Arunachala in the eyes of Sri Bhagawan
For Bhagawan, the holy hill Arunachala is Atma the Self only!
“அருணாசலம் என அகமே நினைப்பவர்
அகத்தை வேரறுப்பாய் அருணாசலா”
“Arunachalam ena agamae ninaippavar
agattai ver aruppaai Arunachala”
– Arunachala Akshara Manamalai (verse 1).
Also “அருணகிரி பரமான்மாவே”
“Arunagiri Paramaanmaavae”
– Arunachala Pancharatnam (verse 1)
He has again and again emphasized that Arunachala is the physical form of Lord Siva in the gross world!
“கருணார் ணவமாய்க் கருதக் கதிநல்கு
அருணாசல சிவம் ஈதாம்”
“Karunarnavamaai karutha kathi nalgum
Arunachala Sivam eedaam”
Ocean of Grace (அருள் நிறைவான அமுதக் கடலே)
He beholds Arunachala as the ocean of Grace!
“அருள் நிறைவான அமுதக் கடலே” “Arul niraivaana Amuda kadalae” – oh Ocean of grace! -Arunachala Pancharatnam (verse 1) and goes on to say “விரிகதிரால் யாவும் விழுங்கும் அருணகிரி பரமான்மாவே” “Virikathiraal yaavum vizhungum arunagiri paramaanmaavae” – one who swallows the entire gamut of names and forms – And then he offers a soul stirring prayer to the Lord of the heart “கிளருளப்பூ நன்றாய் விரி பரிதியாக விளங்கு” “Kilarula poo nanraai viri paruthiyaaga vilangu” – meaning ‘oh Arunachala the Self of all beings, may you become the sun, for my heart lotus to bloom’! Here he says with His grace the heart opens up and the flood of blissful awareness encompasses one’s being!
In Arunachala Padikam (verse 1) Bhagawan talks about Arunachala as ‘அருணனுக்கு அருணன்’ ‘Arunanukku arunan’ meaning the sun of the sun who gives light even to the sun hanging in the sky!
“அருணனைக் காணாது அலருமோ கமலம்
அருணனுக் கருணனா மன்னி
அருள்நனி சுரந்தங்கு அருவியாய் பெருகும்
அருண மாமலை எனும் அன்பே!”
“Arunanaik kaannathu alarumo kamalam
Arunanuk arunanaam manni
Arul nani surandangu aruviyaay perugum
aruna maa malai ennum anbae”
He says ‘can ever the lotus bloom without seeing the sun! oh Aruna the sun of the sun (who gives light even to the sun), without your grace how can the lotus of my heart bloom? “அருள்நனி சுரந்தங்கு அருவியாய் பெருகும்” “Arul nani surandu angu aruviyaay perugum” – He says the fountain of grace swells there and overflows as the ‘water falls’ in the Arunachala Kshetra liberating everyone who happens to practice austerity in its vicinity.
The Spiritual Magnet that forcefully attracts (உயிர் வலி காந்தமலை)
How does the grace flow? What does He do to the devotee practicing austerities at His feet?
Bhagawan says in the same Padigam (verse 10)
“பார்தனன் புதுமை உயிர்வலி காந்த
பருவதம் ஒருதரம் இதனை
ஓர்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி
ஒருதன தபிமுக மாக
ஈர்த்ததை தன்போல் அசலமா செய்தவ்
வின்னுயிர் பலிகொளும் இஃதென்
ஓர்த்துய்மிண் உயிர்காள் உளமதில் ஒளிரிவ்
உயிர்கொலி அருணமாகிரியே”
“Paarthanan Puthumai uyirvali kaantha
paruvatham orutharam ithanai
orthidum uyirin settayay odukki
oru thana thabimugamaaga
eerthathai than pol achalama seithu
avvinnuyir balikolum iguthu yen
orthuymin uyirgaal ulamathil oliriv
uyirkoli arunamaa giriyae”
Bhagawan reveals with great ecstasy – I have seen something wonderful! Extraordinary.. Out of the world! A Mountain which forcefully attracts the souls like a spiritual magnet (உயிர் வலி காந்த பருவதம்)… Not only that, when somebody thinks of it even once, that is all, the person is gone… It kills him (உயிர் கொலி)! How? ஓர்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி ‘Orthidum uyirin settayai odukki’ – meaning, this one, the Arunachala quietening all the agitations in the mind of such a devotee ஒருதன தபிமுக மாக ‘oruthana thabimugamaaga’ making the mind introvert – ஈர்த்ததை தன்போல் அசலமா செய்து ‘eerthathai than pol achalamaa seidu’ attracting from within and making the mind still – அவ்வின்னுயிர் பலிகொலும் ‘avvinnuyir bali kolum’ it kills the jeeva bodha (egoistic notion) of the person! And Bhagawan wonders இஃதென்
‘Iguthu Yen’ – What is this thing which kills the person without killing! Such is the Grace of this holy hill Arunachala; the mind of the seeker who is practicing austerities at His feet melts without effort and vanishes in thin air in no time!
Medicine Rare (அருமருந்து)
What is the sadhana (austerities) to be practiced? Nothing! Just to remember Him… Just once is enough! Is that not too much of hype? Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharishi, embodiment of Tapas himself, says in Arunachala Padigam (verse 11)
“……………………………………………….
“கருதியே திரிவீர் கருத்தினில் ஒருகால்
கருதிடக் கொலாமலே கொல்லும்
அருமருந்தொன்றுண்டு அவணியில் அதுதான்
அருணமா திரமென அறிவீர்”
“………………………………………………….
Karuthiyae thiriveer karuttinul oru kaal
Karuthida kolaamalae kollum
Arumarunthonru undu avaniyil athu than
Arunamaa thiram ena ariveer“
கருத்தினில் ஒருகால்கருதிட ‘karutinul oru kaal karuthida’ – meaning even if you think once within, கொலாமலே கொல்லும்அருமருந்தொன்றுண்டு ‘kolaamalae kollum arumarunthu onru undu’ – there is a medicine which kills without killing… And that is, understand it to be the sacred hill Arunachala!
Medicine is that one which cures… But here is the medicine rare which kills! Yes it kills the ego sense in the seeker; his sense of separateness and otherness, without killing him! Is that not a wonderful medicine with which the mind or ego which is the abode of all evil is destroyed once and for all!
For that you need not struggle… not even take pains to travel to Arunachala. You need to just think of Him from wherever you are, with faith and devotion; with acute longing for Him, That is it. Everything is done! Om Tat Sat!
