Bhagavan’s Companions On The Hill - The Monkeys

Ever since Bhagavan went up the Hill in 1900 and until November 1922 when he came down, he had interacted very closely with the monkeys, understood their cries and their conduct and had followed the history of several of them. They were his constant companions and they had sway then. 

Bhagavan Sri Ramana had observed their code of morals, principles of government, their system of sending a plenipotentiary from one camp to meet another from another camp, before war is declared or amity was resolved upon, and many principles and feelings in common with human beings. 

Bhagavan watched their swimming, diving and other sports, and had tended one of their kings or "chieftains," Nondi, since his infancy, at Virupaksha Cave. The intense and sincere sympathy Bhagavan showed towards animals, enabled him to understand their feelings, attitudes and even cries. 

Bhagavan often said that monkeys used to regard him as one of their own. "Monkeys as a rule would excommunicate any monkey that had been looked after by men; but they made an exception in the case of this Ashram," he said, adding, "When there are internecine bickerings and misunderstandings, both groups would come to me and I would pacify them by parting them and pushing each side from the other and stopping their further quarrel." 

Once a female monkey with a baby at her breast approached the fruit basket in front of Bhagavan. People near the basket shouted her away. Bhagavan said to them, 'She is a mother with a child. Why not give her something and send her away?' But he was not sufficiently audible, and the monkey got frightened, went off, and hid herself in a tree. 

Bhagavan, full of pity and kindness, said, 'Is this fair? We call ourselves sannyasins; but when a real sannyasi comes we drive him away without giving him anything. How unfair! 

We want to eat for years and live. We store things in a room, lock it and keep the keys with us. Have the monkeys got a house? Can they put anything by for the morrow? They eat whatever they can get and sleep on whichever tree available.

The mother carries the child under her belly wherever she goes, until the child is able to walk about when she leaves the child to itself. Who is a real sannyasi, the monkey or we? 

That is why the male monkey took his share on the way itself. That was a male monkey. He could do it with impunity. This is a female. What can she do?' So saying Bhagavan began calling that monkey cajolingly. 

The monkey came to the side of the couch and stood there. In an endearing manner, Bhagavan gave her all the fruits she wanted and only then sent her away. 

The following incident took place in 1908, while Bhagavan was staying in Pachaiamman Temple. Many tamarind trees surrounded the temple. The Municipality gave to the highest bidder the right to collect tamarinds from those trees every year. 

That year a Muslim man got the contract. As the trees gave an unusually rich yield, the contractor himself guarded the trees from the monkeys, whom he drove away by pelting stones at them with a sling (catapult). As he wanted only to scare them away, he took care to see that they were not injured. 

But unfortunately a stone from his sling hit a monkey on its head so hard that it died on the spot. Immediately many monkeys surrounded the dead monkey and began to wail and lament the death of their dear one. 

Then, by way of complaint, they carried the dead monkey to Bhagavan at Pachaiamman Temple. These monkeys considered Bhagavan their friend not only because he often satisfactorily settled their internal disputes but also because he made happy compromises between their rival groups and thus re-established peace and harmony among them. 

So, in this hour of grief, they resorted to Bhagavan for consolation and redress, with the corpse as an irrefutable testimony. As soon as they came near him, they burst into bitter cries and tears. 

Bhagavan, whose heart melted with pity for all creatures, could not bear their soulful wailing. Tears trickled down his cheeks. Gradually his tender sympathy soothed the monkeys. Then, consoling them, Bhagavan said, "For everyone who is born death is inevitable. He, at whose hands this monkey died, will certainly also meet with death one day. So you need not grieve." The monkeys felt fully pacified at these words and they went away carrying the corpse with them. 

It so happened that within two or three days the Muslim contractor became bedridden with a serious malady. The story of the consolation given by the 'Brahmana Swami' to the aggrieved monkeys spread from mouth to mouth, until it reached the home of the Muslim contractor. The members of his family became convinced that his sudden illness was due to the 'curse' of the sage. 

They therefore went to Pachaiamman Temple and began to plead for Bhagavan's pardon for the ailing contractor. They prayed to Bhagavan as follows: "It is certain that your curse has hit him. We beseech you to be gracious enough to save him from death. Please give us some vibhuti so that we can apply it to his body. He will then surely recover." 

With a benign smile Bhagavan replied, "You are mistaken. I never curse or bless anyone. I sent away the monkeys who came here, by telling them the basic truth that death inevitably comes to all who are born. Moreover, I never give vibhuti to anyone. So please go home and nurse the patient whom you have left alone." 

But the Muslim family members were determined and they declared their resolve not to move without getting the vibhuti. So, just to free himself from them, Bhagavan gave them a pinch of vibhuti from the burning fire. 

On receiving it their faces beamed with joy. They returned home after expressing their deep gratitude to Bhagavan. And it so happened that the ailing contractor began to recover after the application of the vibhuti.

Monkeys do not build nests or stockpile things. They eat what they can find and go and perch on trees when night falls. They are quite happy. Bhagavan observed their organisation, their kings, laws and regulations. Everything was so perfect and well organised with so much intelligence behind it all. Even tapas was not unknown to monkeys. 

A monkey whom Bhagavan used to call 'Mottai Paiyan' was once oppressed and ill-treated by a gang of monkeys. He went away into the forest for a few days, did tapas, acquired strength and returned. 

When he came and sat on a bough and shook it, all the rest of the monkeys who had previously illtreated him and of whom he had previously been mortally afraid, were now quaking before him. 

Monkeys would sit in samadhi in front of Bhagavan. Once, one of the monkeys started moving and was looking restless and Bhagavan asked him: 'What kingdom do you have to conquer?' The monkey again became still.

Source:

Arunachala Ramana

Eternal Ocean of Grace

Book - 4 - Biography 

 Om Namo

 Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya