49. THE NATURE OF THE
AVATAR

MODERNISTS do not have faith in the existence of
a heaven, or a hell and the like; they expect proof of
everything.

      An advocate from Madurai once asked Bhagavan if
there were devatas and bhutas really.

      Bhagavan: Yes. Yet their lokas like our own are only
relative truths.

      Advocate: So, are Siva and others not mere imaginary
figures but real?

Bhagavan: Surely.
Advocate: If they are also similar to us, it means that
they also suffer the consequences of deluge
(pralaya).

      Bhagavan: It is not like that. If even you can become
a jnani ^[?], a liberated person, and Brahman
they, who are much more intelligent, can
surely become the immortal Brahman.

      We have already noticed that Ganapati Muni
emphatically asserted in the Ramana Gita that Bhagavan
was an avatar of Skanda. Who is Skanda? What does an
avatar mean?

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Easwara loves all life and he becomes embodied,
through maya ^[?], for the benefit of living beings. He also
assumes certain divine forms for the benefit of people or
for specific purposes.

      One of those forms is known as Skanda. He is the
presiding deity of all weapons and the concealed power of
the mantras connected with them. In Chandogya Upanishad
he is referred to as Sanatkumara. He is worshipped as
Kumara, Subrahmanya, or as Senani (Commander). He
is an ocean of wisdom capable of rendering asunder all
attachments, he is the guru. The theory is that such a
universal guru appeared as Ramana to impart jnana ^[?] by his
teachings to humanity.

      The expression `avatara' means the descent in human
form of an aspect of Easwara for a certain specified purpose.
There are different types of avatars.

      Even we have a divine spark but unless it is specifically
noticed we cannot claim to be avatars. By constant tapas ^[?]
a person may, step by step, come to express some aspect
of the divine. Such persons remain only as tapasvins but
do not become avatars. If the power of Easwara expresses
itself explosively on its own in all the five sheaths suddenly,
only then is an avatar said to manifest itself.

      Different deities, like Siva, assume human form for
discharging specific purposes. Rama and others appeared to
eliminate the asuric forces and to impart jnana ^[?]. Siva is said to
be the cause of dissolution (laya karaka) and physically causes
the deluge but inherently he is the one who destroys the
manas ^[?] (manolaya karaka) which in turn destroys individuality.

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      His son Kumara is the presiding deity of all the mantras of
weapons and is the personification of jnana ^[?], he is the guru.
Siva's form as guru is known as Dakshinamurti which can
also be referred to as Skandamurti. Ramana is a guru of that
type, come to impart jnana ^[?].

      Ordinary yogis cannot survive the vision of the
embodied Brahman. Both Chaitanya, an avatara of
Krishna and Sri Ramakrishna lost control over the physical
body on the appearance of the Light. If the state beyond
it enters the body it cannot survive. It is said by some that
it was because of this that Yagnavalkya dissuaded his spouse
Gargi from seeking what should not be sought. Bhagavan
did not lose control of his body or mind; such a thing
would be impossible had he not been an avatar.

      Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa clarified that the
feeling of unity with Brahman cannot be experienced
except in the nirvikalpa Samadhi state and that the body
cannot last beyond twenty one days in the nirvakalpa samadhi
state. A study of the lives of yogis also shows that
the body does not last long in the nirvikalpa samadhi ^[?]
state. Hence on that ground also Ramana has to be
considered an avatara.

      By saying that the Maharshi is an avatara of Skanda
nothing is lost; it does not in any way detract from his
greatness. But it behoves us to explain the nature of the
guru to the extent possible. Inference and evidence are
the standards by which proof is to be adduced.

i.

      Right from his young days Ramana, even when he
did not know who Easwara was, had the cognition of Arunachala.

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ii.

      He obtained jnana ^[?] not from tapas ^[?] nor did he
have it by birth. He got it, like divine beings, by mere
smarana. No other yogi has obtained it in such a manner.

iii.

      It is difficult for ordinary yogis to transcend the
three states — awakened, dream and deep sleep -- and enter
the turiya ^[?] state. While it is possible in a state of samadhi
to have a sakshatkara of the embodied Brahman it is
difficult in the nirvikalpa samadhi ^[?] to reach the state where
there is no difference between the seer and seen. That is
the sahaja state and to abide in it is impossible. Nobody
among Hindus, has any doubt about Lord Krishna in this
respect. No Hindu who is a believer contradicts the belief
that he lived in the `So'ham' state right till his physical
body dropped off. Krishna was an avatara purusha and
such capacity could accrue only to an avatara and not to
anyone else. Bhagavan Ramana also carried out daily
activities in the same so'ham state throughout. How could
it be possible if he had not been an avatara?

iv.

      Even Sankara could not obtain jnana ^[?] without
the backing of mantropadesa. Only Ramana obtained jnana ^[?]
without any such thing. This is prohibited except for
avatara purushas according to the sastras ^[?].

      Evidence to show that Ramana is an avatara of
Skanda:

1. In March 1908, Bhagavan was at Pachaiamman
Kovil along with Ganapati Muni. One early morning the
latter saw a bright light appear and touch Bhagavan's
forehead. Ganapati Muni also noticed that within the
effulgent light enveloping Bhagavan, six stars of different
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colours got merged. Kumara had six mothers who
collectively are known as Krittikka.

2. Raghavachari's experience: Bhagavan
appeared in the form of Dakshinamurti to
Raghavachari. The nature of both Dakshinamurti and
Kumaraswami is the same.

