ULLADU NARPADU verse

August 13, 2001

om namo bhagavate SrI ramaNAya

(My mail got cluttered again! Hope this mail will be a more readable.)

Namaste SrI Rob,

Indeed it is a delightful to the read verses composed by Bhagavan in Tamil.

I have reproduced below the the meaning of the verse as given by the Sri Arthur

Osborne in the book "The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi".

I quote - Since we perceive the world we must agree unanimously that there is a

power which is capable of becoming multiple. The picture of name and form, he

who sees it, the cloth on which it is based (painted) and the light which

illuminates it are all oneself.- Unquote.

It is difficult for me to say which is more accurate. Each translator has tried

to add some meaning and depth which is not explicit in a literal word by word

translation. Sri Osborne's translation captures the meaning of the verse without

any interpretation. My reference usually begins with Sri Osborne 's book for any

verse of Bhagavan, probably because it was one of the earliest books I acquired.

Now a little about the reference in the verse, to the canvas, screen or cloth

which forms the base for the creation of any picture.

In this verse bhagavan has used the word "SerpaDam" which represnts the cloth

(canvas or screen) on which the picture is created.

In the beginning of the 20th century when all these verses were written, the

movie film was well established experience for many in India. Bhagavan had used,

while explaining to devotees, the movie film as a metaphor for indicating the

distinction between the various aspects of manifestation as a creation of the

mind, and the Self as the underlying Truth of all that IS. In this example the

pictute projected on the screen is what we see as the world of which we are a

part, the film represents the mental images that we project, and the light from

the lamp is the illumination of consciousness that makes it possible to perceive

what we project. In this metaphor the film screen is the essential Truth (Real -

unchanging) whereas the pictures projected on it are changing, impermanent and

hence unreal.

In this verse, Bhagavan uses this metaphor to say that the names and forms that

are seen, the seer, the screen on which they are seen (projected, based or

painted) and the illumination of the lamp are all HE.

Hope the above is of some use.

namo ramaNA

namaste

suri

===

Rob Sacks <editor wrote: Dear Sri Suri,

How wonderful it must be to read Bhagavan's words

in Tamil!

Could you use your knowledge of Tamil to answer

a question that I've wondered about?

It has to do with the very verse we're discussing.

There is a phrase that K. Lakshmana Sharma translates

as "cinema-show of names and forms." A. R. Natarajan

makes it "the screen on which it is projected." S.S.

Cohen makes it, "the canvas." Professor Mahadevan

says, "the basic canvas."

Could you please tell us what this phrase is, literally,

in Tamil?

Also, if you happen to have an opinion -- I don't want

you to go to any trouble -- but if you happen to have

an opinion as to which English translation is the most

accurate, I would like to know.

Yours in Bhagavan,

Rob

-

"suri suryanarayan" <suri_suryanarayan

Cc: <suri

Sunday, August 12, 2001 12:43 PM

[RamanaMaharshi] Re: ULLADU NARPADU verse: 6

>

> om namo bhagavate SrI ramaNAya

>

> (My previous mail was cluttered and had some errors. This is a corrected

version.)

>

> namaste Sri Adam,

>

> I have also looked into the book titled (ramaNa hRdayaM) "Revelation" now. I

think the 'number' question is figured out now. The

books which I have looked into are as follows:

>

> A. uLLadu nArpadu :(in Tamil) with commentary in Tamil by 'WHO'.

> This book, contains only the verses composed by Bhagavan Sri Ramana. The first

two invocatory verses are numbered 1 & 2. Then,

chapter 1 begins with the verse referred to, which is numbered as 1. the last

verse is numbered 40.

>

> B. The book "ramaAa nUtriraTTu" which is collection of all the

compositions of SrI Ramana in Tamil has the "40 verses on

Reality" in chapter 5, with the two invocatory verses not numbered. The

numbering starts with the verse we are referring to as

number 1.

