Ramanatha Brahamachari

Though very diminutive in his appearance he worked constantly. He was always looking to serve not only Bhagavan but also his devotees. He swept the floors, washed dishes, cleared pathways and would do anything to make the community around him comfortable. When

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In the 1920s during the bubonic plague that claimed many lives in Tiruvannamalai, Ramanatha was afflicted too. One night leaving him to rest in Skandasramam, Bhagavan went on girivalam with Rengaswamy Iyengar and Perumal Swami. Most folks had evacuated the town and on their way back while approaching Pachaiamman Kovil, the two suggested that since Ramanatha was infected they should stay in Pacchaiamman Kovil and they could send food to him and take care of him remotely. Bhagavan balked at the idea and made it very clear that he would never forsake Ramanatha and continued walking to Skandashram. What an emphatic assurance of refuge! Of course, he made an uneventful recovery. Such a blessed devotee.

There is an interesting reminiscence of Ramaswami Pillai featuring Ramanatha Brahmachari. During the early Skandashram days, Bhagavan for a while was eating only once a day since provisions were tight. Once during a visit to Skandashram, Ramaswami Pillai decided to stay overnight. The ashramites made it clear that no one would be eating that night and if that was ok with him, he was welcome to stay. Ramaswami made peace with it and when all of them were quietly enjoying the presence of Bhagavan, Ramanatha Brahmachari walked up with some pieces of coconut and some rice that he received as dakshina for conducting a pooja in town^[1]. Bhagavan suggested that they should cook it and asked if there was any leftover sugar candy brought by devotees earlier during the day. Ramaswami Pillai's heart was throbbing. He had never heard Bhagavan ask for anything and was intending to go to the town to get the sugar candy. But there was torrential downpour happening just then and there was no way anyone could walk down to town. As if by divine interference a bunch of college kids who were on a school excursion came up to Skandashram on that dark rainy night carrying a whole lot of bananas and sugar candy. Yes! The night became utterly sweet indeed and Bhagavan started eating more than one meal a day from then on.

M.Venkataraman a namesake childhood friend of Bhagavan was extremely devoted to him in his later life. He was not a religious person drawn to any rituals but the very utterance of Bhagavan's name will evoke tears in him. So much so that he was nicknamed "azhaguni-siddhar" by Bhagavan. Once Bhagavan and the Virupaksha gang decided to go up the mountain and picnic on the way. M.Venkataraman and Ramanatha carried all the provisions tied to a bamboo stick and carried it up hill. The load was pretty heavy. M Venkatraman was surprised how such a frail guy could muster such strength. They lost their way up and Ramanatha spotted Bhagavan at a distance and followed him up the hill and soon the person disappeared. After a while they felt lost and again Ramanatha was able to spot Bhagavan at the distance. Finally, they reached the seven springs area which is the predominant picnic spot on the hill. There they saw Bhagavan seated and well rested and He insisted that He had not moved from there for a while. MV attributed this to Bhagavan's Grace, especially giving the strength to a puny frail looking Ramanatha and guiding them to the right spot.

Ramanatha was an enthusiastic worker always willing to take on any work, however menial or tedious. When the mother's samadhi was built in 1922, Ramanatha would also do pooja to the shrine along with Chinnaswami and during the critical time when two ashrams were being maintained, Ramanatha was the one responsible for bringing provisions from Skandashram which was managed by Vasudeva Sastri at that time to the new ashram at the foothill, until Bhagavan moved down permanently.

In 1926 when Arunchalam Pillai brought Lakshmi to the ashram, it was Ramanatha who very enthusiastically volunteered to take care of her. Thus, he played a pivotal role in the spiritual journey of Cow Lakshmi.

At 4 foot 5, Ramanatha Bramhachari had a very distinctive appearance, he smeared his forehead, arms and chest with the sacred ash, and he wore thick glasses and looked so alert and energetic that he literally stood out in the crowd. He was a staunch Gandhian like many young people of the time and he used to spin thread out of cotton whenever he was free. His thread was frequently used by Mastan to weave towels and loin cloths that have been used by Bhagavan. He once presented a hand-woven dhoti to Mahatma Gandhi and was absolutely elated about it. When the salt satyagraha in the south was led by Rajagopalachari in 1930, Ramanatha took part in it and brought back salt from Vedaranyam. Bhagavan jokingly told him that the British would be too scared of his fierce personality and would not dare to arrest him. Jokes apart, Bhagavan did protect him, and he was not arrested even though many others were. Rajalakshmi Ammal - Venuammal's (Ecchammal's sister) granddaughter recalls an Old Hall incident.

