In the previous post Sri Ramana explained why occult powers should be pursued only AFTER attaining God-Realization. In this post we visit a story narrated by Sri Ramana Maharshi, which illustrates this teaching.
Occult powers may be sought and gained after Self-Realisation (also called God-Realization). But then they are used for a definite purpose, i.e. for the benefit of others as in the case of Chudala.
Sikhidhvaja was a pious king. His spouse was Chudala. They received instructions from a sage. The king, being busy with the administration of his kingdom, could not put the instructions into practice, whereas Chudala put them into practice and gained Self-Realisation.
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Consequently she appeared more charming than before. The king was struck by her growing charm and asked her about it. She said that all charm was due to the Self and he was only noting the charm of Self-Realisation in her.
He said that she was silly. There were great tapasvis who could not realise the Self even after long periods of tapas and what about a silly woman who was all along in the family and in the worldly life!
However, Chudala was not offended because she was firm in the Self and only wished that her husband should realise the Self and be happy.
She then thought that unless she could prove her worth by manifesting some extraordinary powers he could not be convinced and she began to seek occult powers and gained them. But she did not betray them just then.
Constant association with her made the king dispassionate. He began to dislike the worldly life and desired to retire into the forest for performing tapasya. So he told his wife that he wanted to leave the world for the forest.
She was delighted at the development, but pretended to be very much concerned with his unkind decision. He hesitated out of consideration for her. In the meantime, his dispassion gained in force and he decided to leave home even without her consent.
When the queen was sleeping one night he suddenly left the palace by stealth and retired into the forest. He was seeking some solitary spot where he could perform his tapas. When the queen woke up she did not find her husband and immediately found out by her occult powers what had really happened.
She rejoiced in her husband’s determination. She called the ministers and said that the king had gone on some important business and that the administration should be carried on as efficiently as ever. She herself administered the state in the absence of the king.
Eighteen years passed. She then knew that the king was fit for Self-Realisation. So she appeared to him disguised as Kumbha and so on. He then realised the Self and returned to rule the kingdom with the queen.
The point is that occult powers are sought and gained for the benefit of others by Self-Realised persons also. But the sages are not deluded by the possession of such powers. (With the ego having been burnt in the process of God-Realization, occult powers can no longer lead a person astray. The God-Realized person can then use occult powers safely to help others.)
Disciple: Does the sage use occult powers for making others realise the Self or is the mere fact of his Self-Realisation enough for it?
Maharshi Ramana: The force of his Self-Realisation is far more powerful than the use of all other powers.
Source: Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
