In Praise of Arunachala

 

“Arunachala, the magnetic mountain, never stirring from His motionless state, with no  resolve whatsoever on His part, merely by the power of His presence, bestows perfect Grace that erases all the nescience of His devotees, like the sun bestows life. Truly, He is the Lord of strange, wondrous and exceeding might, indescribable and beyond compare.” From Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai of Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi, commentary by Murugunar.

O sacred hill of jnana, who can fathom your mystery?
You are the all-powerful magnet that draws true devotees from near and far.
You are Lord Shiva in mountain form, a mystic fire that burns all egos to ash.
You are that perfect stillness that is the source and the substance of creation.
You are the boundless space that contains all that exists.
You are the inner spark that is the life-force in every living being.
You are the embrace that transforms your worshippers in ultimate union..
You are the radiant perfection that shines eternally as the Heart, the Self.
You are the destroyer of vasanas, the bestower of detachment and discrimination.
You are the ocean of compassionate grace, the blessing that sets the spirit free.
O divine mountain, swallow me whole and let me dissolve in thee!

“Ocean of nectar, full  of grace, engulfing the universe in Thy splendour!
Oh Arunachala, the Supreme itself! Be Thou the sun and open the lotus of my Heart in Bliss!”
Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi, Five Stanzas to Sri Arunachala.