2023-11-19 19:21:52 by ambuda-bot
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poetry) on him forthwith. He was only 22 years old then (details
are in Volume 11).
Ganapati repaired to the south of the country in his 25th
year. From Kanchipuram he came to Arunachala (Thiruvannamalai)
in 1903 to perform tapas. He visited twice Sri Brahmana Swamy
(who was later named as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by
Kavyakantha himself) before he accepted a teacher's job at Vellore
in 1904. Later in 1907, he resigned his job at Vellore and returned
to Arunachala. It was at this stage that he sought and gained the
grace of Sri Brahmana Swamy (Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi).
An intellectual and spiritual giant who had high achievements to
his credit and a host of followers as well, Kavyakantha still felt
that his life's purpose was not fulfilled. He remembered Brahmana
Swamy whom he had met earlier and approached him for his grace
and gain inner realization, peace and true import of tapas that he
still lacked. On 18.11.1907 Kavyakantha approached Brahmana
Swamy, who was staying in the Virupaksha cave, and prostrating
himself at his feet said in a trembling voice: "All that has to be
read I have read, even Vedanta Sastra I have fully under-
stood. I have performed japa and puja to my heart's con-
tent. Yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas
is. Hence have I sought refuge at thy feet, pray enlighten
me about the nature of tapas." For quite sometime Brahmana
Swamy gazed silently at Kavyakantha. He broke his 11 years of
long silence and spoke gently, "If one watches where his no-
tion of "I" springs, the mind will be absorbed into that.
That is tapas. If a mantra is repeated and attention is di-
rected to the source where the mantra sound is produced,
the mind will be absorbed in that. That is tapas." The scholar-
poet was filled with joy to have found his guru, and announced
that the upadeśa (teaching) was original, and that Brahmana
Swamy was indeed a maharshi and should be called so thereaf-
xiv
are in Volume 11).
Ganapati repaired to the south of the country in his 25th
year. From Kanchipuram he came to Arunachala (Thiruvannamalai)
in 1903 to perform tapas. He visited twice Sri Brahmana Swamy
(who was later named as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by
Kavyakantha himself) before he accepted a teacher's job at Vellore
in 1904. Later in 1907, he resigned his job at Vellore and returned
to Arunachala. It was at this stage that he sought and gained the
grace of Sri Brahmana Swamy (Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi).
An intellectual and spiritual giant who had high achievements to
his credit and a host of followers as well, Kavyakantha still felt
that his life's purpose was not fulfilled. He remembered Brahmana
Swamy whom he had met earlier and approached him for his grace
and gain inner realization, peace and true import of tapas that he
still lacked. On 18.11.1907 Kavyakantha approached Brahmana
Swamy, who was staying in the Virupaksha cave, and prostrating
himself at his feet said in a trembling voice: "All that has to be
read I have read, even Vedanta Sastra I have fully under-
stood. I have performed japa and puja to my heart's con-
tent. Yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas
is. Hence have I sought refuge at thy feet, pray enlighten
me about the nature of tapas." For quite sometime Brahmana
Swamy gazed silently at Kavyakantha. He broke his 11 years of
long silence and spoke gently, "If one watches where his no-
tion of "I" springs, the mind will be absorbed into that.
That is tapas. If a mantra is repeated and attention is di-
rected to the source where the mantra sound is produced,
the mind will be absorbed in that. That is tapas." The scholar-
poet was filled with joy to have found his guru, and announced
that the upadeśa (teaching) was original, and that Brahmana
Swamy was indeed a maharshi and should be called so thereaf-
xiv