STORY OF THE MONTH
(Feb 2026)


"Deham Naham, Kohum, Sohum"


Once a devotee of Sri Ramana Maharishi brought his two young daughters, Lalita and Indra, to the Arunachala ashram of the God-realized master. The younger one Indra, who was hardly 5 years old, was quite mischievous.

In the large hall of the ashram, some devotees at that time were asking Bhagavan Ramana how to remain still amidst various work in the world. Bhagavan Ramana said that it is all in the mind. If the mind could be quelled and made to stay in the Self, within, any amount of work could be done, without desire and without a sense of doer-ship.

Meanwhile, Indra was moving here and there in the hall. She was pulling out books, Bhagavan Ramana's stick, alms-bowl, the time-piece near the sofa etc.,

Bhagavan Ramana asked: "Amma, what are you doing?"
Indra replied: "I am not doing anything. I am remaining summa (I am still)."

Everyone laughed.

Bhagavan Ramana also laughed and said:
"See, this is how the worldly work should be performed! She is doing some work there but she says I am still. This is the essence of atma vichara (Self enquiry). One can do any work and yet be still in the mind”.

During the same trip, one day Indra took out a Sanskrit book and was seeing it. She only understands Telugu. So she went to Bhagavan Ramana, with a line shown by her from the book and asked what it was. It read: “Deham Naham Koham Soham.”

Bhagavan Sri Ramana called her near and read out the line and started explaining.

“Deham Naham. Amma! You are wearing the skirt.
Is it You?
You are wearing nice golden bangles.
Is it You?”

The child said: “No, they are not. They are only mine.”

Bhagavan further said: “Amma! Like these, even this body is not You. It may be yours for some time.

Then, Koham, Who am I?

Soham, I am Siva. Soham shivoham, I am the Heart!”

The child was very seriously listening to Bhagavan Sri Ramana's words. She repeated the words and Bhagavan Ramana told her to remember this line always.

Another devotee, who was listening to all these curious exchanges between Indra and Bhagavan Ramana, asked Him: "What can she understand?"

Bhagavan Ramana replied to him: "Oh! Is it known only by understanding? You have understood everything. Have you known It?"

The devotee went silent.

On the day of leaving, Indra said to Bhagavan Ramana:
"Thatha! I shall always say this and remember this. Deham Naham, Koham, Soham."

Bhagavan Ramana said:
"That is good, that is sufficient."

The girl and her father left for Andhra. In two months, Indra took seriously ill and saying “Deham Naham, Koham, Soham” she left the body and merged in Pure Space!

The girl’s father constructed a small samadhi for her at the backyard of his house, with this inscription: ‘Many cannot see Him, Only some can see Him’.

When the father informed Sri Ramana about the demise of Indira and what he had done, Sri Bhagavan approved his step.

‘Many be called, but few chosen’. (Matthew 20:16)
 
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Notes:

The mantra ‘Sohum’ or ‘Sau-Hong’ (HE I am) is the reverse of ‘Hong-Sau’ (I am HE). It is familiar to all SRF/YSS Lessons students and those who practise the potent Hong-Sau pranayama technique given in these lessons.

The great guru, Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, explained the subtle difference between Hong-Sau and Sau-Hong:

“In the neutral state, the emphasis is on Hong, ‘I am’, or the ego; from which consciousness Sau, ‘He’, or God, is to be perceived.

In samadhi, when the breath is still and delusion disappears, the mantra transposes itself into the superconscious chanting of Sau-Hong, ‘He I am’; the emphasis is shifted from ego to Spirit.

To attain the state wherein the consciousness becomes ‘He I am’ is impossible unless breath is still and the soul is free from the bondage of the body and realizes itself one with Spirit.” 

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