GURU VACHAKA KOVAI
The Light of Supreme Truth
or
THE COLLECTION
OF GURU’S SAYINGS
Translated from the Original Tamil
by
Sadhu Om and Michael James
With an Introduction by
David Godman
Ramakrishna
( from
Ramakrishna-Vedanta Study Circle
Athens, Greece)
84. All that is perceived by the mind was already within
the heart. Know that all perceptions are a reproduction
of past tendencies now being projected outside
[through the five senses].
85. Self Itself is seen [due to Maya] appearing as the
many names and forms of this universe, but It does
not act as the cause or the doer, creating, sustaining
and destroying this universe.
86. Do not ask, “Why does Self, as if confused, not know
the Truth that It is Itself which is seen as the world?”
If instead you enquire, “To whom does this confusion
occur?”, it will be discovered that no such confusion
ever existed for Self!
Sadhu Om: Through Self-enquiry the confused doubter, who is the
ego, will lose his identity and be drowned in Self; it will then be discovered
that neither ignorance nor confusion ever existed for Self,
but only for the non-existent ego.
87. Self appearing as the world is just like a rope seeing
itself as a snake; just as the snake is, on scrutiny,
found to be ever non-existent, so is the world found
to be ever non-existent, even as an appearance.
88. In fact, is it not a single deluded thought that creates
the snake – which, though appearing to be separate,
is truly not other than that thought itself – in a rope;
and that then sustains this snake as the cause of its
own misery; and that will finally destroy this snake
[by obtaining a clear knowledge of its own true
nature]?
Sadhu Om: It is thus concluded there that it is not Self but ignorance,
due to non-enquiry, which is the real cause of the creation,
sustenance, and dissolution of the world. Refer also to verse 91.
89. The seed and its sprout seem to co-operate, each
being in turn the cause of the other, and yet each
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 29
effect also destroys its cause; in fact the effect is not
really produced by the cause, since both are produced
only by the imagination of the ignorant mind.
90. If the rope were itself a sentient being, would any
other being be needed for it to be seen as a snake?
Similarly, as Self is Existence-Consciousness, the
world is merely a destruction of this single Consciousness.
91. Has Self changed its nature of still Being into that of
motion, or how else has this world come into existence?
Self has never undergone change or movement;
this world seems to exist solely because of
ignorance, which is itself false.
Michael James: This same idea continues to be illustrated and
developed in the following eight verses.
92. When, in the view of the one indivisible space, even
the pot has no separate existence, is it not foolish to
say that the space inside the pot moves with the
movements of the pot?
93. Similarly, when, in the plenitude of Self-Consciousness,
body and world cannot even exist, being
non-Self and incomplete, it is ridiculous to say that
Self moves because of the movements of the mutable
body and world.
94. Though Self, which is ever still because of Its wholeness,
seems to move with the movements of the
unsteady mirror, the mind, it is never the real Self
that moves, but only its reflection, the mind.
95. If it is asked, “How did the delusive upadhis [attributes
such as mind, intellect, chittam etc.] [appear to]
arise for the Supreme Self, which is One without a
second?”, it must be replied that they are seen to
arise only in the view of the ignorant jiva, and that in
reality no attribute has ever arisen for Self. Thus you
should know!
Sadhu Om: There is no experience of the upadhis in Jnana, and
30 Sri Muruganar
therefore they appear only to the ignorant and never to the Jnani.
Having heard this, the ignorant still ask the Jnani how their wrong
outlook has come into being, but they should understand that a
Jnani can never admit that upadhis exist for Self, and that it is
therefore the responsibility of the ignorant to discover for themselves
how and for whom the upadhis appear. Thus, Bhagavan
often used to counter-question his devotees, and say, “You claim
that upadhis have come into being and are real, and so you alone
must find out what they are, and how, from where, and to whom
they appear!”
This illustrates why the ‘Doctrine of Vivartha’ [i.e. simultaneous
creation] is suited to the questioner’s point of view, which
only admits ‘Ajata’ [i.e. non-creation]. The note to verse 83 may
also be referred to here.
96. A spark of fire can fly out only for a fire-ball of limited
size [and it could not do so from a fire which is
unlimited and all pervading]. Similarly, it is impossible
for jivas and the world to arise as tiny separate
entities, ‘I’ [and ‘this’], from the Supreme Self, which
is the unlimited Whole.
Sadhu Om: This means that the world, God and jivas appear only
in the view of the jiva, who is a false reflection of Self, and that, in
the supreme viewpoint of Self, there is no creation at all.
97. The body exists only in the view of the mind, which is
deluded and drawn outwards by the power of Maya.
In the clear view of Self, which is a single vast Space
of Consciousness, there is no body at all and it is
therefore wrong to call Self ‘Dehi’ or ‘Kshetrajna’ [the
owner or knower of the body].
