Being A Disciple Of Sadguru Ramana

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Bhagavan Ramana

Many people from all over the world are drawn to Ramana. This number is ever increasing. For it is easy to relate to him as Eswara, God incarnate. This is because of his boon giving power and the miracles he keeps performing in the lives of the devotees. One might say that he combines in himself the wish fulfilling capacity of the celestial cow 'Kamadhenu', the heavenly tree 'Kalpataru', the priceless gem 'Chintamani'. He is unmatched in his record as a boon giver. Given the fact that there are so many problems in one's daily life, countless desires to be fulfilled, one flocks to Ramana as the first and last resort.

However, the Godhood of Ramana is one aspect of his glory. In fact one may assert that there is greater glory in his role as Sadguru Ramana. The difference between god and guru is that guru alone can transmit his enlightenment to a disciple by initiation. Self-knowledge is a boon of the guru in the sense that it is only the grace of the guru which can make it possible. There is a pre-condition. One should have a strong and irresistible urge to become Ramana's disciple believing that it is the only thing which matters. There can be no half-heartedness. It must be an all-consuming passion.

Though there are many gurus, Ramana is called the Sadguru. Why? Because he has in him all the hallmarks of a Sadguru which are, as he has himself said, 'steady abidance in the Self, looking on all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at all times, in all places and circumstances' etc. There are many outstanding disciples of Ramana by going into whose lives we can understand the significance and primacy of being initiated by Ramana as a disciple. In this one has to remember that the guru and disciple relationship is the most intimate spiritual bond.

Vasishta Ganapati Muni was the first to recognize the role of Ramana as Sadguru. Looking at the biography of Sri Ramana one finds that it was given to him to proclaim the glory of Ramana in both the aspects, the aspect of his being an incarnation of God and another, even more important, his role as Sadguru.

Briefly Ganapathi Muni was drawn inward from his tender age as a result of his intense penance at several places. He had also mastered the scriptures. He had uttered the sacred mantra 'Namah Sivaya' over a crore of times. Yet the peace and bliss of Self-abidance deluded him. Under the compulsion of a divine intuition, he recognised the cause of his restlessness to be the need to surrender to a Sadguru who was established in the Self. Immediately, in the hot afternoon sun, on Monday November 18th, in the Karthigai festival season he climbed up to the Virupaksha cave. He surrendered to Ramana appealing thus, “I have studied and understood the lessons of the sastras. I have repeated the great mantras with contemplation; many austerities have I performed. Missing still is the Lord's grace. Were there lapses in my tapas? Have I missed its very nature? Though learned I am ignorant. I surrender to you, All-knowing one. “Accept me as your disciple and bless me".

Comprehending his spiritual agony Ramana showered upon him the 'soothing rain of grace and bliss from his fully open compassionate eyes'. Here it may be noted that there is mysterious power in the look of the guru in the cases of initiation by him. This is mentioned because many have received Ramana's blessing through his look. It is only when one receives this mysterious operation of guru's grace called initiation by look that one is accepted as a disciple.

Then we have the life giving instruction of Bhagavan, the very first spoken one, given to the Muni, “When the mind enquires from where the notion 'I' arises and dissolves right there at the origin of its birth, that is tapas. On the enquiry as to the exact origin from where the sound of mantra arises the mind dissolves at the origin (of the sound) itself, that is tapas".

The Muni having received this initiation declared that Ramana, known till then as Brahmana Swami, should be thereafter known as Bhagavan Sir Ramana Maharshi.

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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