Author: A R Natarajan
Publisher: Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 402
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8185378827
Description
Ramana became the enlightened one when he was only sixteen years of age. This happened on July 17, 1896, at Madurai. About six weeks later he journeyed to Tiruvannamalai in obedience to ‘His Father’s Command’, the Command of Arunachala – Siva. His advent at Arunachala was on September 7, 1896. For the next fifty-four years till his Mahanirvana on April 14, 1950, He remained at this one place, as The Sadguru Guiding seekers on the Path of self-Knowledge.
There is no Parallel to this or for the retention of the body for such a long period after enlightenment, for the welfare of the world. As the timeless guru ‘Shining within, without, and everywhere’, there can be no end to his guidance.
The simple and direct teachings of Ramana, which are covered in this Book, and which open the flood-gates of joy are perhaps important reasons for Ramana's timelessness. Truth has been made so easily accessible, so unbelievably close, so experientially possible for each and every one that the fascination of Ramana's teachings is irresistible.
Those who are familiar with his auspicious and sweet life regard him as an ideal held out before mankind. For he combined in himself the vast Peace of the silent mind while being at the same time the repository of all power as well. His Love was universal. He was a "Purushottama, a man among men".
Over the past several decades we have acquired vast, varied and authentic material about Ramana. These were not available or could not be used by earlier biographers.
It is now nearly seventy years since the first biography was written. There is need for new insights and perspectives as there is a growing awareness of the power of Ramana's presence. One is able to relate more directly to him. Readers in the new millineum need to savour and enjoy the sweetness of the fresh discoveries and new material which has sunfolded since then.
Ramana's beauty beggars all descriptions. To highlight this more than one hundred illustrations have been included to enhance the artistic beauty of the presentation.
Contents
Introduction
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
Section I : WHO ARE YOU RAMANA? :
1. Who are you Ramana?
2. Tiruchuzhial
3. Blissful Parents
4. Born with a Purpose
5. Early Years
6. Dindigal - Self Enquiry Begins
7. Madurai
8. The Day Before
9. Enlightenment - July 17, 1896
10. The Father's Command
11. Advent at Arunachala
Section II : PENANCE :
12. Penance
13. Gurumurtam
14. Arunagirinathar Temple and Pachaiamman Koil
15. Mahan Seshadri Swami
Section III : VIRUPAKSHA YEARS :
16. Virupaksha Years,1899 - 1916
17. The Most Significant Event After Enlightenment
18. Arunachala
19. Gambhiram Seshier
20. Sivaprakasam Pillai
21. Vasishta Ganapati Muni
22. F.H. Humphreys
23. Less Known Devotees of Ramana
24. Sacred Hands
25. Mother Azhagammal
Section IV : SKANDASRAMAM YEARS :
26. Skandasramam Years, 1916 - 1922
27. Enchanting Accounts
28. Sadhu Nalanananda
Section V : Sri Ramanasramam YEARS :
29. The Liberty Hall
30. Robbers Worship Ramana
31. Muruganar
32. Ramana in the Kitchen
33. Equality in the Dining Hall
34. Kinder You are than One's Own Mother
35. Indentification with the Poor, Humble and Weak
36. One Consciousness
37. Liberation of Cow Lakshmi
38. Some Western Devotees
39. Niranjananda Swami
40. Ramana Jayanti and Mahapuja
41. The Thirties and the Forties
42. Vicarious Penance
43. Devotees Panic-Ramana's Response
44. Did Ramana Suffer? His Attitude to Darsan
45. Mahariirvana
46. Ramana Indicates the Site for Mahasamadhi
47. Samadhi Function and Significance of the Samadhi
Section VI : TIMELESS IN TIME :
48. The Post-Nirvana Scene
49. The Continuing Story
50. In the Company of 'Old Devotees'
51. Teachings
52. Sadguru
53. Ramana's Daily Miracles
54. Timeless in Time
Notes and References
LISTOF ILLUSTRATIONS:
1. Ramana - Frontispiece, Welling bust
2. Ramana through the eyes of different photographers
3. Bhuminatha temple tank
4. Sundaram Iyer and Azhagammal
5. Sundara Mandiram, Inset -Room in which Ramana was born
6. Kalayar temple
7. Madurai Minakshi temple towers
8. Rarnana Mandiram
9. Room in which Ramana was enlightened
10. Arunachala - a view from near the Railway Station, Inset-Facsimile of the letter written by Ramana while leaving for Arunachala
11. Arunachaleswara temple, Inset - Ramana at 21 years of age
12. Thousand pillared hall in the Arunachaleswara temple
13. Patalalingam as it was around 1896
14. Gurumurtam
15. Pachaiamman Koil
16. Mahan Seshadri Swami
17. Ramana, Seshadri Swami
18. Virupaksha Cave
19. Virupaksha Cave interior
20. Ramana at 21 Years
21. Arunachala - by Dev Gogoi
22. Arunachala - as drawn by Ramana
23. Arunachala, northern side
24. Sivaprakasam Pillai
25. Vasishta Ganapati Muni
26. Ramana-Skandasramam years, bust
27. Ramana-Skandasramam years, sealed picture
28. Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni, seated picture
29. F.H. Humphreys
30. Ramana and devotees
31. Echammal
32. Mudaliar Patli
33. Mother Azhagammal
34. Pavazhakunru
35. Ramana and Mother
36. Mother's liberation room at Skandasramam
37. Mother's Samadhi and Matrubhuteswara temple
38. Skandasramam
39. Deivarata
40. Viswanatha Swami
41. Swami Tapovan
42. Sadhu Natanananda
43. Old Hall exterior and interior
44. Sri Ramanasramam in 1922
45. Muruganar sealed
46. Muruganar, bust
47. Ramanasramam kitchen, Inset-sealed picture of Ramana
48. Ramana in dining hall
49. Ramana fondling a child - archival films
50. Ramana, bust
51. Ramana with monkeys
52. Ramana with cheetah cub
53. Ramana with while peacock
54. Ramana with squirrel in his palm
55. Ramana sealed with squirrel on his lap
56. Samadhis of Valli the deer, Jackie the dog and the crow
57. Ramana and Cow Lakshmi
58. Ramana and Cow Lakshmi - archival films
59. Paul Brunton
60. Maurice Frydman
61. Somerset Maugham
62. Mercedes de Acosta
63. Arthur Osborne
64. Mouni Sadhu
65. Niranjanananda Swami
66. Ramana
67. Ramana with Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Jamnalal Bajaj and other devotees
68. Ramana - picnic at Skandasramam
69. Ramana, last photo, by Cartier Bresson
70. Devotees during Ramana's Mahanirvana
71. Ramana's picture in new hall taken during his last illness
72. Mahanirvana room, Inset-Ramana
73. Ramana's samadhi tower
74. Abhisheka to Ramaneswara Mahalinga
75. Ramana's samadhi shrine
76. Ramana's samadhi shrine in 1980, Inset - devotees during Deepam festival
77. Viswanatha Swami, Muruganar, Kunjuswami
78. Devaraja Mudaliar
79. Muruganar
80. Viswanatha Swami
81. Ramaswami Pillai
82. Kunjuswami
83. Professor K. Swaminathan
84. Sadhu Om
85. T.P.R
86. N.N. Rajan
87. Suri Nagamma
88. Arthur Osborne and Lucia Osborne
89. T.N. Venkataraman and Nagalakshmi
90. K. Natesan
91. Kanakamma
92. Ramana, bust
93. Ramana seated in Old Hall
94. Arunachala by Dev Gogoi, Inset - Ramana, Welling bust