Songs of Sadhu Om — Part I
An inquiry into what is essential
In the recent history of India unlike a few centuries back, where unfortunately there haven’t been many original devotional composers, Sadhu Om is a glorious and unsung exception. He wrote, composed and sang his own songs, each a profound outpouring of the wisdom of self-inquiry and devotion to his Guru Ramana Maharshi.
Sadhu Om (1922–85) was a poet, author, and direct disciple of Ramana Maharshi. He was born in Tanjavur, India and in 1943, came to Ramana Maharshi in Arunachala and lived there for the rest of his life. He wrote many songs extempore with sublime lyrics soaked in inquiry and devotion, set them to music and also sang them in his sweet voice. His grasp of the teachings was very highly regarded even by foremost disciples of Ramana Maharshi. A standout among them is Muruganar, an utmost prolific poet in classical Tamil of unparalleled caliber in the modern era, who designated Sadhu Om as his literary executor. It is indeed a great testimony to Sadhu Om that Muruganar would consider him to be the most qualified to understand his works.
Also Sadhu Om is firmly established in the lineage of the great devotional composers of India in another way. One of the defining features of most great composers of India is the one track heart of devotion to their chosen deity or Guru that permeates every single creation of theirs. Thus we see Tyagaraja or Tulsidas singing exclusively to Ram, Meera or Surdas calling only to Krishna, Alwars to Narayana, Naayanmars to Shiva and so on. This spirit is captured by the lines of Tulsidas “aur devata chit na dharai” — can’t hold any other deity in my consciousness (except the Beloved). Similarly, Sadhu Om too expresses an exclusive devotion (ananya bhakti) through every single song of his to the teachings and Grace of Arunachala Ramana.
Apart from the heartfelt songs that he composed, Sadhu Om also wrote two seminal prose works on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, entitled “Path of Sri Ramana” in two parts. Part 1 deals with self-inquiry (jnāna) and Part 2 deals with surrender (bhakti). These are the two main themes of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings and therefore the two main themes of Sadhu Om’s songs. In keeping with these two themes, we will explore a few songs of Sadhu Om in two parts.
In this first piece, we will look at a couple of his songs that guide the listener through the essence of self-inquiry, pointing out the inherent fallacy of a separate individual I and an imagined sense of doership. Thus he makes clear the need for total surrender to the all perfect Intelligence of the Divine that alone can bestow peace. We will explore a few songs that talk of surrender in great depth in the second part.
I have added the soulful renditions of Sriram Parthasarathy to listen along, while reading the translation of the lyrics revealed by Sadhu Om. I have also included the original tamil lyrics that Michael James graciously shared with me.
Yethanayo katranaiye (You have learned a lot)
எத்தனையோ கற்றனையே!
எத்தனையோ கற்றனையே, இதனைக் கேட்டாயா?
இனிமேலேனும் அமைதியாக இருக்க மாட்டாயா?
You have learned a lot, did you listen to this?
At least from now, won’t you be at peace?
நம் புத்திக்கெட்டாததெல்லாம் — நன்றாய்ப்
புரிந்து நடத்துகின்ற — ஒரு
சக்திக்கு விட்டுவிட்டால் — உள்ளத்திற்
சாந்தி நிலைத்து விடும் (எத்தனையோ...)
All that is beyond our intellect’s grasp
Happens well-understood by the One Power
If you leave everything to It
Peace will reign in the heart (You have learned a lot…)
நெஞ்சைப்புண் ணாக்கிக் கொண்டே-நீ
நினைத்து நினைத்துச் செய்யும்-செயல்
கொஞ்சமும் தேவையில்லை — குருவருள்
கொண்டு நடத்துவ தால் (எத்தனையோ...)
Deeds you do through constant thinking
That hurt your own heart
Are utterly unnecessary since
Guru carries it all out through Grace (You have learned a lot…)
மூட்டையை வண்டியில்வை — தலைமேல்
முக்கிச் சுமக்காதே — மனச்
சேட்டையா லாவதில்லை — திருவருட்
சித்தம் நடத்தி வைக்கும்
Put the luggage down in the vehicle
Don’t struggle carrying it on your head
Nothing happens through mind’s mischief
Divine Grace alone orchestrates
தேகமும் சித்தமுமே — உனதல்ல
தெய்வத்தின் கைக்கருவி — ஏனோ
ஏகன வன்செயலிற் — கர்த்ருத்வம்
எய்தித்திண் டாடுகின்றாய்? (எத்தனையோ...)
