Arunachala and Ramana Maharishi

R. Ramakrishnan

Arunachala or Tiruvannamalai is a place in Tamil Nadu 200 kms from Madras. The name goes by a hillock and a famous temple dedicated to Shiva in the place. There are Dvadasa (12) Jyothi lingas in all over India with Somanath in Gujarat, Mallikarjun in Srisailam (A.P) Mahakal in Ujjain (M.P.) Omkar in Amaleswar (M.P.) Vaidyanath in Parali (Maharashtra), Bimasankar in Takin (A.P), Rameswar in Sethu (Tamilnadu), Nageswar in Tarukavah (Maharashtra), Visvanath in Varanasi (U.P), Tryambak near Nasik (Maharashtra), Kedareswar in Himalayas (U.P) Gurmas in Moharashtra). Similarly there are Pancha Bootha lingas in South India, one in A.P. and others in Tamilnadu. They are, Vayalinga (air) at Kalahasthi (A.P). Appu linga (water) Jambuke-swaram (near Trichi) Akasha Linga (sky) at Chidambaram, Bhu linga (earth) at Kanchipuram, Jyothirlinga or Thejo Linga (fire) at Arunachala or Tiruvannamalai. We shall see the significance of the Arunachala.

Ego and Pride are not limited to the human race or animal alone but to the Trinity of Gods as well. There was a quarrel between Brahma and Vishnu that they are big, Brahma contending that he is the creator and hence the whole universe functions,Vishnu averred that he is the protector, without whom no universe can exist and function and that even you (Brahma) come out of my Nabhi. Shiva desired to put an end to this quarrel and assumed the form of column of fire asking them to find either the bottom or top of it and whoever sees first and declares, is big among the two. Vishnu took immediately the form of boar and went down, the earth to find the bottom. His effort could not bera fruit as the column of fire ever continued. He got tired, came to surface and accepted the defeat. The Brahma took the form of swan, went and had the same fate of Vishnu. His ego was so much that, he never wished to accept the defeat. Got tired and thinking what to do, he saw a flower (Thanzembu in Tamil) coming down, which said that it is coming down from the head of Shiva. So there was an agreement between the flower and Brahma that he has seen the top, witness being the flower and was joyfully telling Vishnu. Sooner the fire disappeared Shiva came forth, rebuked Brahma for lying, removed one of his five heads (a temple dedicated to this act is at Thirukandiyur at Thanjavur - Tamilnadu) and cursed that Brahma will have no temple, nor will he be worshipped and the flower is unfit to Shiva's worship. Out of repeated request of Brahma, there is only one separate temple for Brahma at Pushkar (Rajasthan) where he did penance to get the power for creation, where alone he is worshipped. At the request of Vishnu, Brahma and Devas Jyothi Shiva then assumed the form of a hillock, and this formation (Udhbhava) manifested on Shivarathri day. There is a temple dedicated to Shiva called Arunachaleswara and on the hillock big oil lamp is lighted on Karthika Poornima day, as a mark of this. On these two occasions, thousands of people assemble to observe vows and worship Shiva.

The Arunachala hillock is stated to have been Agni (fire) mountain in Kritayuga, gold (swarna) mountain in Trethayuga, copper (Thamabana) mountain in Dwapara Yuga and Red rock mountain in this Kali yuga (present age).

Arunachala is not a simple name. It is a mystic word of Manthra. The effect of it is sonething unique which requires a psychic heart and mind and cannot be felt by every one, alike. Blind cannot enjoy the scenic beauty, nor deaf can enjoy music. Arjuna could not feel the greatness of Krishna, when he was speaking of big things in Gita as Arjuna could feel Krishna as a simple friend. Only when the Gnana Chakshus (divine receptive eyes) were given to him,he could see and feel the Viswarupa of Lord Krishna as a Universal Master. The greatness of Arunachala could be known by a sloka which says.

"While a birth at Thiruvarur, (a place near Tanjore in Tamilnadu where the Karnataka Sangita Trinities Sri Thyagaraja, Muthu-swamy Dikshidha and Syama Sastri were born), darsan of Shiva at Chidambaram, dying at Kasi (Varanasi) will ensure liberation, a mere remembrance of Arunachala is sufficient for liberation.

But the resonance of vibrations, the extraordinary force of this mystic word, cannot be felt or realised by ordinary individual. It requires a separate glorious feeling, faith, divine aptitude to receive the divine vibrations. Many saints such as Nayanmars - Manika vachakar, Sambandra, Appar, Sundarar, Arunagirinathar, Guha Namasivaya, Esanyamurthy, Seshadri Swamigal and Swami Sivananda have felt that power. Another great saint who is associated with Arunachala is Ramana Maharshi.

