Nachi nandru navitru vengada
RamaNa naavilu maeviya;
Uchi thachhuvai aana vunpadha
Muchchi vaithida vaendinen.

Word meaning
nachi = near/nearing; nindru = stand; navildhal = uttering; uchchi = top of head; padha = feet; vaendinen = (I) prayed.
Meaning
Oh Ramana, you who reside in my tongue as I come near you and utter these words. Please place your holy feet on top of my head (and bless me).

Here, ‘come near you’ is to be taken metaphorically, as in when a devotee approached Bhagavan (or comes nearer) through surrender and bhakti. Very few devotees have physically gone near Bhagavan, understandably so, because in early days everyone wanted to touch his feet or his body, which was a great inconvenience (Bhagavan recalled an incident in the very early days how some ladies came and broke coconut and poured the water over his head without asking if they could do so). This made his close devotees put up a barricade around his seat so he won’t be bothered by undue attention. The exception was in the animal kingdom. Some fortunate squirrels had the freedom to run over his body and thus get sparsa diksha (initiation by touch) while monkeys had a special place in Bhagavan’s ashram, they would eat freely from Bhagavan’s leaf plate when he was in Virupaksha Cave and Skandasram.

Still, there were a few blessed devotees who managed to get physically close to Bhagavan (From Sri Ramana’s Reminiscences):

“There was once a swami from North India. He was old and had stayed on for a few weeks. He must have been a very ripe soul because people could see an aura around him. On the day he was leaving, he stood before Bhagavan. I too was beside Bhagavan. The swami said, ‘I am very
happy, Bhagavan, that I got all that I wanted after coming to Arunachala and to your ashram. But I need two more things to be fulfilled and they can be done only by you.’ “All of us in the hall thought that the swami was going to get a very rude shock from Bhagavan. We waited with bated breath. Bhagavan, with a movement of his head, signalled the swami to continue. The swami, with folded hands, said, ‘My first request is that I want to place my head on your holy feet and melt. I want to wash your feet with my tears.’ Bhagavan waited, without uttering a word. ‘The second thing, Bhagavan,’ continued the swami, ‘you have to put your holy hands on me and declare that you have given me atma sakshatkar – liberation.’ We all laughed within ourselves because the swami had put forth such requests to Bhagavan. But a miracle took place. Bhagavan got up from the sofa and stood in front of him, pointing to his feet. The swami fell at Bhagavan’s feet. We saw his tears drenching the feet of Bhagavan. After a while, Bhagavan lifted him up, put his hands on his shoulders and declared, ‘I have given you atma sakshatkar.’ Though his eyes continued to shed tears, the swami’s face glowed with fulfillment as he took leave of Bhagavan!”

Another one:
Bhagavan once gave a similar display of grace to a sannyasin who came and stayed in the ashram for three weeks. On the last day of his stay he came near Bhagavan and said, ‘Swami, I am satisfied in every way with my stay in the ashram. Now, I pray, fill my heart.’ Bhagavan got up and held the sannyasin’s hands. They stood holding hands for a long time. Finally, the sannyasin prostrated before Bhagavan, said, ‘Now I am blessed,’ and left the ashram. Thus would Bhagavan give enlightenment with a word, a look, a touch or in deep silence.
For those of us who haven’t had the good fortune to see and hear Bhagavan when he was in his sthula sarira, we can take heart from the following observation from t.R.Kanakammal:

Today, I find people who have never seen Bhagavan physically, never heard his voice or listened to his upadesa, sit in the Old Hall or the Samadhi Hall, oblivious of themselves, often shedding tears, and going round the hall as if impelled by some unseen force. What gives these people their experiences?
As Bhagavan always said, "Is this body Bhagavan?"
When somebody expressed sadness at having to go back home from the Ashram, Bhagavan Sri Ramana said,
"What am I to do? You say that this body is Bhagavan. I say that it is not. Now, if you insist, what am I to do ? "
To others, he would say, "Look! He says he is going to a place where I am not."
These new devotees of Bhagavan are proof of all he told us.