Sadhu Om: In scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, the Divine Masters
have condescended to use terms such as ‘Dehi’ and
‘Kshetrajna’, because of the inability of their disciples to understand
if the truth were stated otherwise.
98. Unless the body is taken to be ‘I’, otherness – the
world of moving and unmoving objects – cannot be
seen. Hence, because otherness – the creatures and
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 31
their Creator – does not exist, it is wrong to call Self
the Witness.
Sadhu Om: In the scriptures the terms ‘Jiva sakshi’ [i.e. witness of
the jiva] and ‘Sarva sakshi’ [i.e. witness of everything] are used
only as a formality, but they are not strictly correct. Only when
there is something to be seen can there be a seer or ‘witness’ to
see it. But in a state of oneness, where no others exist, who will
witness what? Therefore Self, which is One without a second, cannot
be called the witness.
99. The world does not exist apart from the body; the
body does not exist apart from the mind; the mind
does not exist apart from Consciousness; and Consciousness
does not exist apart from Self, which is
Existence.
Sadhu Om: Therefore it can be concluded that everything is Self,
and that nothing but Self exists.
7 The Doctrine of ‘Ajata’
100. Although Guru Ramana taught various doctrines
according to the level of understanding of those who
came to Him, we heard from Him that ‘Ajata’ alone is
truly His own experience. Thus should you know.
Sadhu Om: ‘Ajata’ is the knowledge that nothing – neither the
world, soul nor God – ever comes into existence, and that ‘That
Which Is’ ever exists as IT is.
101. It is this same ‘Ajata’ that Sri Krishna revealed to
Arjuna in an early Chapter [two] of the Gita, and know
that it was only because of the latter’s bewilderment
and inability to grasp the Truth, that other doctrines
were then taught in the remaining sixteen chapters.
8 The Purpose behind the Diverse Theories of Creation
102. Why do the different portions of the Vedas describe
creation in different ways? Their sole intention is not
to proclaim a correct theory of creation, but to make
the aspirant enquire into the Truth which is the
Source of creation.
32 Sri Muruganar
Sadhu Om: If creation were true, the scriptures would describe it in
only one manner, but their diverse theories make it clear that creation
is not the truth. To enable ripe aspirants to discover the falsity
of the notion of creation, the Vedas purposely teach contradictory
theories. However, such contradictions are found only in the
descriptions of creation, they never occur when the Vedas attempt
to describe the nature of Self, the Supreme. Concerning Self, they
all agree and speak in one voice, saying ‘Self is One, Perfect,
Whole, Immortal, Unchanging, Self-shining etc., etc.’ From this we
should understand that the deep intention behind such conflicting
theories of creation is to indirectly show aspirants the necessity of
enquiring into Self, which is the Source of all ideas of creation.
9 The Part Played by God
103. By His own Power of Maya, the Unchanging One,
[though shining more directly than anything else],
hides Himself unseen, and throws the rope of the
three states into the space of the mind; keeping it
upright. He then makes the jiva, who mistakes the
body as ‘I’, balance on it, and thus He plays His
divine game!
Sadhu Om: The three states are waking, dreaming and deep
sleep.
A magician’s trick performed by village entertainers in India
is used as a simile here. The magician, hiding himself behind a
screen, throws a rope into the air and, making it appear to stand
upright, he orders his assistant to climb it and balance on its top.
Here, God is equated to the magician; the Heart is His hiding
place; the three states are compared to the rope; and the jiva is
compared to the assistant. But all of this is a game, only appearing
in the onlookers’ sight, and hence it is unreal. Similarly, creation,
sustenance and dissolution, which appear to be God’s ‘Lila’ [i.e.
divine game] are all unreal, as they are seen only by the ignorant.
104. In the view of the ignorant it may sometimes appear
as if the Supreme Lord, who gave power of authority
to Maya, is Himself bound by her deceitful orders [to
delude jivas].
Sadhu Om: The significance of saying that the Lord gives power of
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 33
authority to Maya is the experience of an aspirant who, while abiding
as Self, becomes inattentive and allows the ‘I’-thought to arise.
If this rising of the ‘I’-thought is once allowed, it is then no wonder
that even God and the Jnani will also appear to be bound by the
power of Maya; however, this appearance is false, being only in
the view of the illusory ‘I’-thought.
Even in the life of Bhagavan Sri Ramana there were some
occasions when it seemed as if He approved of some of the foolish
ideas of worldly-minded people, and as if He abided by the unnecessary
conditions imposed by them. All these matters, however,
only appeared so in the view of the ignorant.
105. Just as all beings, moving and unmoving, engage in
their own activities due to the mere presence of the
sun, which rises without any prior intention, so it is
said in the scriptures that all actions are performed
by God [who in truth neither acts nor has intentions].
