Aksharamanamalai - Verses 61 to 70

 

 श्रीः

ॐ नमो भगवते श्रीरमणाय

Sri Arunachala Aksharamanamalai – Verses 61 - 70

When we can let go of the ego, delink ourselves from our actions and attribute it to Ishvara, there is no more worry. This is the power of prapatti. It allows grace to take over. There is no separation between me and my Ishvara, as a result of surrender. As long as we continue to accept the separation, the ego will be at play. The perfect example of this is Bhagavan’s life where there was no evident sadhana of any form but the grace of Arunachala took him over when he surrendered. Sadhana seems ineffective and we feel dejected when our individuality is strong - this blocks our ability to surrender unconditionally. In some of the verses in this blog Bhagavan invites Arunachala to come and swallow his individuality, on behalf of us. The way he lived, devoid of the ego, is a lesson to us.

61 – நைந்து அழி கனியால் நலன் இலை பதத்தில்

நாடி உட்கொள் நலம் அருணாசலா (அ)

What is the use of an over-ripe and decayed fruit? Let me dissolve in you and attain your svarupam when I am ready (in a ripe condition).

The decayed fruit here refers to the way the body decays, mind wanders, and we come under the control of the gunas. Bhagavan asks for the ability to develop bhakti, and to be able to merge with Arunachala, when the time is right and the sadhaka is ready.

62 – நொந்திடாது உந்தனைத் தந்து எனைக் கொண்டிலை

அந்தகன் நீ எனக்கு அருணாசலா (அ)

You gave yourself to me without effort from me. You are my Yama, the consumer of my individuality.

The jnani who has attained Ishvara, no longer exists separately. He is Ishvara Himself, though he appears with a body. Death of the body is not the final step – death takes away only what is impermanent. The sat-vastu, remains forever.

63 – நோக்கியே கருதி மெய் தாக்கியே பக்குவம்

ஆக்கி நீ ஆண்டு அருள் அருணாசலா (அ)

May you rule over me, having considered me, looked at me,  touched me and made me mature.

Here, Bhagavan asks for various types of deeksha, from his Guru. Bhagavan often quoted a text called Kaivalya Navaneetham by Tandavaraya Swami. In # 8 of Tattva vilakka padalam of this text, the following verse appears - 

அன்னதன் சிசுவை ஐயன் ஆமைமீன் பறவை போலத்

தன்னகம் கருதி நோக்கித் தடவிச்சந்நிதி இருத்தி

உன்னது பிறவி மாற்றும் உபாயம் ஒன்றுண்டு சொல்வேன்......

(To the shishya who had approached him sincerely, the guru says - I will tell you the way out of samsara. He considers him, glances at him, and passes his hands over him.)

Here the three of types of deeksha are listed. He first makes a sankalpa - he desires that the shishya should be saved. This is the guru’s dharma and it is called Sankalpa Deeksha or Bhaava Deeksha. Then he sees the shishya - this is Nayana Deeksha or Chakshu Deeksha. Then he touches the shishya (passes a soothing hand over his head) and assures him that he will be saved. This reassures the shishya and gives him confidence. This is Sparsha Deeksha. 

The examples given for each of these is - tortoise, fish and bird. The tortoise lays the eggs on the shore. Then at the appropriate time, she thinks about that the eggs should be hatched - this is the Sankalpa Deeksha. The fish makes the eggs hatch by gazing at the eggs. This is the Nayana Deeksha. The bird hatches the eggs by sitting on them to hatch them. This is Sparsha Deeksha.

Bhagavan has asked for all these 3 types of Deeksha. This makes the shishya mature enough to receive the upadesha. 

64 – பற்றிமால் விடம் (விஷம்) தலையுற்றி இறுமுனம் அருள்

பற்றிட அருள்புரி அருணாசலா (அ)

Before the poison of delusion enter and possesses me (இறுமுனம் - before I die), bless me with your grace.

Before the impact of maya is upon us fully, before the sense organs, mind and intellect are completely waylaid by ignorance, we should seek the grace of knowledge of the self. When Ishvara's nature is understood to be my own true nature, he does not need to be remembered at the time of death - Arunachala becomes an object of nithya-smaranam. This the medicine for immortality - one cannot remain without the body dying but one realises one's immortal nature.

