Towards Enlightenment

INTRODUCTION 

Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi and his teachings are well known to the world. His spiritual quest at a very young age that led to his Self-enquiry and enlightenment has given rise to a number of spiritual teachings. 

As a sequel to Upadesa Undiyar, Shri Ramana Maharshi has composed the Vedantic Verses totalling 40 in Tamil. 

In the title of this poem, the word (uLLadu) is a verbal noun that means ‘that which is’ or ‘being’ (either in the sense of ‘existence’ or in the sense of ‘existing’), and is an important term that is often used in spiritual or philosophical literature to denote ‘reality’, ‘truth’, ‘that which is real’ or ‘that which really is’. Hence in a spiritual context the meaning clearly implied by uLLadu is atman, our ‘real self’ or ‘spirit’. (ref:http://happinessofbeing.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/ulladu-narpadu-explanatory-paraphrase.html) 

I have referred to the English Translation and Commentary by S.S. Cohen. I have attempted to understand the meaning of the verses to the best of my knowledge and compiled this document. 

My spiritual/theological/philosophical knowledge is very limited and therefore would like to request the readers to acknowledge this while reading, should they come across some inconsistencies. 

I take this opportunity to thank Shri Rajiv Kapur, an ardent follower of Shri Ramana Maharishi and a Spiritual teacher from Mumbai, who has kindly agreed to provide foreword to my work. 

Padma Bharadwaj, December 2015

FOREWORD 

Following her English translation of Bhagvan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s ‘Upadesa Saram,’ Padma Bharadwaj has provided us with a translation of Sri Ramana’s ‘Ulladu Narpadu.” Once again, I congratulate Padma on this achievement, and thank her for making available to the English reader another one of Sri Ramana’s important works. ‘Ulladu Narpadu’ is a concise summation of the nature of Reality, and we are all fortunate to have it as a reference and guide. 

Rajiv Kapur, Founder of ISIP , Mumbai 

ULLADU NARPADU 

INVOCATION

1

Can Reality exist without awareness?

Very nature of Reality is awareness

Source of all thoughts is termed as “Heart”

Through awareness, we know this fact

2

Fear of death in most human beings

Is the driving force towards God’s worship

This happens when one identifies himself/herself with the “body”

If we dis-identify, fear of death does not exist

40 VERSES

1

When we see the world we are in

We ascribe it to the origin

We need to understand that this is His manifestation

“Awareness” provides us this comprehension

2

The triad of God, Self and World

Is a general postulation in this world

However, all three are one

To understand this the ego (I) should vanish

3

The speculation about who or what God is

And how this world came into existence

May lead us nowhere

Instead, focusing on Self-realisation, will help us liberate

4

God has a form or no form

Are we able to confirm?

To recognise God in a “form” or understand the “formlessness”

Depends on how our ego perceives

5

The body is made up of five sheaths

Without these the world cannot be experienced

Sheath of food, sheath of energy, sheath of mind

Sheath of intellect and sheath of Bliss

6

The world we are in is nothing but five-fold sense objects

They result from the five senses

Our mind perceives the world through the senses

So, is there a world without the mind?

7

With awareness we are able to know the world

Without awareness, is there a world?

So, “awareness” is one that always shines

Which re-affirms only Reality exists

8

“All roads lead to Rome”

This saying we may all know

Irrespective of who or what we worship

Eventually lead to the same, so why there’s hatred/religious difference?

9

Twos and threes, what are the numbers?

Twos are opposites, threes are “seen, Seer and Sight”

Twos and Threes – their origin is the same

This is understood when one is “realised”

10

Knowledge and Ignorance

Both are inter-related

To rid of ignorance, we need the knowledge

“Self” alone is the true knowledge

11

Worldly knowledge is external, “Self” is internal

To think one has attained knowledge through worldly affairs is ignorance

External knowledge is perishable

Knowledge of Self is eternal

12

What is true knowledge?