Ramanatha wanted to make a hand-woven cotton garland for Mahatma Gandhi. He made the garland and when he approached Mahatma, he was not tall enough to garland and the surrounding people lifted him up so that he could garland him. He came and narrated this incident in the Old Hall when Rajalakshmi ammal was present.

With the continued use of Charkha, his vision was failing, and he got into an argument with the management about his constant use of the spinning wheel inside the Old Hall. When he did not listen, he was pushed to the floor and the aggressor asked if he knew who he was and Ramanatha while still on the floor replied, "I don't know who I am and if you knew who you are, you would not push, and I wouldn’t be rolling on the floor like this".

After this incident he went to stay in Palakothu. There is a very famous Thayumanavar quote "Anbar pani seyya enai alakki vittu vittal; inba nilai thane vandhu eidhum paraparame" meaning - "Once my life is completely spent in the service of the beloved devotees bliss will be the natural state"

In Arunachala Pancharatnam, Bhagavan wrote about the state of surrender where everything you see around you is just a manifestation of Arunachala: such was his surrender to Bhagavan that he called everyone as "Andavane".

Oh what an inspiring devotee…
this man called Brahmachari!
Ramanatha.. a young lad from the patasala,
he once laid his eyes on a Swami at Virupaksha.
Transfixed, transformed and consumed,
He found his Master and
forever his veil was removed.

Be it a naughty calf to care for,
Or cotton yarn to weave;
Buckets of water to fill
or loads to carry uphill.

No chore was trivial, no deed was hard,
his frail body worked with utter disregard.
His fire of devotion was burning so high,
his actions would often reason defy.

He served One and he served all,
abiding in the Self,
    he saw no difference at all.
With his meditative refrain “Andavane“,
he was able to tame his senses
    and rest in “Bhagavane“.

So devoted and attuned was he,
one touch of Bhagavan drove him to ecstasy.
No higher achievement did he ever seek,
than to stay put at his Master’s feet.

Unencumbered, was he thus a brahmachari
No… he was roaming in Brahma...
and hence Ramanatha Brahmachari 🙏🏽
 

It did not matter what they requested. It could be something important like a book from the library or some grocery or something mockingly silly like the list of movies that were showing in the town that week. He treated all requests with utmost sincereity. Such was his attitude. He cleaned everyone's cottage, and made sure everyone had clean utensils. Since he was living outside the ashram, a fellow devotee by the name Neelakanta Iyer offered him breakfast, lunch, and any leftovers for dinner in exchange for his performance of daily worship rituals to the sacred saligramams and pictures at home. Ramanatha would often bring his leftovers from Neelakanta Iyer’s house to share with fellow devotees in Palakothu. He made it his job to take care of all their everyday needs. When they were done with their time in Ashram, he would carry a hurricane light and guide them back to their cottages in Palakothu. There, the respective cottages would have their lamps ready to go as well. Over time the name "Andavane" became his nickname! If he was making a trip to the town he would get the list of everything that everyone needed and carry them back in the folds of his dhothi. Kunju Swami in his 'Reminiscences', described Ramanatha as looking like Vamana avatar with an umbrella in one hand, an occasional thermos in the other and a folded dhothi bulging with grocery items. T.R.Kanakkamal recalls that at times because of his innocence and demure attitude, people abused him but he was in such a state of surrender, that he always perceived any slights or insults as his own. His sandals were beyond repair, but he never complained about it. Because of his absolute commitment to the palakothu residents, he was called the "Palakothu Sarvadhikari". Once while reading one of the letters that had come to the ashram from Sri Eknath Rao, Bhagavan read about his kind enquiries to the 'palakothu sarvadhikari'.

Puzzled by the name, Bhagavan asked Kunju swami who the title belonged to and sheepishly, they revealed that it was Ramanatha Brahmachari's nick name. Bhagavan was amused by it. He even complimented Ramanatha – callng him a benevolent Sarvadhikari. G.V.Subbaramayya recalls in his reminiscences that Bhagavan used to call Ramanatha as "Vadhyar". It is very likely that Ramanatha Brahmachari is the only devotee with so many nick names!

