Ramana Maharshi's Upadesa Saram: An Interpretation by Shirishkumar S. Murthy

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"I do not know Sanskrit. One day Ramesh gave me a copy of Ramana Maharshi's Upadesa Saram translated by a Western scholar. The translation did not make Ramana's teaching clear to me. It did not touch my heart like my Guru's words.

"I bought a Sanskrit-into-English dictionary and began learning the meaning of the words. Slowly and hesitantly I started translating the verses according to my Guru's teachings. At every step my Guru encouraged me to continue and also helped me.

"My intention was to help my family and friends to understand the teaching. During that period I heard so many devotees of Ramana Maharshi saying, 'Ramesh has made Ramana Maharshi's teaching so simple.'

"When I was half way through I realized that Ramesh was simplifying Ramana's teaching through me and I was really grateful for being the instrument."

My Guru always said, 'Ramana Maharshi was my earliest inspiration. He still is.' I don't mind saying, 'Ramana Maharshi was my earliest "perspiration". I came across Maharshi's Gospel twenty years ago and in spite of reading it a thousand times I felt that the core of Ramana Maharshi's teaching was eluding me. I began to understand the futility and the frustration in understanding the teaching intellectually.

Gradually, by the grace of Ramana Maharshi, I began yearning for His Presence. With great solicitude He guided me to Nisargadatta Maharaj who, in turn, guided me to my Guru, Ramesh S. Balsekar.