Ramana Maharshi
Overview
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
"). He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi
Tiruchuli
Thiruchuli is a village about 15 kilometers to the east of Aruppukkottai, in Tamil Nadu, India. It is considered to be a very holy place, in large part because it is the birth place of Sri Ramana Maharishi, held by many to be the most revered Indian saint of the 20th century...
, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation (moksha)
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
, he left home for Arunachala
Arunachala
Arunachala refers to the holy hill at Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, where the Annamalaiyar Temple, a temple of Lord Shiva is located. Every year in the Tamil month of Karthigai , the Karthigai Deepam is lit atop the hill...
, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus. He lived at the mountain for the rest of his life. Although born a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, he declared himself an "Atiasrami", a Sastraic
Shastra
' is a Sanskrit term used to denote rules in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the context of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice; e.g., Bhautika Shastra , Rasayana Shastra , Jeeva Shastra , Vastu Shastra , Shilpa Shastra , Artha Shastra ' is a...
state of non-attachment to anything in life and beyond all caste restrictions.
Discussions