106. In the mere presence of the sun, the convex lens
emits fire, the lotus blossoms, the water-lily closes,
and all creatures rise up, work and rest [according to
their nature].
107. The five-fold phenomenon functions merely because
of God’s potent presence, just as the needle trembles
near the magnet, or as in the light of the moon, the
moonstone drips, the water lily blossoms and the
lotus closes.
Michael James: The five-fold functions are creation, sustenance,
dissolution, veiling and Grace.
The sun does not plan or order that living beings should
work, but, each in his own way, makes use of the presence of the
sun to do as they wish. So also, the Presence of God (i.e., the
Presence of Self) is used by the mind of each person in his own
way, either to do karmas and be bound by them, or to inquire into
Being and be liberated. Just as the activities of nature cannot continue
without the sun, so the five-fold phenomenon cannot function
without the Grace (i.e. The Presence) of God or Self.
108. In the Presence of the Lord, who has no intention of
His own, jivas busy themselves outwardly, treading
34 Sri Muruganar
on various paths of action, and reap the fruits with
justly result, until finally [realising the uselessness of
action] they turn Selfward and attain Liberation.
Sadhu Om: Though the Lord’s Presence is essential for either
bondage or liberation to occur – according to our own wishes – He
is not responsible for them.
109. Just as the [good and bad] incidents that happen on
earth do not affect the sun, and as the properties of
the four elements do not affect the vast ether, so also
the actions [karmas] of jivas will certainly never
affect God, who is beyond the mind.
Michael James: The properties of the four elements are:
Earth – size and weight
Water – coolness and fluidity
Fire – heat
Wind – movement and speed
10 The Three Prime Entities [God, World and Soul]
110. If one enquires to the very end, “Who is this jiva, ‘I’?”
it will be found that he is non-existent, and Shiva will
be revealed as being nothing but the Supreme
Expanse of Consciousness. Thus, when the jiva – the
seer, who with great desire saw this world – has disappeared,
it is ridiculous to attribute reality to the
world – the seen.
Sadhu Om: Since the truth of the seer and the seen are one and
the same, when the seer [i.e., the jiva] is found to be unreal, the
seen will also be known to be unreal. The true nature of Self [which
was hitherto conceived, in this trinity, as being God] will then be
found to be the only reality.
111. After the above two prime entities [i.e. world and jiva]
have disappeared, that which alone remains shining
is Shiva [i.e. Self]. But although This is the absolute
Truth, how can the already dead jiva think of It as
being non-dual?
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 35
Sadhu Om: Since the Truth of Non-duality [Advaita] is beyond
thought, Bhagavan Ramana used to say that Advaita cannot be
called a religion, because ‘mata’ [religion] is that which is found by
‘mati’ [the mind]. See verse 993.
112. If world and jiva are said to be eternal and real, it
would then mean a flaw in the Wholeness of the
Supreme Lord. Unless we accept that the Lord is
imperfect and divided, we cannot say that world and
jiva are real.
Sadhu Om: Those schools of thought, such as Dwaita and
Vishishtadwaita, which say that world and jiva are real, should
accept that they are thus degrading God as a partial reality, or else
they should give up their dualistic ideas.
113. If jiva, the reflected Consciousness, is really an entity
separate from the Supreme, then the declaration of
the Sage, “Shiva does all, jivas do nothing”, would
be merely an imagination, and not based upon their
experience.
Michael James: As it would be absurd to suggest that Sages
make imaginary statements not based upon their experience, it
cannot be correct to conclude that jiva is a real entity separate from
the Supreme.
114. When the limited light [which is used to project pictures
on the cinema screen] is dissolved in the bright
sunlight [which enters the cinema], the pictures also
will disappear instantaneously. Similarly, when the
limited consciousness [chittam] of the mind is dissolved
in supreme Consciousness [Chit], the picture
show of these three prime entities [God, world and
soul] will also disappear.
Michael James: See verses 10, 11 and 70.
115. Thus, since the Truth of the Source is One, why do all
religions [and sometimes even Sages] start their
teachings by at first conceding that these three prime
entities are real? Because the mind, which is tossed
36 Sri Muruganar
about by objective knowledge, would not agree to
believe in the One unless the Sages condescended
to teach It as three.
Michael James: See verse 2 of Ulladu Narpadu.
11 Veiling
116. Know that the thick veiling of a jiva’s forgetfulness
about all the troubles caused to others or by others
during his innumerable past lives is due to the Grace
of God [for his own peace of mind].
117. When the remembrance of even a few miserable
instances in this lifetime can make one’s life a hell,
should not forgetfulness alone be loved by all?
Sadhu Om: In the above two stanzas Sri Bhagavan advises us
that it is foolish to try to know about our past births. Both pain and
pleasure are mere thoughts, originating from the root ‘I’-thought,
which is misery itself; hence, since no true happiness can come
from misery, to forget the pain and pleasures of the past is alone
bliss.
