[Advaita-l] Sannyasa and Ramana (was Re: Sankara on sannyAsa for Steadiness in GYAna)

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Hari Om, Bharadwaj-ji,

On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 10:22 AM, Dr D Bharadwaj
<dr.d.bharadwaj at gmail.com>wrote:

> *Sri Ramana Bhagavan was NOT a snnyaasi. *
> *He never claimed to be one. He often used*
> *expressions like 'we sadhus ...' etc. including himself and the others in
> the Ashram. Never once did he say he was a sannyaasi.  He never never
> claimed that he was a  sannyasi by deekhsa.  Nor did he give himself a
> name*
> *like 'swami so and so', nor did he wear ocher robes,*
>

The Maharshi didn't give himself any names, but was given all the titles of
Bhagavan, Maharshi, Swami, etc, by others... even Vedapandits. But as I said

earlier in one of the mails, the analysis of whether Ramana Maharshi was a
saMnyAsi or not, despite his not *claiming* it, could be approached on
whether he
falls in the other three ashramas and then seeing how he lived his life,
right from leaving home as a child. Ochre robes are just an indicator of
saMnyAsa, a
reminder to the person and others of the ritualistic burning of purvAshrama.
But Bhagavan's life itself was a natural ritualistic burning of purvAshrama,
IMHO.

*On one occasion he was asked by a Govt official,*
> *on record,  what 'ashrama' he belonged to  if not the sannyaasaahrama.  He
> said, on record, that he belonged to the ateetaahrama. *
>

Could you please clarify which of the four ashramas (brahmacarya, gR^hasta,
vAnaprastha, saMnyAsa) does the ateetaashrama belong to? I'm a little unsure

what Bhagavan indicated here in that word. I'm also reminded of a story of a
chap visiting Bhagavan to ask if he should leave his home, wife and kids for
the
pursuit of jnAna. Bhagavan said no. Nayana sitting next to him asked
Bhagavan, when the person left, as to whether it was appropriate for
Bhagavan to have
suggested him not to leave home, while Bhagavan himself ran away from home
as a child! To this, Ramana replied to the effect: "Yes, but I didn't go
around asking if I should leave home!" :) To me, those words are loud and
clear.

Each may have his own interpretation, but to me, Ramana was an epitome of
saMnyAsa. This has been mentioned by Sringeri AcArya too as someone else
clarified in this chain.

I'm sure you hold this view too, but yes, Ramana didn't go out and take
formal dIkshA himself, which includes ochre robes, but is not limited to
ochre robes only. :)

Yours in Bhagavan,
--Praveen R. Bhat
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