Be still

O happy one,
whichever way I went
I heard your praise
And surrendered to your feet
my body, wealth and life.
I cried out, 'Ocean of virtue, mountain-high,
Show me the way to happiness!'
Ramana the just, the majestic, said,
'Stand still. Stay where you are.'

By neither digging nor soaring
Could Vishnu or Brahma find you,
whereas I, trudging toward diverse goals, was worn thin.
I cried out, "Tell me how to merge in the feet
which are beyond the knowledge of life!'
Ramana, pure and secure, said,
'Be still. Rest as you are.'

~ Sri Muruganar, Irai Pani Nitral (Steadfastness in Service), found in The Power of the Presence by David Godman