12 Individuality
118. Individual Gods and Goddesses and their particular
powers will appear to be real only in the imagination
of those minds which admire them. Such mental
delusion is at all times completely non-existent for
Self, which transcends the mind.
119. It is only due to the false sense-bound knowledge of
the ignorant that they say that Muktas who have realized
the Truth have individuality [vyakti]. Truly, universality
[avyakti] is the real state of a Jnani, whose
nature is the Expanse of Consciousness; the individuality
seen in Him by devotees is a reflection of their
own individuality.
Sadhu Om: In this verse it is stressed that people who say, “Not
only do we know that the Jnani is an individual, but even He feels
that He has individuality” are totally wrong; what they see in Him is
merely the reflection of their own nature.
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 37
120. That which shines in the heart of an earnest aspirant
as the Supreme Reality is mere Jnana itself. Why
therefore, after the annihilation of the ego, point out
“This One is a great Jnani, and that One is another”?
Are They merely the bodies?
Michael James: Appendix 3, ‘Who is a Jnani?’ in The Path of Sri
Ramana, Part 1, will explain in more detail this verse and the following
two.
121. With great eagerness and wonder you fly to see one
Mahatma here and another Mahatma there! If you
inquire, attain and know the Maha-Atma [i.e. the
Great Self] within your own heart, then every
Mahatma is none other than that One [within you].
122. Whatever high and wonderful state of tapas one may
have attained, if one still identifies oneself with an
individuality, one cannot be a Sahaja-Jnani [i.e. One
in the State of Effortlessness]; one is only an aspirant
of, perhaps, an advanced stage.
Sadhu Om: The intention behind Sri Bhagavan’s instructions to us
in this verse is that we should each of us see for ourselves whether
or not we have the notion of individuality, ignoring the fact that others
may call us a Jnani or an ajnani, and that we should try, on this
principle, to set ourselves right. This verse is not intended to give
us a yardstick with which to measure others as Jnanis or ajnanis.
123. Leaving aside that true Self-Consciousness, which is
devoid of the least feeling of individuality, and displaying
any number of siddhis, is a sheer waste. Who
but those fools who are incapable of knowing Self,
will desire these senseless siddhis?
Sadhu Om: A Jnani will not feel himself to be the doer of any
siddhis which, according to prarabdha, He may appear to display;
they will not therefore make Him proud and happy, and despite
them, He will remain as ever, revelling in Self. Refer to verse B2
(169) of this work, which is also verse 15 of Ulladu Narpadu [Reality
Revealed in Forty Verses] Supplement.
124. The Jnani, the Formless One who ever abides as the
38 Sri Muruganar
Supreme Self, is a collected totality of all individual
siddhis. All the siddhis which function through them
are His alone, since He is the witness of them. Know
Him as none other than Lord Dakshinamurti!
Sadhu Om: The Jnani is described as ‘the Formless One’.
Since individual siddhas, even if they possess all the
eight-fold siddhis, are unable to display them proudly in front of a
Jnani, who possesses Atma-Siddhi [i.e., abidance in Self], which is
the highest of all siddhis, they are said to be contained within Him.
Since the Jnani is the Self of God, from whom siddhas borrow their
powers, all siddhis are here said to be His alone.
The Jnani is neither a Murti [i.e., the form of an individual
God], nor even an Avatar or Amsa [i.e., an aspect or part] of the
Trimurthis [i.e., the three Gods of Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution].
Since the Jnani, the Guru-Murti, is above the Trimurthis, He
is described here as Lord Dakshinamurti, the Primal Guru.
13 Association with the Unreal
B1. Give up thinking that the loathsome body is ‘I’. Know
Self, which is eternal Bliss. Cherishing the ephemeral
body as well as trying to know Self is just like using a
crocodile as a raft to cross a river.
Michael James: Some of the verses in this work were composed
by Bhagavan himself. They are numbered independently of the
main work as B1, B2, B3, etc. The B stands for Bhagavan. This
particular verse also appears as verse twelve in Ulladu Narpadu
Anubandham.
Sadhu Om: The phrase “Cherishing the ephemeral body” is liable
to be misunderstood by aspirants; Sri Bhagavan merely intends to
give a warning through this verse to those aspirants who believe
that, in order to realise Self, they must live a long life in a healthy
body. Such people sometimes go to extremes and, calling themselves
yogis, waste most of their waking life doing certain yoga
practices and preoccupying themselves to the point of hypochondria
with a concern about sattvic diet, physical cleanliness, handsome
appearance, good health and so on. These foolish people,
as a result, are merely a trouble to their benefactors and useless
parasites on society.
