World Is Purna

Sri Ramana Maharshi

15-3-1946 Afternoon

Dr. Masalawala placed in Bhagavan’s hands a letter he had received from his friend V.K. Ajgaonkar, a gentleman of about 35 (a follower of Jnaneswar Maharaj) who is said to have attained jnana in his 28th year. The letter said, “You call me purna. Who is not purna in this world?” Bhagavan agreed and continued in the vein in which he discoursed this morning, and said, “We limit ourselves first, then seek to become the unlimited that we always are. All effort is only for giving up the notion that we are limited.” 

The letter further said, “The first verse in the Isavasyopanishad says the world is purna. It simply cannot be anything else, as its very existence is built on the purna.” Bhagavan approved of this also, and said, “There is this typed letter, for instance. To see the world alone and not the purna or Self would be something like saying. ‘I see the letters, but not the paper,’ while it is the existence of the paper that makes the existence of the letters possible!” Dr. M. said, “In the letter we see the paper. But we are able to see only the world and we don’t see God!” Bhagavan replied: “What happens in sleep? Where did the world go then? Then you alone or the Self alone existed.”

The letter also said, “Jnaneswar Maharaj has said God will never forsake his bhakta who has  undivided love for him.” Bhagavan said, “Every saint, every book says so. I have been reading Ram Das’s writings. Here, too, so many verses end, ‘Ramachandra will never forsake his bhakta.’” So saying, Bhagavan read out a few of those verses.