[Chaturamnaya] Ramana Bhagavan and the Sankaran Tradition (Part II)

[S Jayanarayanan]

There are many many instances when Ramana Maharshi showed his respect for Adi Sankara.
A few such examples are given below.

Going forward, snippets from Ramana Bhagavan's life and teachings will also be allowed
on the list.

Ramana Bhagavan's respect for the Sankaran Tradition
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Bhagavan regarded Sankara as the greatest spiritual power the world
has ever produced ("Day by Day with Bhagavan" by Devaraja Mudaliar,
15-2-1946):

 "Great men are rarely respected and rated at their true worth in
 their lives. Even Sankara was bitterly attacked during his lifetime
 as a maya asura. But now he is regarded not only here, but all over
 the world, as the greatest
 religious and philosophical thinker the
 world has produced!"

Ibid, 27-6-1946:
 "Shankara is rightly regarded as the foremost exponent of Advaita..."


The Dakshinamurti stotra is a famous composition of Sankara in praise
of the First Guru Dakshinamurti, which Bhagavan has highly esteemed
(Talks 569, 7 November 1938):

 "Sri Sankara, being the avatar of Siva, was full of compassion for
 fallen beings. He wanted all of them to realise their blissful Self.
 He could not reach them all with His Silence. So he composed the
 Dakshinamurti stotra in the form of a hymn so that people might read
 it and understand the Truth."


Bhagavan has permitted his teachings to be seen as identical to
Sankara's (Talks 189, 19 May 1936):

 "He asked: Is Maharshi's teaching the same as Sankara's?
 M.:
 Maharshi's teaching is only an expression of his own experience
 and realisation. Others find that it tallies with Sri Sankara's."