Day by Day with Bhagavan
Bhagavan: The mind is
a bundle of thoughts. But the
source of all thoughts is the I-thought. So if you try to
find
out who this ‘I’ is, the mind will disappear. The mind will
exist only so long as you think of external things. But
when
you draw it from external things and make it think of the
mind
or ‘I’ — in other words introvert it — it ceases to exist.
25-10-46
For the last three or four days, Mr. Subba Rao has been
reading out in the hall his Life of Bhagavan in
Telugu. He has
mentioned various new things in this book. One is, that the
mongoose which came to Bhagavan when he was on the Hill
was golden-coloured. S. also says that Nayana had told him
that the mongoose was none other than God Arunachala come
to see Bhagavan. Another thing I have not recorded before
is
found in this Life by S. It seems Nayana used to say
that dogs
cannot long survive contact with a person like Bhagavan
whose
granthi (knot) has
been sundered; and that he used to drive
away all dogs. In this connection, Bhagavan said, “Yes, he
used to drive the dogs away. But there was an exception. It
was a dog we used to call Neela. She used to come and
always
sit on my lap. But she would not allow any other dog, even
her own mother or sisters and brothers, to pass beyond the
gate of the Skandasramam. Nayana used to say, ‘This has
been born a dog by mistake’.”
S. has also recorded that whatever Nayana said always
came true, and cited an event in his own life to prove
this.
26-10-46
The morning tapal had brought a letter signed
Kannan.
Bhagavan read the letter but was not sure who wrote it. In
the afternoon, he sent for the cover in which it came and
from various facts made sure the writer was Mr.
Krishnamurti
of Madura College, son of Mr. Ranganatha Aiyer. At
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Bhagavan’s suggestion, Viswanath added to a letter that was
being sent today to Mr. Ranganatha Iyer, “Tell Mr.
Krishnamurti that the ‘Kannan’ who escaped detection this
morning when the tapals were read was discovered
this
evening and brought into publicity.”
The following is the English translation of Kannan’s letter
as made by Mr. T.P.R, and myself the next day:
“Oh Emperor Supreme, Ramana, who rules the world
under the canopy of universal sovereignty, seated on the
throne
of the Heart! That day you graciously said: ‘Oh child, you
being our beloved son, we bestow kingship on you. Assuming
this sovereignty, be you happy!’
“I am seated in the audience hall. There have gathered
the Prime Minister, mind, the assistant ministers, viz.,
the
five sense organs, and the heads of executive authority, viz.,
five organs of action. Before me, they are making noise as
they please. They daringly defy my authority. Often and
suddenly, they darken the audience hall. If I say, ‘Enough.
Leave me alone, all of you, and get away’, they are
indulging
in obstructive tactics and say that they will not go. I am
having endless trouble. Enough for me, this kingship devoid
of power. I have surrendered this kingship unto the Lotus
Feet of Ramana who is my father and Master.
“Bhagavan should release me and give his gracious
protection or else teach me the secret of sovereignty,
granting
the necessary power.
“Oh King, Refuge, Refuge, Refuge I-crave.
Kannan.
“You gave me refuge, saying, ‘Child, when the bell of
extroversion rings, the assembly will gather. In the
audience
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hall, be ever raising the incense of vichara or
enquiry. Mind,
the minister, is a drunkard. Confusing himself with the
intoxication of thought, he will keep confusing the
assembly
as well. This incense of vichara will clear the
intoxication of
thought. The assembly will function in order. As this
incense
of vichara increases more and more, those assembled
will
take leave. When the bell of ‘abidance’ rings, mind will
finally
disappear. All that incense of vichara transformed
into light,
you will abide as yourself, alone and blessed.
“‘Therefore, you should not give up even for a moment
this ‘Self-Enquiry’ of ‘Who am I?’ With the progressive
increase of vichara, jagrat and swapna will
merge in sahaja
nirvikalpa samadhi.
All sleep will become kevala nirvikalpa
samadhi. The vichara
will merge in swarupa.’”
Prayer
“Ramana, my mother and father, you gave me the sword
of jnana, termed vichara. Grant to this
humble self, that has
sought refuge at your feet, the necessary desirelessness to
lay
low and destroy the demon of ‘thought’ as and when it
arises,
with determination, and without any pity or compassion.
“Lord, I surrender myself.
Kannan.”
Mr. Thiagaraja Iyer, Official Receiver of Madras, who was
in the hall, asked Bhagavan, “Is this all imagination, the
creation
of the writer’s fancy, or real?” Bhagavan replied, “We
don’t
know. How can we say anything?” Next Bhagavan asked me to
read out an article entitled Ramana’s Grace which
was not in
the first edition of the Souvenir Volume, but has
been included
in the second Edition, which arrived here yesterday or so.
I
read it out accordingly. There, the writer mentions how
Bhagavan’s grace made him have direct realisation and
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experience of the Self or the awareness of ‘I’, in
Bhagavan’s
hall for some little time, and describes it vividly and in
detail.
After I finished reading the article, Bhagavan remarked in
answer to Mr. T. Iyer’s original question, “Now, what are
we to
say about this? Was it all real or fancy?”
In the evening, after parayana, Alamelu Ammal got up
and told Bhagavan that she was present at Seshadri Swami’s
samadhi, this morning
when the following incident took place.
She said, “The party from Coimbatore including the man who
says Seshadri Swami is speaking and writing through him on
a planchette came to the samadhi and found the place
locked.
They went round the samadhi shrine three times and
meanwhile Thiruvengadam Pillai, the retired Police constable
who is in charge of the shrine, came and opened the temple.
Then the Coimbatore party proceeded to say that Seshadri
Swami was writing on the planchette which also they had
brought with them. There was some writing produced by the
planchette. But T. Pillai asked the party, ‘Now, tell me
what
S. Swami told me one day soon after he had a shave and was
sitting on the pial of Gurukkal’s house.’ The party gave
some
answer. Mr. T. put another question, which was also
answered.
Thereupon T. remarked both the answers were wrong and that
there was no necessity to ask further questions and that he
could not believe S. Swami was speaking through them. The
party then broke up in disorder.”
Bhagavan and the Asramam had been already informed
of the intended visit of this Coimbatore party. The party
in fact
wanted to have our Asramam as their headquarters and carry
on their activities from this centre. But the Asramam had
declined to allow any such thing. When originally Bhagavan
heard from this party that S. Swami was speaking through
them,
he humorously remarked, “It seems S. Swami is speaking to
them. He was well known to us and moved with us all
closely.
It is a pity he does not come and speak to us.”
