave stood witness to many notable events like the first primary teaching (Who Am I?) given to his disciple, Sivaprakasam Pillai and clearing the doubts of Kavya Khanta Muni. After Maharshi’s arrival, Virupaksha cave which was more or less uninhabited suddenly became active. As the abode of Maharshi for over 17 years, the Virupaksha cave has attained a unique sanctity and devotees visiting Ramanasramam made it a point to visit Virupaksha cave also.

Initially, Maharshi remained withdrawn, always drawn inward and unwilling to deal with the world. He desired nothing. Occasionally, if someone brought food, he took it and again went back to his own world of isolation. No words were spoken and his face showed no trace of any expression. He seemed to have cut off not only from the world outside but also from his bodily and mental perception. But gradually, Maharshi opened up, unfolded himself and started reacting to the people. He then took the first few steps outside and walked a while. Soon, he came into contact with a saint, Padmanabha Swamigal who appeared with long grown beards. Maharshi came to know that Swamigal possessed a great treasure of Vedic scriptures. It was easy for Maharshi, who was already enlightened within, to comprehend these works. It was here, at the cave of Padmanabha Swamigal, Maharshi first studied Kaivalya Navaneetham, the most authoritative Tamil works of Sri Thandavaraya Swamigal that contained the essence of all Vedic scriptures in Sankrit. Maharshi also studied Jnana Vasishtam, the essence of teachings of sage Vasishta to Lord Sri Rama and composed by sage, Alavandan in Tamil. Maharshi also studied the Tamil version of Adi Sankara’s Viveka Choodamani, the songs of Shaiva Sidhars and Thiruvai Mozhi composed by Nammalwar. At the request of Gambhiram Seshayya, Maharshi translated the Viveka Choodamani and brought out the hidden meaning of this immortal works.

One of the works that very much impressed Maharshi was Ribhu Gita. Ribhu Gita is the translated version of the original Sanskrit epic ‘Sivarahasya’ which described in dialogue form the nature of the Self and Self as the form of Brahman. Maharshi often encouraged devotees to recite the verses of Ribhu Gita and joined them in rendering. On auspicious occasions like Karthigai Deepam, devotees came in large number to see Maharshi. People from all walks of life and from all parts of life came to Bhagawan to seek his guidance. They sought answers to various questions that bothered them. They wanted to know how to overcome miseries. Maharshi, who seldom spoke in detail, responded with one answer: "Find out who is feeling miseries". Some choose to stay with him, some went back and came again, some told their friends. The message that went from Virupaksha cave reached the whole world.

Maharshi had now moved to Skandasramam which is located slightly higher in the hill. Built by a devotee, Kandasami for the sake of Bhagavan, Kandasramam consists of an outer verandah, an inner room and mother’s room that overlook the northern tower of Arunachala temple. Bhagawan stayed here from 1916 to 1922. Maharshi’s mother, Alagammal, had also come and stayed in the Ashram, engaging herself in Ashram kitchen and other devotional work. Nagasundaram took sainthood and came to be known as Niranjananda. He came to be known as Chinnaswami among the devotees of Maharshi. Alagammal too received Mouna Deeksha from her own son and started leading a saintly life, apart from serving Maharshi in his every day needs. It would be pertinent to recall here an incident that happened in the house of Sundaram Iyer’s ancestors, many years ago. A saint, subsisting mainly on alms received from houses, had called at the house of Sundaram Iyer’s ancestors with a begging bowl. Apparantly, the house owner refused to entertain his request and sent him off. Irked by this attitude, the saint made a curse that someone from this family would take to saint-hood for generations to come. The curse became true. Starting from Sundaram Iyer’s paternal uncle, his own son, Venkataraman, then his brother, Nagasundaram and now his wife, Alagammal, all have taken to sainthood. But was it a curse? No saint would stoop to the level of cursing. Apart from being a curse, it was a blessing. The whole humanity would remain in gratitude for that un-known saint, whose blessings helped the humanity to uplift itself, whose blessings removed the ignorance of many and whose blessings elevated the devotees to a higher level of realization. The contribution of Sundaram Iyer’s family to the world of spirituality deserve to be written in golden letters.

Gradually, old age started showing signs of weakness and Alagammal became bed-ridden. Maharshi attended her with great care and affection. On May 19, 1922, the mother who presented to the world an outstanding personality bid farewell. While the last rites were being performed, Maharshi, stood silently displaying no signs of any emotion or grief. The next day the mortal remains of the mother was interred at the base of the mountain. A memorial was raised at the spot where she was buried.