65 – பார்த்தருள் மால் அறப் பார்த்திலை எனின் அருள்

பார் உனக்கு ஆர் சொல்வர் அருணாசலா (அ)

Look at me and bless me so that my delusion is destroyed. If you do not look at me, who will tell you about my state in samsara? (who will be the middleman on my behalf?)

While we may do our sadhana, we have to be chosen for grace - Kathopanishad (1.2.23) says यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यः – the person who seeks the aatma diligently, is chosen by the aatma to reveal itself. He has one-pointed focus on knowing the truth, he has let go of all superfluous aspects. The sadhaka’s anguish and sincerity, makes the guru, shastram and sadhana manifest.

66 – பித்துவிட்டு உனை நேர் பித்தன் ஆக்கினை அருள்

பித்தம் தெளி மருந்து அருணாசலா (அ)

To remove my desire for the worldly objects, you have made me seek you intensely. Give me the medicine which will cure this madness.

Ignorance is madness. It manifests as desires for external objects. For Ishvara to be realised, this ignorance has to be removed. In Vivekachudamani, there is a beautiful shloka which says - 

सद्वासनास्फूर्तिविजृम्भणे सति ह्यसौ विलीना त्वमहमादिवासना।

अतिप्रकृष्टाप्यरुणप्रभायां विलीयते साधु यथा तमिस्रा॥ (319)

When Brahma-vasana (seeing Brahman everywhere, always and in all ways) manifests, the vasanas of ahankara etc, melt away, like even the most intense darkness disappears in the morning twilight.

When a second object is desired or seen, the mind wakes up to deal with it. When only I exist, I do not need the mind. I see only the self and Ishvara everywhere.

The state of ‘just being’ in the self, is what Bhagavan refers to as the medicine in this verse and this can be achieved only by aatma-vichara.

67 – பீதிஇல் உனைச் சார் பீதியில் எனைச்சேர்

பீதி உந்தனக்கு ஏன் அருணாசலா (அ)

Without any fear, I have come to you. You also have no fear. Why do you fear becoming one with me?

The sadhaka has fearlessly let go of everything else and surrendered without any fear. He asks Arunachala not to fear turning His grace upon him.

Fear is caused by seeing multiplicity – मृत्योः स मृत्युं गच्छति य इह नानेव पश्यति says Kathopanishad mantra 2.1.11 – the one who sees several, goes from death to death. Even living in svarga, is a life of fear and worry, and this is amply demonstrated by puranic stories of devas and asuras.

68 – புல்லறிவு ஏது உரை நல்லறிவு ஏது உரை

புல்லிடவே அருள் அருணாசலா (அ)

Bless me by telling me what pure knowledge is and what merely theoretical worldly knowledge is so that my individuality / jeevatvam can dissolve in Brahman.

Apara vidya / Loka vidya is that which is learnt from outside. It is made of thoughts / drishyam - the seen world. It does not touch me at the core or make me fulfilled. Muruganar Swami explains this as किञ्चिज्ज्ञानम्, जीवभावः, विषयज्ञानम्, भेदज्ञानम्, त्रिपुटिज्ञानम्. It cannot solve the problem of जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-व्याधि birth/death/old age/death. It is needed only for transacting in the world.

Para vidya is brahma vidya learnt from the guru. It is not made of thoughts, but it is pure awareness. Muruganar Swami explains this as तत्त्वज्ञानम्, स्वरूपज्ञानम्, शिवज्ञानम्, ब्रह्मज्ञानम्. Education is the manifestation of perfection that is already in man, said Swami Vivekananda. This is real education – that which goes to my deepest core and helps me find my true self. It tells me that the problem of जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-व्याधि does not belong to me. It leads to moksha because through it I can delink my true self from what appears to be myself, like the body, mind, relationships, etc. When I delink myself, I discover my self in all beings around me and in Ishvara.

Bhagavan told a devotee - வந்த வேலையை பார் – attend to the work for which you are here, ie, knowing the self. All other knowledge is not useful, it will not save us. The idea is to move from 'I am this body-mind complex' to 'I am Shiva, complete and of the nature of bliss'.

69 – பூமணமா(ம்) மனம் பூரண மணம் கொளப்

பூரண மணம் அருள் அருணாசலா (அ)

Bless me with complete union with you so that my mind which is made up of worldly vasanas (பூமணமா(ம்) மனம்) will acquire the tendency for perfection (for complete abidance in the self).

