Sri Guru Gita ETV

Datta Vaakya Vijaya Vyakhya

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Translations of Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji’s daily explanation of Sri Guru Gita on ETV from Datta Jayanthi in Dec 2013 onwards in Telugu

Listen to Sri Guru Gita episodes on vimeo:
Observe the parrot from Shuka Vana. Find out of the species it belongs to and make a note.
Visit for photos of parrots and information on the different species.
A parrot first listened to the secret knowledge about Guru while Siva was explaining it to Parvati. Later Sage Suka (Parrot) gave this knowledge to his father Veda Vyasa. It was revealed to humanity through Srimad Bhagavatam and Skanda Purana.

At end of the year 2014 during Datta Jayanthi in December, there will be held a competition.

Episode 1

In life Guru is as important as parents are. For an individual to be fulfilled in life, for his life’s journey to be smooth and without any turbulence, for his life’s goal to be achieved, Guru’s assistance and cooperation are crucial. Guru helps an individual lead a respectable life in society as an honored citizen. He transforms him into a noble and charitable individual. Some who have acquired a certain exalted position in society tend to claim that it was obtained entirely by their own merit and begin to feel that they do not require a Guru. In such instances also Guru exists in them as their own self esteem that has conferred the fruit upon them. Upon proper analysis they can realize this. God, Guru, and Soul are one and the same and bestow success. Guru is a physician who treats the mind. To uplift a disciple, Guru exerts himself to a great extent. In the case of parents, friends and relatives, attachment, bondage and sentiments get in the way of accomplishing this. Guru has absolutely no hesitation in helping the disciple. Socially and spiritually the disciple is shaped into a beneficial and productive citizen. Mother and Motherland would be proud of such a person. Such is the benefit granted by Guru. This secret knowledge of Guru Gita that helps the entire world was taught by Lord Siva to his consort Parvati. In the ashram the chanting of Guru Gita is a constant activity. Swamiji has frequently explained the inner and hidden significance of this work. For generations people have benefited by it. Its teachings apply to all ages and all times. One more time, now let us learn the glory of Sri Guru Gita. May the first and foremost Guru of all, Lord Dattatreya shower His blessings upon all seekers.

Episode 2

Pointers to seekers. People have endless desires. Desires keep emerging as if from an inexhaustible container. But many things desired are also often forgotten. There are mainly three types of desires.1. I am great. My word is great. My wealth is great. Such arrogance is there. I should be everywhere. My words should be heeded. Mine should be the final word. 2. I should be informed of everything. If it is done without my knowledge I will not accept it. 3. I should always be happy. But it is okay if I torment others. Everyone should respect me and do things to please me. But I will not show respect towards others.
When these 3 attitudes are properly analyzed, all desires fall into the flow of three rivers. If the history of desires is studied, it is found that the fire of desire is age old and has troubled man since the beginning of time. Is there anyone who has had all their desires fulfilled? To explore that question, we should know our ancient heritage. This power was achieved by the sages of Indian tradition.That is because they have followed the Guru principle. Even a child knows the meaning of guru, because it naturally follows the guidance and instruction of mother and father. But the strange thing is, even the greatest of scientists and the strictest of seekers sometimes do not grasp this principle of Guru. Mother, father, their instruction and guidance are accepted, but the concept of guru is rejected by many even though they chant the verse, “Gurur Brahma gurur Vishnuhu gurur devo Maheswaraha..”. Let us learn why this puzzling situation exists, in the next episode.

Episode 3

As was mentioned earlier, even great scholars and those who have done extensive spiritual exercise are not knowledgeable in the Guru principle. It is not surprising. Mother Goddess Parvati Herself was ignorant of this principle. Who is qualified to teach this? That Supreme Soul alone is qualified to teach this. Such a teaching is this Guru Gita taught by Lord Siva Himself.
It is a feature of human nature to feel that having intensely studied the past history of mankind and of nature, that one feels confident of some definite knowledge. But, like a shadow, a doubt also persists that there is still something that is not known, that not everything has been studied. That yearning remains, to learn more. Man experiences great mental unrest. The suspicion remains that there is still something unknown. It is like an affliction that troubles man.
Regardless of how many branches of sciences there may be, and how expansive and increasingly growing the knowledge in each branch may be, a shadow still remains. It is not all light. More new planets are being discovered beyond the nine planets known to us. More new stars are being discovered. From several light years ago, a new star suddenly appears. That there is more to be learned and discovered is an endless pursuit. This discontent is never gone. The only one who can clear this discontent from the human mind, and can show such a light that is untainted by even a trace of a shadow, is all light and nothing but light, and can lead man in the proper direction to find such a light, is Guru. When our merit comes to fruition and when he accepts us as his disciples, then he becomes our Sadguru. We may consider him as our Guru, but it is more important that He accepts us as His disciples. What if He rejects in spite of all our efforts? We are fortunate if He accepts us.
What is impossible to achieve by our intellectual blossoming, and by our worldly experience, the Guru can help us achieve by showing the way. Without Guru it is impossible for one to experience that flawless perfect Light and it is impossible to satisfy the three types of desires. It is the wonderful result of past merit that a Sadguru enters one’s life. Many who believe that there is a power and a conscious awareness that exceeds human capacity exercise great efforts in trying to achieve it by engaging in various types of spiritual pursuit.
In our country it is more prevalent. Different paths such as yoga, japa, devotion, and such are followed for achieving this end.

Episode 4

We have agreed that it is a wonderful boon and a certain result of past merit that a Sadguru enters one’s life. Many who believe that there is a power and a consciousness that transcend human limitations, exercise great efforts in trying to achieve it, especially in our country, by following different paths including yoga, japa, and devotion. In this effort, differences have sprouted up in traditions, such as followers of Siva, Vishnu, Mother Goddess, and so on. There are innumerable such paths and we do not know where they will culminate. There is historical evidence of severe conflicts between the various sects. That one path is irreconcilably different from another is the impression that comes to mind sometimes. One wonders at the differences in the teachings and procedures followed in the several paths. But is there any one path where one does not follow the precepts of a Guru, or does not remember and bow down before the Guru prior to beginning the sadhana? It may be declared categorically that there is not. Regardless of all the differences, whether they call themselves the worshipers of Siva, Vishnu, Mother Goddess, whether they follow the path of Yoga, or Jnana, or something else, the one common thread that everyone shares is that they are all followers of a Guru. It is an inescapable fact that Guru has to be remembered, followed, and honored. In the name of Siva, Vishnu, Devi, Yoga, or Yaga, they are all in truth worshiping Guru alone. Whether their Guru’s lineage begins with Narayana or Sadasiva, the fundamental root is always Guru. Guru is the same as the Supreme Soul. Without uttering “Sri Gurubhyo Namaha” (I offer salutations to revered Guru) no Vedic practice can commence.

Episode 5

Harihi Om Tatsat. We concluded that all spiritual paths ultimately converge in the path of Guru. Mother Goddess Herself questioned Lord Parameswara, the highest Lord as to who Guru is, and how to serve Guru. He, whom we have chosen as Guru, is compelled to give an answer to the disciple when thus questioned, whoever He may be. Hence, Siva was compelled to answer Parvati’s question, asked in the presence of an assembly of great sages. This was a dialogue between the foremost couple.
For the very first time the Guru who has brought the Guru principle to mankind is Lord Dattatreya. He is the one who has laid the foundation for the highway called Guru. That Guru is crucial in life was taught by Him. He is guru to all gurus, even to the gods themselves. He is at the root of the lineage of Gurus. He is the foremost Guru. We offer Him our prostrations. He has earned the title ‘Gurumarga pravartaka’, being the one who has first constructed the Guru Highway. Later Sage Vyasa has propagated this principle in the Puranas, in the Skanda Purana, as the dialog that took place between Siva and Parvati and named it as Sri Guru Gita. When the first couple, the First Mother and the First Father engaged in their private conversation inside a cave, the chick inside the egg heard the entire secret about the Guru principle. When the conversation was finished, the egg broke and the fresh parrot chick emerged. Siva had asked Parvati earlier whether the cave was empty. Parvati checked and declared that there was no one present. An egg is not considered as a living being. The parents of the chick had flown away earlier anticipating danger to their lives. This chick heard the entire conversation from inside the egg. After hearing the dialogue it was born. Siva noticed the chick and questioned his wife in surprise. Parvati said, “Please do not direct your angry glance at it, it is innocent. It was not even born during the dialogue. It has emerged from the egg just now. The chick was born by Your grace.” This same chick later propagated in the world the Bhagavatam and the Guru Principle. Adi Shankara, the founder of the system of the six spiritual paths (Shanmata), brought this Guru Principle into limelight much later.

Episode 6

Sage Vyasa, while propagating the Guru principle of Lord Dattatreya, in Skanda Purana mentions the Sri Guru Gita, as a dialog that took place between Siva and Parvati.
Later on Adi Shankaracharya, the founder of the system of the six types of spiritual philosophy and worship, extolled the glory of Guru in many different ways. The one and only rare path that is successful in satisfying the three types of desire mentioned before, that are impossible for anyone in the entire world to fulfill, is the path of following the Guru principle. It is obvious that it is a most difficult path. It is easy for those who follow it steadily. For those who attempt to follow it and then give it up, it is a path that is hard to follow. How to find Guru? How to serve Guru? How to please Guru? How to meditate upon Guru? How to worship Guru? Many conditions are stipulated. Intense devotion, steady concentration, great effort, and unwavering faith are required to follow this path.
When any new subject is taken up for study, first the foreword has to be studied to find out as to the general subject that the book covers. Then the Table of Contents will reveal the topics that the book deals with. It is only when you approach it systematically that this sacred scripture that deals with Guru can be properly studied and understood. Sri Guru Gita describes the Guru principle in detail following this sequence.
It is impossible to win the grace of Guru unless constant motivation, firm determination, and sustained interest are present in practicing with discipline, the spiritual exercises, focused contemplation, proper performance of rituals, and attentive, careful, and loving service. Those who have undertaken training in nursing, I call them angels, unless they show a sustained interest in their profession of service they will not achieve success in their occupation. Such an opportunity to serve is not granted to everyone. Not everyone has the aptitude for such types of service occupations. Some may be disinterested. Some may feel repulsed. Some may be lazy. Some may lack the patience that such an occupation demands.
Whatever single detail of knowledge is required to serve Guru efficiently has been clearly explained by Lord Siva to His consort Parvati in Sri Guru Gita. Sri Adi Shankara has clearly mentioned that. The way Lord Siva has disclosed the entire secret, Adi Shankara has also explained. How to choose Guru is the first topic that we will address.

Episode 7

Following Guru is a tough task. All the intricacies involved in it have been explained to Mother by the Father of the Universe without skipping any detail. When he disclosed this information to Mother, it is as if He has disclosed it to the world. Are we competent to choose Guru? We are deceived by the strange colors of clothing, the various bead ornaments, strange markings on the body with ash or vertical lines on the forehead, matted hair or a long beard, and run after such people assuming them to be enlightened. We do not know what they have to offer. Generally people in this world do not have matted hair or long beards. But to grow them requires no deliberate effort or investment. They grow on their own. People chase after such people. Those people in turn take advantage of such gullible followers and rip them off. We are ill equipped to know who truly is Guru. We do not know whom to choose as Guru. Upon the recommendation of many, or fooled by a large following, we go after someone and hold on to their feet. It is our karma. The first requirement is that we should become competent in choosing Guru. Choosing Guru is serving Guru, offering personal attention and service, such as attending to the personal needs and giving assistance. People think that serving Guru involves massaging Guru’s feet or washing his clothes. The fact is that you simply cannot choose Guru. How would you determine whether one is enlightened or not? Can you determine by the outward appearance? Can you determine by the people who follow him? A first grader wanted to ascertain whether he had a good mathematics teacher or not. He asked him whether he knows all the multiplication tables from 1-100. The teacher confidently said, yes. The child then asked him to recite them. The man did. But the child did not know whether the numbers were correct. So he asked another elderly person standing by whether the teacher was saying them correctly. The elder endorsed that the person knew the tables. But the child was not convinced. He did not know the subject to determine for himself. He was suspicious whether the other man was competent in the subject. He did not have faith in the words of the stranger. How will the child judge the competence of his teacher? With his limited knowledge, it is impossible for the child to gauge the competence of his teacher. Based on the confidence with which the teacher repeated the tables, and based on the love that he showed towards the child, the boy slowly began to place his faith on the teacher. You have to understand this concept very carefully and clearly. Only then you will be able to follow what is to come.

Episode 8

Because of that faith, he studied attentively and became proficient in Mathematics. This we understand. Because the teacher recited the tables with great confidence, the student became convinced of the competence of the teacher, and was inspired. The student, when he becomes proficient in Mathematics, realizes that his teacher not only is knowledgeable in the 100th multiplication table, but has a good grasp on the entire subject of Mathematics. The childhood impression that he had, that the 100th multiplication table is great knowledge, he now realizes was very immature. Similarly, it is impossible in the field of spirituality, for us to gauge on our own, the greatness of Guru. Like that youngster, generally, seeing some evidence in Guru, and following the example of spiritual seekers who are more advanced, some people choose their own Guru. Even here, there are some problems. By seeing certain miracles, the grandeur, the skillful oratory, and the extensive propaganda, many people get fooled. Oh, so many followers, of so much of publicity, and such riches! People become falsely impressed by these. Then what is the exact proof? First of all, why do we need Guru? One should first and foremost have the yearning to find the light that is not touched by a shadow, to satisfy the three fundamental desires that we have mentioned before. Only when such a thirst is present within you, and the search for guru begins, and association with some good souls occurs, then at some particular point, you will experience an extraordinary peace inside your heart. It is only when you are filled with an eagerness for finding a spiritual Guru who is enlightened, that the possibility occurs that a competent Guru who is none other than the Supreme Soul, will enter your life. We are on a search for Guru. We are exerting a serious effort with devotion and sincerity to find someone who has experienced the highest knowledge and we are eager to savor it ourselves. Then Guru will certainly come into your life. When that happens, in His presence you forget all the turmoil that is in your life. When you see that individual, when you experience the tremendous energy that permeates his presence, an inexplicable peace, and an indescribable joy is experienced. The undisclosed fear within the heart concerning our problems is replaced by the confidence that our problems will be overcome. Let us look at an example.

Episode 9

We were discussing as to how Guru may be obtained. We have established that at some particular point during your life’s journey, while you are in the association of some good souls, you will experience extraordinary peace inside your heart. An indefinable joy is experienced. In His presence you forget all the turmoil that is in your life. Confidence is gained that you can overcome all problems. When you see that individual, you feel a sense of intimacy with him, a feeling of love that he belongs to you, that he is a family member. Your fear is gone, and you feel assured that he can remove all your troubles. When you experience such a feeling, when your attention becomes focused on that person, you may recognize and feel certain that He is your Guru. His presence automatically infuses you with peace and joy. That form, that personality, gives indescribable joy.
Narada performed penance and felt convinced that he had conquered desire and lust. Vishnu questioned him as to the location where the penance was performed. Narada replied that it was where Siva had burnt Kama, the God of Desire to ashes. Vishnu said, “The tremendous energy that permeates that location granted you the perfect sense control while you were there. The sense control that you had experienced there has vanished now. Away from that spot, the restraint no longer exists. You must maintain that self-control throughout, wherever you may be.”
Guru is very difficult for you to recognize. Guru himself comes to you. You, with your limited mental capacity do not possess the ability to identify Guru. But from this statement stems a type of obstinacy, a false argument in some people that you should simply remain at ease without making any effort on your part, since Guru will come to you on his own regardless. Such complacency should not be entertained. It is wrong. The reason is that the ocean of compassion, the Supreme Soul Himself, the first and foremost Guru, takes on innumerable forms to suit his disciples who are all of very different natures. Not every form is suitable for everyone. Not every circumstance where he manifests is applicable for each one’s individual experience and situation.

Episode 10

OM. Obeisance to Sadguru. “Since he is anyway going to come, why should we make any deliberate effort to go in search of Guru?” It is a false argument put forth by some, who are nothing but lazy. The reason is that out of His infinite compassion the foremost Guru assumes innumerable forms to suit the innumerable differences in his disciples. Not all of the forms are suitable for you. Not all of them are useful for you. Only some of those are of use to you. While you are still preparing to qualify for Guru, the Sadguru who is a match for you will be within proximity but will not reveal himself to you until the right time comes. It is only when you become eligible that his presence will become disclosed. All your evil ways should leave you. That yearning that burns within you which makes you search for Guru with eagerness and zeal, qualifies you to receive Guru in your life. You have not remained complacent and idle. Only when your heart is pure, attentive, committed, calm, devout, gentle, earnest, knowledgeable, and sincere, you become eligible to find Guru. It is not enough if you simply close your eyes and tell yourself that you are seeking Guru. He, who has all along been close to you, then becomes recognizable in your heart. If you assume that since Guru has entered your life, all your troubles and responsibilities are at an end, that you do not have to worry about children or other obligations any more, you have made a huge mistake, and you will take a big toss. Yes, you have climbed a huge step. You have in fact reached the next higher level. But you are still on the edge. It is easy for you to slip and fall. Now a certain peace and calm have entered into you. Because of the spiritual zeal and agony with which you have searched for Guru, you have now found Guru. You now feel a certain respite and solace. Your thoughts are more at ease now. Your sense organs have earned some strength and courage. These are the benefits you have acquired by the entry of Guru into your life. But because you have now become free from fear, your grip on your sense organs may loosen. Because of that, all the suppressed worldly desires may once again raise their heads. Your lack of self-restraint may resurface. You must not relent in your tough determination in your pursuit. If your intellect becomes relaxed, your mental frailties will once gather strength. If you think, “Sadguru is there now to take care. Why should I continue with my efforts and why should I struggle anymore? I can now behave as I please. I do not need to follow strict austerities. Now that Guru has taken charge of my life, let me eat what I want, let me talk as I please, let me indulge in entertaining myself as my heart desires,” you are going to invite big trouble upon yourself. Only if you remain as disciplined, as austere, and as self-restrained and committed as you were, while you were anxiously searching for Guru, only then, you will be successful. Otherwise you will not.

Episode 11

It is possible for the devotee to forget the purpose for which he has taken refuge with Guru in the first place, after seeing the glorious form of Guru. It is natural that once the divinity of Guru is experienced, the feeling comes that now Guru should be used to satisfy all worldly desires. The original purpose of earning spiritual knowledge and merging with the Supreme Soul is often forgotten.
The disciple is given the task of counting the heaps and heaps of gold. Regardless of who it belongs to, he is given the job of counting it. He is tempted to pocket a few fistfuls. That he has been brought here in the first place to perform the divine task of counting the gold is forgotten. The thought comes into the mind, “Why can’t Guru give me a part of the heap of gold that he possesses?” The feeling comes into the mind that worldly desires can now be fulfilled by the absolutely pure and perfect Sadguru’s immense power and grace. In spite of coming into the divine presence of Sadguru, the fundamental aim is forgotten and is replaced by the desire to enjoy worldly pleasures. There are many people who reach this stage and then slip and suffer a downfall.
As if this is not enough, Guru’s tests commence at this point. As soon as Sadguru is seen, the list of desires surfaces in the mind of the disciple. Desire wreaks havoc in his mind. The sense that he has obtained this immense boon of obtaining Guru, and a chance to obtain spiritual knowledge, is wiped out. The disciple now worries that he may forget to ask Guru for this or that worldly favor, and so recites the entire list of wishes in the presence of Guru on the very same day. That is the weakness suffered by many. He fails to recognize his blessing that he has earned Guru‘s grace.
The disciple begins to think, “Yes, it is true that there is much happiness in my heart since Guru has entered my life, but my troubles at home have increased since then.” With this thought some people leave their Guru. ”I used to be moderately healthy before. After I started taking this medicine, my health has deteriorated,” Is the complaint of some disciples. Such people use this excuse to leave Guru. The reason that the symptoms that were hitherto suppressed have now become severe is because the infection, the toxic contamination that has been hiding inside is now being taken out, being expelled, by Guru.
For example, if you kiss a dirty silk garment and carefully store it inside, it is not going to become clean. It will get clean only if it is washed with a cleaning agent. Similarly, a lump of gold is not usable as it is. Only if it gets repeatedly purified in fire, it will be possible to make ornaments with it. If because the fabric is pure silk, you do not wish to wash it, or because it is gold, you refuse to apply heat to it, they will forever remain dirty and impure.
Guru subjects disciples to tests to remove the dirt that is inside them. Not knowing this, and not wishing to undergo such tests, some people leave Guru. The severity of Guru’s tests is exemplified in the example of Deepaka in Datta Purana. Several examples are given of tests administered by Sadguru. The more he tests, the more the disciple gets purified. How much heat should be applied to retrieve the purest form of gold! Do you know? How can you be satisfied by being left as dirty and impure gold? Several stories are there to explain this.

Episode 12

As we mentioned yesterday, Datta Purana explains through the story of Deepaka how severe the tests of Guru can be. Similarly, the story of Aruni in the Mahabharata gives another good example. These two stories give us good illustrations. Not everyone can withstand the tests of Guru the way Deepaka did. Instead of passing successfully the tests given by Guru, many fools in this world interpret the tests of Guru as flaws they see in the Guru. These are people who attribute their failure to the incompetence of the teacher. Such people change their minds and go in search of a different and better Guru. People begin with the idea that Guru is Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva and in fact the Supreme Soul. They consider Guru to be the giver, protector, mentor, friend and relative. When they are subjected to tests, these people do not wish to be bothered by them and decide to change Guru. They change Guru as if they are exchanging merchandize in a store, or shifting to a different rental property. Is it possible? You tell me. Changing Guru is like changing one’s parents. Many people are there who make such a change and speak about it with confidence, that this new Guru has a large following and he is also a good speaker. When they get the idea that they should seek a better Guru, such an intention itself sows the seed for their absolute downfall. Swamiji is giving you a caution. However many mistakes you commit, Guru accepts, but, once you entertain the thought that you should switch Gurus, you may rest assured that in this entire lifetime you will have to remain without any Guru. Changing Guru is meaningless. It should never happen. Before deciding on Guru, you may deliberate a hundred times. But having chosen your Guru, you must never waver in your decision. Swamiji has given you some pointers to follow, regarding how to recognize Guru. Moreover, beforehand you must decide in how many ways you wish to test Guru. Only after performing all such tests, you make the final decision that he is the Guru for you. Give yourself time. I have told you that as soon as you see Guru, his tests will begin. At this stage you do not have to make your firm decision. After undergoing some tests, you decide whether you have the strength, no matter how severely he wishes to test you, that he will remain your Guru. Take your time in making your decision. But once the decision is made by you, there is absolutely no question of reversing it. You simply do not have the right to change your mind about Guru.

Episode 13

We have said that you can take your time to decide about Guru after much deliberation. But once you have made your decision, you have no right to reverse the decision and reject your Guru. Until you make your decision, Guru will not accept you as a disciple. You have to explicitly state that you have accepted this Guru. Your own mind is your witness. Once this mutual agreement is made, Guru will never leave you. There is mutual trust between the two. Neither of them can break the bond. Even if you reject his help, Guru, whose compassion is immeasurable, will still follow you lifetime after lifetime to rescue you and protect you because of the worship that you had offered him earlier, and the trust that you had placed in him to begin with. He has to fulfill the boon that he had granted you earlier. The story of Bhadraseela in Sri Datta Darsanam stands as a proof for this. One can listen to this story any number of times.
Once you accept a Guru, if you reject him and accept another Guru, you will be the loser at both ends. You cannot escape it. You must remember this. The story of Devendra proves this point. Indra’s position is earned by the performance of 100 Asvamedha yagas, and great penance. As long as that merit is preserved, the position lasts. But despite reaching such an exalted state, many have fallen from the position by committing mistakes. Indra once accepted Brihaspati, the Guru of the gods as his Sadguru. Under his guidance he was able to suppress the demons and he ruled his kingdom in comfort. After some time had elapsed like this with no disturbances in his reign of the three worlds, Indra’s mind got diverted towards sensual enjoyments and luxuries. There was no anxiety about any attacks from the demons. There was no fear of war. There was no demand for any effort and there was no fear. Many people maintain their health only when they remain in a state of fear. Indra had everything going very smoothly. He had plenty of prosperity. But now his mind was drawn towards pleasures. When one has too much wealth, there will be no inclination to engage in charity, or to help the needy. The coffers will be full and overflowing and that will naturally lead to extravagance, and lavish and wasteful spending for bad habits and addictions. Let us see what the future holds for such persons.

Episode 14

We were discussing the story of Indra. In that story, we learned that Indra was living very happily and comfortably in his kingdom. His mind then turned towards sensual pleasures. What happens to people when they become wealthy? They lose all their wealth in gambling, in consuming liquor, in various vices and evil habits. Similarly, one day Indra in heaven was absorbed in witnessing the dance and relishing the pleasures given by the Apsaras, the celestial maidens. At that time, while Indra was intoxicated with arrogance and immersed in the enjoyment of pleasures, his Guru Brihaspati came there. Devendra ignored his presence. There is no greater misdeed than ignoring the arrival and presence of one’s Guru. Observing this, Brihaspati left in fury. No one knew where he went. It was impossible to trace his whereabouts even through deep contemplation.
Indra got very angry at Brihaspati that he arrived at an inopportune time without any advance intimation, and also that he left so unceremoniously. ‘When I was immersed in my pleasures, he came in. Even after seeing me, he left without accosting or greeting me. Is this the proper behavior for a guru and a respectable individual?” Indra was seething with displeasure at the behavior of Brihaspati. Indra regarded him only as a minister and a priest. He forgot to acknowledge that Brihaspati was his Guru. Brihaspati was giving him guidance and advice as a minister. Hence, Indra treated him only as a consultant, an astrologer, and as a fixer of schedules of important events, and as a casual counselor. He never treated him as Guru should be treated. In truth, one who has been accepted as one’s Guru should not be used for such petty services. It is not fair. It is not proper to treat him like an ordinary consultant. Guru is extremely special and exalted. There are many qualified professionals who can set dates for marriages and house warming ceremonies. It is wrong to ask Guru for approval of such dates. Guru is extremely powerful and competent in releasing one from bondage. He brings about a transformation in an individual. Indra forgot that Brihaspati was his Guru. Because of this misdemeanor committed by him, Indra lost all his acquired merit. There is no need to elaborate on this. All the accumulated merit and good fortune gets melted away the moment one rejects Guru. It goes without saying that Guru should not be ignored under any circumstance. He should never be treated or spoken of lightly. It must never be said complainingly, “My Guru predicted something, but it turned out differently.” Your line of thinking should be, “What if he had said something different, how much worse it would have been for me.” Guru’s statements should be analyzed from different angles with the conviction, “It is for my benefit that he spoke such words. My Guru, who knows all past and future lifetimes of all individuals, knows what is best for each one at any given time.” Even Indra, who was so knowledgeable, suffered the fate of losing all his glory because he treated his Guru with disrespect.

Episode 15

We have learned that because of rejecting Guru, Indra had lost all his power. The demons observed this and decided to wage war against him, considering this to be an opportune time. This reminds us of the story of Emperor Nala, who once neglected to wash his feet properly with water, and Sani (Saturn) at once seized the opportunity to enter his life. One should never perform an incomplete job of washing one’s feet. Troubles will always be waiting in the wings to approach us the moment we fail to watch our actions. The demons saw that Indra has now become weak, having lost the support of his Guru, who with his power would have crushed the wings of the demons had they attempted to attack Indra. Now Indra has no one to give him proper timely advice. As if by the influence of Saturn, Indra met with defeat at every step, in his war against the demons, because of the absence of Guru in his life. Indra, in his bad judgment decided that since Brihaspati had left him, he will go ahead and look for another Guru and priest who is even greater than Brihaspati. It was after all my decision in the past to choose him. He began his search. Arrogance builds up due to position. Indra became egotistical. Some people act foolishly out of ignorance also.
Tvashta, a Prajapati, for certain reasons married a demon maiden named Rachana. They had two great sons, Roopa and Viswaroopa. Indra approached Roopa and requested him to be his Guru. Roopa gave good advice to Indra that changing Guru is detrimental both to Indra and to the new Guru, should he accept the request. “Your request is inappropriate, Indra. Changing Guru will bring you misfortune. The right approach is to plead with Brihaspati to forgive you and to be your Guru once again. Are you greater than Brihaspati, that you are displaying such arrogance? If you are greater than your own Guru then why do you need another Guru? One must never change Guru. You confess to your Guru that you have underestimated his glory. Do not hold your own arrogance and your sin as higher than the power of Guru. You are making a mistake. You must not change your Guru. I must not accept your request.” Indra then approached Visvaroopa.
There are those in this world who will not heed good advice. They will not attempt to understand the logic behind the good words. They say, “How do they know my plight? They do not understand.” They get angry at people who give them good advice. They feel slighted when their request is rejected and fail to consider the reason or justification for the good counsel that has been offered to them. Their line of thinking goes like this: “I gave you importance and asked you to be my Guru. Who are you to tell me that my action is wrong? If you do not wish to oblige me, simply say so and that is sufficient. Who are you to offer me advice?” Let us see what happens next.

Episode 16

What did Indra do? He left Roopa and went to Viswaroopa. Roopa had offered sane advice to Indra which was rejected. But Viswaroopa had a different and a strange personality. He had three heads, while Roopa had only one head. Lord Dattatreya has three heads, but here this individual was a human with a demonic quality and sported three heads. With one head he constantly consumed meat, with the second head he consumed liquor, and with the third head he continuously chanted the Vedas. It was very strange indeed. By wrapping a silk saree on a pig can one make it look beautiful? While eating meat and drinking liquor, if one chants the Vedas, is it of any use? He felt flattered that he was being given the opportunity of being Guru to the gods themselves. He also had a grudge against his brother. Now that Indra himself had approached him with the request, he felt happy that he got a chance to get even with his brother. As his Guru, Viswaroopa had Indra perform several sacrificial rituals. In one of them he also had Indra invoke the presence of Lord Dattatreya and earned for him His grace. Well and good. In addition, Visvaroopa initiated Indra into the Narayana Kavacha so that he would be blessed with victory in battles. Visvaroopa had great love for his mother, who had much loyalty towards her parents. Secretly, in all the religious rituals, Viswaroopa was arranging for a portion of the fruits of the sacrifices to be distributed amongst the demons. Outwardly he was having the deities perform great rituals, and as a result, his fame increased amongst them. That was quite natural. Let us see how his popularity is going to diminish soon.

Episode 17

Because of the insistence of his mother, Viswaroopa secretly began distributing a portion of the fruits of the sacrificial rituals (yajnas) to the demons, while outwardly having the gods perform the rituals for their own benefit. The performance of so many wonderful yajnas by the celestials made Viswaroopa famous amongst them. Indra, on one hand began to resent the popularity that his Guru was enjoying amongst gods, demons, and humans, whom he had brought into limelight from obscurity. On the other hand he was unaware of Viswaroopa’s deception. One day, by the help of Narada, Indra learned of the secret goings on and understood the reason for his guru’s fame. By receiving the fruits of the rituals, the demons were now gaining strength. In a fit of rage Indra cut off the three heads of Viswaroopa as if he were swatting mosquitoes, without any consideration that he happened to be his Guru. Will the sin of killing Guru spare Indra? Guru was also a brahmin. The sin of killing a brahmin also accrued to him. In the meantime the demon Vritrasura began harassing Indra. Indra, who now lacked the support of Guru, was unable to withstand the attacks. One Guru he dismissed. Another Guru he slaughtered. Now he had no help. Under dire circumstances, he somehow managed to obtain the Vajra weapon by the grace of Sage Dadheechi and managed to kill Vritrasura. That is a very big story; a beautiful story. The sin of killing yet another brahmin befell him. Chased by the effects of these atrocious sins, in fright, Indra ran away from heaven and took shelter inside a lotus stalk within a pond. Like a small insect he remained hidden inside that narrow stem for ten thousand years. Nahusha, in the meantime became the new Indra. While hiding inside the stalk, Indra spent his time in intense prayer. Perhaps misfortune has its benefits. Many people, when they are beset with troubles caused by their own karma, out of desperation begin studying the Guru Gita, and the Bhagavatam. They memorize them. They chant the Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, Sri Lalita Sahasranama, Sri Lalitha Trisati, and they try to learn the meaning of these prayers. Let us also study one more time, the meaning of Sri Lalita Trisati that we had learned earlier. During that time Indra composed several Indra Kavachas. He composed prayers addressed to Goddess Lakshmi, and Lord Dattatreya also. Let us once again chant the Lakshmi Kavacham. Like this, many wonderful prayers came into existence while Indra remained inside the lotus stalk.

Episode 18

We have learned that, deprived of the strength of Guru, Indra was unable to bear the effects of the sins of killing brahmins, and hence ran away from heaven and took shelter inside a narrow lotus stalk where he spent 10,000 years composing and continuously singing innumerable prayers. Indra could have easily avoided this great calamity. To this day we remember and chant the prayers composed by him, such as those addressed to Lakshmi, Datta, and other deities. Nahusha in the meantime became Indra, the Lord of Heaven. See what plight Indra had to suffer because he rebelled against Guru? Because of the merit earned by presiding over all the sacrificial rituals performed under the guidance of Viswaroopa, and because of the merit earned by composing and chanting the innumerable prayers, Lord Dattatreya appeared before Indra inside the lake where he was hiding, and disclosed to him the truth which Indra had yet not realized, that the root cause of all his suffering was that he blamed and rejected his Guru Brihaspati. Indra was fortunate that Datta gave Indra the clue to get over his predicament, “You knew that no one has the right to change Gurus as if exchanging vegetables. You were blinded by your arrogance. See how low you have had to fall because of your ego? People who keep switching their loyalty towards Guru, incur curses, and seek the shelter of other Gurus can never escape this kind of a terrible downfall which results from sin. Because you have sung my praises, I have appeared before you. But still, even if you surrender to me now, you will not be spared from the degradation caused to you by your rejection of Guru Brihaspati. Since you have blamed and rejected your original Guru Brihaspati, and you have caused him intense grief, regardless of how much penance you perform, and how many deities shower their grace upon you, your situation will not improve. The one and only means by which you can atone for your sins is to perform deep penance with unwavering devotion addressing your Sadguru Brihaspati, and to beg and plead with him fervently to forgive you for your sins. Only the Guru whom you have hurt and discarded, he alone can wash away your sins and can uplift you.” By his immensely compassionate nature, Datta blessed Indra with the strategy for overcoming his dire situation. Up until now, there was no one else who cared to show Indra the way out. Let us see how Indra, who has now realized his mistake, uses this knowledge to make amends, and what the future holds for him.

Episode 19

Indra realized the truth and meditated upon his Guru Brihaspati as per the instruction given by Lord Dattatreya. By the grace of Lord Dattatreya, Brihaspati appeared before Indra. Indra was under the false impression that Brihaspati had concealed himself somewhere. As a matter of fact Guru is all-pervasive. He does not go anywhere. That is the secret of the Guru principle. In truth Lord Datta and Brihaspati are one and the same. Lord Datta, who knows this secret, summoned Brihaspati, and he at once came and stood before Indra. Had Indra alone begged for Brihaspati to come, he would not have come. Because Lord Datta intervened and helped Indra, Brihaspati came. Because of his repentance, his intense penance, and the exhaustion of the effects of his past bad karma, Brihaspati cleansed Indra of his sins and restored to him his past glory. By the command and grace of Datta, and by the prayers of Indra whose eyes were now opened to his own past mistakes, Brihaspati gave Indra back his power and grandeur. When one as great and powerful as Devendra could have suffered a fate such as this, it requires no mention how vulnerable the frail and weak-minded humans and other gods are. During the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya as Sri Narasimha Saraswati, a similar incident occurred. A spiritual aspirant, displeased at the short temper of his Guru, left him and approached Sri Nrsimha Saraswati. Many people mistakenly criticize that he, who cannot control his own temper is not eligible to be Guru. Sri Narasimha Saraswati gave the seeker some good counsel and explained that each individual gets the Guru that he deserves, and sent him back to his previous Guru. God determines Guru for each person, he said, and the disciple has no right to find fault that his Guru has either a short temper or that he is frivolous. The story of Trisanku is a good example. Under no circumstance should Guru be changed. Similarly, one cannot have two or three gurus, one for the morning, one for the evening, and for the holidays. Gurus are not restaurants that one can visit a different one each week and as per wish order a different item from the menu each time, such as masala dosa, etc. One should have only one Guru. You cannot have one Guru for explaining scriptures, one Guru for singing songs, one Guru for performing rituals, and so on.

Episode 20

It has been stressed that under no circumstance should one change the Guru and also that one cannot have more than one Guru. The question arises whether holy persons who are not one’s Guru are not great souls worthy of reverence when they come into your life. Yes, all great souls are worthy of reverence and worship. You must offer them service when required. See them all as different forms of your own Guru. You must accept the truth that Guru appears in many forms. You must adore and worship them, no doubt, but it is not acceptable that you should treat them as Guru and follow the principles or practices that they teach. What your Guru has instructed is the only path for you to follow. Once you decide to follow the precepts of one Guru, you should never receive instructions from other gurus, regardless of the worth and eligibility of the other great souls. You should only follow what your Guru has taught you. If what the others teach is in accordance with the teachings of your own Guru, there is no conflict and you can appreciate the similarity. It endorses that they also think along the same lines as your own Guru. But if there is any difference in the principles taught you must never say, “Oh, my Guru has failed to teach me this, or oh, someday perhaps my Guru will also teach me the same thing, there is nothing great about this person.” One feeling expresses your ego, and the other sentiment is baseless.
To a true seeker, every single atom in Creation is Guru. Avadhoota has 24 gurus according to the Datta Purana. When any teaching from another guru differs from what your own Guru has taught you, such teaching should be rejected. Guru determines the instruction that is suited to each disciple, and customizes his teaching. That is where a spiritual seeker has to be extremely careful. That is the significance of the 24 gurus mentioned in Datta Purana. One must be very careful in following the specific instruction given to each disciple.
When a great soul enters your life, serve him as if he is another form of your own Guru, but never consider him to be yet another Guru in your life. Such a thought must never arise in the mind. It is only under circumstances where your Sadguru gives up his physical form, leaves for penance to some faraway place such as the Himalayas on an extended stay, or when he himself directs you to follow another Guru, that you are allowed to accept another Guru. This should be done only when there is absolutely no chance for you to follow your own Guru in the rest of your lifetime. As long as you have your Guru, you should only follow his precepts. This is ordained and endorsed by the scriptures. You must not receive any initiation or yantras (ritual diagrams or images) from other gurus.

Episode 21

We have learned that when you have a Guru, you are not permitted to receive initiation, advice, spiritual images or talismans from other gurus. This is as per the direct counsel given by Lord Dattatreya to Lord Indra on the day he appeared before him (when Indra was hiding inside the lotus stalk). He had given this same instruction to King Kartaveeryarjuna also.
Some people express the doubt whether this tradition of following Guru applies more to the followers of Siva or to the followers of Vishnu. The answer to this question has already been given during our earlier discussion. But does it really matter? In the early part of the Guru Gita, because it says, “Sivaya Gurave Namaha” some persons wonder whether this teaching belongs primarily to the followers of Siva. But in verse 141 it says, “Sachchidananda roopaya Krishnaya klesaharine
namo vedanta vedyaya gurave buddhisakshine.”
It is believed therefore that this instruction also belongs to the worshipers of Sakti because this came as an answer to the question posed by the Mother Goddess to Siva. However, one may question why in this scripture, in several instances Siva is referred to as Guru. The primal reason is that Siva is giving this discourse to His consort Parvati. This clarifies that for a woman, the husband is the foremost guru. When the husband is not eligible to be the guru to his wife, then both the husband and the wife should together seek initiation from the same Guru. Even then, Guru gives the initiation to the wife only through the husband, only after inquiring about the identity and whereabouts of the husband. Guru always honors that hierarchy. This is the tradition. Grace flows to the wife from Guru only through the husband. To make this point clear, it is shown that Siva, the husband of Parvati, is her true Guru.
There is another reason. Guru is easily pleased and grants boons quicker than any other deity. Siva, amongst all gods is the most easily pleased. He grants favors speedily. That is why in this scripture, Siva is presented as Guru. What is wrong in that?
The undivided Consciousness, by the turmoil caused by Maya (illusion) became split into two, as Nature and Soul (Prakriti and Purusha). Nature in turn divided itself into the three Gunas, Satva, Rajas, and Tamas. Consequently, Creation with name and form came into existence. In this Creation, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, Devi and other deities came into being for performing the functions of Creation, Preservation, Destruction, and so on. Brahma began creating the Universe using Rajo Guna, the creative force. But he found to his displeasure that the people who were being created were slipping gradually into Tamo Guna, ignorance. Out of deep concern, to rescue his children from their plight and to uplift them, Brahma decided that an antidote for this had to be invented. He gave the issue some serious thought. The antidote had to raise their consciousness above and beyond the three Gunas. He dedicated his attention towards this mission. He at once stimulated the intellects of his mind-born son Atri, and his shadow-born son Prajapati. This was done through contemplation alone. Let us see what the result of his effort was.