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29-10-46
This morning a letter was received by Bhagavan from
Mrs. Noye, Bettie and Mr. K.K. Nambiar, in which Mrs. Noye
expressed joy and gratitude for K.K.N. having met her and
Bettie at the suggestion of the Asramam, and described how
she felt as if Bhagavan was present with her.
About 2-30 p.m. when I went near Bhagavan’s hall, T.P.R
was outside at the entrance, and told me Bhagavan was being
given hot fomentation for some pain on his right hip and
that
therefore people were not allowed to go in just then. So I
waited
and went in along with others at about 2-55 p.m. Bhagavan
felt
that he had caused great inconvenience to the devotees by
his
attendants having kept visitors out for a few minutes and
he
remarked, “All these people were kept waiting for half an
hour.”
Bhagavan occasionally gets these pains. Today, it was
obvious,
the pain was severe. But he made light of it and would not
allow anything else to be done for it. He himself took some
liniment and was occasionally rubbing it on his right hip.
Seeing
this, I suggested to friends that we could all clear out of
the hall
and leave Bhagavan to lie down if he felt like that. But
Bhagavan
would not allow it. A little later, Dr. Anantanarayana Rao
came
into the hall, and he offered to massage the part and give
some
relief. Bhagavan however would not have it and humorously
remarked, “It is enough the matter has reached your ears.
Your
hands need not be employed. I am already feeling better.”
(This
was in reference to our common belief that if we have any
trouble it is enough if our complaint reaches Bhagavan’s
ears).
Bhagavan continued to have this pain at intervals till we
left
the hall at 7-30 p.m.
Alamelu Ammal reported to Bhagavan that the Coimbatore
party told her various people spoke to them through the
planchette, including our Bhagavan, and that one Kolandai
Swami of Madura, deceased, spoke through the planchette and
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wrote a song on Bhagavan. So saying, she produced the song
and Bhagavan perused it and gave it to T. S. R., saying,
“You
are the custodian of these songs. Do what you like with
this.”
Bhagavan remarked, “These siddhis won’t come to us.
No swami comes and speaks to us.” When Alamelu Ammal
said the party claimed that Bhagavan also spoke through
their
planchette, Bhagavan said, “Ah, is it so?”
Bhagavan showed Muruganar a cutting from some Tamil
paper in which an account had been given of the celebration
of Golden Jubilee at Golden Rock on 1-10-46, instead of
1-9-
46 owing to the South Indian Railway strike.
30-10-46
This morning Dr. S. Rao, Anantachari and Balaram returned
from their trip to Madura and Tiruchuzhi. Dr. Rao had
brought
with him dosai prasad from Alagar Koil near Madura.
Bhagavan
had several times told us of this dosai. That is why
Dr. Rao was
so particular about bringing it. Bhagavan partook of it
with relish
and spoke of the days when he used to eat it frequently.
Bhagavan
was kind enough to make enquiries about Karpoora Bhattar
and
was glad to hear that K.’s wife in full pregnancy, attended
to our
party’s comforts, etc., and was confined just the day
before
Balaram left Tiruchuzhi. Balaram said the labour was easy
and
the child was a female one; and that the lady’s mother
arrived
just in time to assist at the confinement. The morning tapal
brought a letter from Victoria Doe, saying that she had met
Swami
Siddheswarananda in London. Curiously, the same post
brought
a letter from Swami S. saying that he had arrived in India
and
was in his native place.
1-11-46
Mrs. Taleyarkhan took a lot of pains and arranged for
‘Harischandra’ a Tamil film to be shown to Bhagavan in the
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dining hall this night. The show could not be started
before
9-30 p.m. and so Bhagavan had to keep awake till 12-30. But
Bhagavan sat through it all and I believe he enjoyed it.
2-11-46
Bhagavan looked up Harischandra’s story in Tamil and
said, “They had abridged the story very much at one place.
They did not show how Chandramathi was suspected of
having killed the king’s son and was sentenced to death for
that supposed murder of hers.” In the afternoon, Bhagavan
was looking into the life of Pundarika in Bhakta Vijayam;
the Tamil film ‘Bhakta Pundarika’ was going to be shown
this night to him. There is a lot of difference between the
story in the book and the film version.
3-11-46
This afternoon, I read out in the hall a letter received
from Mr. K.K. Nambiar. Besides describing the air journey
which was made at a great height with snow-capped mountains
beneath them in the flight, the letter described his
meeting
Mrs. E. Noye and her sister, how Mrs. E.N. was greatly
moved
by K.K.N.’s presence, how they all meditated for a while on
Bhagavan and how Mrs. E.N. shed copious tears. She was
trying her best to come here again.
This night Bhagavan was shown a Hindi film ‘Karna’.
4-11-46
Today a letter was received from Mrs. E. Noye, about
Mr. K.K.N.’s visit to her and her sister and how they all
felt
that Bhagavan was actually present with them.
5-11-46
This night the film ‘Mira Bai’ was shown to Bhagavan.
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6-11-46
As it was proposed that tonight the film ‘Sivakavi’ should
be shown, Bhagavan took up Pulavar Puranam (Story of
the
Poets), and read out portions to us. When he came to the
stanza
in which it is said that the poet fell repenting at
Subramanya’s
Feet and said, “I would not care for you. Still such was
your
grace that you of your own accord appeared before me, set
me right and took me into your grace. How can I thank you
for your mercy?” Bhagavan could hardly restrain his tears.
He was choked with emotion. I have often observed how such
things move him deeply.
Bhagavan is having a very bad cold. When somebody
said, “Probably sitting late last night to see the film has
affected
Bhagavan’s health,” he said. “No. No. I sat there as I sit
here.
Part of the time, I was sleeping there. Further, they
themselves
give so many intervals. Whenever the reel was not moving, I
closed my eyes. That gives me sufficient rest. Even if I
sit for
the whole night like that, it would make no difference to
me.”
7 to 13-11-46
Bhagavan has been having a bad cold, slight cough and
fever for two or three days.
18-11-46
The following was supplied to me by Mr. G.V. Subba
Rao. A visitor introduced by T.S.R. asked Bhagavan whether
by doing annual ceremonies, etc., to the dead, we can
confer
any benefit on them. To this Bhagavan replied, “Yes. It all
depends on one’s belief.”
Mr. Somasundaram Pillai’s version of the above question
and answer is given below:
Question: If such
rites as the annual ceremony performed
by descendants are able to do away with the karma of the
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dead, it seems to strike at the root of the theory of
karma. For
then a man may escape the evil consequences of his bad acts
through the help of the rites performed by his sons, etc.
Answer: Such rites
only help the deceased to a small extent.
It is on the same principle that prayaschittam and
good deeds
are said to mitigate the evil consequences of one’s bad
actions.
