The Pull Of Grace

Friday, April 9, 2010, 14:11

Being in the company of sages is indeed a great blessing. T.K.Sundaresa Iyer was one among the blessed few disciples of Ramana Maharshi who received the master's abounding Grace while in His body.

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi in the supplement to “Ulladhu narpadhu" has stated the importance of the company of sages for one's spiritual upliftment.

An anecdote from the life of T.K.Sunderasa Iyer, states the effectiveness of the Guru's company.

Sundaresa Iyer first came to Bhagavan on the persuasion of his cousin, Krishnamurthy who was paying regular visits to the Maharshi. Sundaresa Iyer who was just about twelve years old then, made his first visit to Ramana who was also in His youth. He first saw Ramana on the Arunachala Hill seated on a slab surrounded by about ten devotees. One by one, each took turns to sing a devotional song. Ramana turned to Sundaresa Iyer and urged him to sing.

The latter's voice broke forth into a song “No other support have I, except thy holy feet" of Sundaramoorthy Nayanar, the famed Saivite saint. When he sang the lyrics “Great men sing your praise Oh, Lord. Grant that my tongue may repeat Thy name even when my mind stray," Ramana said “Yes. That is what must be done"

From that time, Sunaresa Iyer paid regular visits to the master. However somehow a feeling of despondency seized him that he speculated on the merits of visiting the Maharshi when he had not made any spiritual progress. He thus stopped from visiting Ramana for exactly one hundred days.

One the hundred and first day, Sundaresa Iyer could contain no more the separation from the master. He climbed swiftly the Hill to Skandashram to meet his Master. On seeing him advance swiftly, Bhagavan also got up and walked forward to meet him. On seeing Ramana, Sundaresa Iyer fell at His feet and clung to them bursting into tears.

Bhagavan pulled him up and enquired “It is over three months since I saw you. Where were you?"

Sundaresa Iyer confessed to Bhagavan the reason for not visiting Him, that seeing Him was of no use.

“All right," he said, “maybe it is of no use, so what? You felt the loss, did you not?"

A great truth dawned to Sundaresa Iyer, “Then I understood that we did not go to him for profit, but because away from him there was no life for us" (Courtesy: Leaves from the Diary of T. K. Sundaresa Iyer)

The Grace of the Guru is such that it pulls the prodigal mind to His feet, the ultimate source where the mind dissolves.