48. MIRACLES
WHILE B.V. Narasimhaswami sat in Bhagavan'spresence and was translating Vivekananda's Life
and Teachings into Tamil he wondered if Bhagavan had
the power to bestow the experience of Reality by his mere
touch just as Sri Ramakrishna had. Before he could express
his thought, Echammal came and asked Bhagavan whether
occult powers could be obtained by all people.
As a reply to both of them, Bhagavan quoted verse
35 of Ulladu Narpadu (Reality in Forty Verses):
To discern and abide in the ever present Reality is
true attainment. All other attainments are like
powers enjoyed in a dream. When the sleeper wakes,
are they real? Those who stay in the state of Truth,
having cast off the unreal — will they ever be deluded?
— Tr. K. Swaminathan
Bhagavan's main upadesa was that to realize Reality
and abide in it was the sum total of all powers and that
one should not be distracted by those temporary powers
which accrued on the way.
Bhagavan also said that if one was destined, occult
powers would be obtained. The Maharshi also would quote
verse 15 of Supplement to Reality in Forty Verses:
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Not realizing that they themselves are moved by
Energy not their own, some fools are busy seeking
miraculous powers. Their antics are like the boast of
the cripple who said to his friends `If you raise me to
my feet, these enemies are nothing before me.'
? K. Swaminathan
Bhagavan's disciples also are generally of this view. Yet some
of them say, "Bhagavan is an avatar of Skanda, he is a jnani [?]
hence he also has all occult powers." For ordinary people siddhis
mattered most. This chapter has been devised to show the
difference in the view points of Bhagavan's devotees and others.
Another point about these miracles is that not
everyone who came to visit Bhagavan experienced them
and to conclude therefore that they could not be true
would be erroneous. After all, the experiences depended
on the prarabdha of the devotees.
It was said that during his stay on the hill Bhagavan
was reputed to be capable of speaking the language of
animals and of understanding their mind. Apart from
that, Bhagavan would speak to his new visitors in the
language native to them and often would clear their doubts
directly or indirectly even before they articulated them.
Natanananda's brother once thought of Bhagavan,
"They say that he has the spark of Easwara, if so why can't
he read my thoughts and clarify my doubts regarding the
nature of the atma." Normally Bhagavan who never spoke
without being asked, took the initiative and explained
the nature of the atma to him.
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Both Seshadri Swami and Bhagavan had a soft corner
for Kulumani Narayana Sastry. He wished to show his
prose rendering in Sanskrit of Valmiki's Ramayana to
Bhagavan and set out on that mission. Not wishing to go
empty-handed he bought a bunch of bananas and as he
had to pass by a temple on his way to Bhagavan he offered
one banana to Ganapati purely mentally and took it also
to Bhagavan and gave the entire bunch to him. Someone
at the ashram was about to keep the bunch inside when
Bhagavan said to him, "Wait a bit. Let him take out the
fruit offered to Ganapati."
Before Sastry could begin talking about his Ramayana
Bhagavan said, "Why not take out your Ramayana and
read it out?"
For some years, Gopala Pillai, a Police Inspector, helped
in collecting donations for the jayanti celebrations; as he
was transferred the devotees felt discouraged and they went
and complained to Bhagavan: "Last year we were able to
cook ten bags of rice, it looks as if we will not be able to
have even one bag." Bhagavan heard that and kept quiet.
That day, at midnight, someone knocked at the Ashram
gate and when it was opened they noticed that two cart
loads of food materials were brought for the Ashram. The
philanthropist did not reveal his name but simply said that
he had vowed to give the donation and left.
This kind of a thing happened many times. On several
occasions whenever the store-room was empty, the fact
would be mentioned to Bhagavan and miraculously, the
deficiency would be rectified.
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A number of persons wishing to know their future,
would ask Bhagavan about it. But he never would give a
reply — but there could be no doubt that he knew the
shape of things to come.
Some Hindi-speaking people who had settled in Fiji
visited Bhagavan and complained to him, "Bhagavan, your
biography is available in several languages but not in
Hindi." Bhagavan said, "The author of the Hindi
biography is now coming with it." At that time there was
no inkling of the author, Venkateswara Sarma, coming
there. But he did arrive with his translation within minutes
of Bhagavan's saying so.
While at Yerravada jail Mahatma Gandhi commenced
his fast, many were concerned about his health and his
very survival. One of them read this news in the papers
and became agitated. Observing him, Bhagavan asked
him what the matter was. He wailed, "Gandhi may no
longer be amidst us. Who is to guide us?" Bhagavan smiled
and remarked, "Is it so?" To the devotee this remark came
as an elixir. What happened later is history.
By his benign look Bhagavan rid devotees of their
ailments — as we saw in the cases of Ramaswamy Iyer and
Echammal. Here is another instance.