Episode 22

At once Brahma stimulated merely through mental vibrations, the intellects of his mind-born son Atri, and his shadow-born son Prajapati. The marriage between Atri and Anasuya, and the birth of Lord Dattatreya, the embodiment of the Trinity were a result of this action. The story of the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya gives direct proof that the Guru principle transcends the three Gunas. We are all familiar with the story of Datta. We are all asked to study the story of Datta as a ritual for seven days or for 40 days. Therefore, this Guru principle is close to all traditions and is not in conflict with any. Lord Dattatreya is the fundamental principle who is at the root of all subsequent different philosophies which have evolved. Hence, whether knowingly or unknowingly all those who meditate upon Guru contemplate on Lord Dattatreya who is the form of the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, as they chant, “Gurur brahma, gurur vishnuhu gurur devo maheswaraha …”
When these philosophical ideas are presented, some of you may express another doubt. The impression is entertained by many that in life a Guru should be approached only when all worldly desires have been satisfied, and when one is ready to renounce all involvements. Another false notion of some people is that Guru should be sought only after retirement, and that once a Guru is accepted, one has to give up everything, or will lose everything and will have to become a sanyasi. This is a mistaken idea.
Why are we engaging in this discussion? We began with the premise that the countless desires that we experience stem from three basic desires which each individual wishes to fulfill. You may think that today you have only this one desire. Not just from this lifetime, but since innumerable past lifetimes you have been entertaining a multitude of desires. Some people adhere to only one desire through many consecutive lifetimes. Such a persistent single desire is tantamount to penance. But we do not follow that trend. We forget the old desires and come up with new desires each time. God in His compassion, has to satisfy all of our desires, and as a result we are forced to be born over and over again to experience the fulfillment of all such desires. Hence, it is better not to entertain any desires. You have heard the story of King Kartaveeryarjuna. It is the ultimate example of one who got all his desires fulfilled. If you study the history of Datta you will understand. Is anyone capable of asking for any greater boons than what Kartaveeryarjuna had asked for? Guru’s compassion granted him all his desires and bestowed even more boons upon him. Worship of Guru is the best worship. There are several different austerities and rituals of worship. But the facility with worship of Guru is that it is superior. Other manners of worship procure for you only what you ask for. But with worship of Guru you not only have all your worldly desires fulfilled, but you gain benefits that you had not even imagined. In addition, without your knowledge, your intellect develops towards the understanding of higher spiritual truths. That is why, although Kartaveeryarjuna approached Guru with a desire for kingdom, he ended up by climbing the spiritual ladder up to the level of becoming merged with his Guru. Even though he began with worldly desires, he did not simply remain at that level.

Episode 23

Compared to other spiritual practices, the method of following Guru offers a great advantage. The other pursuits grant only what you wish for, nothing else, and nothing more. In addition to satisfying your worldly desires, without your awareness your intellect will soar towards higher realms, and more than what you had ever imagined will be your reward when you follow Guru. The worship of other deities bestows only the boons that you ask for, whereas Guru, while he gives you what you desire, also grants you liberation. That is why, Kartaveeryarjuna, who approached Guru initially with a desire for kingdom, step by step rose to the highest spiritual level.
Swamiji is initiating all of you into this Guru Gita with the hope and desire that in addition to fulfilling all your desires, it would also open the doors to your blissful inner consciousness, the existence of which you never even imagined. He is not only initiating you into this teaching, but he is also sharing with you all the secret inner meanings contained in it. You are indeed very fortunate and blessed. Utilize this great beneficence and fulfill the purpose of your lives. Wishing for your welfare, for the satisfaction of all your wishes, and for granting you an experience of bliss, by meditating upon Guru Lord Dattatreya, he is now going to begin this spiritual journey.
We have to learn the detailed meaning of the verses that lead us into the contemplation of Guru. Before commencing any good deed, one should remember Guru. Since we are going to be discussing the Guru Gita, an act that is unsurpassed in the world for its merit, let us begin with the contemplation of Guru. The foremost Guru of all is Lord Dattatreya. He embodies the Trinity. Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu, and Guru is Siva. All Gurus who follow in this lineage are all also embodiments of all the three. Without question, Lord Dattatreya is the ultimate Supreme Soul. We offer him our prostrations.
In this context, let us learn how Guru Veda Dharma blessed his disciple Deepaka. It is an important incident in a short story. In the olden days, Deepaka, the disciple of Guru Veda Dharma believed that Guru was all in all. He believed that all deities resided in his Guru. When Siva and Vishnu appeared before him and offered him boons, Deepaka remained unmoved in his dedication to Guru. For possessing such intense devotion, let us find out what immense grace he received. Assuming that Deepaka’s devotion to Guru was not genuine, the other disciples created obstacles in every single effort of his. It is natural and commonplace that when one is trying to rise high, others try to pull him down. Afraid that Deepaka may rise to dizzying heights by the grace of Guru, the rest of the disciples tried their level best to drag him down by placing hurdles in his path of devotion to Guru. Let us see what happened after they managed to drag him down.

Episode 24

We learned that the rest of the disciples of Veda Dharma considered Deepaka’s devotion to be fake and caused him innumerable obstacles in his service to Guru. Regardless, Deepaka remained constant in his devotion to Guru. In fact, he strengthened his faith in Guru. Veda Dharma recognized this. He resolved to shower his grace upon Deepaka as well as on the other disciples by demonstrating to them the greatness of Guru.
The very next instant Veda Dharma’s appearance changed completely. All of a sudden he became afflicted with leprosy. All his disciples felt repulsed at the sight and were unwilling to go near him. Veda Dharma saw this. He assembled all the disciples and said, “I can cure myself by my powers. But I do not wish to do so. I want to experience the balance of my karma in this lifetime itself. My desire is to spend some time in Kasi. The reason for this meeting is to say that one of you must go with me. I am going to Kasi. I have this horrible disease. No one amongst you likes to come near me. I know that you are all feeling bad about this situation. Hence, I do not wish to remain here. I will go to Kasi and continue my penance there to get rid of this affliction. One of you should go along with me to attend to all my needs and to serve me whether I am well or ill. I will need timely administration of medicines and regular dressing of my wounds. There will be a lot of work. It will be good if one of you accompanies me. But there is one condition. You are aware of my short temper. You must withstand my angry outbursts. You have to patiently serve me in every way without minding my irritable nature. Who will accompany me to Kasi?”
His appearance was so repulsive and he was stinking so wretchedly that no one felt like even taking one step towards Veda Dharma. It was impossible to even exchange a word with him. At such a time, Deepaka came forward and said, “Gurudeva, I will go with you. I request to be given this wonderful opportunity of serving you. Please grant me this blessing.”
Veda Dharma agreed and took Deepaka along with him and reached Kasi. Once they reached Kasi, the disease worsened. Guru had said that in Kasi he would cure himself, but the very same day that they reached Kasi, the symptoms became severe. Guru’s tests are like that. Pus and contaminated blood oozed and the stench became unbearable. Deepaka served his Guru night and day without showing any impatience, tiredness, or displeasure. Veda Dharma kept expressing his irritable nature at every juncture, despite the sincere services rendered by Deepaka. Deepaka ignored all the scolding and complaints and continued to look after his Guru twenty four hours a day, being alert to his needs every moment. Let us see how far this service to Guru continued.

Episode 25

Deepaka continued his dedicated service to his Guru without any boredom, and without taking a single break. Veda Dharma continued to show his irritation towards him, not only in private, but in public as well. He reeled off a list of false complaints against his disciple to all the outsiders, blaming Deepaka for lack of patience, short temper, lack of respect and regard, negligence, and incompetence. Deepaka was blamed if he ever stepped out. Guru was tormenting Deepaka but gave the reverse impression to others that he was being ill-treated by his disciple. The more his Guru complained, the more Deepaka loved him.
Deepaka’s fame spread to all the four corners for his sincerity, patience, and unwavering devotion to Guru. People spoke, not about the Guru, but about the disciple who, in spite of the stench that extended over the entire street, tolerated it, and served his Guru with steadfast love and extraordinary care.
Even Lord Viswanatha of Kasi learned about Deepaka’s exemplary service to Guru. He stepped out from the Jyotirlinga (in the temple) and stood before Veda Dharma’s hut and lovingly called out, “Deepaka!”
Deepaka responded to the call with a pleading tone, “O Lord of all the worlds, please lower your voice. My Guru is resting. Please do not disturb the peace here. I prostrate to you, please do not disturb my Guru’s sleep.” Visveswara (the Lord of the Universe) felt extremely pleased with this reply.
He said, “Deepaka, I am thrilled to learn of your devotion to Guru. I am offering you a boon. Name your wish.”
Deepaka responded reverentially, “O Lord, I am grateful to you beyond measure for your compassion. I do not require any boon. You please speak with my Guru. Unless he bids, I take no decisions. Without his suggestion, I will not ask for anything. You please wait outside until he wakes up.”
Lord Siva got angry at Deepaka’s arrogance that his offer of a boon was being dismissed so lightly. He said, “I am giving you one last chance. Will you accept my boon or not?”
Deepaka begged, “O Lord of the Universe, please do not be angry. Under no circumstance will I ask for any boon without the approval of my Guru. After he wakes up, as he commands, I will act. I never act on my own accord. No matter how angry you may get, it does not matter.”
Lord Siva, feeling insulted, said, “If that be the case, I am not going to leave you alone. I will keep watching you.” He proceeded to see Lord Vishnu and appeared before him, vowing to see to the end of this matter.

Episode 26

Lord Siva, angry at Deepaka that he rejected his offer of a boon, vowing to continue to observe his attitude and to continue to subject him to tests, went to Lord Vishnu and remarked to him about the extraordinary and unique level of devotion Deepaka has for his Guru. “I have been observing him for a while. It would be good if you also take a look at him,” persuaded Lord Siva. Vishnu’s interest was stimulated with these words of praise, and he also wished to see Deepaka. At once he appeared at where Deepaka was located. He lovingly called out, “Deepaka!” Overwhelmed with joy at the sight of Lord Vishnu, Deepaka prostrated to him reverentially. Lord Vishnu offered, “Deepaka, your devotion to Guru is indeed commendable. Name your wish. I will grant you the boon.” Deepaka repeated the same words to Lord Vishnu, as he had spoken with Lord Siva. “O Lord, my Guru is sleeping. After he wakes up, I will consult with him and then only express my wish.” Lord Vishnu got very angry and left, unable to do anything else.
Veda Dharma called out, “Deepaka!” Deepaka went to his Guru. Guru asked him, “Who were you conversing with? I have been listening to the noise that was created. It has been disturbing my sleep. Who were you chitchatting with?” Deepaka explained in detail the visits of Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu, and their offers of boons.
Guru asked, “What did you say to them?”
“I told them that until I consulted with you, I would not express any wish.
“Why did you say that? Why did you not ask for any personal favor?”
Deepaka responded devoutly with closed eyes, “O Guru, you are my Siva. You are my Vishnu. I desire only the boons granted by you. Whatever you bless me with is the greatest boon for me.”
When he opened his eyes, Veda Dharma’s leprosy had completely vanished. His body glowed in perfect health. He looked at Deepaka and exclaimed with compassion and showered his blessings, “Your faith in Guru is exemplary. That is why you were blessed with the darshan of Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu. Whoever remembers you with reverence will be freed from difficulties. Their prosperity will increase. Their faith in Guru will strengthen. You remain right here in Kasi. By my grace you will acquire all spiritual accomplishments (Siddhis) and you will become proficient in all branches of knowledge. All the celestial energies (Siddha Ganas) will follow your command.” Deepaka received immeasurable grace. It is said that there is a temple built in Kasi in honor of Deepaka.
This shows how generously Guru showers his boons upon a disciple who fully and firmly believes in him. Guru administers many tests. He creates many doubts and temptations in the mind of the disciple. One should withstand and conquer them all.
Deepaka was intelligent. He could have asked Lord Siva for any boon or a boon such as, “Cure my Guru’s disease.” Or, he could have asked Lord Vishnu, “Free my Guru of his affliction.” He did neither of those. He was adamant that no one other than his Guru could grant him any boon.
Deepaka acknowledged the greatness of the two Lords and knew that they were gods of gods. Yet, he firmly believed that he would accept only the boons granted to him by his Guru and no one else. He knew that even for his Guru they were gods. Still, they were not his gods. For Deepaka, his Guru alone was God. He would not receive any reward from any other god.
We have seen until now, how Deepaka declared his firm faith in Guru by rejecting boons from anyone else other than his Guru.

Episode 27

Verse 1: I offer my prostrations to the Guru lineage, beginning with Lord Dattatreya, continuing with countless incarnations such as Sri Narasimha Saraswati, proceeding all the way to my present Guru in the form of Sat, Chit, Ananda.
One must commence with this prayer:
Now, the method of absorbing the energy of the Gu Ru mantra by way of inhalation and exhalation while meditating upon Guru through the Guru mantra, is being explained.
Verse 2: Venerable Guru, who is – the cause of the Universe, the form is the Universe, the occupant of innumerable physical bodies, ever free, of countless forms, the cause of all, undivided, filled with Consciousness, whole and complete, endless, beneficent, directly manifested in the syllables Gu and Ru, and eternal, should be meditated upon in the lotus of one’s heart that has been purified by the revolution of the two swans, Hamsa and Soham.
This is the gist of the dhyana sloka (verse for contemplation)
It is evident to all that we live by breathing in and out. Like inside a furnace, with inhalation and exhalation energy is generated, and that immeasurable energy that is created flows through all the internal organs and helps us to live. The swan symbolizes breathing. Air goes in. The air that is breathed in does not come out unchanged. It enters the heart, purifies the blood inside, undergoes a change and then comes out. Therefore, the swan that goes in is different from the swan that comes out. These are the two swans. We exist because of the swinging action of these two swans. One swan is called Hamsa. The other swan is called Soham.
Gu Ru is the divine mantra consisting of two syllables. These syllables are the direct, comprehensible form of Guru. When these two syllables are linked to the two swans and breathing in and out is performed continuously absorbing the mantra into the heart, it is called Ajapa Japa. To the one who performs this without break, in addition to the ordinary heart, the yoga heart that is located on the right side also gets cleansed.

Episode 28

We have learned that the technique of Ajapa Japa links the breath which is in the form of two swans, continuously with the two syllables Gu and Ru, thus absorbing the Guru mantra into the heart. In the individual who practices this without a break, in addition to the ordinary heart, the yoga heart that is located on the right side also gets cleansed. To the one who contemplates on Guru as the manifestation of the two syllables of Gu and Ru following the Ajapa Japa method, the Guru out of his own accord reveals himself. Such meditation is the best kind.
How does Guru manifest himself? Does he appear in the form of a human being or a celestial being? Does he appear with a beard, or with a shaven head?
All the descriptive phrases used in the above verse explain Guru’s supreme status. Guru appears as the Supreme Master. The Universe consists of names and forms. Guru is the cause of the Universe. The Universe emerges out of Guru. Hence, the entire Creation is His form. The substance of ornaments such as bracelets, necklaces and rings made of gold is essentially nothing but gold. The pieces of jewelry are all different forms of gold. Similarly, the countless forms that Guru possesses are all essentially the same substance as he.
Some people keep a small picture of their guru and refer to it as their Guru. It is not right. All forms are Guru’s forms. That conviction must be followed and practiced. It is not enough if it is verbally expressed constantly. The principle must be kept in mind all the time. For normal worldly interaction a photo may be used as a reference.
We must observe one significant fact. We do not always enjoy complete freedom. We do not even have the freedom to die at will. It is not in our control. Why go that far? We have no control over our own nature or Nature. For that matter, we do not have control over our mind. The mind insists on dwelling on a thought even if we will against it. Where do we have the freedom to control the mind? It acts as it wishes, against our commands. Whatever we wish to forget, keeps coming back into the mind, including even in dreams. The mind does more and more of what we do not wish for it to do.
But, Guru is not like that. He is absolutely free. He is completely in control of his mind. He has the option of letting his mind function freely, or otherwise. We lack that ability. He can perfectly control himself. Any life he can control. He can bind it or free it as he chooses. Not just that. He keeps this entire Creation under his control. How is it possible? It is possible because Guru is the Universe. We have already described him as the cause, and the form of this endless Creation, and that his form is Bliss. He permeates the entire Universe. He is not limited to one picture or one substance. One should keep contemplating on the concept that Guru is in all forms, all substances, all photographs, and all images. Guru must never be restricted to just one image or one form. Guru is all-pervasive. He can manifest in any form and at the same time he can remain without appearing in any form.

Episode 29

We have learned that Guru is absolutely free. He can completely be in control of himself. He can keep this entire Creation under his control. How is it possible? It is possible because Guru himself has taken form as the Universe. He has the power to permeate this entire Universe and to control it. Because he possesses these attributes, His form itself is bliss. He is a mass of joy. That is why those who follow and worship him obtain pure, unadulterated bliss. Such bliss is the same as goodness which is auspicious, complete, endless, all-pervasive, and eternal. Let us understand this clearly. The scriptures have a phrase to describe this quality. It is “Akhanda chidghanarasam.” That is Guru’s unequivocally true nature. When Guru is contemplated upon with the Guru mantra, he reveals himself in his real principle. Guru mantra is the only means for achieving this. Now, it is being explained why Guru has to be meditated upon.
Verse: Namami sadgurum …
I bow down my head and worship Sadguru who is, ever peaceful, the manifested form of the giver of goodness and bliss (Siva), and fixed on the seat of Yoga, for the attainment of Liberation.
Sadguru is described as the actual manifestation of Siva. Here, Siva does not denote the common meaning. Siva means goodness and bliss. Siva also means liberation. All delusions and illusions get eliminated there. They all simply get extinguished. The karma of all lifetimes gets eradicated there. Such Guru should be contemplated upon. Where should he be seated while he is being contemplated upon? On top of the head, in the lotus of the Sahasrara, the seat of Yoga he should be placed and meditated upon. Why? It should be done to fulfill that one desire. Which desire is it amongst the billions of desires that we entertain? Someday all the desires have to be fulfilled. Someday all desires have to end. How long does one go on generating desires? After the fulfillment of every single desire, it is realized that it is not the end of all desires.

Episode 30

We have learned that billions of desires may be entertained by us. Whatever desire it may be, someday it has to end. When all these desires are fulfilled, we will realize that it is not the end of desires. A new desire sprouts up. It suffers the same fate. Each and every desire gets satisfied, dissolved and extinguished. It will not remain forever. One by one as each and every desire gets fulfilled and destroyed the very final wish that we entertain will be the desire for liberation.
It only happens after the fulfillment of each and every desire. You will not entertain the same desire again and again after it has already been satisfied. As long as the snake charmer is enticing you with the hissing snake inside the basket, you are excited and have the curiosity to see it. But once you have seen what is inside the snake charmer’s basket, after you have heard the hissing, and your curiosity is satisfied, you no longer feel interested. You move on. But until then, although you know that there is a snake inside the basket, and you know what it looks like, you still have the wish to see it. One day the curiosity of the snake and the snake charmer will wear off. At that time if another snake charmer comes your way, you will no longer show any interest. This same process applies to every single desire until you reach the final desire for liberation, which is freedom from all desires. Thereafter there is nothing left to be satisfied. To achieve this end, this freedom from desires, Guru needs to be contemplated upon.
When a great treasure is coming your way, would you be hankering after small change? You certainly would not. For the benefit of those who are unable to do the highest type of meditation, they are now teaching us how to contemplate upon Guru who is in an ordinary (human) form.
Verse: Pratassirasi …
Every morning upon waking up, visualize a white lotus with a thousand petals upon the head. Visualize Sadguru seated inside the white lotus flower. Visualize clearly in the mind’s eye, his feet, and eyes, hands showing the gestures of protection and beneficence, and his peaceful countenance. You should have a very clear mental picture of his feet, his eyes, his hands, his hand gestures indicating protection and invitation, as well as his entire presence. That form should become fixed in the mind where he is inviting you to approach him and is offering you protection. Let us proceed ahead.

Episode 31

Every morning upon waking up, a white lotus with a thousand petals should be visualized upon the head. Sadguru should be visualized as being seated inside the lotus. While doing this, the name of Guru should be chanted. In the mind’s eye, Guru’s feet, eyes, and hands showing the gestures of protection and beneficence, and his peaceful countenance should be visualized. It should be believed that Guru encompasses everything, as if he manifests as the entire Universe. When you see a cow, all the deities should manifest in it. Similarly in Guru all divinities should be visible. Every single moment this thought should be preserved. Guru’s feet should be washed with pure water and it should be felt as if that water is flowing down all over you, cleansing you from top to bottom, inside and out, of all impurities. Visualize it as a flow of nectar that is clearing away all the dirt. This is a yoga procedure. When this is done, in that very instant along with all the impurities, the Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna will also get washed away from the spiritual seeker. Both the gross body and the subtle body get purified of all sins. Like clear crystal, the spiritual aspirant will feel absolutely clean. Every morning this exercise should be performed. This is an excellent process. We have already said that the Guru’s feet, eyes, and hands should be visualized. The reason for doing that is given in the following verse:
Verse: Teerthaani …
In the right foot of Guru all sacred pilgrimage centers and holy rivers are contained. His face is itself the Veda. When his face is visualized, the fruit of having chanted all the Vedas is obtained. His feet and hands are permeated with the nectar of immortality. By the mere glance of Guru and the touch of his hands, that nectar of Yoga flows into and is absorbed by the devotee. This should be remembered again and again.

Episode 32

By the mere grace of Guru a rock turns into a precious gem; Iron turns into gold; Poison turns into the nectar of immortality; a fool becomes a genius; an ignorant person becomes enlightened. That is why the elders urge us to find the proper Guru. A mute person, meaning one who is ignorant although he may be articulate, will become brilliant. Many declare that although they have no poetic talent, after contemplation they suddenly have become very productive and creative. Suddenly poetry begins to flow from them like a fountain. When Guru’s face is visualized, and when Guru’s grace is granted, immeasurable spiritual accomplishments are attained; the fruit of having chanted all the Vedas is obtained. Guru’s feet and hands are permeated with the nectar of immortality. By the mere glance of Guru and the touch of his hands, the nectar of Yoga flows into and is absorbed by the devotee.
Once, Guru Dhaumya’s glance fell upon Upamanyu, his disciple. Let us learn this story. There are several stories that I am going to skip. But let us hear this story.
During the reign of king Janamejaya, Guru Dhaumya had two disciples. Of them, Aruni was very sharp and quick at learning. He grasped all the knowledge taught by his Guru, graduated, and left. Upamanyu was very dull witted and slow. He did not learn a thing. One day he received the grace of Guru Dhaumya. Guru decided to make Upamanyu bright as a gem.
Guru Dhaumya called and asked Upamanyu, “Have you had your meal?”
Upamanyu answered, yes.
“From today you have to begin minding the cattle. You have to take them grazing in the forest.” Upamanyu agreed and herded the cattle. After a long time he returned. Dhaumya was surprised to see that Upamanyu showed no signs of tiredness. On the other hand, he looked very fresh and radiant. Guru asked Upamanyu, “You have traveled a long way. And yet, you look very relaxed and energetic. What makes you so fresh and contented? “
“O Guru, I went home and then went out to collect food as alms. I have eaten that food.” Let us see what the food contained and what happened next.

Episode 33

Upamanyu followed his Guru’s command. We have learned that Upamanyu was dull witted. He was asked to begin minding the cattle. He had to take them grazing. Upamanyu agreed and herded the cattle. After a long time he returned. Dhaumya was surprised to see that Upamanyu showed no signs of tiredness, but looked fresh and radiant.
Guru asked Upamanyu, “You have traveled a long way. And yet, you look very relaxed and energetic. What makes you so fresh and contented? “
“O Guru, I went from one house to another to collect food as alms. I have eaten all that food. My stomach is full. Hence, I am contented.”
Guru said, “Why did you eat all the food yourself? Why did you not share it with me? Hereafter, whatever food you collect, you must give it all to me.”
Upamanyu obeyed Guru’s command and since then, daily he offered the food that he collected, to Guru Dhaumya. Days went by. Day by day Upamanyu grew more and more stout and heavy.
Guru thought, “I have told him to give all the food to me and he has been doing that. Still, he is looking so well nourished and happy. What could be the reason?” He was puzzled.
One day he asked Upamanyu, “What makes you so well-fed and strong in spite of giving away all the food to me?”
Upamanyu replied, “Whatever food I collect in the first round of begging, I am offering to you. Whatever I get when I go for a second round, I have been consuming.”
Dhaumya on one hand was amused at Upamanyu’s cleverness, and on the other hand felt sorry. He told Upamanyu in an angry tone, “Whatever food you collect from begging, regardless of how many times you go out to beg, all the food must be surrendered to me. If anyone voluntarily offers you food, that food also must be given to me. You may eat food only upon permission granted by me.”
Upamanyu accepted the command. Upamanyu followed the austerity of strictly following the orders of his Guru.
Still, Upamanyu appeared well-rounded and well-nourished. He did not lose even an ounce of weight. Dhaumya was surprised at this. He said, “Tell me the truth. What are you doing? I expected that you will begin to lose weight and become thin. But that is not happening. What are you up to?”
Upamanyu confessed, “I have been drinking the milk from a cow.”
Dhaumya thought about it. If he now tells Upamanyu to offer him whatever he milks from a cow, he may open up another bag of tricks. So he ordered, “You have to stop doing that altogether. You are forbidden from drinking cow’s milk.” Let us see what happens next.

Episode 34

Guru Dhaumya asked Upamanyu, “In spite of giving away to me all the food that you collect, you are still looking smooth and stout. Tell me the reason.”
Upamanyu said, “There is no special trick here. I have been drinking cow’s milk.” Dhaumya thought, if he now tells Upamanyu to offer him whatever milk he obtains from a cow, he may come with some different strategy. So he ordered, “You are forbidden from drinking cow’s milk.” Days went by.
After several days Dhaumya saw Upamanyu again and saw that there was absolutely no change in him. He questioned him, “What are you doing to remain so fat?”
Upamanyu said, “After the calves have finished drinking all the milk, whatever foam remains, that is what I am consuming.” Since there were hundreds of cows, the foam alone would perhaps fill two pots.
Dhaumya was totally losing patience. Yet, he controlled his anger and intolerance and said, “From today onwards I forbid you to touch any type of food.” He could have said this to begin with. He had not anticipated that Upamanyu would resort to all kinds of strange tactics to circumvent his orders.
Since that day Upamanyu did not touch any food. One day he took the cattle grazing in the forest. He was absolutely starved. All the stored food in his body got exhausted. He became thin. He was unable to withstand the pangs of hunger any longer. He somehow managed to wait until sunset. Thereafter, he lost his self-control. In desperation, without even realizing what plant it was, he tore off some leaves from a tree and was about to consume them. As he was doing so, the milky sap from the leaves spilled and fell into his eyes. He at once became blind. They were the leaves of the white arka plant. Unable to find his way, Upamanyu fell into an abandoned well.
Dhaumya became concerned when his disciple did not return with the cattle. He wondered if Upamanyu, unable to follow Guru’s impossible commands had absconded with the cows, wishing to eat to his heart’s content elsewhere in a different country.
Guru became very anxious because his love for the disciple was boundless. He did not send any other disciple to go looking for him. He himself set out looking for Upamanyu, calling out his name loudly. It was dark and to add to it, it began to rain heavily. After some time, Guru heard Upamanyu’s voice, “O revered Guru, I am inside the well.”
Guru said, “I am unable to find my way in this darkness. You please offer prayers to the Aswini twins (celestial physicians). Guru already knew exactly what had happened.
At once Upamanyu began chanting, “Stotum …

Episode 35

Guru Dhaumya became very anxious that Upamanyu had not returned. He himself set out in the dark looking for Upamanyu, calling out his name loudly. It began to rain heavily. After some time, Guru heard Upamanyu’s voice, “O revered Guru, I am here, inside this well.” Upamanyu explained to Guru what had happened.
Guru said, “Do one thing. Offer prayers to the Aswini gods (celestial physicians).”
At once Upamanyu began chanting, “O Aswini gods! You are known for granting several kinds of boons. You know that being ignorant I am not even qualified to sing your praises. I have lost my eye sight and have fallen into this well. I am seeking your refuge. By your grace, I will regain my sight and get out of my predicament. Please protect me.”
The Aswini deities appeared before Upamanyu pleased by his prayers. They said, “Upamanyu, we are very pleased with the devotion to Guru shown by you. Here, eat this fruit. Earlier, your Guru’s Guru ate one such fruit without first offering it to his Guru. Likewise, you too eat this up without first offering it to your Guru. Only then, your vision will be restored.”
Upamanyu’s mind rejected this proposal. He had been commanded by his Guru not to eat anything offered to him by anyone. So he said, “O gods, please forgive me. I have to abide by the orders given to me by my Guru. I will not eat this fruit if I am not first allowed to offer it to my Guru. It does not matter if I remain blind.”
The Aswini gods were happy with the devotion to Guru shown by Upamanyu. They restored his vision without his having to eat the fruit. Then they left.
Upamanyu, who could now see, gladly climbed out of the well and fell at the feet of Dhaumya. Dhaumya realized that his disciple had now been transformed into a gem and within an instant granted him the knowledge of all the Vedas and Sastras. By mere touch Upamanyu absorbed the highest spiritual wisdom.
Guru had placed a condition that Upamanyu should not accept food from anyone. When the Aswini gods offered him a fruit, it was a gift given to him by them. Hence, Upamanyu refused to accept it, although the Aswini gods justified his eating it by citing the example of Upamanyu’s own Guru’s Guru accepting a gift without first offering to his Guru, and tried to persuade him to eat it. In spite of it Upamanyu remained firm in his resolve. He regained his sight nevertheless and by the grace of Guru won the tribute from him that he has now been transformed into a precious gem. He also became the recipient of all the knowledge of the scriptures.
Step by step Guru turns a disciple into a precious diamond. What is most important for the disciple is to have firm faith in Guru. It should always be remembered that maintaining devotion and faith are in themselves a great penance.

Episode 36

Verse: Apadamauliparyantam …
Beginning with the feet all the way up to the head, the form of Guru should be visualized. By doing so, all obstacles and hurdles in the path will be removed, and desires will be fulfilled. Your glance must first fall on Guru’s feet. Guru’s first glance must fall on the disciple’s head. Spiritual knowledge will first be transmitted into the head. The reason for offering obeisance by bowing down the head is that. It is not necessary to remain with a lowered head. Once Guru’s glance falls on the head, it is sufficient. Step by step, the glance of the disciple should rise from the feet, to the stomach, chest, hands, neck, and head, taking in every detail, of his footwear, clothing, garlands, and ornaments worn. After this visualization, after seeing the feet first, the head should be raised to look at Guru’s face. This is the proper procedure for contemplation. Hereafter follow this gradual sequence of careful observation. Learn this method. Every time you see Swamiji, his footwear must be noticed. Each type of footwear carries a unique significance. Suddenly he will appear wearing some different type of footwear. It is not because he is afraid of thorns pricking his feet. There is a special reason for his selection of wooden padukas, rubber slippers, or even going barefoot. On one occasion he wears red clothes, and on another occasion he wears ritual clothing meant for performing austerities. One day he just wraps himself in a lightweight towel and has only a T-shirt on. One day he wraps a saree and is decked in all types of ornaments and decorations. All these must be carefully observed. For the mind to get a firm impression of his form, it is asked that Guru should be meditated upon with all such various minute details. What type of footwear is worn conveys a particular message and hence, this detail must be noticed. What he will wear on which day of the week, or for which specific occasion is unpredictable. By each of these symbols he wears, it is as if he is conveying to us an unmistakable command. Which deity he has invoked into himself on a certain day and which deity on that day is permeating the earth with a special influence, is indicated by what Guru wears. It also shows what exact benefit he is intending for us by wearing certain special outfits. To know what mantra he is chanting continuously, it is important for us to contemplate upon his form very carefully with clear scrutiny. His selection of clothes, footwear, and ornaments is never random. They are not things that he has grabbed in a hurry and has put on himself. Sometimes, when a pair of sandals is offered to him, he rejects it and requests for a different pair. He says, I will not wear this. I will wear that. It has a special meaning.
Some people visualize Guru by starting from the head and step by step going down towards the feet. This is very special.

Episode 37

Some people visualize Guru by starting from the head and going down step by step towards the feet. This is another method. However, it is not acceptable for the attention to hop from one part to another part of the form of Guru in a haphazard manner, like a monkey. One must not look at Guru in this manner (while in his direct presence either).
Prior to commencing any worthy task, the proper complete visualization of the form of Guru should be performed. If it is done, impediments will not occur and the aim will be accomplished.
For the study of Guru Gita there are prescribed hand gestures to be shown and different parts of the body to be touched (Anganyasa and Karanyasa) prior to commencement.
The importance of this scripture and its essence may be assessed by us by considering the context in which it came into being. This Guru Gita, which explains the essence of Guru Principle came into being in the form of a dialog between sages Suta and Saunaka as they discussed the conversation that took place between Siva and Parvati.
The work begins with the interaction between Sage Suta and other rishis who were in the company of Sage Saunaka.
Verse: Guhyad …
Once upon a time, Saunaka and some other sages addressed Sage Suta with their plea: “O Sage Suta, Guru Gita is full of essence and is yet undisclosed. We are eager to hear it and we pray to you to kindly initiate us.”
Why is this considered secret knowledge? Even the Bhagavad Gita is referred to as being undisclosed information. This is said to be top secret. Similarly, the one thousand names of Lalita are also referred to as a secret collection of divine descriptive names. Our sacred scriptures often use this term secret. Does it mean that it is the intention of our celestial seers to keep this information undisclosed? Is it something like a trade secret? No. Not at all. The real secret knowledge, the unknown principle, is God. That divine principle is fully explained here. That is what is meant by its being secret.
Verse: Kailasa …
Upon hearing the request of the sages, Sage Suta felt happy that he is being given an opportunity of sharing this precious information with those sages who have the eligibility for hearing it. He spoke thus:

Episode 38

Soota uvacha:
Verse: Kailasa …
Upon hearing the request of the sages, Sage Suta felt happy that he now has an opportunity to share the knowledge of Guru Gita with sages who have earned the eligibility to hear it. He spoke thus: “O Sages, one day upon the beautiful peak of Mount Kailas, Parvati offered reverential obeisance and posed a question to her husband, with the intention of helping devotees.”
We may wonder why Sage Suta is engaging in this preamble, instead of directly broaching the subject matter. Prior to initiating the sages into the Guru Maha Mantra, he is first contemplating on the lineage of Guru. In this manner Guru is meditated upon. By mentioning the prominence of the location where this highest of all mantras was delivered, the immense power of the mantra is indicated.
Earlier, Parvati had taught Hayagreeva the procedure for Sri Vidya. Similarly now, Lord Siva is teaching Parvati the Guru principle.
Parvatyuvacha –
Verse: Namaste …
Mother of the Universe Parvati prayed, “O God of gods, Lord, the higher than the highest, the Universal Master, Supreme Siva, I offer my prostrations. Please initiate me into the worship of Guru. I surrender my mind to you with complete devotion.”
Verse: Bhagavan …
“O Lord, you are knowledgeable in all aspects of Dharma. You grant happiness to all, O Master. Therefore, you are addressed as Sambhu. Please teach me the greatest amongst all austerities. Out of immeasurable compassion, please teach me the Guru principle,” requested Mother Goddess.
Mother is asking for that which excels everything else in greatness and power. She is suggesting that she is seeking that over which nothing higher exists.
The question may arise whether energies are of different levels. The channels through which energy travels may have varying capacities, but are there greater and lesser energies?
Let us wait for the Lord’s teaching.

Episode 39

We have learned that Mother Goddess is asking for that which excels everything else in greatness and power. The question arises whether energy is of different types. The channels through which energy travels may have varying capacities, but are there greater and lesser energies? No. Energy is all the same. That is the absolute truth.
When we observe the goings on in the world, it is noticed that all efforts using energy are put in to either gain selfish ends or to cause pain to others. When mild (Satvic) food is consumed, the behavior is mild. For example, an elephant eats mild food and its actions are gentle. Its energy may be channeled to perform actions that are gentle. Observe a tiger. Its food is obtained through cruel means and what it eats is harsh. Therefore, we see that its energy is useful only to cause harm to other creatures. Of these two, neither is capable of sharing its energy with the other.
In this world such is the nature of energy of all beings, including that of the gods. Whenever energy is shared with others, it happens only with a selfish motive. Energy is expended to get personal requirements satisfied. Any use of energy that is contaminated by the touch of selfishness has to be considered impure.
Only Sadguru’s energy is spent with total unselfishness and total unblemished compassion. Hence, it should be recognized as the highest type of energy. Mother Goddess has asked in the first part of the verse to grant her that type of pristine energy.
In the second half of the verse, she is more specifically asking to be taught the principle of Guru.
She is praying for initiation into the means for attaining the highest and the purest form of energy. She is requesting to be taught the principle of Guru. Mother Goddess is also describing the goal that she aims to achieve by the grace of Sadguru.
Verse: Kena ..
How does Man, who has occupied a human body become one with God? He has to become saturated with divinity. But how is it possible? He may become absorbed into death, but how does he become merged with God?
Let us see how it can be achieved.

Episode 40

Verse: Kena margena …
“O Lord, how does man, who occupies a body, become one with God? O Lord, I prostrate at your feet. Please shower your grace upon me. What is the method by which an ordinary man, who inhabits a body and experiences the results of his karma, becomes merged with the Supreme Soul while still residing in the body?”
Is there any greater or more powerful transformation than that, than for man to transcend his human nature and turn into absolute divinity?
We do not know how it has happened, but this body has come to us. What is body? Since happiness and sorrow, heat and cold, cycles of karma, and series of births occur because of this body, it perhaps may be stated that all these constitute the body. All pains and pleasures are experienced by the body and hence, they all may be described as the body itself.
But, when the soul, which is none other than the Supreme Soul, descends into a body, should it not be aware that all these experiences belong to the body and not to the soul? Should it not retain the knowledge that the soul is not the body? The soul that enters the body begins to identify itself with the body and as a result subjects itself to all kinds of miseries.
When you feel, “I am this body, I am this nose; I am these ears; these hands and feet are mine; and this stomach is mine”, of course, all their pains become your pains. When you keep thinking, “Me, me, me”, it is natural that when troubles come, you will keep thinking, “They are mine, they are mine, they are mine.”
“Oh, why did I get into this difficulty? O God, how will I endure this pain? How will I free myself from this misery?” If you experience and express such pains, it means that out of your affinity and love for the body you feel that your body should be spared from all such discomforts. If the pains are felt by you, it means that you are experiencing them as your own pains. You are under the delusion that you are the body. Hence, the pains are experienced by you as your own pains.
“Is there no way to identify myself with God? Is this pain unavoidable? Is there no way out of this? Should I continue under this illusion that I am the body? Should I keep claiming this pain as mine? Even if I do not intentionally say so, are you making me say it? Is there not a way to escape this? How to be rid of this illusion? Is there no way for me to regain my identification with the Supreme Soul? O Lord God, Please grant liberation to this being. I offer my prostrations at your feet. Please show mercy upon me.” Mother Goddess is offering prayers.
Mother Goddess is here repeatedly praying to the Lord. Just like humans who keep asking Guru, “O Guru, you still have not given me.” “What do you want?” “I asked you the other day. You still have not given it to me. Please give it to me.”
Mother Goddess is repeatedly falling at the Lord’s feet and is begging Him. Does it mean that the Lord has forgotten? No. He is not being reminded nor is he being subjected to demands. That is not what it means. That is the way to pray.
Mother Goddess is here speaking as if she has also fallen into the delusion of identifying herself with the body. We may wonder why she is behaving like this. Has she also fallen into the delusion (Maya) that she is the body? It is not correct to think like that.
Mother Goddess knows that it is only when she also behaves like the rest of us, that the Lord will disclose to us the secret in its entirety. By this we understand what immense compassion Mother Goddess has (towards us).

Episode 41

“Is there no way for me to regain my identification with the Supreme Soul? O Lord God, Please grant liberation to this being. I offer my prostrations at your feet. Please show mercy upon me.” We heard that Mother Goddess was thus offering prayers repeatedly, pleading with the Lord.
Mother Goddess is speaking as if she has also fallen into the delusion of identifying herself with the body. Mother Goddess knows that it is only when she also behaves like one who has become victimized by delusion, that the Lord will openly disclose the secret in its entirety. The Lord will then feel, “If Mother Goddess herself has begun to feel this way, I have no option but to reveal to Parvati the secret process by which liberation may be attained.” When the Lord speaks of the method, the discourse is heard by all the assembled sages in a subtle manner. That all of us should benefit by this teaching, and that all of us should transcend this illusion, Mother Goddess has appealed on behalf of all us. We do not have the capacity to behold Lord Siva, who is the Supreme invisible energy. She has seen him. She is the Mother to all us. She has recognized our plight and knew the only way by which this knowledge could be extracted from the Lord. She has immeasurable compassion towards us. Hence she pretended as if she were also drowned in delusion like the rest of us. She has done this entirely for our benefit. She has expressed her question in a pleading tone. She has clearly stated her desire and the purpose of her questioning. The Mother of the Universe has demonstrated to us the way an ideal disciple should behave.
Now the Lord begins to give his answer.
Iswara uvacha:
Verse: Mama …
“O Devi, you and I are one. Out of love for you I will give an answer to your question that has been posed for the benefit of all the worlds. No one has questioned me like this before.”
It shows that Lord Siva was pleased by her posing the most valuable question. There are proper procedures for posing questions. When it is done in a proper manner, those who have questioned, and those who hear the answer, will all receive benefit. Asking irrelevant questions in an improper manner, and asking questions at inappropriate moments, will not fetch good results.
There is an Upanishad called Prasnopanishad. The first four questions deal with (Prana) the life force. The questions that follow deal with (Pranava) the syllable OM.
Parikshit, who was a good listener only asked questions that would benefit the worlds. He cleared many of his doubts from the highly devout Suka Yogi. Sage Suka (Suka Brahma) has given us the Bhagavatam. It contains many secrets. Shall we discuss them?