Sri Ramana, born on 30 December, 1879, who had great fascination for Shiva and used to visit Meenakshi Sundaraswara temple at Madurai (Tamilnadu) when once one of his relatives came and uttered that he came from 'Arunachala', the very word put him out of his control, like high voltage electric shock. It was as if a call from his father. After sometime he gained conscience, tried to know, as to how to go to Arunachala - left Madurai on 29th August, 1896, reached Tiruvannamalai on Ist September, 1896, enjoying the glorious Arunachala running towards the temple, weeping profusely before Shiva, telling the Lord that he had come'.

A lad of 17 years Venkataraman who had no back ground of any philosophy, by residing in Arunachala made all philosophers, Vedic Pandits, big and small to prostrate before him, gained the name Ramana Maharishi. He pronounced the philosophy of Advaita not Soham (I am that) but a search, Koham (who am I ?) a simple but mysterious question indeed. His casual talks with the devotees, became His Gospel and many learned people found His answers were in corroboration with what has been stated in Vedas, Upanishads and other Advaithic literatures of Adi Sankara and others. He was like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, another self-realised saint. He was considered as reincarnation of Karthikeya, Shiva's son.

Ramana Maharishi never left the place Arunachala till his physical death on 14th April, 1950 i.e. for 54 years. Verily He was Aamanachala (Achala means immovable), like Sai Baba of Shirdi, who also never moved out of Shirdi after He reached Shirdi. Many devotees requested him to come out for visiting holy places in India but he would never move and said though Kailas is the abode of Shiva, Arunachala is Siva itself, so all are here, I am not to go elsewhere to find any new thing. To Him Arunachala is the Mahamantra, as ever used to say Arunachala Siva, and composed some songs, slokas on Arunachala at the request of His devotees. It is a practice for anybody who mends a new pencil or purchasing a pen or putting new nib or ink to scribble and see how does it write. The testing scribling word for Ramana is Arunachala. Arunachala is Panchaksharam like Namas sivaya and Om Namo Arunachalaya is the Navakshari mantra for a sadhaka. Maharishi would say it is not a simple hillock, but it is Gnana Malai (mountainof knowledge), Gnana Agni (fire of Gnana) hence by its very remembrance, the Ajnana (ignorance) will be removed. It is like Kamadhenu or Chintamani granting whatever you want.

He would recommend Giripradakshinam (circumam-bulating the hillock in clockwise direction which would ensure one's fulfilments). He would advise the people while during Pradakshnam not to think of any negatives - but recite only Arunachala Siva - since negative thoughts will also be fulfilled. Nowadays on all full moondays thousands of devotees go round the hillock. Once Ramana along with some of his devotees were going round the hillock singing some Iamil Thiruvaguppu song of Arunagirinatha saint ending Kavalene. Kavalene means 'we want' in Telugu and Maharishi simply asked some Telugu devotees 'Emi Emi Kavalene' (what all you want ?), Some devotees, out of curiosity said 'Idli, Sambar, Coffee, Kavalene'. Within a few minutes, wonder, some fellow appeared with hot hot Idli Sambar and Coffee and all enjoyed.

Once one, Muruganar, a devotee of Maharishi, came to Maharishi with a big list of his requirements. Maharishi asked him to go round the hill and meet him in the evening. He went round and came back with his ego completely vanished in a blissful state and said he didnot want anything whatsoever.

Uma, daughter of Daksha and Siva's consort had to lose herself in the homa and, since she was insulted by her father while she came to Yagna univitedly, without heeding the advice of Siva. She as Kamakshi did penance at Arunachala and got left half part of Shiva so as never to be separated from Siva hence called 'Ardhanari' (half man and woman). Hence the mountain is considered as 'Shiva Shakthi Swarapa'. 'Aruna' means red form of Devi, 'Achala' is Shiva immovable. Devi being representative of Jivas Ardhanari means union of Jivatma with Paramatma. The Advaita bhava of merging with the Lord. Also red colour is rajasic in nature, merging with Siva means attaining satvic nature or for ever goodness. Whole mountain base appears in the form of Srichakra with Centre of mountain as bindhu. Sri Ramana Maharishi found that the place Arunachala itself forms the bindu of the whole world. To him it is no ordinary mountain but one which contains numerous Siddhas. Maharishi used to say that Arunachala is moola vigraha and this is (he is) Utsava vigraha (used for holy bath etc.)

Once a representative from Sankaracharya mutt came with a proposal that Sri Ramana Maharishi, who is already a fully realised man, who had not taken prescribed Sanyasa, should take sanyasa for which they will make all arrangements and the consent of Maharishi was sought for the requisite cerrmony. Maharishi kept quiet; and by then some old man brought a book "Arunachala Mahatmayam" (Glories of Arunachala), Maharishi opened a page of the book, which contained a sloka that anybody who reside within 50 kms. of Arunachala and think of Him, is liberated which he showed it to the other man. No wonder, the talk of Sanyas was never raised afterwards.