To end this translation of Ramana Stuthi Panchakam, let us look at what Bhagavan said about how and why we are drawn to him

Somebody asked Bhagavan, ‘We have met at your feet, all of us. Was it our good luck, or is there a link between us from our previous births?’ Bhagavan replied in a quite matter-of-fact way: ‘Were it not for the old links, how could you all have come here?’ 
It is by the grace of Bhagavan and Periyava that it was possible to translate ‘Aksharamanamalai’ from TRK’s Nool Thirattu and Ramana Stuthi Panchakam for which relevant passages and information came ‘coincidentally’. Hope this work, done with my limited knowledge of both the languages, helps devotees understand these works of Bhagavan’s better. I take heart from Bhagavan’s words:

Sri Bhagavan also commended the art of translation especially of a great work. He said, “Ten times’ attentive reading is writing. Hundred times’ writing is translating.” Subbaramayya, Gurram. Sri Ramana Reminiscences

Potri en mana koilutridu
PuNNiya thiru maeniyai;
Potri nin mugam potri nin manam
Potri nin padham ayyane.

Word meaning
potri = praise/worship/hail; mana koil = heat temple; puNNiya = merit/meritorious deeds; there maeni = sacred body; mugam = face; manam = heart/mind; padham = feet. 

Ramana, residing in my heart, praise be to you, to your sacred face, sacred heart and holy feet! Ayyane!

‘Ayyane’ is a word for calling the lord. Saint Manickavasagar says in Tiruvasagam, ‘VedangaL ayya en ongi aazndhu agandra nuNNiyane’ (Vedas priase you my Lord, you spread deep and wide and are the subtlest of the subtle). 
‘en mana koil utridu’ means you who have taken residence in the temple of my heart (manam is heart or mind and koil is temple). 

Tirumular in Tirumandiram (Tantra 7) says:

uLLam perunkoyil oon udambu aalayam
vaLLal piraanarkku vaai gopura vaasal
theLLath theLinthaarkku seevan sivaliNgam
kaLLap pulan aindhum kaaLaa maNiviLakke

Meaning:
Mind/heart is the sanctum, this fleshy body is the temple
For the generous lord, the mouth is the entrance (tower gate)
For those who have crystal clear knowledge the atma is Siva linga
The deceiving five senses are lamps (that guide)

‘potri nin mugam …’
This verse praises Bhagavan’s face, his mind/heart and his holy feet. Many devotees and visitors have written about the effulgence of Bhagavan, the penetrating gaze of his grace, the deep, abiding peace of his presence. Here we see couple of examples from Echamal and Muruganar.  

(From Devotees, Echammal section):

"Years later, in fact just a few years before his own departure, for two or three evenings in a row Bhagavan kept a great silence in the hall. There was a blaze of light all around him that new visitors were astonished to see. Someone asked whether this light was always there and another devotee replied: ‘No, not always. This light usually shines on three occasions. On Kartigai day, on Mahapuja day and on Jayanti day. This is something special and a very important event is about to happen.’"

"It is a common belief that great yogis take birth in this world only to finish the process of their spiritual evolution which was left incomplete in their previous life. In one of Muruganar’s poems, a woman asks her friend, “If not to make up for the deficits of previous lives, why has this Venkataraman come down to earth? Why else would he be walking about on this earth now?” 

'To this, her friend replies, “Though it may appear as though Venkataraman is leading a mortal’s life, the truth of the matter is that he is, God himself, walking around barefooted, only to satisfy the Earth Goddess’ longing to feel the touch of God’s Feet.” '

Though God came down to the Earth in various incarnations, in these incarnations He was transported by various divine vehicles (vahanam) and His feet seldom touched the earth directly. So the Earth Goddess felt deprived of the privilege of touching the Divine Feet, and she longed for the chance to do so. In response to her desire, God came into the world in the form of Ramana and walked barefoot over every inch of the Arunachala Hill, just to please the Earth Goddess. 

Bhagavan never wore any footwear. But Muruganar alone could have imagined such a beautiful and moving explanation for Bhagavan’s bare feet!

Bhagavan never wore footwear! Even in the blistering heat of Tiruvannamalai summers, he would walk at his usual measured pace. And he would tell those around him to rest in whatevre shade they could find before walking further. Yet his feet were soft (as Ranga narrates in his experiences).

Bhagavan’s feet, face and heart are objects of worship because he is Arunachala himself, which is clear from the following exchange.