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 39
However, Bhagavan does not intend to deny the necessity
or wisdom of taking a reasonable and moderate care of physical
needs. A wise shopkeeper’s aim should not be merely to pay the
rent on his shop, but should be to earn a large profit on top of the
rent; similarly, an aspirant’s aim should not be merely to provide
food, clothing and shelter [the rent] for his body [the shop], he must
remember that his business in this body is Self-enquiry, and his
aim is to make the worthy profit of Self-Knowledge. However, if the
rent is not paid for this body, the business cannot thrive. On the
other hand, however, paying the rent [i.e., providing these necessities]
should not become the sole endeavour of our whole life; the
major portion of our attention must be aimed directly at attaining
Self-Knowledge, while attending to a bare minimum of the necessities.
Excessive anxiety about the physical necessities of life is like
clinging to a crocodile which, instead of acting as a raft to help us
cross the river of samsara, will swallow us, making all our futile
efforts come to nothing.
125. Those who show great care and love for their bodies,
while saying that they are trying to know Self, are like
one who tries to cross a river, mistaking a crocodile
for a log.
126. Instead of attending to Sat-Chit-Ananda, the subtlest,
which is beyond the reach of speech or mind, to
spend one’s life attending merely to the welfare of
the gross body is just like drawing water with great
difficulty from a well in order to water some useless
grass [instead of paddy].
127. Those who take to the petty life, mistaking the body
as ‘I’, have lost, so to speak, the great life of unlimited
Bliss in the Heart, which is ever waiting to be
experienced by them.
128. Not knowing that the world in front of them brings
only great harm, those who take it to be real and a
source of happiness will drown in the ocean of birth
and death, like one who takes hold of a floating bear
as a raft.
Sadhu Om: If someone has caught hold of a floating bear, without
knowing its true nature but hoping that it will serve as a raft, he will
40 Sri Muruganar
find it very difficult to leave it, even when he has discovered his
mistake, since the bear will also have caught hold of him; similarly,
even though someone has heard from the Guru that the world is a
false appearance, he finds it very difficult to leave it aside, because
of the tendencies of attraction which he created by his great desire
for it, when he took it to be real. Such is the strength of the mind’s
attachment to this world!
129. Just as the movements of a vehicle in which one is
sitting is wrongly taken to be one’s own movements,
so also those who do not have Self-Knowledge suffer
from the delusion of mistaking the birth and death
[i.e., samsara] experience by the ego as their [Self’s]
own [birth and death].
130. If the ignorant one, who is clinging to the body and
world as real, wants to have peace, he should, giving
up his wrong notion, cling like an udumbu to Self in
his heart.
Michael James: An udumbu is a giant lizard found in India which
grows up to three feet in length; its peculiarity is that it is able to
cling to the flat surface of a wall so firmly that a man holding it can
lift himself up.
131. Those who live the life of an ego, desirously entertaining
themselves with the pleasures of false sense
objects, will be doomed to delusion. The only life
worth living is revelling in the Supreme Consciousness
– that is, being Self.
14 The Pandit
132. Why do many of you call me a Pandit? The correct
sign of the real Pandit is the knowledge that the
knower of the all the arts and sciences is non-existent,
and that all he has learnt throughout the past
ages is therefore mere ignorance.
Sadhu Om: Here Sri Bhagavan is objecting to those who call Him
a great Pandit simply because they see in Him poetical genius, fluent
knowledge of the scriptures, a wonderful power of memory,
sharp intelligence, skill in argument, acquaintance with many lan-
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 41
guages, medical knowledge, architectural skill, and so on. He
denies that one who has learnt all the arts and sciences is a true
Pandit. The ego, the wrong knowledge that “I am the body” is itself
the primal ignorance, so how can the learning acquired by such
ignorance be true knowledge? The knowledge of anything but Self
is therefore mere ignorance.
However, Sri Bhagavan is Himself the true Pandit, because
of His Self-Knowledge. He who is able to discriminate and understand
this is alone fit to take to Self-enquiry and gain Self-Knowledge,
thus qualifying himself to be called a true Pandit.
133. Enquiring, “Who is this ‘I’ that has learnt all these
arts and sciences?”, and thereby reaching the Heart,
the ego vanishes along with all its learning. He who
knows the remaining Self-Consciousness is the true
Pandit; how can others who have not realised It be
Pandits?
134. Those who have learnt to forget all that was learnt,
and to abide within, are alone the Truth-Knowers.
Others, who remember everything, will suffer with
anxiety, being deluded by the false samsara.
Sadhu Om: The knowledge of all the sixty-four arts and sciences
are nothing but the fruit of thinking, and thinking and forgetting are
properties of the mind, which is lost in the State of Self-Knowledge,
where Oneness prevails and where neither remembering nor forgetting
take place. Bliss alone shines in this State, and only he who
has learnt to experience this Bliss is the real Pandit.
135. O scholar, you who bow your head in shame in front
of a Jnani when He asks you, “Oh, poor soul, who are
you that has learnt all [these arts and sciences]?”,
may your ignorant mind be damned.
