In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 30th October 2021 Michael James discusses the seventeenth paragraph of Nāṉ Ār? (Who am I?) sentence by sentence:

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குப்பையைக் கூட்டித் தள்ளவேண்டிய ஒருவன் அதை யாராய்வதா லெப்படிப் பயனில்லையோ அப்படியே தன்னை யறியவேண்டிய ஒருவன் தன்னை மறைத்துகொண்டிருக்கும் தத்துவங்க ளனைத்தையும் சேர்த்துத் தள்ளிவிடாமல் அவை இத்தனையென்று கணக்கிடுவதாலும், அவற்றின் குணங்களை ஆராய்வதாலும் பயனில்லை.

kuppaiyai-k kūṭṭi-t taḷḷa-vēṇḍiya oruvaṉ adai y-ārāyvadāl eppaḍi-p payaṉ-illai-y-ō appaḍi-y-ē taṉṉai y-aṟiya-vēṇḍiya oruvaṉ taṉṉai maṟaittu-koṇḍirukkum tattuvaṅgaḷ aṉaittaiyum sērttu-t taḷḷi-viḍāmal avai ittaṉai-y-eṉḏṟu kaṇakkiḍuvadāl-um, avaṯṟiṉ guṇaṅgaḷai ārāyvadāl-um payaṉ-illai.

Just as one who needs to gather [or sweep] up and throw away rubbish [would derive] no benefit by examining [investigating or analysing] it, so one who needs to know oneself [will derive] no benefit by, instead of collectively rejecting all the tattvas, which are concealing oneself, calculating that they are this many and examining their qualities.

பிரபஞ்சத்தை ஒரு சொப்பனத்தைப்போ லெண்ணிக்கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

pirapañcattai oru soppaṉattai-p-pōl eṇṇi-k-koḷḷa vēṇḍum.

It is necessary to consider the world [which is believed to be an expansion or manifestation of such tattvas] like a dream.

While discussing this paragraph Michael also discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Nāṉ Ār?, Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai, Appaḷa Pāṭṭu and Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu.

This episode can also be watched as a video: 2021-10-30a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael James discusses Nāṉ Ār? (Who am I?) paragraph 17.

After discussing this seventeenth paragraph of Nāṉ Ār? Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Nan Ar? (Who am I?) paragraph 17 Q&A.