Sadhu: “People say that you are an Avatar of Subramaniam. What do you say about it?” Bhagavan said nothing. Sadhu: “If it is a fact, why do you keep silence about it? Why don’t you speak out and tell us the truth?” Bhagavan did not reply.
​
Bhagavan (quietly): “An Avatar is only a partial manifestation of God, whereas a Jnani is God himself."
Arunachala, Sadhu. A sadhu's reminiscencs .

Bhanu vamsa vinodha Raamanum
Pangaya peru vaazhvanum;
Maanun choola maNidnha devanu
Madhava kumaresanum.

Word meaning
bhanu = sun; vamsam = dynasty; Raaman = Lord Rama (who was burnin Surya Vamsa); pangayam = lotus; maan = deer; choolam (soolam) = trident; aNindha = wearing; kumaresan = Lord Muruga.

Our Ramana is Lord Rama who graced the Suryavamsa (when Lord Vishnu descended as Rama avatar), he is Brahma who is seated in the lotus flower, he Lord Shiva wearing trident and has deer around him, he is also Lord Muruga (son of Shiva and Parvati).

There are two dynasties, namely Solar or Suryavamsa and Lunar or Chandra (or Soma) vamsa in the warrior caste known as kshatriyas. Surya vamsa is also called Ikshkvaku vamsa named after one of the sons of Manu. Lord Rama was born in Surya vamsa white Lord Krishna was born in Chandra vamsa. 

We find reference in the Gita as well:
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣhvākave ’bravīt

The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.

Bhagavan has given darshan as Lord Rama to Yogi Ramaiah. When yogi asked to see Bhagavan’s real form, Bhagavan’s physical form disappeared and Ramaiah saw just empty space. Bhagavan’s mother Alagammal has seen Ramana as Lord Shiva with snakes around his neck. Other devotees have compared him to Subramanya. Here SV declares Bhagavan is Rama, Brahma, Shiva, and also Subramanya. He is the Form and the Formless.

(From Reminiscences of Rangan, The Guiding Presence): 
One day Bhagavan’s mother told me in his presence that once when he was standing she saw various kinds of snakes all over his body, round his neck, chest, waist and legs and got terribly frightened; and that after a while the snakes went back to their places. I believe that was one of the visions
vouchsafed by Bhagavan to his mother to wean her from the belief that Bhagavan was her son and to impress on her that he was God Himself.

Once at Skandasramam when Bhagavan, his mother and I alone were present, mother said as follows: “About ten days ago, at about this time (i.e., 10 a.m.) as I was looking at Bhagavan, his body disappeared gradually into a Lingam like the one in Tiruchuzhi temple. The Lingam was lustrous. First, I could not believe my eyes. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. It was the same sight still. I became frightened that he was leaving us. But again, gradually his body appeared in place of the Lingam.” On hearing this I looked at Bhagavan. He smiled at me. From this I gathered he was confirming mother’s account.

While he may have given darshan according to the desires of the devotees, who exactly is Bhagavan? The answer is in an incident that occurred when Bhagavan was living in Viruppaksha cave. A devotee, Amritananda, wrote on a piece of paper asking whether Bhagavan was Siva, Vishnu, Siva guru or Vyasa. Bhagavan replied on the same slip of paper where declares he is Arunachala Ramanan. The verse is found in Arunachala Pancharatnam:

Ariyadhiyi tharaseevara thagavaarisa gugayi(l)
Larivaai rami paramathuma naruNachala ramaNan
Parival uLa muruganala paranaarndhidu gugaiyaarndh
Dharivaam vizhi thiravanisa mariyaavayadhu veLiyaam.

Arunachala Ramana resides, shining brightly as the Self (paramatman) and enjoying the blissful state, in the heart lotus of Brahma, Vishnu et al who are responsible for the appearance of this material world that is seen. To reach him, you should approach it with love and devotion melting your heart, then your gnana kaon (wisdom eye) will be opened. It is only with this eye you can see (Arunachala Ramanan). Its true form is chidakasa paraveLi (space consciousness).

