Those Sovereign Feet

Ramana Maharshi

oi-Staff

By Staff

Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 12:43

Filling them with delight they watch over their loving devotees, whose delusion is immolated in the vast fullness of final realization. Angrily banishing the suffering caused by the empty and futile attachment which masks the heart, they are the holy feet of our Lord.

Muruganar.

The power of Ramana's feet, its boon-giving capacity is being experienced every second by a growing number of blessed Ramana devotees and disciples. Boon giving because our desire loaded and beggarly minds keep asking, nay pestering, Ramana for this or that in the confidence and certainty that he would fulfill those desires. Repeated experience has made one aware of the power and compassion of Ramana's sovereign feet to which one has been drawn.

Those who are familiar with 'Subbaramaiah's Reminiscences' may recall the innumerable instances related by him when the rescue acts would commence immediately after the despatch of a telegram or a letter seeking Ramana's help. Every tale of woe would evoke a sympathetic response from him. Just to cite an instance from the same book, Subbaramaiah had come to the asram in accordance with his practice to do so during the vacation for the college where he was a lecturer. However on that particular trip a constant worry kept troubling him because his son-in-law's health was causing anxiety. Ramana not only made gracious enquiries about his son-in-law's health but also advised him 'whenever you are prone to depression and melancholy you remember me'. Those words remained imprinted in Subbaramaiah's mind as a 'talisman against all the ills of his life'. Needless to say that this advice holds good to each and every devotee.

The immanence of Ramana has been felt and is being felt the world over. Everyone is aware in his own heart about the munificence of Ramana as the Supreme Lord. One may be unable to express it like a mute person unable to express his joy. But there it is. The boon giving and protecting aspect of Ramana, his 'Godhood' or 'Sivahood' if one may call it so, is evidently seen in the lives of the devotees. In this context one might refer to some verses from 'Ramana Gita', which are extracted below:

"Of Bhagavan thus happily endowed with a wealth of auspicious qualities, Amritanatha, the sannyasi, humbly enquired about the limitless glory of realised persons. Bhagavan who is always rooted in the Self replied thus: The glory of realised persons is beyond imagination. They are like Siva. They are the very forms of Siva. They have the power to grant boons".

Another aspect of his Sivahood is that the glory of his feet transcend all time and space. As a result prayers from any corner of the earth or even the very thought of him would set in motion, automatically, the required protection. Some devotees have got specific assurances from Ramana about this 'automatic divine response' of his. Few of these instances would help to bring home this point.

It was the practice of devotees to get together during Ramana Jayanthi celebrations at Sri Ramanasramam every year. One year Subbaramaiah could not be present. Devaraja Mudaliar gently admonished him for failing to attend the Jayanthi and added "I believe that Sri Bhagavan expects us, His children, to gather at His feet especially on such occasions". Sri Bhagavan smiled and said: "The feet of Bhagavan are everywhere. So where can we gather except at His feet?"

To Be Continued

About the author

A.R.Natarajan

Sri A.R.Natarajan has had the opportunity of a long association of over 50 years with the Ramanashram. He was the editor of "Mountain Path" for two years. He was the secretary of Ramana Kendra, New Delhi for ten years. He founded the Ramana Maharshi centre for learning, a non profit institution. He has authored more than thirty six books and eleven pocket books on the life and teachings of Bhagavan Ramana.

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