BHAGAVAN TREATED
FOR ECZEMA

---

T.K.S.

SOMEWHERE ABOUT 1935 a doctor friend of mine visited
the Ashram and stayed with Bhagavan for over six weeks. He
was deeply pious and devoted to Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya. His
devotion to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was equally great.

He was a great congress worker. I remember that he was a good
friend of Swamy Ramananda of Hyderabad, for I saw him in his
company, when the Swamiji visited Bhagavan at the time of the
Government of India's police action against the Nizam's State.

Later this doctor himself became a minister of the state and was
in charge of the finance portfolio.

The doctor's visit synchronised with the occasion when
Bhagavan had an attack of eczema for which he was being treated
by the local doctors. This doctor being more qualified than
others took the lead in treating Bhagavan. The treatment went
on for about a fortnight. Patches of white ointment were seen
all over Bhagavan's body. After a fortnight, the disease seemed
to get under control. The doctor was happy and congratulated
himself that he had the opportunity to treat Bhagavan with
success.

Lo! His elation was short lived. The disease burst out again
with redoubled vigour. The doctor said to me that it was a lesson
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to him to curb his ego and continued the treatment with great
humility and prayerfulness, praying to Bhagavan that he must
effect the cure himself and that he (the doctor) was but his
instrument.

The divine patient now seemed to make steady progress
and gave consolation to the doctor that his prayer was being
heard. The doctor oscillated between elation and curbing of his
ego according to the disease as it decreased or increased. All
along this course of treatment and from the time the doctor
friend arrived at the Ashram, I had the pleasure of his
acquaintance and of talking to him about Bhagavan. We used
to sit until late in the night and talk and talk about Bhagavan,
so absorbed in our conversation that we had no sense of space
or time.

It was the month of December and Bhagavan's jayanthi
was arriving. I used to talk to my doctor friend about the
speciality of jayanthi darshan, for on the jayanthi day
Bhagavan had a special glow of light about him and his starry
eyes shed a special lustre and those around experienced the
ambrosia or the elixir of life. It is for experiencing this light
or bliss of being that devotees flocked to him from near and
far. Though this experience was obtained on normal days
too, it was very intense on particular occasions like jayanthi,
Mahapooja and Karthikai days, as also it was when great souls
met him.

It is of this special favour to devotees that I was telling my
doctor friend. I used to call it the special grace of Bhagavan on
the jayanthi occasion.

It was at this time that Bhagavan was putting the eczema
ointment over his body. What could be the nature of this jayanthi
dream? This was the anxiety of my doctor friend and he used to
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ask me often, "Mr. Iyer, how will Bhagavan give special darshan
to his devotees with these white paints and patches on him? I am
sorry that I shall not have the fortune of having it. Why should
he have this disease at this time when I am visiting him?"

I used to reply, "Wait and see if he will be Bhagavan your
patient, or the Bhagavan of my description dispensing special
grace on the jayanthi occasion."

The jayanthi day came. There were the usual decorations,
gathering of devotees, pujas, music etc. Bhagavan was seated in
a specially decorated pandal. All the same he was to my doctor
friend still his patient Bhagavan and not the Bhagavan of my
description. I was not sorry that Bhagavan was going to belie
my expectation and that of other devotees who were accustomed
to have the jayanthi gift of Bhagavan. (They used to call it
Bhagavan's jayanthi gift). I was only sorry for my doctor friend.

It was 9 a.m. on the jayanthi morning. All eyes were riveted
on Bhagavan. There were the longing prayers of the souls
gathered around Bhagavan. Suddenly there appeared the special
features of Bhagavan on his face and eyes. The nija mouna bhava,
its fullness expressing itself as Atma Rama - Muditha vadana
and Dakshinamurthi. The Bliss of his Being ebbing over his
countenance beautifying it, true to the words of
Dakshinamuthi's names: Sundara, Sundara, Sundara, I am the
perfection of beauty of the inner Self. I am `I'. Ahamevaham.

The peace of his Being permeated the atmosphere and all
those that were gathered around, keeping them enthralled in
the grace that was his. The peace that passeth all understanding.

The unborn (Ajayamana) was revealing himself through a form.

Bhagavan was Bhagavan telling us without telling Tat Twam Asi
(That Thou art).

"Tat Twam Asi, Tat Twam Asi" nithyam.

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I whispered to my doctor friend to tell me if Bhagavan
was his patient Bhagavan or Jayanthi Ramana Bhagavan. He
could only nod his head in acceptance of my remarks. He was
all spellbound and in wonder. He remarked later, "Mr.

Sundaresh, I have lived to see this great marvel. Who would say
he is like any of us? Yet he condescends to be one of us and that
is our great fortune. My patient is my darling and God."

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