Similarly, he has revealed his form as Arunachala Ramanan to Muruganar (who also wrote the beginning of a verse on a piece of paper and Bhagavan completed it), and in the last verse of Aksharamana Malai:

108 maalai aLith aruNachala ramaNaven
Maalai aNindh aruL Arunachala
Meaning
Arunachala Ramana, the Self of all (atma raman), you opened the flood gates of genuine desire for you in me. Please accept this garland,(akshara manNa malai), a result of the desire that sprang up in my heart, as a token of my love/affection for you.

Now we can understand why Sathyamangalam Venkatramana Iyer made no distinction between Ramana and Arunachala.

 Angameri agan karithidu
MaaNava padu paaviyai;
Thunga gnana vaaL kondu saaduveer
ThoomaNi chudar aagineer.
​
Word meaning
Angam = body; agam = mind/heart; arithudum = eat away at; aaNavam = ego; padu paavi = worst sinner; vaaL = sword; thoomaNi (thooya maNi) = pure gem-like; chudar = flame/light.
Meaning
Oh Ramana, you who are pure precious light! Chop off this sinner who has fallen prey to the ego that mistakenly makes me think this body is me.

Rooting out the ego is the first request in Bhagavan’s Aksharamanamalai as it is the I thought that is responsible for all the we enjoy and suffer, which makes us take the body to be real and makes us go through the consequent sorrows and troubles. 

 AruNachalam ena agame niniappavar 
agathai ver aruppai Arunachala

Meaning
O Arunachala! Destroy the ego by its roots of devotees who merely think of the name Arunachala.
Explanation
Arunachala, you destroy the ego which deludes us into thinking we are separate from you. ‘Arunachalam ena agame ninaippavar’ means thinking of Arunachala must not be superficial but must be from the heart. Bhagavan recommends Ananya bhavam instead of Anya Bhavam. Anya means to see something as separate from oneself. Ananya is to transcend the difference.

Ramanatha Brahmachari, one Bhagavan’s earliest devotees, in his song, ‘Thiruchuzhinadhanai kandane’ using a similar imagery of ego being cut off by Bhagavan’s sword:

‘… Jiva was ruling unjustly in the town of Kayapuri (the body) with the karanas (the sense organs and the organs of action) as his subjects and ahankara (the ego) as his minister. After some time, jiva took up the sword of God‟s grace and cut off the head of his minister, ahankara …’ (ahankara = ahah kara = literally ‘I’maker). There are two things we are supposed to give up, ahankara and mamakara (me and mine) on the path to raising the truth according to scriptures.  (From Ramana Periyapuranam)

Ellam Ondre challenges the ego thus:
Oh ego, all the evils of the world are from you. To crush you, the kings
make laws and the wise give lessons. In spite of their efforts from time
immemorial, alas! you are yet alive; you simply go into hiding and
reappear again and again. 

Bhagavan, in Dialogues II says:
Killing the ego is not an easy thing. It is only when God Himself by His Grace draws the mind inwards that complete surrender can be achieved. But such grace comes only to those who have already, in this or previous lives, gone through all the struggles and sadhanas preparatory to the extinction of the mind and killing of the ego.”

It is with the grace of Bhagavan that we can hope to kill the ego and transcend its tyranny over us. While we do that, we can take heart from the following exchange:

Somebody asked Bhagavan, ‘We have met at your feet, all of us. Was it our good luck, or is there a link between us from our previous births?’ Bhagavan replied in a quite matter-of-fact way: ‘Were it not for the old links, how could you all have come here?’ (From Devotees Book 4, Page 241). 

(Padupaavi means worst sinner. ‘padu’ acts as a measure of degree/qualifier, usually negative in nature, for example, ‘padu kuzhi’ means a deep ravine, ‘padu mosam’ means very bad.)

Adaadha seigai aLikkum indhiya
Vanjanai pori vaayilil;
Vidaadhu veezhndhu viLikkum en mana
Paeyai vaavena vaaLuvaai.

Word meaning
adadha seigai = inappropriate actions; indhiyam = indriyas (sense organs);  vanjanai = deceiving, deceit; pori = senses; vidaadhu = without leaving; veezhndhu = fall(ing); viLi = to cause the death of, to ruin; manappaey = ghost mind, devil mind; aaLuvai = conquer.

Meaning
Oh Ramana! Please conquer my mind and the deceitful sense organs that impel me to do things I am not supposed to do, so that I don’t fall in their ‘mouth’. Call such a mind of mine to you and conquer it.

