The ordinary householder who became a Realized Jnani: Rajini Ma.   

 By Alan Jacobs.

Rajini Menon is truly a most remarkable woman. An ordinary householder, she has attained Self-Realization and her writings, which are largely answers to questions sent to her by spiritual aspirants, illustrate that she is undoubtedly a Jnani Guru. How did this miracle happen? She says she received this great blessing from purva janma sukritham i.e. from a previous life.

Did Rajini perform any sadhanas or spiritual practices in this birth? The answer is a definite ‘No’. But if you talk to her, she says her life itself was nothing less than an intense sadhana. She had got the janma vasana or instinctive desire to abide strongly by her inner voice or the ‘Inner Divine’ voice from her previous birth. This was the only light that always guided her on an evolutionary path into higher consciousness. She says that her inner journey was in absolute aloneness and darkness. Stumbling, hitting here and there, falling, getting injured and undergoing intense pain, till she found herself in the light. We can feel the intensity and hardships she went through on her journey without an external Sadguru. Though outwardly she was alone all along her journey, she held onto the ‘Inner Divine’ tightly without loosening her hold on it.

Self-Realization from a previous life is very rare, but there are the recent precedents of Ramana Maharshi who on being asked how he attained enlightenment at the age of sixteen replied, ‘It must have been in a previous life’. Similarly, Anandamayi Ma said, ‘I was born awake,’ and later demonstrated all the sadhanas that she had performed in a previous life.

This miracle happened to Rajini Menon much later in life when she was an employed householder and a housewife. She is a simple, humble lady, aged forty-seven, who leads a very ordinary life. She is readily available for a genuine spiritual aspirant, or whom prakruti brings to her. She does not do anything in the way of reaching out to teach anyone. She simply goes with nature’s flow with all her heart and a great deal of compassion for all who come to see her, or write to her. Whatever flows from her replies is merely an expression of her love. She is generally silent and would appear to be like any lady next door. Only a very few have recognised her gifted inner resources. To those who visit her, she helps them through the hurdles they face in their spiritual search and her answers are most profound and quite spontaneous. Spiritual aspirants have felt their knots to be loosened and untied. Her life is basically restricted to her home and office. Whenever she speaks, it is a reflection of her life and righteous living that is always her main underlying inspiration. She is a courageous, mentally strong woman who under all circumstances abides by the voice of the ‘Inner Divine’ inspiration along with her discriminative powers. Before her sudden ‘awakening’ on the 18th of July 2008, she was just another ordinary person who could or would speak nothing along the lines of which she now does. She neither had any exposure to the so-called spiritual world nor studied Vedanta or any spiritual books. She herself wonders at the spontaneous flow that happens through her. In brief, she is an ordinary householder who does not conduct any official satsangs. The few who came to know her were spiritual aspirants who reached out to her, and she replied to them through correspondence.

Incidentally, one of her relatives is around 70 years of age and well-versed in the shastras. He is one of the very few persons who first recognised her special gifts because he was aware that she knew absolutely nothing about religious scriptures before 2008. From then, on she was able to explain any questions regarding deep spiritual matters with tremendous clarity and wisdom. So, one or two spiritual seekers who were close to him also came to know about her as well. She doesn’t claim she is enlightened and nobody in her neighbourhood knows that she is a transformed human being. She does not claim to be or act as a teacher. It’s only when some sincere seekers or questioners come to her, that she is compassionate enough to answer them and resolve their difficulties. Her answers flow spontaneously and are directed to the needs of the person before her. It is by a very rare bestowal of Divine Grace that this event of Self-Realization happened to her.

She has kindly given permission for this book to be compiled to assist spiritually inclined readers. For this generosity on her part, we are truly grateful. She has a beautiful, expressive face that has an innocent, childlike quality about it. It can well be said that her life itself is an internal tapasya or intense sadhana not known to the outside world.

What more need be said? This remarkable woman’s attainment speaks more powerfully than words can express. They tell us that here, once more, a true Jnani Guru has appeared on this perplexed planet. It is hoped that her answers to questions, given with such depth of understanding and clarity, will help earnest aspirants proceeding on the spiritual path. Such great beings are very rare on Earth, and I am sure her words will help those readers who are searching for the ultimate Truth. Rajiniji has said many times that the existence of ‘such beings’ is not as rare as those who can recognise them; a profound paradox indeed.

Her writing is simple, clear and full of compassion. It touches the heart with its beautiful flow. Since she is so pure and compassionate, she comes to the questioner’s level. Her answers are often elaborate explanations, looking at issues from several different angles, and they are complete in themselves. She covers the whole range of spiritual queries that usually confront an earnest seeker on the spiritual path. She mainly focuses on the principles of Advaita, Vedanta and Dvaita. She even tackles the thorny question of Atheism with astonishing skill and precision. She also discusses the process of Self-Enquiry and Ramana Maharshi’s infallible way to Self-Realization. She has made several visits to Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai after 2008.

A great surprise is her description of a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. She explained to me how she came to write this commentary. When after her transformation, her daughter came up to her to understand this poem, the meaning came to her spontaneously and she wrote it down. The next day, when her daughter showed the meaning to her English teacher, the teacher asked her if her mother’s subject was Literature and if she taught English. In this precious book, Rajini covers the whole gamut of questions that may arise on one’s spiritual journey. The fact that her words have been endorsed by a great Vedic authority like Sri Dayananda Swami speaks for itself. I have nothing more to offer in this respect except to say that Divine Grace has led us to a remarkable woman whose knowledge will prove to be of great benefit to all those who read this most worthy book.

The details of her remarkable spiritual awakening in her own words in the ‘Introduction’ after the Preface, should be carefully read as a unique testament to her profound wisdom and knowledge. Furthermore, Rajini Menon has kindly and graciously agreed to answer any serious questions about the sadhana and spiritual journey of earnest readers of her book. You may communicate with her through email.