Sadhu Om: The strong-sounding words used here by Sri
Bhagavan – “may your ignorant mind be damned” – should be
understood to be a blessing rather than a curse, since the aim of
the aspirant is the damnation (i.e., the total annihilation) of his own
mind. Refer also to Upadesa Manjari [Spiritual Instruction] Chapter
1, Question 4.
42 Sri Muruganar
136. One who is permanently established in Self-Consciousness
– having destroyed delusion, which is in
the form of doubt and misunderstanding – is the
Supreme Pandit.
137. Know that he who, by annihilating the ego, knows the
Supreme Thing as It is – that is as the real ‘I am’,
which is the noun ‘I’, Self’s natural name, shining
together with the verb ‘Am’ – is the true spotless
Pandit.
15 The Poet
138. Responding with a melting heart for the past wrong
use of his tongue in wretched human praise, let the
poet live gloriously, taking to the new resolution, ‘I
will no more sing in praise of any human being, but
to the glory of God alone’.
139. Those who, instead of dedicating to God’s Feet the
poetic flow which they achieved by His Grace, squander
it in unworthy human praise are, alas, like those
who compel their daughter, the tongue’s eloquence,
to take to prostitution.
Michael James: The words ‘their daughter, the tongue’s eloquence’
may alternatively be translated as ‘the Goddess of Eloquence
[Saraswati]’.
140. The divine flow of poetry can spring only from a heart
which has become still, being completely freed by
Self-attention from all attachment towards the five
sheaths, starting with Annamaya [the body composed
of food].
16 The Vanity of Learning
141. After knowing that the purport at the heart of all
scripture is that the mind should be subdued in order
to gain Liberation, what is the use in continuously
studying them? Who am I?
142. If those who are unfit even to live a life of religious
morality, take to a critical study of Vedanta, it is nothing
but a pollution of the purity of Vedanta.
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 43
Muruganar: This verse emphasises that the purity of mind and
heart is essential for those who take to the study of Vedanta.
143. For those who are very attached to their filthy bodies,
all the study of Vedanta will be as useless as the
swinging of the goat’s fleshly beard unless, with the
aid of Divine Grace, their studies lead them to subdue
their egos.
144. To be freed from ignorance by mere studies is as
impossible as the horns of a horse, unless by some
means the mind is killed and the tendencies are thus
completely erased by the blossoming of Self-
Knowledge.
Sadhu Om: Readers should remember that Bhagavan Sri Ramana
recommended Self-enquiry and self-surrender as the only two
means by which the Truth may be known. The result of both these
methods is both mano-nasha [death of the mind] and vasanakshaya
[eradication of the tendencies].
145. For the jiva’s weak and unsteady mind, which is ever
wavering like the wind, there is no place to enjoy
bliss except the Heart, its Source; the study of scriptures
is, for it, like a noisy shandai [a cattle fair].
Sadhu Om: The arts are merely the skilful play of mental modifications
[mano-vrittis]; just as flowing rivers roar wildly until reaching
their original source, the ocean, where they become peaceful and
silent, so also the restlessly moving mind will not find peace and
silence until, giving up such vrittis, it returns and abides in its
Source. Refer also to verse 8 of Arunachala Ashtakam [The Eight
Stanzas to Arunachala].
146. Rooting out useless sense-desires is possible only
for those expert enquirers who, giving up the vast
Vedas and Agamas, know through Self-enquiry, the
Truth within the Heart.
Michael James: The phrase ‘Vedas and Agamas’ refers to the
portion of the scriptures that teaches ritualistic actions for achieving
desired ends.
44 Sri Muruganar
147. Though one learns the blemishless Jnana Sastras
perfectly and with great enthusiasm, one has to forget,
give up and be free of them when one tries to
abide as Self.
Sadhu Om: It is necessary to have great enthusiasm for studying
during the time of Sravana [i.e., hearing from the scriptures and the
Guru], but this desire and enthusiasm will fade away during the
time of Manana [i.e., reflection upon these teachings], because the
ideas will then lose their novelty owing to one’s complete conviction
in them. However, during the time of Nididhyasana [i.e. practice],
when the aspirant tries to turn Selfward, he finds that the
scriptures learnt by him tend to rise as obstructing thoughts, due to
the power of Sastra vasanas. Thus, even the divine scriptures
have to be discarded and forgotten, while the aspirant tries to
remain alone and merge into the Heart.
17 The Greatness of Vedanta
148. Worldly people, deluded by sensual pleasures which
lead to destruction, cannot know of the existence of
the Truth. They call the fertile glory of the aspirant’s
blossoming Jnana, which was attained by dispassion
towards sense-pleasures, as the ‘barren ground
philosophy’.