It is neither “knowledge” nor “ignorance

It is beyond everything we can comprehend

Nothingness is not empty, but pure

13

How do we differentiate

“Real” from “superficial”

In a jewellery the gold is real but the shape or form isn’t

Thus the “Self” is real and others aren’t

14

When there is “I”, “them” also exists

When we realise there is no “I”, others cease to exist

Self realization is continuum

If accomplished through meditation, that’s liberation

15

We talk about the past, present and future

Bur really what should we care

Past was the “present” in its time and future will be “present” in its time

So, let us ignore the past and stop worrying about the future

16

Time and space are mere concepts

Used for physical measurement in relation to our bodies

As we are not bodies and we are just the same

We are not affected by time and space

17

To the “realised” and “not realised” “I” exists

“I” exists with a difference

For those who are not realised, “I” is their size of the body

But for those realised persons, “I” has no limits

18

Is the world “real”?

Yes, for everyone, world is real

However, for a common man the space is limited

For an enlightened person, no such confinement

19

The debate of which one prevails

Free will or Karma (destiny)

Such a debate is only for those

Who haven’t realised the Self, the Absolute truth

20

How and where do we see the God

Sure, most of us query about God

If we recognise “Self” within us

That’s the God, that’s when we realise

21

What is seeing “God”

Seeing is nothing but absorbed by God

How can this be achieved?

Through understanding “Self” and becoming “realised”

22

God shines within our mind

But we are not able to find

The reason is that light is overshadowed by the blemishes of the world

To clean is to understand the “Self” , that’s where God is found

23

Although the “I” is related to the body as an identifier

The “I” exists even without the body

“I” exists in the waking state or sleep

To understand this perennial “I”

24

The insentient body doesn’t say “I”

Not the sentient Self brags “I”

The ”I” is like a knot

Sentient and insentient tied together

25

If we consider our ego as a ghost (i.e. I)

This formless one thrives on a form, i.e. our body

This ego identifies itself with the body and endures pains and pleasures

Till the end when the ego realises the Self to be subtle mind

26

What is surrendering (Sharanagati?)

It is not just rites and rituals

The real Surrendering is the Surrendering of ego

At that time, everything we let go

27

Non-emergence of ego (I) is equal to THAT(Paramatma)

How do we get to this state?

For destroying the ego (I)

We need to identify the origin of “I”

28

To discover a precious pearl from the deep sea

A driver has to work hard/hold breath continuously

Similarly to seek the ego(I)

We need to dig deep within through Self-Enquiry (Atma vichara)

29

Just repeating ”I am THAT” and meditating

Without conviction is no Self-Enquiry

Uttering words may be a path towards concentration

But what is needed is undeterred attention

30

We are under the impression that our selfish ego is the “I”

But that’s not the real “I”

When we realise this through Self-Enquiry

The false “I” subsides with the emergence of the real “I”

31

Thus once one realises the Self

There’s no going backwards

Materialism is not the real happiness

Spiritualism brings the true happiness

32

At that point of realisation

One recognises there is no differentiation

“Thou art THAT” is understood

“I am THAT, this truth comes out

33

In the materialistic sense, there are two aspects

“Knower” and the “Known”, are those aspects

But for “Self-knowledge”, there is no duality

As the Self is singular, being the Object as well as the Subject

34

Without making a conscientious effort/attempt

Should there be a mere dispute

As to whether “Self” exists or not

Is nothing but a delusion

35

What is the true attainment of liberation? It is nothing but Self-Realisation

All other worldly achievements

Are like our dreamy illusions

36

The thought of “I am not the body”

Helps us in meditating

Nevertheless once one realises “I am THAT”

Then there is no need for any thoughts

37

Non duality always prevails

Whether in the world of materialism or spiritualism

The perception of multiplicity of You and I

Does not exist for the one who is “Realised”

38

When we are the “doers” of action

There is a fruit (karma) from that action

But through Self-Enquiry if we know the true nature

Then there is no Karma as there is no “doer”

39

Bondage and liberation

Are nothing but mind’s notions

Bondage and liberation cease to exist

For those are successful in Self-Enquiry

40

Which of the three is final liberation?

With Form, Without form or With and Without form?

What is the answer to question?

Liberation is the extinction of the “ego” that asks the question