In the early days of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s residence on the holy Arunachala Mountain, his disciples would gather and recite before him, often late into the night, the Ribhu Gitai. Its Tamil translation appears to have been the most-recited scripture in the awe-inspiring presence of the Maharshi while he resided on the hill. The audio delineates in definite terms the characteristics of a Jivanmukta, and its recitation invariably serves to subdue the mind, lifting the aspirant to exalted states of consciousness. The Maharshi has even said that the reading of the Ribhu Gitai is as good as samadhi itself.

Also, it appears that Sri Bhagavan’s first attendant, Palaniswami, brought this Ribhu Gitai, along with other Vedantic texts, from the Nagalinga Swami Library to the young 18-year-old Sage in 1898, while he was residing in the Mango Grove near Gurumurtham. The Maharshi later told of his surprise upon hearing an exact description of his own exalted state in verses recited from this Ribhu Gitai. Until then, he had no idea that what had happened to him during an intense, brief inquiry into his own being at his Madurai house had been experienced by others and was much sought after by the seekers of truth from time immemorial.

The Tamil rendering by Sri Ulaganatha Swami (Bikshu Sastri) was published by Kovilur Math from 1885 onwards and by Sri Ramanasramam from 1996 with due permission from Kovilur Math.. An English translation of the same is published under the title “The Song of Ribhu” by the “Society of Abidance in Truth”, U.S.A in 2000.

‘Ashtavakra Gita’ is one of the advaitic masterpieces. Without mincing matters, it comes out with the advaitic truth, the whole truth, and nothing but advaita, which is the truth. This book embodies Ashtavakra’s teaching to King Janaka, which vouched for his self-knowledge between the time he placed one foot upon the stirrup of his horse and lifted himself to place the other foot on the other stirrup.

However, as can be seen from the following quote, Bhagavan Ramana said that there is no time involved at all in self-knowledge.

“When I entered the hall, the story of how the Ashtavakra Gita came to be taught was being recounted in English for the benefit of the above Raja and other visitors. After the story was read out, Bhagavan said, ‘Because Brahma Jnana is not something external, which is somewhere faraway where you can go and get it, you cannot say that it will take so long or so short a time to attain it. It is always with you. . . . All that is necessary is to surrender yourself completely to the Guru, to surrender your notions of ‘I’ and'mine''.”

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Ulladu Narpadu Talks in Tamil By Nochur Sri Venkataraman