After the visitor went away I asked Bhagavan, “Till
three years ago, I was under the impression that doing
annual
ceremonies to the dead would confer benefit on them so long
as they are not reborn.” Bhagavan intervened with the
remark,
“They will receive benefit though they are reborn several
times and there is an agency to look after all this. Of
course,
Jnana marga does not
say all this.” After a while I said,
“Bhagavan used to say that if one believes in the existence
of this world, one should also believe in the existence of
other worlds.” Bhagavan said that it was so. I asked, “The
jnani transcends all
stages and he is not bound by any karma
(vidhi or nisheda). The ajnani should
do his own dharma
prescribed by sastras till he gets jnana. But
while he is
attempting to reach jnana, will he be held
responsible for
the consequences of not doing the ordinary karma or will he
be presumed to have done all this karma, just as a person
reading in a higher class is presumed to have finished the
lower classes?” Bhagavan said, “It depends on the
superiority
of the path one pursues. Unless a person has finished (in
this or previous births) the other paths, he will not
pursue
the jnana path; and he need not bother himself that
he has
not done the various karmas prescribed by sastras.
But he
should not wilfully transgress the sastraic injunctions
by
doing things prohibited by them.”
19-11-46
About 10-30 a.m. today a visitor asked Bhagavan, “The
realised man has no further karma. He is not bound by his
karma.
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Why should he still remain with his body?” Bhagavan
replied,
“Who asks this question? Is it the realised man or the ajnani?
Why should you bother what the jnani does or why he
does
anything? You look after yourself.” A little later he
added, “You
are under the impression you are the body. So you think the
jnani also has a body.
Does the jnani say he has a body? He
may look to you as having a body and doing things with the
body, as others do. The burnt rope still looks like a rope,
but it
can’t serve as a rope if you try to bind anything with it.
So long
as one identifies oneself with the body, all this is
difficult to
understand. That is why it is sometimes said in reply to
such
questions, ‘The body of the jnani will continue till
the force of
prarabdha works itself
out, and after the prarabdha is exhausted
it will drop off. An illustration made use of in this
connection is
that of an arrow already discharged which will continue to
advance and strike its target. But the truth is the jnani
has
transcended all karmas, including the prarabdha karma,
and
he is not bound by the body or its karmas.”
The visitor also asked, “When a man realises the Self,
what will he see?” Bhagavan replied, “There is no seeing.
Seeing
is only Being. The state of Self-realisation, as we call
it, is not
attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far
away, but simply being that which you always are and which
you always have been. All that is needed is that you give
up
your realisation of the not-true as true. All of us are
realising,
i.e., regarding as
real, that which is not real. We have only to
give up this practice on our part. Then we shall realise
the Self
as the Self, or in other words, ‘Be the Self’. At one stage
one
would laugh at oneself that one tried to discover the Self
which
is so self-evident. So, what can we say to this question?
“That stage transcends the seer and the seen. There is no
seer there to see anything. The seer who is seeing all this
now
ceases to exist and the Self alone remains.”
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23-11-46
A letter was received from Dr. Mees in which he has
described all his doings and experiences at Madura and
Tiruchuzhi. He says there, besides other things, “I went
from the
place where the river has joined the ocean
(Tiruvannamalai), to
the source of the river (Tiruchuzhi), past the place where
the
river came down as a waterfall to the level of the ocean
(Madura).”
24-11-46
Mrs. Chenoy (from Bombay) asked Bhagavan this evening
(after reading Who am I?) whether it was the proper
thing to do
if she asked herself “Who am I?” and told herself she was
not
this body but a spirit, a spark from the divine flame.
Bhagavan
first said, “Yes, you might do that or whatever appeals to
you.
It will come right in the end.” But, after a little while,
he told
her: “There is a stage in the beginning, when you identify
yourself with the body, when you are still having the
bodyconsciousness.
At that stage, you have the feeling you are
different from the reality or God, and then it is, you
think of
yourself as a devotee of God or as a servant or lover of
God.
This is the first stage. The second stage is when you think
of
yourself as a spark of the divine fire or a ray from the
divine
Sun. Even then there is still that sense of difference and
the
body-consciousness. The third stage will come when all such
difference ceases to exist, and you realise that the Self
alone
exists. There is an ‘I’ which comes and goes, and another
‘I’
which always exists and abides. So long as the first ‘I’
exists,
the body-consciousness and the sense of diversity or bheda
buddhi will persist.
Only when that ‘I’ dies, the reality will
reveal itself. For instance, in sleep, the first ‘I’ does
not exist.
You are not then conscious of a body or the world. Only
when
that ‘I’ again comes up, as soon as you get out of sleep,
do you
become conscious of the body and this world. But in sleep
you
alone existed. For, when you wake up, you are able to say
‘I
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slept soundly.’ You, that wake up and say so, are the same
that
existed during sleep. You don’t say that the ‘I’ which
persisted
during sleep was a different ‘I’ from the ‘I’ present in
the waking
state. That ‘I’ which persists always and does not come and
go
is the reality. The other ‘I’ which disappears in sleep is
not real.
One should try and realise in the waking state that state
which
unconsciously everyone attains in sleep, the state where
the
small ‘I’ disappears and the real ‘I’ alone is.” At this
stage, Mrs.
C. Asked, “But how is it to be done?” Bhagavan replied, “By
enquiring from whence and how does this small ‘I’ arise.
The
root of all bheda buddhi is this ‘I’. It is at the
root of all thoughts.
If you enquire wherefrom it arises, it disappears.”
Mrs. C. then asked, “Am I not then to say (in answer to my
own question ‘Who am I?’) ‘I am not this body but a spirit
etc.’?”
Bhagavan then said, “No. The enquiry ‘Who am I?’ means
really
the enquiry within oneself as to wherefrom within the body
the
‘I’-thought arises. If you concentrate your attention on
such an
enquiry, the ‘I’-thought being the root of all other
thoughts, all
thoughts will be destroyed and then the Self or the Big ‘I’
alone
will remain as ever. You do not get anything new, or reach
somewhere where you were not before. When all other
thoughts
which were hiding the Self are removed, the Self shines by
itself.”