>

> C. The book by Sri Arthur Osborne "The collected works of Ramana Maharshi"

has an English translation of these verses in

chapter 6 titled "Reality in 40 verses". The numbering is same as in that in the

first book cited above.

>

> D. The book "sat-darSana bhAshya and talks with mahaRshi" by Kapali SAstri

contains a commentary in English of the Sanskrit

translation of 'uLLadu nArpadu' composed by the great sanskrit scholar and

Ramana devotee Sri Ganapati Sastri. In this book the

section called 'bhashya' starts with invocatory verses and the verse we are

referrring to is numbered as the 3rd. After the 42nd

verse, there are two more verses 43 & 44, in praise of Sri Ramana by Sri

Ganapati Sastri. This book also contains the original

verses in Tamil as an Annexure. There the numbering is same as that in the first

book cited above.

>

> E. The tamil book "satdarSanaM" has a Tamil translation of the commentary

of Sri Kapali Sastri in the book cited as D above.

The numbering in this book is same as that in the book cited above as A.

>

> F. The Tamil book "ramaNASrama tamizhppArAyaNa tiraTTu" contains the

verses chanted every evening at Sri Ramanasramam. This

book contains two verses called pAyiram and then the two invocatory verses. The

main verses (nUl) then begin with the verse we are

referring to numbered as 1.

>

> G. In the book titled (ramaNa hRdayaM) "Revelation" being referred by you

the 40 verses on Reality are preceded by 3 verses

in praise of Sri Ramana called "granthavaraNam" and then the two invocatory

verses. The numbering is however, continuous starting

from the first verse of "granthavaraNam". That's why the first of 40 verses on

Reality became the 6th. The Sanskrit translation and

commentary are authored by WHO (Sri LakshmaNa Sarma).

>

> I have been familiar with the numbering commonly used in the Tamil books. So

this doubt arose.

>

> May I request you to use the numbering as follows: I1 & I2 for the two

invocatory verses. and then number 1 to 40 for the main

verses (which are referred to as "nul" in Tamil).

>

> There is a very beautiful composition by (WHO) Sri LashmaNa Sarma called

"ramaNam bhajAmi" in sanskrit which has been made

immortal by the divine voice of Srimati M S Subbulakshmi. It is available as a

prerecorded tape of the concert to mark the Sri

Ramana Centenary Celebrations, broadcast by All India radio (in 1980 January, I

think).

>

> Salutations to Bhagavan Sri Ramana for making my mind dwell on an attribute

(the number) of the 40 verses on Reality. Salutations

to Sri Adam for this opportunity.

>

> namo ramaNA

>

> namaste SrI Adam

>

> Yours ever

>

> suri

>

> Achala <ramanachala108 wrote:

>

> Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachalaramanaya

> ****************************************

>

> Namaskar.

> Yes, it is the first verse of the 40 that make

> up the Ulladu Narpadu but the book that I took this

> from starts with a few benedicrtory verses that are

> numbered verses 1-5.

>

> This copy is titled "REVELATION" translated by

> K. Lakshmana Sarma "Who" and it is published by Sri

> Ramanasrama.

>

> Which copy do you have?

>

> Ever your in Sri Ramana,

>

> Adam

>

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cm_ramesh · September 25, 2011

Om Namo Bhagavate Ramanaya

I want to learn the Ulladhu Naarpadhu. I however do not know tamil. Have been trying to get the same with a English version. I have managed to get the meaning, but not the text as it is. The PDF file in the Ramanamaharshi website is not opening. Would be grateful

Thanks.

Ramesh, Lebanon

cm_ramesh · October 17, 2011

Om Namo bhagavate Sri Ramanaaya

I have been trying to open the Ulladhu Naarpadhu PDF file ( both English and Tamil ) in the official site for quite some time but have not been able to do so. Request you to kindly help or mail me a copy of the transliteration of the Ulladhu Naarpadhu text . I want to learn the text at the earliest. I have searched the entire net and am not able to get the same.

Would be extremely grateful for your kind help.

With warm regards

Ramesh

Lebanon