IN 1943, A PANDIT who came to the Ashram went on talking to Bhagavan for four full days about the Amrita Nadi and its significance. Bhagavan was nodding his head saying that the Nadi would act like this and like that. Having heard their discussions, I felt aggrieved that I had had no experience of any such nadi. After the visitor had left, I met Bhagavan while he was returning from the gosala side and said, “You have been discussing at length about the Amrita Nadi”, but before I could finish my sentence, he said with some impatience, “Why do you worry about all that?” I ventured to say, “You have been discussing it for the last four days and so I thought I could know something about it from you.” Bhagavan replied, “You thought so, did you? He was asking something based on the Sastras and I replied to him accordingly. Why should you worry about it? All that you should do is to follow the enquiry ‘Who am I?’” So saying, he walked away.
Two days after that when someone in the hall raised the topic regarding Amrita Nadi, Bhagavan cooly said, “Yes, that is an idea.” Surprised at it, I asked, “Is the Amrita Nadi an idea only?” “Yes. What else is it but an idea? Is not the body itself an idea?” Saying this, Bhagavan looked at me with compassion. That was enough for me. His teaching went home — all my doubts disappeared and my usual sadhana became firm and purposeful. As a result of God’s grace earned in the course of innumerable births I have been, in this birth, privileged to be at the lotus feet of Sri Bhagavan — to listen to his teachings and meditate on them. What more do I need?
From Ramana Jyothi: A Souvenir in Aid of Ramana Auditorium (1969). The article was probably written in Telugu and translated into English by the author’s brother D.S. Sastri. Its original title was ‘Amrita Nadi’.
Suri Nagamma was a child widow who lived at Sri Ramanasramam for nine years during Ramana Maharshi’s lifetime. She was the author of a half dozen books including Letters from Sri Ramanasramam.
In Ramana Periya Puranam by V. Ganesan, Ramana’s grand-nephew. (Link loads slowly.)
This page was first published on July 4, 2024 and last revised on July 4, 2024.