Mother's last day

(Post in homage to Mother Alagammal)
May 19, 1922 (Dundubhi year and Vaisakha month) was her last day; everyone could sense the impending end that day. Yet they had to do whatever was possible in a
spirit of detachment leaving the result to the Lord. As long as she was conscious, Bhagavan gave her spiritual instructions. When she lost consciousness Ganapati Muni
and others commenced vedic chants, some others chanted the Rama-nama.

After the violent gasps (urdhva-swasa) began, Bhagavan placed his right hand on her heaving heart and the left one on her head. He looked at her intently. The day passed that way. Subsequently Bhagavan himself narrated what had happened thus:

The latent tendencies and thoughts which are the cause of future births flared up. She had just then lost consciousness of the external world. Hence in the subtle world her subtle body was witnessing scene after scene of what was to happen. By this sequence of experiences, the soul went through the future births and travelled towards the highest.

How could she experience this? It was because of the current of Bhagavan's spiritual power transmitted by touch that she experienced all within herself, without having to
be born over and over again. There was a battle between her soul forces and Bhagavan's spiritual power in which her latent tendencies gradually weakened and ultimately got vanquished. Bhagavan actually described the scenes she witnessed in the subtle state including their intensity.

The end came peacefully by eight in the night. Among those present, Ganapati and Niranjanananda Swami heard a sound indicative of the mother's death.

In this manner, the mother's individuality submerged in Atma, God. She attained mahanirvana. She had no more births. Due to her son, who was Arunachala in human form, she attained mukti or became established in the Atma.

Mother's body acquired a new brilliance which persisted till the abhisheka on the following day

As the mother's end was nearing nobody in the ashram ate anything that day. After her end, the Maharshi got up, and with no trace of grief said, "We may now eat. There is no pollution." How could there be any pollution when they were in the presence of the Lord in whom the holy lady merged? Such a body was a holy shrine in itself. The ashramites had a quiet meal.

The entire night passed in the singing of devotional songs. According to Manavasi Ramaswamy Iyer, "Bhagavan had no grief whatever. On the other hand, he appeared to be relieved like a bird released from a cage." These words were recorded in his diary. True, why did he have to grieve?

The mother attained the supreme state. Some days after the event somebody remarked to the Maharshi, "Mother has passed away." Immediately Bhagavan corrected him saying "No, mother has merged, she has become one."

On another occasion, when the matter of his according mukti to the mother came up, Bhagavan
said, "Yes my attempt in her case was successful. Earlier, in the case of Palaniswami I attempted the same. Thinking that he had attained the ultimate I removed my hand, thereupon he opened his eyes. The prana passed through the eyes. That is how my attempt at that time failed." On still another occasion, Bhagavan said, "Where has mother gone? She is here." Hence there need be no doubt as to where Alagammal had departed. The Maharashi meant
that she merged in Easwara and was with him (as he also was abiding in the atma).

Mother has not passed away. She has merged. She has become one.

The question as to whether the body was to be cremated or buried came up on the very night of mother's expiry.
Bhagavan pointed out that according to chapter 13 of Ramana Gita the body of one who attained mukti was to be buried and not cremated. The disciples decided to bury the body. Early next dawn, they carried the body from Skandasramam down the hill to a spot near Paliteertham.
Meanwhile, some relatives from other places came and though they argued in favour of a cremation, they were overruled. The news of the mother's death passed round the town, in spite of every effort to keep it private. As a result, numerous people turned up at the burial ground.Your text goes here.

A pit was dug below an aswatha tree. The body was lowered into it. The pit was filled with camphor, vibhuti, salt and other aromatic materials and later covered. The disciples erected a brick samadhi and by some coincidence, a Siva linga from Kasi arrived just then. It was placed atop the samadhi and named, Matrubhuteswara (Mother who was Easwara).

The Swami was watching the proceedings as a mere
witness. With the samadhi of the mother the son's filial
duty ended.

As Swami had entreated Arunachala in 1914, the
mother was consumed not by the fire of cremation but by
the fire of Jnana .

For the Mahapooja day, Ganapati Muni wrote six
verses entitled Soundaryamba shatkam (Six verses on
Soundaryamba) ? (Soundaryamba has the same meaning
as Alagamma). This is the substance of the verses:

1. In the first quarter of the night of Friday, the ninth
day of the dark fortnight of Vaisakha month, Dundubhi year
2. Wife of Sundaram born in the exalted lineage of
Bharadwaja, Parasara and mother of Ramana Maharshi born
as an avatara of Guruguha (Subrahmanya), the blessed lady,
3. One devoid of any attachment, one cleansed
by bhakti to Siva, one whose prana was arrested by the
touch of Guha (Ramana Maharshi), one whose tendencies
were all destroyed that very moment
4. She, Soundaryamba, became that Light which
can be known only by the Vedantic Vakyas, which is all-
pervasive, and which was known by her son.

