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Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer

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Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer
Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer (left, sitting) with his family and Ramana Maharshi
Personal
BornBefore 1879[1]: 183 
DiedAfter 1950
ReligionHinduism
NationalityIndian
Organization
PhilosophySelf-enquiry (Jnana Yoga)
Religious career
GuruRamana Maharshi
Literary worksSaranagati

Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer (also known as Saranagati Ramaswami Iyer) was a devotee of Ramana Maharshi. He composed the well-known song Saranagati in his devotion to Ramana Maharshi, which is still sung by devotees of Ramana Maharshi today.

Native to the Manavasi village of Trichy District, Ramaswami Iyer was transferred to a place only 60 kilometres from Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, where he was the Supervisor of the Public Works Department there.[2][3] He first went to Tiruvannamalai to meet Ramana Maharshi at the Virupaksha cave in 1907.[4] He was suffering from severe dyspepsia and Ramana Maharshi cured him.[5] Ramaswami Iyer also learned how to compose Tamil kritis from Ramana Maharshi. Ramana Maharshi also saved Ramaswami Iyer from death twice.[6]

Ramaswami Iyer had five daughters and one son. His daughter Rajam was a painter and his daughter Lalitha Venkataraman was a singer.[6]

Ramaswami Iyer planted and watered the massive banyan trees that today exist near the rear part of Ramanashram.[7][8]

Saranagati

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Composition

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Ramaswami Iyer composed his most well-known song, Saranagati (Saraṇāgati or சரணாகதி பாடல்), after coming to the Virupaksha cave to meet Ramana Maharshi after work one day in 1914.[9] He asked Ramana Maharshi in English, "Swami, Jesus Christ, the Buddha and other sages came to the world to redeem the sinners. Is there hope for me?" Ramana Maharshi looked at him and answered, in English, "Yes, there is hope." Inspired by his answer, Ramaswami Iyer composed Saranagati, a song that is popular among many Tamil devotees of Ramana Maharshi to this day.[6]

Lyrics

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Verse in Tamil[10] Verse in Roman English translation[9][11]
பல்லவி

சரணாகதி உன் பர நான்
இனிப் புகத்துணை தான் ஏது
நீ புகலாய்

- (சரணாகதி)

அனுபல்லவி
ஸ்மரணாத் கதி பல அருணாசல நிறை
ரமணா கருணா வருணா

- (சரணாகதி)

சரணம்
தருணம் இது வன்றோ கருணை நோக்கவே
கால ஹரணம் ஆக்கிடில் ஹா ஹா என் செய்வேன்
துன்பை நீக்கி இன்பை அளிக்க என் அன்பா
இன்னும் பாராமுகம் என்னால் தாளாதய்யா
ஸ்ரீ வேதியா

- (சரணாகதி)

pallavi
saraṇāgati uṉ para nāṉ
iṉip pukattuṇai tāṉ ētu
nī pukalāy

- (saraṇāgati)

aṉupallavi
smaraṇāt kati pala aruṇācala niṟai
ramaṇā karuṇā varuṇā

- (saraṇāgati)

saraṇam
taruṇam itu vaṉṟō karuṇai nōkkavē
kāla haraṇam ākkiṭil hā hā eṉ ceyvēṉ
tuṉpai nīkki iṉpai aḷikka eṉ aṉpā
iṉṉum pārāmukam eṉṉāl tāḷātayyā
šrī vētiyā
- (saraṇāgati)

pallavi
I surrender — unto you
Where else am I to surrender myself tell me

- (I surrender)

anupallavi
Who is perfect in Arunachala
Which endows one with ultimate Release
O Ramana, Raincloud of Compassion!

- (I surrender)

saranam
Is this not the appropriate time
For granting me your glance of Grace?
If you delay, Lo! What am I to do?
My beloved, remove my sorrow
and grant me Bliss
I can't bear indifference any further,
O Vediya (One who is Brahman Itself)

- (I surrender)

Other works

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Ramaswami Iyer also composed a song called Ariya Taramamo.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ Osborne, Arthur (2002). Ramana Maharshi and the path of self-knowledge : a biography (PDF). Sri Ramanasramam (2nd ed.). Tiruvannamalai: Sri Ramanasramam. ISBN 81-88018-11-2. OCLC 428013117.
  2. ^ "Making of the Saranagati Song: Life of Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer" (PDF). Saranagati. 7 (6): 2–4. June 2013.
  3. ^ Narain, Laxmi, ed. (2009). Face to Face with Sri Ramana Maharshi (PDF) (2nd ed.). Hyderabad: Sri Ramana Kendram. ISBN 978-81-903538-0-9.
  4. ^ "Kartika Masam, Sun 09 Dec 2018". archive.arunachala.org. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  5. ^ "The Making of the Saranagati Song". archive.arunachala.org. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  6. ^ a b c Ganesan, V. "Ramana Periya Puranam" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Your Best Shot: Banyan Walk" (PDF). Saranagati. 13 (5): 6. May 2019.
  8. ^ "Ramana Kids' Corner" (PDF). The Mountain Path.
  9. ^ a b "The Saranagati Song, transliteration". archive.arunachala.org. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  10. ^ Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi | Saranagati Song - Sri Ramanasramam - Tiruvannamalai, retrieved 2021-10-10
  11. ^ Ganesan, V. The Human Gospel of Ramana Maharshi (PDF).
  12. ^ "Smt. Sulochana Natarajan" (PDF). Ramana Gyan - Direct Path. XIX: 18. November 2016.
  13. ^ "The Indian Listener" (PDF). January 22, 1945.
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