When devotees talk about the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana, they look to self-inquiry almost exclusively and rarely take up the theme of Bhagavan’s surrender.
The compulsion to seek deeper understanding has an innocent quality—aspiring to replace false knowledge with truer insight. While it is admirable in many ways, Bhagavan
Reports from religious leaders, educators, clinicians, and public health bodies such as the World Health Organization indicate that emotional distress among adolescents and young adults
Having completed the Ashram’s first century, we find ourselves in a world rife with change. The community of devotees is aging and we have lost
Out of fear, we grope for comfort in the face of life’s poignancy and want to have things always stay the same. Such an impulse
The dream of self almost works. It almost explains things. But the misalignment—between what we deeply are and what the dream assumes—keeps resurfacing. Because the
The one goal sought by all, yet attained by few, is lasting and meaningful happiness. We continually pursue fulfilment, but regularly search for it outwardly—in
K. K. Nambiar, a Keralite engineer, first came to Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi in 1932 while serving as an Assistant Engineer at Salem. He later became
If we don’t like what we see in ourselves or, for that matter, what we see in this strife-ridden world, then let us be the
Over time, we come to discover that Mother Nature is here to help us. In Her boundless mercy, she bears us up, holds us in
If the mind seeks rest, it has forgotten where true rest is found. The mind is a tool of the Self, not the Self itself,
Young Venkataraman’s departure for Tiruvannamalai on 29th August 1896 was not an act of renunciation in the conventional sense. Having discovered the inner Arunachala in
When we take the diverse phenomena of experience as a single whole and call it “world,” this seems perfectly normal. After all, everyone does it.
For enquiry to penetrate deeply, it must be accompanied by non-judgement. The impurities we uncover should not immediately be disparaged. If every unflattering discovery is
Mother and child take refuge in Sri Ramanasramam during an unusually warm August, where hot and dry conditions have made food and water scarce on
On the night of 26th February 1949, during the Mahasivaratri celebrations in the Old Hall, a young foreigner sat in Bhagavan’s presence absorbed in the
Indian Independence Day was celebrated on the morning of 15th August in the Ashram. The Ashram President and his daughter, Akshara did the honours of
On the night of 26th February 1949, during the Mahasivaratri celebrations in the Old Hall, a young foreigner sat in Bhagavan’s presence absorbed in the
When we consider that the egoic project is never finished—when we consider that the sense of a separate self must continually be reinforced through thoughts,
In his How Much Land Does a Man Truly Need?, Tolstoy offers a vivid illustration. Pakhom is promised as much land as he can walk
About the time Bhagavan completed the Malayalam translation of Ramana Gita in the notebook Nambiar had brought to him following the remarkable dream we heard
They reckon ill who leave me out;
When me they fly, I am the wings;
I am the doubter and the doubt;
In recent segments of Ramana Reflections, we have considered vichara largely in theoretical terms. But it may be useful now to ask how enquiry can
Fighting with our failing means being preoccupied with shortcomings, trying to appear as someone else, someone better, thinking we need something from outside to improve
On 7th August, devotees came from Kerala and gathered at Kunju Swami’s samadhi to recite Bhagavan’s Malayam works, followed by puja and distribution of prasad.
If we imagine we are permanently handicapped by adverse karmic conditions and thus incapable of the feats of saints and sages of old, we remember
The one goal sought by all, yet attained by few, is lasting and meaningful happiness. We continually pursue fulfilment, but regularly search for it outwardly—in
In the Vedic tradition, Guru Purnima is also known as Vyasa Purnima and honours the sage Vyasa, regarded as one of India’s greatest teachers and
The historic Adi Arunachaleswarar Temple, traditionally believed to have been established by Lord Brahma, recently celebrated Maha Kumbhabhishekam. The sacred ceremonies began on Friday, 26th
On the 25th July, Kavya Kantha Ganapathi Muni Day was celebrated in the New Hall with the recitation of Sat Darshanam and the first three
The body is a bodhi tree,
the mind a bright mirror stand.
Always diligently clean it,
and let no dust alight.
K. K. Nambiar was a Keralite who came to Bhagvan in 1932, while serving as an Assistant Engineer at Salem, about 120 kms from Tiruvannamalai.
There is a really deep well inside me.
And in it dwells God.
Sometimes I’m there too.
But more often stones and
Great rishis came to circumambulate the Holy Hill and many took up residence on the Mountain—Vasishta, Agastya, Brighu, Jaimini, Vyasa, Narada, Valmiki, Parasara, Durvasa, Patanjali
Among the devotees of Bhagavan who experienced the bliss of his presence, Lakshmi the Cow is noteworthy. While it is believed that in the presence
What is that axis ‘round which the world spins,
so subtle, silent, past the reach of sense,
unmanifest, beyond our mortal grasp?
The Ashram gardens are replete with life. Devotees absorbed in Bhagavan may sometimes forget to notice the natural beauty surrounding his samadhi. —
After Bhagavan’s mother attained liberation on the 19th May, 1922, devotees felt that her body should be buried rather than cremated since she was a
They also serve who sleep and wait,
A well-earned rest,
Between ferrying fares to and fro,
Wherever, whenever they wish to go,<br
In earlier segments, we saw how vichara becomes fruitful when the question “Who am I” is animated by uncertainty and a felt sense of urgency.
