This Chapter is Taken from The Book “Glimpses of The Life and Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi” described by Frank H. Humphreys.
No understanding of the Maharshi is possible without knowing the details of his relationship with Ganapathi Sastriar (see International Psychic Gazette for June). One day, Sastriar came to him and spoke in Sanskrit verse, and the twelve years’ silence was broken. That is six years ago, and the Maharshi has been speaking and teaching ever since. Sastriar, so to speak, embodies the intellectual aspect of Mastership, and the Maharshi the devotional. Nevertheless, Sastriar is highly devotional, and the keenness of the Maharshi’s intellect is indisputable.
What Sastriar himself always says is: “It is not I but the Maharshi who does these things.” He evidently regards himself as the Maharshi’s instrument, as the wielder of the power generated by this greatest of living Mahatmas. But this must not be taken too literally. It is merely a deduction from the facts regarded as a whole. It is noteworthy how immediately the devotional man recognised the intellectually-developed man, and how the latter instantly yielded to the sway of the meditative saintly devotee.
When Sastriar was approaching the foot of the mountain with Frank, on the occasion of Frank’s first visit to the Maharshi, he made two prophecies, one of which has been fulfilled and the other awaits the time of fulfilment.
As they came close up to the mountain, Sastriar said, “Hush! we musts be quiet now. We are drawing near to Him.”
Sastriar has a subtle sense of humour. Once Frank asked a question about a past incarnation. Sastriar looked at him and said, “Wait for two months and I will tell you all your past incarnations with full details”. For a moment Frank was very pleased; then he realized the Mahatma was testing him. And Sastriar laughed gently in his inimitable way and murmured,
“What good? What good would it be?”