Pokkiri Mani

Rangan had a brother, who had also been Bhagavan Sri Ramana 's classmate. Though his name was Mani, he was nicknamed "Pokkiri" Mani ("Pokkiri" means "rogue" in Tamil). He was a tough, hefty man who intimidated people wherever he went. No one dared to pick a fight with him and gave in to his every whim. His mother was deeply devoted to Bhagavan Sri Ramana, even though she had seen him only as a child. When she saw Bhagavan Sri Ramana later at Virupaksha cave, she was totally transformed. Unfortunately, her son did not share her spiritual aspirations.

Once, while travelling to Tirupati, the train passed through Tiruvannamalai.

Mani's mother begged him, "Let us get down here and see our Venkataraman!"

"I do not believe in all these fake sadhus. I won't come,"
he rasped.

He took her to Tirupati, but on the way back she begged again, "I can't proceed further. I must see my Venkataraman!" Pokkiri Mani finally complied.

"I will take you there just out of pity.
But, do not expect me to prostrate or talk politely before him.
I will be the same Pokkiri Mani.
I do not respect these,spiritual' people.
In fact, if you do not have any objection,
I will just screw his ears,
pull him back to Madurai and leave him with his mother.
Renouncing at this tender age?
What utter nonsense!"

At Virupaksha cave, Rangan's mother prostrated before Bhagavan Sri Ramana, while Pokkiri Mani stood there obstinately.

Then, Bhagavan Sri Raman just looked at him. The next moment his body was flat in front of Bhagavan ! He did not know what hit him. After sometime, he got up and looked at Bhagavan. This time he was a changed man - something had happened!

His mother asked, "Bhagavan do you know who he is? Do you recognize him?"

"Ah! Why not! He is our Pokkiri Mani," Bhagavan replied.

The transformation was so profound that Mani swung to the other extreme: he became a greater devotee than Rangan. He took Bhagavan as the Lord himself and had much reverence for him.

He had such reverence that he would sometimes stand outside Bhagavan's cave, send somebody inside telling them, "Please tell Bhagavan that Brahma has come." What he meant was, Bhagavan was Siva , the most powerful God, and he was Brahma, a lesser god, but nevertheless a god! On one occasion, his entire family was initiated into a mantra by the Shankaracharya. However, Mani refused to follow them and said, "I will not receive initiation from human beings. You may say that they are holy people.

But I will only get initiated by God and my God is Ramana Maharshi." He caught the next train to Tiruvannamalai and told Bhagavan, "All our family members have gone to the Shankaracharya to be initiated into a mantra. I told them that I will get direct initiation only from Bhagavan and hence I have come to you." Bhagavan began to laugh. Looking at Bhagavan‟s response,

Mani said, "This won't do, I will not go away from here until you give me a mantra."

Bhagavan remained quiet and smiled. But Mani was adamant.

Finally, Bhagavan Sri Raman looked at him and said, "Siva, Siva ."

From that moment on, he constantly chanted the holy name, "Siva, Siva ," and was completely transformed. Though his physical body suffered from tuberculosis, he chanted his mantra every minute of the day. His family members soon observed that this erstwhile rogue now had a face that shone with lustre. When he was about to die, he told them, "I must have my God's darshan."

He was brought to the present Ramanasramam, where he told Bhagavan Sri Raman, "Bhagavan, I am going to leave this body. Therefore, let this body have your blessings."

Bhagavan was always amused with Pokkiri Mani - one never knew what he was going to do next. He got down on the floor and rolled around Bhagavan's seat three times and said, "Now, the journey of this body is over." He went home chanting, "Siva, Siva, Siva, Siva."

Just before he dropped his body, he told his grieving wife, "Do not worry. I am not leaving you. I will come back and take you with me after forty days." His wife died after exactly forty days!

The moment the grace of the guru falls on you,
everything is done 'through' you and not 'by' you.

That is the difference - and it is a colossal one.

'By' you is by the ego, and 'through' you is through grace.

~Ramana Periya Puranam book