The treacherous and out-of-control nature of mind is a subject that has been addressed by many sages. Saint Thayumanavar in Tejomayananada says:

It is easy and possible to tame a mad elephant;
To muzzle a bear to a ferocious tiger;
It’s easy to ride on the back of a lion
Or charm snakes and make them dance.
You can put mercury in a furnace turn base metals, sell then and live off the proceeds.
You can become invisible and travel the world
And command devas and make them your servants
You can remain forever youthful
And transmigrate into another body, achieve supernatural powers
You can walk on water or sit amid flames 
But it is harder to control the mind and sit still.

In the Bhagavad Gita (Ch 6, Verse 34) Arjuna appeals to Lord Krishna thus:

chañchalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛiṣhṇa pramāthi balavad dṛiḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva su-duṣhkaram
Meaning: The mind is very restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate, O Krishna. It appears to me that it is more difficult to control than the wind.

Lord Krishna agrees and offers advice:
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
asanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate
Meaning: Lord Krishna said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti, what you say is correct; the mind is indeed very difficult to restrain. But by practice and detachment, it can be controlled.

We see that mind control and its wayward nature is as old as mankind. Many saints and sages have appeared over time and given us directions to bring the senses under control so we can transcend the limitations of the monkey-mind. 

Bhagavan advises two methods, which are complete surrender to the guru or enquiry as to whose mind needs to be controlled. ‘Mind is a bundle of thoughts, you have to enquire to whom do the thoughts occur’, he used to say. 
From Gems from Bhagavan:
Mind and breath have the same source. Hence breath is controlled when mind is controlled and mind when breath is controlled. Breath is the gross form of the mind. Pranayama (breath control) is only an aid to subdue the mind and will not serve to kill it. Like pranayama, worship of a deity, japa (repetition) with a mantra, strict regulation of diet are all aids for mind control.

There is no other way of controlling the mind except as prescribed in the books like the Gita, drawing in the mind as often as it strays or goes outward, and fixing it in the Self. Of course it will not be easy to do it. It will come only with practice or sadhana. If we control the mind, it does not matter where we live.

But he also warns: 
Breath control may serve as an aid but can never by itself lead to the goal

In this verse, SV appeals to Bhagavan to ‘call his (and our) mind and conquer (vaa ena aaLuvai) as His grace is essential for us in our practice.

Bhakthi yodu paNindhu nindridu
Bhakta kodiyar thangaLai:
Mukti mei karai kaati moodhari
Vutrida dhwaja mittavan.


Word meaning
bhakti = devotion; paNindhu = worship with humility; bhakta kodiyar = devotees; mukti = liberation; mei karai = true shore; moodharivu = true knowledge; dhwajam = flag.


Meaning
To the countless devotees (koti/kodi also means one crore in Tamil) who throng to his holy feet and bow down to him in humility, our Ramana,, hoisting a flag,  shows the way to liberation and true knowledge.


The phrase ‘dwajam ittavan’ meaning carrying a flag occurs in Aksharamana malai where Bhagavan refers to Arunachala as the one carrying a flag to kill the ego of the devotees who approach him. Again we see another instance where SV sees Bhagavan as Arunachala.




24 kodiyit adiyarai kollunaik katti
kondengan vaazhvaen Arunachala


Meaning
Arunachala! How do I live with you when you (carrying a flag) are so intent on killing (the ego consciousness  or I am the body idea of) your devotees?
Explanation
Destroying the ‘I am the body’ idea (jiva bodham) is referred to here as killing the devotees. Because of this act of grace, jiva bodham is destroyed and siva bodham is attained ( that is Siva consciousness). Those who come in the grip of Arunachala’s grace are akin to prey in a tiger’s mouth and sugarcane in the mouth of an elephant says Bhagavan as they will be totally destroyed (of their false identification with the body).  Then how do I live as separate from you when you are killing your devotees who approach you to live? asks Bhagavan 


My Note: Kodi ittu means carrying a flag like a warrior, since this is an act of destruction Bhagavan compares Arunachala to a warrior king with his flag flying high intent on destruction of ego. The flag reference comes up in Ramana Stuti Panchakam  Verse 20 where dwajam means flag:


