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The Ribhu Gita contains the instructions that were given through Ribhu to his student Nidagha during the process in which he guided Nidagha to enlightenment. The Ribhu Gita is a section of the great epic Sivarahasya, comparable with the way in which the Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharata. The Ribhu Gita was one of the first books that was read by Ramana Maharshi after his self realisation and the content greatly resembled what he himself had experienced. The book describes in clear terms the characteristics of a Jivanmukta, someone who comes to self realisation during this lifetime. Reading this book brings quiet to the mind and leads to higher states of consciousnesss. Ramana Maharshi himself has said that the reading of the Ribhu Gita is comparable with samadhi, a state of consciousness in which the contrasts between the one who experiences and that which is experienced no longer exist. What follows here is just a small portion (27:21- 27) of the many hundreds of stanzas that is the length of the Ribhu Gita. Finally, a small comment on the content: Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma without an "n" are gods; Brahman and That are indications towards the Absolute.
I, indeed, am the substratum of everything. I, indeed, manifest as all. I, indeed, am the One devoid of anything else. I, indeed, am the Self of all. I, indeed, am the undivided Supreme Brahman. I, indeed, am the nature of the nondual. I, indeed, exist as just myself. By such conviction (bhava) of being the one Brahman, be steeped in serenity.
I, indeed, am of the nature of Knowledge. I, indeed, am of the nature of Bliss. I, indeed, am of the nature of the imperishable. I, indeed, am of the nature of the undivided Absolute. I, indeed, am of the nature of the one Absolute. I, indeed, am of the nature devoid of anything else. I, indeed, am of the nature of myself. By such conviction (bhava) of being the one Absolute, be steeped in serenity.
I, indeed, am the sublime form of the Supreme Shiva. I, indeed, am the worship of the Supreme Shiva as well. I, indeed, am of the form of Vishnu. I, indeed, am the worship of that Vishnu also. I, indeed, am of the grand form of Brahma. I, indeed, am all the variegated things. I am the Supreme Brahman without a second. By such conviction (bhava) of being the one Absolute, be steeped in serenity.
I, indeed, am the gods, the demons and the humans. I, indeed, am the wandering animals. I, indeed, am all the dissolving worlds. I, indeed, am all the millions of universes. I, indeed, am all the moving and motionless entities. I, indeed, am the world, the individual (jiva), and the Supreme (Para). I, indeed, am the Supreme Brahman without a second. By such conviction (bhava) of being the one Absolute, be steeped in serenity.
I, indeed, am also what appears as this. I, indeed, am also what appears as "I" and "you". I, indeed, am also what appears as That. I, indeed, am also what appears as something else. I, indeed, am also whatever appears as whatever. I, indeed, am all at anytime. I, indeed, am the wonderful Supreme Brahman. By such conviction (bhava) of the undivided Absolute, be steeped in serenity.
I, indeed, am the thought and the seen. I, indeed, am of the nature of the seer that is all Consciousness. I, indeed, am all the activities of the mind. I, indeed, am all the thoughts that are embedded therein. I, indeed, am all this difference of duality. I, indeed, am what constitutes "is" and what "is not". I, indeed, am the nondual Supreme Brahman. By such conviction (bhava) of the undivided Absolute, be steeped in serenity.
Nothing was ever born. Where can the never-born be? How can there be any growth of things unborn and non-existent? Noble one! there is, therefore, nothing at all apart from the undivided Brahman. All is Brahman, And That am I - By such tireless conviction (bhava), Be steeped in serenity.
From: The song of Ribhu, translated from the original Tamil version of the Ribhu Gita, Society of Abidance in Truth, 2003
(J.C.)
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