3. Bhagavan appeared in the form of a crystal to
Sivaprakasam Pillai and a crystal relates to Siva's nature.

4. In Echammal's dreams at Kandukur a form
appeared which was identified as that of Skanda. Later
when she actually saw Bhagavan, she noticed that the
form which appeared in her dreams was Bhagavan himself.

5. Right from his early days, Bhagavan had the
feeling that Arunachala was his father. Until he actually
came to Tiruvannamalai he did not know whether it was
a hill or a cave.

6. Sankarananda Bharati was a devotee of Skanda.

      Bhagavan showered on him great grace. Several people
who perform japa of the Skanda mantra while thinking
of Bhagavan obtain very beneficial results. Similarly in
the Ramana ashtottara Bhagavan is looked upon as Skanda
and worshipped. Beneficial results follow.

7. Ganapati Muni had great occult powers — all of
which will be evident from Vasishta Vaibhavam. Ganapati Muni
emphatically asserted that he, by his occult powers, saw
Bhagavan as Skanda. His assertion cannot be brushed aside.

8. Even Bhagavan said in 1912 that `he was the
child that came second' would this not immediately refer
to Kumara (who came after Ganesa?)
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9. The physiognomy of Dandayudhapani at
Palani resembled Bhagavan's form very closely. And were
not the image sculptors proficient in the agama sastras?

10. On 26 December 1941 one Alamelammal,
arrived at the Ashram from Madras. She received a letter
from her friend, Chengalvaraya Pillai, stating that he had
vowed to go to Tiruttani to perform abhishekam of milk, to
the deity there. Alamelammal showed that letter to Bhagavan
who asked: "Is he going there for performing abhishekam
and not coming here?" She could not follow the question
and hence kept quiet. Bhagavan repeated his remark adding,
"It is alright" and returned the letter to her. As she was
going back Bhagavan said, "That Swami has come here."

      According to the Saiva tradition Jnana Sambandar
was an incarnation of Kumara this was expressed in his
songs as well. Appar and other Saivite saints accepted
that. If it was contended that Bhagavan was an incarnation
of Sambandar then it followed that he could be the
incarnation of Kumara also.

      In 1913, Ganapati Muni propounded his theory that
Bhagavan was an incarnation of Jnana Sambandar on the
following grounds:

1. Sambandar had a darshan of the Jyoti in his
sixteenth year and shed his mortal coil at that very age.
Ramana had illumination at about that age (sixteen) and
commenced his mission. In other words, Ramana took
up where Sambandar left off.

2. Sambandar was full of devotion. Ramana's
experience started at that point (i.e. devotion) and
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culminated in jnana ^[?] — after all, jnana ^[?] was the final shape of
bhakti ^[?].

3. Sambandar and his entourage merged in Light,
Ramana too was enveloped in Light.

4. Ramana's appearance while Sambandar's songs
were being sung in his presence was unique and provided
sufficient evidence on their affinity.

5. Ramana had formal education only up to
matriculation which was inadequate for one to write
poetry. But Sambandar was a great poet. Ramana belonged
to this heritage.

6. The spot at which Ramana beheld the light
at the Arayaninallur temple was the very spot at which
Sambandar had the darshan of Arunachaleswara (as
Light). This was narrated by Ramana to Kapali and
Ganapati Muni. Thereupon Ganapati Muni remarked
to Ramana, "So this experience was as Jnana
Sambandar". Ramana merely asserted, "Yes, yes" and
passed on to a different topic.

7. The Mahaswami of Kanchi Kamakoti math ^[?]
once said to a devotee that Ramana who came to uplift
jnana yoga was the same as the one who earlier was
Kumarila Bhatta.

      The above points may not be indisputable but
considered in their totality give the impression that
Bhagavan was an avatar of Skanda and that he was the
form of Jnana Sambandar and Kumarila Bhatta.

      Unlike most avatars who came for the elimination of
evil-doers this avatar was for imparting knowledge. What
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is the purpose of this avatar? Buddha appeared at a time
when the Upanishadic injunction that `all was Brahman'
fell into disuse. His disciples propagated the idea that
everything was sunya. To reestablish the primacy of
Brahman Sankara came. But Sankara's view that what
was visible was `maya' could not be experienced and became
a mere theory. Ramana's avatar was to complete the
attempt of Sankara. He adopted the path of `self-enquiry'
and through it established the reality of Brahman. He
showed that the Atma, the World and Brahman were in
fact the same. By abiding in the turiyateeta state he
established its practicable nature. Ramana's advent was
for the upliftment of people of different spiritual
attainments.

      As Kumarila he established the supremacy of the
karma marga ^[?], as Jnana Sambandar, a poet, he brought
bhakti marga close to the people and as Ramana he showed
that the purpose of life was to abide in the Self and to stay
in the sahaja state by the jnana marga ^[?]. Truly wonderful!

DEDICATION
1. You arose at the kshetra ^[?] of Kaundinya, on the
banks of the river Kaundinya, accept this, O Ramana,
however, imperfect, written by one of the Kaundinya
gotra1

2. Jnana Sambandar chose the medium of poetry
but could it be adequate? I do not grieve that I am no
poet when you, as an embodiment of compassion abide
as my Father, my Lord, Ramana.

3. Is it fair to brush aside one who writes what he
knows on the ground that what he does not know is
much more?

4. Oh you readers of goodwill, you very well know
that pure unadulterated milk even if little is better than
large quantities of adulterated milk.

      Sri Ramanarpanam

¹Sri Krishna Bhikshu belonged to the Kaundinya gotra.