We spoke about worldly vasanas and Brahma vasana in # 66. In the introduction we looked at the meaning of Akshara mana malai – the fragrance of the akshara vastu – this is the brahma-vasana. This is obscured by durvasanas of the loka, deha and shastra. When these vasanas are overpowered by brahmavasana, there is no obstruction to knowledge. Complete abidance in the self happens on brahma-anubhava. This is the state of the sthitaprajna. He experiences his purnatvam - he has the பூரண மணம். This is because he has attained perfect union - பூரண மணம் with Arunachala, which is the aatma.

His devotee Balarama Reddy would say Bhagavan was always Brahman, always complete without ever wavering. Bhagavan never forgot that he was Brahman, even for a fraction of a minute. His devotees directly experienced this.

70 – பெயர் நினைத்திடவே பிடித்து இழுத்தனை உன்

பெருமை யார் அறிவர் அருணாசலா (அ)

As soon as I thought of your name, you dragged me to yourself. Who can understand your greatness?

This verse explains Bhagavan’s life story. Like how a big fish can catch hold of the bait and drag the fisherman in along with it, the name Arunachala was the bait. Bhagavan got dragged in and was swallowed by the bait itself.

This verse also shows the power of the name – it recalls the bhava, recognition, what it stands for. When Bhagavan heard a relative say he had returned from Arunachala, it shook him and filled him with awe and joy. He had already heard the name earlier but it had had no impact. He had not thought it was a place on earth – he had merely taken it to be symbol of parabrahma-vastu. So it felt like a doll made of salt, had come back after a bath in the sea! how is it possible to experience the limitless, while in this limited body? 

Soon after, he chanced upon the Periya Puranam (biography of the nayanmars – Shaivaite saints), which again stirred him greatly. (he would recount the stories to devotees decades later, with tears streaming down his cheeks). 

Finally he had the experience of death, during which he performed self-enquiry and discovered clearly, in his own words ‘the body is silent and inert but I feel the full force of my personality and even the sound ‘I’ within myself – apart from the body. So I am the spirit, a thing transcending the body. All this was not a mere intellectual process. It flashed before me vividly as living truth’. For a young boy who had had no initiation into scriptures, this seems to be exactly what Bhagavan Sri Krishna refers to in the Gita verse 6.43 - तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम् । The person who is continuing on the spiritual journey from an earlier janma, continues on the journey along with the knowledge he had acquired in his earlier janma. He now strives more than ever, for perfection.

When he came back to the world, it was now with the fragrance of brahma-vasana. About 6 weeks later he left for Tiruvannamalai. As a result of enquiry and discovering his self, he did not even sign his name when he left a note for his family while leaving home. He had lost his individuality. This is what he means by ‘you dragged me’ – he had dissolved in Arunachala, upon doing vichara, soon after hearing the name uttered.

When we choose the aatma, the aatma drags us towards it. This happens only when the seeker is mature enough to receive the grace of Ishvara. Like a magnet drawing iron, such a seeker gets dragged.

In all of Bhagavan’s teachings, there was the single-minded focus on aatma-vichara rather than scriptures or specific sadhana. ज्ञानादेव तु कैवल्यम् was his only guidance. Whichever way or approach one takes, one has to arrive at the same goal by vanquishing the ego through vichara. He always asked us to look within and locate where the ego springs from.

He did not use any technical terms like Brahman – he simply said the state when ‘I’ do not arise - நான் உதியாதுள்ள நிலை is what he calls it – the state where the ‘I’ does not spring up. (Ulladu Narpadu: verse 27).

Further, he was not dogmatic. He refused to be dragged into debates around Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita. His view was that all darshanas asked us to find the chaitanyam beyond the body, mind and other koshas. The relationship between the jeeva and chaitanyam, was the point of scholarly debate, which, for him, was irrelevant to the sadhaka, whose purpose is to find the chaitanyam. 

George Osborne reproduces his answer to a devotee's question in ‘The teachings of Ramana Maharshi’ – ‘Both non-dualists and dualists agree on the necessity for self-realisation. Attain that first and then raise other questions. Non-dualism and dualism cannot be decided on theoretical grounds alone’. So, irrespective of the question, the direction was always - Find the doubter, meditator, sadhaka, renouncer, thinker, reveal the self from within the upadhi. The simple and beautiful process can be applied in every single worldly or spiritual situation.

यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः । तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम ॥

सर्वं श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु

Read verses 71 to 80 https://vedantalearning.blogspot.com/2025/08/aksharamanamalai-verses-71-to-80.html