Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

When I was doing pradakshina as usual this morning,
some other-worldly voice came out of Bhagavan’s mouth and
struck my ears as if from a flute. Wondering what it was, I
looked up towards Bhagavan’s sofa through the window. The
rays of the morning sun were falling on Bhagavan’s body
and were giving out a peculiar lustre. Dr. Srinivasa Rao was
massaging Bhagavan’s legs with ointment. A light smile was
* A reverential salutation made by circumambulation from left to
right so that the right side is always turned towards the person or
object circumambulated.

visible on Bhagavan’s face. “Oh, it is only Nagamma! I thought
it was somebody else,” he was saying. I felt that he would tell
me something, and so I prostrated before him as soon as I
entered the hall. Bhagavan smilingly said, “So! You too have
started doing pradakshina after seeing others, have you? How
many times do you do pradakshina?” I was rather surprised
and as I was asked about the number of times, I said,
“Thrice.” “Is that so? Others also will do the same, following
your example. That is the trouble. I told them not to do it. I
tell you also. What do you say?” “What is there for me to
say? I shall stop doing it, if you advise me to.” So saying, I
sat down. Looking at me, Bhagavan said, “See, these people
go on doing pradakshina round the hall without end. It was
only yesterday I told them not to do it. They will say,
‘Nagamma also is doing pradakshina. Should she also not be
told?’ If people see you going round the hall, newcomers
will think that they should do the same, and will start doing
it as they do round a temple. That is why I am telling you.”
Bhagavan then told us all:
“What is meant by pradakshina? Sankara has written:
piræmiNt äüa{fa> shöai[ mheíre,
kaqStiol êpe=iSmn! #it Xyan< àdi][m!.

Real pradakshina is the meditation that thousands of
universes are revolving around the Great Lord, the
unmoving centre of all forms.

“The same bhava (idea), was expressed in Tamil by the
author of Ribhu Gita in greater detail.” So saying Bhagavan
got that book, read it and told us the following:
“‘Oh Lord! I went all round the world to do pradakshina
to you but you are in fullness everywhere. How then could I
complete a round? I shall worship you as ‘kutastha akhila rupa’
(immovable entire form of the world). That is the only
pradakshina to you’. Namaskar also means the same thing.

The merging of the mind in the Self is namaskar and not the
mere act of prostrating whenever you get up or sit down or
whenever you go that side or come this side.”
Doctor Srinivasa Rao said, “What you say about
pradakshina, namaskar and the like may be for those who are
in atheetha sthithi, i.e., in a highly developed state, but for
people like us, is it not necessary to prostrate before the
Guru? It is said that the Advaita attitude should not be shown
towards the Guru, even if it is shown towards all the three
worlds.”
“Yes, it is so. The Advaita attitude does not mean that
you should not do namaskar and the like. Only it should not
be overdone. Advaita should be in bhava, in the disposition
of the mind; it will not do for outside, worldly affairs. You
are asked to look at everything with equality (sama drishti)
but can we eat the same food that a dog eats? A handful of
grain will do for a bird but will that do for us? We eat a
certain quantity of food but will that be enough for an
elephant? So you should have the attitude of Advaita only in
bhava, in the mind, but you should follow the world in other
matters. Though there are no pains and pleasures for a Jnani,
for the sake of others, he does everything. He is like those
who beat their chests, and weep loudly, if ordered to, for an
agreed wage. That is all. He is not affected by it,” said
Bhagavan.

Someone asked, “What is that about beating chests and
weeping for wages?” Bhagavan replied, “In olden times,
there used to be such a practice. Supposing some elderly
person dies and no one in the house bothers to weep for
him, what is to be done? Someone must weep for the person
who is dead. That was required by custom. There used to be
some professional people whose vocation was to weep for a
fee. If called, they used to weep better than the deceased’s
kith and kin, methodically, like bhajan and with great variety,
by beating their chests and shedding tears, which flowed
either by long practice or by squeezing onion juice into their
eyes, and they used to finish this programme to schedule. In
the same manner, the Jnani conducts himself according to
the wishes of others. He keeps time to whatever tune is sung.

As he is well-experienced, nothing is new to him. He goes to
whoever calls him. He puts on whatever garb he is asked to
wear. It is all for the sake of others, as he does not desire
anything for himself. His action will be according to the
desire of the person who asks. One must therefore find out
for oneself sufficiently well what is really good and what is
really bad,” said Bhagavan.

Previously whenever Bhagavan asked those devotees
who were close to him, “Why is this done?” or “Why is that
not done?” I used to regret that I had not the privilege of
being questioned so familiarly. I have now been disillusioned.

Not only that, I have received an upadesa (communication of
an initiatory mantra or formula). Sri Bhagavan’s voice seemed
to say, “When I am everywhere in my fullness, how could
you do pradakshina to me? Do you think that I am a stone
image that you should go round and round me as in a
temple?”