Be with us always

A lady devotee prayed to Bhagavan, "My only desire is that you may always be with us".

Bhagavan exclaimed, "Look at her, she wants us all to turn into stones, so that we may sit here forever"

-- Recounted by Chalam

In Your Arms

Even if you were to throw away my dead body in these thorny bushes I do not mind, but I must end this life in Your arms.
-- Bhagavan's Mother to Him

Bhagavan, your dear Mother spoke for all of us.  

See also Ramana Devotees.

An End to Suffering

Our true Father Ramana says:

1. My devotees have the qualifications to rejoice abundantly, like children of an emperor.

2. Abandon the drama [of the world] and seek the Self within. Remaining within, I will protect you, [ensuring] that no harm befalls you.

3. If you inquire and know me, the indweller, in that state there will be no reason for you to worry about the world.

4. For the cruel disease of burning samsara to end, the correct regimen is to entrust all your burdens on me.

5. In order that your needless anxieties cease, make sure that all your burdens are placed on me through the brave act of depending totally on grace.

6. If you completely surrender all your responsibilities to me, I will accept them as mine and manage them.

7. When bearing the entire burden remains my responsibility, why do you have any worries?

8. Long ago you offered your body, possessions and soul to me, making them mine, so why do you still regard these things as 'I' and 'mine' and associate yourself with them?

9. Seek my grace within the Heart. I will drive away your darkness and show you the light. This is my responsibility.

Entire piece here and here.
See also this

Her Little Lord

For Mother Alagammal, newborn Venkat with his bright glowing eyes, and peaceful countenance was the Lord Himself. And she carried her little Lord with her wherever she went.



It was impossible not to touch the little Lord's face, his soft cheeks, his tiny ears or his little nose as he slept. But such a sound sleeper was He! What was He dreaming of, the little one?



Like all mothers, she prayed to the Lord to protect her son, little knowing that the tiny child in her arms was the Lord Himself.

Kandaswami's devotion

Devotee: Bhagavan has told us how the devotional fervour of just one devotee, Kandaswami, enabled him to complete the construction of Skandasramam practically single-handed. Such bhakti is indeed remarkable.

Bhagavan:
It is only his intense love for me which gave him the courage to undertake the job and complete it despite the herculean strength needed for it. It was in recognition of his single-minded devotion and dedication that the place was named Skandasramam.
To me all places are the same since I do not have any particular likes and dislikes. But even the other inmates were supremely happy. Looking back I wonder at this for while staying there we were exposed to rain, sun, wind and wild animals. Yet a tranquil peace used to prevail there.

I could roam freely about the hill with no restrictions at all on my movements. Can I do it here? Even if we had to miss out food we had the energizing spring water to drink.

-- Bhagavan, UY p 155 (N.N.Nataraja Iyer)

My protection is always there for you

Meenakshi's father, Dandapani Swami was a permanent inmate of the Sri Ramanasramam. Her father presented her husband, Sri Muruganar a copy of the Aksharamanamalai sometime after her marriage. A few days later, Sri Muruganar left home permanently for the ashram without telling anyone. "From that day he was totally absorbed in Bhagavan", she says."Searching for him I reached Sri Ramanasramam. I found him and yet did not find him for he was wholly Bhagavan's now."
Bhagavan once asked Meenakshi (wife of Sri Muruganar) to accept Muruganar's giving up family ties. Meenakshi recounts:
All of a sudden I was overwhelmed with self-pity and concern. I wept bitterly before Bhagavan. He asked,'Did anyone chide you?'
'No, Bhagavan, I was only cursing my fate.'
With a heart brimming with love He told me,'Meenakshi, why don't you have faith in my words? What is there in the family life of which you are so enamoured? Your father has ten sons. Not one of them is prepared to give him one morsel of food. My protection is always there for you. Hereafter treat all those who care for you as members of your family. Your minimum needs will always be provided for.'
Ramana thus became my protector, my everything.

~~~
6. Kinder indeed art Thou than one's mother, such is Thy Love, O Arunachala!

Am I not here to look after you?

(Cow) Lakshmi just could not spend a day without seeking Bhagavan's company sometime or other during the course of the day. One day she came to the hall, went straight to Bhagavan and literally wept on Bhagavan's shoulders. For half-an-hour Bhagavan kept consoling her, saying:
'Why are you so woe-begone, dear mother? Am I not here to look after you?'
and so on, till she was pacified.
--Venkatakrishnayya remembers (p 101, UY)

~~~
5. Escape this blame! Why didst Thou then recall Thyself to me? How can I leave Thee now, O Arunachala?