Mrs. C. then referred to the portion in the book (Who am
I ?) where it is said,
“Even if you keep on saying ‘I’, ‘I’, it will
take you to the Self or reality” and asked whether that was
not
the proper thing to be done. I explained, “The book says
one
must try and follow the enquiry method which consists in
turning one’s thoughts inwards and trying to find out
wherefrom
the ‘I’, which is the root of all thoughts, arises. If one
finds one
is not able to do it, one may simply go on repeating ‘I’,
‘I’, as if
it were a mantram like ‘Krishna’ or ‘Rama’ which
people use
in their japa. The idea is to concentrate on one
thought to exclude
all other thoughts and then eventually even the one thought
will die.” On this, Mrs. C. asked me, “Will it be of any
use if
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one simply repeats ‘I’, ‘I’ mechanically?” I replied, “When
one
uses ‘I’ or other words like ‘Krishna’, one surely has in
one’s
own mind some idea of the God one calls by the name ‘I’ or
anything else. When a man goes on repeating ‘Rama’ or
‘Krishna’, he can’t be thinking of a tree as the meaning
behind
it.” After all this, Bhagavan said, “Now you consider you
are
making an effort and uttering ‘I’, ‘I’ or other mantrams
and
making meditation. But when you reach the final stage,
meditation will go on without any effort on your part. You
can’t
get away from it or stop it, for meditation, japa,
or whatever
else you call it, is your real nature.”
27-11-46
In the afternoon, when I entered the hall, Nagamma has
just finished reading a Telugu article entitled Vinnappalu
(Submissions) written by Mr. Venkatachalam (father of
Souris),
appearing in the Telugu journal Andhra Silpi. I
requested Mr.
G.V.S. to translate it. The gist of it was a complaint that
Bhagavan,
after enabling Venkatachalam to have a few experiences in
the
beginning, seems to have grown utterly indifferent and to
have
completely neglected and ignored him since. The article
goes on
like a loving child quarrelling with its beloved father or
master,
and in one portion says, “Do you think I am not aware how
necessary I am for you? If I don’t have you, I have all
this world
and its enjoyments with which I could occupy and console
myself.
But what can you do without the love of your devotees, as
you
depend solely on such love and devotion?” Some people,
including Nagamma, did not like this way of writing. Mrs.
Chenoy, for instance, asked, “But, why are you all making
so
much fuss about this silly letter?” I explained to her that
others
did not think the letter so silly, that, so far as I could
judge, even
Bhagavan did not think so, and that other devotees, long
before
Venkatachalam, have sometimes quarrelled with God, and even
abused him for what seemed utter indifference to their
urgent
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supplications, that it was a passing phase in the devotee’s
life,
who would feel remorse at the very next moment, and feel
grateful
to God for various mercies he has had, and so on. Bhagavan
said,
“It seems Venkatachalam has written another article in this
vein
and that Nagamma has seen it. But she has not shown it to
me.”
He asked Nagamma, “Where is that article?” She replied, “I
don’t
know where it is. I have thrown it away.” She added that
she had
shown it to Mauni and that he also disapproved of it. It
looks as
though Nagamma and Mauni, having gone through the article,
decided it was not fit to be taken to the hall for
Bhagavan’s perusal.
But so far as I could judge, Bhagavan wants to see it.
28-11-46
This evening just before parayana, a Telugu
gentleman
wrote a few questions and presented them to Bhagavan.
Bhagavan replied to him. The questions in effect were:
“They
say that jivanmuktas are always having brahmakara
vritti.
Would they be having it during sleep? If they have it, then
who is it that sleeps in their case?”
Answer: “Of course,
the jivanmuktas are having
brahmakara vritti always,
even during sleep. The real answer
to the last question and the whole set of questions is that
the
jnani has neither the
waking, dreaming, or sleeping avasthas,
but only the turiya state. It is the jnani that
sleeps. But he
sleeps without sleeping or is awake while sleeping.”
8-12-46
A French official from Pondicherry has been here for
two days, and he told Bhagavan that he intended giving up
his job and doing some sadhana in the spiritual
line. As usual,
Bhagavan told him it was not necessary to give up one’s job
or renounce the world or go to a forest, etc., to do any sadhana;
and that, wherever one might be, and whatever duties one
might be discharging in one’s office or family, one could
still
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practise sadhana. (I was not present at the above
conversation. But Mrs. Osborne told me about it).
25-12-46
I was away at Madras from the 13th and returned last
night. This evening at about 6-30, our Framji’s brother’s
son,
who has been staying here for about a month with his wife
and child, came with his party to take leave of Bhagavan,
as
they intended leaving for Bombay the next morning. Mother
and son stood near Bhagavan’s feet, and T. S. R. told
Bhagavan
that the party had come to take leave. The child about
three
years old went up to Bhagavan, and stood near him close to
the grating. Bhagavan graciously took hold of the boy’s
right
arm and shook it and let him go. He went back to his mother
and, as they were prostrating, said something to her in
Gujarati.
Bhagavan asked what it was all about. The mother said, “He
is saying Bhagavan did not place his hands on his head and
bless him.” Bhagavan was surprised at this remark of the
child.
The mother took advantage of the situation, and told her
son
to go near Bhagavan. Bhagavan began saying, “I have touched
his arm. It is enough.” But the child had come up to him
and
put his head across the grating. Bhagavan touched his head
and remarked, “I thought he would be satisfied with my
having
touched and fondled him. But he persists and wants this.”
26-12-46
This afternoon, Colombo Ramachandra put into my hands
an article in English, which he had been preparing for the
last
two or three days, as suggested by our Mauni, to be sent in
response to a request for an article from the assistant
editor,
Hindu Organ (English)
and Indu Sadhanam (Tamil) and asked
me to show it to Bhagavan for approval. I showed the
article to
Bhagavan. But as I found he was not inclined to go through
the
long article, I offered to read it out to him, and he
heartily
347
approved of the idea, saying, “Yes. Others also can hear it
then.”
Thereupon I read it out. As requested by R., I also gave
for
Bhagavan’s perusal the above letter from the assistant
editor,
as it contained some personal matter meant apparently for
Bhagavan’s notice and seeking relief through Bhagavan’s
grace.
I also told Bhagavan that, while the above article was to
be sent
to the Hindu Organ, Uma’s Tamil article on Bhagavan
written
at the time of the Golden Jubilee in September this year,
but so
far not published, was going to be sent by R. to the Indu
Sadhanam. Uma has
written a new poem for the Jayanti on the
7th January and this is also going to be sent to Indu
Sadhanam.
27-12-46
This night, a gentleman quoting a few stanzas from Tamil
works like Thiruppugazh, and those of Thayumanavar
and
Manikkavachakar, wanted to know, whether, as he had been
told
by a certain teacher of his in interpreting these passages,
the proper
way to attain salvation was to see to it that the body did
not die,
drop off from the ‘D«o’
(life) and get destroyed, but that it
gradually became less and less and finally vanished merging
into
the Supreme. The gentleman prefaced his remarks with the
submission that he was without eye, i.e.,
understanding
“SV]eL[t\úRôo Eo GßúTôXúY”
(i.e., like a bull roaming
about without eyes) and that he prayed for enlightenment.
