Worshipping The Divine Oneness Of Arunachala-Ramana

By Muktha Manu and Peter Berking

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and the Holy Hill of Arunachala are the names given to that Ultimate Truth which is beyond all names and forms. The identity of these two forms as the one Ultimate Truth, the Self, leads us to call Bhagavan ‘Arunachala-Ramana’. He realized not only Arunachala, but every being and everything as His own Self. Arunachala-Ramana had no merely localised experience of ‘I’ as the body-mind complex; He realized the ‘I’ as this universal, all-pervading Self.

The name and form of Arunachala-Ramana is the entry door to realization of this universal, all-pervading Self for spiritual seekers. He has appeared as the Guru to guide them on this journey to the ultimate fulfilment of one’s life to realize the Self.

Those who worship the Holy Hill of Arunachala by per-forming Giripradakshina receive blessings to accelerate reaching their goal to merge with that Self into which Arunachala-Ramana has merged. Arunachala-Ramana has said time again that the Holy Hill of Arunachala waits to respond eagerly and tenderly to even the devotee’s weakest yearning to fulfill the Ultimate Goal of Life.

As Arunachala-Ramana said, He has not gone anywhere, but dwells in devotees’ hearts, and is eternally there as the Self.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Muktha Manu
• Release date: May 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9789382788225

Muktha Manu

Mrs Muktha Manu is a devotee of Bhagavan Sri Ramana and resides in Bangalore. She came into the fold of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi when she got married in 1965 through the family of her husband, Sri. R. Manu. She was hardly aware when she was young that she could write books. She was inspired and blessed by Bhagavan to write books on Lord Arunachala and Sri Bhagavan Ramana at the age of 64. She has written books both in English and in her mother tongue Kannada. She has written two books in Kannada, ‘Prani Mitra Bhagavan Ramana’ and ‘Arunachala Mahatme’ and two in English ‘A Guide to Giripradakshina’ with Sri. Richard Clark and Sri. Peter Berking and ‘Bhagavan Ramana, A Friend of All’, which are published by Sri Ramanasramam, Thiruvannamalai, and all of them have been reprinted.

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THE DIVINE ARUNACHALA-RAMANA

In the recesses of the lotus-shaped Hearts of all, beginning with Vishnu, there shines as pure intellect (Absolute Consciousness) the Paramatman, who is the same as Arunachala Ramana.

When the mind melts with love of Him, and reaches the inmost recess of the Heart wherein He dwells as the beloved, the subtle eye of pure intellect opens and He reveals Himself as Pure Consciousness.

– Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi

Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu is the sacred place where Lord Shiva shines as the self-created Jyothir (Column of Effulgent Light), Lingam *, the Holy Hill of Arunachala. The Holy Hill from time immemorial has been attracting seekers of Truth, souls who are ripe with jnana tapas [concentrated meditation on Self], due to its deep mystical power and timeless spiritual resplendence. Arunachala is widely considered among devotees as the spiritual centre of the Earth. In fact, the Arunachala Mahatmyam states that this Holy Hill is Lord Shiva Himself, symbolising the highest knowledge of Truth at the very core of the Upanishads. And it is said in the Skanda Purana that just to think of Arunachala sets one on the path of liberation.

The Skanda Purana describes the legend of the origin of the Holy Hill of Arunachala as follows: Brahma and Vishnu became egoistic, and, forgetting their true source, each claimed supremacy over the other. Shiva then rose as Jyothir Lingam between them, urging them to find the source and top of the column of light He created. But neither could find either the crown or the base of Shiva’s Divine light. Brahma and Vishnu then surrendered to Shiva and prayed to Him to reveal His form.

Shiva declared:

I alone exist as effulgent lingam in manifest form and as all-pervading Absolute Brahman. All are my form. My fivefold karmas [actions] are: creation, sustainment, destruction, concealment and revealment. I alone shine as the Self in the inner core of every object in the universe. Every Self-realized being knows this.