While there are almost no incidences of Bhagavan ever giving diskha/initiation to any devotee by touch (a few exceptions are mentioned in Suri Nagamma’s letters and Kunju Swami’s Reminiscences where Bhagavan allowed one or two devotees to touch him), he always turned the questioner inwards. For instance, when a young man asked him which way should he take to obtain moksha, Bhagavan smilingly said, ‘Vandha vazhiye pongo’ (‘Go the way you came’). This made the man quite sad as he thought Bhagavan was being sarcastic. Then people in the hall said Bhagavan has given you his upadesa by saying you should seek the source of ‘I’, then the man went away satisfied. 
On another occasion when a simple man asked Bhagavan he doesn’t know anything and nor does he know what to ask (as others in the hall were doing), Bhagavan said with affection, ‘It’s ok not to know. Find out who is it that says I don’t know’. 
It wasn’t just human beings whose needs were addressed by Bhagavan. Once when a dog belonging to Jagadeeswara Sastri was left in the care of someone in town, it came to the hall and wouldn’t leave. Bhagavan looked at it, and said, ‘Ennada, What are you asking? Where your owners are? Well, they have gone to town, they will be back in a week, don’t worry, or be scared, you can go now.’ And the animal went away!


It’s also worth mentioning that a crow, a deer (Valli), a dog and of course cow Lakshmi attained samadhi in the hands of Bhagavan. He said, ‘Any living being that comes to me, it is only to work out its karma. So don’t prevent anyone from coming to me.’

SarguNa kadal aana narguNan
Sarchanar pugazh needhiyaan;
Arpudha chuvai yaana paagina
Asiba thath uruvaanavan.


Word meaning 
sar guNa, nar guNa = good qualities/charactersitics; Nadal = ocean; sar chanar (sat jana) = good (noble) people; arpudha = wonderful; chuvai (also suvai) = taste; paagu = thick sugar syrup; asiba thathuvam = tat vam asi;


Meaning
Our Ramana is an ocean of noble qualities and flawless characteristics. He is praised and worshipped by those with noble qualities. He is the like the sweetest nectar. He is the form of Tat Vam Asi (You are that), the mahavakya.


Earlier SV compared Bhagavan to be the meaning of all the mahavakyas pronounced in the four vedas, here he declares He is the meaning of Tat Vam Asi, meaning You Are That. We find this in Aksharamanamalai:


42 Thatthuvam theriyaadh athanai utraai
Thatthuvam idhuvenn Arunachala


Meaning
Arunachala! Without knowing the truth ‘You are that’, you helped me attain that state. Shower me with your grace so as to confirm that this is the state I have attained.


Explanation
Bhagavan attained the state of liberation (tat vam asi = you are that, a non dual state where no differences exist), without the traditional guru-sishya (master-disciple) relationship or upadesa on the eternal truth. Bhagavan knew Brahman by the grace of Arunachala at his young age when he did not know either the word Brahman or its meaning.


Console me by confirming that the state bestowed on me is what a disciple achieves after proper initiation and practice, says Bhagavan. Bhagavan appeared on the earth to help jivas attain moksha but he never had any formal initiation in the Maha vaakya, ‘ you are that’.  Bhagavan is asking Arunachala shining as Atman swaroopam (self manifested) to confirm the self-realisation experience he had as a young boy.


He is the ocean of all the noble qualities says SV. While at times Bhagavan was seemingly harsh on the devotees (we find examples in Suri Nagamma’s letters), it is only to direct them back to what they came for lest they go astray into unnecessary paths such as pleasing Bhagavan by serving more food or thinking that by bringing presents they can benefit. ‘Vandha velaya paaru’ (attend to the work/job you have come for) was his constant remark to those indulging in activities other than self-enquiry. 


Sar-chanar pugazh needhiyan. He is worshipped by noble people. The devotees who streamed from various parts of the world to Bhagavan came from various strata of society. There were doctors, engineers, lawyers, administrators, kings, queens, pundits, scholars, sadhus, yogis and siddhas in the form of animals, not to mentions simple, poor people (to whom Bhagavan showed special concern). Once a great yogi named Achutadasa came to visit Bhagavan when he was in Virupaksha Cave. After singing bhajans he held Bhagavan’s hands and touched his feet. When others who came with him tried to do the same, Achutadasa stopped them saying, ‘This is a big flame, don’t go near it’ (From Kunjuswami’s Enadhu Ninaivugal).

