Arunachala - The Hill of the Holy Beacon (Part 1)

Arunachala is the name of the sacred Hill in Tiruvannamalai, a town 180 kms from Chennai. It is believed to be the holiest of places, and the sacred place where Shiva himself is in the form of the Hill. This Hill is one of the Pancha Bhuta sthala representing the Agni tatvam and the place where Shiva manifested as the blazing column of light to humble Brahma and Vishnu who were both disputing among themselves as to who is the greater one. The manifestation of Shiva is known as Lingodhbhava, and is represented in Shiva temples behind the Garbha Graham.

This is the Hill where Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi spent most of his life. Bhagavan considered the Hill to be his Guru, and this Hill has attracted saints for thousands of years. Its glories have been sung by Manickavasagar, Guru Namashivaya, Guhai Namashivaya and Arunagirinathar. It is believed that many siddhas, invisible to our eyes still exist in this Hill.

The Giri Pradakshina or walking around the Hill is believed to be a very powerul spiritual practice, and was endorsed by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi, who till the 1920s used to do the Giri Pradakshina with his devotees. Ramana Maharishi prescribed very few practices, but he definitely urged people to do the Giri Pradakshina.

There is something more to this Hill than just being one of the Pancha Bhutha sthalas or another sacred place. The secret was revealed by Bhagavan who said that this is the "visible manifestation of the Self or Brahman". Though this aspect of Arunachala being the Self was conveyed by Isanya Jnana Desikar, a saint who lived in the 18th century, in his work Svanubhava Stotra Pamalai, it was Bhagavan who clearly highlighted the Hill as the Self or Brahman. The revelation of the secret of Arunachala is sung in verse 98 of his composition, Aksharamanamalai:

Veli/vittên/un/seyal

Verut/tidâ/dun/narul

Veli/vit/tenaik/kâ

Arunâ/chalâ.

I have betrayed Thy (secret) workings. Be not offended! Show me Thy grace now openly and save me, Oh Arunachala!

Being in the presence of Arunachala and having devotion to Arunachala is like being in the presence of a Jnani. The Hill is believed to teach through Silence like Lord Dakshinamurthy. The scriptures have enumerated the glories of this Hill and have even mentioned that the mere thought of Arunachala will bestow Liberation or Moksha. The Arunachala Mahatmyam in the Skanda purana states :

"That is the holy place! Of all Arunachala is the most sacred!

It is the Heart of the world! Know it to be the secret and the sacred Heart centre of Shiva! In that place He always abides as the glorious Aruna Hill!"

"The supreme knowledge (Self-knowledge), the import of Vedanta, which cannot be attained without great difficulty, can easily be attained by anyone who sees the form of this hill from wherever it is visible or who even thinks of it by mind from afar."

The Ramanashram has brought out some lovely books like Ramana's Arunachala-Ocean of Grace Divine, Glory of Arunachala and a pictoral book "Heart is thy Name, O Lord!".