Episode 42

Parikshit, who was a superb listener, asked the best amongst speakers, important questions that would benefit all the worlds. He cleared innumerable doubts from the highly devout Suka Yogi. Sage Suka (Suka Brahma) has given us the Bhagavatam.
It should be learned how to question properly with a deliberate intention, like Mother Goddess, so that it profits everyone in every way. When that is done, Guru, just like Lord Siva, will feel pleased and will share many secrets. Through an exemplary disciple, the world reaps great benefits. From the above verse we must understand how a disciple should ask questions that give pleasure to Guru and will elicit His grace to help great multitudes of people.
We must carefully consider a certain point. Why did Parvati pose the question to Lord Siva? Is it to learn something from Him that she had no knowledge of? That is not possible, because Siva and Parvati are one and the same. She shares with Him equally one half of His body. She is inseparable from Him. What is known to one half must necessarily be known to the other half. Parvati necessarily knows everything that Siva knows. Then why did she ask the question? She did it for our sake.
In our Puranas, such strange incidents are mentioned frequently. The sages are said to curse one another. But it is for the purpose of giving benefit to the world. It appears as if no one gets angrier than the sages. Of course, about sage Narada, it does not need any particular mention. He is known to be a trouble-maker. How did such ones become great sages? There is a secret here that is hidden from the world. When one suffers a great loss, it means that another, at another place is getting greatly benefited. Without some sacrifice made by one, another cannot be uplifted. When sages exchange curses, it means that they are giving up huge amounts of their power gained by penance. When they expend their powers thus, some gain is occurring elsewhere. This drama of exchanging curses is created by God only for achieving some beneficial purpose somewhere. Unless such angry outbursts occur, this wheel of Creation will not rotate. All the expressions of anger and fury in the form of curses are meant only the welfare of the world. Similarly, the marriages of sages and the stories of their progeny are also strange. They demonstrate the commitment of the sages to act only towards universal wellbeing.
Parvati Devi is here acting like an ignorant person, asking for information that she does not possess. It is an example of how she pretends as if she does not already know the answer. How is it possible for her to be uninformed? How can Siva possibly educate her, when she has complete knowledge of everything? Let us find out.

Episode 43

Jaya Guru Datta. Parvati Devi is here acting like an ignorant person, asking for information as if she does not possess it. There is a huge gathering of great sages there in their subtle forms. They have not had the experience of the Guru Principle. If she asks Lord Siva to teach them about Guru, He may decline. But if she herself pretends not to know and asks the question, she knew that He would certainly oblige.
Lord Siva knows that Parvati has the knowledge and yet she is posing this question. He acknowledges that she has asked the question to benefit the assembled sages and all the future generations of devotees.
Do the sages not all exist inside the heart of Siva? They certainly do. Siva knows that they are a part of Him and reside in His heart. But the sages do not know have that direct experience.
Some devotees declare that they are in Guru’s heart and that Guru is always in their heart. They claim that they have surrendered to Guru. These are words that come from their lips, not from the heart. It is not spoken from experience. Merely giving a small donation or offering a small service does not equal total surrender. Claiming to have fully surrendered, they yet approach Guru for solutions to their worldly problems and for the fulfillment of worldly desires. Many are extremely lazy about serving Guru. They do not go to the physical presence of Guru saying that Guru is always in their heart. It is not right to justify your laziness and disguise it with words. You are occupying a body, and so is your Guru.

Episode 44

“Jaya Guru Datta! You should not disguise your laziness. You occupy a body. Your Guru also has taken a physical body. That is why it is inevitable that you offer physical service. Until you experience the principle of non-duality that you and the Guru are one and the same, you have to continue this. For the sake of the sages, to help the sages experience the principle of non-duality, Parvati Devi prayed to Lord Shiva. Therefore, She first prostrated to Lord Shiva. To demonstrate the behavior towards Guru, she observed the rules of approaching a Guru honoring Lord Shiva as Her Guru. All this is the Divine Mother Parvati’s play.

Here, who is Guru to Parvati Devi? In reality, a woman’s Guru is her husband. She must get initiation from her husband. But, when the husband is not qualified to do so, the scriptures stipulate that both the husband and wife should get initiated by the same Guru. They should not go to different Gurus. Who is qualified to initiate? Only one who has attained the full power of the mantra is qualified; otherwise he is not. Some people feel they received great initiation if they receive a small mantra after going through a lot of physical suffering, fasting, fussing and almost collapsing from weakness. Some get a cold water bath, sleep on the bare floor and feel like their deeksha or vow was fulfilled. Some Gurus also support this behavior. The disciples of course follow the Guru.

In reality, he who gives initiation needs to have chanted the mantra millions of times. They should have experienced the power of the mantra. They should then pass on the energy and the mantra to the disciple. Only then will the disciple benefit from it. That is why, great saints don’t give initiation very easily. They postpone asking you to come back tomorrow, or the day after, or may be another day. They say that now is not a good time or that you will forget the mantra etc. They will not give initiation. They keep postponing.

In this context, the style of chanting is also explained. Some people chant their mantra so loudly that people living three blocks away are annoyed. Then there are people who chant without letting out any sound. Their lips are moving and they are murmuring to themselves. This silent chanting is better. Instead of ostentatiously chanting aloud, it is better to chant silently in your mind with your lips moving. There’s not much benefit from chanting loudly. Even with lips moving, there may not be much benefit, we shall see. This (chanting silently with lips moving)is called “madhyama”. This gives mediocre results.”

Episode 45

Jaya Guru Datta! We were talking about the style of chanting. Some people chant loudly. It is said that it is better to chant without letting out any sound, murmuring to yourself, while your lips are moving. Feels like that is better. This gives mediocre results. But, chanting in your mind, without the lips or tongue moving is the best and yields benefits a thousand times over. So, one way to chant is to loudly chant “Rama, Rama”, the second is to chant “Rama” without making any sound, just moving the lips and the third is to chant “Rama” in your mind, without moving your lips or tongue.

While chanting, you should chant joyfully, without any sorrows or anxiety. Lot of people think chanting joyfully means to have a wide grin on your face. Is that real happiness from within? When chanting, the mind should be free from all anxiety. If you chant while experiencing that happiness, it will automatically reflect in your face. That is called “ajapa japam” (constant awareness of the mantra). Om Namo Hanumate Namaha. Om Namo Hanumate Namaha. Om Namo Hanumate Namaha. While chanting, if you close your eyes and see Lord Hanuman’s life history, His divine form, His glories as sung by millions of people, as if He’s flying in the sky, visualizing His form from His feet to His head, as if His form spans from the lower most worlds to the higher most, that peace will automatically radiate on your face.

Lot of people chant with anger or sorrow, with tears flowing down their face, or with annoyance, cursing someone in between. Is that real chanting? No. You should experience inner joy and that will automatically reflect in your face. If you feel that joy within, your face will bloom like the lotus flower touched by sun rays. Seekers that experience such joy will automatically have a smile on their face. When some people chant, their face looks distorted. That’s because, one part of their mind is chanting, while the other is immersed in some anxiety. Lot of people cry when they are chanting. They keep remembering their sorrows. Some others experience and express the wholesome joy of chanting. Chanting without any anxiety or annoyance is real chanting.

So, Mother Goddess asked for such an initiation. Lord Shiva said that nobody ever asked him such a question. Those saints are not ordinary people. They are very accomplished, well-versed in all Vedas and scriptures, capable of creating and sustaining life. Yet, they never asked such a question because arrogance comes naturally to spiritual seekers.

Some people who buy something new, like a new phone, approach someone to show them how to use the phone. When the person starts explaining, the owner of the phone cuts him off midway saying he’s understood how to use the phone. A few days later, they realize they only know a little. But, they are too embarrassed to ask the same person, so they ask someone else.
In the spiritual path, arrogance comes naturally. Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 46

Lord Shiva said no one ever asked him such a question. We may wonder, why that is. The sages seated around them were not ordinary people. They were extraordinary; they were great seers, well versed in Vedas, capable of creating and sustaining life. Didn’t they ever ask such a question? Did no one ever ask such a question? Was Mother Goddess the first one to ask this question? Yes. Because, as we discussed before, arrogance comes naturally to spiritual seekers. That is why the Guru Principle doesn’t come easily. People think they know the Guru Principle – Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, that’s it. Just as knowledge coupled with humility, wealth coupled with sacrifice and relatives with love are rare, devotion towards Guru is rare in the spiritual path. There’s no real love between relatives. There’s only humor, everything is said with humor.

That is why Shankara Bhagavdpada composed Guru Ashtakam to explain that regardless of all the wealth knowledge fame and other possessions one is blessed with, if there’s no devotion to the Guru, there’s no use. We will discuss the Ashtakam towards the end.
So, Lord Shiva is acknowledging that He knows Parvati Devi asked this question with a view to bless and benefit the sages. Let’s get to the core of the matter. Guru is not an ordinary human being. First, we need to define who Guru is.
Sloka:
“Yo gurussa sivah prokto ya ssiva ssa guru ssmrtaha
Vikalpam yastu kurvita sa bhavet pataki gurau”

Guru is Shiva. Shiva is Guru. All scriptures declare this. People who forget this truth and discriminate are great sinners. Here, “Shiva” actually means Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. This is the Dattatreya Principle. Just because the Guru eats and walks like us, we mistake Him to be just human. Lord Shiva says that it is a sin to consider the Guru as just a human being.

Let’s talk about the story of Sri Krishna and Sri Dhama. Even though Sri Krishna is God incarnate, he approached a Guru. Incarnations like Sri Krishna and Sri Rama had Gurus. We’ll talk about this more.

Episode 47

Even though Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were incarnations of the Divine, they approached a Guru. They taught the world the importance of having a Guru in one’s life. Sage Sandeepani was the Guru to Sri Krishna and his friend Sudhama. Since Sri Krishna and Sudhama were great souls, they knew the importance of a Guru. They served the Guru like he was Lord Shiva. Let’s see how Sri Krishna and Sudhama served Sage Sandeepani and how he blessed them.

Sloka:
Yo gurussa sivah prokto ya ssiva ssa guru ssmrtaha
Vikalpam yastu kurvita sa bhavet pataki gurau

Sri Krishna and Sudhama came under Sage Sandeepani’s tutelage at a very tender age. As children, they played together a lot. We will observe from this story that even though they quarreled and fought a lot, they never separated. However, if the Guru gave them any tasks, they would always carry out those tasks with great love and devotion. They never postponed the task given by the Guru. Any task given by the Guru was immediately attended to and completed. They would always make Sage Sandeepani happy. They would also take on all the tasks given by the wife of Sage Sandeepani. Once, she called for Sri Krishna and Sudhama. They immediately went up to her and asked if they were called. She said “Yes, my dear sons, we are out of sacrificial wood. Please bring some from the forest”. The forest she was referring to was not an ordinary forest. It was a dense forest that was covered in darkness even during day time. It would be impossible to see anything. It was filled with poisonous trees and predatory animals. Sri Krishna and Sudhama were tender little children. They were excited to go to the forest. They were not afraid. They happily agreed to carry out her command. Saying,”Mother, don’t worry. We will bring lots of sacrificial wood”, they set out for the forest. It was completely dark in that dense forest. Sri Krishna and Sudhama gathered up the wood they could find in the darkness. They couldn’t just pick up the wood, they had to search and gather. Soon, there were gusts and pouring rain. As sunset approached, the little traces of sunlight disappeared. Sri Krishna and Sudhama got scared. The held hands and walked in the rain. Soon, the forest was flooded. Without letting go of each other, they began swimming. It was no more a forest to walk in; it was a forest to swim in. They couldn’t tell where the ups and downs in the forest were. They had no idea where they were going. Slowly, they found a tree that they took shelter under. They spent the night under the tree shivering in the cold. It was so dark and cold that it felt like the night of doomsday. They were very scared. Somehow, the night passed. In the morning, Sage Sandeepani set out in search of the little children, calling out their names. He found them both under the tree shivering from cold. He trembled with compassion. Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 48

We discussed that the little children – Sri Krishna and Sudhama – were shivering in the dark coldness of what looked like the night of doomsday. They were terrified. Somehow the night passed. At dawn, Sage Sandeepani who had set out in search of the two children found them shivering in the cold. He was overcome with compassion. He drew them close to him and lovingly wiped their bodies dry with his shawl. Isn’t it amazing! The Guru is like a mother, like a father. He commended the boys’ bravery. He said that outstanding disciples like them sacrifice themselves completely in the service of the Guru. He said that one must be blessed to be able to serve the Guru. He was very pleased with them. He blessed them generously with fulfillment of all their desires and said “All the Vedas and other scriptures you learn here will continue to grant you auspiciousness in all the other worlds you go to”. He held their hands and took them back home. Thus, the little children, Sri Krishna and Sudhama immersed themselves completely in the service of the Guru without worrying about their mortal bodies, as a result of which they got blessed immensely by their Guru.

Once, when the Guru asked Sri Krishna for Guru Dakshina in the form of bringing his dead son back, Sri Krishna, along with his brother Balarama went to Lord Yama and got the Guru’s son back. This is a wonderful story. By accomplishing such impossible feats, he greatly pleased his Guru. By the Guru’s grace, Sri Krishna achieved everlasting fame.

Only one who has the Guru’s grace can find lasting peace. Therefore, everyone needs a Guru. One’s life is incomplete without a Guru. When noble souls take refuge with a Sadguru, and walk the noble path, they will attain higher worlds.

Thus Lord Shiva, after explaining that the Guru has all the attributes of the Trinity and is none other than the Trinity, goes on to say that the Guru is the Parabrahman who’s beyond all attributes.

Sloka:
“Durlabham trishu lokeshu”

Lord Shiva says, “Parvati, I will tell you the secret that no one in all the three worlds knows”. Lord Shiva is saying that Guru is Parabrahma. We’ll see what he says next.

Episode 49

Sloka:
Durlabham trisu lokesu tacchrnu pravada myaham
Gurum brahma vina nanyat satyam satyam varanane

Siva says to Parvati to hear Him say the secret that no one in the three worlds knows.

Guru is verily Parabrahman and there is nothing else besides this. This is an absolute truth. Here, the three worlds also indicate Brahma loka, Vaikuntha and Kailasa. Let’s talk about the story of Matsya Narayana, who is Parabrahman, and a Guru to the Gurus.

Eons ago, there used to be a king called Vaivasvata who ruled the earth. During his reign, there was a great deluge. Once, when the king was offering his prayers by the river, Sri Hari appeared in the form of a little fish and slipped into the water that the king had cupped in his hands. Let’s talk about the ways of the divine. The fish implored the king to save its life. The king kept the fish in his sacred water pot. Soon, the little fish grew too large for the pot, so the king moved the fish to a little pond. The fish quickly outgrew the pond and asked the king to take it to another place. The king moved the fish to a big lake. The fish soon grew too big for the lake as well. Vaivasvata then released the fish in to the ocean. He realized that the fish was none other than Sri Hari and prayed to the Lord. Vaivasvata was also called Satyavrata (for his adherence to truth). At the time of the deluge, Vaivasvata welcomed the Lord in the form of a Guru and diligently followed his commands. By the grace of Matsya Narayana (Lord Sri Hari in the form of a Sankhya Yoga and the Puranas as blessings. He realized the absolute truth that Guru is Parabrahman and there is nothing else. He beautifully praised the Lord who appeared to him as a Guru.

“Humans in this world live in illusion. Due to this illusion, they are mired in samsara and face many sorrows and difficulties. But, when they take refuge with you to get away from their sorrows, they realize you are their inner self. You are Guru to the Gurus. You are pleased easily. You are the great one that grants liberation. Therefore, please bless me with liberation”.

Due to the Guru’s grace, he became the overlord of Manvantara (span of time measured in astronomical period). The age we are living in now is Vaivasvata Manvantaram. Vaivasvata is Satyavrata (he adheres to truth or Satya). One who adheres to truth like Satyavrat did and places complete faith in the Guru despite many difficulties will be blessed immensely.

One who realizes that Guru is Parabrahman and serves the Guru will reap great benefits. This sloka is asking us to place our faith in the Guru, to lead a noble life and to realize the absolute truth.

The next 4 slokas say that if we are not mindful of the Guru Principle, all worship, prayers, rituals and meditation are futile

Sloka:
Veda sastra puranani cetihasadi kani ca
mantra tantradi vidyasca smrti ruccata nadikam
Saiva saktagama dini hyanye ca bahavo matah
Bhramaka sarva evai te jivana malapa cetasam

Vedas, shastras, epics, puranas, studies in spells and rituals, smritis, necromancy (black arts) Saiva Agamas, Sakti Agamas, and other branches of knowledge delude the petty minds.

Episode 50

Sloka:
yajno vratam tao danam japa stirtham tathaiva ca
sarvesa meva jantunam sarve marga pratarakah

Rituals of the highest order (Yagnas), vows (Vratas), penances, worships, pilgrimages, the various path-ways for Sadhana (yogic practice) are all deceptive if one doesn’t concentrate upon one’s Guru. It means that he who doesn’t bear devotion to the Guru will be confronted with evil effects in his yogic practice.

Sloka:
Japa stapo vratam tirtham yajno danam tathaiva ca
Gurutatva mavijnaya sarvam vyartham bhavet priye

Siva proceeds to say to Parvati that if one does not know the quality of Guru, all ritualistic practices, prayers, penances etc are all useless.

We consider ourselves very knowledgeable thinking “I’m a great scientist” or “I am well-versed in the Vedas” or “I did a lot of rigorous study”, or “I’m a great artist”. There are people that say, “I worked very hard, I worked for 5 years to earn this degree”. But, what is Knowledge?

Science, arts and the like comprise a kind of knowledge. Similarly, Vedas, Puranas and scriptures also comprise a kind of knowledge. However, Science helps us understand and see things that are very far away, but it cannot help you see your inner self. Science tells you about several planets in the outer space. It also tells you about the precious stones and elements buried deep in the earth. People that know a lot about this are considered great scientists. But, remember that Science cannot help you see or understand your inner self. Not only that, it actually takes you even farther away from your self, because all this knowledge makes you egoistic. You think you’ve earned a lot of great knowledge.

On the other hand, Vedas and other scriptures help you see and understand your inner self and bring you closer to your Self. That is why, Vedic knowledge is greater than Science. Deep study of great scriptures takes you on an inward journey to reveal your true self to you. In that respect, it feels as if Science may not be real knowledge. We can also infer that Vedas and other scriptures contain real knowledge. But, even if you are well versed in both these kinds of knowledge, your ego leads you to believe you are very knowledgeable, thus drowning you in ignorance.

Regardless of how many PhDs you have, this is the fate. Why is this happening? Because, when one doesn’t concentrate on the Guru Principle, all knowledge leads to ignorance. That is why these are called “Bhramakas”, or things that drown you in illusion. Lord Shiva says that people that revel in such knowledge are fools. So, all these branches of knowledge that lead you toward illusion are together referred to as “lower worldly knowledge” (Apara vidya). The other kind of knowledge that leads you to understand your inner self is divine knowledge (Para vidya). This is obtained only by realizing the Guru Principle. Among those who studied the Vedas, there are some who do Anushthanam. What is “Anushthanam”? Yagnas, donations for a good cause, service to mankind, rituals, vows, pilgrim trips, penance etc are different kinds of Anushthanam. We’ll talk about Anushthanam next.

Episode 51

So, what is Anushthanam? We said that Anushthana comprises yagnas, donations, service to mankind, worship, vows, rituals, pilgrimages, chanting and penance etc. People observing Anushtanam and leading a dharmic way of life can show the path to others and act as Gurus. Other people may even benefit from them. But while that may be true, they cannot uplift themselves unless they seek refuge with a Guru. Lord Shiva says that people observing Anushthanam without understanding the Guru Principle are deceitful. He goes on to say that only when merged with the Guru Principle is there any meaning to Anushthanam. If not, such acts are deceitful. These acts of Anushthanam cannot help them realize the Supreme Truth. Therefore they are futile.

Lord Shiva is gently reprimanding that humans that are wallowing in such meaningless and deceitful conduct are like animals. While observing Anushthanam is slightly better than engaging solely in education that’s meaningless, you must get education, observe Anushthanam and merge that with the Guru Principle. So, we understand that without knowledge of the Principle of Guru, everything is meaningless.

A Guru’s actions might sometimes seem strange when He’s blessing a disciple or is transforming him. The ignorant that don’t understand this get fooled by the Guru’s actions. Such people cannot comprehend the Guru Principle. They are thrown into doubt and confusion. In some instances, they even defame the Guru. This is a grave sin. One must try to understand the Guru’s actions and adapt to them. Only then will the Guru’s actions be understood and knowledge of Guru Principle bestowed. Otherwise, regardless of how much mediation and penance you do, it yields not benefits.

Akrura understood the actions of the Supreme Lord Krishna and was blessed by Him. Let’s delve in to the story a little. On the command of Kamsa, Akrura came to Gokulam to bring Krishna and Balarama back with him to Mathura. Akrura was a devotee of Sri Krishna. He wondered if he could be blessed by Sri Krishna. Akrura conveyed the command of Kamsa to Krishna and Balarama who promptly boarded the chariot. Akrura rode the chariot, all the while pining for Sri Krishna’s grace. Krishna and Balarama feigned ignorance of Akrura’s pinings and simply enjoyed the sights around them, admiring the beauty of Nature. They came up on the sacred River Yamuna. They experienced great joy seeing the beauty of the sacred river. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 52

We discussed that Akrura conveyed Kamsa’s command to Balarama and Krishna to bring them to Mathura. Balarama and Krishna agreed and boarded the chariot. Akrura drove the chariot, all the while pining intensely for the grace of Lord Krishna. Balarama and Krishna, seated it the chariot, feigned ignorance, laughing and immersing themselves in the beauty of nature. They saw wonderful forests, strange and exotic birds and happy beasts along the way. They came up on the sacred Yamuna River. Akrura promptly stopped the chariot and requested permission from Balarama and Krishna to worship the river saying “Rama, Krishna: Yamuna washes away sins. I worship River Yamuna. I will offer my prayers to the river and come back”. He asked Balarama and Krishna to be seated in the chariot.

Akrura went up to the river and began reciting mantras while dipping in the water.
To his great surprise, he saw the same Balarama and Krishna in the water, happy and smiling, looking exactly like they did in the chariot. Even though Arkura was great devotee, his own ignorance prevented him from realizing that the Lord was seated right next to him in the chariot. So, to teach him a lesson, they appeared in the sacred water of Yamuna river. Akrura stood up and shook his head. He found Balarama and Krishna seated in the chariot and smiling. They were in the water, but they were also outside in the chariot. He was confused. He dipped in the water again and witnessed the same form and smiles in the water. Sri Krishna then appeared to him as Lord Vishnu and blessed him. He gave him darshan of Vaikuntha. Did you see? The cowherd, Jagadguru Sri Krishna, appeared as Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha, to clear the confusion and wipe away the sorrows of Arkura and bless him.

Similarly, the Guru also blesses the disciples who are devoted to him.

Why is it that humans do not understand the Guru Principle despite many spiritual practices? What is preventing them from grasping that concept? What is it? Tell me, what is it? [The bird says “Raga”]. Raga. It’s called Raga. Did you see, even Suka Brahma says so. Raga-Dvesha (like and dislikes) engulf us. That is why humans can’t comprehend Guru Tattva. Suka Braham is the one that gave us the sacred Bhagavatam. It is the great Principle advocated by him that Lord Shiva is now telling us through the question asked by Mother Parvati . It is the same principle that Suka Brahma gave us. He said it one word. What is it? What did you call it? [Bird says “Raga”]. It’s called Raga.

That is why, through this sloka, Lord Shiva, on account of the question posed by Supreme Mother Parvati, is teaching us not to waste all the merit accumulated through one’s spiritual practices by forgetting Guru Tattva and doubting the qualities of the Guru.

Therefore, it becomes evident that one must explore the concept of Guru. So, who is Guru? Let’s get to the core of the matter. What can he do? What are his degrees and qualifications? There are many questions that come up. Questions always keep sprouting. Many wonder and even ask about the degrees, certificates and the qualifications of a Guru. They also wonder if he’s capable of transforming them. Those are not a good question to ask. The Guru’s qualifications, certifications, popularity and his ability to transform you are not the right questions to ask in search of a Guru. To understand what really a Guru is, we should follow the next two slokas that provide a summary of the qualities of a Guru.

Episode 53

Sloka:
Gurorvidhyatmano nanyat satyam satyam na samsayah
Tallabhartham prayatna stu kartavyo hi manisibhih

There is nothing other than the Guru, a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. That is true and beyond doubt. So, a virtuous person should try for awareness of the quality of Guru. Knowledge manifested in a physical form is Guru. In this Sloka, “this is truth (satyam)” is said twice. Why is it said twice? When a mother is feeding her child, she may coax her child into drinking milk by telling her child that if he doesn’t drink milk quickly, a monster would show up. That is a lie, but the child believes it to be true. The child believes what the mother is saying about the monster. But, the mother is lying. By lying about something that’s perceived as truth, the mother makes sure the baby is well fed. The child quickly drinks the milk. Here, in contrast, this truth is really the truth. To reiterate that this is a not a lie that’s couched in the form of truth, the fact that is absolute truth is said twice.

Sage Vishwamitra is the Guru who imparted knowledge to Sri Rama. By the grace of Guru, Lord Rama received knowledge of the Guru Principle. Let’s learn a little bit more about this. When Sage Vishwamitra requested King Dasaratha to send Sri Rama with him to the forests to protect his Yagnas, the king hesitated. Filled with intense love for his son, the king dilly dallied. “How can I send my young son to the forests?” At that time, due to the divine intervention of Sage Vasishtha, King Dasaratha was saved from the fury of Sage Vishwamitra. But, Sri Rama was different. He always stood by his words. A word once spoken was never taken back. He never lied and there was never a second thought. He was an ideal man. To set an example to mankind in dharmic behavior, he served Guru Vishwamitra. Sri Rama very well knew the power and grace of Guru Vishwamitra. He was eager to learn from his Guru. Sri Rama knew how to receive the knowledge imparted by the Guru. But, he served the Guru not just with a view to receiving knowledge, but with complete love and devotion.

Sri Rama was overjoyed to hear of the arrival of Guru Vishwamitra. He was not afraid like King Dasaratha was about going to the forests to slay demons. He didn’t even question his own capabilities about whether he would be able to fulfill the tasks. He was in fact very happy for the opportunity bestowed on him to learn from Sage Vishwamitra. Sri Rama believed that the higher purpose of Sage Vishwamitra’s visit was to impart knowledge.

The greatness of Sage Vishwamitra was that he was dharma personified. He was the best of the brave and very wise. He reached the pinnacle of spiritual practices. He was well-versed with weapons and warfare of all the three worlds. Even the Gods and other sages did not have the knowledge that he did. Rama knew that Sage Vishwamitra had this great ocean of knowledge. That is why he was very happy when he heard of Sage Vishwamitra visit. Due to the timely advice by Sage Vasishtha, King Dasaratha wisened up and sent his young son with Sage Vishwamitra. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 54

We discussed that King Dasaratha wisened up on Sage Vasishtha’s advice and sent his sons to the forests with Sage Vishwamitra. The two boys served their Guru with utmost devotion and dedication. Even the Gods come to the assistance of those that serve their Guru. Once Rama began serving Sage Vishwamitra, the God of Wind blew gentle breeze over them and soothed their minds.

The two followed their Gurudeva diligently. As Sage Vishwamitra walked, Sri Rama and Lakshmana walked right behind him. The scriptures stipulate that while walking, one must walk a few paces behind the Guru, not ahead of Him. Rama and Lakshmana knew how to walk with the Guru. Pleased with how they were walking, Sage Vishwamitra initiated them into the knowledge of “Bala” and “Ati Bala”. By the power of Bala and Ati Bala, one is protected from hunger and thirst. Sri Rama needed this, you all know what happened in the future. That is why Sage Vishwamitra blessed them with this knowledge so that they never feel hunger or thirst. Demons could never harm them. They got blessed generously by walking humbly with their Guru. As disciples, they observed all the duties stipulated by the scriptures. They never left the company of their Guru. While traveling, they learned a lot about the forests from their Guru. Witnessing the eagerness of the two disciples to learn more, Sage Vishwamitra was excited and blessed them with even more knowledge. He gave them more powers.

While walking with Sage Vishwamitra, they heard a powerful sound. Upon enquiring, Sage Vishwamitra told them that it was “Manasa Sarassu” (manasa = relating to the mind; sarassu = lake).

“Kailasa parvate rama, manasa nirmitam saraha,
brahmana narasaarthula, tene dam maanasam saraha”

Lord Brahma created a lake on Mount Kailas with his mind (will) power. Because it was created with the power of the mind, it was called Manas Sarovar (manas = relating to the mind; sarovar = lake). From that lake was born Sarayu river. Sage Vishwamitra told them what they heard was the Sarayu River. He went on to explain the significant features of Manas Sarovar.

Soon after, Guru Vishwamitra ordered Rama to slay the demoness Tataka to protect the cattle, the learned and the rest of the people. At that time, he imparted knowledge of many weapons including Brahma Astram (astram = weapon), Pashupata Astram etc. Later, Sri Rama protected Sage Vishwamitra’s yagna by teaching the demons Mareecha and Subahu a fitting lesson. Pleased with this, Guru Vishwamitra wanted to bless Sri Rama with Laksmi devi. He purified them by reciting the story of Ganga Devi. He helped Ahalya get relief from her curse. The Guru’s blessings didn’t stop there. Guru Vishwamitra took them to the kingdom of Mithila. There, with the permission of Guru Vishwamitra, Rama broke the powerful bow of Lord Shiva and married Sita Devi.

Who is Sita? She is Lakshmi Devi manifested in a physical form. She is the consort of Lord Vishnu. He got Sri Rama married to Sita Devi. That was Guru Vishwamitra’s will. Like that, every step of the way, Guru Vishwamitra immensely blessed Rama who was an outstanding disciple. He poured all his knowledge into Rama. The conduct of the disciple is very important. If the disciple observes all his duties like Sri Rama did, the Sadgurus bless generously every step of the way like Guru Vishwamitra did, pouring all their knowledge in to the disciples. What we discussed in the previous sloka is explained even better in this sloka.

Episods 55

We discussed that Guru Vishwamitra ordered Rama to slay the demoness Tataka to protect the cattle, the learned and the rest of the people. At that time, he imparted knowledge of many weapons including Brahma Astram (astram = weapon), Pashupata Astram etc. Later, Sri Rama protected Sage Vishwamitra’s yagna by teaching the demons Mareecha and Subahu a fitting lesson. Pleased with this, Guru Vishwamitra wanted to bless Sri Rama with Laksmi devi. He purified them by reciting the story of Ganga Devi. He helped Ahalya get relief from her curse. The Guru’s blessings didn’t stop there. Guru Vishwamitra took them to the kingdom of Mithila. There, with the permission of Guru Vishwamitra, Rama broke the powerful bow of Lord Shiva and married Sita Devi.

Who is Sita? She is Lakshmi Devi manifested in a physical form. She is the consort of Lord Vishnu. He got Sri Rama married to Sita Devi. That was Guru Vishwamitra’s will. Like that, every step of the way, Guru Vishwamitra immensely blessed Rama who was an outstanding disciple. He poured all his knowledge into Rama. The conduct of the disciple is very important. If the disciple observes all his duties like Sri Rama did, the Sadgurus bless generously every step of the way like Guru Vishwamitra did, pouring all their knowledge in to the disciples. What we discussed in the previous sloka is explained even better in this sloka.

Sloka:
Rudha vidya jaganmaya dehesti dhvanta rupini
tadwarakah prakasasca guru sabdena kathyate

That means, illusion took on the form of this world. She (illusion) herself is the ignorance and personification of TAMAS. That ignorance is embedded strongly in the body of every being.

The light that can dispel that ignorance is called Guru. Once the divine light of the Guru falls on a being, the darkness of ignorance vanishes. Illusion and ignorance mean the same. It refers to the darkness that envelops us. The difference is only in the expanse each refers to, but illusion and ignorance are the same. The further we want to get away from it, the stronger and closer it gets. It is the nature of illusion. We may wonder why the darkness of illusion increases with our spiritual pursuit. There’s only one reason for this. You are not really starting your spiritual life. You are just thinking about it, but procrastinating. You are putting it off to tomorrow. We just keep thinking “I will fast starting tomorrow”, “I will give up this addiction starting tomorrow”, “I will set myself right starting tomorrow” but not acting on it. “I will read Bhagavatam starting tomorrow. Watch out, how disciplined I’m going to be”. But, we never start. We always postpone to tomorrow.

Episode 56

Illusion and ignorance are the same. It’s the darkness that envelops the mind. The further we want to get away from it, the stronger and closer it gets. It is the nature of illusion. We may wonder why the darkness of illusion increases with our spiritual pursuit. There’s only one reason for this. You are not really starting your spiritual life. You are just thinking about it, biding time and putting it off to tomorrow.

Your mind will not let you embark on your spiritual journey. Will your mind let you give up your big house, wealth, fame, wife, children etc and embark on your spiritual journey? No, it will not. Even at the time of death, the spirit is hankering after these possessions. This is what is called delusion. That’s the darkness. The only light that removes this darkness is the light of Guru.

The sloka continues to explain the qualities of a Guru.

Sloka:
Yadanghri kamala dvandvam dvanda tapa nivarakam
tarakam bhava sindhosca tam gurum pranamamyaham

This verse offers obeisances to such a Guru whose pair of lotus feet can wipe out the passions caused by the dualities of joys and sorrows, cold and heat and which can ferry across the ocean of life. Through this sloka, they are providing a definition for Guru as one Whose lotus feet can wipe out the passions caused by dualities.

Attachment and detachment manifest themselves in strange forms in life. Some people gain attachment from detachment. A person may renounce everything and build a big temple. But, he’s always immersed in thinking about the temple, about how he built the temple, how tall the temple tower is, how many storeys it has, how many little temples he built around the main temple, how big the temple periphery is, how beautiful the decorations are and so on. He’s only thinking about the temple and is absorbed in admiring it. It’s as if the temple takes precedence over the Guru. He considers himself an accomplished spiritual seeker. He brags to everyone about having built the temple.

Similarly, a distinguished person that made donations toward something is constantly bragging about being the donor. All these are attachments that come with detachment. They did some good deed, but they didn’t give up attachment. Your donations were done with attachment. Your good deeds were done with attachment, you have desire to brag about it.

Some others are worried about not receiving all the ancestral rites after they die. Let’s see how to overcome such fears.

Episode 57

We discussed that these were detachments that came coupled with attachments. Or, they can be called attachments that came coupled with detachments. To each his own – the one who built a temple, the donor, some who are in fear of not receiving ancestral rites annually and so on. Owing to this fear, Some of these people wear a lot of gold jewelry and announce that people that perform the funeral rites will be given that jewelry. They even provide this in writing. Is this called detachment? Tell me. Is it called sacrifice? Is it called attachment? This is also attachment coupled with detachment.

Then again, there is is that sinful attachment, just pure attachment. Due to this, we covet everything we see. This is sinful attachment, “It would be nice to have this”, “Oh, this would be very nice to have”. One desires to have the newer item even though he just bought a new item. They don’t want to give anything to anyone under any circumstances. That attachment engulfs them. Such people don’t sacrifice anything for anyone. Doesn’t matter if it rots and festers, they will not give it away. This is called sinful attachment. This attachment is a kind of passion. This is caused by dualities that are also otherwise known as the ocean of samsara. It is being said here that only the feet of the Guru have the power to rid you of all these dualities, all sorrows and all attachments to ferry you across the ocean of samsara.Thus, after defining what a Guru is, they are talking about what one needs to do to cross the ocean of samsara once he takes refuge with a Guru.

Sloka
Dehi brahma bhavedyasmat tadidanim prakasaye
sarva papa visuddhatama sri guroh pada sevanat

When one falls upon the feet of the Guru, and serves him, his sins will be washed off and his mind gets purified. Then he becomes a part of the godhead. So, the panacea is service at the feet of the Guru.

The Lord is saying here that he will advise on what needs to be done for the soul that takes on a body to attain godhead. This body needs to be an outstanding chariot. We need this body. You should not just grow your body, but you should make it an outstanding chariot. This body should become a temple . The Lord is revealing the secret one needs to know for the soul to attain liberation.

Let’s recall a short story. In Mahabharata, the fifth veda, Ganga was born to fulfill a greater purpose. Her son, Bheeshma was also born to fulfil a greater purpose. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 58

We were talking about a story from Mahabharata – the fifth Veda. We said that Ganga was born to fulfill a greater purpose. Ganga’s son Bheeshma was also born to fulfill a greater purpose. Bheehshma’s story is wonderful. He was a great Yogi. He accepted joy and sorrow and heat and cold with equanimity of mind. He crossed the ocean of samsara and attained liberation while still alive. Eventually, he attained godhead before he left his mortal body. Let’s learn a little about the greatness of Ganga’s son and the greatness of Mother Ganga.

Bheeshma’s mother was his first Guru. Her blessings were such that Bheeshma had no equal. His fame spread everywhere. He acquired such powers and fame. All knowledge bore fruit in him. There were no obstacles to his bravery. He was a greatly realized soul. His mother’s grace was the key reason for such immense blessings.

By merely remembering Ganga, all sins and illusions get washed away.

Ganga gangeti yo bhruyaat, yo janaaanaam shatairapi
Mucyate sarva paapebhyo Vishnu lokam sahacyati

By remembering Ganga, one gets purified instantly regardless of how far away they are. They even attain Vishnu Loka. Such a great Ganga was earlier born to a couple called Mareechi and Kala. Her name in that life was Poornima. Meditation was her life, meditation was her food. Meditation was everything to her, it was her greatest spiritual wealth. She had such great power. That is why, through Brahma’s boon, she became capable of purifying the world. Appearing at the feet of Trivikrama, she became Tripatha Gaamini. Tripatha Gaamini indicates that she flowed in the three worlds – heavens, earth and paatala (the lower worlds). She purifies and uplifts the people living in these three worlds. That is why the name Tripathaga was befitting. Such a great Ganga Mata made a great resolve to uphold Dharma in the world and to prevent people from swerving from Dharma. She resolved to increase Dharma in people. Let’s see what she does.

Episode 59

We discussed that Mother Ganga fulfilled the name Tripathaga given to her. We also discussed that such a powerful Mother Ganga made a great resolve to uphold Dharma in the world and to help prevent people from swerving from Dharma. According to that resolve, in Dwapara Yuga, she became wife to Shantanu. She dedicated her son to protecting Dharma. The original name given to this son of Ganga was Devavrata. He inherited all her spiritual wealth. According to his mother’s orders, he learned all knowledge from Sage Vasishtha. He received knowledge of weaponry and warfare from Sage Parashurama, eventually becoming capable of defeating the sage himself. To please his father, he undertook a vow of lifelong celibacy. He undertook such a fierce (bheeshana) vow that everyone in the world marveled at him. That’s how he got the name Bheeshma (from bheeshana).

He emerged victorious in many dangerous situations owing to his strict adherence to Dharma. That is why his fame spread even wider. If we try to understand Mahabharata or read it or try to study the text, we understand the principle of Bheeshma. The blessing of Mother Ganga eternally shined on Bheeshma and he realized many powers, just like Mother Ganga did. By pleasing his father, he received a boon of death-by-will. Bheeshma is credited with the virtue of having Lord Krishna pick up a weapon even though the Lord had resolved not to.

Wishing for victory to Dharma, he reclined on the bed the arrows during the Mahabharata battle. Even at that time, he didn’t forget his mother. Even though he became very powerful, he never forgot his god-like Mother. At that time, to propagate Dharma in the world, he taught Dharmaraja many principles of Dharma. He blessed Dharmaraja with all siddhis and preached to him the Vishnu Sahasra Nama. He led the life of a Yogi. His life is a beautiful example to Yogis. Such a brave and yogic state is highly commended. By the grace of his Guru who was also his mother, he was victorious in every situation, there was no question of defeat. It is said that by merely remembering Ganga while taking a bath, one’s sins get washed away and one becomes victorious. So, would Ganga’s son not be victorious? Tell me.

Towards the end of his life, such a great Bheeshma was blessed with the fortune of Lord Krishna’s darshan. While in the presence of Lord Krishna, he became one with Him. He had such great fortune, that he merged with the Lord right there. That is why, Bheeshma became one among the greatest devotees of Vishnu. Remembering him brings us merit. That is why elders observe the Bheeshma Ekadasi that occurs in February each year with great devotion and dedication. You can also go to Brahma loka like he did.

Episode 60

We talked about service at the feet of the Guru. The next 4 verses talk about the method and the benefits of service at the feet of the Guru.

Sloka:
Guroh padodakam pitva dhrtva sirasi pavanam
Sarva tirthavagahasya samprapnoti phalam naraha

If one drinks the ablutions of the Guru and sprinkles it on his head, he derives the benefit of bathing in all the holy rivers.

In the previous verse, they used the word “Dehi”, which indicates a soul (jeevi) that has taken on a body. Body indicates the presence of anger, lust etc. Therefore, if the jeevi ridden with anger, lust etc is to be purified, ordinary baths are not enough. So, what should we do? Lord Shiva commands that if we drink the ablutions of the Guru with devotion, the jeevi will be purified.

Sloka:
Sosanam papa pankasya dipanam jnana tejasah
Guroh padodakam devi samsararnava tarakam

Siva tells Parvati that with the ablutions of the Guru the mire of sins gets dried up. The light of knowledge is lit and one crosses the ocean of life.