Bhagavan asked him, “Have you not got eyes?” He
replied, “I want the eye which would enable me to see what
is
the body and what is the soul.”
Bhagavan: You say
this. You have a body and you say
‘my body’, etc. How do you see all this?
Visitor: With the
fleshy eye (oonakkan). I lead the life of
egoism.
Bhagavan: Exactly. So,
to see wherefrom this ahamkara
rises and to go back to its source is the only way. You
wanted the
348
way. This is the only way, to go back by the same way by
which
you came. You said ùT¬úVôo úTô]Y¯ (the way which the
great ones of old trod). They all used only this way.
Because you
asked ‘Which way?’, I replied ‘The way by which you came’.
The visitor still pointed out that his teacher, basing
himself on various texts from the above authors, had taught
him that the proper yoga is to see that the body does not
die.
Bhagavan: People put
various interpretations on the same
texts, according to their pet theories. You quote for
instance from
Manikkavachakar and say he used the way advocated by your
teacher, the way in which the soul D«o is to be made to leave
the body by the tenth gate (and not by the nine gates). Can
you
point out a single line in that saint’s works where the
phrase
(tenth gate) occurs? You said the great ones used this
yoga. What
is the viyoga (separation) from? Who got that viyoga,
and who
wants to achieve yoga (union) again? That must first be
known.
The visitor also asked in the course of his long talk:
“How else is the jiva (individual soul) to join sivam
(God),
how is the jivatman to become one with the Paramatman?”
Bhagavan said, “We do not know anything about Siva or the
Paramatman. We know
the jiva. Or, rather, we know we exist.
‘I am’ is the only thing that always abides, even when the
body does not exist for us, as for instance, when we are
asleep. Let us take hold of this, and see wherefrom the ‘I’
sense or ahamkara, as you put it, arises.”
The visitor asked Bhagavan, “I am asked to go the way by
which I came. Then what will happen?” Bhagavan replied, “If
you go, you go away. That is all. There is nothing more.
You
won’t come back. Because you asked ‘which way?’, I said
‘The
way you came’. But who are you? Where are you now and where
do you want to go, that one may show the way? All these
questions
will have to be first answered. So the most important thing
is to
find out who you are. Then all else will be solved.”
349
Mr. T.S.R. found in the visitor’s hands a book by his
master Thirunagalinga Swami, entitled ‘AjU WbôªoR
ARôWd LhP}’ and having looked at it for a minute, passed
it on to Bhagavan. Bhagavan glanced at its contents for a
few minutes, and then returned it. He said, “There has been
a school like that which went about saying that he who left
his body behind could not be a jnani or a perfected
being.
But all those who said so have also left their body behind
at
death.” The visitor, however, still said, “I prefer to
believe
literally what is said of a saint like Sundaramurti, that
he
did not leave his body behind but went on the white
elephant
sent from heaven for taking him there.”
The above is only a poor attempt to give the gist of a
long talk between the visitor and Bhagavan.
This evening, another visitor, a young and bright-looking
man, Girish Ganapat, read out a long prayer to Bhagavan,
which he had composed in English, consisting of about
twenty
stanzas, and then gave it to Bhagavan. Bhagavan received
the
same very graciously, after listening to it with appreciative
smiles all along. I extract below five out of the above
stanzas.
“In search of Truth I wandered;
But found nothing but confusion,
With hopeful eyes, I arrived here,
Expecting light, to avoid illusion.
“Came I and sat at your feet,
Peace and calmness captured self.
In an unseen way, O Lord,
You helped me in your wondrous silence.
“Light of hope cheered me,
I saw my dream succeed,
Oh, see with the sword of stillness
Are cut the veils of darkness.
350
“Yet, O Lord, my sinful soul
Is not free from old habits.
Hence the help from you, Guru.
Begging I am with eager eyes.
“So will you not help me, O Lord?
Will my childish prayer reach
Thy ear, O merciful Ramana?
And will my veils mysterious drop
By your single ray serene?”
The above young man took a copy of Colombo
Ramachandra’s article (see under date 26-12-46) and said he
was going to make a translation of it into Gujerati and get
it
published in a Gujerati paper.
31-12-46
A visitor asked Bhagavan, “What is the right conception
of life?”
Bhagavan: If you know
who wants to have this cleared,
i.e., who puts this
question, then all will be solved. What is
meant by life, by right conception, and who are you?
Visitor: I am a man. I
want to know what is the right
conception of life so that I may live accordingly.
Bhagavan: Life of man
is what is. That which is, is. All
the trouble arises by having a conception of it. Mind comes
in. It has a conception. All trouble follows. If you are as
you
are, without a mind and its conceptions about various
things,
all will be well with you. If you seek the source of the
mind,
then alone all questions will be solved.
Another visitor asked Bhagavan, “Will not right conduct
be enough to secure salvation?”
Bhagavan: Salvation
for whom? Who wants salvation?
And what is right conduct? What is conduct? And what is
right?
351
Who is to judge what is right and what is wrong? According
to previous samskaras, each one regards something or
other
as right. It is only when the reality is known, what is
right can
be known. The best course is to find out who wants this
salvation, and in tracing this ‘who’ or ego to its original
source
consists all right conduct.
This answer did not satisfy the visitor, and he kept on
asking
whether doing nitya karmas and sat karmas will
not lead to
salvation, as mentioned in books. Thereupon Bhagavan said,
“It
is said so in books. Who denies that good conduct is good
or that
it will eventually lead you to the goal? Good conduct or sat
karma
purifies the chitta or mind and gives you chitta
suddhi. The pure
mind attains jnana, which is what is meant by
salvation. So,
eventually jnana must be reached, i.e., the
ego must be traced to
its source. But to those to whom this does not appeal, we
have to
say sat karmas lead to chitta suddhi, and chitta
suddhi will lead
to right knowledge or jnana, and that in its turn
gives salvation.”
1-1-47
An old lady, a Brahmin widow, was talking to Bhagavan in
the hall, recollecting various incidents connected with her
family
and Bhagavan, during Bhagavan’s stay in Virupakshi Cave and
Skandasramam. Thereupon I asked T.S.R. who the lady was. He
said she was the widow of one Mr. Venkatramier of Madura
who
stayed with Bhagavan for a long time and was greatly
attached to
Bhagavan. Thereupon Bhagavan asked me, “Haven’t you met
him?
His photo must be in our groups in the Life.” I said
“No”. Then
Bhagavan asked T.S.R. to get a copy of the first edition of
Self-
Realisation by B.V.N.,
took out a group photo (second Jayanti)
and showed us the above Mr. V. Iyer in that group.
