Ballad to Bhagavan

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Ode to Arunachala

 Nestled in Southern India of Spirit Supreme
 Rests Glorious Mount Arunachala ever Serene
 Glowing in splendor of His Supreme Silence
 He resides in all, providing eternal balance.

 Glorious Sages have called Arunachala their heart
 And have rested in him eternally from start
 For it is Shiva the Siddhaʼs Supreme Abode
 Eternally preaching Silence as His Word.

 As a young boy growing up in Eternal Madura
 Venkata Ramanan heard once of Arunachala
 Suddenly realizing that it was the name of a place
 Young Ramanaʼs heart was set instantly ablaze.

 Utterly discarding his educational pursuit
 One day, he secretly left, by train and foot
 As The Lord Himself had His Son Summoned
 The Gates of Arunachala stood completely opened.

 The Lord gave his Son the Ritual Shower
 Perhaps to show His Celestial Power
 As young Ramana embraced His Eternal Father
 He merged as One into His Glorious Power.

 In the “Paatala Linga Shrine” He sat in Silence
 For sure he was in total Mergence
 He was the Lordʼs Glorious young Siddha
 No doubt-He was certainly “The Buddha”.

 Ancient Arunchala has stood in testimony
 To Great Sages of Yore in eternal harmony
 But a Fully Realized Young Sage as Ramana
 Was new even to Eternal Mount Arunachala!

 Glorious Shankara was born in Kerala
 Millenias ago, in the Land of the Chera
 The Sacred Pandya Land gestated patiently
 For its turn to beget “Ramana -The-Saintly”!

 As Young Ramana merged with Shiva “sub-terrania”
 Bugs and vermin feasted on his “corporea”
 He was completely oblivious of his bodyʼs plight
 As He was ensconced in the Lordʼs Light!

 Mischievous children, on his body, threw pot shard
 Unable to cognize the Divinity of the young lad
 When Seshadri Swami witnessed the outrage
 He took it upon himself to protect the Young Sage!

 During this period, the Child Sage Ramana
 Neither spoke nor ate much - For he was in Mouna...
 On occasions when questions were put forth
 He would scribble or provide answers about the “Truth”!

 As he Celestially Blossomed into a young “Brahman”
 Since he had long ago merged His mind into His “Atman”
 People suggested that He move into another “Ashrama”
 So that he may remain one as the “Para-Brahma”!

 Time passed, and one day someone from his past
 Recognized Venkata Ramana at last
 And sent word to his Mother and Family
 That their son was now the Great “Brahmana Swami”!

 Great joy filled the Motherʼs Heart as he was found
 And knowing that HER SON was safe and sound
 She came to plead and convince HIM personally
 To come back with HER and continue with the family.
 
 As the young Sage had merged into his Master eternally
 HE stood firm, and could not be persuaded maternally
 Disappointed, the Mother left and returned to Mana-Madura
 Soon after, young Ramana moved up into Virupakshaʼs Guha.

 True seekers came to vist the Sage from near and far
 Amongst them was Ganapati Sastri - A great Sanskrit scholar
 Prostrating at the Masterʼs feet, he sought to know “Tapas”
 The Master replied, observing the source of the “I” with the “Manas”.

 Astounded at the simplicity of this Divine Revelation
 Ganapati Sastri issued a grand proclamation
 The Master henceforth be known as “Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi”
 And thenceforth it came to be, for all eternity.

 Time passed, and the Mother came to stay in Skandashrama
 The early beginnings sprouted of Sri-Ramanashrama:
 Where the Master always fostered gently
 True seekers who sought the Self sincerely.

 As the young Master had no earthly possessions
 Sustenance was by begging for alms with the townʼs denizens
 Tʼwas at this time the Master composed “Akshara Mana Malai”
 As a Marital Garland of Letters praising Celestial “Anna Malai”.

 As word of Bhagavanʼs Grace spread farther and farther
 Earnest seekers of his Grace came from hither and thither
 Many of them stayed with Bhagavan longer and longer
 Partaking of his Eternal Grace as much as they could garner.

 With the ravages of time, the Motherʼs body got feeble
 And one day when her body was no longer able
 Her mind into Her HEART He guided and Liberated gently
 So that she was one with Arunachala for all eternity!

 Motherʼs interment site at the feet of Arunachala
 In time became the Shrine of Mathrubhutheswara
 Consecrated in time and space by the Hand of the Master
 In mighty Splendor it stands, bestowing peace in eternal grandeur!

 Now it would be totally remiss, if one were to miss
 The meeting of Bhagavan and a teacher seeking Bliss
 The teacher had read Bhagavanʼs Garland of Letters
 Prostrated at the Masterʼs feet, seeking release from his fetters.

 The young teacher, Muruganar as he was known later
 Composed many a song praising the Glorious Master
 His songs akin to the Devaaram and Thiruvaachagam
 Stand compiled in “Ramana-Sannidhi-Murai” - truly a massive tome!

 Bhagavan Ramanaʼs teachings were mostly in SILENCE
 Tʼis when the mind rests in the HEART as ONENESS
 Where in the Golden Lotus of the HEART SUPREME
 Awareness Rises as oneness of the “I” serene

 This state of celestial awareness
 Is the light of the universal consciousness
 For it is reached by the constant quest
 Of the minds sublime place of rest

 This quest celestial begins with the mind enquiring “Who am I?”
 Constantly observing the place of the answer with the mindʼs eye
 The quest continues until the seeker, the sought and the act of seeking
 Merge into one Divine Cosmic Awakening.

 This existence of Cosmic Oneness
 Which is pure awareness
 Is called the supreme state of “Sivam”
 For here, it is only the everlasting “Param”!

 Bhagavan Sri Ramana was simply un-alloyed happiness
 For he was the“Sat-Chit-Ananda” awareness
 This is what Adi-Shankara called “Sivoham”
 For it is simply the “Para-Brahmam”.

 This state of Silence, Bhagavan Ramana spoke as “Gnana”
 Where the mind rests in peace as “Mouna”
 There is neither birth nor death in this state of Liberation
 The unending hymn of AUM is all that is in motion!

 This is the truth revealed as the eternal VEDA
 Where one becomes the cosmic “NADA”
 For here there is no “Abhedha”
 This is Adi-Shankaraʼs eternal “Advaitha”!

 For Arunachala, the Celestial Beacon of Light
 The union with HIS SON was certainly a sight
 For all of creation blessed to witness and behold
 The kind presence of the Master in flesh and blood.

 For all beings: flora and fauna
 Tʼwas a rare treat to enjoy the Sageʼs persona
 To take delight in the Sageʼs presence
 And bask in his gloriously Divine Essence!

 Though a body of flesh and blood, the Master had worn
 He never ever identified with it as his SELF
 He always identified his SELF within willingly
 As the resplendently resonating AHAM everlastingly!

 In time, the Masterʼs body started showing unease
 His arm was consumed by a dreaded disease
 The faithful wished the Master would heal his body
 However the Master never associated his SELF with the body.

 One April night in the year nineteen hundred and fifty
 The Master shed HIS mortal coils for all eternity
 The event was witnessed by heaven and earth together
 Marked by a shooting star that streaked the heavens and yonder.

 “Where can I go?” the Master always told the devoted
 “I am always here” and the faithful stand comforted
 For the Bhagavanʼs PRESENCE illuminates everlastingly
 Forever in their hearts, for all to worship joyfully!

 Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya...
 Thiruchitrambalam