149. The experience of Vedanta is possible only for those
who have completely given up all desires. For the
desirous it is far away, and they should therefore try
to rid themselves of all other desires by the desire for
God, who is free from desires.
Sadhu Om: The term Vedanta is commonly understood to mean a
particular system of philosophy, but its true meaning is the experience
of Jnana which is gained as the conclusion [anta] of the
Vedas.
The desire for sense objects, which are all 2nd or 3rd persons,
is directly opposed to the desire for God, and so it is quite
clear that God is not merely one among the many 2nd and 3rd personal
objects, but that He must be the Reality of the 1st person.
Therefore, we should understand that discarding all desires for 2nd
and 3rd personal objects and having love for Self alone is the true
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 45
devotion towards God. Verse B13 [731] also asserts this same
point.
18 The Workings of Prarabdha
150. The Wise, who know that all worldly experiences are
formed by prarabdha alone, never worry about their
life’s requirements. Know that all one’s requirements
will be thrust upon one by prarabdha, whether one
wills them or not.
151. Every jiva experiences his own prarabdha, which is
catalysed by the mere Presence of Shiva as the Witness
dwelling in the heart of each one. Hence, the
jiva who does not delude himself by thinking that he
is the experiencer of prarabdha, but knows that he is
mere Existence-Consciousness, is none but Shiva.
Michael James: Refer here to verse 1190.
19 The Power of Prarabdha
152. Just as the dark shadow at the foot of a lamp ever
remains unmoving, so delusive egos of some are not
lost even though, due to their destiny [prarabdha],
they live, grow old and die at the Feet of the
Jnana-Guru, the unlimited Light of Knowledge; this is
perhaps because of their immaturity.
Michael James: The immaturity referred to here is the lack of the
desire to abandon the ego, because liberation can never be
attained without bhakti, which is the strong yearning in the aspirant
to lose his ego. Thus this verse could more fittingly be included in
chapter 21 ‘The Power of Vasanas’. Or with verse 605 in Apaka
Tiran.
153. Why is it that, even if one wishes, it is not possible to
achieve the eight-fold siddhis as well as Self-Knowledge?
Because wealth and wisdom, being contrary
to each other, will not generally be gained together in
this world.
Michael James: If siddhis appear together with Jnana, they are
due to the kamya karmas performed in a previous life-time, while
46 Sri Muruganar
the individual was still in the dark grips of ignorance. Thus, since
siddhis are according to prarabdha [one of the three karmas, which
are all based upon the ego], and since Jnana destroys the ego, it is
opposed to siddhis. Moreover, as Jnana is based upon Self and
not upon the ego, it is not bound by any of the three karmas.
Sri Muruganar: Therefore it is not necessarily true, as some say,
that all siddhas should be Jnanis and all Jnanis should have
siddhis, or, as some others say, that siddhas cannot be Jnanis and
Jnanis cannot have siddhis.
20 The Nature of the Ego and of Self
154. The nature of the ego is similar to that of an elf, being
very enthusiastic, rising in many wicked ways by
means of innumerable imaginations, being erratic in
behaviour, and knowing only things other than itself.
But the nature of Self is mere Existence-Consciousness.
21 The power of Vasanas
155. Some jivas suffer, being often thrown back into the
eddying stream of samsara by their vasanas, which
are like mischievous boys not allowing them to cling
fast to Self, the bank [of samsara’s stream].
Sadhu Om: Small creatures, trying to climb out of the dangerous
eddies of a stream, are sometimes pushed back again by mischievous
boys; this is used as a simile for those jivas who, while trying
to cling to Self-Attention, find themselves being constantly pulled
back by their vasanas into samsara, the eddying stream of worldly
thoughts.
22 The Ego-Knot
156. The reason for our mistake of seeing a world of
objects in front of us is that we have risen as a separate
‘I’, the seer, due to our failure to attend to the
vast perfection of Self-Consciousness, which is our
Reality.
Sadhu Om: When our unlimited Existence is mistakenly confined
by identification with the limited body, our own Self appears as the
world and God, which seem to be entities separate from ‘I’, the
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 47
seer. However, these separate objects appear only in the view of
the ego, and not in the view of Self. This same idea is also
expressed in verse 158.
157. The false, deceitful and self-blinded ego-knot, believing
the body to be real, lusts after various allurements
which are all fancied like the blueness of the
sky, and thus it tightens itself.
158. It is only the sight which is blind to the unlimited Self,
having veiled itself as “I am the body”, that also
appears as the world before it.
159. The life of the filthy ego, which mistakes a body both
as ‘I’ and as ‘my place’, is merely a false imagination
seen as a dream in the pure, real, Supreme Self.
160. This fictitious jiva, who lives as ‘I [am the body]’, is
also one of the pictures on the screen.
Michael James: Compare verse 1218.