The lady began singing some Tamil songs. Among them
were Ramana Stuti Panchakam songs. In this
connection T.S.R.
asked Bhagavan how many times the author of those songs had
visited Bhagavan, and where he was now. Bhagavan replied,
352
“He came only once when we were at the Virupakshi Cave.
The first four songs, he wrote while he was here, one each
day
of his stay, and the fifth, the sadguru song, he
sent after going
to his place. He never again came here and we know nothing
more about him. The day that he wrote the kummi song,
Mr.
M.V.Ramaswami Aiyar, probably Ramanatha Dikshitar, and
others — all crazy chaps (ûTj§VeL) — joined together at
night and sang this song and did kummi.”
Afterwards the lady began singing a few extracts from
Bharati’s ‘Kannan’ song. She began ‘©ûZdÏm Y¯
ùNôpX
úYiÓùUuøp’. At once, Bhagavan asked the lady, “Do
you know Alamelu? She used to sing this song.” The lady
replied, “Yes. I know. It is through her I got acquainted
with
this song,” and continued her song.
I was going through a book on Ma Ananda Mayi, recently
received by the Asramam. On pages 127-129 of the book the
question is put as to whether she is to be deemed to be in
the
super-conscious state, knowing all, when she speaks in the
ordinary way of the world, asking her disciples when they
came,
whether they have had their food, or how their family was,
etc.
She replied that in that super-conscious state there could
be no
conversation and no duality in fact; and that when she
converses,
she does so like other persons, and not with all knowledge.
But
she added, “There is another state when whatever I tell any
particular person will be true.” I asked Bhagavan what was
this
state and what was its name. Bhagavan said, “I don’t know
what they mean by it. Some are able to see what is hidden
by
time or space. But that is among the siddhis so
called, and
nothing to do with jnana or Liberation of the
Perfected Being.”
4-1-47
This afternoon T.S.R. was pasting, in the file opened for
1947, a copy of Uma’s song printed for the coming Jayanti,
353
with Colombo K. Ramachandra’s song at the top. Nagamma
asked Bhagavan, “Has the song been printed? How has it been
done, on a single sheet or as a folder?” Bhagavan replied,
“It
has been done as a small folder with K.R.’s song on top,”
and
asked T.S.R. to show it to N. In this connection, Bhagavan
told
T.S.R., “K.R. has not put his signature to the song, but
has
subscribed himself as ‘A devotee’. You may perhaps note
down
there ‘K.Ramachandra’ to indicate who the author was for
any
reference in the future.”
Later, Bhagavan told me, “R.’s article has appeared in
The Sunday Times.”
Bhagavan asked me to read it out for the
benefit of all. R. had referred to siddhis as
‘sub-normal
powers’. With Bhagavan’s approval, I corrected it into
‘supranormal
powers’.
354
GLOSSARY
Abhaya : State of
fearlessness; offering shelter to one who
seeks refuge.
Abheda : Without
difference.
Abheda buddhi : Concept free from ideas of difference.
Abhishekam : The
sacred bath of water, milk, curd, etc., given
to a deity.
Abhyasa : Practice.
Abhavam : Non-existence;
absence.
Adhama : Inferior.
Adi : Beginning.
Advaita : Non-duality;
no-otherness.
Advaitic : Pertaining
to advaita.
Advaitin : One who
believes in non-duality.
Aham : I; the ego.
Ahamkaram : Ego-sense.
Aham vritti : The ‘I’
thought.
Ajnana : Ignorance;
nescience.
Akasa : Space; ether; sky; Brahman.
Ananda : Bliss.
Ananya bhakti : Whole-hearted devotion.
Angushtha-pramana: Of the size of the thumb.
Anta : The end.
Antaryami : The
controller within us. God.
Anugraha : Blessing;
grace.
Anupallavi : Sub-refrain
of a song.
Apachara : Sacrilege.
Arati : The waving of lights before
a sacred image.
Archana : Offering
flowers to a sacred image.
Arupa manas : Mind
which has no form or concept.
355
Asariri : Without
body; a celestial voice.
Asat : Non-existence.
Ashta Dik Palakas: Protectors of eight quarters.
Ashta lingam : Eight lingams.
Ashta Vasus : Celestial
beings who are eight in number.
Asti : Exists.
Asuric : Demoniac.
Atma : Self.
Atma-sakshatkaram: Perceiving (realizing) the Self directly.
Avadhuta : An
ascetic who has given up everything including
his clothes.
Avastha : State,
especially the state of waking or dream or
sleep.
Avatar : Incarnation;
descent of God in a worldly form.
Avidya : Ignorance;
nescience.
Aviyal : A South
Indian preparation in which several kinds
of vegetables are used.
Avyabhicharini bhakti: Bhakti which does not change from one object
to another.
Bhagavat-Bhakta: One who is devoted to Bhagavan (Vishnu).
Bhajan : Singing
devotional songs in chorus.
Bhakti : Devotion
to a personal God.
Bhakti marga : The spiritual path of devotion to a personal God.
Bhakti rasa : The joy
of bhakti.
Bhati : Shines, manifests, is
aware.
Bhava : Feeling ; emotion.
Bheda bhava : A sense
of separateness.
Bhiksha : lit. The food offered to begging ascetics in charity;
a feast given to ascetics and other religious
persons.
Bhoga Kshetra : A place of enjoyment.
Bhu : A sacred and symbolic
syllable called a vyahriti.
Bhuvar : A sacred
and symbolic syllable called a vyahriti.
356
Bindu : A dot; in yoga the dot over
OM.
Brahmacharya : The first stage of life, the stage of the student.
Brahmajnana : Realization
of Brahman.
Brahmakara vritti: Concept of the form of Brahman.
Buddhi : Intellect.
Chaitanya : Consciousness;
sentience.
Chakora : A
mythical bird which is to feed only on rain
water.
Chakra : A yogic
centre in the body.
Chalana : Movement.
Charanam : The body
of a song.
Charya : Regular
observance of rites.
Chattram : A place
of free lodging for pilgrims and travellers.
Sometimes food is also provided free.
Cheetah : A small
leopard.
Chembu : A small
round water pot made of brass or copper.
Chidabhasa : The
reflected consciousness; the jiva.
Chidakasa : The akasa
or ether or space in the heart; Brahman.
Chinmudra : The
hand-pose indicating illumination.
Chiranjivi : One who
lives for ever.
Chit : Consciousness.
Chit-Jada-granthi: The knot which ties the sentient (Self ) and the
inert (the body).
Chitta suddhi : Purity of mind.