Once, Maharshi came to the Mathrubootheswar temple at the basement and started meditating. As Maharshi was not seen at his usual abode of Kandhasramam, the disciples searched at all places and found Maharshi at the temple. They found Maharshi sitting there motionless and doing meditation. Later, Maharshi moved on to this place which came to be known as Ashram. Thus, Ramanasramam came into being.

It was a new life at Ashram. Maharshi could be seen doing diverse activities. His life consisted of receiving visitors, meditating and undertaking circumbulation of Arunachala. Apart from giving his Abaya Hastha (hands that provided refuge to the tormenting soul), he also lent his helping hands to the cooks at kitchen, stitching leaf-plates, cutting vegetables, reading proofs, looking into newspapers and books, suggesting lines of reply to letters, etc. He seemed to be everywhere, he seemed to be active, part of everything and yet he remained away from it all.

Sri Sadhu Om had said: " There are different spiritual practices like temple worship, japa, Nama Sangeerthanam, Dhyana, Sathsangh, hearing discourses, doing service etc. There is no doubt that each one of these will give its fruit in its own way. There is a means which will give the fruit of all these together at a time and that is, "Seeing a Sage’, the fact emphasised by Adi Sankara." It was a rejuvenating experience therefore to sit before Maharshi and experience the magic spell of his charm. Looking at his penetrating eyes, one felt an inexplicable sense of stillness and peace. Quite often he used to go for circumbulation of the hill (Girivalam). Devotees followed him by rendering songs in praise of Arunachala. As the number of visitors increased, the meditation hall was packed to its capacity. They would stay back to worship the Lord of Mathrubootheswar. The temple having been renovated, holy waters having brought from sacred rivers like Ganga and Kaveri, the Kumbhabhishekam of Matru bootheswar temple was conducted on 14th March 1940 in the august presence of Maharshi on a grand scale.

Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Maharshi functioned harmoniously. Though they differed on the means and ends of life, they maintained a sort of wavelength and respected each other. Once, Seshadri Swamigal stated: "One who worships Arunachala would attain liberation (Mukti)". Maharshi then posed a question "Who is the worshipper and who is being worshipped"? "That is what I too want to know" replied Seshadri Swamigal. Invariably, devotees who came to see Maharshi also called on Seshadri Swamigal and Swamigal would also give them advices and guidance. Though they called Seshadri Swamigal as Periya Swamigal (Senior Pontiff) and Bhagawan as Chinna Swamigal (Junior Pontiff), strangely enough it was the Periya Swamigal who called on Chinna Swamigal. But this description was more as a mark of identification as there was no distinction between the two.

The year 1929 stood witness to the departure of Seshadri Swamigal from this world. People came from all over the country and congregated at the burial ground to pay their reverence and respect to a saint who tirelessly worked for the emancipation of mankind. Maharshi also turned up and participated in the event.

Some changes were visible in Swamiji’s body. He had not even reached the age of 70. His health condition gradually deteriorated. But Swamiji was least concerned. He continued with his usual activities like reading the books, receiving visitors, peeping into the kitchen, visiting Matrubootheswar temple etc. But he could not move swiftly like before. The physicians came, prescribed the medicines and advised certain tests. Physicians, disciples, devotees and everyone were concerned about Bhagawan’s health and came forward to do whatever service possible for reviving the Bhagawan. But Bhagawan, watching all that is happening, looked least concerned. His face was serene and calm as it always was. It was his disciples who looked worried. Bhagawan seemed to be more concerned about them than himself. Ironically, rather than the devotees consoling Bhagawan, it was Bhagawan who was consoling them. "Do not take this body for ME and attribute the body’s sufferings to ME" he said.