Venuammal, Echammal’s younger sister, was a committed devotee and did service in the days at Virupaksha. She came to Bhagavan at an early age, having
Tradition tells us that we should avoid clinging. But there is one exception: holding on to Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the “good attachment,” the one that
Ramanasramam President Dr. Venkat S. Ramanan came to the US to participate in the 76th Aradhana celebration, May 3rd in the Bay Area, California. The
In the last segment, we saw how vichara is fruitful only when the question “Who am I?” is charged with genuine sincerity and an element
On the evening of 21st May, the Ashram’s warmest day this summer, a storm moved in and temperatures dropped 9oC in twelve minutes, causing gusts
I have lived on the lip of insanity,
wanting to know reasons,
knocking on a door. It opens.
I’ve been knocking from
In the first two issues we saw how Ramanagiri came to India after a long search marked by solitude, moral seriousness, personal loss, and dissatisfaction
The Holy Hill blends with His natural sur-roundings to announce the other world and remind us how each part of it points to something beyond
We left off in the last issue with a scene from the Hall at the end of August 1936 where the Maharani Saheba sits before
Among the outstanding features of Bhagavan’s life is how available Bhagavan was to the public. Reading the chronicles of life in the hall, we see
On 1st September 2026, Saranagati e-magazine begins its 20th year of publication. Marking this event, among other things, the publication will be launching a website
On the afternoon of New Year’s
Day (14th April), the panchangam
(‘liturgical almanac’) was read out in
Bhagavan’s Shrine. The reading serves
Sri Bhagavan’s 76th Mahanirvana was observed on Wednesday, 15th April with Nadaswaram music followed by Tamil parayana
in Bhagavan’s Hall at 5.30 am. Abhishekam
On the evening of Wednesday 14th April, devotees gathered at the Nirvana Room to chant Bhagavan’s Aksharamanamalai on this his 76th Aradhana year.
On Sunday the 12th April, on the site where the saint wrote Tiruvempavai, a part of his Tiruvachakam, Mahakumbhabhishekam was performed at the Manikkavasagar Kovil
From 16–19th April, a four-day programme was held at Ekatma Dham, Omkareshwar, Matya Pradesh, a cultural complex dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya. The campus features the
For several years, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi has offered students a programme on inner development in the National Resource Centre for Value Education
In the last segment, we saw how devotees often complain that practising vichara becomes mechanical and uninspiring. The question “Who am I?” can lose vitality,
In the last segment, we began with a brief glimpse of Swami Ramanagiri’s transformative encounter with Bhagavan during the Mahasivaratri celebrations of 1949. After weeks
On Saturday, 11 April 2026, Nimmitam, the Ramana Kendra of Agra, under the guidance of Dr. S.B. Sharma, was inaugurated by Dr. Venkat S. Ramanan,
On Tuesday 21st April, Ashram Free Dispensary director, Dr. Aruna Ramanan accompanied a small group up the hill for tidying up the path.
Over the decades devotees have complained about the difficulty in practising vichara—Sri Bhagavan’s method of self-inquiry. They say that when they attempt inquiry their questioning
On Monday the 13th April, Sri Ramanasramam inaugurated its new auxiliary kitchen just opposite the main kitchen next to the Ashram Stores. The new facility
Arunachala wears many faces—each a quiet revelation of the Self in form, light, and colour. To behold the Hill is not merely to see a
On the night of 26th February 1949, during the Mahasivaratri celebrations in the Old Hall, a young foreigner sat in Bhagavan’s presence
Round and round
the centre I spin,
Leaving the without
to enter within.
No beginning, no end,
just the breath,<br
Arunachala wears many faces—each a quiet revelation of the Self in form, light, and colour. To behold the Hill is not merely to see a
Across the centuries, religious and philosophical traditions have wrestled with a single, persistent problem: How does the Uncreated relate to creation? How are we to
Devotees of all walks of life appeared at Bhagavan’s feet seeking solutions to life’s many challenges.
Skandasramam Annamalai Swami, though little known to later devotees, played an important role during Bhagavan’s early years on the Hill.
Mahasivaratri is the favourite night of Lord Siva and takes place on the 14th tithi of the dark half of the lunar cycle during the
In the Sri Vidya tradition, Goddess Lalita Tripurasundari is supreme, the physical universe being but her manifestation. She is worshipped through the two-dimensional Sri Chakra
On early morning of the 18th March, the newly renovated kitchen was inaugurated. New cooking facilities including boilers, steamers, enhanced service piping and larger capacity
Bhagavan’s Kitchen is being renovated. All equipment has been removed and the kitchen is undergoing a complete overhaul.
