SHRI BHAGAVAN'S GRACE
By Gouriammal
MY father was always an earnest devotee of Sri Bhagavan.
Whenever he happened to be at Tiruvannamalai on an official
visit he never missed going to see Bhagavan. At that time
Bhagavan was residing at Virupaksha Cave. My father would
sometimes take me with him. I think I was seven years old
when I saw Bhagavan for the first time. But it was much later
that I came to stay close to Ramanasramam. Thus I got many
opportunities to meet and talk to Bhagavan.
Once I asked Bhagavan what I should do to be on the spiritual
path. He said, "Do what you want to do but keep doing it;
don't remain doing nothing. Repeat the name, or think deeply
or seek the source of your `I' consciousness, do Atma Vichara
but keep working on yourself. This is very important".
One instance of his grace to his devotees is his
recommendation of two songs from Tiruppugazh to help them
get their daughters married. The devotees of Bhagavan
believed firmly that it was enough to sing the two songs from
Tiruppugazh before Bhagavan to have the marriage arranged
in the best way possible. There is another song in Tiruppugazh
in which God is invited to come to the house as a newborn
child. When anyone approached Bhagavan praying for a child
he would tell them to sing that song.
I stayed at Ramana Nagar, where my house was situated,
for eight years. Those were the most memorable and fruitful
years of my life. How sweet they were and how many
miracles happened before my very eyes! Once Dr Sreenivasa
Rao was telling Bhagavan how good it would be for him to
eat more pineapples, when somebody entered the hall with
a heap of pineapples on a tray. On another occasion,
Bhagavan was mentioning one Gajanana Sharma who used
Page 169
to stay with him some years earlier and enquired about his
present whereabouts and doings. At that very moment the
Postmaster entered the hall and in the mail there was a letter
from Gajanana Sharma with photos and details about his
life, Ashram, and disciples. Bhagavan said, "Look at this,
how wonderful! I was telling about him just now and here it
all comes".
On another day a well-meaning but ignorant devotee
insisted that Bhagavan should take the glass of orange juice
that he had brought. Bhagavan was annoyed at being treated
partially and said, "If you give anything to me without giving
it to all, it will be like poison to me". When the devotee said
that next time all would be given orange juice, Bhagavan said,
"What is the use of giving because I tell you? You should
know by this time that they are all myself and what you give
them you are giving me". Bhagavan disapproved of any
difference made between him and others.
Once my sister's five-year old son was bitten by a snake
and in desperation she brought the child to Bhagavan. The
doctor had given up hope and the boy was perspiring profusely
and was in great pain. The child was already stiff with glazed
eyes and was breathing heavily. The mother of the child was
weeping all the way and carried him to Bhagavan. When
Bhagavan saw her he said, "Don't weep, don't weep. It is
nothing". He passed his hand over the child and within a few
minutes the boy recovered his senses and sat up. They sat in
the hall for some time but as it was late in the evening the
mother was told to take the child home. As she was leaving
she saw a Muslim devotee on the porch in front of Bhagavan's
Hall, murmuring his prayers. By profession he was a snake
charmer and a snakebite healer. When he saw them he said,
"The boy was dying of snakebite, but since you were going
to see Bhagavan I kept quiet. Now the child is safe, but the
Page 170
poison is still in his body and I had better chant some charms
to get it out". He chanted some prayers and then asked them
to go. Bhagavan had saved the child but wanted the snake
charmer to take the credit.
Ramana Sadguru
By Arthur Osborne
To feel, to know, to be the Christ within --
Can there then be love for Christ on earth,
Walking like men, seen as a man is seen?
Seek not to argue; love has greater worth.
Love makes man kin.
With the Beloved. Such have I known,
Him of the lustrous eyes, Him whose sole look
Pierced to the heart, wherein the seed was sown
Of wisdom deeper than in holy book,
Of truth alone
Not to be learned but lived, Truth in its hour
To sprout within the heart's dark, wintry earth
And grow a vibrant thing, then, come to power,
To slay the seeming self that gave it birth,
Or to devour.
Heart of my heart, seen outwardly as one
In human form, to draw my human love,
Lord Ramana, Guru, the risen Sun,
Self manifest, the guide of all who rove,
Lost and alone.
In tangled thoughts and vain imaginings,
Back to pure Being, which your radiant smile,
Full of compassion for my wanderings,
Tells me I always was, though lost this while
In a world of things.