Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Swami Ramdas
CONTENTS
Introduction
Foreword
Struggle and Initiation
Renunciation
Adoption of Sannyas
Srirangam
Rameshwaram
Madura
Chidambaram
Journey to Tirupapuliyur
Pondicherry and Tiruvannamalai
In the Cave
Tirupati
God Is Everywhere
A Kind Policeman
Jagannath Puri
Christ, a Messenger of God
Calcutta and Dakshineshwar
Taraknath Temple
Kashi
Love Conquers Hate
Jhansi
Meditation the Only Way
Ram, the Friend of the Poor
God Never Punishes
Himalayan Journey
Himalayan Journey (Contd.)
Himalayan Journey (Contd.)
Mathura, Gokul and Brindaban
Raipur
Ajmer
Money Is the Root of All Evil
Junagadh
Muchkund Rishi’s Ashram and Dwaraka
Bombay
Panchavati and Tapovan
Trimbakeshwar
Pandharpur - Bijapur
Sri Siddharudha Swami
In the Cave
Poems
Letter to Gurudev
Letter to Rukmabai (facsimile)
Map
Glossary
INTRODUCTION
Anandashram
Kanhangad, South India
O RAM, THE TRUTH - THE LOVE –
THE GOAL OF HUMAN PERFECTION –
ALL HAIL - ALL HAIL!
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
RENUNCIATION
CHAPTER III
ADOPTION OF SANNYAS
CHAPTER IV
SRIRANGAM
CHAPTER V
RAMESHWARAM
MADURA
CHAPTER VII
CHIDAMBARAM
CHAPTER VIII
JOURNEY TO TIRUPAPULIYUR
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
IN THE CAVE
TIRUPATI
CHAPTER XII
GOD IS EVERYWHERE
A KIND POLICEMAN
JAGANNATH PURI
CHAPTER XV
——
CHAPTER XVII
TARAKNATH TEMPLE
CHAPTER XVIII
KASHI
CHAPTER XIX
JHANSI
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
HIMALAYAN JOURNEY
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI
CHAPTER XXVII
CHAPTER XXVIII
RAIPUR
CHAPTER XXIX
AJMER
CHAPTER XXX
JUNAGADH
CHAPTER XXXII
CHAPTER XXXIII
BOMBAY
——
CHAPTER XXXV
TRIMBAKESHWAR
CHAPTER XXXVI
PANDHARPUR - BIJAPUR
CHAPTER XXXVII
IN THE CAVE
(Heart-pourings when Ramdas
resided in the cave)
O man,
Where is sweetness - it is in thee.
Where is bitterness - it is in thee.
Where is happiness - it is in thee.
Where is misery - it is in thee.
Where is light - it is in thee.
Where is darkness - it is in thee.
Where is love - it is in thee.
Where is hate - it is in thee.
Where is heat - it is in thee.
Where is cold - it is in thee.
Where is good - it is in thee.
Where is evil - it is in thee.
Where is truth - it is in thee.
Where is untruth - it is in thee.
Where is wisdom - it is in thee.
Where is ignorance - it is in thee.
Where is heaven - it is in thee.
Where is hell - it is in thee.
Where is God - it is in thee.
Where is illusion - it is in thee. Om
Sriram!
POEMS
OM SRIRAM
RAM
-OM-
Katosan
1923
To
Gurudev
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram
Guru Maharaj,
A thousand salutations at thy holy feet.
Sri Ram’s kindness to me has been so great
that after freeing me from the toils of Samsara
He has taken me completely under His Divine
guidance and support. O! Ram, Thou art my
sole refuge. Thou hast been treating me as
Thy helpless child ever taking tender care of
me. Glory to Thee, O! Ram. Thy kindness and
love is infinite. May I be never tired of uttering
Thy sweet name, sweeter than nectar. My heart
is full with the joy which Sri Ram gives me and
I must talk of Him and His love, to whom? O!
Ram, to whom? To thee, my brother, my
Satguru. Sri Ram is showing me all the wonders
of His Maya. Sri Ram took me round all the
sacred shrines from the south of India to the
uttermost north. He guided the footsteps of
His humble servant over the blessed Himalayas.
The very air over there breathes Sri Ram’s
Divine presence. The never ending chains of
mountains clothed with thick forests are eternal
witnesses of Ram’s greatness. The Holy Ganga
flowing down these Hills - giving life and
sustenance to millions - is singing Ram’s glory.
Indeed my sight was blessed with enchanting
scenes and landscapes - that kept me
spellbound. O! Ram, Thou are Grand! 400 miles
I walked over the mountains and I never felt
any fatigue because Sri Ram was kind to me.
He gave me strength and peace. At certain
places the ascents were so steep and path so
rugged and narrow that a slight slip would pull
a man down headlong into the bosom of Ganga
- hundreds of feet below. When Sri Ram was
my guide, what fear have I? He took me up
and up and I walked on fearlessly in full joy
chanting His sweet name. Kedarnath was the
first place Sri Ram made me visit - about 160
miles from Hardwar. The path to Kedarnath is
really dangerous. Many pilgrims have slipped
down from the rocks and have been washed
away in the torrents of Ganga. Mandakini, a
tributary of the Ganges, starts from Kedarnath.
The place is covered with snow and cold here is
extreme. While ascending to Kedarnath one
has to tread upon snow. Who protected me
from cold? O! It is Thou. A temple is founded
here surrounded on all sides by high rocks fully
covered with snow. I ascended one of these
rocks which none venture. I first thought it
was not so high. I crawled up two hours, (nearly)
still I could not reach the top. My hold while
ascending was rough grass that peeps here and
there through snow. It took me nearly 3 hours
to travel up to the top of the rock. The distance
traversed might be about a mile. To ascend
was difficult enough but to descend was
extremely perilous. I had simply to slip down 2
or 3 yards at a time and then grip the grass.
Further it began to rain not water but big white
globules of snow. O! Ram, who protected me
here again - it is Thou and Thou alone. After
nearly five hours I reached the bottom of the
rock. I went to the source of the river
Mandakini where the snow melts and flows
down. Here I bathed in the ice cold water. O!
Ram, it is by They grace I could do all these
things. All glory to Thee. I stayed in Kedarnath
for one day, then coming down about 40 miles
ascended again another chain of hills, the path
here was not so bad as the one leading to
Kedarnath. But I had to walk over snow at
several places and to cover a distance of about
81 miles (milestones are on the way) in order
to reach the source of the river Alaknanda,
another tributary of the Ganges. This place is
called Badrinath or Badrinarayan. Here also the
cold is very great. There is a wonder here.
From one of the rocks surrounding the temple
of Narayan flows down hot fuming water which
is collected in a tank in which pilgrims bathe. I
remained here also for a day and then came
down. Thousands of pilgrims are every year
ascending these hills for the Darshan of
Kedarnath and Badrinath.
RAMDAS
On the eve of Swami Ramdas’ departure from
Mangalore on 27-12-1922, this letter was
written to Smt P Rukma Bai, wife of Sri Swami
Ramdas in his Grihasthashrama.
To
Smt Rukmabai
Dear Sister,
Yours affectionately
(Back Cover)