Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

“In Sri Ramana Leela it is stated, that while Sambandha
was coming to Tiruvannamalai the forest tribes robbed him
of his possessions. He was a man of wisdom and knowledge.

What property had he?”, I asked. “Oh! that! He followed
the path of devotion, didn’t he? Therefore he had golden
bells and a pearl palanquin and other symbols of that
nature according to the injunctions of Ishwara. He had
also a mutt (an establishment for monks) and all that a mutt
requires,” said Bhagavan. “Is that so? When did he get all
those?” I asked.

Bhagavan replied with a voice full of emotion, “From
the time when he acquired the name of Jnana Sambandha,
that is, even from his childhood, he used to sing with
uninterrupted poetic flow and go on pilgrimage. He first
visited a holy place called Thirukolakka, went into the temple
there, sang verses in praise of the Lord, beating time with
his little hands. God appreciated it and gave him a pair of
golden bells for beating time. From that day onwards the
golden bells were in his hands whatever he sang and wherever
he went. Thereafter he visited Chidambaram and other holy
places and then went to a pilgrim centre called Maranpadi.

There were no trains in those days. The presiding deity in
that place observed this little boy visiting holy places on foot.

So His heart melted with pity and He created a pearl
palanquin, a pearl umbrella and other accompaniments
bedecked with pearls suitable for sannyasis, left them in the
temple, appeared to the brahmin priests there and to
Sambandha in their dreams and told the Brahmins, ‘Give
them to Sambandha with proper honours,’ and told
Sambandha, ‘The Brahmins will give you all these; take them.’
As they were gifts from Gods he could not refuse them. So
Sambandha accepted with reverential salutations by doing
pradakshina, etc. and then got into the palanquin. From that
time onwards he used to go about in that palanquin wherever
he went. Gradually some staff gathered around him and a
mutt was established. But whenever he approached a holy
place, he used to alight from the palanquin as soon as he
saw the gopura (tower) of the shrine and from there onwards,
he travelled on foot until he entered the place. He came
here on foot from Tirukoilur as the peak of Arunagiri is
visible from there.”
A Tamil devotee said that that visit was not clearly
mentioned in Periapuranam, to which Bhagavan replied as
follows:
“No. It is not in Periapuranam. But it is stated in
Upamanyu’s Sivabhaktivilasam in Sanskrit. Sambandha
worshipped Virateswara in Arakandanallur and won the god’s
favour with his verses and then he worshipped
Athulyanatheswara in the same way. From there he beheld
the peak of Arunagiri and sang verses out of excess of joy
and installed an image of Arunachaleswara in the same spot.

While he was seated there on a mandapam, God
Arunachaleswara appeared to him first in the shape of a
Jyoti (light) and then in the shape of an old brahmin.

Sambandha did not know who that old brahmin was. The
brahmin had in his hand a flower basket. Unaccountably,
Sambandha’s mind was attracted towards that brahmin like a
magnet. He at once asked him with folded hands, ‘Where
do you come from?’ ‘I have just come from Arunachalam.

My village is here, nearby,’ replied the brahmin. Sambandha
asked him in surprise, ‘Arunachala! But how long ago did
you come here?’ The brahmin replied indifferently ‘How long
ago? Daily I come here in the morning to gather flowers to
make a garland for Lord Arunachala and return there by
the afternoon.’ Sambandha was surprised and said, ‘Is that
so? But they said it is very far from here?’ The old brahmin
said, ‘Who told you so? You can reach there in one stride.

What is there great in it?’ Having heard that, Sambandha
became anxious to visit Arunachala and asked, ‘If so, can I
walk there?’ The old man replied, ‘Ah! If an aged man like
myself goes there and comes here daily, can’t a youth like
you do it? What are you saying?’
“With great eagerness Sambandha asked, ‘Sir, if that is
so, please take me also along with you,’ and started at once
with all his entourage. The brahmin was going in advance
and the party was following behind. Suddenly the brahmin
disappeared. As the party was looking here and there, in
confusion, a group of hunters surrounded them, and robbed
them of the palanquin, umbrella, golden bells and all the
pearls and other valuable articles, their provisions and even
the clothes they were wearing. They were left with only their
loin clothes. They did not know the way; it was very hot and
there was no shelter, and all were hungry as it was time for
taking food. What could they do? Then Sambandha prayed
to God. ‘Oh! Lord, why am I being tested like this? I don’t
care what happens to me, but why should these followers of
mine be put to this hard test?’ On hearing those prayers,
God appeared in His real form and said, ‘My son, these
hunters too are my Pramatha Ganas (personal attendants).

They deprived you of all your possessions as it is best to
proceed to the worship of Lord Arunachala without any show
or pomp. All your belongings will be restored to you as soon
as you reach there. It is noon time now. You may enjoy the
feast and then proceed farther’. So saying He disappeared.

“At once, a big tent appeared on a level space nearby.

Some Brahmins came out of the tent and invited Sambandha
and his party to their tent, entertained them to a feast with
delicious dishes of various kinds and with chandanam (sandal
paste) and thambulam (betel leaves). Sambandha who was all
along entertaining others, was himself entertained by the Lord
Himself. After they had rested for a while, one of the Brahmins
in the tent got up and said, ‘Sir, shall we proceed to Arunagiri?’
Sambandha was extremely happy and accompanied the
brahmin along with his followers. But as soon as they set out
on their journey, the tent together with the people in it
disappeared. While Sambandha was feeling astonished at those
strange happenings, the guide who had been leading them to
Arunachala disappeared as soon as they arrived there.

Suddenly, the tent along with the people in it and the hunters
who had robbed them previously appeared from all sides and
restored to Sambandha all his belongings which they had
robbed previously, and vanished. With tears of joy, Sambandha
praised the Lord for His great kindness, stayed there for some
days, worshipped Him with flowers of verses and then
proceeded on his journey. Out of His affection for Sambandha,
who was serving Him with reverence, God Himself, it would
appear, invited him to this hill.”
So saying, Bhagavan assumed silence, with his heart
filled with devotion and with his voice trembling with
emotion.