Daharakasa : The tiny
akasa; A term applied to the Self which
is realized in the Heart.
Daivic : Godly;
divine.
Darshan(a) : Seeing a
holy person or image.
Dasara holidays : The ten days devoted to the worship of the
Universal Mother.
Deham : Body.
Dehatma buddhi: The idea that the body is the Self.
357
Deva : A celestial being.
Dhoti : A long piece of cloth tied
round the waist.
Dhyana : Meditation;
contemplation.
Diksha (deeksha) : Formal initiation of a disciple by the Guru.
Dosai prasad : Prasad (Offering to God) consisting of dosai, a
pancake made out of rice and blackgram.
Drishti srishti : Perception followed by creation.
Dvaita : Duality.
Dvaitic : Pertaining
to dvaita.
Dvaitin : One who
believes in duality.
Eka chintana : Concentrated thinking.
Ekagra bhakti : Complete devotion to one.
Ganjira : A
tabor-like musical instrument.
Gayatri : A
well-known Vedic mantra.
Giri Pradakshina: Going round the Hill.
Gokulashtami : The eighth lunar day on which Sri Krishna was
born.
Gos(h)ala : A place
where the cows are kept.
Gottuvadyam : A
stringed musical instrument.
Grihapravesam : House warming.
Grihasta : One who
is in the second stage of life, that of a
householder.
Guna : Quality; mode.
Guru stuti : Praise of
the Guru; verses in praise of the Guru.
Harikatha : A
religious discourse interspersed with devotional
songs.
Hasta diksha : Spiritual initiation in which the Guru places his
hand on the head of the disciple.
Hastamalaka(m) : An amalaka fruit in the hand.
Hatha yoga : A form of
yoga involving difficult bodily postures.
Homa : Sacrifice offered in the
sacred fire.
Idam : This, usually applied in
Vedanta to the world.
358
Ishta devata : The deity whom one desires to worship or
contemplate.
Isvara : God.
Isvara maya : The maya
(delusion) produced by God.
Isvaravadi : One who
expounds the doctrine of a personal
God.
Jada : The inert.
Jagrat : The
waking state.
Japa : Repetition of a sacred word
or syllable or the name
of God.
Jada : Matted hair.
Jayanti : The
birthday of a God or a holy person.
Jibba : A long, loose shirt without
collar and cuffs.
Jiva : The individual.
Jivanmukta : One who
is Liberated while alive.
Jivatman : The
individual self.
Jnana : Knowledge; Wisdom;
Enlightenment.
Jnanottara Bhakti: Bhakti which follows Jnana.
Jutka : A carriage on two wheels
drawn by a pony.
Jyoti : Effulgence.
Jyoti maya : Full of
effulgence.
Kainkaryam : Service
rendered to God, the Guru, etc.
Kalakshepam : A
religious discourse interspersed with songs.
Kali yuga : The last
of the four yugas (aeons).
Kamandala(m) : A receptacle for holding water used by ascetics
and generally made out of the shell of a large
coconut.
Kanji : Gruel.
Kashaya : Taint;
impurity.
Kattalai : Offerings
made to a temple at regular times by a
devotee.
Kayakalpa : A
medicinal preparation for longevity.
359
Kirtan : A
devotional song.
Koham : Who am I?
Kripa : Mercy.
Kripa drishti : Look of mercy or grace.
Kriya : An act.
Kshetra : A field;
a place; the body.
Kshira sagara : The ocean of milk in which Vishnu lies on a
serpent with a thousand hoods.
Kummi : A song which accompanies a
kind of rustic
dance.
Kumkum(am) : Vermilion
applied to the forehead, generally by
women.
Kundalini : The
mystic circle of three and a half coils situated
in the umbilical region. The yogic principle of
Serpent power. The Primordial Maya.
Kuvalaya : The
lotus.
Laya : Dissolution; absorption.
Lila : Sport.
Lingam : Symbol;
the symbol of Siva.
Lingamaya : Full of
lingas.
Madhu : Honey; enjoyment.
Madhu Vidya : The name
of a spiritual and esoteric practice.
Madhwada : One who
enjoys the good and bad things in the
world; the jiva.
Madhyama : Middling.
Maha Prana : The
important life-force.
Manana : Reflection
on what has been heard.
Manas : Mind.
Manasa japam : Japam done mentally.
Mangalam : Auspicious.
Manigar : The
person in charge of an institution.
Mano nasa : The
extinction of the mind.
360
Mantapam : A raised
platform of stone covered over with an
ornamental roof supported by pillars.
Manthi : A grown
up male monkey.
Mantra : A sacred
word or words supposed to have spiritual
potency.
Mantra japam : Repetition of mantra.
Mantramaya : Full of
mantra.
Marundu : Medicinal
preparation.
Mattu Pongal day: The day on which the cows are venerated.
Mauna (mowna): Silence.
Mayavadi : One who
expounds the doctrine of maya.
Megha : Cloud.
Megha mandala : A bank of clouds.
Mithya : Unreal;
false.
Moham : Delusion.
Moharrum : A Muslim
festival.
Moksha : Liberation.
Mridangam : A small
drum which is struck with the fingers of
both the hands and used in South Indian Musical
Concerts.
Mudra : Pose of the hands.
Mukta : One who is liberated.
Mukti : Liberation.
Muladhara : The name
of the lowest Yogic chakra or centre.
Mumukshu : One who
desires to be Liberated.
Nada : Sound; in yoga the sound
represented by OM.
Nadi : River.
Nadi : Yogic nerve.
Nadi horoscope : A system of astrology.
Naham : I am not the body.
Naivedya(m) : Food
offered to a God at the time of worship.
Nakshatra : A star;
an asterism.
361
Nama : Name.
Nama smarana : Repetition of the name of God.
Navami : The ninth
lunar day.
Nididhyasana : Uninterrupted contemplation.
Nirvikalpa samadhi: Samadhi in which all differences between the
individual self and Brahman cease to exist.
Nishkama karma: Action done without a selfish motive.
Nitya karma : The daily
rites which are obligatory.
Niyati : Law;
rule; established order.
Om(kar) : The
sacred syllable which represents Brahman.
Padaiveedu : A temple
or shrine built on the site of a battle
fought by gods with demons.
Padmasanam : The
lotus-posture of sitting for meditation.
Pakva : Fit; proper; mature.
Pallavi : Refrain
in a piece of music.
Paramatma(n) : The Supreme Self; Brahman.
Parayana : The
chanting of the Vedas.
Pathasala : A school,
especially one in which boys are taught
to chant the Vedas.
Pipal : A sacred tree; the ficus religiosa.
Poli : A North Indian preparation
made of wheat flour
fried in ghee.