Body and mind are not yours
Just handy instruments of God
The One Supreme alone acts
Why do you claim doership and suffer? (You have learned a lot…)
தேகத்தை ‘நான்’எனவே — கொள்ளாமை
செத்துப் பிறவாமை — இவ்வாறு
சாகத் தெரிந்து கொண்டோன் — உண்மையில்
தன்னைத் தெரிந்துகொண்டோன்
To not consider this body as I
Is to die and not be reborn
To know to die thus
Is to know oneself
செய்பவ னாயெழுந்தால் — சுகதுக்கத்
தேட்ட முனைச்சேரும் — பின்னர்
எய்பவ னைவிடுத்தே — அம்பையே
ஏசி வெறுத்துநிற்பாய்
If you rise up as the doer
Pleasure and pain will follow you
Then you will forget the archer
And blame and hate the arrow
உள்ள ஒருவனன்றி — நீதான்
உண்மையி லொன்றுமில்லை — சற்றுங்
கள்ளமில் லாதகத்தை — அவனருட்
கையி லளித்திருப்பாய்
Without the One who alone is
You are really nothing
Your heart free of any guile
Surrender to His hand of Grace
ஈசன ருட்செயலைக் — குறுக்கிட்
டிந்த மனம்தடுக்கும் — இது
நாச மடைந்துவிட்டால் — திருவருள்
ஞானானு பூதிதரும்
This mind will come in the way and block
Deeds done by the Grace of God
If this mind gets destroyed
Divine Grace will bestow realization
தன்னை மறுத்தடங்கு — உடல்மனம்
தானென் றெழாமலிரு — அதன்
பின்னை யிருப்பதெதோ — அதுவே
ப்ரம்ம மெனப்படுமாம்
Deny your ego and subside
Be without taking body and mind as I
Whatever remains after that
Is alone known as Brahman
ஞான குருரமணன் — அருளால்
நடப்பதெல் லாம்நடக்க — உடலக
ஈன வெழுச்சியெழா — விழிப்போ
டிருப்பதே நங்கடனாம்
By the Grace of the wise Guru Ramana
Let all things that happen happen
To not rise up as ‘I am the body’
And to be alert is our only duty
Eppodhu nee arivaayo (When you realize)
எப்போது நீ அறிவாயோ
எப்போது நீயறி வாயோ மனமே
அப்போதே சாந்தி யடைவாய்
When you realize, right then you shall attain peace
இப்பாரி லெப்போதும் எல்லா மிறையருளால்
தப்பா தணுவளவுஞ் சரியாய் நடப்பதாக (எப்போது…)
That in this world everything happens ever by God’s Grace
With not a mistake down even to each atom perfectly (When you…)
முற்போது தர்மமென்றும் தற்போ ததர்மமென்றும்
முயன்றேசீர் திருத்திட முடியுமுன் னாலேயென்றும்
அற்பாகந் தைச்செருக்கால் அலையாம லேயடங்கி
ஆண்டவன் ஆட்சியில் அதர்மமே யில்லையென்றே (எப்போது…)
Imagining that then there was dharma and now there is adharma
And through your effort you can bring about a change
To not roam about with such arrogance of the puny ego
And surrender that there is no adharma in God’s dominion (When you…)
எழுந்தவுன் னெழுச்சியா லெண்ணம் செயல்சொல்லாக
இயற்றிய கர்மமெல்லாம் இறைவனை நீங்குவதே
அழுந்தி யகமூலத்தி லகந்தை யழிவதொன்றே
அரிய க்ருதக்ருத்திய ஆன்மானு பவமென்றே (எப்போது…)
Your rising up that becomes thought, word and deed
and all the karma thus created moves you away from God
To abide within the Heart source so the ego gets destroyed
Is the rarest deed worthy of pursuing, direct Self experience (When you…)
இப்பாரி லெப்போதும் எல்லா மிறையருளால்
தப்பா தணுவளவுஞ் சரியாய் நடப்பதாக (எப்போது…)
That in this world everything happens ever by God’s Grace
With not a mistake down even to each atom perfectly (When you…)
— — — —
In the second part, we will look at a few more of his songs that are soaked in devotion toward Guru Ramana and pining for Grace which alone makes true surrender possible.