They continued to pray Lord Arunachala for saving their dear Maharshi. But deep within their heart, they sensed the impending arrival of death to a most loved personality. But no one, not even Bhagawan, is immortal. One has to accept death as it comes and even welcome it. Here, one should remember Bhagawan’s own saying: "What will happen will not fail to happen, however much one may seek to prevent it"

Bhagawan believed that this body is an unavoidable component for certain time and one has to carry it in order to keep the light within (Athman) alive. This body is a mere means to carry out a divine will. It is like the load a labourer carries on his head. When the labour reaches the destination and unloads the burden, he heaves a sigh of relief. There was an incident when two persons after serving as a pall-bearers of a dead body turned up to Ashram for food. Someone objected to their entry as they were polluted. Bhagawan said that in a sense, we are all pall-bears and carry our own body which is more or less dead. Bhagawan advocated that one who seeks to realize his true self should refrain from identifying himself with the body. One should only realize the futility of the body but at the same time he should acknowledge the existence of the body and attend to its needs almost as an unavoidable (or avoidable?) necessity. Just as one who uses the spoon to taste a sweet delicacy, one uses his body as a tool to attain his end. Body is just an instrument, a vehicle to reach your final destination and one should not cling on to it even when the destination is reached. But Bhagawan went a step ahead. He did not even acknowledge the existence of his body. He lived a life totally independent of his body. The question of caring the body would have come only if he was conscious about it. But he was not even aware of a body being attached to him, not to speak of attending to its needs. Thanks to his disciples, they kept the burning flame of Bhagawan’s "Self" alive by attending to the basic needs of his body. Knowing his contempt towards his body, they were aware of the fact that Bhagawan could cast off his body at an appropriate time.

A team of Doctors mobilized all their expertise and knowledge to fight the disease and save the life of Maharshi but it seemed they were losing the battle. But in the midst of gloom, there was an occasion to celebrate. Bhagawan’s birth day which fell on 5th January 1950, was ‘celebrated’ as the Jayanthi Vizha. Maharshi participated in the event and moved about freely with all assembled people. As days passed by, the time for farewell came. The face of Bhagawan lit up when devotees started chanting Akshara Mana Malai hymns. He cast his glance over all people assembled around him. He then breathed deep inside and the air that went inside stayed. He became still.

"Would you not be happy if you were given the opportunity to unload your heavy burden"? asked Bhagawan on an earlier occasion. Such a happy moment has come to Bhagawan but not necessarily for his disciples and devotees. The demise cast a pall of gloom and sadness prevailed all over. It meant parting with the physical presence of someone who was like a friend, guide and philosopher. One could no longer see him moving about spreading the light of knowledge all around, guiding the aspirants to the path of realization and exuding his grace all over. As if he has performed the divine mission for which he manifested himself as Sri Ramana, he has departed from his dear and near ones.

The body of Maharshi was buried for interment at a particular spot near the Mathrubuteswara Temple amidst cries and wailing of devotees, his head facing the direction of Lord Arunachala. The body was lowered into the pit specially constructed and two devotees, Subramania Swami and Vaikunta Vasar were at the bottom to receive it and place it in position. After the ritual, the pit was filled with flowers, the sacred ashes of Vibuti and sands and closed with granite slabs. Maharshi’s Samadhi came up here.

Sri Ramana Maharshi has departed. The world was going to miss one of the eminent spiritual leaders. The world of spirituality was going to lose one of its powerful spokesman. Tiruvannamalai was going to miss one of its remarkable citizen who had drawn the attention of the world towards this temple town. It was hard for the devotees to reconcile themselves to a world without their Master. It was hard to believe that Maharshi on whom the whole Ashram revolved would not be there to give his advice, guidance and grace. He may not be around in his usual form but his divine self will be around to grace the devotees for all time to come. Earlier, when someone mentioned about his ultimate departure, he said in his characteristic style: "How can I go"? "Where can I go"?

He conveyed to the world a great truth about "Self" and he conveyed it without speaking it in so many words. He conveyed the message of universal importance in simple terms. His mere presence aroused the consciousness and brought new vision. There was a divine aura surrounding him and intellectuals all over the world came to him to know and experience the greatness of this personality. They considered their visit to Maharshi most worthwhile and satisfying and went back to ponder over the experience and awaken by it.

It is impossible to measure the achievements of Maharshi. Someone described him as a Spiritual Scientist. Any attempt to describe him or his achievements would be limiting him to a human frame work. with concern for human welfare. To give him a stamp of identity as a philosopher, a scholar or a scientist or even as a Maharshi is to limit his infinite qualities. We call him Maharshi for want of a better term. He was a Yuga Purusha, the manifestation of Lord Shiva, who has come to earth, not to achieve a set goal but perform a divine will. He was a divine personality who manifested as human in order to raise the humanity to the divine level. He came to awaken humanity and help it to realize its divine self. Humanity would acknowledge with reverence the immense contribution he has made for their spiritual fulfillment.

NoteThis is an excerpt from the book: "Thoughts on Ramana Maharshi" now being written by the author, V.S. Krishnan.