Sanathana poruLaana vedhiyan
Jaadhi bedhamadh atravan;
Anadhi ninmala gnana nayagan
Anbili varu jodhiyaan.

Word meaning:
sanatana = eternal (refers to Sanatana dharma, the religion of Bharata); jaadhi bedham = caste differences; anadhi = without beginning; ninmalan (nirmalan) = blemishless; jodhi = flame, light.

Meaning
Our Ramana is the meaning of the indestructible, eternal Vedas. He does not discriminate among the various castes and creeds of those who come to him. He has no beginning or end. He is blemishless and pure. He is the lord of gnana. He shines brightly as a lamp in the hearts of his devotees, our sadguru Ramana.

Sanatana dharma is the way of life in ancient India under the guidance of the four vedas (also called Vedic way of life). It is a code of human conduct handed down from time immemorial. Vedas have no authors. Periyava says,

“… both Vyāsa and Krishna state that the Vedas existed before them. If that be the case, are we to point to the risis, the seers, who gave us the Vedic mantras, as the founders of our religion? But they themselves declare: “We did not create the Vedas.”

We learn from Deivathin Kural (a collection of talks by Periyava compiled by Ra Ganapathy into 7 volumes) that the vedas were heard by our ancient rishis, which is why they were called ‘shruthi’ meaning to hear. And they were not written but rather passed down from masters to students orally, hence they got the name, ‘smriti’ meaning to remember. 

More from Periyava: 
“The Vedas are apauruṣēya (not the work of any human author) and are the very breath of the Paramātman in his form as space. The sages saw them and made a gift of them to the world.”

“In none of our ancient śāstras (scriptures) does the term “Hindu religion” occur. The name “Hindu” was given us by foreigners.People from the West came to our land across the Sindhu river which they called “Indus” or “Hind” and the land adjacent to it by the name “India”. The religion of this land came to be called “Hindu.”

Our Ramana is the meaning of such timeless, eternal dharma,  called Sanatana Dharma, says SV. 

Bhagavan saw the Self in everyone who came to him, be it in human form or animal form. To him there was difference between man, woman, animal, caste distinction, kings and paupers. That said, in the dining hall he allowed Brahmins to sit on one side and the rest on another side. To the confused souls he said, if one does not practise samatva (equality) at home, there is no need to pretend to practice it here (in the ashram).”

As it says in Ellam Ondre, “There is nothing distinct from himself. His eyes closed or open, howsoever the things may change, his state remains unchanged. this is the state of Brahman. This is the natural eternal state. You are that ever-true state.”

Since he is the meaning of the eternal Santana Dharma, it is logical to conclude that he himself is eternal, with no beginning or end. And he shines forth as the Self in the hearts of the devotees who have surrendered to him.

Jaakiran kanavodu saatru
Suzhuthi vaadhaia dhatravan;
Vaakirandhu niraindhu nindradhor
Vaakiyap poruL aanavan.


Word meaning


jaggiram, kanavu, suzhuthi = waking, dreaming, sleeping states; vaak(u) irandhu = word dead; vaakiya poruL = meaning of Veda maha vakyas;




Meaning
Our Ramana is beyond the states of waking, dreaming and sleeping and the consequent sufferings emanating from those states. He is established in a state that defies description by words. He is the meaning of all the ‘maha vaakyas’ declared in the Vedas.


In Ribhu Gita which was highly recommended by Bhagavan (when Sampurnamma said she didn’t understand the meaning, he said “It does not matter that you do not understand. Still it will be of great benefit to you”), we find a sloka that explains this state of Bhagavan:


Ch 26, V 21: Abide as That in which there are none of the three kinds of bodies (gross physical, subtle internal, or formless and most subtle), dreaming and sleeping, none of the three kinds of souls (those who are fully prepared to advance spiritually, those who are not fully prepared, and those who are not prepared at all), none of the three kinds afflictions (those of the body, those caused by the elements, and those caused by subtle beings and powers), none of the five functional layers of being (gross physical, vital, emotional- psychic, mental, and that of formless bliss), no one to identify himself with them - and be always happy, without the least trace of thought.