Pongal : A South
Indian preparation made of rice, pulses,
nuts, ghee, etc.
Pongal Prasadam: Pongal offered to God.
Pooran poli : A North
Indian sweet preparation.
Pradakshina : Going
round a sacred object or person.
Prakara : The paved
yard surrounding the shrine in a
temple.
Prakriti : Nature;
compound of the three gunas, satva, rajas
and tamas.
Prana : Life-force; the vital airs,
breath.
362
Pranayama : Regulation
or control of breath.
Prarabdha : That part
of one’s karma which has to be worked
out in this life.
Prasad(am) : Food
distributed to devotees after it is offered to
God, the Guru, etc.
Pratyaksha : Direct;
immediate.
Pravritti : Activity.
Prayaschittam : An expiatory act.
Priyam : Bliss.
Puja : Ceremonial worship with
flowers, water, etc.
Punarvasu : The name
of an asterism.
Punya : Merit; the result of a good
deed.
Puranas : Ancient
poems containing mythological stories,
legends, etc.
Purusha : Man; the
Self.
Purushottama : The best of men; an epithet of God.
Ramamaya : Full of
Rama.
Sadhana : Spiritual
practice.
Sadhu : An ascetic; a sannyasin.
Sadguru : The
Self-realized Guru.
Sahaja samadhi : Samadhi which is natural and constant.
Sahaja sthiti : Natural state.
Sadhak(a) : An
aspirant; one who follows a spiritual discipline.
Sahasrara : The lotus
of the thousand petals; the topmost
yogic centre situated in the head.
Sakshat(kara) : Direct perception.
Sakti : Power; Energy.
Samasanam : See Sama asraya.
Sama asraya(m) : Vaishnava method of initiation.
Samkalpa : Idea,
concept; imagination.
Samsara : Cycle of
births and deaths.
Samskara : impression.
363
Samudra(m) : Ocean.
Sanchitakarma : Karma which has been accumulated in former
lives and which has not yet taken effect.
Sandal : A
fragrant paste made by rubbing a piece of
sandalwood on a rough and moist stone.
Sandhi : Conjunction,
especially of syllables and words.
Sannyasa : Asceticism;
the fourth stage of life.
S(h)anti : Peace;
tranquillity.
Sastra : Scripture;
a science.
Sannyasi : An
ascetic; a person belonging to the fourth stage
of life.
Sariram : Body.
Sat : Existence; being.
Satavadhana : Attending
to various things at one and the same
time.
Sat Karma : Good or
meritorious acts.
Sat sang : Contact
with good or pious persons.
Satakam : A poem of
one hundred stanzas.
Satvic : Good; wholesome;
possessing the quality of satva.
Satya yuga : The first
of the four yugas (aeons).
Siddhi : Supernatural
attainment.
Siva lingam : The
symbol of Siva which is an object of worship.
Sivanamavali : Repetition of the names of Siva.
Sloka : A stanza in Sanskrit
poetry.
Soham : I am He.
Sphurana : Manifestation.
Sravana : Hearing,
especially the sacred truth.
Srishti : Creation.
Srishti drishti : Creation followed by perception.
Sruti : That which is heard or
revealed; inspired words,
generally applied to the Vedas.
Sthalapurana : The legend of a sacred place.
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Sthapati : An
architect of temples and other sacred
structures.
Sthitaprajna : One who is stable in intelligence; a Self-realized
Sage.
Stotram : A hymn of
praise.
Suddha manas : Pure mind; mind without concepts.
Sukshma : Subtle.
Sukshma sarira : The subtle body.
Sushumna nadi : A yogic nerve.
Sushupti : The state
of deep and dreamless sleep.
Sushupti ananda : The bliss experienced in sushupti
Sutra : Aphoristic words or
phrases.
Suvar : A sacred syllable known as
a vyahriti.
Svabhavasthiti : Natural state.
Svanubhava : One’s own
experience.
Svarga loka : The world
of the Personal God.
Swarupa : Nature;
form; Self.
Taila : Medicated oil.
Tapal(s) : Mail; the
post.
Tapam : Heat.
Tapas : Austerities; severe
spiritual discipline.
Tapasvi : One who
performs tapas.
Tapasya : See Tapas.
Tat : That; Brahman.
Tattwa : Truth;
significance.
Thai : The name of a Tamil month
corresponding to
the middle of January to the middle of
February.
Thai poosam : The day
on which the moon is in conjunction
with the asterism Pushya in the Tamil month of
Thai.
Thengalai : A sect
among the Vishnu Worshippers.
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Thevaram : Songs
composed by important Tamil Saints which
are venerated like Vedas.
Tithi : A lunar day.
Tope : A grove of trees.
Triputi : A triad
like knower, known and knowledge.
Tulsi : A sacred plant.
Turiya : The
fourth state which is beyond the three states
of waking, dream and dreamless sleep.
Turiya ananda : Bliss experienced in the state of turiya, the fourth
state, Brahman.
Turiyatita : Beyond
turiya, the fourth state beyond waking,
dream and dreamless sleep.
Upades(h) : Spiritual
instruction.
Upadhi : An
adjunct.
Upadhi ananda : Bliss which is caused by an adjunct.
Upasana : Contemplation
of a deity or word or syllable like
Om.
Uppuma : A South
Indian preparation made of semolina or
broken rice.
Uttama : Superior;
the best.
Vadai : A South Indian preparation
of blackgram dough
which is fried in oil.
Vaikasi : The name
of a Tamil month corresponding to
the middle of May to the middle of June.
Vairagya : Dispassion.
Varnasrama (dharma): The order of castes and stages of life; the duties
pertaining to the several castes and order of
life.
Vasana : Inherent
tendency.
Vibhuti : Sacred
ashes.
Vichara : Enquiry.
Vichara marga : The path of enquiry.
Videha mukti : Liberation after death.
Vidya : A spiritual and esoteric
discipline.
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Vikalpa : Doubt;
wrong concept.
Vikshepa : Tossing
to and fro.
Vimanam : The upper
portion of the tower of a temple; a
celestial car.
Viparita : Contrary.
Viparita buddhi : A wrong conception.
Visishtadvaita : Advaita in a modified form.
Viyoga : Separation.
Vrata : A rite; an observance.
Vritti : An idea,
a thought.
Yajna : Ritualistic sacrifice.
Yama : Control.
Yama : the god of death.
Yathartham : Truth; a
thing as such.
Yoga nidra : Yogic
sleep.
Yuga : A long period of time
consisting of thousands of
years (aeons).
End
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Bhagavan Sree Ramana Maharshi
and also gratitude to great philosophers and others for the collection)