Sloka:
Avidya mula nasaya janma karma nivrttaye
Jnana vairagya siddhyartham guru padodakam pibet

If ignorance is to be rooted out, the actions which are the cause of birth and death are to be set aside, knowledge and detachment are to be attained, one must drink the ablutions of the Guru.

It is said that by drinking the ablutions of the Guru, one gets purified, that means the sins are washed away. The inner light of knowledge is enhanced. Due to this the jeevi is relieved from the ocean of samsara. For all of this, first, ignorance should be removed. Some people have half-baked knowledge due to which they become superstitious. That should be eliminated. Then, the deep-rooted ignorance should be rooted out. There should be no rebirth. Even if there is a birth, there should be no karma. We may wonder if it’s possible to take birth without any karma? Some great souls take birth without any karma. For example, Namadev. Let’s listen to the story of this great soul.

Episode 61

We were discussing karma and what it is to take birth without any residual karma. We discussed that some great souls take birth without any residual karma. We said Saint Namadev was an example. He was a great soul who was in communication with Lord Pandareenatha (Lord Vishnu) at all times. He was always conversing with Lord Vishnu Himself. He is the only one who used to converse with Lord Pandareenatha that we see references to these days. But, he wished for another birth. Why? Because, he had a little more karma left. That karma would be finished with just 9 months in the womb of a mother. That means that he would spend the rest of his life as per the Lord’s command, free from all karma. If we have another birth, we should get a birth where we can finish all the karma. It’s very difficult to get a birth without any karma.

We need deliverance from ignorance and from karma. But, that in itself is not enough. Knowledge and detachment should bear fruit in us. For these to bear fruit, the karma that is the cause of births should be destroyed. How does it get destroyed? Can you Guru help you? Will he share some of your karma? He will not, whatsoever. You have to carry your own karma, there’s no escape. He will advise you on the ways to reduce your karma. That’s all he will do. That is why those who serve the Guru should always work on gaining a better understanding of ignorance, birth, karma, knowledge and detachment. There’s no other choice. They should always keep learning and understanding. Listening and understanding once is not enough. As long as you have this birth, you should keep learning and understanding, that’s the only way to reduce your karma. You can’t move on to the next lesson assuming you are done with this lesson. Regardless of how many lessons you learn and how much knowledge you acquire, knowledge and detachment need to be learned and understood over and over again. Some people mistakenly think that knowledge alone is enough, that detachment is unnecessary. “We don’t need both knowledge and detachment. It’s enough to have knowledge”. But, knowledge without detachment is futile. It is like serving someone an elaborate meal on a banana leaf and asking them to walk 10 miles to drink water. That does not work. For one that takes the ablutions of the Guru with devotion and complete surrender, all these will bear fruit. Otherwise, regardless of the amount of devotion you have, knowledge and devotion will not bear fruit until you have had the ablutions of the Guru. What’s the use serving such an elaborate meal if there is no water to drink?

Episode 62

Guru padodakam panam gurorucchista bhojanam
Gurumurtessada dhyanam guru stotram paro japah

We discussed that the Guru advises you on the ways to reduce your karma. Those ways are explained in this sloka.

Guru padodakam panam

Your drink should be the ablutions of your Guru.

That is not enough. You should do more. You should eat what has been left out by the Guru. That means, you should learn to always consider whatever you are eating and drinking as Prasadam from the Guru (sacred blessing from the Guru). You should inculcate the mindset: “Whatever I’m eating is the Guru’s Prasadam. Whatever I have is His”.

Even this is not enough. You should meditate upon the image of the Guru at all times and in all states. And singing in praise of Guru should be treated as the most important worship, in all states. It is being said here that meditating on the image of the Guru and singing in praise of the Guru are of utmost importance.

Sloka:
Swa desikasyaiva ca nama kirtanam bhavedanantasya sivasya kirtanam
Swa desikasyaiva ca rupa cintanam bhaved anatasya sivasya cintanam

The singing in praise of one’s Guru equates to singing the glory of the infinite Siva. Meditating upon the image of one’s Guru equates to meditating upon the infinite Siva. One must meditate on the image of the Guru and sing his praises at all times. That is equivalent to meditating on Siva and singing Lord Siva’s praises. This itself is meditating on the Infinite. This itself is meditating on Vishnu, singing in praise of Vishnu.

Let’s learn another secret: While singing in praise of a deity, if we don’t sing the praise of the Guru at the beginning and at the end, such praise is worthless. If one doesn’t sing in praise of the Guru, doesn’t chant the name of the Guru and doesn’t talk about his greatness, all worship is futile. A lot of people worship and sing in praise of a deity without any mention of the Guru or without any prayer to the Guru. Such prayers yield no fruits. In fact, praises of a deity should be sung only after singing in praise of Ganapathy, Saraswati and Guru.

The next two slokas talk about the greatness of the Guru.

Sloka:
Yatpada pansavah santah kepi samsara varidheh
setubandhaya kalpante desikam tamupasmaha

Obeisance to Guru, the dust particles of whose feet are of utmost importance for building the bridge across the ocean of samsara(life).

What does it mean to build a bridge across the ocean of samsara? This samsara is extremely terrifying. It is a massive ocean. In fact, it is more terrifying than an ocean. This ocean of samsara doesn’t have a shore on the other end. We cannot grasp its depth. So, how do we cross it? We need to seek refuge in Guru. Guru is the only one who can help us cross the ocean of samsara.

Sloka:

Kasiksetram nivasasca jahnavi caranodakam
Gurur visvevarah saksat tarakam brahma niscitam

The very dwelling of the Guru is the sacred Kashi (Benaras). His ablutions are the holy waters of the Ganges. Lord Visweshwara who uplifts us from the world of life is Guru himself. This is certain.

Episode 63

Sloka:
Kasiksetram nivasasca jahnavi caranodakam |
Gurur visvevarah saksat tarakam brahma niscitam ||

The very dwelling of the Guru is the sacred Kashi (Benaras). His ablutions are the holy waters of the Ganges. Lord Visweshwara who uplifts us from the world of life is Guru himself. This is certain.

When one says he’s going to Kashi, it means he’s going to the Guru. Here, we can find another special meaning to “brahma niscitam”. It means that Lord Siva is making a divine promise that Guru is verily the Taraka Mantra (“Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama”).

In the previous verse, there was a reference to Kashi. Now, to satisfy the devotees of Lord Vishnu, they are praising the Guru and referring to Gaya to remind them that Guru is the manifestation of the Trinity and is beyond all differences.

Sloka:
Guru padankitam yatra gaya sadhoksajodbhava |
Tirtha rajah prayago sau guru murtyai namonamah ||

Where the imprints of Guru’s feet exist, that itself is the holy place of Gaya pertaining to Lord Vishnu. That itself is the greatest of holy places, Prayag. Obeisance to such a Guru

Sloka:
Gurumurtim smarennityam gurornama sada japet |
Gurorajnam prakurvita guroranyam na bhavayet ||

The image of the Guru should always be kept in mind and His name should always be chanted. Guru’s order should always be obeyed and there should be no other thought.

If we give a form to these thoughts, that form will become Hanuman. Let’s learn about the duties of Guru and disciple through the story of Surya (Sun God) and Hanuman. Here, the Guru is Surya – Guru to Hanuman. And the disciple is the great Hanuman. In many scriptures, matters pertaining to knowledge are explained citing Surya as an example. Similarly, when explaining the duties of a disciple, Hanuman is cited as an example.

It was due to Surya that Dharma was established and this creation expanded. He is the inner self, he is in everyone and is everywhere. Lord Surya is the reason this creation is sustained. A lot of seekers benefited from worshiping him. Many others have walked the path shown by the Lord and have been uplifted. It is because of Surya that we get rain, it is because of him that we have prosperity. While radiating fiercely, he fulfills all his duties. He inspires everyone in the world to follow their duties. Such a great Sun God blessed many people with knowledge. All those blessed by him became great souls.

Episode 64

We were talking about Surya and about Hanuman. We discussed that it is because of Surya that we get rain, it is because of him that we have prosperity. While radiating fiercely, he fulfills all his duties. He inspires everyone in the world to follow their duties. Such a great Sun God blessed many people with knowledge. All those blessed by him became great souls and kept up his fame. It is said that the best among those disciples was Hanuman.

Hanuman was associated with Surya right from his childhood. Hanuman’s father Vayu Deva (the God Wind) was a friend of Lord Surya. As soon as Hanuman was born, he had darshan of his Guru. This is an unprecedented event for any disciple. No one ever had such a good fortune. He had darshan of his Guru as soon as he was born. Since he had darshan of his Guru, he wanted to merge with his Guru. He faced an obstacle on his path to reaching the Guru and lost consciousness. In the story, they say that he jumped towards the Sun mistaking it for a fruit. He didn’t mistake it for a fruit. The true spiritual reason behind it was that he wanted to merge with his Guru. But, there was an obstacle and he wasn’t able to merge with his Guru.

After that incident, Anjaneya became Hanuman. Hanuman never forgot his Guru. His mother Anjana Mata perceived this and ordered her son to go learn all knowledge from Lord Surya. Hanuman’s joy knew no bounds. He was ecstatic. His mother’s command was exactly what he had desired. Overjoyed to have darshan of his Guru and to be under his tutelage, Hanuman joyfully jumped and reached the Sun.

Then, Guru Surya wanted to show the world the strength and intelligence in his disciple. Earlier, when Hanuman had lost consciousness, Surya appeared before him and blessed him thus: “May he get one hundredth of own radiance. May he be blessed him with the realization of all knowledge as soon as he grows up. May he become a great orator”. Both Anjana Devi and Vayu Deva were aware of these blessings.

As soon as Hanuman reached Surya, Surya recalled his blessings. Imagine Hanuman actually reaching the Sun. That has to be due to Surya’s blessings. According to the word he gave Hanuman, he had no choice but to impart knowledge to him. He had given his word to Hanuman. Even though he decided to put Hanuman to test, he already knew that Hanuman had all the qualities of an ideal disciple.

Speaking in the ways of the world, Lord Surya said “Son, it is my duty to always be on the move. If you move keep moving along with me, you will never gain knowledge”. Hanuman loved his mother very dearly. When the Guru said this, he remembered his mother’s orders and decided to accomplish the task, come what may. His mother had ordered him to gain knowledge from Surya, no matter what. Without a second thought, he blocked Surya’s chariot and prayed to him to bless him with knowledge. Surya got worried seeing the disciple block his chariot. He told Hanuman that he would impart knowledge, but that it would be difficult for Hanuman to hear Surya because of the sounds made by the moving chariot. He said, “While I move, you won’t be able to hear me over the sounds made by my moving chariot”. Let’s see what happens next.

Jaya Guru Datta.

Episode 65

We discussed that Surya got worried seeing Hanuman block his chariot. He told Hanuman, “I could impart knowledge to you, no problem. But you won’t be able to hear me over the sounds made by my moving chariot. You tell me if you have a plan to overcome this obstacle”.

Hanuman replied “Gurudeva, I will expand my body. I will place one foot on Udayadri and the other on Hastadri. I will only place my head in your chariot. The sound made by the wheels of your chariot can be heard in all the worlds, but cannot be heard inside your chariot. As your chariot moves, my head will go along . Then, your chariot won’t stop, nor will the flow of your knowledge to me. Please bless me” . The Guru agreed, blessed him and began imparting knowledge.

Hanuman learned all knowledge from the Sun God in 7 days. He became an expert in the nine branches of grammar. An ideal disciple always stays close to the Guru. He will only move with people associated with the Guru. Because Hanuman was the best of disciples, he never forgot his Guru. He never abandoned people associated with his Guru. Sri Rama belonged to the Sun dynasty. Sugreeva was the son of Sun God. Hanuman made friends with them. He always stood by Sri Rama and Sugreeva. He accomplished the tasks for Sri Rama. Surya, the Guru never forgot the disciple either. He helped Hanuman accomplish Sri Rama’s tasks every step of the way. He contributed to his disciple’s victory. The relationship between the Guru and the disciple is such. Once the Guru decides that the disciple is his, he will never abandon him. A disciple should be like Hanuman, always wishing the Guru well. He should be content in the service of the Guru.

Let’s look at the description of the next Sloka. To underscore the importance of any matter, repeating that matter is the tradition followed in the scriptures. This is called “Abhyasam” (practice). Here, Lord Shiva is indicating that service to the Guru is most important. That is why this matter is repeated. That is not all, they are reiterating that there should be no thought other than the Guru.

This is explained even further in the next Sloka.

Episode 66

Sloka:
Guruvaktra sthita vidya prapyate tatprasadatah |
Tasmattam desikam dhyayet yathatyosit priyam swakam ||

We gain the knowledge that’s on the Guru’s tongue only by the grace of the Guru. Hence, just as a woman is fixated on her lover, the disciple should always think of the Guru regardless of the task he is engaged in.

“Vidya” is knowledge. This has to be obtained only through the Guru. Such knowledge is never gained by reading books or listening to discourses or breaking our heads. We should pray to the Guru for His grace. How? Just the way a woman is immersed in thoughts of her lover. A new bride may be doing all the chores at home and attending to relatives dutifully, but her mind is always immersed in thoughts of her husband. Her thoughts are not interrupted due to the tasks she is engaged in. Similarly, one should learn to merge his mind with the Guru, regardless of the tasks he is engaged in.

Next, the method to surrender oneself completely to the Guru is described.

Sloka:
Swasramam ca swajatim ca swakirtim pustivardhanam |
Etat sarvam parityajya gurumeva samasrayet ||

That means, one should leave one’s caste, position, abode, fame, power, strength, wealth etc and seek the Guru’s grace. Without the Guru, these things cannot give any knowledge of the Absolute.

Here, in “pustivardhanam”, “pusti” doesn’t just mean strength, it also means wealth. “Vardhanam” is progress. “Jati” indicates caste such as Brahman, Kshatriya etc. “Asrama” indicates Brahmacharyam (student life), Grihastasramam (household life) etc. What does giving up all of these mean? It means to turn the affection he has for all these qualifications and possessions towards the Guru. People are always engaged in thoughts of these things…whether they are awake or asleep. If the object of affection is money, then the thoughts are always about money…

“How much has been gained and how much more is left to be gained, which banks should the money be invested in, which pockets should it be placed in, whom to entrust it to for hiding away” and so on. He’s so attached to the money that he won’t even reveal the accounts to his wife and children. He’s worried that they may take away the money. Along with attachment, he also has fear that he may get nothing when he gets old if he tells them about his money. He jealously guards the money and keeps procrastinating telling his family, finally forgetting to tell them about it.
One should let go of all such affections without worrying about consequences. You need to turn all such affection that you placed on your wealth and money towards your Guru. That means you should inculcate adherence to Guru and develop the concept that all these wealth and possessions are one dimension, but the Guru is another dimension.

Episode 67

Sloka:
Ananyascintayanto ye dhruvam tesam param padam |
Tasmat sarva prayatnena guroraradhanam kuru ||

Those who meditate upon the Guru with no other thought will certainly attain Parampad (the blissful state). So worship Guru in all faith and by all means.

“Sarva prayatnena” indicates you should serve the Guru in various ways. Serve the Guru in all the various ways there are to please the Guru, in all the various ways there are to serve him so we can be redeemed from our sins, all the various ways we want the grace of the Guru. We should meditate upon the Guru whenever we have a moment. We should offer salutations to the Guru every time we see Him. You can never do enough salutations to the Guru. Even a lifetime of salutations is not enough. Worshiping the Guru through all lifetimes is also not enough. That is why, you should worship the Guru in various ways possible thinking, “May be this will work well”, “May be the Guru will be pleased with this”, “May be the Guru will bless me if I do this”, while dedicating everything to the Guru Principle.

Regardless of how extensively we decorate our Lord, we are never satisfied. That is why we keep thinking, “May be we can place this diamond necklace on the Lord”, “May be this garland will look good”, “May be this color garland will look good”. We keep trying various decorations for our own satisfaction. But, we are never satisfied. There is a small difference when it come to service to the Guru, though. In the former case, you are decorating the Lord with a lot of affection. In the case of service to the Guru, you should give up all affections and serve. That is why they ask you to serve in every way possible. You can’t just try one method of service and exclude everything else. You should take everything into account. You should dedicate every small task to the Guru. You should think for yourself about all the various ways you can serve the Guru. No one will tell you. You cannot say, “No one tells me, I don’t know how to serve the Guru”. Once you figure out how to please the Guru, you should try all the possible ways to continue to please Him. The Guru will not be annoyed, he will keep blessing when you tell him, “I did this task”, “I did that task”. All we need is to please him. That is why, we should have a volunteer mindset. We should be self-starters. We should analyze and think for ourselves. We should do everything we can. But, that doesn’t mean you show off in the presence of the Guru. You should not boast or pretend in the presence of the Guru, “That’s not a big deal, I can do that”. He is always witness to what you are doing whether or not he’s physically present. He’s witness to what you are doing in your life. He knows what you’ve done in your past, what you are doing now and what you are capable of doing in the future. That’s why, all you need is to serve the Guru without any other thought. You should have no other thoughts. You should not even have expectations of praise. You should just surrender. You should do your tasks and surrender them. If the Guru praises you, it will boost your ego. When that happens, you should immediately realize and be ashamed. That is why you should be very careful.

Episode 68

Sloka:
Gurormukhacca samprapya devi brahmatma samvidam |
Trailokya sphuta vaktaro devarsi pitr manavah ||

Those who attain knowledge “I am Parabrahman” through the grace of Guru, whether they are Gods, saints, manes (guardian spirits of ancestors), humans or anyone else, become unparalleled ones in all the three worlds. Such beings become Gurus themselves. We should realize this Principle. The knowledge of such principle is obtained only through the Guru and nowhere else.
Everyone has a Guru – the Gods have a Guru, Yakshas, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas etc., all have Gurus, humans have Guru, saints have Guru, all living beings have a Guru. That is why they ask you to chant the name of the Guru. There’s a small insect, just like an earthworm that some of you may have seen. The insect lives in the soil and keeps tilling it. There’s a fly that looks like a honey bee that’s got a very painful sting.

The fly picks up the insect, places it in its dwelling and keeps poking at it. It’ll occasionally bring it some food to nurture it. The insect is always afraid of being poked. Living in constant fear of being poked, the insect is always thinking of the fly. The insect is so immersed in thinking about the fly that it finally flies away like the fly, with the fly, with its Guru, with its mother, with its father. Similarly, by constantly chanting Guru mantra and meditating on the Principle taught by the Guru, one becomes Guru himself. Contemplating on the syllables of the mantra and the meaning of the mantra is the next step up in meditation. That is why, they describe the meaning of the word “Guru” in the next 5 slokas. Let’s listen.

Sloka:
Gukarascandhakaro hi rukarasteja ucyate |
Ajnana grasakam brahma gurureva na samsayah ||

Lot of people talk about GURU, but don’t really understand the principle of Guru.

People explaining the meaning of the word GURU may explain the meaning of individual syllables, but they still are unable to grasp the Guru Principle. That means they are unable to drive way the darkness. GU stands for darkness and RU stands for light. So, light and darkness are in the word GURU. Undoubtedly GURU is the Parabrahman who swallows ignorance; RU indicates one who swallows darkness.

Episode 69

Sloka:
Gukarascandhakarastu rukarastannirodhakah |
Andhakara vinasitvat gururityabhidiyate ||

GU is darkness. RU is that which drives it away. As he drives away darkness, he is called Guru. RU is knowledge as well as light. When GU is driven way, only RU is left, only knowledge is left. In the previous two slokas, they talked about darkness twice. Why? Darkness also means sin. A true Sadguru always thinks about the sins of his disciples, because it diminishes as he goes on thinking about it. He has that power.

The Guru doesn’t think much about the disciples’ merit. He’s worried only about their sins, “This disciple is getting corrupted”, “He’s committed these sins”, “He may suffer for this”, “Oh, he lied about this, he may be punished for this lie”, “He deceived someone just as expected”, “Oh, he deceived his parents”, “He deceived himself”. The Guru worries, “I thought he was such a wonderful child, thought he’d be set right, but he hasn’t been. How do I make him a better person?” Guru will not remember any good deeds. He will only remember the disciples’ sins and mistakes all the time.

We may even be annoyed. “Why does my Guru always think of my mistakes? Why does he always point to them?” The more the Guru talks about it, the more he thinks about it, the more he reprimands us for it, the more he punishes us for it, the more the sins get diminished. The Guru is the only one with such power. Merely by thinking about our sins, the Guru is able to diminish the sins. But, we should not think about those sins ourselves. The more we think about our sins, the more they increase. So, when the Guru reprimands you for those sins, you should not feel bad about it. Guru remembers the sins so they can be diminished and wiped away.

The sculptor pounds on the stone over and over again. The more he pounds and chisels, the better it looks. The stone shouldn’t think that just because it’s going to be worshiped in a temple, the sculptor should not cut and chisel the stone. It is only from repeated pounding that the sculpture sits in the temple as a representation of the divine, blessing us. If the stone had broken down after two days of sculpting saying it can’t take the pain anymore, they would have thrown away the unsculpted and broke stone. It would probably be used as a place to leave footwear on. What use is that sculpture? That is why the stone takes all the cutting and chiseling, gets carved beautifully and becomes Parabrahman once it gains a beautiful from. That is why the sculptor keeps pounding over and over again. The goldsmith repeatedly exposes the gold to fire to shape it. He burns it over and over again, and pounds it. To create sharp instruments out of iron, the metal is exposed to fire, thrown in water and pounded on repeatedly. Only when placed in fire will it become malleable. Otherwise, it won’t.

That is why, by reminding you of the sin and the punishment, the sin will melt away and you will have the realization to not repeat those sins in all lifetimes.

Episode 70

We discussed that a real Sadguru will ponder over the disciple’s sins because the more he thinks about them, the more the sins diminish. We discussed that the Guru is the only one with such powers. We also discussed a few analogies such as iron being exposed to fire and pounded on to make sharp implements, or gold placed in fire and shaped to increase its shine or the sculptor cutting and chiseling to sculpt a figure. That is why, the Guru doesn’t think much about the merit of the disciples.

Once the sculptor chisels the face of the figure, he doesn’t pay much attention to how it looks. People praise the figure half way through the sculpting, but he doesn’t give it much thought. He only sees its flaws. Even after sculpting the figure completely, he doesn’t give much thought to the praise and appreciation he gets. He’s not satisfied. He knows what else needs to be done to improve the sculpture.

But, the onlookers praising the work don’t know the flaws. They praise, “How beautiful is this art !” The sculptor feels ashamed hearing this. He alone knows where the flaws are. The onlookers don’t know. The more they praise, the more he’s ashamed. Similarly, when the Guru praises us, we should realize our mistakes and resolve to set ourselves right. Your thoughts should be along the lines of, “I should correct my mistake, I am ashamed, I am ashamed of what I did yesterday, I can’t even lift my head up in the presence of the Guru”. You should not be proud. You must not be complacent assuming everybody else makes these mistakes too. Or you shouldn’t be nonchalant assuming the Guru has forgotten. That is why, the Guru only thinks about the disciple’s sins, not his merits. The Guru will not think about your merits, the Guru will not praise you. If the Guru praises the disciple, the merits will diminish.

If the Sadguru praises you for your work, your ego will be boosted and your work will be ruined. You will not be able to do anything else. That’s why he’s always chiding you. Every time the Guru chides you, you should be ashamed and should correct your mistakes. Once you get to the stage where you cannot leave the Sadguru, he will keep chiding you all the time. He knows you will never be annoyed. If he knows right upfront that you will be annoyed, he will not chide you at all. He will leave you to your fate. Some people who don’t know this secret are disappointed when the Guru doesn’t praise them. They keep pestering him till he praises them. That is a huge mistake. Doing something solely to win the Guru’s appreciation is also a mistake. You should work till you are satisfied with it first. “I cooked this well, with all my love and I am dedicating this to the Guru. It tastes good now. I should do better next time. I should do even better the next time”.

I should do even better the next time”. You should work day in and day out, with humility, thinking about it and wanting to do even better. If the Guru still finds fault after all the hard work, you should realize your mistake and fix it, but you should not be disappointed. You should not say “I worked day in and day out, but my Guru didn’t accept”. You should be thankful that your ego was reigned in and you should work on correcting yourself.

If the Guru doesn’t accept whatever we dedicate to Him, that is not good for us. But, if He appreciates what He accepts, that is not good for us either. Understand this: If He doesn’t accept our offering, that’s not good for us. But, if He accepts and then praises us for it, that is also not good for us. That is why, real Gurus sometimes chide you while accepting what you offer. They will say that you could have done better. Some people suffer from ego and disappointment after the Guru chides them.

Episode 71

Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sri Pada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha

Sloka:
Gukarassyad gunatito rupatito rukarah |
Guna rupa vihinatvat gururuityabhidiyate ||

GU stands for one who is beyond the three Gunas or qualities. RU stands for the one who is beyond Rupa or form. Guru is the personification of the Absolute without attributes and form. We should inculcate the feeling that all forms belong to the Guru. You should realize that the Guru is beyond all form, beyond all qualities and beyond time.

Sloka:
Gukarah prathamo varno mayadi gunabhasakah |
Rukarosti param brahma maya bhranti vimocakah ||

The first syllable GU belongs to the three Gunas which are the cause of illusion. The second syllable RU stands for the Parabrahman that destroys the delusion caused by illusion.

Sloka:
Evam gurupadam srestham devanamapi durlabham |
Haha huhu ganaiscaiva gandharvairapi pujitam ||

Sloka:
Dhruvam tesam ca sarvesam nasti tatvam guroh param |
Guroraradhanam karyam swajivatvam nivedayet ||

The term GURU is of utmost importance. The term is so important that it should be used only in specific situations. We keep using the word Guru loosely. It is said that children should not be given the name “Guru”. It’s okay to join the word Guru with another word while christening the baby, but the name “Guru” alone should not be used. These days, “Guru” has become a generic term we use to flag down someone in bus stations, train stations or restaurants. I have pointed out many times that the term “Guru” is a very holy mantra. It is “Gunatitam” – beyond all qualities. It is “Mayatitam” – beyond all form. This is beyond the comprehension of even Gods.

The songsters of heaven such as Haha, Huhu and Gandharvas (heavenly beings) respect this term the most; for there is no sublime concept even for them other than this. Hence, the Guru must be worshiped.

While worshiping the Guru one has to offer one’s life which means all that he possesses as a living being. In the same way, the feeling “I am the being” should be sacrificed and one should dwell in the state of eternal consciousness in the form of pure bliss

This is what is called a total offering.

Episode 72

We discussed that the term “Guru” is of utmost importance in one’s life. There is no one greater than the Guru. We also discussed that Guru is also Lord Krishna. Let’sunderstand the qualities of the Guru through some stories of Lord Krishna. If compassion and sacrifice were to take a form, that form would become Guru. That itself is the divine form of Lord Krishna.

Wandering in Gokulam as a cowherd, Krishna displayed many miracles that amazed even the Gods. We’ll understand them if we read the Bhagavatam. Recently, Swamiji went to Mathura and Vrindavan for the volunteer camp with children from Sri Datta Humane Services. There, I remembered a lot of Krishna’s childhood leelas. I recalled every incident. The songs from the Kannada Bhagavatam that revered Jayalakshmi Mata composed were ringing in my ears. Appaji was 5 years old when He went to Gokulam with Jayalakshmi Mata and the rest of the family. Back then, it was not as chaotic as it is now. People used to always chant “Radhe” or “Radhe Shyam”. Not only that, they would serve milk, yogurt and food in every house. These days, they keep demanding money instead. Back then, Jayalakshmi Mata wrote the song “Mathura Nagaravu…” after seeing the city where Lord Krishna grew up. I still cannot forget the song. I keep singing the song once a while. Even today, I remember the place where Lord Krishna grew up. Nanda Gokulam, Govardhana mountain are all located fairly close to each other, about 16-17 kilometers apart from each other.

Lord Krishna worked very hard. He worked very hard to uphold Dharma. Lord Krishna stood by every being, in every instance and in every situation as a Guru. That is why, Sri Krishna is hailed as the best among the best and is the only one that can be called Jagadguru. Merely traveling to foreign lands doesn’t make one a Jagadguru. Lord Krishna is worshiped as Guru in all the worlds, in the entire cosmos. Nowadays, traveling to 2-3 continents seems to qualify someone as Jagadguru. That is not correct. Beings in all the worlds in the cosmos, from gods to Yakshas, Kinnaras and Kimpurushas, all worshiped Lord Krishna. That is why the Lord was Guru to everyone. He remained a Guru even in Golokam. Taking on a body, discarding the body, Lord Krishna worked very hard. You will see this when you read his life history. All divine incarnations worked very hard. Didn’t the Lord work hard in Matsya (fish) Avatara? Appearing as a gigantic fish, he had to work very hard. As Kurma (tortoise) Avatara, as Varaha (boar) Avatara, he worked very hard. Just when we thought that the Lord would not have to work so hard in a human form, he had to work very hard in his incarnation as Lord Rama.

And as Lord Krishna, he had to work very, very hard. As Guru to all the worlds, he wandered as a cowherd in Gokulam, displaying miracles and causing amazement to everyone including the Gods.

Episode 73

We discussed that Krishna wandered in Gokulam as a cowherd and displayed many miracles that left even the Gods amazed. After each wondrous act of Lord Krishna, all Gods, all kinds of Gods came down to earth and sang and danced in joy. Lord Krishna’s miracles were myriad – he lifted Govardhana mountain with his little finger, he removed Indra’s arrogance, he received Abhishekam from Kamadhenu (the cow that gives whatever one desires) and became “Govinda”. That is why, Lord Krishna very much loves milk. You also heard the story of Lord Venkataramana. He drank the milk offered to him while sitting in an anthill. That is why milk is considered the nectar of Kaliyuga.

When the creator, Brahma, had the cattle in Gokulam disappear, Lord Krishna displayed a bigger miracle and took the form of all the cows and calves in Gokulam. Brahma himself came down and praised Krishna as the Guru to all the worlds. Krishna cured the residents of Gokulam of all their illusions. Good doctors first help surface the hidden ailments. We may wonder, “We came to this doctor trusting Ayurveda, but there are additional ailments I am now suffering from”. But, after all the hidden ailments are surfaced, the doctor gives you the medicines to clean up your system. Similarly, what Krishna did was to first create illusion in the minds of everybody in Gokulam. Then, he removed all their illusion, so that there was nothing else left inside. He did not stop at that. He taught them lessons in self-realization. From Gokulam, he came to Mathura and vanquished and killed Kamsa, who was a manifestation of ignorance. He blessed lifelong devotees and parents Devaki and Vasudeva. It’s impossible to single out one miracle. There are countless. Bhagavatam is full of Krishna’s miracles. We can talk about Bhagavatam endlessly. The Lord who was patiently biding time in Gokulam, came to Mathura and spread divine knowledge among his devotees to benefit all the worlds. Why are we repeating this over and over? So that we can remember it.

Krishna generously blessed Kuchela, who is also known as Sri Dhama. He blessed Sri Dhama with several boons. By performing countless divine deeds to benefit the worlds, Lord Krishna became known in all the worlds as a Guru. That is why he’s called Jagadguru (Guru to all the worlds). He helped the righteous Pandavas. He became Geetacharya (the teacher of Bhagavad Gita) by blessing Arjuna, the third of the five Pandavas with Bhagavad Gita. Today, Gita is known the world over. People that have recited or heard the Gita have undergone very positive transformations in their lives. Many of them have become Yogis. So many have become rulers of their countries. So many of these rulers cite the Bhagavad Gita. This is an extraordinarily sacred scripture we are blessed with.

Episode 74

There are many miraculous deeds that Jagadguru Lord Krishna performed. We were talking about his miraculous deeds. Just as Lord Krishna stood by the Pandavas, the Jagadguru stands by his devotees as a mother, as a father, as a son, as a friend, as a relative, and constantly protects those who have faith in him. He enables and ensures that they walk the dharmic path. He ensures that his disciples have positive resolutions, that their minds are filled with good thoughts, that their minds are centered on God and stay pure. He ensures that the disciples do not have speech problems and that their words do not carry blame for others. He makes sure that whatever the disciples utter is pure. He ensures that the disciples earn the merit they deserve for their service. He does this, no matter what. That is why, in this Sloka, the Guru clearly explains that there is no one greater than the Guru, that there is no Principle greater than the Guru.

Let’s suppose someone declared that he is giving away his wealth and even his children. Then, even though his wealth and children are given away, the feeling of “I” and “mine” are still with him. Some are only paying lip service saying, “Swamiji, you put Your foot in this house, this house is Yours”. If I ask them to put this in their will and hand it to me, they will probably say “I did not expect you to ask for the house”, or they may just laugh and be quiet. Or, they may just turn the tables saying, “Swamiji, you are so funny”. That’s it. “Then, why did you say that, for no reason?”

There are also people who say “I have five sons, Swamiji; they are all Yours”. If I say, “Okay, put one of the sons in the Veda school and make him a good citizen”, they hesitate and get wishy washy saying, “Swamiji… these days… Swamiji…these days, how can one afford to not have worldly education?” “But, you said you were dedicating your children to me ?”

A father may say “Swamiji, I have 8 daughters, I am dedicating them all to you”. If, for some reason, I say “Okay”, he may say, “Okay, you get them married”. So, I should be careful what I say.

Someone may say, ”I have given up tea since you asked me to, because it was not good for me”.

“Did you, son?”

“Yes Swamiji, I did. I had given You my word”.

“Very good”.

“I am drinking coffee instead, Swamiji”.

Someone who is not used to drinking coffee may drink tea sometimes, but now that he has given up tea, he is now going back to drinking coffee. This is how we are. It is clear that this is not the right kind of offering. You should surrender “I” and “mine”. There is the ego or the feeling of “I” due to which there is “mine” and “yours”.

Whatever is impermanent, we refer to as “mine”. Whatever is permanent, the eternal state of bliss, the Paramatman, that is who I want to merge into. He is me and I am Him. They won’t even jokingly say “I am Him”. It’s always “Mine”, “My bank balance”, “My house”, “My goat”. The “I” and “mine” should also be surrendered along with the offering. He said, children, house, wealth are “mine”. He gave up everything related to “mine”, but kept the feeling “mine”. It implies that he can earn it back again after he offers it. I gave him whatever was mine. But, I didn’t give him the feeling of “mine”. So, there’ll be things I can call “mine” again. So, when you make an offering, you should offer the feeling of “I” and “mine”. That is the right kind of offering.

“I am giving everything I have” would mean that you are giving all that belongs to you, but “you” are still there. If you say you are giving everything that belongs to you besides the feeling of “mine”, you are offering everything material that belongs to you. You couldn’t see the invisible “I” in you that you won’t offer. Because of that, you leave the door open to earning karma again. You are not offering the feeling of “mine”. If you did, you cannot do anything else. That’s the Guru’s command. Eating, swallowing, sleeping would all be the Guru’s commands. That’s it. There is no vow beyond this. That is why, saying “I am offering” is also not right. When you say “I am offering”, it implies that the recipient does not have the item you are offering.

Episode 75

You are referring to “I”; that is, you are saying that “I” am offering. It indicates that your feeling when you do the offering is that you are offering an item that the recipient doesn’t have, that it doesn’t actually belong to the recipient, that the offering is subject to your desire to give. “I am giving what belongs to me”. It indicates a feeling of, “this is actually mine, it’s not yours”. It’s the ego. It means that the feeling of “mine” is rooted in your mind, it’s entrenched deep in your heart.

You may offer things that may be superficial, but you are not able to give up the feeling of “mine”. It shows that the feeling of “I” and “mine” are entrenched in your heart. Needless to say, this feeling is highly undesirable when it comes to interactions with the Sadguru. That is why, to say to the Sadguru “I am offering” is not right. It is not good to say that. The feeling “I am giving” does not work with the Sadguru. It is better to say “You take it yourself”. He is taking whatever belongs to him. So, the sin of believing that you are offering him what he doesn’t have will not accrue to you. We should genuinely feel, “Why are you asking me? This is yours. You just kept it here, that’s it”. Your mindset for serving the Guru should say that you are only guarding whatever the Guru asked you to guard. “Why are you asking me? You don’t need to ask me. This is yours. You take it”. The Guru will take it and will take you along with it. Then, you will not be tied down to any future karma. Thus, you should be prepared not just to offer what seems to belong to you, but also yourself. That is what offering yourself means, that is what we have been talking about. If you listen to this over and over a few times, you will understand.

The feeling of complete surrender is the real offering. When such an offering occurs, you actually become the Guru yourself. See what a great statement this is. If you actually get such a feeling, you become the Guru yourself . Because the Guru is the form of pure consciousness, you become pure consciousness yourself. When that happens, everything you have – your body, your sense organs, your karma, all become his. Therefore, they all become pure consciousness. Thereby, whatever tasks you do in service to the Guru will not accrue any merit or sin. When you have such firm determination – that you are pure consciousness – it becomes clear that you have offered yourself. This is such a beautiful explanation. To determine if you have offered yourself completely or not, you just need to check for the feeling of complete surrender in you. Based on this test, you will be able to determine for yourself the status of your offering. No one needs to tell you.

Episode 76

Sloka:
Asanam sayanam vastram vahanam bhusanadhikam |
Sadhakena pradatavyam gurossantosa karanam ||

Seats, cots, clothes, vehicles, ornaments are some of the things which should be offered to Guru for they are the means to please him.

We discussed what a real offering should be like. But, for beings that are tied down in karmic bondages, such an offering is not at all easy. So, what should one do then? We discussed how the creator, Brahma, made this creation. It was a big question even back then. There is also another question. Are you pure now? Or, are you impure? You are a being that is struggling in the web of karma. That is why, you cannot proclaim that you are pure consciousness. You cannot say “I am pure consciousness”. That is because you are always faced with karma, whether your eyes are open or close. You have so many anxieties. You have adhi (psychic) vyadhi (illness) anxieties. So many varieties of anxieties. You have Adi-bhautika (miseries caused by other living beings), Adi-atmika (miseries caused by one’s own body and mind) anxieties and so on…all form of adhi vyadhi. They appear whether your eyes are open or closed. So, would it be right then, to say that your mind is filled with crystal clear pure consciousness? Wouldn’t that be a lie?

Okay, let’s assume you offered yourself along with your karma to the Guru. You offered yourself along with your karma that appears whether your eyes are open or close, your karma and difficulties under whose weight the mind crumbles. Then, should he (the Guru), along with you, accept experience and pay for your sins and bad karma? Does it mean that he accepted everything as soon as you announced your offering. Just because you offered yourself to him completely, you expect him to go to great lengths and suffer for your karma to alleviate it? A lot of people say “I am offering myself completely to you Swami, along with all my karma”. So, who will experience the karma? Is it the Sadguru? Just because he merged you into him, does the pure milk have to be curdled due to the impurity. He (the Guru) set aside some pure milk. If he brings you into the mix, the milk will be curdled due to the impurity. Did you pour the milk into a clean container? If not, then the pure milk set aside by the Guru will curdle when mixed. The milk you brought is impure. It’s placed in an unwashed container. You want it mixed with the pure milk. As soon as you do so, it’ll curdle. Whose fault is it? You expect the Sadguru to blindly trust the disciple and mix the milk? Even though a person offered himself completely along with his karmic bondages to the Sadguru, even though the Sadguru is pure consciousness, once the impurity is brought in, the purity will be tainted. Would that be good? That is not good.

Episode 77

So, just because you decided to offer yourself to the Guru, should the Guru go to great lengths and take on your karma to alleviate it? People keep saying that they are offering themselves completely. So, just because he merged you into him, should the pure milk that he set aside – the milk that is free from all sins – get curdled? Because the milk that contains the impurity of your sins is mixed with the pure milk, should the pure milk get curdled? So, should offerings that yield such extreme results be made? Even if such an offering is made, will the Guru accept it? As an answer to both these questions, Lord Shiva provides the following solution:

First, cleanse yourself. Reduce the burden of your karma gradually. Let’s see if they are asking us to only make pure offerings to the Guru.

First, you should start with making small offerings to the Guru. As you do that, you will slowly start breaking free of your karmic bondage. In parallel, you will gain more purity. Slowly increase your offerings. Keep worshipping the Guru in his physical presence over and over again. As you keep doing this, one day, you will gain the eligibility and purity of mind to offer yourself completely to the Guru. That means that you need to go step-by-step in your offerings. Lot of people are over excited, jumping up and down when they meet a Sadguru saying, “Oh, my Guru! I found him! My search has ended! I am going to be liberated! Ohhh…I am going to give him everything I have! I was searching for him. I found him after a lot of search” and so on. Such people would have disappeared the next day.

Is this devotion to the Guru? It’s not. That means, the mindset to sacrifice yourself completely and the purity you need to be accepted by the Sadguru are gained little-by-little, step-by-step,. Only when you go step-by-step like this do you gain the eligibility. Otherwise, you won’t reach that state. The Guru will accept your offering at the same time that you reach that state. Only when you make such a big, whole-hearted offering will the Guru accept. Otherwise, sometimes, he will not even accept everyone’s offerings. This way, as your purity grows, the tiny offerings you make cause more and more happiness in the Guru. It’s not the value of the offering that makes the Guru happy.

