Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

Others offer as sacrifice their senses of hearing etc. into
the fires of self-control. Other yogis again offer sound and
other objects of perception into the fires of the senses.

Gita, IV: 26
“The method of performing these sacrifices was first
explained as above. Again,
svaR[IiNÔykmaRi[ àa[kmaRi[ capre,
AaTms

Others sacrifice all the functions of their senses and the
function of the vital airs into the fire of Yoga, in the shape
of self-control, which is kindled by wisdom.

Gita, IV: 27
“This means that the actions of the indriyas and of the
vital airs are sacrificed in the fire of samyama. Having said
this, it has further been stated that vital airs like prana, are
sacrificed into Apana, Apana into Vyana and in this way one
thing is sacrificed into another. Not only the vital airs and
the senses; childhood is sacrificed into boyhood, boyhood
into youth, youth into middle age and middle age into old
age. So also the inhaling and exhaling of vital airs. Thus is
the one sacrificed into the other, and this is a continuous
process. This happens without one being conscious of it. That
which is done consciously is called Jnana Yagna (Wisdom
Sacrifice),” said Bhagavan.

Another devotee joining in the conversation asked, “It
is said that for doing that Jnana Yagna the life’s impurities
must be destroyed. How to destroy them?”
Bhagavan replied, “You want to know how?
AaTmanmri[< k«Tva à[v< caeÄrari[<,
}aninmRwna_yasaTpaz< dhit p.

Kaivalya Upanishad
It means that the Self is to be made the lower ‘Arani’*
and ‘Pranavam’ (Om), the upper Arani and by rubbing them
constantly one against the other, thus causing by friction
the fire of jnana between the two; the Brahma Jnani burns
away the bond known as ignorance. If one understands
this and puts it into practice, life’s impurities get destroyed,”
said Bhagavan.

The devotee said, “But Bhagavan always tells us that
Self-enquiry of ‘Who am I?’ is the most important, is it not?”
Bhagavan replied, “It is the same thing. For enquiry
there must be somebody. There is the person and there is
* Arani means a twig of the ‘Sami tree’ used for kindling the
sacred fire by attrition.

the Self. They are known as the lower Arani and the upper
Arani. The enquiry itself is the attrition. As one goes on
continuously with this attrition the fire called Vijnana gets
generated and the bond of ignorance that the Self is different
from the object gets burnt out. That means the life’s
impurities get destroyed. Then the Self remains as the real
‘Self’. That is ‘Moksha’. It is this, that is called Jnana Yagna or
some such thing.” So saying Bhagavan assumed silence.