Living By The Words of Bhagavan - By David Godman

This book by David Godman, is a biography of Sri Annamalai Swami, who realised the SELF through the Grace of his Guru Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi. The book also presents the life and conversations of Bhagavan, Annamalai Swami, and vividly describes the initial years of the formation of Ramanashram, the power struggles by various groups to take control of Ramanashram, and a very beautiful insight of Bhagavan. I am not sure if other books have truly captured and presented so much information on Bhagavan as this book does.


The title of this book is apt as Annamalai Swami's life was "Living by the Words of Bhagavan". He came to Bhagavan and completely surrendered to Him and lived exactly as instructed by the Sage. On Annamalai Swami, very little information is available in the publications of Ramanashram. But for David Godman's efforts, this disciple's life and teachings would not have seen daylight.


The early life of Annamalai Swami gives the strong impression that he was destined to be a sanyasi. He had little interest in the material side of life and yearned to be a sanyasi even as a boy. His parents, especially his father, tried his level best to wean his son away from the spiritual path, by denying him an education, because he felt that if his son would not be able to read the scriptures then he might not become a sanyasi. Of course, destiny prevailed and Annamalai Swami in spite of all the resistance from his family, eventually became a sanyasi.


Annamalai Swami, after he came to Ramanashram, was entrusted with the supervision of the building works. Spanning ten years from 1928, Annamalai Swami tirelessly worked in all of the building projects of Ramanashram, like the cowshed, kitchen and so on.. His life in the ashram wasn't easy by any means. Basking in the Grace of Bhagavan, didn't mean that he could work without any conflicts with others. He was boycotted, shouted at many times and abused by some of the ashram people because they felt that he was constructing all the buildings without their permission. However, Annamalai Swami bore all these taunts with strength because he was just following Bhagavan's instructions. Most intriguing was Bhagavan's method of giving instructions to him - "If Chinnaswaami (Bhagavan's brother and Sarvadhikari of Ramanashram) comes and argues with you about this plan, don't tell that I asked to work like this. Pretend that you are doing it in your own authority."


The chapter on "Managers and Would-Be Managers" is quite shocking. The power struggles and the perpetual conflicts, factions and the turbulence in the early stages of Ramanashram are nicely depicted. Most interesting is the ghastly story of Perumal Swami, an erstwhile attendant of Bhagavan.


Around 1938, Bhagavan through his Grace impelled Annamalai Swami to leave Ramanashram and stay in Palakottu, the sadhus colony adjacent to Ramanashram. This is the place where Annamalai Swami did his sadhana. He used to go to Bhagavan daily to have his darshan, but Bhagavan eventually made it clear that it was not necessary for him to long to see his physical form.


The words of Bhagavan to Annamalai Swami were " Are you an atheist who has no belief in God? If one has no faith in God, one will commit a lot of sins and be miserable. But you, you are a mature devotee. When the mind has attained maturity, in that mature state, if one thinks that one is separate from God, one will fall into the same state as an atheist who has no belief in God." After this, Annamalai swami left the ashram and never ever stepped into Ramanashram again.


Though Annamalai Swami lived till 1994, there is no mention of the events of his life after Bhagavan's passing away in 1950. The book closes with chapters on conversations with Bhagavan and Annamalai Swami.


This book has been written with such simplicity, and objectivity that I cannot be grateful enough to David Godman for bringing out this book. The painstaking research and attention to detail, makes this book delectable reading. In short, this book is a must read for all people interested in Bhagavan's life and works.