Griddalur Satyanarayana Rao developed cancer along
the inner wall of his alimentary canal which made it
difficult for him even to swallow water. No medicine could
be administered either. His relatives mentioned that to
Bhagavan who went to look him up. The patient sat up
and said to Bhagavan, "You may take me to be a sinner
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alright but both my mother and brother are true devotees
of yours, won't you save me at least for their sake?" He
seized Bhagavan's hand and placed it on his heart. Bhagavan
made him lie down and kept looking at his heart for
about four minutes and left. That night the patient
vomitted lumps of flesh and blood as if someone performed
surgery inside. The next day he was able to take medicines
as well as food.
Bhagavan's words had a great force. Once an
intoxicated young man walked into the hall shouting
`Aham Brahmasmi.' Bhagavan watched and kept quiet
for some time but the shouting was causing disturbance
to those meditating. Bhagavan said softly to him `Be
quiet.' With that, the young man simply lost all power
of speech. Many people were cured of diseases with the
vibhuti taken from the Ashram.
One night, when food was got ready for twenty
people suddenly another twenty arrived for dinner.
Santamma who worked in the kitchen went and appealed
to Bhagavan. Strangely, the food was sufficient for all of
them.
In 1905, Bhagavan stayed at Pachaiamman Kovil.
The stay was arranged by a devotee, Rangaswami Iyengar.
The latter went out to answer a call of nature and just
about then a leopard arrived there. He tried to frighten
the leopard but it growled. He was terrified and chanting
Ramana's name began running for life. Normally, a leopard
would not leave such a person but it kept quiet. Bhagavan
arrived near that place and asked the devotee to show him
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the leopard. But it was no longer to be seen there. Such
could be the power of Ramana nama smarana.
Another incident occurred at Pachaiamman Kovil.
A devotee who had arrived from Madras went out to
bathe at a tank close by. Bhagavan who was talking to
some visitors in the kovil, suddenly got up and went out.
By that time a tiger was looking at the new person near
the tank, maybe for a meal! At Bhagavan's behest the tiger
went back to the forest. The visitor was thus saved.
Bhagavan appeared as a column of light to some.
Both Sivaprakasam Pillai and Ganapati Muni had unusual
visions as we have already seen. Here is another such
instance.
One Raghavachari was an overseer at Tiruvannamalai
from 1910 onwards. He had Bhagavan's darshan off and
on but whenever he went, Bhagavan would be amidst a
group of people and so Raghavachari was reluctant to
speak to Bhagavan who was not alone. Here is what
happened once, in his own words:
One day, I went up with an intent to submit three
questions or requests to Bhagavan. The questions were:
(i) Can you grant me a few minutes for a private
personal talk-free from the presence of others? (ii) I
should like to have your opinion on the Theosophical
society of which I am a member; (iii) Will you please
enable me to see your real form if I am eligible to see it?
When I went and prostrated (to Bhagavan) and sat,
there was a crowd of thirty persons, but (on their
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own) they immediately dispersed. So I was alone
with him and my first query was thus answered
without my having to state it. That struck me as
noteworthy.
Then he asked me of his own accord if the book in
my hand was the Gita and if I was a member of the
T.S. and remarked even before I attempted to answer
his queries, `It is doing good work.' I answered his
questions in the affirmative.
My second question also being thus anticipated, I
waited with an eager mind for the third answer.
After half an hour I said `Just as Arjuna wished to see
the form of Sri Krishna and asked for darshan I wish
to have a darshan of your real form, if I am eligible.'
He was then seated on the pial with a picture of
Dakshinamurthy painted on the wall next to him.
He silently gazed on as usual and I gazed into his
eyes. Then his body and also the picture of
Dakshinamurthy disappeared from my view. There
was only empty space without even a wall, before
my eyes. Then a whitish cloud in the outline of the
Maharshi and of Dakshinamurthy, formed before
my eyes. Gradually the outline (with silvery lines) of
these figures appeared. Then eyes, nose etc., and
other details were outlined in lightning-like lines.
These gradually broadened till the whole figure of
the Swami and Dakshinamurthy became ablaze with
very strong and unendurable light. I closed my eyes
in consequence. I waited a few minutes and then
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saw him and Dakshinamurthy in the usual form. I
prostrated and came away. For a month thereafter I
did not dare go near him, so great was the impression
the above experience made on me. After a month, I
went up and saw him in front of Skandasramam. I
told him `I had put to you a question a month ago
and I had this experience' and narrated the above
experience to him. I requested him to explain it.
Then, after a pause he said `You wanted to see my
form. You saw my disappearance. I am formless. So
that experience might be the real truth. The further
visions may be according to your own conceptions
derived from the study of Bhagavad Gita. But
Ganapati Sastry had a similar experience and you
may consult him.' I did not in fact consult Sastri.
