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Indian mystic Ramana Maharshi in the kitchen –

10 Interesting Facts about Ramana Maharshi 

Ramana Maharshi was an Indian Hindu sage. He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hill Arunachala and the 63 Nayanmars was aroused in him. 

In 1896, at the age of 16, he had a near-death experience where he became aware of a  force (avesam) which he recognized as his true I or self, and which he later identified with the personal God or Iswara, that is, Shiva.

Six weeks later he left his uncle’s home in Madurai, and journeyed to the holy mountain Arunachala, in Tiruvannamalai, where he took on the role of a sannyasin (though not formally initiated), and remained for the rest of his life. 

In this article, we look at 10 interesting facts about Ramana Maharshi

1. Ramana attracted devotees that regarded him as an avatar 

An avatar is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means descent. It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a deity on Earth. Ramana attracted devotees that regarded him as an avatar and came to him for darshan which is the sight of God. 

In later years an ashram grew up around him, where visitors received upadesa (spiritual instruction) by sitting silently in his company asking questions. Since the 1930s his teachings have been popularized in the West.

2. Maharshi had a very good memory and was able to recall information after hearing it once

Indian mystic Ramana Maharshi reading –

When he was seven he had his upanayana, the traditional initiation of the three upper varnas into Brahmanical learning and the knowledge of Self. 

He had a very good memory and was able to recall information after hearing it once, an ability he used to memorize Tamil poems.

3. At age 16, Ramana  had a sudden fear of death

In July 1896, he was struck by a flash of excitement or heat, like some avesam, a current or force that seemed to possess him, while his body became rigid. He initiated a process of self-inquiry, asking himself, what it is that dies? He concluded the body dies, but this current or force remains alive and recognized this current or force as his Self, which he later identified with the personal God or Iswara.

Later in life, he called his death experience akrama mukti, sudden liberation, as opposed to the krama mukti, gradual liberation as in the Vedanta path of jnana yoga. It resulted in a state of mind that he later described as “the state of mind of Iswara or the jnani:

4. In 1912, while in the company of disciples, Maharshi had an epileptic fit

Ramana-Maharshisit with devotees –

In an appendix, to Self realization, Narasimha wrote that in 1912, while in the company of disciples, Ramana Maharshi had an epileptic fit, in which his vision was suddenly impaired three times by a white bright curtain that covered a part of his vision.

In the third instance, his vision was shut out completely, while his head was swimming, and he felt his heart stop beating and his breathing seizing, while his skin turned blue as if he was dead. This lasted for about ten or fifteen minutes, whereafter a shock passed suddenly through the body, and his blood circulation and his respiration returned. In response to strange accounts about this event, he later said that it was a fit, which he used to have occasionally, and did not bring on himself.

5. In 1916 his mother and younger brother Nagasundaram joined Ramana at Tiruvannamalai 

They followed him when he moved to the larger Skandashram Cave, where Ramana lived until the end of 1922. His mother took up the life of a sannyasin and Maharshi began to give her intense, personal instruction, while she took charge of the Ashram kitchen.

Maharshi’s younger brother, Nagasundaram, then became a sannyasi, assuming the name Niranjanananda, becoming known as Chinnaswami (the younger Swami). 

6. Maharshi displayed a natural talent for planning building projects

Sri Ramanasramam Book Depo, Tiruvannamalai, South India by Gowtham Sampath –

Sri Ramanasramam, the ashram that developed around his mother’s tomb grew to include a library, hospital, post office, and many other facilities. Until 1938, Annamalai Swami was entrusted with the task of supervising the projects and received his instructions from Maharshi directly.

From the period when an Ashram began to rise around him after his mother arrived, until his later years when his health failed, Ramana Maharshi was actually quite active in Ashram activities such as cooking and stitching leaf plates.

7. In 1931 a biography of Ramana, written by B. V. Narasimha, was published

The biography titled, Self Realisation: The Life and Teachings of Ramana Maharshi, made Ramnaa become relatively well known in and out of India after 1934. In this book, the author describes how he was compelled by the Paramacharya of Kanchi to meet Ramana, his meeting with Ramana, and the effect this meeting had on him. 

Paul Brunton, having first visited Ramana Maharshi in January 1931, also published the book A Search in Secret India. The book was a best-seller and introduced Ramana Maharshi to a wider audience in the west.

8. A shooting star was seen after Maharshi’s death

Indian mystic Ramana Maharshi by G. G. Welling –

In November 1948, a tiny cancerous lump was found on Ramana Maharshi’s arm and was removed in February 1949 by the ashram’s doctor. Soon, another growth appeared, and another operation was performed by an eminent surgeon in March 1949 with radium applied. 

By April 1950, Ramana Maharshi was too weak to go to the hall and visiting hours were limited. Visitors would file past the small room where he spent his last days to get one final glimpse. He died on 14 April 1950. At the same time, a shooting star was seen, which impressed some of his devotees as synchronicity.

9. Objects being touched or used by Ramana were highly valued by his devotees

The devotees considered it to be prasad and that it passed on some of the power and blessing of the Guru to them. People also tried to touch his feet, which is also considered Darshana. 

In later life, the number of devotees and their devotion grew so large that Ramana Maharshi became restricted in his daily routine. Measures had to be taken to prevent people from touching him. 

10. Maharshi provided spiritual instruction to his devotees

He did this by providing darshan and sitting silently together with devotees and visitors, but also by answering the questions and concerns raised by those who sought him out. 

Many of these question-and-answer sessions have been transcribed and published by devotees, some of which have been edited by Ramana Maharshi himself. A few texts have been published which were written by Ramana Maharshi himself, or written down on his behalf and edited by him. 

Ramana Maharshi also provided an example by his own devotion to Shiva, which has been extensively described by his devotees, such as walks around the holy hill Arunachala, in which devotees participated, and his hymns to Arunachala.