Treasure Trove of Sri Bhagavan’s Grace

The Mantra (Japa = Incantation)

photograph: Sri Bhagavan reclining, wearing glasses, reading a book

THE ancient mantra “Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” fascinated me (TKS) greatly in my early days; it so delighted me that I had always a vision of Lord Krishna in my mind. I had a premonition that this body would pass away in its fortieth year, and I wanted to have a darshan of the Lord before that time. I fasted and practised devotion to Sri Vasudeva (Krishna) incessantly; I read Sri Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam with great delight.

Then when I read in the Gita “Jnani tu atmaiva me matam” (“In my view, the Jnani is my own Self”) I was greatly delighted. This line of thought came to me: “While I have at hand Bhagavan Sri Ramana, who is Himself Sri Vasudeva, why should I worship Sri Vasudeva separately?” Be it noted that all this was in my early days before settling with Sri Bhagavan at His Ashram.

emblem: SRI RAMANASRAMAM stamp with Om

This was the Ashram’s official stamp emblem in the ‘20s’ and ‘30s’

emblem: Om with scroll "Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya" (Sanskrit)

The Ashram’s emblem proudly assimilates in its bosom: “Om Namo Bhagavathe Sri Ramanaya”

So, I wanted one single mantra, a single worship (devata), and a single scripture, so that there might be no conflict of loyalties. Sri Ramana Paramatman became easily the God to worship, His Collected Works easily became the gospel; as for the mantra, it struck me intuitively that “Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya” might be an exact parallel to “Om Namo Bhagavate vasudevaya.”

I counted the letters in this new mantra, and was very happy to find it also contained ‘Twelve Letters’; I told this all to Sri Bhagavan, and He gave the mantra His approval.

Advanced practisers (sadhaks) and thinkers may laugh at this and say: “Why do you need a mantra while the Ocean of Bliss is there to be immersed into directly?” I confess that in this I was trying to conform to the traditional method of practice (upasana) which forms one of the main elements in bhakti (devotion). Sri Bhagavan has revealed His true nature as the All-Witness; yet there is the explicit injunction that “Advaita must be only in the attitude and never be interpreted in outer action”.

This mantra is now on the lips of every Ramana Bhakta, enhancing the depth of devotion in them!

photograph, see caption (TKS with Nool Thirattu)

TKS carries “Nool Thirattu” with him everywhere, even during the hours of immersion in meditation

photograph, see caption (cow Lakshmi with calf and Sri Bhagavan)

Cow Lakshmi proudly shares her ‘baby’ with Sat-Guru Sri Ramana

photograph, see caption (Sri Bhagavan in Padmasana in Old Hall)

Inside the Old Hall, Sri Bhagavan In Padmasana at the request of Dr.T.N.Krishnaswami in the 1940s

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