When They Beheld Their Master..

...It would be impossible to describe that moment and I am not going to attempt it. I can only say that at that second I felt my inner being raised to a new level. - Acosta.

There is no bigger treasure for a disciple than the moments which he gets to live in the holy company of his divine Guru. He cherishes those moments in every breath of his life and records them in his heart eternally. The fragrance of such pious meetings also disseminates from the writings of the disciples of Ramana Maharshi, who recorded those precious moments in their personal diaries. Let's unfold two such meetings that were held between Ramana Maharshi and his disciples, and garner devotional feelings for ourselves to nurture the plant of our discipleship.

Shanmugam was seven years old, when he lived with his family at Darapuram. Being brought up in a traditional setup, infused with several religious practices, Shanmugam also developed interest in reading the scriptures and doing japa, bhajans, etc. He used to perform puja three times a day. Soon, his inner being resonated with the thought of attaining enlightenment by seeking the company of a Jivanmukta, i.e. a Spiritual Guru. At that time, he was studying in a college at Tiruchengode. As his prayers intensified for Self-realisation, with the divine will, events shaped up accordingly. One day, he got to know that his father, who was a police officer, was transferred to Tiruvannamalai. Verily, Shanmugam's prayers were answered since it was the land where the Sadguru of the time, Ramana Maharshi lived. In fact, even before they reached Tiruvannamalai, he was blessed with the divine vision of the Master in the train itself. Ah! He writes that at that instant, he felt as if the Guru came to him and completely absorbed him in Himself, even before he could behold Him physically.