Because the world was being scorched by the blazing effulgence of the Divine form of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva to abide as a less brilliant form of lingam. Entreated by Brahma and Vishnu thus, Lord Shiva manifested as Arunachala the Holy Hill for the welfare of the world. For the purpose of ritualistic worship, He manifested as the deity Arunachaleshwara in the form of an auspicious Swayambhu [self-created] Lingam in the sanctum sanctorum [inmost chamber] of the main temple, on the eastern side of the Holy Hill. He intended that those who worship these manifestations of Him will attain prosperity and Liberation.

This effulgent lingam in the form of a Hill was then worshipped by the 96 Brahmas (creators of the world). The implication is that 96 dissolutions or pralayas [dissolutions of the world] have taken place. This coincides with the geological finding of the core age of Arunachala as 3.8 billion years old, and qualifies it as one of the oldest rock formations on earth, reinforcing the ancient tradition that holds the Hill to be sacred. Hence, the Holy Hill of Arunachala is the oldest natural shrine in the world.

The glory of Arunachala is spoken of in ancient Sanskrit texts, including the Skanda Mahapuranam, Shiva Rahasyam, Shiva Mahapuranam and Skanda Upapuranam. According to the Skanda Purana, the Revered Hill of Arunachala is a ‘Hill of Fire’ representing the Fire Lingam (Agni), one of the five natural elements. Arunachala chose to appear as Jnanagni’ to quell avidya [ignorance of mortals]. In the Vedas, one of humanity’s oldest scriptures, the ancient seers therefore attached great importance to Agni, the flame of aspiration that finally fills the human heart with the all-consuming fire of Pure Awareness. Agni represents all forms and aspects of the Supreme Being and proclaims their ultimate unity. In fact, in the Vedas, the most important place is assigned to Agni.

Various saints and sages who have been drawn to Arunachala have narrated in their works the story of the genesis of Arunachala mentioned earlier. This genesis story forms the central theme of all literature on Arunachala. It is important to keep in mind that the details of the story are not as important as the spiritual significance of the deities being rid of their sense of separateness from the Supreme Being.

Bhagavan Ramana was arguably the primary representative, proponent, and exemplar of the spiritual power of Arunachala in the 20th century. But one must look beyond His historical and public role in extolling the spiritual power of Arunachala. He really was a manifestation of the same Being. Arunachala and Ramana were actually truly one, despite outward physical appearances.

Still in His youth, Bhagavan Ramana left His home in Madurai to answer the call of His Spiritual Father, Arunachala. He was already a fully Self-realized Sage. The irresistibly attractive Arunachala, a powerful magnet attracting sages through the ages, drew Bhagavan Ramana also to the embrace of Arunachala. From the time He arrived at Arunachala till He merged as light with the Holy Hill at the end of His life, He never left His beloved Lord, and lived continuously for fifty-four years on or at the base of the Holy Hill.

In the realm of gross manifestation, Bhagavan Ramana could describe the relationship of Arunachala and Himself as father and son, but in truth, it was clear that He and Arunachala were one and the same Being. In many of the hymns that Bhagavan Ramana offered to Arunachala, whom He praised as Lord Shiva, the Self, He revealed that He experienced no separate existence from Arunachala. Bhagavan Ramana and the Holy Hill were the same indivisible Atman, the Self, and the all-pervading Consciousness. Out of compassion for the seekers of Truth, it was Lord Arunachala, the Self, who had taken the human form of Bhagavan Ramana as Guru to give necessary direction to yearning souls in their sadhana [spiritual practice] and guide them on the path of Self-Knowledge towards Selfrealization.

Bhagavan Ramana and the Holy Hill of Arunachala are the names given to that Ultimate Truth which is beyond all names and forms. The identity of these two forms as the one Ultimate Truth, the Self, leads us to call Bhagavan Ramana ‘Arunachala-Ramana’. His devotees reverentially addressed Sri Ramana as ‘Bhagavan’, which means ‘The Divine One’. The divinity of Bhagavan Ramana has been confirmed by the great contemporary saint Sri Sheshadri Swamiji, the staunch devotees of Bhagavan Ramana who lived with Him, and the seekers of Truth who came to Him from far and wide.