Ramanatha was otherwise a very quiet person, humble and committed to whatever he was doing at that time. Once when he was alone with Bhagavan, he went into deep samadhi and experienced the aham sphurana. Bewildered by the experience, he looked up to Bhagavan asking if what he felt was the sphurana that Bhagavan talks about. Bhagavan affirmed that. Ramanatha was still in disbelief and asked a couple of times more. Bhagavan then gave a gentle knock on the head and said he should quit doubting that he has experienced aham sphurana. Ecstatic, Ramanatha went about showing fellow devotees his head with unbridled joy stating that is where Bhagavan had touched him! He was was more overjoyed by Bhagavan's "Hasta Diksha" than he was about the sphurana experience, such was his unparalled guru bhakthi.

Once when doing girivalam with Bhagavan, a usually quiet Ramanatha belted out a three hour discourse^[2] where he compared and contrasted Bhagavan Ramana, Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram and the Nirguna parabrahman that resides in all. He later put his own spiritual experience in the form of a krithi and on the occasion of Bhagavan's 60 birthday composed a 30 verse Ramana Anubhuthi patterned after Arunagirithar's Kandar Anubhuthi. Through these compositions, one can understand this humble devotee's dispassion, surrender and high spiritual attainment.

Every so often when he fell ill and had to go either to the Desur Ashram to recuperate or to Madras for treatment. T.S.Rajagopala Iyer, a fellow devotee, would frequently take him. Once TSR's very well-read articulate brother was giving a long discourse on Vedanta.

Some of what he was saying was contrary to what Bhagavan says. Hearing that, Ramanatha who was usually patient, got frustrated and quoted the 35th verse from the Ulladhu Narpadhu Anubandham

எழுத்தறி ந்த தா ம்பி றந்த தெ ங்கே யெ ன் றெ ண்ணி
யெ ழுத்தை த் தொ லை க்க வெ ணா தோ — ரெ ழுத்தறி ந்தெ ன்
சத்தங்கொ ளெ ந்தி ரத்தி ன் சா ல்புற்றா ர் சோ ணகி ரி
வி த்தகனே வே றா ர் வி ளம்பு

ēḻuttaṛi nta tā mpi ṛanta tē ṅke yē ṇ ṛē ṇṇi
yē ḻuttai t tŏ lai kka vē ṇā to — rē ḻuttaṛi ntē ṇ
cattaṅkŏ ḷē nti ratti ṇ cā lpuṛṛā r co ṇaki ri
vi ttakaṇe ve ṛā r vi ḷampu

35. For those who do not intend to destroy the letters of destiny by scrutinizing where they were born who have learnt the letters of the scriptures, what is the use of their having all that learning? They have merely acquired the nature of a sound-recording machine. Say, O Sonagiri the knower of reality, who else are they but mere sound-recording machines?

That brought the discourse to an abrupt end. Though not a scholar, he had the immense Grace of Bhagavan, and he revealed his prowess through a couple of enduring works.

After enduring a brief illness, he merged at the lotus feet of Bhagavan on Dec 19th, 1946, in Madras

When the news reached Tiruvannamalai^[4], Bhagavan was visibly moved by the memory of one of the foremost devoted servants of Bhagavan and his devotees. At his behest Mrs.Soma Sundaram Pillai sang both the compositions in front of Bhagavan that day.

Sri Ramana stotra anubhuti was published on the occasion of the 60th birthday of Bhagavan in 1939

Devaraja Mudaliar writes "The Stotra Anubhuti, modelled on Kandar Anubhuthi is so exquisitely like the famous original that one cannot but wonder how an author apparently without much knowledge of Tamil poetry could have achieved such success unless indeed it was also a clear case of Bhagavan's Grace."

Lakshman Sarma, the author of Maha Yoga writes "Sri Ramanatha Brahmachari, the author of this delightful hymn, is an exemplary devotee of Bhagavan Sri Ramana who has graciously come to live at the foot of Arunachala. The wonderful power of Bhagavan's Grace can be appreciated through this work, Though the author is no scholar in Tamil, because of the greatness of the supreme devotion of the author towards his Guru, the work contains excellent ideas expressed in a delightful way. To those who are fortunate enough to have Bhagavan as the Lord of their soul, hymns such as these will give limitless joy.

What an inspiring life and what an enduring legacy!

– compiled by Shridhar&Nimmi