As we move into the New Year, some devotees worry about what 2026 and the years ahead will bring. Over the last decade, Aldous Huxley’s
The young sage’s love for Arunachala was infectious and those who gathered round him in the early years took to the Hill like ducks to
Pradakshina is the natural way of things and delineates a primordial order in the universe. The earth and the other planets in their orbit do
Pradakshina is as old as Hindu dharma itself. Since earliest antiquity, pilgrims have circumambulated holy mountains, temples, rivers and shrines. Even before time began, a
Arunachala is immortal light. A column of fire that existed before time began, the light shone in order that all those lost in worldly forgetfulness
It is said that Bhagavan used to work in the kitchen as a background for spiritual training and that he only ever sat at two
From 1922 and for the four first years at Sri Ramanasramam, Bhagavan lived in a thatched hut in front of Mother’s shrine.
One of the core duties in making Sri Ramanasramam a centre for the diffusion of spiritual knowledge and a place of sanctity by affording scope
Tiruvannamalai Railway Station just completed a substantial renovation which necessitated a temporary removal of the plaque commemorating Bhagavan’s epoch making journey and arrival to Tiruvannamalai
Balarama Reddy first met Bhagavan in the 1930s and later reflected on his extraordinary fortune in spending many years in the Sage’s presence. He was
Key among Bhagavan’s directives for devotees on the path is summa iru—Be still![1] This, he tells us is ‘the path to peace’. But how do
In the first segment we saw how Bhagavan’s summa iru—“Be still”—is the essential path to peace. Stillness cultivated through Bhagavan’s vichara is born of an
A global virtual Ramana Jayanti Satsang was held on 4th January 2026, bringing devotees worldwide together online for Bhagavan’s 146th Jayanti.
Bhagavan’s Jayanti Day celebrations, 4th January 2026 began at 4 am with Mangala Isai by Sri T. R. Pichandi & party, followed by Dhanurmasa Puja
Arunachala wears many faces—each a quiet revelation of the Self in form, light, and colour. To behold the Hill is not merely to see a
In the last segment, Balarama Reddy recounts how he settled near Palakottu in the late 1930s, and how he received advice from Bhagavan following thefts
Mattu Ponal,Nandi Puja and the Ashram Gosala puja was celebrated with great fervour on the morning of 16th January.
In the first segment, we saw how Balarama Reddy first met Bhagavan in 1933. It was an encounter that left a lasting impression.
Sage Bhringi was a great devotee of the Lord and would acknowledge no other, not even Goddess Parvathi.
Lord Indra was once compelled to take birth as an earthly king and lived in the time of the Pandya dynasty, unaware of his former
Virupaksha Cave in the summertime suffered water shortages, so Bhagavan often shifted to the Mango Tree Cave during the hot season.
Health services started in the Ashram in 1929 led by Dr. Krishnamurthi Iyer. But for more than ten years medical procedures were conducted in makeshift
The Ashram Vedic School was established in 1937 for the regular instruction in the Krishna Yajur Veda with the students performing daily recitation of the
When Bhagavan’s mother attained Mahasamadhi in May 1922, she was interred at the southern foot of the hill. At the suggestion of some devotees, Chinnaswamy
The placement of Bhagavan’s Samadhi was established in a dream K. K. Nambiar had at the time of Bhagavan’s Mahanirvana in April, 1950. Chinnaswami had
Swami Ramanananda’s Samadhi Day was observed with abhishekam, singing and arati at his shrine on 5th January.
Part I, Part II In the last two segments, we saw how stillness cultivated through self-inquiry (vichara) quietens thought and sensory agitation, leading to an alert,
Sites and sounds live from Sri Ramanasramam in full colour. Nothing matches the ambience of the festival season at Sri Ramanasramam.
The world’s first ‘Advaita Vedanta Autorickshaw’ careening around Maharshi’s adopted hometown!
This year marks the bookstore’s centenary year. One hundred years later, the Ashram bookstall is more in demand than ever.
The Ashram gardens are home to numerous fruit trees, puja-flower trees, plants, and bee colonies.
Because of Lakshmi’s “golden touch”, a donation from Salem Magistrate Sundaram Chetty helped establish a large gosala in 1930.
A life broken by loss can mark the beginning of a new way of seeing. When the familiar collapses and the heart is stripped of
Swami Rajeswarananda, a devotee of Bhagavan for over forty years, compiled Thus Spake Ramana and edited The Call Divine for many years. He recalls Swami
On Thursday, 22nd January at Ramana Kendra, Delhi, marking Bhagavan’s 146th Jayanti, the Kendra’s Secretary, Sri B. Ganesan hosted India’s 15th Vice President, Sri C.
Over decades in the hall, Bhagavan regularly employed the dream metaphor to reveal how our mistaken self-view causes suffering—and how right seeing can liberate us.
Followers of Bhagavan Sri Ramana naturally align themselves with jnana marga—the path of knowledge. Yet many remain uncertain about the true nature of knowledge. Bhagavan
In June of 1936, Mr. B. C. Das, a physics lecturer complained to Bhagavan in the Hall about a “vicious circle” , namely, that meditation
In the last issue, we saw how Bhagavan frequently employed the dream metaphor to illustrate how a mistaken self-view leads to suffering and how true
In Tang dynasty China (8th–10th centuries), a golden era of meditation study, a rich body of teaching stories emerged. These recorded encounters between masters and
