[Advaita-l] Ramana Maharshi - Advaitin or Neo Advaitin?

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sri Venkatraghavan Ji,



 I would not have participated in this discussion but for your observation  <<
The mere
fact that he never belonged to a sampradAya >> concerning Sri Ramana
maharshi.



I had earlier in another thread mentioned the three requirements for
“freedom from bondage” namely attainment of jnana, manonAsha and
vAsanAkshaya. This “freedom from bondage” is the ultimate goal mentioned in
the shruti. For one who has attained jnana, to achieve MN and VK, it is
stated in JMV that he should take to vidvat sanyasa some of whose
charecteristics are described as follows.



Quotes from JMV



<< कौपीनम् दण्डमाछ्छादनम् च स्वशरीरोपभोगार्थाय लोकस्वोपकारार्थाय च
परिग्रहेत्" इतिदण्डादिस्वीकारस्य लौकिकत्वमभिधाय, "तच्च न मुख्योस्ति"इति
शास्त्रीयत्वम् प्रतिषिध्य >>

<< kaupInam daNDamAChChAdanam cha svasharIropabhogArthAya
lokasvopakArArthAya cha parigrahet" itidaNDAdisvIkArasya
laukikatvamabhidhAya, "tachcha na mukhyosti"iti shAstrIyatvam pratiShidhya
>>



   << it is mandatory  for the jnani to renounce everything and  take to
sanyasa carrying with him just a cover( loin cloth), a rag( to serve as
upper cover for the body) and a staff. Even these are a concession for
laukika vyavahara and not mandated by the shAstrAs >>



<< कोयम् मुख्य इति चेदयम् मुख्यो न दण्डम् न शिखाम् न यग्नोपवीतम् न
चाछ्छादनम् चरति परमहम्सः>>



<< koyam mukhya iti chedayam mukhyo na daNDam na shikhAm na yagnopavItam na
chAChChAdanam charati paramahamsaH >>



<<  If it is asked “what is important then? “,-- “ this is the important
thing—neither the staff, nor the tuft, nor the sacred thread, nor the
mantle; without all these the paramahamsa moves >> .



This is further amplified in JMV as follows.



<< यथाजातरूपधरो निर्द्वन्द्वो निष्परिग्रहस्तत्र ब्रह्ममार्गे सम्यक्सम्पन्नः
शुधधमानसः पराणस्नधारणार्थम् यथोक्तकाले विमुक्तो भैक्षमाचरन्नुदरपात्रेण
लाभालाभयोः समोभूत्वा शून्यागार-
देवगृहतृणकूटवल्मीकवृक्षमूलकुलालशालाग्निहोत्रगृह-नदीपुलिनगिरिकुहरकन्दरकोटर-
निर्झरस्थण्डिलेष्व-निकेतवास्यप्रयत्नो निर्ममः शुक्लध्यानपरायणोऽध्यात्मनिष्ठः
शुभाशुभकर्मनिर्मूलनपरः सन्यासेन देहत्यागम् करोति >>



<< yathAjAtarUpadharo nirdvandvo niShparigrahastatra brahmamArge
samyaksampannaH shudhadhamAnasaH parANasnadhAraNArtham yathoktakAle vimukto
bhaikShamAcharannudarapAtreNa lAbhAlAbhayoH samobhUtvA
shUnyAgAra-devagRRihatRRiNakUTavalmIkavRRikShamUlakulAlashAlAgnihotragRRiha-nadIpulinagirikuharakandarakoTara-nirjharasthaNDileShva-niketavAsyaprayatno
nirmamaH shukladhyAnaparAyaNo.adhyAtmaniShThaH
shubhAshubhakarmanirmUlanaparaH sanyAsena dehatyAgam karoti >>



<< Such a one resumes the condition he was in at the moment of birth, frees
himself from all pairs of opposites, and neither receives nor possesses
anything. Ever walking in the way of Brahman, with mind ever pure, he goes
about begging freely at the proper time using his belly alone as his bowl
of alms, with the sole object of keeping breath and body together. And
remaining indifferent to gain or loss he inds his unfixed abode in any
place,-- a desolste ruin, a temple, a hut of dry hay, an anthill, the root
o a tree, the house where the sacred fire is kept, the sand bank of a
river, a cave in some mountain, the hollow of a tree, the side of a
rivulet, the sacrificial ground, or any similar place. Above all, he
undertakes no special exertion, fixes his mind on nothing whatever, remains
rapt in divine contemplation, tries to uproot his actions ( ie the effects
o his actions), good, bad, or indifferent, and leaves the body with real
renunciation.  >>



<< अव्यक्तलिङ्गा अव्यक्ताचारा अनुन्मत्ता, उन्मत्तवदाचरन्तः >>



<< avyaktali~NgA avyaktAchArA anunmattA, unmattavadAcharantaH >>



 << they are devoid of the signs of sanyasa, not bound by any scruples of
conduct, and although not mad, behave like mad men >>



 Unquote



 You will notice from the life history of Sri Ramana Maharshi that it
practically followed on these lines only ( assuming that he attained jnana
on upanayanam or immediately thereafter as pointed out by Sri Raghav
Ji ).  Quite
in line with sampradAya.



Regards