Episode 78

Sloka:
Karmana manasa vaca nityamaradhayet gurum |
Dirghadandam namaskuryat nirlajjo guru sannidhau ||

When you offer your obeisance to Guru, you should always learn to think that you and your Guru are alone even if he is surrounded by several people. You should not look at the people around you, at how many people there are or at who is looking at you. No one else cares if you are offering your obeisance. It’s when you glance around to see who’s looking at you that people think you are crazy. People will think you are crazy because you are glancing in random directions while offering your prostrations. If you quietly offer offer your obeisance without getting distracted, no one will care. It is you, not others, who makes yourself look silly. A person who sees two people having a conversation has a nagging feeling that those two are talking about the insult meted out to him last evening. It’s purely psychological. He thinks that people are pointing to him and laughing. Oh yes, you are the most beautiful person in all the worlds, you dropped from the sky, that is why they are looking at you. Or, you are so great, like Sage Valmiki, that’s why they are talking about you. You are a great banker, that’s why they are looking at you! That’s silly. No one cares about you. They don’t even care about themselves, let alone care about you. They are just having a jolly good time forgetting everything else around them, or they are having a jolly conversation about a movie they saw, about the dialogues in the movie. We think too highly of ourselves. Who are we? A lot of people are looking around before they prostrate. By doing that, you are drawing the attention of even those who are quietly doing their own meditation.

You know what the prescribed way to offer prostrations is? You should offer prostrations thinking, “There is nobody here. There’s only the omnipresent Guru. And there is me. We are the only two”. Even when the Guru is giving you a mantra, you are worried about others listening in, you are wondering “Are they listening to what the Guru and I are talking about?”. Your concentration is all on them, not on the words of the Guru. If your concentration is on the Guru, the others won’t even hear the conversation. They won’t even feel the need to hear the conversation. You should learn to think that there is no one except you and the Guru. How many conversations can the people around you focus on? How many conversations will they care to remember? Don’t you think they have better things to think about? We should learn to think this way – that only you and your Guru are present. You should offer obeisance with purity of thought, word and deed. Your mind is somewhere, you are cursing someone else while you are offering your prostrations. There’s no use. You should fill your mind with the Guru and offer prostrations. You should worship the Guru. When you see the Guru, you should cast off all shyness and offer prostrations on the floor. This is the way to prostrate to the Guru. Every time you see the Guru, the first thing you do should be to prostrate while casting of all shyness and not even thinking about who else is around. You should do it as many times as necessary. Let’s go to the next sloka.

Sloka:
Sarira martham pranamsca sadgurubhyo nivedayet |
Atmanamapi dasyaya vaideho janako yatha ||

Your body wealth and even life should be offered to your Guru. Just like Janaka, the Videha, you should offer yourself and surrender to Him like a servant. Here, the emperor Janaka is cited as an idea for self-surrender. Let’s see what they say ahead.

Episode 79

Sloka:
Sarira martham pranamsca sadgurubhyo nivedayet |
Atmanamapi dasyaya vaideho janako yatha ||

We discussed that in this mantra, they cited the Videha, king Janaka as an ideal for self-surrender. There are many stories that talk about his devotion to the Guru. In one story, king Janaka’s Guru ordered the king that he pull the chariot the Guru is seated in. See how many tests the Guru put his disciple to, to teach devotion to the Guru.

King Janaka had prostrated to the Guru saying that he was surrendering his entire kingdom and himself to the Guru. As soon as the king prostrated, the Guru said, “Okay, since there is nothing that belongs to you, why don’t you pull this chariot with your body. There is nothing that belongs to you anyway; I will sit in the chariot, you will pull the chariot with your body.” King Janaka did exactly as ordered. Then, the Guru asked him to stop pulling the chariot and asked him to carry the Guru on his shoulders and parade through the streets in the town. The Guru said, “It’s not enough to just pull the chariot outside the town, now I will sit on your shoulders”. The Guru was not thin like me. The Guru sat on the king’s shoulders. “Now, you should walk through the streets in the town”, the Guru ordered. In the streets of the town, everybody would be watching. “You pulled the chariot so far, now carry me on your shoulders”. King Janaka did this very happily. He was very pleased to do this. This is the king’s greatness. Self-surrender needs to be practiced. It’s not enough to pay lip service, “I am surrendering myself to you”. What does that mean? Does it mean to just provide it in writing?

Here, let’s recall another story. Guru appears as an ordinary human being, but he is a manifestation of the divine and a representative of God. King Janaka surrendered himself to Sadguru Ashtavakra and earned his blessings. Saint Lomasa relates this story to Dharmaraja. Let’s delve in to this story.

A long time ago, Ashtavakra was born to the couple Sujata and Kahola. Ashtavakra was born with eight physical deformities. It is said that, Ashtavakra who was in the womb of his mother, couldn’t bear to hear the off-key chants of the vedic verses by his father causing Ashtavakra to cringe. You cringe and deform when you hear something jarring on the ear and in some instances, that deformity stays. A lot of people close their ears when they hear mantras that are off-key. They won’t be able to hear afterwards, because they are shutting off the Lord’s names. Even if it is off-key, it is the names of the Lord that are being chanted. You should not close your ears. You can quietly leave that place, but you should not close your ears. You should not be annoyed. When the baby in the womb heard the off-key chanting by the father, the baby cringed and deformed, unable to bear hearing the recitation. He was born with those 8 deformities giving him the name Ashtavakra (ashta=8; vakra=deformity).
Jaya Guru Datta.

Episode 80

Ashtavakra’s father once went to Mithila and lost a debate against scholars. He subsequently sacrificed his mortal body. Ashtavakra found out about this through his mother. He studied the Vedas and completed his education by the age of 12 years. He remembered the insult his father was met with. At exactly that time, he heard about a great Yajna that king Janaka was organizing. So, he went to Mithila, the city of scholars. Mithila was referred to as the city of scholars. Perhaps, all the scholars were there. At the main entrance to the kingdom, the highly-educated guards stopped the saint and questioned him per the scriptures. The guards were also learned in the scriptures. All the citizens of the kingdom were learned in the scriptures. So, when Maharishi Ashtavakra reached the entrance to the kingdom, the guards stopped him and questioned him in a logical manner as prescribed in the scriptures. The Maharishi imparted wisdom to them saying, “The king himself should step aside and give way to the physically handicapped, to the blind and to women. I am physically deformed. When scholars like me enter, even the king shouldn’t come in the way, correct? He should give way, correct? I am not saying this. The scriptures say this”. Saying this, Ashtavakra stepped in to the kingdom.

This news instantly reached the ears of king Janka. King Janaka was happy. He ordered the guards to send the saint in. There, another guard stopped the saint and said, “Children like you should not be coming here. Only those highly proficient in the Vedas should come here”. To this, the saint skilfully replied, “I am not a child. I too studied the Vedas. Don’t go by my appearance. You should not judge anyone as big or small based on age or appearance. Proficiency doesn’t come to one based on appearance. On the other hand, just because someone is aged, they don’t become elderly. Don’t assume that someone with white beard, white hair and matted locks is well versed in the scriptures. Don’t assume that someone in their ripe old age is a Sanyasin. Not everyone that is aged is elderly. Only those ripened by wisdom are the elderly. The elderly are those that are ripened completely by knowledge. That means, only one with intelligence can be considered a human being”. Saying this, the saint crossed that gate too.

By then, king Janaka who had already heard about the brilliance of Maharishi Ashtavakra quickly came down to receive and worship him. The king knew which scriptures the sage was quoting from and which scriptures the guards were referring to. The king was eager to see such a great saint, so he himself came running down to honor and worship the saint.

Episode 81

We discussed that King Janaka who found out about the greatness of Sage Ashtavakra came down to honor and worship the sage. The sage then told the king about theinsult meted out to his father and asked the king to summon all the scholars. The sage vowed that he would jump in to the ocean if he failed to answer the questions posed by the scholars. He said, “This was the place my father was insulted, so please invite all the scholars here. I will have a debate with them right here. If I lose, I will jump in to the ocean”. The king didn’t say a word. He immediately called for a conference. All the egoistic scholars lost miserably to Sage Ashtavakra. Ashtavakra defeated all the scholars who had insulted his father. He won the debate on scriptures. The scholars lost miserably.

Subsequently, king Janaka accepted sage Ashtavakra as Guru and surrendered himself along with his body, mind and wealth. He received knowledge and blessings from the sage. Regardless of how highly educated one is, he should not be arrogant about his knowledge when he meets a Sadguru. Lord Shiva is teaching us through this sloka that one should be humble, should serve the Guru and earn the blessings of the Guru.

To help seekers improve their dedication to the Guru, they are once again talking about the greatness of the Guru Principle.

Sloka:
Gurureva jagatsarvam brahma visnu sivatmakam |
Guroh parataram nasti tasmat sampujayedgurum ||

The entire universe and the Trinity of Godhead – Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva – are the image of the Guru. There is nothing other than Guru. There is nothing more important. So, Guru should be worshipped well.

Arjuna worshipped Dronacharya with this same feeling. He became a beloved disciple and the best disciple of Guru Dronacharya. Through the story of this Guru and disciple, let us learn about the greatness of the Guru. Because Arjuna was of noble character, he received initiation to Bhagavad Gita directly. Arjuna was so blessed that God Himself came as Guru and initiated him to the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna was very dear to Dronacharya. Arjuna earned a special place in Dronacharya’s heart. Dronacharya, who noticed the great focus that Arjuna had, removed the veil of illusion that Arjuna was faced with in several instances. In many stories in the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, Lord Krishna stood by Arjuna, removed his ignorance and imparted wisdom. Similarly, the Guru (Dronacharya) also lifted the veil of ignorance several times.

Episode 82

Drona noticed the focus Arjuna had, and in several instances lifted the veil of illusion that Arjuna encountered. He imparted the light of knowledge to Arjuna and enabled him to reach his destination. He shaped Arjuna into one of the best. Kauravas couldn’t bear to see Drona’s affection towards Arjuna. Some people are envious. Even though they were first cousins, they couldn’t bear to see Arjuna’s progress. They found his progress strange. Arjuna’s focus was such. They (the Kauravas) made many foiled times to disrupt his focus. This revealed the jealousy that the Kauravas were nurturing. Their character was revealed through their actions. Guru Dronacharya noticed how jealous the Kauravas were. He planned to remove the jealousy and impart wisdom to Kauravas and demonstrate to everyone how good of a marksman Arjuna was. Through this story, we can see the trust that a Guru can have in his disciple and his disciple’s sadhana.

Dronacharya summoned all his disciples and said, “Children, I am going to give you a test. You should win that test”. Everybody agreed happily. They were excited to have the opportunity to show off their skill. They were very confident. They thought it was the right time to humiliate Arjuna by showing off their skill and and knowledge using the opportunity the Guru gave them.

Drona placed a magical bird on the branch of a tree and asked everyone to narrate what they see as they take aim at the bird. He placed a magical bird, like the one you are seeing, the one that’s walking over me. He placed a magical bird like that on the tree. Everybody described the tree and birds as they took aim. However, Arjuna alone said he could see only the bird and nothing else. The Guru asked him to take aim. Arjuna shot his arrow and hit the bird. The bird fell to the ground, because it was a magical bird. By Guru’s grace, such aim, focus and marksmanship was made possible. Even after all this, the wicked Kauravas continued to be jealous, even more jealous of Pandavas, especially Arjuna. They found it difficult to digest that Arjuna was that skilled. Drona again wanted to show the skill and knowledge of his disciple to the world. He was very proud that he got a disciple of such great character. Did you see, how happy the Guru gets about the disciple?

Episode 83

Drona once again wanted to show the world the eligibility of the disciple he picked. Once in a while, the Guru wanted to show the greatness of his disciple to the world. He took everyone to a river. He asked everyone to bathe in the river and entered the water himself. The Guru who entered the river was not coming back. He seemed to be sinking deeper. Those on the shore did not understand what was going on. The Guru was getting sucked into a whirlpool. The Guru then shouted, “A crocodile has caught hold of me! Someone save me!”. Not only was he getting sucked into a whirlpool, there was a crocodile that caught him. That’s it. Everybody came up with their plans to save the Guru. Some wanted to get knives, some wanted to get other weapons. Their plans were numerous. But, no one dared to jump into the water. Even if one disciple entered the water, the crocodile would let go of the Guru and catch hold of the disciple. Thus the Guru would be saved. But no one did that. Then, Arjuna alone jumped into the water and saved the Guru from the clutches of the crocodile. The Guru was pleased with Arjuna who saved the Guru at the risk of losing of his own life. He came to the conclusion that the gem he picked was the right one. He gave to Arjuna all knowledge of weaponry and warfare. He taught Arjuna the way to launch as well as the way to withdraw the powerful Brahmashironamakastram. Upon the insistence of his own son Ashwatthama and knowing his son’s nature, the Guru taught him how to launch Brahmashironamakastram, but did not teach him how to withdraw it.

All disciples continued to gain proficiency in various disciplines. When the Guru considered Arjuna as the most outstanding disciple even at that time, the other disciples couldn’t stand it. Drona noticed this. He summoned all the senior disciples and told them about Drupada’s insult to him. He asked them to capture Drupada and bring to him.

The Kauravas went with much bravado and returned after being pounded by Drupada. The Pandavas then went and ransacked Drupada’s army. Arjuna confronted Drupada and tied him down with ropes and presented him to the Guru, thus fulfilling the Guru’s desire. He dragged Drupada to the presence of the Guru. Like this, an outstanding disciple will pick up on the signals given by the Guru and will work towards them. He will break through to his destination and achieve victory like Arjuna did. Similarly, the Guru, at every step, will protect the disciple that trusts him. Even if he (the Guru) is wrongly blamed, the Guru always strives for the disciple’s progress.

That is the greatness of the Guru. So far we discussed that in the Guru-disciple relationship, despite many difficulties, the Guru pours all his knowledge into the disciple and strives to make the disciple greater than himself.

Episode 84

In the previous sloka, it was said that one who is worshiping and the one who is worshiped are both the Guru. It’s true. Only the Guru has the power to worship the great Gods. The Guru also has the power to assume the divine form of God and be worshiped. We don’t have enough power to worship. They talk again about the oneness of the Guru and the disciple, the oneness of the Guru and Lord Shiva and this is what is the final attainment in worshiping the Guru. That means, the disciple worshiping the Guru will become like the Guru himself, he’ll become Shiva. That’s why, here, talking about the Guru-disciple relationship with reference to an outstanding disciple is the same as talking about the Guru-Shiva relationship. They are talking about the final attainment in worshiping the Guru.

Yasyanugraha matrena hrdyutpadyeta tatksanat |
Jnanam ca paramanandah sadgurussiva eva sah ||

Siva is that Sadguru by whose grace the disciple sees the light of knowledge and bliss is kindled at once in his heart.

In this sloka, they are subtly teaching us the principle by which to identify a Guru. By the Guru’s grace, the heart is immediately filled with knowledge and bliss. That means divine knowledge will shine like lighting in our hearts just by the Guru’s glance, by his touch or by his will. That is why, even though the knowledge may not be fully grasped by the intellect, it causes inexplicable joy in the heart. If we learn a little more about the churning of the ocean (Amruta mathanam), we will learn about the extreme compassion of the Guru.

Guru is an epitome of patience and sacrifice. That is why, Lord Kurma (the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as tortoise) was worshiped as Guru. During the churning of the ocean, he treated all his children – Gods and Demons equally. To keep all his children happy, he bore the massive weight of Mandara mountain on his back. He took on a lot of pain in that incarnation. Taking on various forms, he appeared as divine supporting implements used by the Gods and the Demons in churning the ocean. He taught them that during sadhana, one should not give in to any illusion or develop affection. The Gods followed this instruction and attained a desire-less state. The Demons didn’t follow this instruction and were filled with desires. Those with desire will never get the nectar. Only those without desire get it. By the grace of Lord Kurma, only the Gods that gave up desires received the divine gifts. They even got the nectar. Those who place their faith in Guru Kurma will be blessed greatly. The Gods were strengthened with just the Guru’s glance. They became prosperous. But, the Demons, not heeding the Guru’s advice became weak and were punished appropriately.

Episode 85

We discussed that the Gods were strengthened just by the Guru’s glance. The Gods became prosperous. But, the Demons, not heeding the Guru’s advice lost their strength and were punished appropriately.

The divine form of Lord Kurma contains all the planets and constellations, so by worshiping Guru Kurma, all evil planetary effects were removed. The malefic planets were pacified and drawn to auspiciousness. That is why, in all the temples, you can find a small temple or an idol of Lord Kurma.

You should understand that through this sloka, Lord Siva is indicating that, like Lord Kurma’s grace, the Guru’s grace eternally flows to the disciples and grants many benefits. Our attention is not going towards the Guru. The reason for this is attachment to the body. They are describing the quality of this body here.

Sloka:
Bhasma kita vidantam hi deham sthulam varanane |
Tvanmutra rudhirantrasthi mala mamsadi bhajanam ||

Siva says to Parvati that the flesh, excretions, puss, blood, intestines, bones etc., are the ingredients of this gross body. What happens to this body in the end?

If it is put to fire, it is reduced to ashes, if buried, it is decomposed, or if it is thrown away, it is infested with worms.

Many great sages were witness to this conversation between Siva and Parvati. Among them were some who had consumed the divine nectar. But, their bodies were made of the five elements. Withering away is imminent to a body made of the five elements. Lord Siva particularly addressed this matter to them. Then, what can be said of our mortal bodies?

Attachment to the body is the root cause of this samsara. That is what leads to destruction. In this sloka, they are advising on what needs to be done to escape from that. This instruction is in the form of worship to the Guru.

Sloka:
Samsara vrksha marudhah patanto narakarnave |
Sarve yenoddhrta lokah tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru, the uplifter of all worlds sinking into the sea of hell from the tree of samsara.
We think of our body as our world. We go about our daily activities with this feeling. The elders have compared this samsara with a tree, it’s been variously called the “tree of samsara” or the “poisonous tree”.
This tree of samsara grows with unstinted velocity.

Samsara vrksa maghabeejamananta karma

This is a massive tree. It is growing exponentially – branches, more branches, branches of branches, flowers, fruits, more branches – into a massive tree.

Episode 86

We discussed that the elders compared this samsara with a tree, it’s been variously called the “tree of samsara” or the “poisonous tree”. This tree of samsara grows with unstinting velocity. The infant grows up in to a little girl right in front of our eyes, wearing cute little dresses and then grows up to be a mother, and eventually turns into an old woman without any teeth. This is how the tree of samsara is. It doesn’t stop there. She also dies one day. Who is dying here? It means, she drops off from the tree. The tree doesn’t die, she just falls off from the tree of samsara. The only one who can save from this fate is the Guru. That is why, we should focus attention on the Guru. Everybody should prostrate to the Guru without fail. Many wonder how a Guru can help someone who is caught in the shackles of samsara. The story of the animal, Gajendra (elephant), is enough to answer this question. Let us learn this story.

Gajendra was the king of Mount Trikoota. He had many wives. When he wandered the forests with his wives and sons, he was very pleased seeing his own grandeur and his great retinue. Filled with ego and immersed in the pleasures of life, he once went to the forests with his entire family, charged through the forest recklessly, uprooting trees, trampling with arrogance, leaving a trail of destruction in the entire forest. He entered a territory that didn’t belong to him. He lost all discretion. Without any caution, he entered a lake and got caught in the jaws of an alligator.

Once the alligator caught him, he struggled a lot. He fought for a thousand years. His arrogance, strength and ego diminished. He realized he was caught in the clutches of time. “I am finished. I couldn’t win even after fighting a thousand years. So, I am going away now.” He realized that his wives, sons and relatives were not able to help, he knew they could not save him. “Even though I have so many relatives and so many children, no one is able to save me. There is no use anymore. I am succumbing to death. No one is able to help”. Realizing that Lord Narayana was his only savior, he surrendered his intellect and cried out to the Lord. “You are my intellect, O Lord, there is nothing I can do. Please save me!” The Lord, moved by this prayer, immediately came to Gajendra. “Gajendra moksham (moksham=liberation) is a great episode. Even if we recalled this episode countless number of times, it will not be enough.

Episode 87

Realizing that the Paramatman, Lord Narayana alone was his savior, Gajendra surrendered his intellect to the Lord and cried out to Him. Lord Narayana, who was moved by the prayer, immediately came to the rescue of Gajendra. Then, Gajendra praised the Lord who is “Anatha-rakshaka” (one who protects those who have no one else) and “Aapadbandhava” (one who comes to the rescue of those in distress) saying “Universal Guru! Salutations to You. You are the Guru to this universe, Universal Guru!”. Lord Narayana was pleased; He immediately released Gajendra from the clutches of the alligator and blessed him with liberation. Just like the Universal Guru Narayana, the Guru too inspires and enables his disciples who are immersed in samsara to do many good deeds. He enables them do charitable deeds, he enables them to do Yajnas and other rituals. He ensures that the the disciple earns good karma and merit and that he is amply blessed by God and is able to rise from the ocean of samsara. The society thus benefits greatly due to the Sadguru.

Sloka:
Gurur brahma gurur visnuh gururdevo maheswarah |
Gurureva param brahma tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Guru is Brahma. Guru is Vishnu, Guru is Shiva and the only Absolute. Obeisance to such a Guru.

This has been stated earlier. Still, since you will keep forgetting, I am repeating. Since I am repeating it over and over and over and over, you should realize how important this is. The next 3 slokas are like the heart of Guru Gita. Listen carefully.

Sloka:
Akhanda mandalakaram vyaptam yena caracaram |
Tatpadam darsitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Tat + Tvam + Asi means You are That.

Tat = that, which is the indivisible cosmic form, pervading the animate and the inanimate as the Parabrahman. Obeisance to the Sadguru who has enabled me to perceive that.

To better understand the meaning of this sloka, let’s learn about the story where Lord Brahma realized that Sri Krishna was Parabrahman Himself.

After Lord Krishna killed demon Aghasura, he rested by a lake along with the cows and the cowherds. The cows moved far away while grazing. The cowherds ate the leftover rice they brought with them and set out in search of the cows.
Jaya Guru Datta.

Episode 88

We discussed that after Lord Krishna killed demon Aghasura, he rested by a lake along with the cows and the cowherds. The cows moved far away while grazing. The cowherds ate the leftover rice they brought with them and set out in search of the cows.

When they did not find the cows after extensive search, they reported back to Krishna. Lord Krishna set out in search of the cows even while holding the morsel of rice he was eating in his hand. He did not find the cows. When he returned to the lake, he couldn’t find the cowherds either. When he could find neither the cows nor the cowherds, Lord Krishna got suspicious and used his divine vision to find out what really happened. He realized that the creator, Lord Brahma, got slightly envious and was responsible for these disappearances. Immediately, he took on the form of all the cows and cowherds that disappeared. The Lord’s behavior in the form of cows, calves and cowherds was true to those forms. He behaved exactly the way those cows, calves and cowherds would behave. Nobody in Gokulam suspected anything. What’s more, parents suddenly began feeling even more love for their children, because it was the Lord who was in the form of those children. They even began feeling more love for the cows and calves. Baladeva was the only one who noticed this. He wondered, “What’s happening to the parents, to the cows and calves? What is this? Everybody seems to have more love and affection.” Baladeva, who had the power of divine vision, was even more surprised when he saw Lord Krishna everywhere. He marveled at the illusion. He enquired with Lord Krishna and was pleased when he found out what happened.

However, Lord Brahma, who was in the celestial world, got suspicious. He wanted to see what Lord Krishna would be doing since so many cows, calves and cowherds disappeared. He wondered what Krishna might be up to now, whether he would be crying. He was surprised to see the cows, calves and cowherds in Gokulam exactly as they were. “What is this? I made them disappear, but when I come here, they all seem to be right here”. Since, living beings are not born unless Lord Brahma creates them, he was puzzled as to which Brahma created these beings. As he was wondering, he noticed that all the cows, calves and cowherds bathing in the river appeared to him as the blue bodied Lord Vishnu in yellow robes, with four hands, holding the conch, discus, lotus and mace. He saw hundreds of thousands of forms of Lord Vishnu. All cows, calves and cowherds appeared as Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma realized upon seeing those forms that Lord Krishna was Parabrahman, that Lord Krishna was the Jagadguru (the Guru to all the universe).

Subsequently, Lord Krishna withdrew his spell whereupon the original cowherds and cows returned. Lord Brahma came down to earth, did circumambulation to little Krishna three times, prayed to him and after getting his permission, left for his abode. What a wonderful episode where Lord Brahma himself tested Lord Krishna.

Episode 89

Lord Brahma saw hundreds of thousands of forms of Lord Krishna in place of the cows, calves and cowherds. All forms were His. Lord Brahma realized upon seeing those forms that Lord Krishna was Parabrahman, that Lord Krishna was the Jagadguru (the Guru to all the universe).

Subsequently, Lord Krishna withdrew his spell and became the cowherd he was again. Once Lord Krishna turned into a cowherd, Lord Brahma had the real vision of Sri Krishna. Lord Brahma came down to earth, did circumambulation to little Krishna three times, prayed to him and after getting his permission, left for his abode. Thus, Lord Brahma who was the master of all scriptures, the form of the Vedas Himself, the father to this universe, the creator and Guru taught the world that Sri Krishna was Parabrahman.

To benefit the disciple, the Guru goes through many difficulties and losses and tolerates insults. Lord Krishna who appeared as Guru also faced a lot of difficulties. The Guru purifies the disciple through appropriate means and helps him have a vision of the Parabrahman. We should understand that Lord Shiva is educating us through this sloka about such great benefits the world receives due to the Sadguru.

Sloka:
Dehe jivatvam apannam caitanyam niskalam param |
Tvam padam darsitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who is omnipresent and who has entered into this body in the form of the other worldly spirit of energy, as Shiva, and who has enabled me to see that spirit embedded in TVAM (you)

Sloka:
Akhandam paramartham sadaikyam ca tvam tadossubham |
Asina darsitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who enables me to see through the term ASI (You Are) which reveals the ultimate goal by explaining that TVAM (you) and TAT (that) are not separate but stand for the indivisible quality of the Absolute.

If we analyze the meaning of the previous 3 slokas, we see that TAT is indivisible, that TVAM is small, that TVAM merges into TAT and becomes one. This is a very great principle. The essence of all scriptures is in this. To help us understand this easily, let’s look at an example.

Say, there are two people Venkayya and Subayya. There is a difference in their names, but they are both human beings. Let’s assume one’s from Vijaywada and the other’s from Mysore. Two different towns, but both on earth. One speaks gently, the other speaks tough. But, they both speak with their tongue.

Episode 90

If we analyze the meaning of the previous 3 slokas, what do we see? We see that TAT is indivisible, that TVAM is small, that TVAM merges into TAT and becomes one. This is a very great principle. The essence of all scriptures is in this. To help us understand this easily, let’s look at an example.

Say, there are two people Venkayya and Subayya. They have different names, but they are both human beings. Let’s assume one’s from Vijaywada and the other’s from Mysore. Although these are two different towns, both people live on earth. One speaks gently, the other speaks brashly. But, they both speak with their tongue. One eats vegetarian food, the other eats something else, but both are putting food in their stomach. Analyzing in this manner, even though we see a few differences between the two, if we broaden our minds and take a higher level perspective, we can see that they are both living on earth, they are both eating alike, talking and living as human beings. That means, there are no differences between them when viewed from that angle. But, for everyday affairs, we have to refer to them as two different people – Venkayya and Subayya. In reality, however, this small difference merges into the indivisible because they are both human beings and there is no difference between them. The TVAM and TAT are similar to this. Becoming one is what is ASI. Let’s examine this from a different angle.

The sun, stars, time and yugas are all illuminated. We can see them all. Why can we see them? How do we see them? We should think carefully. Because, you, the one who is seeing, is illuminated, all these things are illuminated. If that is the case, why do we see darkness? Because you also have darkness in you, you can see darkness. When you are really awake, when you are completely illuminated, there is no darkness. Everything is illuminated. This may sound like a stubborn argument, but think about it carefully, analyze it and meditate on it. Only then will you realize the truth in it. This is the meaning of the term ASI. Only the Guru is capable of teaching this concept. Here, teaching doesn’t mean theorizing or lecturing on the subject or just talking for 2-3 hours. “He can say whatever he wants to, he is a Guru. He knows everything, so whatever he says is the word of God”. True, while that may be the case, that may not be the right approach to talk or teach. So, how should one talk?

The teaching should cause a change in heart. When the Guru talks, we will feel a change in our heart. Others may talk for 2 hours, or 3 hours or even 6 hours while standing. But, only Guru has the capability to move you, to bring a change in heart. Obeisance to such a Guru.

Episode 91

Here, they are pausing the stotras in praise of the Guru and talking about what needs to be done to experience that change in heart. We already discussed that Sadguru alone can cause a change in the mindset, that he alone has the capability to do so. Here, in simple words, they are talking about how such a heart-changing message is received.

Sloka:
Sarva sruti siroratna nirajita padambujam |
Vedantambuja suryabham sri gurum saranam vrajet ||

Obeisance to Sadguru to whose lotus feet the Vedas hold the holy camphor light and who is like the sun for the lotuses of Vedanta or the Upanishads.

Since the Vedas are offering prostrations at his feet, the light shining from the diamonds decorating the heads of the Vedas (the Upanishads) are falling on the Guru’s feet giving the appearance of offering the holy camphor light at the Guru’s feet. They are teaching us as a principle here that for complete realization of knowledge, there is no other way except surrender at Guru’s feet. Here, Lord Shiva is explaining in this manner.

The stotras in praise of the Guru resume here.

Sloka:
Caitanyam sasvatam santam mayatitam niranjanam |
Nada bindu kalatitam tasmai sri gurave namaha ||

The dynamic spirit is eternal, serene, beyond all illusion, and unaffected by anything. It is beyond Omkara, beyond anything that can be comprehended or conceptualized. Obeisance to the Sadguru who is of the form of this dynamic spirit.

Sloka:
Sthavaram jangamam ceti yatkincijjagati tale |
Vyaptam yasya cita sarvam tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to such Sadguru whose dynamism pervades everywhere among movable and immovable objects. Sthavaras include the immovable beings, trees etc. Jangamas are the mobile ones.

Episode 92

Sloka:
Sthavaram jangamam ceti yatkincijjagati tale |
Vyaptam yasya cita sarvam tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to such Sadguru whose consciousness pervades everywhere among movable and immovable objects. Sthavaras include the immovable beings, trees etc. Jangamas are the mobile ones.

Sloka:
Tvam pita tvam ca me mata tvam bandhustvam ca daivatam |
Samara priti bhangaya tubhyam sri gurave namah ||

You are my father, mother and relative. You are my only God. Oh Gurudeva! Obeisance to you who drives away my desire for samsara (worldly life).
Mother is one who showers love. Father is one who feeds and nurtures. The divine causes thoughts in us. You are wallowing in the strange illusion of samsara. Guru is the only one who can remove the illusion. In this sloka, they are praising the Guru as, and proving that he is, the epitome of Sat, Chit, Ananda (knowledge, existence and bliss).

Sloka:
Yatsattaya jagatsattvam yatprakasena bhayutam |
Nandanam ca yadanandat tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to such Sadguru who is all pervading in the universe and on account of which it appears to exist, whose radiance pervading the universe causes brilliant shining of it, whose bliss spread in the universe makes it joyous.
This is one of the greatest slokas in this scripture.

Episode 93

This is one of the greatest slokas in this scripture. Here, “Nandanam ca yadanandat” means that we see happiness in this creation because the bliss of the Guru pervades this universe. This is interesting. How do we know happiness and sorrow? Where are the happiness and sorrow coming from?

There is one thing everyone needs to think about in this context. When something makes us happy, we wish for that happiness to come again and again. But, we don’t think about how that laddu (ball-shaped sweet) is causing happiness or where the happiness is coming from. We don’t care. We are just satisfied to be happy. Lot of people say, “If you are happy, just enjoy it, why are you analyzing it? Isn’t it enough to just be happy, why bother?” We eat the delicious laddu, relishing its taste, but don’t care to ask, “Who paid for this laddu?” or “Where is this laddu coming from?” or, “What are the ingredients in this laddu?” You finish one laddu and then ask if you can find another.

Similarly, when something makes us sad, we cry for riddance from the sorrow, but don’t think about why the sorrow is affecting us. We may advise others, “Why remind yourself of your sorrows? Whatever is gone is gone. Why think about it and be sad again?”

So, if we are to find out where the delicious laddu came from or if we are to find out why we are sad, this is not what we are supposed to do.

We should always remember deep in our hearts when we are going through sorrows, that we should think about where the sorrows came from, we should understand why we are sad. Only when we analyze, “Why do we feel sorrow? Where does this sorrow come from?” do we understand. Only then do we understand the source of sorrow. Once you understand the source of the sorrow, kill it right there. Then, your sorrow will never come to you. “What is the source for this sorrow, what is the source for this thought?” Find out and kill it. Do the same with happiness. You should find the source for happiness.

There’s a catch here to watch out for. Our mind may find worldly reasons for our happiness and sorrow, but these are not the real reasons. The worldly sources of happiness and sorrow are not the real reasons. We may arrive at these reasons as the cause of our happiness and sorrow, but these are not real.

Sometimes, a man may suddenly feel excited, enthused and happy. ”I am very happy today”, he announces first thing in the morning. When someone asks him why he’s so happy, he says he doesn’t know why. “I am very happy, I’ll give you anything you ask for”. And he does give people what they ask for. Sometimes, the man is so happy, he’s crazy enough to give away the Rolex watch he has on his wrist.

Episode 94

We were talking about our happiness and sorrows. We discussed that sometimes, a person may be suddenly excited, enthused and happy. Instead of just searching for the reasons by assuming there’s always a reason for happiness or sorrow, let’s talk about what needs to be done once we find out the reasons for our happiness or sorrow. If you ask the person who is suddenly happy, “What is the reason you are so happy? Did you win a lottery?” he may reply saying, “No, I haven’t, I didn’t win a lottery, nor did I gain any agricultural land, nor did my son pass his grade, nor did my son get his visa…nothing has happened”. “Then, why are you so happy?” He has no idea why, he has no answer. “I don’t know why I’m happy. Let me know whatever you want. I’ll give you”.

Similarly, sometimes, sorrow envelops the mind for no apparent reason. Just as someone is happy for no apparent reason, someone may be sad for no reason. He may suddenly sit in a corner by himself, overcome with sorrow, glancing around insecurely, biting his nails, or writing in sand. All of a sudden, he’s drowned in sorrow, crying, sometimes breaking his head. He’s not insane, but he’s overcome with sorrow for no reason. “Did you hear of someone passing away?”. “No”. “Was your house burgled?” “No”. “Did someone steal your wallet?” “No”. “Did you miss getting a ticket to the movies”. “No”. Sometimes, people are overcome with sorrow for no reason. Just as people are sometimes overcome with happiness for no reason, they may be overcome with sorrow for no reason. The person is sad, but he doesn’t know why. Just as it was impossible to explain the reason for one person’s happiness, it is impossible to explain the reason for another person’s sorrow. Then, why should one feel happiness or sorrow without a reason? There has to be a reason. That is what they refer to as the samskaras (impressions) carried over from past births.

The man who is crying is sad, but he has no pain, no reason for his sorrow. No one insulted him. That is because, these samskaras, unbeknownst to us, are carried over from past births. Here, there’s another question that comes up. Why did God keep us ignorant of our samskaras. One may say, “It’s my fate, my samskaras. I am happy or sad owing to my samskara”. So, why couldn’t God give us knowledge of our past samskaras, why couldn’t he have forewarned us of these samskaras? That is not possible.

God kept us ignorant of our past births out of compassion for us. If we had that knowledge of past births, we would have unbearable sorrow, realizing, that the dogs, pigs and donkeys on the street were our relatives from a past birth. Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 95

We discussed that we experience happiness and sorrow for no reason. We will talk about what needs to be done once we understand the reason for these sudden emotions. We also talked about what these sudden emotions are caused due to. Here, there was another question, let’s recall that too. Why couldn’t God give us knowledge of our past samskaras? Why didn’t he give us clarity on our samskaras? Why couldn’t he have given us the ability to recall a past birth, why couldn’t he give us memories of past births? That is not possible.

God kept us ignorant about our past births out of compassion for us. If we had knowledge of past births, we would have unbearable sorrow, realizing that the pigs, dogs and donkeys on the street were our relatives from a past birth. Can we bear that sorrow? A dog alone can recall its past birth when it sits in a pit filled with ash. It is interesting. But, it also forgets right away. So, it’s clear to us that we are not able to find visible reasons for the happiness and sorrows brought about by our past samskaras. We are unable to pinpoint visible reasons. We need to turn inward to determine the source of such happiness and sorrow. Then, you can see that the bliss and light are within you. You will realize that, in reality, you are that bliss and light. You are that inner light. That is his (the Guru’s) light. That light is bliss. The bliss from that light is manifesting as your intelligence, and your happiness. Similarly, the veil of illusion in you in causing sorrow. Guru alone can bless you with this knowledge. Obeisance to such a Guru.

Guru is giving you the knowledge that will help you get rid of the sorrows yourself. By clearly pointing out to the reasons, by showing you the dangers from it, your Guru is giving you the strength to get rid of these feelings at the source. In the 50th sloka, they refer to “Daivatam”. That means, the Guru sows thoughts in your mind. This is stated formally in the scriptures.

If you need to clean something thoroughly, you need to use hot water or soap water or some strong cleaning agent to extract the dirt. If you think you don’t want to inflict any hurt on that item because it’s very valuable, it’s expensive, it’s a rare piece of siik, it should not be treated harshly, or that it would rip if put in the washing machine or that the color would run if you used soap on it, or that the threads would come loose if you washed it, what do you want to do with it? How do you extract that dirt? Will you prostrate to it and kiss it and do circumambulations and and pray saying “Oh dirt, please go away”? Will it go away? At least, it does not work that way in my town.
That is why you put soap, wash it, cause it some hurt to extract dirt. Let that be.

Episode 96

Sloka:
Yena cetayata purya cittam cetayate narah |
Jagrat svapna susuptyadau tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who stirs the mind, on account of which man remains dynamic in all the three states of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep; in other words is able to have thoughts in all three states.

Some think and plan a lot. Some people consider themselves inert, dull and tamasic. Tamasic also refers to an ignorant fool who knows nothing, or one who is filled with Tamas (inertia, darkness). The Guru is getting into the mind of even such an ignorant being and transforming him into a person filled with consciousness. The Guru resides in the minds of such people too. The person may be inert and stupid. But, the Guru gets into his mind and fills him with consciousness. The Guru’s compassion is beyond the material cause and effect. Even those who think and plan a lot can do so only when they are awake. But, they cannot think and plan in the dream or deep sleep state, because their mind is inert at that time. Similarly, when one has interact with another, both need to be in the waking state. Only when they are awake will the activity take place. But, the Guru alone has the power to stir and mind and create consciousness in the inert minds of people that are in the dream or deep sleep state. If the Guru can do this in inert minds that are in dream or deep sleep state, imagine what he could do in the minds in wakeful state. Obeisance to such a Sadguru.

Sloka:
Yasya jnanadidam viswam adrsyam bheda bhedatah |
Satswarupavasesam ca tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru, the knowledge of whom destroys the duality of the mind and lets the whole universe become a non-entity that remains in the form of Sattva (purity, divinity). The state beyond non-duality is also the state beyond birth and death. This is the state of the Absolute which the Guru graciously grants.

That is also what you should pray to the Guru for. That state of non-duality is the state beyond birth and death. That is the state of the Absolute. That is what the Guru grants.

Sloka:
Yayeva karyarupena karanenapi bhati ca |
Karya karana nirmuktah tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Episode 97

Sloka:
Yasya jnanadidam viswam adrsyam bheda bhedatah |
Satswarupavasesam ca tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru, the knowledge of whom destroys the duality of the mind and dissolves the universe that then only remains in the form of Sattva (purity, divinity). The state beyond non-duality is also the state beyond birth and death. This is the state of the Absolute which the Guru graciously grants.

That is also what you should pray to the Guru for. That state of non-duality is the state beyond birth and death. That is the state of the Absolute. That is what the Guru grants too.

Sloka:
Yayeva karyarupena karanenapi bhati ca |
Karya karana nirmuktah tasmai sri gurave namah ||

The Guru appears in the form of action or in the form of Universe. He also appears in the form of the cause of that action or in the form of illusion. But in reality, he is beyond the cause and effect. Obeisance to such a Sadguru.

Sloka:
Jnana sakti swarupaya kamitartha pradayine |
Bhukti mukti pradatreca tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Guru is the embodiment of knowledge and power, and who therefore fulfills all our desires. Obeisance to such a Saduguru who fulfills our material desires and also grants liberation.

Here, we need to understand clearly that “Bhukti” is karma. To a Guru, action, cause, inertia, consciousness, karma, liberation (“Mukti”) are all the same. Obeisance to such a Sadguru who is the one that encompasses everything.

Sloka:
Aneka janma samprapta karma koti vidahine |
Jnananala prabhavena tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to the Sadguru whose fire of knowledge destroys the karma that his disciples have been accumulating over several births.

Sloka:
Na guroradhikam tattva na guroradhikam tapah |
Na guroradhikam jnanan tasmai sri gurave namah ||

There is no concept superior to Guru, no penance superior to the Guru and no knowledge superior to the Guru. Obeisance to such a Sadguru.

Sloka:
Mannathassri jagannatho madgurustri jagadguruh |
Mamata sarva bhutatma tasmai sri gurave namah ||

My Lord is the Lord of all three worlds. My Guru is the Guru to all the three worlds. My soul is the soul of all beings. Obeisance to Sadguru who is in me. One should be aware that the Guru is capable of stirring such thoughts.

Sloka:
Gururadiranadisca guruh parama daivatam |
Gurossamanah kovasti tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Guru is the beginning and the source of everything, he is the primordial one, he is the root of all, he is the creation. He has no beginning. Guru is the Paradevata (image of God). Who is a match to Guru? Obeisance to such a Guru.