Many reminiscences by devotees who were fortunate enough to live with Bhagavan Ramana when He was in His manifested form, make us feel that the jivanmukta [emancipated while yet in the physical body] and the sthitaprajna [a person of steadfast wisdom] as envisioned in our scriptures, are not mere concepts but the Reality authenticated by Bhagavan Ramana’s way of life as He transcended the constraints of His physical form by overpowering the tendencies which are inherent in human beings.

There are many similarities there to observe between Bhagavan Ramana and the Holy Hill of Arunachala. Like the Holy Hill, he was also achala [unmoving]; He never moved away from Arunachala. Just as the Holy Hill of Arunachala is rooted in the earth, Bhagavan Ramana too was always established in the Self.

Bhagavan Ramana, the human manifestation of divinity, maintained silence not unlike the Hill of Arunachala. If the Hill was the anchor of devotees, who consumed Its Presence with their lovingly surrendered eyes, so was Bhagavan Ramana the unshakable, achala anchor for numerous devotees who made Him their inner Guru.

The magnetism of Arunachala has attracted devotees and seekers of the Truth from time immemorial. It is the abode of the Supreme, where sages and Self-realized beings walk the earth. It is worshipped by saints, scholars and simple folks alike. Similarly Bhagavan Ramana has attracted devotees from all over the world as the fame of Arunachala Ramana spread far and wide. With no bar on religion, caste, race or creed, devotees have come together to worship the Swayambhu Lingam of Arunachaleshwara, go around the Holy Hill reverently, and worship Bhagavan Ramana, the human manifestation of Arunachala. Bhagavan Ramana and Arunachala have been a silent guiding beacon for spiritual aspirants to come to their Divine fold.

Bhagavan Ramana was a living form of sage Dakshinamurti and Arunachala (the forms of Shiva). Like them He also taught seekers of Truth mainly through the tremendous power of Silence. Arunachala’s and Bhagavan Ramana’s extraordinary compassion flows even today like the River Ganges, conferring Grace and Supreme Peace from their state of Divine Silence. They always abide within us as our own Self, and grace devotees in order to enable countless souls to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death and attain the Bliss of complete happiness and peace.

Glorifying the Guru aspect, Bhagavan Ramana revealed that Arunachala is the visible Guru, manifested so that one can always have satsang with it. This is seen in many of the sadhakas [seekers] who were rich in jnana-tapas, and who remained at Its feet, attracted by Its Grace. In accordance with this fame of Arunachala as inner Guru, it is said in the Skanda Purana that there are many great souls from ancient vedic times like Sage Agastya, Durvasa Muni, Gauthama Rishi, Brigu, Atri who were drawn to Lord Arunachala, as well as many Saivaite saints like Tiru Jnansambandar, Appar, Sundaramurti Nayanar and Manickavachakar. In recent times, great souls like Guhai Namasivayar, Guru Namasivayar, Eesanya Jnana Desikar, and Seshadri Swamy came from far off places, accepting Lord Arunachala as their inner Guru and choosing to live and merge in Arunachala, the Primal Being. The inspiration of these others inspires us as well to point our mind towards the ever-present Arunachala.

Bhagavan Ramana is the most recent of these illustrious sages drawn to Arunachala. He is the inner Guru for seekers of the Truth today, drawing them from all over the world to guide yearning souls on the path of Self-Knowledge. He attracted great souls of His era like Swami Ramdas of Anandashram, Swami Chinmayananda of Chinmaya Mission, Pujya Swmi Shivananda Saraswati of Sivananda Ashram, Swami Pranavananda, Sri Kavya Kanta Ganapathi Muni and many others. They all came to Him with great reverence in their hearts. The father of the Indian nation Mahatma Gandhiji and the heads of Sringeri and Kanchi Mutt had great regard for Him. The list of eminent people from all over the world who came to His darshan [blessing] is very long.