Sadhu Om: The jiva, our false being, is a mere projection upon the
screen of our true Being, Self. In a cinema picture showing the
scene of a royal court, the king is seen viewing his court; just as he
appears to be a seer, though in fact he is one of the insentient pictures
[i.e., the seen], so also the jiva appears to be a seer viewing
the world, though in fact he is also one of the insentient pictures
projected on the screen of Self. Refer to verse 871 and note.
23 The Might of the Ego
161. Only when the ego is destroyed does one become a
Devotee; only when the ego is destroyed does one
become a Jnani; only when the ego is destroyed
does one become God; and only when the ego is
destroyed does Grace blaze forth.
Sadhu Om: Since the rising of the ego is the root of all pride, it is
the only obstruction to our being a truly humble slave and servant
to God, and therefore its annihilation is the only true sign of a real
Bhakta [Devotee] or Karma Yogi. Since the ego is itself the root
and the primal form of ignorance, its annihilation alone is the
Supreme Jnana. Since the ego [i.e., the feeling ‘I am the body’] is
the cause of the feeling of separation from God, its annihilation
48 Sri Muruganar
alone is the true Yoga [i.e., union with God]. Since the ego is the
root and the primal form of wretchedness, its annihilation is the
only true manifestation of blessed Grace. It is thus shown that the
aim of all the four Yogas is the annihilation of the ego.
162. He who has destroyed the ego is alone the true
Sannyasin and the true Brahmin; but, hard indeed is
the complete destruction of the heavy burden of the
ego borne by those Sannyasins who feel “I belong to
the highest ashrama” and by those brahmins who
feel “I belong to the highest caste”.
Sadhu Om: The true Sannyasa is the renunciation of the ego and
the true Brahminhood is the realization of Brahman [i.e., the Self],
and thus both the words Sannyasin and Brahmin mean one who
has destroyed the ego. But as ashramas [orders of life] and varnas
[castes] pertain only to the body, only those who identify themselves
with their bodies can feel that they belong to the highest
ashrama [known as Sannyasa] or to the highest varna [known as
Brahminhood]. Such feelings naturally create pride and strengthen
the ego, and therefore the higher the ashrama or varna, the
heavier the burden of the ego, and the harder its eradication.
163. One who sees otherness and multiplicity cannot
become a Parppan merely because he has learnt the
four Vedas. But one who sees his own [ego’s] death
is the true Parppan; the other one [i.e. the caste Brahmin]
is inwardly shamed, being despised by the
Wise.
Michael James: Parppan literally means ‘a seer’, that is, one who
knows the truth, but it is commonly used to mean a caste brahmin.
164. The complete eradication of the ego is indeed very
hard when even in the case of Kannappa, whose love
for Lord Shiva was so great that he plucked out his
own eyes and planted them on the Lord’s face, there
remained [until that moment] a trace of body attachment
[i.e. ego] in the form of his pride concerning his
beautiful bright eyes.
GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 49
Sadhu Om: At times Sri Bhagavan used to reveal some information
which was not given by the scriptures and Puranas such as:
a) how, in the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna began His teachings
with the doctrines of Ajata and Advaita, but then condescendingly
came down to various stages of Dwaita, and how He carefully
used words which, though suited to Arjuna’s limited grasping
power, also gives room for well-ripened aspirants to discover, even
now, the motive behind those words.
b) how at first, Sri Dakshinamurti answered His disciples’
doubts with wise and convincing replies before he took to his
method of teaching through Silence.
c) the following variation on the story of Kannappa:
Kannappa was proud of his eyes, which were very beautiful, so,
according to the divine saying, “I will forcibly deprive my true devotee
of all his possessions so that his mind may always cling to me”,
Lord Shiva tested Kannappa by making him offer even his treasured
and enviable eyes to the Lord. Thus even his slight attachment
to his body was removed and he was absorbed in Shiva.
As this information about Kannappa’s attachment to his
beautiful eyes was not revealed by the Puranas, but only by Sri
Bhagavan Ramana, we can infer that He is none other than Shiva,
who faced Kannappa at that time.
This information about Kannappa, which continues in the
next verse also, was gathered by Sri Muruganar. The information
about Sri Krishna’s teaching was recorded in verse 101 of this
same work, and also in Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, talk, nos.
264, 364 and 611. The information about Sri Dakshinamurti’s verbal
teaching has not been recorded elsewhere so the reader may
ask Sri Bhagavan’s early devotees for the full story.
Editor’s note: These words were written more than twenty years
ago. Since that time the story of Dakshinamurti has appeared in
The Mountain Path, 1982, pp. 11-12. It will also appear in a few
months in Padamalai, in the chapter of ‘The Guru’.
165. The real glory of Shiva Bhakti is the salvation of the
devotee from the damnation caused by the delusion
“I am this filthy body”. This is the reason why Shiva
accepted Kannappa’s eyes when he offered them.
and also gratitude to great philosophers and others for the collection)
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