Sloka:
Eka eva paro bandhuh visame samupasthite |
Nissprahah karuna sindhuh tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Guru alone is the true relative in adverse circumstances because He is free from desires. He has no desire to take anything from you. You may think He does, but He needs nothing. But, the Guru is an ocean of compassion.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t offer him anything, he doesn’t even expect anything. But, because he is an ocean of compassion, he is a true relative. Obeisance to such a Guru.

Episode 98

In the previous sloka, they referred to the Guru as the primordial (Adi) Guru.

Sloka:
Eka eva paro bandhuh visame samupasthite |
Nissprahah karuna sindhuh tasmai sri gurave namah ||

In this sloka, they are referring to Guru as a “relative”. True. You are all drawn to the Guru because your relationship with the Guru has existed for several births. Others don’t have such a great fortune. That is why, they refer to the Guru as “Adi Guru”. He is also our relative since time immemorial.

Sloka:
Gurumadhye sthitam viswam viswamadhye sthito guruh |
Viswarupo viruposau tasmai sri gurave namah ||

This whole universe is in the Guru. Guru pervades the entire universe. He is of the form of the Universe, and is formless too. Obeisance to such a Guru.

Lord Ganapathy, in the form of Guru, was able to see the entire universe. Let’s delve into that story.

Those who worship Lord Ganapathy will be blessed with great intellect. That is why, Ganapathy festival is very important to students. More so during examinations, when all students worship Ganapathy and Saraswati. It is said that whoever worships Ganapathy is very intelligent. They are intellectually blessed. Second, their intellect blooms. The activities such people plan progress smoothly without any obstacles. Whatever they plan, whatever they are determined to do, progresses without obstacles. They have new ideas that bring them greater fortune. There is such greatness in Lord Ganapathy. He has with him, Siddhi (accomplishments/spiritual powers) and Buddhi (intellect). If one serves Ganapathy, one gains strength and intelligence.

Siva and Parvati have two sons – Ganapathy Swamy and Kumara Swamy. Both were highly accomplished in everything. One day, the parents talked about getting the sons married. They loved the sons equally, so they were in a quandary about who to get married first. If they got one married first, the other would be angry. This became a vexing problem for Siva and Parvati. Meanwhile, the word of marriage reached the sons. They approached the parents. Each one demanded that he be married first. They argued a lot. After much thought, Siva and Parvati told their sons that they had a plan. Whoever follows the plan will get married first. They said, “We devised a plan. If you follow the plan, you will get married first”. Ganapathy Swamy and Kumara Swamy found this agreeable. They were happy and asked for the plan, the requirements and challenges to be specified.

Episode 99

We discussed that one day, Siva and Parvati were talking about getting Ganapathy and Kumara Swamy married. They loved the sons equally, so they were in a quandary about who to get married first. If they got one married first, the other would be angry. This became a vexing problem for Siva and Parvati. So, they set up a competition between the two. The problem would be solved when one of them wins the contest. Then, there would no contention. Meanwhile, the word of marriage reached the sons. They approached the parents. Each one demanded that he be married first. They argued a lot. Siva and Parvati stopped the arguing and told their sons that they had a plan. Whoever follows the plan will get married first. Ganapathy Swamy and Kumara Swamy found this agreeable. They were happy and asked for the plan, the requirements and challenges to be specified.

Then Siva and Parvati said, you are both equally noble in your character. There is no difference between you two. We love you both equally. That is why, we decided on a healthy contest between you two. The one to circle the earth and return first will be married first. Instantly, Kumara Swamy boarded his peacock and dashed into the air. The peacock was already a bird to start with, it was Kumara Swamy’s vehicle. Kumara Swamy flew away like the wind on the back of the peacock. If small birds have so much power, if small birds can repeat after Swamiji, imagine the power in the God-like peacock that was the vehicle of Kumara Swamy. The peacock had the power to fly like the wind. Don’t assume birds are ordinary. Once they fly away, it’s very difficult to catch them. These birds (around me) are not flying away only because they are bound by love.

Poor Ganapathy Swamy sat in a corner, wondering what he could do. Kumara Swamy flew away on his vehicle, the huge peacock. Even the feathers of the peacock were large enough to rest comfortably against. Ganapathy Swamy sat in a corner wondering what he could do, he didn’t have a vehicle like that. He started using his intellect. His vehicle was Mooshika Raja (mooshika= mouse; Raja = king). The mouse was also powerful. It is not an ordinary mouse like the ones we see. It’s not like the mice that eat cockroaches and destroy crops. The ordinary mouse eats the sweets in the house, nibbles on our clothes, nibbles on our head if we have coconut oil in our hair. It eats away the belly of someone that ate vadas (donut shaped savories). It loves people that eat vadas. Their breath smells up to three miles away. Those who eat vadas don’t stop at one vada. That smell draws mosquitoes, mice, cockroaches etc as if a huge platter of food is awaiting them.

Ganapathy’s mouse was not like that. It was a massive mouse that could carry anything. It was a divine, magical mouse, not one that squeaks or can be found in a laboratory. Still Ganapathy Swamy looked at the mouse once. The mouse was capable, but he thought this mouse was too big and it would be difficult to travel with it.

Episode 100

Now, Ganapathy saw the mouse in the corner and thought to himself, “This mouse cannot carry me around on this trip”. He glanced towards Kumara Swamy, but Kumara Swamy had long flown away. He thought to himself, “I am still sitting here, staring at my pot belly. My enormous belly extends all the way to the floor when I’m sitting down”. Of course, it is not an ordinary belly, the entire universe is in that belly. He sighed as he found it difficult to even get up from that corner.

Ganapthy’s intellect is extremely sharp. The Lord hit upon an idea. He immediately got up, bathed and went to this parents. “Mother, Father, I wish to worship you. Kindly take this seat here”, he said pointing to a seat. They didn’t understand this new behavior. They took the seat that Ganapathy was pointing to. Ganapathy worshiped them with sincere devotion and dedication. He did circumambulations to them 7 times and prostrated to them saying “Please get me married”. The parents laughed at his proposition and said “Your little brother is on a tour of planet earth. You didn’t stir from here and are proposing we get you married first. He will return soon from his trip. But you are right here, worshiping us, circumambulating us and prostrating to us. You also go around planet earth and come back, we’ll get your married. How can we get you married if you don’t even stir from here?”

Ganapathy Swamy replied, “Dear parents, you are the epitome of Dharma, you are all-knowing. There is nothing you do not know. I do not need to tell you, but for the sake of formality, I’m telling you:

Guru Madhye Sthitam Viswam

This whole universe is in the Guru. Guru pervades the entire universe. He is of the form of the Universe, and is formless too. Obeisance to such a Guru.
You are both my Gurus. The entire universe is in you. By circumambulating you, I received the benefit of circumambulating the universe 7 times. So, get me married.“

Siva and Parvati were happy with his intellect, devotion and dedication. They were extremely pleased with Ganapathy’s intellect, reasoning, presence of mind and devotion. They appreciated his complete faith in them as Guru. Parents are our fist Gurus. Ganapathy had strong faith in his Guru. That is why, every sacred place Kumara Swamy went to, he would encounter Ganapathy returning from there. Kumara Swamy didn’t just circle the earth, he visited all the sacred places that he came upon. He even dipped in the sacred waters in those places. As he did that, he saw that Ganapathy had already taken a dip in the sacred waters and had already visited the place. Kumara Swamy was surprised to see that Ganapathy Swamy always seemed to be ahead of him.

Episode 101

We were discussing that Siva and Parvati were extremely pleased with Ganapathy’s intellect, reasoning and presence of mind. Secondly, they commended his deep-rooted faith in them as Gurus. Because Ganapathy had strong faith in his Guru, Kumara Swamy encountered Ganapathy returning from every sacred place he was entering. One should have faith in Guru like Ganapathy Swamy did. Ganapathy had complete faith in his parents as Guru. Such complete faith is what leads to fulfillment of wishes. This is what leads to receiving Guru’s grace fully. This is what leads to victory in every task.

Sloka:
Bhavaranya pravistasya dingmoha bhranta cetasah |
Yena sandaristah panthah tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who shows the good path in the jungle of samsara, where I have been wandering aimlessly.

Sloka:
Tapatrayagni taptanam srantanam praninamume |
Gurureva paraganga tasmai sri gurave namah ||

Guru is the most sacred water or Ganga for the living beings who are frayed and exhausted in the fire of anxieties. Obeisance to such a Guru.

Sloka:
Hetave sarva jagatam samsararnava setave |
Prabhave sarva vidyanam sambhave gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who is the cause of all the worlds, who serves as a bridge to cross the ocean of Samsara, who is the Lord of all branches of knowledge, and who is the source of bliss and happiness.

Here, “Shambhu” refers to the origin of happiness. Happiness here refers to eternal happiness, not material happiness. Let’s recall the sloka again:

Dhyanamulam guror murtih puja mulam guroh padam, mantra mulam gurorvakyam moksham mulam guroh krpa.

Sloka:
Dhyanamulam guror murtih puja mulam guroh padam |
Mantra mulam gurorvakyam moksham mulam guroh krpa ||

One cannot chant this sloka enough number of times. One cannot sing this sloka in enough number of ways. You heard this in two different ways.

The image of Guru is the foundation for meditation. The feet of Guru form the foundation for worship. The word of Guru is the foundation for mantra. The grace of Guru alone is the foundation for redemption.

Sloka:
Haranam bhavararogasya taranam klesa varidheh |
Bharanam sarvalokasya saranam carnam guroh ||

The foot of the Guru which roots out the disease of samsara and rebirths, which helps ferry me across the ocean of sorrow, and that which holds all the worlds, is my refuge.

While concluding this sloka, they are making a special mention of the power of Guru’s curse and Guru’s blessings.

Episode 102

Sloka:
Hetave sarva jagatam samsararnava setave |
Prabhave sarva vidyanam sambhave gurave namah ||

Let’s remember this over and over again. Obeisance to Sadguru who is the cause of all the worlds, who serves as a bridge to cross the ocean of Samsara, who is the Lord of all branches of knowledge, and who is the source of bliss and happiness.

Here, “Shambhu” refers to the place where all happiness is born. Happiness here refers to eternal happiness, not material happiness. Let’s recall the sloka again.

Dhyanamulam guror murtih puja mulam guroh padam, mantra mulam gurorvakyam moksha mulam guroh krpa.

Sloka:
Dhyanamulam guror murtih puja mulam guroh padam |
Mantra mulam gurorvakyam moksham mulam guroh krpa ||

We cannot chant this sloka enough number of times. We cannot sing this sloka in enough number of ways. You just heard this in two different ways.

The image of Guru is the foundation for meditation. The feet of Guru form the foundation for worship. The word of Guru is the foundation for mantra. The grace of Guru alone is the foundation for redemption.

Sloka:
Haranam bhavararogasya taranam klesa varidheh |
Bharanam sarvalokasya saranam carnam guroh ||

The foot of the Guru which roots out the disease of samsara and rebirths, which helps ferry me across the ocean of sorrow, and that which holds all the worlds, is my refuge.

While concluding this sloka, they are making a special mention of the power of Guru’s curse and Guru’s blessings.

Sloka:
Siva ruste gurustrata gurau ruste na kascana |
Tasmat paragurum labdhva tameva saranam vrajet ||

If Siva gets angry, Guru protects. But if Guru himself gets angry, there is no one in the entire creation that can protect. So, one should seek refuge in such a supreme Guru and in his blessings.

The slokas that have the refrain “Tasmai sri gurave namah” have concluded. Here begin the slokas with the refrain, “Sivaya gurave namah”.

In the above phrase, “Siva” refers not just to Siva, but to the trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. To make this clear upfront, they have the following sloka.

Sloka:
Atrinetrassiva saksat dvibhujasca paro harih
Yo caturvadano brahma sri guruh kathitah priye

Siva says to Parvati, that the Shastras proclaim the Guru is Siva without the three eyes, he’s Vishnu without the four hands and he is Brahma without the four faces. Slokas in praise of Guru continue.

Sloka:
Nityaya nirvikaraya niravadyaya yogine |
Niskalaya nirihaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Here Guru is glorified as one who is eternal, unwavering, blameless, a Yogi, untainted, desireless and auspicious and verily Siva himself.

Episode 103

Sloka:
Nityaya nirvikaraya niravadyaya yogine |
Niskalaya nirihaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to the Sadguru who is eternal, unwavering, blame-less, a Yogi, untainted, fully-realized, desireless, auspicious and verily Siva himself. Here, a question arises: Why is the term “Siva” alone being used to refer to Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara? There are many reasons for this. Shiva is the symbol and granter of auspiciousness. What is auspiciousness? All attributes stated in reference to the Guru in the above sloka describe what auspiciousness is. So those who worship Guru become unwavering, blame-less, fully-realized and desire-less. The Guru Himself is like that. How can he bless us with those attributes unless He is Himself full of those attributes. In reality, the Guru is beyond all cause and is hence unwavering and unchanging. The Guru is beyond all cause. So, while referring to Siva as Trinity, they are reminding us of that which is unwavering and beyond the trinity. That supreme concept is explained even more clearly in this Sloka.

Sloka:
Sisya hrtpadma suryaya satyaya jnanarupine |
Vedanta vakya vedyaya sivaya gurave namah ||

He is like the sun to the lotus-like hearts of his disciples. He is the embodiment of truth, and of knowledge. He is revealed through the Upanishads, is a symbol of auspiciousness, and is verily Siva himself. Obeisance to such a Sadguru.

Intellect is like a lotus, heart is like another lotus. Here, there are two kinds of hearts. One is the Guru heart, the other is the human heart. These are also referred to as the spiritual heart and the material heart. The spiritual heart is on the right side of the body, while the material heart is on the left. The heart on the right has no bones or flesh. That is why it is spiritual heart. It is just ether, it has nothing, filled with emptiness. That is where the spiritual heart is.

Episode 104

We discussed so far that there are two kinds of hearts. One is the Guru heart, and the other is the human heart. The elders also refer to them as the spiritual heart and the material heart. The spiritual heart is on the right side of the body, while the material heart is on the left. The heart on the right has no bones or flesh. That is why it is spiritual heart. It is just ether, it has nothing, filled with emptiness. These hearts are in the form of lotuses. The Guru makes these hearts bloom. The Guru is himself the sun and the knowledge that comes from him is his light. However, unlike regular sunlight that diminishes at the end of each day due to which the blossoming lotus fades and closes each day, the light from the Guru is eternal. The lotus that blooms due to this light never fades or shrivels.

The Guru is the sun that makes the hearts of the disciples blossom. He is the embodiment of knowledge and auspiciousness. Obeisance to such a Guru. We should always offer salutations to such a Guru.

Sloka:
Upayopeya rupaya sadupaya pradarsine |
Anirvacyaya vacyaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is the idea and also the desired objective of that idea, who gives good thoughts and ideas to his disciples and who is beyond description, who deserves all praise, and who is Siva himself.

Sloka:
Karya karana rupaya rupa rupaya te sada |
Apramye svarupaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is the cause and the effect, who is of attributes and who has no attributes at all, whose form cannot be imagined and who is Siva himself.

Datta Sadguru is filled with an abundance of these qualities. So, let’s learn of a few miracles that Datta Sadguru showed in this aspect.

Lord Datta’s magnanimity in uplifting disciples is unparalleled. Like sunlight, the Lord’s grace completely submerges the disciple. But, his ways of testing his disciples are very unique. He has a new tests each day. His tests are beyond imagination of people, beyond imagination of even Nature. In some instances, they may be delightful, in others there may be deep spiritual secrets embedded. In some stories, the ones that are visible to us, people wonder why he behaves strangely. Take Swamiji for instance. So many people make fun of him behind his back saying, “He has nothing better to do, he is crazy” . Some others say he’s doing it for humor, to make people laugh. But, a real devotee who can sit steadily and think carefully about the actions of the Guru can understand the great spiritual significance in those actions.

Episode 105

Sloka:
Karya karana rupaya rupa rupaya te sada |
Apramye svarupaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is the cause and the effect, who is of attributes and who has no attributes at all, whose form cannot be imagined and who is Siva himself.

Datta Sadguru is filled with an abundance of these qualities. So, let’s learn of a few miracles that Datta Sadguru showed in this aspect.

Lord Datta’s magnanimity in uplifting disciples is unparalleled. Like sunlight, the Lord’s grace completely submerges the disciple. But, his ways of testing his disciples are very strange. He has a new tests each day. His tests are beyond imagination of people, beyond imagination of even Nature. In some instances, they may be delightful, in others there may be deep spiritual secrets embedded. In some stories, the ones that are visible to us, people wonder why he behaves strangely. Take Swamiji for instance. So many people make fun of him behind his back saying, “He has nothing better to do, he is crazy” . Some others say he’s doing it for humor, to make people laugh. But, real devotees who can sit steadily and think carefully about the actions of the Guru can understand the great spiritual significance in those actions. Superficial devotees will not see this. People who do not contemplate on it will not see it either. Every action of the Guru is unique and interesting – the actions seem easy to find faults with. People may wonder why the Guru is making this mistake or why the Guru is testing only them. Some may pooh pooh a test considering it too small for them.

The tests are very interesting. If the disciple can face them successfully, he will reap benefits beyond his own imagination. Disciples need to face those tests successfully. Second, those who receive these tests should consider themselves fortunate and should strive to win those tests. You should take delight in and shine in those tests, and not be dejected or humiliated. You should not think you are too big for these tests. Nor should you think you are so great that this test is too trivial for you. It may seem too trivial now, but you will find out over time, that it’s not trivial. You think you can win the test without lifting a finger, but you will not be able to win in several births. That is how Lord Datta’s miracles are…they are beyond our imagination, comprehension or beyond our understanding. Read Lord Datta’s life history, you will understand. Read the life history. Did he test himself to see if he would win or did he test himself to show you what the tests would be like? Is he doing this to caution us?

We keep worrying about the tests, but have we considered the outcome of our karma? The tests we receive are in accordance with our karma. You should not think that the tests are beyond your capability or knowledge. When you look at these tests with love, you will understand that it is the Guru’s grace that let’s you complete these tests. That’s how unique they are.

Episode 106

Datta Guru blessed a disciple called Pingala Naga. Let’s learn the story.

Pingala Naga was a great scholar and an ardent devotee of Siva. He heard about the greatness of Lord Datta and wanted to learn more from him about Lord Siva. He wanted to see Lord Datta. When he went to Lord Datta, the situation there was very strange. Of course, the Lord knows ahead of time about the disciples coming to him. The tests for those disciples are automatically set. The tests were very strange, there were things that should not be seen, things that should not be heard and could not be understood.

Lord Datta was performing a yagna (ancient ritual of offering herbal preparations in the fire). He had the appearance of a mendicant. He looked nothing like an officiator of a yagna. He was performing the yagna as he wished. Sometimes, he would put the offerings in the fire pit, sometimes, he would them outside the fire pit. He did as he liked. Sometimes, he would throw the ghee (one of the offerings in a yagna) up in the air, sometimes he would put too much into the fire and sometimes he would dump it into the herbal preparations for the yagna. His behavior was very strange. Sometimes, he would eat up the preparations himself. He was doing the yagna as he liked.

The sages sitting around the fire pit were overjoyed seeing the yagna. Pingala Naga was puzzled, “What is this? These sages are so great. They are very learned in spiritual truths. And they are ripe in age. Such great scholars! Why are they so happy seeing the Lord’s yagna? They have tears of joy. They are saying that the mission of their life is fulfilled seeing this yagna. What is this? Nobody is finding any fault with the yagna. Moreover, everyone is praising him as Yagneshwara (Lord of the Yagna), Yateeshwara! Is he a Yateeshwara? He does not look like one. His long beard is unkempt, his clothes are shabby, he looks like a lunatic. He sometimes glances around like a mad man. Sometimes, he’ll pull his hair, sometimes, he’ll pull his beard. Sometimes, he’ll throw away the clothes on him, and again wear them back on and again go back to doing the yagna. It is hard to keep track of all the things that seem wrong. What kind of illusion is this? Am I dreaming or is this real?”

He pinched himself hard to see if what he was witnessing was a dream. “Am I falling asleep while standing? Such a thing is expected to happen in Kaliyuga, but it already seems to be happening to me now. The sages are continuing to praise him as Yagneshwara, Yateeshvara, as the Knowledgeable One, as the Beautiful One and so on. Is he beautiful? It was weird enough that they called him Yagneshwara and Yateeshwara, but they are calling this old man beautiful? Can they even see him clearly? Or are they dreaming themselves?” Pingala Naga was lost in these thoughts. See how many questions and doubts Pingala Naga had in the one second he witnessed all this in.

“But, he does not have the qualities of Yateeshwara. Yateeshwaras are supposed to have a few distinct qualities. One can instantly identify a Yateeshwara. But, he did not have a staff or kamandalam (water pot with a handle and spout) like Yateeshwaras do. He was not chanting the Omkara. And even before the yagna was complete, the Lord was getting up, petting a few dogs, milking the dogs and drinking up the milk. He kept doing this intermittently – get up from the yagna, pet the dogs, drink their milk and come back and chant the mantras for the yagna. The mantras could not be heard clearly. It seemed like was pronouncing them incorrectly. It was as if he was murmuring to himself. The Lord kept doing this. Occasionally, someone else would bring him something in a pot and he would immediately gulp it down”.

Now Pingala Naga wondered if going there was a mistake. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 107

Pingala Naga was very surprised seeing Lord Datta’s actions. In the meanwhile, all the elderly saints were shouting slogans of victory to Lord Datta. All the elderly saints were present. They were very happy, shouting slogans of victory to the Lord and prostrating to him. It was then that Pingala Naga had an eye-opener – when elderly saints and Yateeshwaras came in large crowds and prostrated to him while chanting mantras, performed Abhishekam, worshiped and praised him. That’s when he woke up. It was as if he was asleep while standing, like some people sleep with their eyes open during Shivaratri. Some people can sleep while standing, some sleep while sitting. Some people are actually able to sleep while standing, they lean against the wall and doze off. Some people fall asleep while driving their motorbike and kill themselves. Some doze off while driving their car. Some people doze off while cooking, burning their hands in the process. There doesn’t seem to be a regimen to sleeping. That’s how it is. The problem is with the food you eat. Leave that aside, why come to this world, let’s go back to that world.

Pingala Naga had an eye-opening revelation. He thought straight. He felt the Lord was laughing at him and laughing at the saints too. Pingala Naga felt that there were a lot of hidden meanings in that laughter. “True, he is laughing at me. I am foolish, arrogant and lazy. I came here with devotion, but I had lot of doubts. That is why he is laughing at me. He’s laughing looking at the saints. He is probably smiling at them because they are chanting mantras and are helping with the yagna. Wow, there are a lot of meanings and signals in his laughter. I feel like there are a lot of secrets in this laughter. I cannot understand those secrets. But, I can understand one thing. I understand one secret hidden in this laughter. It is because the Lord is so great that all the saints are following him wherever he goes, they are listening to his discourses. I will also ask Swamy (Lord) and understand the principle of Siva”.

All those present were asking the Lord spiritual questions and learning, just like how people these days ask Swamiji about the ups and downs in their lives. Of course, no one ever asks Swamiji a spiritual question. Here, Pingala Naga wanted to ask the Lord about the principle of Siva. “That is the reason I came here”, he thought. At that time, Datta Swamy was seated under Amalaka tree (Indian gooseberry or Phyllantus Emblica). Pingala Naga approached the Lord and prostrated to him. He felt the time was right for him place his doubts in front of the Lord. Prostrating, he proceeded to ask the Lord. “Swamy, the Vedas and other scriptures have established 4 varnas (classes) and 4 stages in a man’s life. All these saints are following the Dharmic order established by the Vedas. But, your actions are defying that Dharma”, he asked bravely. “Still, the saints are holding you in the highest regard, they are worshiping you. Swamy, I can’t understand the subtle Dharmic principles here”.

Episode 108

Pingala Naga approached Datta Swamy and prostrated to him. He placed his doubts in front of the Lord thus: “Swamy, the Vedas have established four varnas (classes) and 4 ashramas (stages) in man’s life. All the saints here are following that Dharmic order. But, you are defying that Dharma”. There were many saints there and they were all listening to this conversation.

He continued to pray to the Lord, “Yet, the saints here are praising your greatly and worshiping you. I am unable to grasp the subtle aspects of Dharma in this. I came here to learn about Lord Siva. But, the situation here created more doubts in my head. Kindly clear my doubts”.

Strangely, Lord Datta did not put Pingala Naga to any tests. Pingalga Naga suspected he would be subject to tests, because the Lord always puts people to tests before he answers their questions. But Lord Datta did not put him to any tests. Lovingly, he addressed him as “Pingala” and continued to explain his own quality. Really, who else can explain the principle of Datta? Just as Lord Rama proudly introduced himself as the loving son of the great King Dasaratha and narrated his life story to Hanuman, Lord Datta himself explained the principle of Dharma. He was adhering to Dharma so strictly. He revealed his quality thus: “Whatever you said is true, whatever you felt, whatever you said and whatever you asked, is true. Vedas are the means of knowledge for everything. That is certain. Mine is the fifth ashrama (stage of life). To be in this fifth ashrama, once has to gain victory over the six vices, go beyond dualities and should see himself in all living beings. Those who do not understand this, and criticise with their half baked knowledge, will be subject to hell. They will be subject to hell even if they criticize without realizing what they are doing, so you can imagine the outcome if they criticize knowing fully well what they are doing. If those in this ashram act out of line, they will be subject to hell. I stand in the fire pit and at the same time, touch the core of the sun with my hand. All these saints know this very well. Pingala Naga, I act like this for the sake of devotees. You should follow Dharma. You will understand this fifth ashrama well. Dharma is the foundation and is beyond all the ashramas. You should adhere to Dharma”.

The Lord’s grace flowed generously to Pingala Naga. Pingala Naga understood the principle of Lord Datta. He said, ”Lord, you are Siva, you are my only refuge. Please keep me in your belly and protect me”. Immediately, Datta Swamy turned into Lord Siva.

Episode 109

Pingala Naga asked Lord Datta for the boon. The Lord’s grace flowed generously to Pingala Naga. Pingala Naga understood the principle of Lord Datta. He said, ”Lord, you are Siva, you are my only refuge. Please keep me in your belly and protect me”. Immediately, Datta Swamy turned into Lord Siva. He opened his mouth wide and asked Pingala Naga to enter it. Pingala Naga entered the Lord’s mouth. Wow, what a fortune. Lord Datta turned into a Siva Linga right there where there was a holy pond and an Amalaka (Indian gooseberry) tree. He blessed that those who worship this Siva Linga that has Pingala Naga in its belly will not have another birth.

Datta Guru blesses his disciples with supernatural powers. As the source of the Vedas himself, he generously blesses his disciples. The Lord’s invisible hand always protects his devotees. Hence, disciples should always have steadfast devotion and faith in the Guru. The disciple should behave in a way that endears him to the Guru. Only then will the Guru take on the disciple’s troubles and bless him generously.

Sloka:
Drgdrsya drstr rupaya nispanna nijarupine |
Aparayadvitiyaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who sees, who is the object seen and who is also the sight itself, who always remains in his true state, who is boundless, matchless and none other than Siva himself.

Sloka:
Gunadharaya gunine gunavarjita rupine |
Janmine janma hinaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is Siva himself, who is the root of all attributes, who has attributes and yet is free from all of them, who takes birth yet remains free in the form of Atman (soul) i.e. free from cycle of births. The Guru is beyond birth and the cessation of the cycle of births. He is free from attributes and the termination of attributes. Births and deaths take place at his will.

Sloka:
Anadyayakhiladyaya mayine gata mayine |
Arupaya svarupaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is Siva, who has no beginning and who is the beginning of all, who is illusion himself and who has conquered illusion, who is formless but remains in the form of his true self.

Episode 110

Sloka:
Anadyayakhiladyaya mayine gata mayine |
Arupaya svarupaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is Siva, who has no beginning and who is the beginning of all, who has conquered illusion, who has no illusion, who is formless but remains in the form of his true self.

In this verse is the phrase, “mayine gata mayine”. We took refuge at the Guru to overcome maya (illusion). The Guru is referred to as mayavi (illusionist). Mayi means mayavi. We might wonder what use it is to us if he is an illusionist. Here, they also said “gata mayi”. That means he is an illusionist that gained victory over illusion. He is not an ordinary illusionist. He not only gained victory over illusion, but purposefully kept illusion under his control. He does this to uplift us. How does this work?

Say, there is a smouldering piece of coal. To remove it from fire, you need an even hotter pair of tongs, otherwise, the tongs will get overheated. Similarly, to extract a piece of iron that’s melting in fire, you will need an even hotter pair of tongs, otherwise, the tongs will themselves melt in the fire. In the same manner, to remove maya from his disciples, the Guru takes on various forms of maya. He does maya and appears in the form of maya. He appears as maya even where it may seem unnecessary. He wears maya, plays, cries, laughs, makes you cry, makes you laugh, his illusions are countless. He’ll become a bird keeper, animal keeper or anything else, he’s taken on so much maya. He puts the disciples in turmoil. Those are the Guru’s tests. You should be careful. You should win those tests. You may wonder if it’s possible to withstand those tests. But, you don’t have to worry about withstanding the tests. He will do whatever is necessary and like a pair of tongs, extract you from the fire. That is why, he is called an illusionist.

Now, they conclude the praise of Guru as Siva with the following mantra:

Sloka:
Sarva mantra swarupaya sarva tantra swarupine |
Sarvagaya samastaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Episode 111

Sloka:
Sarva mantra swarupaya sarva tantra swarupine |
Sarvagaya samastaya sivaya gurave namah ||

Obeisance to Guru who is Siva, and the personification of all spells and religious rites, who is in everything and who is the embodiment of everything.

Next, they are describing the reason why Guru has been praised as Siva in the previous verses.

Sloka:
Manusya carmana baddhah saksat parasivasswayam |
Gururityabhidham grhnan gudhah paryatati ksitau ||

The Parameshwara (God) Himself enters a human body, takes on the name of Guru and wanders secretly on earth.

To help us understand for ourselves if our worship and understanding of the Guru has been successful, a test is being described here.

Sloka:
Sivavad drsyate saksat sri guruh punya karmanam |
Naravaddrsyate saiva sri guruh papa karmanam ||

Guru appears as Lord Siva to the righteous. The same Guru appears to the sinful as just a human.

So far, Lord Siva blessed Mother Parvati – in other words, he blessed us – with the slokas that praise the Guru using the refrain “Sivaya Gurave Namah” and “Tasmai Sri Gurave Namah”. Here, we are being told that when we offer salutations to the Guru, we should primarily offer salutations to the Guru’s feet. The upcoming sloka says that the direction which contains the Guru’s feet is very powerful. Whether we are sleeping or sitting or whatever state we are in, we should think about which direction the Guru’s feet are in, “Now, my Guru is traveling west, so his feet are in the western direction” or “My guru is in the east” or “My guru is in the north”. Based on which direction he is in, we should offer obeisances in that direction.

Episode 112

Sloka:
Srinatha caranadwandwam yasyam disi virajate |
Tasyai dise namaskuryat bhaktya prati dinam priye ||

Siva says to Parvati that she should offer obeisance everyday to the direction in which her Lord Guru’s pair of feet rests. Here Lord Guru is referred to as Srinatha, i.e., Lord Vishnu, giver of wealth, granter of auspiciousness, giver of wealth and the form or pure consciousness.

The word “Sri” has all these meanings. You should offer obeisance to the direction in which such a pair of feet rests. Needless to say, since he is pure consciousness, his feet are, in reality, present in all directions. Next, they are talking about how we should be during worship of the Guru.

Sloka
Tasyai dise satatimanjali resa nityam praksipyate mukharitali yuta prasunaih |
Jagarti yatra bhagavan guru cakravarti viswasthiti pralaya nataka nitya saksi ||

I offer the garland daily which attracts bees to the direction in which my God, my emperor Guru who is eternal witness to the play of creation, destruction and preservation of the worlds, is.

In this sloka they say, “mukharatali yut”. There is a secret message here. Here, in the lotus like heart, the bee is the thought that is drinking the nectar of bliss. That means, we should keep the mind pleasant while praying. Only if the mind is sweet will the bees be attracted. Only such fragrant flowers are worthy of being used in worship. Now, prostrations to the Guru.

Sloka:
Urasa sirasa caiva manasa vacasa drsa |
Padbhyam karabhyam karnabhyam pranamostanga ucyate ||

When prostration is done with these eight parts – chest, head, mind, word, sight, legs, hands and ears, it is called Saashtanga namaskara (ashta=eight, anga=parts). When some people do prostrations or bhajans or puja, their mind engages in endless other distractions.

Episode 113

Sloka:
Urasa sirasa caiva manasa vacasa drsa |
Padbhyam karabhyam karnabhyam pranamostanga ucyate ||

What is Sashtanga Namaskara? Many people don’t know what it means, they mistake it for incense and keep searching around. When prostration is done with full concentration and offered with these eight parts – chest, head, mind, word, sight, legs, hands and ears, it is called Ashtanga Namaskara (ashta=eight, anga=parts; Sashtanga = with eight parts). When some people do prostrations or bhajans or puja, their mind engages in endless other distractions.

They recite mantras with their lips, but they continue to observe everything around them with their eyes. Their thoughts have no end. That is not the right procedure. Whether or not you have devotion, when you close your eyes and engage in bhajan or chanting, the divine waves from those sounds will enter your nervous system through your ears. Here, the eyes don’t just refer to the external eyes, you should close all Jnanendriyas (5 cognitive senses of smelling, tasting, seeing, touching and hearing) while you pray. Some people think it’s enough to close your external eyes while praying, “Yes, I close my eyes when I mediate”. But, what they see inside, with their eyes closed, is different. They have a whole different world inside. Those Jnanendriyas, the inner eyes, should be closed. That means, all Jnanendriyas have eyes. There’s sense of touch for example. All those should be closed. Mind should be made still. That is the right way to do it. That is why here, they ask us practice Sashtanga vandanam (salutations with the 8 parts).

Here on, the slokas tell us that worshiping the Guru is of utmost importance not only in the human world, but also in Gods’ world.

Sloka:
Guroh krpa prasadena brahma visnu maheswarah |
Samarthastat prasado hi kevalam guru sevaya ||

It is with the grace of Guru, the trinity of Godhead became capable of creation, preservation and dissolution. Those who serve the Guru alone with get the grace of the trinity.

Indra has all the wealth and luxuries. Those pleasures are never constant. They even make Indra unsteady. They cause the mind to vacillate. The reason why Indra is sometimes seen as arrogant is due to these pleasures and wealth.

Episode 114

Indra’s Guru Brihaspati put him out of dangerous situations several times. We’ve discussed this in many stories. Once, Indra was so immersed in material pleasures that he did not even notice the arrival of his Guru. As a result, he lost his position as the king of heaven. Subsequently, he prayed to Guru Brihaspati and was reinstated to his position. Another time, there was a battle between the gods and the demons in which the gods were victorious. It was only due to the protection provided by Guru Brihaspati that Indra won the battle. Otherwise, victory would not have been possible. It’s only because the Guru was always with him that he won the battle. It is due to the Guru’s grace that Indra understood the concept of Parabrahman. That is why, Indra became the leader of the gods, he was the first one to understand the supreme truth by the grace of the Guru.

Indra has the grace and protection of Brihaspati every step of the way. Once, Indra was saved from Siva’s wrath by the grace of Brihaspati. Let’s delve into the story.

Once, the Guru and the disciple wished to see Lord Siva. Dressed as a hermit, Indra went to Kailas (abode of Siva) with his Guru. Siva also wished to see them. Guised as an Avadhoota, he waited for them on the path to Kailas. Indra and Brihaspati saw the Avadhoota enroute to Kailas and inquired about Lord Siva. The Avadhoota didn’t say anything. Even as Brihaspati was wondering who the Avadhoota might be, great danger befell. Indra got impatient and in a haste, raised his weapon to attack the Avadhuta. That’s it. The Avadhuta turned into Siva and pointed his trident at Indra. Immediately, Brihaspati fell on the Lord’s feet and prayed to him in several different ways and pacified him. He requested Siva to let Indra go saying, “Let him go. He did not know what he was doing”. Siva took pity, forgave and released Indira at the behest of Brihaspati. Otherwise, who knows what would happen to Indra. This story shows how the Guru protects in even the most dangerous situations.

Like this, in several instances, Guru Brihaspati saved the gods from various obstacles and dangers. The Guru stood by them as a shield of protection. The Guru thus protects those who place their faith in him. Just as the Guru protected Indra from all kinds of dangers, he protects anyone that places faith in him. He even protects the disciples from the curse of Gods. That’s the nature of the Guru and that’s how he protects.

Now, the sloka describes how difficult and how great the meditation on the Guru is.

Sloka:
Deva kinnara gandharvah pitaro yaksa caranah |
Munayo naiva jananti guru susrusane vidhim ||

Episode 115

Sloka:
Deva kinnara gandharvah pitaro yaksa caranah |
Munayo naiva jananti guru susrusane vidhim ||

The method of filial service to Guru is a big secret. The Gods, and other heavenly spirits (Kinnaras, Yakshas, Gandharvas and Charanas), Pitris (spirits of ancestors) and the great saints don’t know the method. None of them knows the method of service to the Guru or the Guru principle. Next, they are stating the reason why so many beings fail to understand the principle of Guru.

Sloka:
Madahankara garvena tapo vidya balanvitah |
Samsara kuharavarte patita ghanta yantravat ||

On account of penance, education and muscular power, people become egoistic and fall into the whirlpool of samsara. This is likened to a pot tied to the device for drawing water from a well. The pot may appear to float momentarily, but it quickly sinks into the water. Some people say “I have only a daughter. Once she’s married, I’ll have no other worry. The rest of my life will be spent in chanting the divine names of the Lord. All I need is for daughter to get married, I need nothing else”. The daughter gets married. The father is enjoying seeing his daughter and son-law in marital bliss, but before long, there are grandsons and granddaughters. The pot sinks again. Before it could rise, it sank again. New responsibilities are added. People think, “I can avoid these responsibilities, these don’t affect me”. And even while they are saying this, they are taking on these new responsibilities. People that say that they will avoid these responsibilities can definitely not escape them. Those who avoid them will do so silently.

Next, they are talking about the greatness of meditation upon Guru in very clear terms.

Sloka:
Dhyanam srnu mahadevi sri guroh kathayami te |
Sarva saukhyakaram tadvat bhukti mukti pradayakam ||

Siva says to Parvati to listen to him talk about the meditation upon Guru which is the all comforting, the source of satisfying the worldly needs as well as of granting redemption.

Meditation as we discussed yesterday should be done with purity in thought, word and deed (trikarana shuddhi)

Sloka:
Srimatparabrahma gurum smarami srimatparabrahma gurum bhajami |
Srimatparabrahma gurum vadami srimatparabrahma gurum namami ||

Obeisance to Guru, the embodiment of the Absolute, whose name I chant, whose praises I sing, who I offer salutations to. Guru Datta.

Episode 116

Sloka:
Srimatparabrahma gurum smarami, srimatparabrahma gurum bhajami |
Srimatparabrahma gurum vadami srimatparabrahma gurum namami ||

Srimatparabrahma gurum namami.

Obeisance to Guru, the embodiment of the Absolute, whose name I cherish in my memory, whose name I utter, whose praises I sing, who I offer salutations to. Every pore of King Dileepa’s body was filled with this feeling. That is why he attained what he desired by following the orders of the great saint Vasishtha. Shall we learn that story?

The kings in the Sun dynasty achieved lasting fame by the grace of Guru Vasishtha. King Harishchandra and other great kings like him became worthy of always being remembered only by the grace and protection of the Guru. Everyone in the sun dynasty followed a dharmic way of life. Dileepa belonged to this dynasty. King Dileepa was very great. He was as great as he was loved by his people. He, in turn, also loved his people very dearly. He even conducted several rituals and ceremonies for his people’s benefit. He even undertook religious vows for their welfare. He conducted dharmic activities only for the welfare of others. Even after doing so much, this great king didn’t have any progeny.

One day, Dileepa’s wife got sad wondering why they could not have children. Dileepa was also sad and proposed to his wife that they pray to sage Vasishtha and do as the sage commands. Dileepa and his wife were in full agreement. They went to the sage’s ashrama and decided to do as he ordered. They prayed to the sage. The sage sent them to stay in the Ashrama for a few days. As soon as they left to settle in the Ashrama, the sage sat down to meditate. With his divine vision, he looked in to why king Dileepa had no children. He saw that a curse was preventing Dileepa from having children. What curse was it? It was the curse of Kamadhenu (the divine cow that grants all wishes). But Kamadhenu was in Patala Loka (nether world) and it was usually difficult to get hold of. In place of Kamadhenu, it’s child Nandinidhenu was in the ashrama. Sage Vasishtha decided to get Nandini to bless king Dileepa.

Immediately, he called for the couple and asked them to worship Nandinidhenu saying, “From today, Nandinidhenu is completely your responsibility. Do as Nandini says. Place all your burden on Nandini. How you protect her is not my concern. Nandinidhenu must be as happy with you as she is with me. Protect her and look after her carefully. I don’t care how you do it.”

Dileepa and his wife obeyed the sage’s orders. From then on, they cared for Nandinidhenu like she was their own child. They looked after her with a lot of care and respect.

Episode 117

One day, sage Vaishtha addressed king Dileepa thus, “Dileepa, you take my daughter out for walks only in the vicinity of your house, will you not take her to the forests and show her the beauty of the forests? You are the king, what are you afraid of? Take her out for walks farther away. You are only showing her the vicinities around the house. That is not enough. Show her the forests.” Dileepa obeyed his Guru’s command. He took Nandini (the divine cow) to the forests. Nandinidhenu roamed around freely in the forests, walking happily with Dileepa. A few days passed like this. There was no need to shepherd Nandini like other animals, she would follow the king exactly as asked. Sage Vasishtha’s ashram is in the Himalayas. The forests were in the Himalayas too. So, Nandini was very familiar with that area.

