(from 'Sri Ramana Reminiscence' by G.V. Subbaramayya):
The next morning an old devotee, Sri Rangaswami Iyengar, came for Sri Bhagavan’s darshan with his granddaughter. The child would salute Sri Bhagavan only in secret but not openly before others. Thereupon Sri Bhagavan called this Ekanta Bhakti (secret devotion) and illustrated it with a story from Bhakta Vijayam. A king was apparently immersed in worldly activities and never showed the least inclination to worship God. His Queen, who came of a pious family, was much distressed at her husband’s lack of devotion.
One midnight, while the king was fast asleep, she noticed his lips moving, and applying her ears close to his mouth she heard the continuous whisper, ‘Ram, Ram’. She discovered how deep and fervent must be the king’s devotion that his lips should be muttering ‘Ram Nam’ even during sleep. She went into an ecstasy and immediately summoning the Prime Minister, ordered that the city should observe a festival the next day. Accordingly the city was adorned with festoons, and grand music greeted the king’s ear as he awoke. He pressed his queen for the reason of this festivity. The queen’s words as she related what had happened came as a shock to him and exclaiming “What! You heard me repeat ‘Ram Nam’!” the king fell down dead.
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Vira Chandra: In the stillness of night, when the city slumbered and not a soul was there to judge or applaud, the king’s lips whispered the Divine Name. It was a secret so profound that even his closest companion, the queen, knew nothing of it until she happened upon him in the hush of darkness. What a revelation it was for her, to see how quietly, how steadfastly, he had nurtured a love for the Supreme in the hidden corners of his heart.
Yet when day broke and the secret was announced to the world, his spirit could not bear it. Devotion so intimate and sacred, once thrust into the glare of public delight, lost its private sanctuary. The heart that had communed with the Divine in silence found itself exposed, and in that instant, the king’s entire being could not survive such a breach.
In this tale lies a treasure for our own times. We live in an age eager for exhibition, where nearly every aspiration is shared for validation, every good deed broadcast for recognition. We measure success by the warmth of applause rather than by the depth of our inward communion. Yet these stories from the past remind us that true devotion - true love of God - needs no stage. Its power blossoms in the quiet recesses of the heart, sustained by personal conviction rather than the roar of approval.
We need not deny the value of open worship or community; it has its own beauty, a light that can inspire and guide many. But we must also nurture those moments of silent prayer, those whispers of the soul that remain unspoken and unseen. Such hidden devotion flowers beyond the reach of any observer, and in it resides an authenticity that sustains one’s spirit through all the bustle of the outside world.
That is the simple, timeless truth: the Divine hears the soul’s murmur even when the world does not, and sometimes especially when the world does not.
The story Sri Ramana shared gently reminds us that the true essence of chanting the Divine Name and devotion lies in the quiet sincerity of the heart. When the Name is whispered with love, humility, and personal devotion, it resonates deeply and transforms the spirit. But when it is shouted or imposed to assert dominance, used as a political instrument, or forced upon others to prove superiority, it loses all its grace and power. The sacred Name then becomes merely noise—empty, powerless, devoid of the Divine’s presence. True devotion thrives only in freedom, humility, and love—not in the shadow of coercion or pride.
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