5. At that samadhi of Soundaryamba the stream
which poured out of the lotus palms of Ramana Maharshi
became a new teertha, the Aghasamana teertha (the teertha
which removes all sins).

6. Glory to the holy mother of sacred Ramana!
Glory to the samadhi!
Glory to the linga consecrated by the Maharshi!
Glory to the new Aghasamana teertha!

The Maharshi later said something interesting. After
her passing away, Alagammal's body acquired a new
brilliance which persisted till the abhisheka on the following
day at the time of samadhi; it disappeared soon after water
was poured. Further, at the last breath in all cases a faint
sound emanates. In the mother's case, Bhagavan did not
notice it but others present did.

Every year, to commemorate the anniversary, pooja
is performed to Matrubhuteswara. Thousands of devotees
from various parts of the world assemble to join the
observance.
(This year the day falls on June 9th, 2007)
Photos of Mother's temple are copyright of Sri Ramanasramam

Mother surrenders to Son

In course of time she (Bhagavan's mother, Alagammal) came to understand the
Maharshi's behaviour and grasped that attachment was
not proper. She realised that she had come to the ashram
not as the Maharshi's mother but as a devotee keen on
attaining spiritual knowledge. There was only one way
by which she could win his grace and that was by service
without any desire, but with contentment and
detachment. With this realisation her old body toiled day
and night to serve the ashram inmates. Finally she donned
ochre robes, gained detachment and listened to Vedantic
matters. She surrendered herself to the Maharshi, certain
in the belief that he was her saviour.

In the last two or three months of her physical life
she was sick, hence it had become necessary for someone
to look after her. The Maharshi was her first servant. He
nursed her day and night but how long could that old and
tired body survive?

Post in homage to Bhagavan's Mother. To be continued ...
Photo of Mother's temple, copyright Sri Ramanasramam

All women are my mothers

Another latent tendency of hers (Bhagavan's mother) was her strong
attachment to the Maharshi, her son. She loved him
and expected him to love her equally strongly. This bond
could not be swept away, though it needed to be swept
away . Whenever she demonstrated her love through
any act the Maharshi admonished her. On several
occasions he pulled her up, upon which she wept. The
Maharshi would then say "Cry and cry more. It does
you good. The more you cry the more satisfied am I".

She could not understand why he was so harsh towards
her. On some other occasions he would not give her any
reply but would converse with other ladies, which hurt
her. She felt that he slighted her deliberately. All that he
would say was: " All women are my mothers, what is so
special about you?" Apart from this, the Maharshi who
always helped in household chores, intentionally refused
to help his mother whenever she sought it. Once, she
asked him to help her in preparing appalams. Instead of
doing so, he gave her a song — famous as the "appalam
song".



Quote from Sri Ramana Leela

Photo (1) of foundation stone of Mother's temple (laid on 1-9-1939 by Bhagavan and consecrated on 17-3-1949), and (2) of Bhagavan's picture inside Mother's temple are free to copy/use.

Prayer for Mother's Recovery

The next few posts are in homage to Mother Alagammal who attained Nirvana on May 19th, 1922. This year, Mahapuja falls on June 9th.

In 1914, Bhagavan's mother, returning from a pilgrimage
to Tirupati, paid a brief visit to him at Tiruvannamalai. While
there she had a severe attack of fever, which some thought to
be typhoid. Her life was despaired of and Bhagavan composed
the following poem for her recovery. Needless to say, she
recovered. Two years later she came and took up her abode
permanently at Bhagavan's Ashram on the hill.

Photo of Mother's Nirvana Room at Skandasramam

1. Hill of my refuge that cures the ills of recurring births!

O Lord! It is for You to cure my mother's fever.

2. O God that smites Death itself? My sole refuge!

Vouchsafe Your grace unto my mother and shield her from
Death. What is Death if scrutinised?

3. Arunachala! O blazing fire of Jnana ! Deign to wrap
my mother in Your light and make her one with You. What
need then for cremation?

4. Arunachala, that chases away illusion (maya)! Why
delay to dispel my mother's delirium! Besides You,
is there anyone who with maternal love can protect the
suppliant soul and ward off the strokes of destiny?

Adam Osborne passes away

Came across this article in the New York Times. Adam Osborne, son of writer Arthur Osborne (author of several books about Bhagavan), passed away in Kodaikanal, India on March 18th, 2003.

Adam Osborne, a British technical writer who became one of Silicon Valley's legends by introducing the first portable personal computer in 1981, died on March 18 in Kodiakanal, India. He was 64.

Dr. Osborne was born in Thailand in 1939 to British parents. He grew up in southern India, where his father, the writer Arthur Osborne, a devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi, helped popularize ideas from Eastern religion in the West.

Photograph of Adam Osborne as a child with Bhagavan, copyright Sriramanasramam

See full article.