One day, she set out with Dileepa and was roaming freely as usual when she suddenly disappeared. She was walking with Dileepa and following him closely, but disappeared all of a sudden. A worried Dileepa began anxiously searching for Nandini. As he was wondering how he would face sage Vasishtha, he heard the roar of a lion and the cry of a cow in a cave. Immediately, without a second’s delay, he darted into the cave. His sped like an arrow into the cave. There, a lion had Nandinidhenu in its clutches. As Dileepa was about to shoot his arrow to kill the lion, his hand involuntarily got stuck mid-air. At that time, the lion spoke in human language thus, “King, this is my territory. This cow is my food. So, let me eat my food. Don’t be unjust. I need to eat my food, so please restrain yourself. Don’t attack me”. Dileepa realized that this lion had great powers. He knew it was not an ordinary lion because it could speak human language. He was surprised to hear it speak.

The king replied humbly, “Lion king, it is true that this is your territory. It is also true that this divine cow is your prey. But, this divine cow is under my protection. So, please let go of the cow and eat me instead. That will be just”. Saying so, he lowered his head to the lion. The cave glowed with divine light. Nandinidhenu looked very pleased . She said, “King, this is all my creation. I am happy with your devotion and dedication. Ask me for whatever you want”. Dileepa prostrated to Nandinidhenu and asked to be blessed with children . That is what he wanted. The Guru had instructed him to worship Nandini and be blessed by her.

Episode 118

Dileepa realized that the lion had great powers. He knew it was not an ordinary lion because it could speak human language. He was surprised to hear it speak.

We discussed that the king replied humbly, “Lion king, it is true that this is your territory. It is also true that this divine cow is your prey. But, this divine cow is under my protection. So, please let go of the cow and eat me instead. That will be just”. Saying so, he lowered his head to the lion. The cave glowed with divine light. Nandinidhenu looked very pleased . She said, “King, this is all my creation. I am happy with your devotion and dedication. Ask me for whatever you want”. All that transpired was an illusion. That was the Guru principle at play. Dileepa prostrated to Nandinidhenu and asked to be blessed with children. Those who place their faith in Guru and walk in the path shown by the Guru will never face difficulties in life. They will always be happy. Dileepa obediently followed every word uttered by the Guru. He obtained what he desired.

Next, they are initiating us into the mantra for meditating on the Guru.

Sloka:
Brahmanandam param sukhadam kevalam jnana murtim
dwandwatitam gagana sadrsam tatvamasyadi laksyam |
Ekam nityam vimalamacalam sarvadhi sakshi bhutam
bhavatitam triguna rahitam sadgurum tam namami ||

Obeisance to Sadguru who is the source of bliss, giver of great comfort, form of pure knowledge, beyond all dualities, sky-like, the essence of Mahavakyas like Tatvamasi, the only one, unique, eternal, pure, steady, witness to all intellect, incomprehensible to intellect and who is beyond the three qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

Here, we come across “dwandwatitam” and “bhavatitam”. That means, he is beyond the dualities and the activities of the intellect and hence cannot be comprehended by them. This can only be realized through experience. That experience is gained through service to the Guru. Next, they are initiating us into another mantra for meditating on the Guru.

Sloka:
Anandamanandakaram prasannam jnana swarupam nija bodha yuktam |
Yogindra midhyam bhavaroga vaidyam srimadgurum nityamaham namami ||

Eternal obeisance to Sadguru who is the embodiment of bliss, the source of bliss who is ever gracious, embodiment of knowledge, self-realized, the best among yogis, praise-worthy and doctor of all diseases of samsara.

Episode 119

Sloka:
Anandamanandakaram prasannam jnana swarupam nija bodha yuktam |
Yogindra midhyam bhavaroga vaidyam srimadgurum nityamaham namami ||

I always offer obeisance to Sadguru who is the embodiment of bliss, the source of bliss who is ever gracious, embodiment of knowledge, self-realized, the best among yogis, praise-worthy and doctor of all diseases of samsara.

In this sloka, the crux is in the word “prasannam”. This word contains the essence. That bliss is the natural quality of the Guru. That is his eternal state. It never changes. Some people say, “My Guru’s mood is down. What is this, he spoke like this? He was so angry. Because he was not in a good mood, he scolded all of us. He humiliated us. We were hurt”. Some others say, “It’s okay if we are hurt, but our Guru seemed hurt and that is why we feel hurt”. It simply means that they were hurt, but because they can’t say it directly, they say, “When he was seemingly upset while talking to us, we were not hurt, he was hurt”. This is an indirect way of saying the same thing. It’s like referring to your son-in-law as your daughter’s husband, why not just say he is your son-in-law? Some people say, “He was upset this time, but if you talk to him when he’s in a good mood, it’s amazing. He’ll give you everything you ask for. He will even give away the clothes he’s wearing.” Is this how much you’ve understood the Guru? How foolish is this! Sadguru never gets angry. But, if he gets angry, the anger will not go away until the devotee is benefited. Every thing he does is for the devotee. The anger is also to benefit the devotee. It’s to remove the ignorance in the devotee.

“My doctor had no compassion, he cut me open to extract from inside my stomach”. If he had compassion, the problem in your stomach would not go away. If the doctor said, “O stomach, my patient’s stomach, you have this problem inside, it’ll be nice it that problem goes away”, will the problem go away? If the ailment in the patient’s stomach needs to be removed, surgery needs to be performed. If your Guru also thought like that, “My beloved disciple, you’ve come after a long time, I am so happy to see you”, if the Guru always praises him and showered him with affection saying “Bravo!”, when will the disciple learn to get better? When will he learn spiritual truths? When will the vices in him be removed? If the mother scolds the child, is it because she’s jealous of the child? It’s only because she wants the best for her child. It’s the same reason the father scolds the child. If the Guru scolds the devotee, it’s even better, the Guru is greater than God. The Guru wants you to benefit not just in this lifetime, but in every lifetime. That is why, he’s humiliating you. You should consider yourself lucky. If he’s scolding you in front of others, you should consider it your spiritual accomplishment. You should realize that you’ve learned your lesson. You won’t repeat the mistake ever again. You won’t commit that sin in any other lifetime.

Episode 120

We discussed that the Sadguru never gets angry, but if he does get angry, the anger will not go away until the devotee is benefited. It’s not enough for the devotee to apologize. Until the devotee is truly transformed, he will show his anger. The Guru will reprimand the disciple in many ways. He will scold him all the time, he will scold him using different words. He will recollect over and over and scold the disciple. If you think the Guru’s scolding was over that afternoon, he will continue to scold till the evening. He will scold in new ways. Sometimes, he’ll even attribute a new wrong-doing to you. What do we think then? We may occasionally lose faith in the Guru. “I did not commit that mistake that he’s scolding me for, why is he scolding me for this?”. But, until he uproots the poison in you from the root, he will not stop. He will keep scolding . Sometimes, he may scold you every time he sees you. Sometimes, he may chase you down and scold you. Sometimes, he may call for you and scold you. He will sit you down and scold you. It’s so hard when he sits us down and scolds us. He will seem to set up this session, where he sits you in front of him, settles into a comfortable position after his meal, makes sure you’ve been well fed too and scolds you for hours on end.

How do we feel then? Should we think that our Guru has gone crazy? Should we think we’ve gone crazy? Or, are we going insane listening to the Guru’s words? But, there’s one thing in the Guru’s heart that’s constant throughout all of this: Until you turn a new leaf – until the Guru’s resolve to benefit you is complete, the anger will not subside.

The Guru’s compassion is boundless. It goes on for generations and lifetimes. It forgives the wrong-doers and gives them a better state. To understand this better, we should look at the story of Nemi from Bhagavatam as an example.

Nemi Tata was a king. He did not have children for a very long time. He meditated on Brahma and received a boon that he would have a good son. But, when he still didn’t have a son, Nemi conducted a big Yajna. Once, during the days the yajna was in progress, he got very thirsty. Unable to bear the thirst, he drank the water that was kept in a pot right there. The next morning, the priests saw the empty pot. When they realized that the king drank all the water, the priests lamented. The priests had saved that water that was being sanctified by the mantras for the queen the next day so she could have a good son. But, the king already drank the water.

Episode 121

We discussed that once, during the days the yajna was in progress, the king got very thirsty. Unable to bear the thirst, he drank the water that was kept in a pot right there. The next morning, the priests saw the empty pot. When they realized that the king drank all the water, there was an uproar among the priests. The king was working so hard so he could have a son, but look what he did now. The priests had saved that water because the process of sanctifying the water with the mantras was not yet complete; the priests wanted to complete the process and offer the water to the queen the next day. The king had committed great sins in the past. The priests were putting in all efforts into the Yajna because it is only after the sins are removed that he could have a good son. But, in the meanwhile, before the water could be completely sanctified, the king drank the water. As a result, the king assumed pregnancy. Because the king drank the water that was meant for the queen, the king assumed pregnancy, what to do?

After 9 months, a little boy came into the world tearing open the king’s stomach. Tearing open the stomach was the only way he could come into the world. That son was Nemi. The priests, with the power of the mantras, revived the king who died when his stomach was tore open. Nemi grew up into a young man. But, because the process of sanctification hadn’t completed, Nemi grew up into an extremely wicked man. A lot of experts on Upanishads and story tellers use this story as a great example.

In due course, Nemi became king. His wicked acts had no limits. He was already wicked, and after he became king, he felt he was god. All demons are like that. As soon as they get absolute power, they believe they are god . If they see Brahma in front of them, they ask for immortality. Those with these two qualities – desire for immortality and belief they are God – are demons. Nemi announced he was God. He ordered everyone to stop doing Yajnas and rituals and serve and worship him instead. But, he had the complete grace of his mother. She had done great penance. Due to her protection, he was saved from all dangers.

Gradually, people in the kingdom reached the point where they could not take his atrocities anymore. All the sages came together and decided to sever both his legs. But, due to his mother’s grace, not only did he escape death, a lot of demons were born out of his legs. The sages were surprised that there was so much evil coming out of his legs. The sages killed all the demons. They thought about what happened and decided this time to sever Nemi’s arms. When they severed his legs, several demons were born out of them. Let’s see what kinds of things are born when the arms are severed.

Episode 122

We discussed that the sages, unable to tolerate Nemi’s heinous acts, came together and decided to sever both his legs. But, not only did he escape death, a lot of demons were born out of his severed legs. This created more work for the sages. The sages had to kill all the demons. They thought about what happened and decided this time to sever Nemi’s arms. From the arms were born divine beings. The sages handed over the kingdom to these beings who took good care of the kingdom.

But Nemi would neither live nor die. The sages thought some more. They gave him poison and cut him into pieces. But, he still wouldn’t die. Each piece of this severed body would eventually join together. Due to his mother’s grace, he continued to live. Even after being given poison and being cut into pieces, he lived. Each severed piece was a living being. Each piece seemed to have life. Nemi experienced hell on earth. We think he survived, he lived, but every piece was experiencing hell. Eventually, one day, Lord Datta came to him, initiated him into worship of Guru and uplifted him. All the divine beings shouted slogans, “Datta! Jaya Guru Datta! Datta!”. Although Nemi was a great sinner, he achieved higher worlds by the grace of Guru.

You should not construe whatever happened in the meanwhile as the outcome of Guru’s anger. It was the compassion of the Guru. That is what is called Kshalana (cleansing). The Guru is always in bliss. That is why the previous sloka said “Prasannam” (bliss). The Guru is the epitome of bliss, the source of bliss, embodiment of knowledge. To such a Sadguru, you should always offer obeisance. Next is another mantra to meditate on the Guru.

Sloka:
Nityam suddham nirabhasam nirakaram niranjanam |
Nityabodha cidanandam gurum brahma namamyaham ||

Obeisance to Guru who is eternal, pure, formless, tranquil, embodiment of truth and knowledge, who is always teaching, who is embodiment of universal consciousness and bliss and an embodiment of the Absolute.

Here, “Nityabodha” shows that he is always teaching. That means, if you meditate on him in silence when you face difficulties, you will hear his voice. There is no doubt whatsoever.

Episode 123

Now, they are talking about where we should visualize the Guru as residing while meditating upon him.

Sloka:
Hrdambuje karnika madhya samsthe simhasane samsthita divyamurtim |
Dhyayedgurum candrakala prakasam saccit sukhabhista varam dadanam ||

We should meditate upon the Sadguru visualizing him as one in a divine form, who is seated on the throne situated on the elevated part of our lotus like heart, shining with the splendor of the moon and granting us the boon of eternal bliss.

Next, they describing with what colors and decorations one should visualize the form of the Guru, who is the source of self-realization.

Sloka:
Svetambaram sveta vilepa puspam mukta vibhusam muditam trinetram |
Vamanka pitha sthita divyasaktim mandasmitam sandra krpa nidhanam ||

One should meditate on the Guru who is the image of Siva, who has donned white clothes, applied white sandalwood paste, is decked in a garland of white flowers and in ornaments made of pearls, is happy, has the divine power seated on his left thigh, is ever-smiling and is an ocean of compassion.

It doesn’t mean the Guru should always appear as described in the Sloka. Since our Guru described in the Guru Gita, we should not ask the Guru to come dressed in white clothes and white pearls, or that he erase the dark decoration on his forehead and apply white sandal paste instead. If you say that, you’ll receive a good smacking.

It means that he is not bound by any rules. However, there are hidden meanings behind whatever he is wearing. He may wear different footwear, wear different colored robes, or adorn himself with different kinds of sandalwood paste. All these have a hidden meaning. We should observe carefully. For instance, ochre robes indicate sacrifice and righteousness. The white flowers symbolize the fragrance and beauty of dharma combined with truth. The white sandalwood paste shows the state that’s beyond the dualities of passion and hatred. Did you see how much meaning there is in what he’s wearing?

Episode 124

The Guru is not bound by any rules. However, there are hidden meanings behind the footwear and robes he adorns. We should observe carefully. For instance, ochre robes indicate sacrifice and righteousness. The white flowers symbolize the fragrance and beauty of dharma combined with truth. The white sandalwood paste shows the state that’s beyond the dualities of passion and hatred. The necklace of pearls indicates that he is beyond all planetary effects. If he is completely adorned in white, it means he is imparting knowledge. The greatness of the Guru is clearly described again in the next two slokas.

Sloka:
Yasmin srsti sthiti dhwamsa nigrahanugrahatmakam |
Krtyam pancavidham sasvat bhasate tam gurum bhajet ||

The Guru who shines with the power of creation, preservation and destruction restraint and grace should be served.

Sloka:
Na guroradhikam na guroradhikam na guroradhikam na guroradhikam |
Siva sasanatah siva sasanatah siva sasanatah siva sasanatah ||

There is no one superior to a Guru. This is the ruling of Lord Siva himself.

Until now, we’ve been initiated into the path of meditating on the Guru. Now, we will be initiated into the path of worshiping the Guru through Jnana (knowledge) Yoga.

Sloka:
Jneyam sarvam vilapyeta visuddha jnana yogatah |
Jnatrtva mapi cinmatre nanyah pantha dvitiyakah ||

All that reveals itself (Jneyam) should be burnt with the purified Jnana Yoga. Finally, the “Jnatrtvam” also should be burnt. There is no way other than this. “Jnatrtvam” is the ego that leads one to believe “I am the one gaining knowledge”. The paths of worship also vary depending on the differences between the practicants and their eligibility.

Episode 125

The paths of worship vary depending on the differences between the practicants and their eligibility. That is why, here, they are initiating us into this special path of knowledge.

The sloka says, “visuddha jnana yogatah”. A question arises here. Among all knowledge, are there things like impure knowledge and pure knowledge? We may wonder if it is it not enough to just refer to it as “knowledge”. True. There is only pure knowledge. But, first, the bad thoughts piling up in you in so many different ways, in so many different aspects and in various different corners need to be eliminated. Until then, you will not realize that knowledge.

To drive away each aspect of your ignorance, each aspect of knowledge needs to be given to you. None of these directly confer you with self-realization. That is why these do not comprise pure (visuddha) knowledge . But, since these rid you of a certain kind of ignorance, these comprise knowledge. That is why, this is referred to as impure (asuddha) knowledge.

For example, take the sciences or the scriptures. If we use them properly, the impure knowledge will be the steps that lead us to pure knowledge. Those that attain that path will attain the path of Jnana Yoga in their spiritual practice. Beginners often ask a stupid question, “How long do we have to do this worship?” The following answer is being given

Sloka:
Yavattisthati dehosau tavaddevi gurum smaret |
Gurulopo na kartavyo nishtitopyadvaye pare ||

Siva says to Parvati that as long as the body exists, Guru has be meditated upon. Even if one is following the all-important non-dual discipline, one should not ignore the worship of Guru.

We are given this body so we can worship God. That is why, as long as the body is there, even if there is just one second left for the body, one must worship God. When they say “as long as the body exists”, it means, as long as the feeling that the body is mine, exists. First, this feeling should be destroyed and burnt away. For this to happen, it may take several eons. In the meanwhile, you may receive different kinds of knowledge, some of it may be knowledge of non-duality to rid you of your ignorance. That is why they are talking about what happens in the meanwhile.

Regardless, as long as the feeling that this body is yours exists, the worship of the Guru must continue. This is a must. A question may arise here. Once we receive knowledge of non-duality (that the Guru and I are not separate), why should one continue to meditate? Because, at that point, it means that the Guru is meditating upon himself.

Next, they are going back and teaching us about our prescribed behaviour in the presence of the Guru.

Episode 126

Sloka:
Hunkarena na vaktavyam prajnaissisyaih kadacana |
Guroragre na vaktavyam asatyam ca kadacana ||

Wise disciples should never frown upon their Guru and never should they utter falsehood.

Sloka:
Gurum tvam krtya hunkrtya gurum nirjitya vadatah |
Aranye nirjale ghore sambhavet brahma raksasah ||

If the Guru is addressed in the singular number or frowned upon, or argued with the intent to proving oneself better, one will take the birth of a Brahmarakshasa (fierce demon spirit) in a terrible jungle without water.

This is not an ordinary curse. Lot of people these days wish to be disciples that prove better than the Guru. One may have more knowledge than the Guru, but one must never argue with the Guru. One must not reproach the Guru. If this holds true even for the Guru that gave you education, you can imagine how important this is for the Guru that blesses one with knowledge.

A lot of people want to show off their closeness with the Guru. Saying, “I am very close to the Guru, I grew up here since I was a child. See how I address him”, they address him in the singular. Saying something like, “Yes, I’ve taken care of it, how many times should I tell you?” may seem okay to us since we’ve always been so close to the Guru, especially when we are considering him a son, or a brother, but one should address the Guru very carefully. Thinking, “I grew up near him, he brought me up, I am like a son to him”, you can’t talk as you please. Sometimes, we address the parents in the singular, “Sleep mother! How many times should tell you?” It’s still okay if we address the parents in the singular, because they are our parents. But, you should not talk to the Guru in that manner.

A lot of people frown on the Guru, “HMMM…I know! You told me once, it’s okay! I understand if you tell me once!” You should not talk to him like you talk to other people. If he asks you to do something, “HMM…I’ll do it. Do I have a choice? I don’t!” One should never talk like this. When we consider Guru as a father, or a brother or God or a parent or a husband, when we feel that way, we should be very careful how we talk to the Guru. When caught talking like that, you should not deny that feeling. You have to pay for it, just as one that eats salt has to drink water or one that eats grass has to cough.

That is why they are saying that if the Guru is frowned upon, or argued with the intent to proving oneself better, one will take the birth of a Brahmarakshasa (fierce demon spirit) in a terrible jungle without water. What a curse!

Episode 127

Sloka:
Upabhunjita no vastu guroh kincidapi swayam |
Dattam grahyam prasadeti prayohyetanna labhyate ||

One should not take even a very small quantity of anything belonging to Guru without asking, even if it is rotting or going bad or whether the Guru choses to just cast it aside or throw it away. Without his permission, one should not even take the leftover Prasadam (food offered to God which is then consumed by devotees) just because there’s no one else to eat it. You should first get permission, “Can I have the small amount of the Prasadam leftover?”. It means that without getting permission, you cannot take the Prasadam.

Say, someone cut a fruit for Swamiji. If there is a little bit of the fruit’s skin left on the fruit, you cannot even take the skin without letting the Guru know first because that fruit belongs to him. Someone offered the fruit to the Guru. You cannot even take the seed from the fruit. If you are having to take it you cannot take it yourself. Only once the Guru grants permission and gives it you as Prasadam can you take it, because such Prasadam is not something you always get. If he gives it you himself, there’s no greater nectar than that Prasadam.

Sloka:
Padukasana sayyadi guruna yadadhisthitam |
Namaskurvita tatsarvam padabhyam na sprset kvacit ||

You cannot lie down on the Guru’s bed without his permission. That will lead to terrible hell. You should first tell the Guru. Lot of people sometimes use the Guru’s footwear considering them as ordinary footwear. That should not be done. You should not use the Guru’s seat for your own meditation assuming you’ll be able to meditate better, that the power of Guru’s meditation on that seat will benefit you and that the spiritual energy will quickly rise in you, just like a scorpion would climb over you. If you do this, the scorpion will climb over you, but the spiritual energy will not. We should not use the Guru’s seat. These are supremely sacred items, worthy of worship. Seats and cots should not be touched without permission. In fact, you should offer obeisances to all these items. You should never touch them with your feet. A lot of sin will accrue to someone that does that. Even touching these items with your knees would be wrong. That is why they are asking us to be very careful.

Sloka:
Gacchatah prsthato gacchet gurupadau na langhayet |
Nolbanam dharayedvesam nalankaram statholbanam ||

When Guru walks, the disciples should walk behind him. You should not step ahead of him. You can walk in step with him, but you should not step ahead of him.

Episode 128

Sloka:
Gacchatah prsthato gacchet gurupadau na langhayet |
Nolbanam dharayedvesam nalankaram statholbanam

While guru is walking, you must only follow him. You must never overtake him or walk ahead of him.

You must never be dressed ostentatiously, wear showy jewelry or use elaborate cosmetics and ornamentation in the presence of guru. Devotees who do it out of ignorance are forgiven, but not disciples. Who are devotees? Who are disciples? What is the difference?
Those who merely come for darshan and leave are devotees. Those who come frequently to see guru, listen to his words of wisdom, offer him gifts and services off and on, and lead their family lives as per the advice given by guru are disciples.

Once the relationship is established as that of guru and disciple, certain rules must be followed.

Sloka:
Guru ninda param drsthva dhavaye datha varayet
sthanam va tatparityajyam jihvacchedo ksama yadi

If anyone is blaming guru, such persons must be chased out, or else prevented from speaking ill of guru. You must contradict them, argue with them and must convince them that they are completely wrong. If none of these are possible, leave the spot at once and go far away, saying, “You do not leave. You do not stop talking. I cannot argue with you and convince you. Hence, I leave your presence”. But to listen to verbal abuse of guru and to tolerate it, thinking that whatever the other person says is his own business, is a terrible sin.
The only atonement for it is to cut out the tongue.

What is the harm in tolerating such speech?
One word or argument amongst those ten arguments he gives may cause the disciple to begin entertaining doubts about his guru. Suspicion may arise that may be there is some truth in his words.
Cut out your own tongue or cut out his tongue.
It does not mean taking a knife and actually cutting off the tongue and going to the hospital. You would have to then get stitches or you would have to get a replacement tongue from some animal, like a dog, or get a wooden replacement tongue.

What it means that you should endlessly speak until the opponent is either convinced that you are right, or runs away, unable to take the force of your arguments. He should simply run away and leave your friendship. That is the meaning of cutting their tongue. Shut them up completely.
It is not as easy as taking a pair of scissors and chopping off your tongue and getting stitches.

Episode 129

Sloka:
apriyasya ca hasyasya navakaso guroh purah
na niyogaparam bruyat guro rajnam vibhavayet

One should not make fun or be frivolous in the presence of Sadguru without his permission, especially if it is distasteful to him. First explain that you are going to make a joke about a certain subject and obtain his consent before being funny. If he disapproves of the subject of your humor, then you have to change the topic. If he nods approval, you may proceed. You must observe his facial expression and notice whether he is pleased or displeased before proceeding with your humor.

Many people are overly talkative in the presence of Guru. One must not be too free and excessive in speech giving more information than what has been asked for. Bragging about one’s accomplishments should be avoided. Never say, “I have done this even before being requested by you. Even before you mentioned it, I have already solved this problem.”

One must wait eagerly for Guru’s command and follow it scrupulously with reverence.
It is now being explained.

In the previous 7 verses, Lord Siva has explained in detail how one should conduct oneself in the presence of Guru. That should give us an understanding as to how important these rules are, and how careful one must be in behaving in the presence of Guru. Based on these rules, other restrictions should be imagined and anticipated.

Sometimes, deliberately Guru makes mistakes just to lead you astray. He tries to cause suspicion in your mind and see if you will distance yourself from him. Then you wonder why your Guru is making such errors and you will go away. Much later, you will realize your mistake and will bite your tongue. But you are then too ashamed to go back to him. On purpose Guru does these mistakes, or pretends to do it the wrong way. At such times you should not try to correct him. There are many who tell Guru that he is doing things the wrong way. That is very wrong to do so.
Sometimes Guru forces or encourages you to break your rules of behavior or daily disciplines such as doing Sandhya Vandana or offering daily worship. But because he made you break the rules one day, you must not become lenient with yourself and continue to break the discipline.
The situation when he made you transgress the rules, he did with a certain purpose. He knows the reason. At least in your mind you did what you were supposed to do. But because he allowed you to become lapse in your discipline for one day, the following day you should not relax your rules. When you break a rule as per his command, the merit or sin goes to him. But you must not do it out of your own free will.

Similarly, one should never try to teach Guru a lesson when he makes a mistake, or try to correct his thinking or behavior. Whatever Guru is saying, must be understood in the right spirit. The intent, with which he is saying something, should be understood by listening to him attentively. Each word may have a hundred different meanings. His pronunciation and grammar may sometimes be imperfect. You must not find fault and question how he can speak erroneously like that. You must never point out his mistakes or try to correct them.

Episode 130

Excessive speech with Guru must be avoided. You should not praise other gurus in His presence. Unless Guru himself brings up the topic, do not speak about other gurus in His presence.
Do not show your back to Guru. Many people walk in front of Guru showing him their backs. It should be avoided. One should walk to a side or at a little distance away from Guru, behind the Guru.

Those who follow the above rules will earn the grace of Guru. Guru’s compassion effortlessly showers upon them. Here are benefits that are received from Guru.

Sloka:
munibhyah pannagebhya sca surebhya sapato piva
kalamrtyu bhaya dvapi guru raksati parvati

Parvati, all the way from the poison of venomous snakes, to the curses of sages and gods, Guru protects his disciples. He even protects them from the sting of death.

Sloka:
nityam brahma nirakram yena praptam sa vai guruh
Sa sisyam prapaye tprapyam dipo dipantaram yatha

Only he, who identifies with Brahman who is eternal, and formless, is Sadguru. As one lamp lights another, Guru passes on to the disciple whatever the disciple deserves. When a lamp lights another lamp, it gives all the light that it has, to the new lamp. It does not withhold any light back for itself. The new lamp that is lit gets endowed with as much light as the lamp that has lit it. It is Guru’s wish that the disciple should have the same level of experience and enlightenment as He. He does not keep any secrets. He discloses to the disciple everything that He knows.

Many spiritual powers are there. The details are explained here as to what should be prayed for, and what will be granted. Too much thinking about what should be asked for, is useless. We must learn about what we should ask for. We do not know what we require, but He knows what is required for us, and also when it should be given. Therefore, we should think before asking for boons or favors. Only the strength to endure difficulties may be prayed for. Beyond that, there is nothing else to pray for. Never pray for anything in excess. Guru passes on all his powers to a deserving disciple. Hence, you should become a worthy disciple. You have a wick. You should soak it in the oil called spiritual practice and keep it ready. Do not distress yourself with regret that you have not accomplished anything as yet.

Episode 131

We discussed that a Guru always passes on all his powers to the deserving disciples. You should strive to make yourself a deserving disciple. Let’s look at an example.

You have a wick. You should soak it in the oil called spiritual practice and keep it ready. Do not distress yourself with regret that you have not accomplished anything as yet. Start now. Soak the wick in the oil of spiritual practice. When you are ready, the Guru will one day, light up the lamp. The Guru is the eternal light. The Guru’s light drives away darkness. The Guru’s light gives knowledge. When this lamp is lit, it drives away ignorance. We heard the bhajan, “Jyoti veligindi, jeevudi cheekati tolagindi”. This light is the light of Guru’s compassion that’s glowing.

In the path of meditating on the Guru, we are being taught the method of researching into and understanding the Atman. This is the ultimate goal in worshipping the Guru.

Sloka:
Guroh krpa prasadena brahmahamiti bhavayet |
Anena mukti margena hyatmajnanam prakasayet ||

With the initiation attained through Guru’s grace, one should feel that he is the Brahman (Absolute). This is the path of salvation. With this gradually shines the light of self realization.

The Guru initiates us into the truth of “tat tvam asi”. That means you are the Parabrahman. But, we don’t feel like believing it right away, “How is it possible? Tat Tvam Asi. I can’t believe it. I don’t feel like believing it. I am not the Absolute. I have this big human body. “ A lot of questions crop up. ”I am Venkayya…why does it say that I am not Venkayya? How can I be Brahma?“ Because you’ve come from Brahma, you are Brahma. There’s another question that crops up. “How do I know if I’ve come from Brahma?”. This can be proved in multiple different ways.

We all have our ancestral lineages. If you trace back the lineage, you will see that the starting point of that lineage was a maharishi (great saint). Keep tracing back where we’ve come from…we’ve come from somewhere. Our ancestral lineage can be traced back to great saints. You will also realize that the saint was the son of Brahma.

“What is your name?”
“Venkayya”
“What is your father’s name?”
“Mallayya”

Trace back to his father and the father’s father and so on. As you keep going back, it will end up at a rishi (saint). Who is the father of the rishi? Brahma. Brahma is the creator. Since the rishi came from the the Brahma, the Absolute, it is evident that your lineage has come from Brahma. That is why, you are Brahma. What’s wrong with that? We are suffering because we don’t understand this.

Episode 132

We discussed that we all have ancestral lineage. If we traced back our lineage, the root of our lineage is a Maharishi (great saint). We also discussed that, that saint is the son of the creator, Brahma. Since that creator came from the Parabrahman, it is evident that the real root of your lineage is Parabrahman. That is very clear here.

It means that because you’ve come from the Parabrahman, you are Parabrahman yourself. Another question crops up here. Who, then, is doing these good deeds and bad deeds? It is your desire that’s doing these. You will not feel like believing this. The one who does bad deeds says, “How can this be possible? I don’t know what is right and what is wrong. God is the source of all my thoughts”. How fascinating! “He is making me do all these things. Is it fair for him to punish me after making me do all these things? It is He who made me do this things. It is his fault”. About 99% of the people talk like this.

Observe one thing carefully here: Did you commit the deed deliberately because it felt good and tasted sweet or did you commit the deed with the intent to obey the command of God who is seated in your heart? Remember this well. If you committed the act deliberately, you cannot escape the punishment or the reward for it.

You did commit the act deliberately, “It’s my wish, I want to hurt them” . That means you did it deliberately. Will God sit in your heart and ask you to hurt them? No. You are creating these thoughts. If you did these acts on your own accord thinking “I wanted to do this”, you cannot escape the consequences – good or bad. You have to experience them. It is your desire playing out. Why would God desire to hurt someone? Why would he use you to hurt them? He would do it himself if he had to. Instead of asking you to hurt him, God would deal with them directly. So, since you are saying that you are bound by God’s command, continue to be bound by it experience the punishment for that deed. But, then you say, “Why are you punishing me? You made me commit these deeds. God made me commit these deeds.” If you feel this way, that God made you do these deeds, then experience the punishment too that God is giving you. Don’t question when god is punishing. That means, continue to bound to God’s command and experience the punishment. You kept saying that God was giving you commands from within to commit those deeds, “It is not mine, I don’t to this, God is making me do this”. Okay, God is the one who is also punishing you.

If you say, “No, God came to me in my dream, God is making me do this, he asked me to borrow money from you and not repay”, what if the lender says, “Yes, God is prompting me from within to beat you up. Why, if God could come and tell you to not repay the debt, why won’t he come and tell me to beat you up? He asked me to flog you with a whip. I am taking mercy and using a small stick”? So, experience punishment as well.

Episode 133

We discussed so far that people put forth the excuse that their actions were prompted by God. If the bad deeds were prompted by God, then the punishment is also given by God, so you should experience it. Both are given by God. If you don’t want the punishment given by God, why do you say that your action was prompted by God? You don’t like being punished. You say that God’s first command to you was enjoyable, that’s why you committed the act. You say that you dislike the second command (of punishment). That makes it clear that you committed the act because you enjoyed it, not because it was God’s command. God would not give you the command to make it enjoyable for you, if you don’t like the punishment. So, since you committed the act out of your own desire, you cannot escape the consequences. Therefore, the punishment needs to be given to you.

Further, when a thought to undertake a certain action enters your mind, you know whether or not the act is enjoyable. At that time, your mind gives you the option to do or not to do the act. That means, you’ve received two commands from God (to do or not to do). Of the two, you picked the one you liked. Therefore, you have to experience the outcome. Any which way you look at it, there is no escape from the fruit of one’s actions. If you think your initial act was a command from God, then experience the outcome too as the command of God. If you feel the initial act was not his command, he won’t give you the second command either. Therefore, no one can escape the fruit of one’s actions using arguments and wit. That is why, they advise us to not pray about this.

Furthermore, when you receive the two commands from God (on which course of action to pursue), if you undertake the act that’s in accordance with Dharma, God’s burden of punishing you will lessen. On the other hand, if you give in to lust and pick the sinful act, God will push you further into the whirlpool of illusion. Why he does that is a different question. But, your duty is to realize that such danger exists and be careful. That is why, according to the teaching of the Guru, you must feel that you are Brahma. You should entertain no other thought. If you do this constantly, self-realization will shine forth from within you.

Next, we are being initiated into realizing the all-pervasive God.

Sloka:
Sampasyecchri gurum santam paramatma swarupinam |
Sthavare jangame caiva sarvatra jagatitale ||

Among all the animate and inanimate things on earth, one should see only Guru who is tranquil and God incarnate.

One should see the Guru in all animate and inanimate things, in all beings. You should not discriminate saying this is a donkey, this a bird, this is an animal, this is a dog, this is a mosquito and so on. God pervades the spirit of all beings. He’s peaceful and emanates tranquility. How should one see the all pervasive God? Only as Guru.

Episode 134

Sloka:
Sampasyecchri gurum santam paramatma swarupinam |
Sthavare jangame caiva sarvatra jagatitale ||

Among all the animate and inanimate things on earth, one should see only Guru who is tranquil and God incarnate.

There are many ways to meditate. The next sloka initiates us into the path for meditation that we should follow.

Sloka:
Sri gurum sachchidanandam bhavatitam vibhavya ca |
Tannidarsita margena dhyana magno bhavet sudhih ||

A wise man should first of all chant the name of the blissful Sadguru who is beyond the intellect and then should immerse in meditation as taught by him.

“Tannidarsia margena” – one should follow the path of meditation shown by the Guru. Guru is beyond the intellect, so we should strive to achieve the state beyond the intellect. While we are on this path, a few thoughts initially come to mind. Upon completion of one task, we should look for the next command from the Guru. You should not think that because you completed the task given by Sadguru, you can now rest. Even the rest should be an intermittent command in between before you move on to the next task, but you should never think you are done. This body is not ours. We surrendered everything to him. We are in the Sadguru. After one command, we should look for the next. We should not think that we are done with the tasks. You should look for the next command. As you keep carrying out these commands, the state beyond the intellect will strengthen. As you constantly carry out the commands, your devotion will become firm. You will realize that, that is the path of knowledge ordained by the Guru.

In the past slokas, we were initiated into the path of meditating on the Guru. In that sloka, they praised the Guru as the form of the Absolute, “Brahmananda parama sukhadam”. In subsequent slokas, “Hrdambuje karnika madhya samsthe, simhasane samsthita divyamurtim, simhasane samsthita divyamurtim, svetambaram sveta vilepa puspam” they taught us to meditate on the Guru who has form and attributes.

Now, in the path of pure knowledge or Jnana Yoga, we are being taught to logically deduce and understand the way to meditate on the Guru.

Episode 135

After one command, we should look for the next. We should not think that we are done with the tasks. You should look for the next command. As you keep carryingout these commands, the state beyond the intellect will strengthen. As you constantly carry out the commands, your devotion will become firm. You will realize that, that is the path of knowledge ordained by the Guru.

In the past slokas, we were initiated into the path of meditating on the Guru. In that sloka, they praised the Guru as the form of the Absolute, “Brahmanandam parama sukhadam”. In subsequent slokas, “Hrdambuje karnika madhya samsthe, simhasane samsthita divyamurtim, simhasane samsthita divyamurtim, svetambaram sveta vilepa puspam” they taught us to meditate on the Guru who has form and attributes.

Now, in the path of pure knowledge or Jnana Yoga, we are being taught to logically deduce and understand the way to meditate on the Guru.

Sloka:
Paratparataram dhyayet suddha sphatika sannibham |
Hrdayakasa madhyastham swangustha parimanakam ||

Guru who is incarnation of God and pure as a crystal should be visualized in the size of a thumb, dwelling in the middle of sky of heart and meditated upon.

In the middle of the sky of heart means where there is nothing else. Close your eyes and see the nothingness in the middle of which, of the size of a small thumb – about an inch or so, is the image of the Guru in the form of a light. As you keep meditating on this form, you will gradually merge into the universe. In the middle of this sky like heart, you must visualize the thumb-size image of the Guru. You must be able to visualize in that small size. As you keep meditating, that space fills up with consciousness.

“Brahmahamiti bhavayet” – You must feel “I am Brahma”. We discussed earlier that you must see only the Guru in the animate and the inanimate. We might wonder why we are again being told about meditating on the Guru. They are describing the reason for this.

In the previous sloka, we were instructed to meditate in the path shown by the Guru. If we meditate on the Guru, that path shown by the Guru will become clear to us. That is why, they are giving us this divine initiation.

So, why should we meditate only on the Guru? Because the Guru is very quick to bless us. Because the Guru always wants to give, he is variously called “Bhola Shankar” (bhola = innocent; Bhola Shankar is the ever-giving Lord Shiva who gives boons to devotees at any cost, even if it poses a risk to him), “Kshipra Prasada” (the form of Lord Ganapathy who quickly grants wishes) or Siva. They are describing what we obtain if we meditate on the Guru as prescribed.

Sloka:
Angustha matram purusham dhyayatascinmayam hrdi |
Tatra sphurati yo bhavah srnu tatkathayami te ||

Siva asks us to listen to the experience one gets while meditating on the blissful Purush (the primordial male) who dwells in the heart, in the size of one’s thumb

Sloka:
Virajam paramakasam dhruvamanandamavyayam |
Agocharam tatha gamyam nama rupa vivarjitam |
Tadaham brahma kaivalyam iti bodhah prajayate ||

Episode 136

Sloka:
Virajam paramakasam dhruvamanandamavyayam |
Agocharam tatha gamyam nama rupa vivarjitam |
Tadaham brahma kaivalyam iti bodhah prajayate ||

Meditating on the Guru gives you the knowledge that you are the non-dual Absolute which is pure, eternal, blissful, indestructible, invisible, of the form of higher sky (Paramakasam), inscrutable and beyond name and form”.

“Paramakasam” indicates one who pervades Anda, Pinda and Brahamanda. (In other words, pervades everything from the smallest unit of matter to the infinite cosmos). By describing the benefits, Siva is encouraging us to meditate. That is Siva’s nature. That is why, Guru is worshiped as Siva. On the other hand, Brahma would analyze how many lives we’ve been mediating from, how much meditation we’ve done so far etc. Vishnu will ask us to keep meditating. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu will deviate from what they usually say.

Next, they are describing how we go from meditating on the Guru principle to the state of self-realization.

Sloka:
Yatha nija svabhavena keyura katakadayah |
Suvarnatvena tishthanti tathaham brahma sasvatam ||

I am the eternal Absolute though appearing to be confined to be a limited form, just as the different ornaments like ankles, bracelets, etc., are of different shapes, though all of them are made of the same gold.

Siva is telling us what the result of such mediation is.

Sloka:
Evam dhyayan param brahma sthatavyam yatra kutracit |
Kito bhrnga iva dhyanat brahmaiva bhavati swayam ||

One must meditate on the Absolute wherever he is. As he goes on doing that, the practicant himself becomes Brahman just as the insect turns into the carpenter bee.

The carpenter bee picks up a worm and places it in a small pit made of mud. Every day, the bee goes to the pit and stings the worm. The worm is immersed in thinking about the bee, worried that it would get stung again. As it continues to think about the bee, it gets transformed slowly into a carpenter bee. That is how we should be. Only when we meditate on the Guru will we realize the form of the Guru, the Guru principle and the power of the Guru.

Episode 137

Sloka:
Evam dhyayan param brahma sthatavyam yatra kutracit |
Kito bhrnga iva dhyanat brahmaiva bhavati swayam ||

One must meditate on the Absolute wherever he is. A wise spiritual seeker will sit still in one place just like a python does. In Datta Darsanam, there is a description of the python as one of the Gurus to Lord Datta. But, you cannot stay put in one place. You are in this samsara. Unless you achieve stability in meditation, the waves in the ocean of samsara will not recede. Unless the waves recede, you cannot bathe in the ocean. So, how do you get out of this tricky situation?

