Power of Arunachala

Lord Siva says, “Though in fact fiery, my lack-lustre appearance as a hill on this spot is an act of grace for the maintenance of the world. I also abide here as the Siddha. Within me there are many glorious caves filled with all kinds of enjoyments. Know this. “Action naturally binds the entire world. One’s refuge (from such bondage) is this glorious Arunachala by seeing which one becomes itself.” “What cannot be acquired without great pains – the true import of Vedanta (viz. Self-realization) – can be attained by any one who looks at (this hill) from where it is visible or even mentally thinks of it from afar.” “I, the Lord, ordain that those who reside within a radius of three yojanas of this place (Arunachala) shall attain union (with the Supreme) which removes bondage even in the absence of initiation, etc.”

To experience the truth of the above statement we must walk the path shown by Ramana Maharshi. In His life many incidents took place which removed all the doubts about the glory of Arunachala. Those who walk the path shown by Him realize the power of Arunacala in even greater measure than is indicated by the above quotation.
Devaraja Mudaliar lived with Ramana Maharshi for many years. He recollects; “I have heard from Bhagavan’s lips the details of two miracles, of which he had knowledge. During the early years of his stay on the hills, a lady alighted from the train at Tiruvannamalai railway station at night, got into a jutka (horse-cart) and told the driver to take her to a certain street in the town. The driver, being a scoundrel, took her to an out of the way place and was about to rob her of her jewels, when suddenly two police constables appeared on the scene, heard her complaint, escorted her safely in the cart to her house and went away. The lady noted down the numbers of the two police constables and made further inquiries about them subsequently, intending to thank or reward them, but no such police constables could be traced and none of the police at Tiruvannamalai knew anything of the night’s occurrence. Bhagavan gave me the above story when we were discussing miracles and saying miracles occur even now.
He told me another similar story on the same occasion. There was an elderly cripple, a relative of our T. K. Sundaresa Aiyar, who was a very devout man and used to make circuit of Arunachala hill in spite of his disability. After many years’ stay at Tiruvannamalai, he once got so vexed at the treatment he received from the relatives with whom he was staying and on whom he depended, that he decided in disgust to leave Tiruvannamalai and go away to some village and try to earn a living there. Before he left the outskirts of the town, a young Brahmin appeared before him and, with apparent rudeness, snatched away his crutches, saying “You don’t deserve these”. Before the old man’s indignation could get the better of his surprise and break forth into words, he found he had recovered the use of his limbs and could walk without crutches. Bhagavan said he knew this case personally, remarking on its similarity to the case mentioned in Arunachala Sthala Purana, where it is said that God Arunachala appearing in human shape, threw away the crutches of an old devotee of his, who had been going round the hill for many years in spite of his lameness and who just then, in the midst of one such circuit, had entered Sona Theertha tank (about one and a half miles from Sri Ramanasramam) to take a drink. The cripple found himself made whole that very moment.

An English lady Sujatha Sen protesting against an ashram rule which precluded women after 6 PM went to the top of the hill, where she remained the whole night. As she implored Arunachala to help her in this hour of distress, she found herself being taken into the interior of the hill by a mysterious force. She later reported seeing the whole cosmos inside the hill.