Sarvam Vasudeva Mayam Jagat

Ramana Maharshi

oi-Priya Devi

By Priya Devi

Friday, August 27, 2010, 14:48

'Sarvam Vasudeva Mayam Jagat', “The universe is the manifestation of Vasudeva" is one of the basic tenets of the Vaishnava school. Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi explained the tenet in detail to a devotee of Krishna who happened to visit Ramanashram. Indeed it has now become a pointer to truth for all spiritual seekers.

Krishna Premi (One who loves Krishna), was a Western seeker who followed the Gowdiya Math founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabu. As his name goes, he was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, who carried a small idol of Lord Krishna and Radha with him wherever he went.

Krishna Premi, on his visit to Ramanashram out forward a question endearingly to Ramana.

Is not “Sarvam Vasudeva Mayam Jagat," the most beautiful teaching of the time?

Ramana affirmed it immediately, but delved into the teaching further to bring out the core of the spiritual truth to the surface; the essence of which is the cream of all spiritual seeking.

Ramana said, “You say 'I perceive Vasudeva in everything'. Have you looked into what this 'I' means? Does everything in the universe approach you and say that it is 'Vasudeva'? No, you are the one who says so. So is it not clear that everything depends on your perception, which is to say that you are the only independent force and every perception depends upon you?"

Ramana further made a striking revelation to Krishna Premi that he had not taken notice of before. “When you say everything is Vasudeva, are you also not included in it? When you can accept all the inanimate objects like plants and trees as Vasudeva, why can't you accept yourself as Vasudeva? When you learn to perceive the Lord within yourself, you also become Vasudeva! When the seer identifies himself with the the seen, te seen automatically becomes Vasudeva. Sri Sankaracharya says, “Drishtim Jnanamayeem Krithva," which means “Seeing through the eyes of knowledge!"

On hearing the teaching, beautifully revealed by Ramana, Krishna Premi prostrated, full length on the floor with tears of gratitude flowing down his cheeks" Did he see himself one with his Lord? Had he attained what his heart was seeking even without him being aware of?"

“Sarvam Vasudeva Mayam Jagat", thus swallows one's separate identity from the universe. Ramana thus revealed that all that is, is only Vasudeva !

Becoming one with the beloved is the highest form of love or Bakti (devotion) which simply devours the seeming distance between the two. This is certainly the end of Bakti Yoga as well.

The love for the beloved attains fullness only in consummation. Meera, Andal and other Vaishnavite seekers, though pined for the Lord with devotion, ultimately merged with Him, losing their separate identity.

Krishna Premi with the revelation made by Ramana, caught sight of the highest truth.