[Advaita-l] The presence of the Jnani - Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi

[V Subrahmanian]

NARAYANAN IYER

One day when I was sitting by the side of Sri Bhagavan, I felt so
miserable that I put the following question to him:
‘Is the sankalpa [wish] of the jnani not capable of warding off the
destinies of the devotees?’ Bhagavan smiled and said: ‘Does the
jnani have a sankalpa at all? The jivanmukta can have no sankalpas
whatsoever. It is just impossible.’
I continued: ‘Then, what is the fate of all of us who pray to you to
have grace on us and save us? Will we not be benefited or saved by
sitting in front of you or coming to you? What use is there then for
family men like me to gain by coming here to you?’

Bhagavan turned graciously to me and said: ‘Just as a trouble (or
arrow) that comes to destroy the head goes away carrying with it
only the turban, so a person’s bad karma will be considerably
reduced while he is in the presence of a jnani
A jnani has no sankalpa but his sannidhi [presence] is the most
powerful force. He need not have sankalpa but his presiding
presence, the most powerful force, can do wonders, save souls,
give peace of mind, even liberation to ripe souls. Your prayers are
not answered by him but absorbed by his presence. His presence
saves you, wards off the karma and gives you the boons as the
case may be, involuntarily. The jnani does save the devotees, but
not by sankalpa, which is non-existent in him, only through his
presiding presence, sannidhi.’
I was filled with joy. Even today his presence is the most powerful
thing and that alone, I am confident, saves
me.

Mountain Path July 1968