In Ashtavakra Gita (17.10), Sage Astavakra says of this state:


The sage is neither asleep nor awake.
He neither closes nor opens his eyes.
Thus, for the liberated soul,
everywhere there is only This.


Ranga, a devotee, says in Ramana Periyapuranam that “I should like to record that I never once saw him yawning or stretching his limbs to loosen up his body.” No one has seen Bhagavan sleep or even lie down flat, ever!


There are four great sentences (Maha Vakyas) from the four Vedas Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, namely, Prajñānam Brahma, Ayam Ātmā Brahma,Tat Tvam Asi, Aham Brahma Asmi. The first is in Aitareya Upanishad of Rig-Veda. The second is in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of Yajur-Veda. The third is in Chhandogya Upanishad of Sama Veda. And the fourth is in Mandukya Upanishad of Atharvana Veda.


SV declares that Bhagavan Ramana is the meaning of these maha vakyas which result after the death of words (vaakirandhu niraindhu nindradhu = fullness standing after death of words).  Bhagavan used to say that words are the grandson of Silence (then thought, then words), hence it is the most powerful teaching, undiluted. And he remained in that state radiating his teaching to whoever came to him.

Appil uppena venmana gugai
Oppi nindridu maNNalaan;
Appan oppavan annai oppavan
Arpudha poruL aanavan.

Word meaning
appu = water; uppu = salt; en mana = my heart/mind; gugai = cave; oppi = compared to; aNNal = honorific title/chief/lord; appan = father; annai = mother; arpudham = wonderful;

Meaning
My Ramana has dissolved in the cave of my heart like salt in water. He is like my father and my mother. He is a great wonder, our sadguru Ramana.

The salt doll comparison is comes up in Talks No.5, where Bhagavan says, “By constantly keeping one’s attention on Source, the ego is dissolved in the Source like a salt-doll in the sea.” 

And also later:

“Mr. Maurice Frydman remarked on the subject of Grace: ‘A salt doll diving into the sea will not be protected by a waterproof coat.’ It was a very happy simile and was applauded as such. Sri Ramana Maharshi added, ‘The body is the waterproof coat.'”

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa also refers to the analogy, “A salt doll went to measure the size of the Ocean. It went in to look and never came back.” 

This simile is reminiscent of Bhagavan’s plea in Aksharamana malai:
ambuvil aali pol anburuvunil enai
Anbaai karaitharuL Arunachala

Meaning
Just how hail stone, made of water gets its solid form, and melts into its original form of water with heat, dissolve me in your form of love Arunachala.

When we surrender completely or do self enquiry, as Bhagavan has instructed us, He merges in our heart as the Self where all differences and dualities dissolve and disappear, leaving just the Self shining as Arunachala. 

Comparing God to mother and father is found in bhakti literature. Saint Manickavasagar calls Shiva ‘ammaye appa oppila maNiye’ (mother, father, peerless gem) in Siva puranam. Sri MahaPeriyava also says that Shiva and Parvati are our (universal) parents. Bharathiyar, a Tamil poet from the early 1900s, has written poems in praise of Lord Krishna as mother and father. Tirumular, in Tirumandhiram verse 7 says, ‘….thannai appa venil appanumai’ meaning he is Father to those who call him Father, and in verse 8 ‘ …thaayinum nallan thazh sadayan’ meaning ‘kinder than is he, the one with flowing matted locks. 

It is also sentiment expressed in verse 6 and14 of Aksharamana malai:
6 Eendridum annayin peridharuL purivoi 
Idhuvo unadharul Arunachala

Meaning
Arunachala! You drench your devotees with love that’s greater than that of a mother’s, is this the glory of your grace?

14 Avvai pol enakkun aruLaithandhenai
AaLuvadhun kadan Arunachala

Meaning
Arunachala! It is your duty to take me over (aaLuvadhu = dominate) with your grace, compassion (which comes so naturally to you), and unconditional love like a mother. Because you are my mother and father to me now that I have surrendered to you.
(And also in the last line of Arunachala NavamaNi malai verse 5 ‘… neranadhundo thaai sisivukaatrum …)​

Here SV considers Bhagavan, who is no different from ardhanareeswara that is Arunachala, as his mother and father.