Arunachala provided protection and shelter for all kinds of life forms. In the Skanda Purana, it describes how Indra and other devatas [celestial beings] ruling the four cardinal and four inter-cardinal direction points have taken the form of hills in these eight directions in order to worship Arunachaleshwara, and how the animals of different species lived like members belonging to one Arunachala family with no enmity.

Bhagavan Ramana’s unsurpassed love and samatva [treating all beings alike] was profound and universal, extending to animals and plants. All beings were equal in His vision. Animals were not inferior to Him; they got the same share of care, love and solicitude as His human devotees. Bhagavan said:

Though the living beings are different shapes, sizes, and colours outwardly, they are simply the expressions of the supreme intelligence which is one without the second and never divided. That is, they are all one and same without difference, the all pervading Brahman to the core. Human beings do not know this because of their ignorance about the Self or Brahman.

This reveals Bhagavan Ramana as a perfect being.

Just as sincere aspirants felt the impact of Lord Arunachala’s Divine vibrations in the presence of the Holy Hill, visitors who came to seek the blessings of Bhagavan Ramana felt the vibration of Divine light of Bhagavan Ramana’s eyes which lit the spiritual wick inside their heart. Everyone who prostrated before Him felt that he or she was definitely special, cared for, and important to Bhagavan. Each has found it possible to overcome lifelong hurdles and inhibitions through merely remembering Bhagavan. Even after His Mahanirvana [shedding of the body], a large number of seekers in various stages of spiritual evolution who come to the fold of Bhagavan Ramana’s Grace experience peace, clarity, bliss and strength of mind, which are transmitted by his everpresent Divine vibrations.

Bhagavan Ramana’s teachings were mirrored to perfection in His life. He declared that to abide in the Self was the highest attainment, and it was in this state of transcendence that one found him at all times. For Him, pleasures did not delight, pains did not distress. He rested in Supreme Bliss.

The Skanda Purana and Arunachala Purana are full of praise for Arunachala as the exceptional boon-giver. This boon-giving aspect is particularly emphasized in the context of Giripradakshina. That is the reason why one sees thousands of devotees on the Giripradakshina path on full moon days. Many are the benefits reaped from going around the Hill; however, worldly boons born of egoistic attachments must be surrendered to Arunachala’s spiritual power to grant Self-realization which transcends the ego.

Similarly when one is going round the samadhi [place where a holy person is interred] of Bhagavan Ramana in the main hall of the Ashram, one should surrender to Bhagavan’s will in granting only that which will guide devotees in their sadhana. One must trust in the fact that the all-knowing Lord knows the best interests of His devotees. Sincere devotees eventually understand that the Lord Himself is eagerly and tenderly waiting to bestow the greatest of gifts on him, that of liberation from the vicious cycle of births and deaths, and that it would indeed be a sad thing to wish for the transient and the temporary, however grand that may be. This requires absolute faith that develops gradually.

Going round Bhagavan Ramana was considered to be equal to going around the Hill and was found to yield the same mental calm. The Hill and Bhagavan Ramana are two forms assumed by the formless Self. Strangely enough, devotees often feel no fatigue in going around the Hill. They have the same experience of doing Pradakshina to Arunachala and doing Pradakshina to the Samadhi of Bhagavan Ramana; it gives the same spiritual benefit. Like Arunachala, Bhagavan Ramana too brings enlightenment by ending the illusion of identification with the body. Arunachala Ramana’s presence is still felt by devotees as they sit in silence in the Ashram or walk round the Hill.

Bhagavan Ramana was against giving importance to miracles. He laughed away the ‘miracles’ that used to happen from time to time in His Divine presence. He called them ‘Automatic Divine Action’ of Arunachala and assured the devotee that he had no part to play in the matter.

When Bhagavan