? Extracted from Narasimha Swami's Self
Realisation
Readers would have guessed by now that Bhagavan
had occult powers just like siddha purushas. Bhagavan
himself once said that he moved in different lokas
simultaneously and that he lived in different forms in the
different lokas.
Once Bhagavan revealed that Arunagiri had a vast
interior in which even an army battalion could stay and
that several yogis performed tapas [?] there. This was something
no ordinary mortal could say.
Bhagavan's act of grace in appearing to Ganapati Muni
at Tiruvottiyur has already been described. Here is one
more instance of the same type.
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Amritanatha, one of the questioners in Ramana Gita,
had been to Haridwar once. He and his friend,
Sankarananda, were performing tapas [?] at the Turiya ashram.
During a conversation Sankarananda remarked that after
Vidyaranya there were no more siddhas and jnanis in the
country. Amritanatha disagreed with this and cited the
instance of Bhagavan as a complete siddha [?] and jnani [?]. But
Sankarananda did not accept it. Thereupon Amritanatha
said, "You are a devotee of Kartikeya, and we think that
Bhagavan is an avatar of Kartikeya. Here is a picture of
Bhagavan. You may sit in front of it and perform Kartikeya
japa for some time. If you do not experience Bhagavan's
grace by then, I am prepared to agree with you."
Taking up the challenge Sankarananda performed
Kartikeya japa for half an hour each day. Four days passed.
On the fifth day at dusk when Sankarananda was at his
japa a great light entered Bhagavan's picture and said to
him, "You are not performing the japa in the proper way."
"What is the proper way?" Sankarananda asked.
"You have to perform pooja and dhyana [?] of the image
in Kadhirkamam of Ceylon:" said Ramana in the picture.
Sankarananda said, "I have never been to Kadhirkamam,
what does that image look like?"
"Here it is," said the picture and placed the image in
front of Sankarananda. He then began watching the image
with one eye and Ramana's picture with the other.
Suddenly a lizard fell on his lap and he was distracted.
When he turned to look at the image and Ramana neither
of them was there. He ran out and made enquiries of
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some labourers who were working outside the cottage.
They said that nobody had either entered the cottage or
left it all the while. By then Amritanatha arrived.
Sankarananda asked him, "Is there any difference between
your Swami and the picture?" The reply was "There is
grey hair to mark out the forehead and the rest is dark."
Sankarananda immediately set out for Arunachala and
after an eventful journey of some months reached Arunachala
and met Bhagavan at Skandasramam. Immediately on seeing
him Bhagavan asked him in Malayalam, "Aren't you coming
from Haridwar?" Sankarananda was stunned. The person he
saw at Haridwar was Ramana. But everyone said ? "Ramana
never left this place."
Sankarananda authored the Ramanashtakam, stayed
at Parrot cave for two months and served Bhagavan. He
also wrote Sri Ramanaashtotharasata Namavali and the
method of performing Ramana japa and submitted them
to Bhagavan along with five slokas. As the climate of
Arunachala did not suit him he went back to Uttara Kasi.
The miracles which would take place in the presence
of Bhagavan were legion. Here are a few examples.
On a Jayanti day a golden-hued mongoose went up the hill
like the rest of the devotees, everyone was watching its movements
in amazement. The mongoose first went to Virupaksha cave,
saw Palaniswami there and moved about like a long-time friend,
inspected the cave and not finding Bhagavan there walked up
to Skandasramam. The mongoose passed by the people and
went close to Bhagavan. After he caressed it, the mongoose sat
on his lap for some time and went inside the ashram and came
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out. During meal time the mongoose walked up and down
gravely as if inspecting everything. It did not partake of any food
but after a while moved out in the southern direction of the hill
but not down the hill.
On one occasion when Bhagavan was coming down
the hill to go on a giri-pradakshina, suddenly he
experienced that the sky was waist-high and that the stars
were revolving round him. On another occasion, while
on a giri pradakshina at Gautama Ashrama Bhagavan
experienced six stars going round the hill one after another.
Similarly on another occasion of giri-pradakshina a brilliant
light enveloped Bhagavan's party of about fifteen persons
and stayed that way for a few minutes and disappeared.
This was seen by everyone.
While Bhagavan and his party were resting at the
Adi Annamalai temple on one occasion somebody reciting
the Sama Veda was heard. But nobody, not even Bhagavan,
saw the singer.
Some devotees of Bhagavan said to him: "Bhagavan,
you often say that the Heart is on the right side of the
chest but we do not experience it." Bhagavan invited
them to touch his Heart on the right side of the chest.
Each one felt three palpitations and an interval thereafter.
They also felt a new energy surging in them.
Ashramites had innumerable experiences of Bhagavan's
miracles, even in relatively minor matters. But Bhagavan
would be totally unconcerned about them all.