Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

(40) ASTHI, BHATHI AND PRIYAM (EXISTENCE, CONSCIOUSNESS AND BLISS)

Prev Next    11th April, 1946
Yesterday, between 10 and 11 a.m., a Parsi doctor
brought a letter and gave it to Bhagavan. Bhagavan got it
read out by a devotee, and said, “He himself has written the
question and the answer as well. What else is there for me to
say?” As the letter was in English, I could not understand it.

The devotee who read it looked at Bhagavan and asked,
“Asthi, bhathi, and priyam, are written there. What do they
mean?” “Asthi means Truth, that which IS. Bhathi means lustre
and priyam means anandam. That is sat-chit-ananda swarupa.

Sat-chit-ananda is spoken of as asthi, bhathi and priyam. Both
sets of expression mean the same,” said Bhagavan.

The same devotee asked, “As Atma is devoid of name or
form, should it be meditated upon with ‘jnana atheetha bhakti’,
bhakti, which is superior to and above jnana?” Bhagavan
replied, “If you say that you should meditate, doesn’t that
imply dwaita (dualism)? It implies one who meditates, and
that on which he meditates; Atma however is nameless and
formless. How is it possible to meditate upon the nameless
and formless? ‘Jnana atheetha bhakti’ means one’s own Self,
nameless and formless, just a Witness. The ‘I’ is one’s own
self. That ‘I’ is everywhere, Only one ‘I’. Then what is there
to meditate upon? Who is it that meditates? It is the ‘I’ that
is everywhere which is called asthi, bhathi and priyam, or sat-
chit-anandam. The names are many, but the thing is only one,”
said Bhagavan.


(c) Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi | Words of Bhagavan Ramana | Bhagavan Ramana Photos

Prev Next    TOC 39. Uma 40. Asthi, Bhathi and Priyam (Existence, Consciousne 41. The True Nature of Pradakshina 42. Abhayam Sarva Bhuthebhyaha (Compassion Towards All) 43. That Which Is, is Only One 44. The Black Cow 45. Paratpara Rupam (Form of the Supreme Being) 46. The Ethics of Social Existence 47. Which is the Vehicle? 48. Japa, Tapa and the Like 49. What is Samadhi 50. What is Sarvam (Everything)? (How to See Everything as One’s Self)