A Guru once took his disciple to the ocean and asked him to dip in the ocean along with him. The disciple said he wanted to wait for the waves to recede. The Guru went ahead and bathed in the ocean. The disciple was still standing by the ocean. When the Guru enquired, the disciple said he was still waiting for the waves to recede. The Guru went away saying that neither will the waves recede nor will the disciple bathe.

That is why, to encourage us, they are telling us that we can meditate wherever we are. In Datta Darsanam, Lord Datta is said to have 24 Gurus. Lord Datta, in fact, has 64 Gurus. In reality, everything that’s part of Nature is a Guru to Lord Datta. Wherever he is, whatever he is looking at, it’s drawing him towards the supreme truth. Hence, wherever you are, if you always contemplate on the supreme truth, you will become Parabrahman just as the fearful insect turns into a carpenter bee.

Let’s talk about Lord Datta’s 24 Gurus. We are being initiated into another secret of spiritual practice. This is very important. Listen carefully.

Sloka:
Yadrcchaya copapannam hyalpam bahula meva va |
Niragenaiva bhunjita abhyasa samaye muda ||

During the course of spiritual practice, one should not seek food, but eat whatever he receives cheerfully, without any particular interest in it.

We have a small bird that just sits (it doesn’t have support in its body to move about). It was one of the injured birds that we treated in the hospital. It just sits in its place. If someone goes and feeds it food, it’ll eat, but otherwise, it doesn’t ask or scream or flutter its wings to get attention. If someone forgets to feed it, it’ll just stay put. I sometimes call it “Ajagaram” (python). I say, “This is a python, give it some food, give it some water”. That is how one should be, like a python. Saints and hermits can do this. If you just stay put in one place at home, you will be smacked. Thinking, “Swamiji has said so, I will just stay put in a corner in the house like a python, the food will come to me. I will not enter the kitchen, bring the food to me here”, if you stay put in one place, you will be smacked by the rest of household.

Sitting still in one place is possible for Yogis. They don’t seek anything. They leave everything to God. If God sends them food, they’ll receive, if not they just sit still, meditating in the forests. The python Anaconda only eats the animals that come by, it doesn’t go out and hunt. Animals seeking shelter from rain think they are entering a cave when they fall into the Anaconda’s mouth. That is how one should be.

Episode 138

Sloka:
Yadrcchaya copapannam hyalpam bahula meva va |
Niragenaiva bhunjita abhyasa samaye muda ||

In spiritual practice, the body, the clothes and food aid in development. These also act as distractions. Not only do they aid in development, they also distract. A real aspirant will not worry about food, sleep or shame during his spiritual practice. An aspirant should let go of shame, should not yearn for food or for sleep. Nor should he yearn for a small shelter or for good clothes to cover him. He should also cast aside shame. Without worrying about any of these things, the aspirant must only focus on God.

Some people gather all paraphernalia like fans, pillows and air conditioning to set up for their spiritual practice. If the fan goes out of order, they’ll have hand-fans. They’ll set up a supply of beverages and juices for themselves. What kind of meditation is that? They’ll attend to phone calls in between and take a quick break by sleeping a little. This is what they do because they claim they are on a fast during their spiritual practice. What spiritual practice is this? If they are unable to concentrate, they will continue this vow for a few more days. What kind of vow is this? What spiritual practice is this? I don’t understand.

One should not care for fans, pillows and air conditioning during spiritual practice. Some others undertake rituals after eating sumptuous meals. They will eat on time, undertake rituals, penance, yoga and vows in between and eat again at the right time. They will then resume their rituals and vows. They will have done some yoga, and on the pretext of meditating while relaxing, they would have gotten some sleep.

Again in the afternoon, because they claim they don’t eat during spiritual practice, they drink 4 cups of coffee, 5 cups of tea and 3 glasses of juice. They come back and resume meditating and praying. In the night, they will eat 4 platefuls. Again, in the bed, they think they are going into “samadhi” while falling asleep. They think they are seeing God in their sleep and are visiting Vaikuntha (the abode of Lord Vishnu) in their dreams. Of course he’ll go to Vaikuntha, if he eats so much food. He thinks, “I went to Vaikuntha and sat there. There were a lot of people there. I got Indra’s position because I meditated so much and worked so hard”. What work did he do? Eating and drinking is hard work ? “…because I worked so hard and punished my body physically”. How did he punish his body with all those comfortable pillows around him? This is not the right way to meditate at all.

In spiritual practice, one must punish the body appropriately. One must eat just enough food to survive. One must neither eat (too much) to dullness nor starve to death. One must not sacrifice the body by not eating. A lot of people become anorexic from starving. That brings more trouble. The person will need to be put in the hospital. The person’s friends and relatives will need to pray for him. He will need medicines, special injections, saline etc. They will need to burn through more money for him. His spiritual practice is costing the others dearly.

Episode 139

We discussed that the body should be punished appropriately, that we should only eat enough to survive. That is why a lot of people only drink juice. They live like that for many years. There is a great yogi I know who’s been living on just juice for 40 years. I call her a Yogi. She has a family, she got her children and her grandchildren married too. She won’t have anything but juice. She’s been doing that for 40 years and she’s still alive. She’s a devotee very close to my heart. Father (the Yogi’s husband) passed away recently. Her children and grandchildren live here and in the US. She does tremendous spiritual practice. Her friend, Bhayee, also used to live on juice for about 40-45 years. She was very devoted to Swamiji. This yogi is also very devoted.

Without regard to her body, she’s always meditating on Swamiji. She’s constantly enquiring about Swamiji’s welfare. All she wants is for Swamiji to be healthy so that other people can benefit from Swamiji. That is all she prays to God for. It is perhaps due to the love of such devotees that your Swamiji continues to travel and bless people around the world. That is why, the physical body should be punished, little by little, during spiritual practice. This is a must.

The seeker must also punish his mind a little. He must keep the mind from wandering. He should move away from where he’s being praised. If he’s negligent, he will fall from the path of Yoga. If a seeker accepts honors, felicitations, garlands and obeisances, his energy will diminish. Often, a seeker takes on sanyasa (renounces the world), gains some knowledge of Upanishads, dons the appropriate robes and accepts honors, garlands, obeisances, Guru-dakshina (usually a material offering of gratitude), opens a bank account and it starts from there. If you accept these things, how can you be a seeker? That is why, you should be careful. Your energy will diminish. You’ll fall down lower than an ordinary man.

A seeker’s practice usually takes 6 births for completion. In the meanwhile, he should not make public his accomplishments or spiritual practices. “I have done these kind of practices, I’ve climbed to these heights, I’ve crossed these many chakras (energy centers), I crossed some chakras without a ladder, for some I needed a stool, then for some chakras I needed a ladder. For some, I needed wings. A few others I’m unable to cross. That is why, if someone can push me from below and set up a crane, I can cross the third chakra too”. There are many who talk like this. What is this? Are these even things to talk? But, there are many who talk like this. They may not use these exact words, but they carry the same sentiment. A seeker should never make his spiritual practice public. Your method of practice or your accomplishments should never be announced.

Let’s summarize the important points described in the previous slokas. We’ve sung the verses where Siva decreed that there is no one greater than the Guru.

Episode 140

Let’s summarize some of the most important points described in the previous slokas. We sang the verses where Siva decreed that there is no one greater than the Guru. We sang “Siva sasanatah, siva sasanatah”. (Siva decreed, Siva decreed).

• To understand the Guru Principle and the Principle of the Self, there is no other way than to go beyond the trio of Jnatru, Jneya, Jnana (all that reveals itself, the remainder of one’s knowledge and knowledge itself).
• Even though one attains the non-dual state, one should not ignore the worship of Guru.
• One should never second-guess or argue with the Guru.
• You should not show off your half-baked knowledge in front of the Guru.
• You should not take anything belonging to the Guru without his consent. If he gives it to you, you should accept it as Prasadam (sacred items offered to God and then offered to devotees)
• You should never kick or touch with your feet any item belonging to the Guru.
• You should refrain from wearing ostentatious clothing and ornaments in the presence of the Guru.
• You should never criticize Guru, not should you listen to criticism about him. You should stay away from any criticism of Guru.
• You should not speak whatever comes to your mind in front of the Guru. You should think through it and offer it as a humble prayer.
• Guru is the only one who can protect everyone from any kind of danger.
• Just as a lamp lights another lamp, the Guru pours all his knowledge into the disciple.
• It is due to the Guru’s grace that one realizes he’s one with the Absolute. That realization is liberation.
• You should see the Guru everywhere, in the animate and the inanimate.
• You should first chant the name of the Guru and then immerse yourself in meditation as taught by him.
• As declared in the Vedas, by meditating on Guru in the size of the thumb, dwelling in the sky of heart, one attains the knowledge that he is none other than Brahman himself.
• Just as the insect surrounded by the carpenter bee turns into the carpenter bee, the disciple who surrenders to Guru realizes that he is Brahman.
• Renunciation is very important for any kind of spiritual practice. Consistent practice is very important to attain renunciation.

We’ve learned so much…this is great knowledge we obtained from Guru Gita. Just listening to episode after episode, the seekers have gained all the knowledge contained in all the Upanishads and all the Bhagavatas. We have learned so far that Guru alone is capable of imparting the essence of the Vedas in their different facets, and all other scriptures through Guru Gita, using subtle little commentaries and easy examples, making you laugh, cajoling you, making you cry, giving you teachings, imparting wisdom to you, and spreading knowledge, removing the ignorance in you, considering you as children, as relatives, as family members, becoming one with you, becoming a part of your household, entering your minds, becoming a participant in every act of yours, pointing out the mistakes in the things you do, giving you the required punishment, imparting spiritual wisdom to you, and uplifting you.

Let’s look at the next slokas.

Sloka:
Ekamevadvitiyoham guruvakyat suniscitam |
Evamabhyasato nityam na sevyam vai vanantaram ||

As a seeker who practices regularly and constantly thinking that he himself is the non-dual Absolute, as per the Guru’s instructions, need not go to the forest.

A lot of people think, “I have to do penance, I need to go to the forest, I have purchased a farm house there, I got a house built that’s going to keep me warm. I’ll go there and meditate.” There is no need to do that, why do you need a house there to keep you warm? No need to do that. You can do it in the city itself. You don’t need to leave everybody behind to do your spiritual practice. No need to leave the samsara, family life or worldly life. You can do it right here, wherever you are located.

Episode 141

Sloka:
Ekamevadvitiyoham guruvakyat suniscitam |
Evamabhyasato nityam na sevyam vai vanantaram ||

A seeker who practices regularly and constantly thinking that he himself is the non-dual Absolute, as per the Guru’s instructions, need not go to the forest.
A lot of people think, “I have to do penance, I need to go to the forest, I have purchased a farm house there, I got a house built that’s going to keep me warm. I’ll go there and meditate.” There is no need to do that, why do you need a house there to keep you warm? No need to do that. You can do it in your house in the city itself. You don’t need to leave everybody behind to do your spiritual practice. No need to leave the samsara, family life or worldly life. You can do it right here, wherever you are located.

Sloka:
Abhyasannimisenaiva samadhimadhi gacchati |
Janmakoti krtam papam tatksanadeva nasyati ||

As the practicant goes on practicing this way, he can attain the state of Samadhi (meditative or Yogic trance) within a minute. The sins he perpetrated over crores of births will be destroyed that very moment.

The difficulty is in attaining that one moment. You have to take several births to realize that moment. That one second, that one moment of merging with the Absolute will not keep occurring at will. There is no guarantee that just because you’ve meditated a lot today, you will realize that moment. It is not possible to put timelines or deadlines. You can’t draw a “crossing line” when you will realize that moment. You can do whatever you want…it doesn’t matter, it will take its own course.

That is why, to realize that moment, you need to take several births. It is not easy to attain that bliss. Can any mantras guarantee that moment? Can any penance guarantee it? Can any recommendations guarantee it? No. No knowledge can guarantee it. No beauty can guarantee it. No amount of confidence or ego can guarantee it. Can you imagine how many births we need to take to realize that moment?

We’ve discussed several times that other living beings also have spiritual knowledge. That means, there are plenty of beings that continue their spiritual practice even when they are born as animals. I don’t know whether you’ve witnessed or not, or whether you’ve heard about them or not: a snake brought a flower to place on a Siva Lingam; another snake coiled itself around Lord Shiva like an ornament; an elephant offered fruits and flowers to worship the Lord and brought water in its trunk to perform Abhishekam (pouring libations on the image of the deity being worshiped ); the eagle fanned the Lord to provide cool breeze, the birds all came and offered fruits to the Lord. We’ve heard of all these incidents. We’ve heard of many suchincidents even in the recent past. The pig circumambulates the temple, the dog circumambulates the temple; a cat, dog and a little bird are sleeping in the same place, the birds are chanting “Rama, Rama”; the birds are chanting “Datta Datta”; the birds are chanting “Appaji”, “Swamiji”. These are not ordinary words they are chanting. Even humans endowed with all the senses cannot utter these words.

Despite Aksharaabhyasam (ceremony where children are introduced to writing skills; akshar = letter; abhyas = learning) and practicing writing alphabets and letters, despite practicing a million times or paying millions to get children better education, they can’t chant these divine names. It’s their fate. That is why, to attain self-realization, we need to take several births.

Episode 142

We have learned that we have to take numerous births to qualify to attain that one moment of Supreme Bliss. We have understood that Supreme Bliss, that one moment of Realization during Samadhi, is very difficult to obtain. We have to take births over and over again. That state can be achieved only by the grace of Guru when we follow the path shown by Him. One should patiently continue the spiritual practice while eagerly looking forward to that moment of bliss. That profound state of ultimate bliss is described in the next 3 slokas.

Sloka:
Na tat sukham surendrasya na sukham cakravartinam |
Yat sukham vitaragasya sada santushta cetasah ||

One who is dispassionate and ever contented, enjoys far greater happiness than even Devendra (Indra, the king of Gods), and far greater bliss than any emperor ever. That level of bliss experienced in that state, even Devendra may never experience. Even emperors may never experience it.

A lot of people engaged in family life think that meditating on the Absolute is not for them. They think that such discipline is impossible for them to practice. “Why should we bother? We cannot do all that”, they simply dismiss.
Instead, the person who asserts, “O Lord, it is by your command that I am living this worldly life, and experiencing this illusion,” who leads his life focused on liberation, who is constantly contemplating on the Absolute, who is fully detached while living in this samsara (worldly life/family life), will certainly experience that bliss that even Devendra is denied. You all must experience that bliss for yourselves.

You are all thinking that you are pining for God. But there is not much truth in it. In reality, it is God, who is pining for you much more intensely. You mistakenly imagine that you are working very hard in seeking God. But, God is yearning for you as intensely or even more passionately. Can you even express in words the happiness you would feel when your little son who was lost for 20 years, finally returns to you? When something that you either gave up as spoilt, or thought had fallen off, or you had forgotten about it, having kept it in a faraway inaccessible place where no one can reach it, is suddenly found intact, how thrilled you would feel?

Similarly, when children born of Him, who had forgotten Him and became distanced from Him, come back to unite with Him, can you even imagine the joy that God feels? That His children are coming back to join Him, through performing spiritual practices, through doing penance, through practicing Yoga, through devotional worship, through attaining spiritual knowledge, or through engaging selfless service, how immensely happy the Almighty feels! Can you even imagine?

Do we not experience inexpressible happiness during meditation, when we experience merging back with our real Father, the Parabrahman; when we go back to our source! When such total absorption occurs during meditation, we feel absolutely elated. We feel like meditating more and more every day, because we have now tasted the sweetness of it; we have found out the right way; we have recognized the means of achieving that bliss.

When you have experienced such untold joy, then, you can easily imagine the intensity of joy that God feels when He exclaims, “Finally, you have come back to me! When did you come? “ His thrill is indescribable.

Just to remove your ignorance, to have you merge back in Him, the Almighty comes down in various incarnations. He Himself has created this illusory world. But He never thought that you would get drowned in this ignorance. You’ve been languishing in this delusion for so many years, so many lifetimes. God feels very sorry. “I had created all this for you so that you can come back to me. I have shown different paths for you to get rid of your ignorance. But you have forgotten me. You have ignored the existence of true knowledge. You have forgotten your true nature, and have begun to revel in ignorance, believing that these enjoyments are far more attractive. I myself come for you personally. I send many great souls to help you. I put in such great effort for your sake,” declares the Almighty.

Episode 143

We discussed that God feels great joy when children born of Him, who had forgotten Him and had become distanced from Him, come back to unite with Him. We also discussed that to have us merge back in Him, God personally comes for us, sends many great souls for us and puts in many great efforts for us.

Sloka:
Rasam brahma pibedyasca trpto yah paramatmani |
Indram ca manuterankam nrpanam tatra ka katha ||

One who tastes the nectar of Brahman and dwells in contentment of the Absolute, does not even care for Indra, let alone for ordinary kings.

Sloka:
Desah puto janah putastadrso yatra tisthati |
Tatkataksotha samsargah parasmai sreyasepyalam ||

The country in which such a practicant lives becomes sacred. The people in that country become purified. The grace and association of such great souls bestows the choicest and ultimate salvation.

Places where great souls meet, where great souls meditate, where great souls attain vision of the Absolute, where great souls joyfully merge with God attain salvation. In fact, divine incarnations bestow salvation on that very place, that town, that country, that world.

Some people attain that state quickly, some take longer. Why? You should be careful. Penance and spiritual practice feel good on the first day, “Aah, feels so good, it’ll be nice if I could also become a hermit”. We feel good seeing those that attained salvation or those that have done spiritual practice or those that have gained a few powers. We want to emulate them. Is it enough to dress and look like them? If you assume you’ve accomplished some powers, will they actually work? They don’t. That is why, some people attain spiritual realization quickly, some others take longer. Why is this so? They are describing the reason in the next sloka:

Sloka:
Dehi brahma bhavedevam prasadat dhyanato guroh |
Naranam ca phala praptau bhaktireva hi karanam ||

As a result of meditating this way, man obtains the Guru’s grace and becomes the Absolute. The result will be proportionate to devotion. The speed of such attainment is also proportional to devotion. Next, they are taking this scripture towards its conclusion.

Episode 144

Sloka:
Muktasya laksanam devi tavagre kathitam maya |
Gurubhaktisthata dhyanam sakalam tava kirtitam ||

Siva says to Parvati that he has described to her everything about the quality of the liberated, about devotion towards the Guru, about meditation upon the Guru and such allied topics.

Siva says to his consort, “Devi, I described to you in detail how one should meditate on the Guru and how one should be devoted to the Guru. I described in such great detail that there is perhaps nothing else left to say about devotion towards the Guru, about meditation on the Guru and about worship of the Guru. But, there is always more to say and there are many more topics to talk about. It is not really possible to say that there is nothing else left. But, in the meanwhile, the initiation into the quality of the Guru I’ve given you is the most wonderful”. When an initiation is given, the greatness and benefits of such initiation should be explained clearly. That is when the recipient will remember well, the initiation received. That is why, they are singing the greatness of Guru Gita in the upcoming slokas.

Sloka:
Guru gitatiguhyeyam mayasti kathita subha |
Srigurum cinmayam dhyayan yamaham kalaye sada ||

Siva says to Parvati that he has told her the most secret Guru Gita, which he himself recites meditating upon the blissful Guru.

The Supreme Guru, Lord Shiva is always meditating. Siva says to Parvati, “I’ve now given you that most secret Guru Gita that I always meditate on.”

A Guru’s age doesn’t determine his stature. One who is a realized soul, who understands the longings of the disciple and lovingly fulfills them, is a Guru even if he is young in age. The divine mutual love that binds such Gurus and disciples is extremely sacred. A scripture that extolls the greatness of such a Guru is truly venerated. Only a scripture that sings the praises of the Sadguru is venerated. A scripture that doesn’t contain praises of the Sadguru or worship of the Sadugur is not worthy of being called a scripture.

Sloka:
Guru gitamimam devi suddhatattvam mayoditam |
Gurum mam dhyayati premna hrdi nityam vibhavaya ||

Siva says to Parvati that she should meditate upon him with devotion, treating him as Guru and constantly visualizing the Guru Gita and the Principle of Truth he revealed. One should think only of that Principle of Truth and nothing else.

This Supreme Truth is explained in this Guru Gita. Siva gave this initiation of the Guru Gita, which contains the Principle of Truth, to Parvati Devi. Further, this scripture is called Guru Gita giving it the sound of a feminine name. That tells us that this scripture is a manifestation of the Divine Mother. The word Guru Gita immediately implies the form of Mother Goddess. There is also a tradition of studying in-depth, the Guru Gita during Navaratri. During Navaratri, some people undertake deep study of Sundarakanda on the concluding day, some study Ramayana, some people study the even more secret Bhagavata which contains the same supreme truth that is in the Divine Mother’s Guru Gita.

Episode 145

Since the name “Guru Gita” denotes a feminine sound, since it denotes the sound of Mother Goddess, it tells us that this scripture is verily the form of the Divine Mother. What is presented in this scripture is the Principle of Siva, i.e., the Supreme Truth. This scripture that presented this highest truth is the form of Divine Mother, or in other words, the form of Nature. That is the uniqueness of this scripture. There’s another unique feature in this scripture. Even though Siva addressed this initiation to Parvati, it is in reality meant for all the sages and saints around them. In other words, it is the initiation meant for all beings like us that are tied down (in illusion). That means, Siva alone is the Guru to all of us.

When it comes to the Principle of Truth, the relationship between the Guru and the disciple is very unique. A teacher of a certain science or a certain skill will teach lessons gradually and progressively. The disciple will slowly understand what’s being taught. When the teaching is complete, the disciple will present everything he knows to his teacher. But, since everything the disciple knows has come from the teacher, the teacher’s knowledge and greatness remain in tact. That means, even though education is complete, the Guru continues to be the Guru and the disciple continues to be the disciple. It is wrong to think, “What is left after I learned everything from the Guru? My Guru has nothing else left, he poured all his powers in to me. He has no strength left to talk or to walk. He sits in a corner, because he has given away all his energy”. The sound of the Guru, the Principle of the Guru, the power of the Guru are limitless.

Remember that regardless of how much knowledge he passed on to you, regardless of how much education we’ve received from him as disciples, the Guru always shines with that same power. You should not assume, “SadaSiva described everything to Mother Goddess, now SadaSiva has no power left, instead, the Divine Mother is filled with all that power”. The power fills the Divine Mother, i.e., it fills the disciples. That energy comes from the infinite source in Lord Shiva, who is the Guru. It never changes, it never gets diminished. You should remember that nothing can change that energy.

Even though education is complete, the Guru continues to be the Guru and the disciple continues to be the disciple. Lord Siva is the eternal Guru and the Divine Mother is the eternal disciple.

Let’s look at this from the perspective of the Principle of Truth. A person sought refuge at a Guru for self-realization. The Guru still did not give him initiation. So, the Guru was still not a Guru and the disciple was still not a disciple. Self-realization is not the kind of knowledge that you can give by teaching small individual lessons. Finally, one day, the Guru gave initiation to the disciple. What did he say? He said “Tat Tvam Asi” (You are that). He said that both have become one. Tat Tvam Asi. When both become one, where is the Guru and where is the disciple? They have become one. That was the reason why, in the first place, the Guru did not become the Guru and the disciple did not become a disciple.

As long as the initiation was not given, the two remained separate. Therefore, the Guru-disciple relationship between the two was not established. After the initiation, because the two became one, there is no possibility of a Guru-disciple relationship. In that case, we may wonder what the point of Guru Gita is. Still, there is a Guru-disciple relationship. Let’s see how.

Episode 146

You may wonder, “Why do we need Guru Gita if there is no possibility of establishing a Guru-disciple relationship until I’ve received initiation from the Guru?” There is still, however, a Guru-disciple relationship here. That is because, that disciple is eagerly awaiting initiation from the Guru while thinking of him as his Guru. The Guru too is eagerly looking forward to initiating the disciple hoping that the disciple soon gains eligibility for initiation. That means the Guru is thinking of him as his disciple. Because of the intensity of this mutual feeling, a Guru-disciple relationship is established. That is why Siva is the Guru for us all.

It is clear from this that the Principle of Guru so far is an experience, a feeling, not a formal relationship. We understand therefore, that the Principle of Guru is an experience and not yet a practical, real relationship. So, when will the Guru actually became our Guru? The Guru will initiate you when we have intense longing. What is this intensity? It is not enough to intensely wish to get initiated, but whatever needs to be done to gain eligibility should be done with intense longing. That is what this intensity implies. That means, there should be intense spiritual practice. Until then, the Guru cannot give you initiation and even if he does, you cannot receive it. That means, you should do intense and steady spiritual practice based on the Guru-disciple relationship you established in your mind. As you continue to consistently do this, you gain the non-dual state of oneness with the Guru. Both become one. That is when you have been initiated. Non-duality has been attained. At that point, the one giving the initiation, the one receiving it and the initiation itself cease to exist. Such interesting concepts have been described in the Guru Gita.

The Guru Gita has a wonderful description of the Principle of Guru. Even though it’s small scripture, it contains all the great Upanishads. It contains the essence of all the Vedas. We should also try to understand the means to liberation described in this scripture. That is why, it is said that the Guru Gita should be chanted in the morning, afternoon and evening. One should clearly understand these great instructions and get absorbed in each verse in the Guru Gita, in each description in the Guru Gita. It is not enough to just recite it or learn by rote. It is not enough to say, “I recited the Guru Gita 5 times today”. You may say, “I have recited the Guru Gita about 1000 times. I know all the slokas really well. I am teaching all my children the Guru Gita”. Good. Everything you said sounds very wonderful. But, whether you are teaching your children, or whether you are learning it yourself or whether you are studying it, you should always, in every instance, understand and recollect the meaning and visualize it over and over again.

Episode 147

The fascinating Guru Principle has been described in the Guru Gita. We are being instructed to think about and visualize every sentence, every description in the Guru Gita. How long should one go on thinking about it? Until one reaches the stage where he has no thoughts. This stage is the highest level for thoughts. In that state, there is nothing to think about, because both have become one. The process is nothing something that can be described, nor is the state something that can be described.

Everyone says, “I have nothing in my mind. My mind is very calm”. When you say that, it means that your mind has not become calm . People keep saying all the time, “I am living for Swamiji”, “I am living for Swamiji”, “I am living for Swamiji”. When they say that is when you know that they are not living for Swamiji, but for themselves. Then, they keep reminding others, “I have nothing in my mind, I have no thoughts”. Such people have thoughts running like bullet trains. It’s a clear sign that your mind hasn’t become still. When one says, “I have nothing in my mind”, it means there is something in their mind. If you actually reach the state where your mind is calm, you will not say that your mind is calm. One who has actually attained this state, will look like an ordinary worldly man to the outside world, but will have a completely still mind inside. Such a person would have attained the state that either one of the 64 Gurus of Lord Dattatreya did. It means that he cannot announce his state to the world. He won’t talk about whether he’s achieved that state or whether he is already in that state or whether he is going to achieve that state. He won’t talk about any of these.

Some practicants say, “Oh what a bliss! I attained that state of bliss”. True. He did achieve a great state, but the Sadguru always knows what state the disciple is in. If the disciple is talking about his bliss, it is obvious that he is still a practicant, that he has not climbed the final step and that he still needs to continue his spiritual practice. But, ordinary beings who are not aware of this are in awe of this seeker and fall at his feet to offer salutations. That makes the seeker fal from his Yogic state. A lot of people may praise this seeker, “You are so devoted, you are such a senior devotee, you have been following Guru for so many years, you’ve dedicated all your wealth and belongings to Guru, your service is exemplary”. Such praise marks the beginning of the downfall of that seeker. The seeker feels proud and falls from his Yogic state. A true disciple should disregard such praise and stay away from such people. He should not engage in discussion with such people. But, the disciple wants this discussion, because he wants to know about these unnecessary things, he wants to know of things that don’t even concern him, he has to make up things and talk about them, he gains a sense of security in engaging in these discussion with these people and eventually falls from his Yogic state. Ego takes over. Let’s find out about the state of such a person.
To avoid that state, you should all study Guru Gita and reach that state of no thoughts and ultimately climb the final step. That is why, let’s see what Lord Siva is teaching us here.

Episode 148

Sloka:
Guru gitamimam devi suddhatattvam mayoditam |
Gurum mam dhyayati premna hrdi nityam vibhavaya |

Siva says to Parvati that she should meditate upon him with devotion, treating him as Guru and constantly visualizing the Guru Gita and the Principle of Truth he revealed.

Sloka:
Iyam cedbhakti bhavena pathyate sruyatethava |
Likhyate dhiyate pumbih bhavedbhava vinasini ||

When one reads the Guru Gita with devotion, listens to it, writes it or gives it to others, ignorance is dispelled.
There is so much power in the Guru Gita. Merely donating the book to another is enough. Giving someone the book saying, “I am giving you this book” is enough. Telling another person, “Study the Guru Gita, your difficulties will be removed” is enough. “I am going to study the Guru Gita, please sit with me and listen” is also enough. Reading, listening to or writing the Guru Gita is enough. Lot of people write the slokas in the Guru Gita. Anything you do along these lines will dispel your ignorance.

“Bhava vinasini” means that it dispels ignorance and grants knowledge. That is the specialty of Guru Gita. Normally, other sacred texts will say that your sins will be removed and that you will attain the position of Indra (the king of Gods). But, they will not say that the ignorance will be dispelled. All sacred texts say that if you read or listen to the text, to the great stories and instances in those sacred texts, you will get a lot of punya (merit) and will attain the position of Indra, but they will never say that you ignorance will be dispelled. Guru Gita is the only text that says that your ignorance will be dispelled. If you read the Guru Gita or listen to it, your sins and ignorance will be wiped away. The Guru Gita also says that your ignorance will be removed and that you will gain knowledge. No other sacred text says this.

Think about it a little bit. It says that your sins will be removed. How will your sins be removed? It is possible to get rid of sins without experiencing the outcome? Some people undertake Yajnas and vows and rituals to get rid of sins. They spend a little money to undertake this. How does that money come to them? Where does it come from? It only comes at the expense of someone. Some people may get angry when they hear this. “I did not torment anyone, you are saying that I tormented someone, but I did not. I worked very hard to earn this money” Yes, true, you worked hard to earn the money. That means, you tormented yourself to earn this money. You tormented yourself, depriving yourself of food and sleep, walking long distances, facing many obstacles, tolerating insults, tolerating hunger, thirst etc. It means that you tormented yourself, not others. You think your hard work is all yours, it’s up to you. But it’s true that you tormented yourself. You cannot deny that. Who gave you the right to torment your good and healthy body? Whose loss is it if you torment that body and prematurely lose your life? Hence, always remember that money is obtained only through torment. That’s why it’s called “sinful money” or “torment money”. Someone got tormented, someone is tormenting, and that is why there is money. That is why money is sinful. Great souls don’t even touch the money with their hands.

So, one may wonder if the sins get wiped away when one does Yajna with such sinful money. They do. But, only the sins from this birth get wiped away, not the sins you’ve been carrying on from previous births. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 149

We discussed that money is sinful because it is earned only when someone is tormented. Great souls don’t even touch the money with their hands. So, one may wonder if the sins get wiped away when one does Yajna with such sinful money. They do. But, only the sins from this birth get wiped away, not the sins you’ve been carrying on from previous births. This is stipulated in the scriptures. Therefore, because the sins will not be completely removed, it does not say here that all sins get wiped away. It says that ignorance is dispelled. That is the specialty of Guru Gita. It’s an unparalleled feature of the Guru Gita.

This unparalleled Principle in the Guru Gita is pure and unknown to most. That is why, it brings merit when one reads, listens to, writes or gives the Guru Gita to others. What does giving mean? It does not mean giving the book to someone. Teaching the Guru Gita to others, enjoying the bliss oneself and enabling others to feel the bliss is what giving the Guru Gita means.

Sloka:
Anantaphalamapnoti guru gita japena tu |
Anyasca vividha mantrah kalam narhanti sodasim ||

Chanting of this Guru Gita gives endless benefits. No other mantra or spell bestows even a sixteenth of the benefits.

Sloka:
Sarva papa prasamani sarva sankata nasini |
Sarvasiddhikari ceyam sarvaloka vasankari ||

The Guru Gita wipes out all sins, destroys all hurdles and difficulties and bestows all supernatural powers. All worlds will be brought under his control.

There’s such great power in the Guru Gita. Here, “Sarva papa parasamani” indicates that it wipes out all sins. For some people, there’s no satisfaction unless they hear this. But, you should always pray to the Guru for knowledge of the self, not for wiping away sins. To get rid of sins, you should work hard and undertake noble deeds.

But, in the beginning of spiritual practice, the seeker is focused is on wiping away sins, on gaining the eight supernatural powers and on bringing the world under one’s control. As the seeker graduates to higher levels, the focus changes. For one seeking complete self-realization, the focus is never on these. If it is, the seeker will fall from his yogic state. In that case, why does they talk about the attainment of these benefits? We should pay close attention to the inner meaning here.

When they say, “loka vasankari” you should understand that it reveals to you that you are in the form of all the worlds. Similarly “sarvasiddhikari” means, it gives you the feeling that you are all the supernatural powers yourself. in the same vein, “Papa prasamini” and “sankata nasini” indicate that it dispels ignorance and sorrow.

Episode 150

Sloka:
Dussvapna nasini ceyam susvapna phaladayini |
Ripunam stambhini gita vacaspatya pradayini ||

This Guru Gita dispels the effect of bad dreams and bestows the results of good dreams (bring them to reality). Guru Gita destroys enemies and the practicant will be made as great as Brhaspati (the celestial Guru)
Here, “svapna” or dream indicates the ignorance that causes the cycle of birth and death. Ignorance is the real sleep. Because it increases bondage, it is a bad dream. If the birth brings us the grace of the Sadguru, it is a good dream. Enemies here are the 6 vices, i.e., kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada (pride), matsaryam (jealousy).

“Vacaspatya pradiyini” indicates one that bestows the state of Brahma.

Sloka:
Kaminam kamadhenusca sarvamangala karini |
Cintamaniscintitasya sloke sloke ca siddhida ||

The Guru Gita is the wish-granting cow (Kamadhenu) for those who desire. It is Chintamani (the gem that dispels all sorrows and afflictions) and it bestows all auspicious things. Each verse provides a fulfillment.
It even gives you worldly fulfillments. Due to this, seekers will attract the people around them. Seekers with devotion will experience positive results. In any case, the Guru Gita confers more spiritual benefits than anything else. Liberation is the primary benefit. Here, there is another meaning too in referring to Kamadhenu and Chintamani. If a practicant suddenly starts hankering after supernatural powers (siddhis) due to which he falls from his yogic state, studying the Guru Gita will give him the Guru’s guidance for upliftment. The Guru will not let go of such a disciple, he will not let him fall from yogic state. His initial desire for self-realization will eventually come to fruition.

Sloka:
Moksakamo japennityam moksa sriya mavampnuyat |
Putrakamo labhet putran sri kamascamitam sriyam ||

If one desires redemption and chants this daily, he will attain Moksha Lakshmi (the wealth of redemption). If the chanting is for male progeny, one will beget several sons, and similarly, if it is for riches, he will gain abundant riches.

Sloka:
Trivara pathanatsadyah karagaradvimucyate |
Nitya pathat bhavecca stri putrini subhaga ciram ||

If chanted thrice, one who is in jail will be released at once. If a woman chants it daily, she would beget children and lead an auspicious, long life along with her husband and children.

There is an instance of evidence for this sloka in Swamiji’s life history. It is unforgettable. An innocent man was once given life sentence in Delhi. His relatives came to Swamiji and prayed for help. Swamiji picked 5 verses from Guru Gita with instructions that the person should chant them daily. The prisoner chanted these verses for one month. The case unexpectedly was reopened. The prisoner continued chanting. The court proceedings went on for 6 months. Eventually the court dismissed the case. The man who was sentenced to life in prison was released from jail within one year. This is live evidence. What’s described in this verse is absolutely the truth.

Episode 151

Sloka:
Akamata stri vidhava japenmoksamavapnuyat
Avaidhavyam sakama cet labhate canya janmani

If a widow studies the Guru Gita without any desires, she will attain liberation. If she chants with desire, she will be blessed with a happy married life in her next birth.

Why are they specifically talking about widows here? Some people believe that one should not look at a window or touch a widow. But, if the widow is wealthy or in a position of power, the same people would give her a lot of respect. This is not right. One should always have compassion and respect for widows. Advise them on paths for spiritual practice. That is why Lord Siva himself said this sloka. He is promising these positive outcomes in the presence of the Divine Mother.

Here too, we are being advised right upfront that worship without any desires is better than worship with desires.

Sloka:
Japecchaktasca saurasca ganapatyasca vaisnavah |
Saivasca siddhidametam sarvadeva swarupinim ||

The Guru Gita is the embodiment of all Gods and the source of all fulfillment. So all practicants of Devi or the Mother Goddess, the Sun, Lord Ganapathy, the Vaishnavaites (devotees of Lord Vishnu) and the Saivaites (devotees of Lord Siva) should chant this.

Next, they are describing the places that are good for chanting of Guru Gita at.

Sloka:
Tirthe bilavatarormule vatamule sarittate |
Devalaye ca gosthe ca mathe brindavane tatha |
Pavitre nirmale sthane japassighra phalapradah ||

Worship or meditation at pure and serene places such as a pilgrim center, at the foot of a Bilva tree or a Banyan tree, on the river bank, in a temple or cow-shed or a Mutt (monastery) or a grove of Tulasi brings in quicker results.

The kinds of accomplishments from the Guru Gita are described next.

Sloka:
Santyartham dharayecchuklam vastram vasyetha raktimam |
Abhicare nilavarnam pitavarnam dhanagame ||

If the Guru Gita is chanted for peace and salvation, it should be done wearing a white cloth, if it is for getting something into one’s grip (Vasikaranam), one should wear red cloth; for wealth yellow cloth is prescribed. Lot of people think of Vasikaranam negatively here, they think it is to get another person into one’s grip. That is not the case. This is to get our sense organs into our grip. One should wear red for Vasikaranam. For wealth, chanting should be done wearing a turmeric yellow cloth. For those who do not contemplate on the Principle of Truth, such slokas show the right path. So, Vasikaranam is actually getting the sense organs under control. Abhicara indicates desire infested with lustful actions. Chanting wearing a black cloth destroys Abhicara. One should understand that wealth here indicates the wealth of knowledge.

Guru bhakto bhavecchighram guru gita japena tu |
Dhanya mata pita dhanyo dhanya vamsya jana api |
Dhanya ca vasudha yatra guru bhaktah prajayate ||

One who chants the Guru Gita becomes a disciple of Guru quickly. Such disciples, their parents, lineage and also the people of their country are blessed.

Episode 152

Sloka:
Guru bhakto bhavecchighram guru gita japena tu |
Dhanya mata pita dhanyo dhanya vamsya jana api |
Dhanya ca vasudha yatra guru bhaktah prajayate ||

One who chants the Guru Gita becomes a disciple of Guru quickly. Such disciples, their parents, their lineage and the people of their country are blessed. For people with a wavering mind, the chanting of Guru Gita is very useful.

Sloka:
Idam rahasyam no vacyam yasmai kasmaicana priye |
Abhakte vancake dhurte pasande nastike tatha |
Manasapi na vaktavya gurugita kadacana ||

Siva says to Parvati that Guru Gita should not be revealed to all and sundry particularly to non-devotees, impostors, the wicked, the fallen and the atheists. The very thought of giving them the Guru Gita should not come up.

In the previous sloka, they said that even people with wavering minds can study the Guru Gita. But, here, they are specifying clearly who the Guru Gita should not be given to. The kind of people that Guru Gita should not be given to are specially being mentioned. This is an ethical rule for knowledge, it’s also the rule for the world. For instance, food should not be given to one who is not hungry. Some people may just be interested in learning to play musical instruments. If you forcibly give them knowledge, they will not be able to absorb it. Similarly, some people are only interested in food, some in just money and some in just clothes, they don’t aspire for good knowledge. Some people want to chant the Guru Gita just to fulfill their desires. That’s tantamount to buying the Guru Gita for money.

Just because you want to always feed the hungry, you should not wish for everyone to become poor. Just because you want to donate money, you can’t wish that people become penniless. That means that even though there is no need, you want to feel great doing these donations. You may think, “Everybody should become utterly poor, they should all get hungry, so that I can donate food”. You should never wish for such things. Similarly, just for you to become Guru, you should not give initiation to just anyone. People keep giving initiation to whoever they like. That is also wrong. But, your Swamiji doesn’t let go of anyone, he even takes the ineligible ones, makes them eligible and gives them initiation.

Episode 153

Some people want to chant the Guru Gita just to fulfill their desires. That’s tantamount to buying the Guru Gita for money. Just because you want to always feed the hungry, you should not wish for everyone to become poor. Just because you want to donate money, you can’t wish that people become penniless. That means that even though there is no need, you want to feel great doing these donations. You may think, “Everybody should become utterly poor, they should all get hungry, so that I can donate food”. You should never wish for such things. Similarly, just for you to become Guru, you should not give initiation to just anyone. People keep giving initiation to whoever they like. That is also wrong. But, your Swamiji doesn’t let go of anyone, he even takes the ineligible ones, makes them eligible and gives them initiation.

Sloka:
Atyanta pkava cittasya sraddha bhakti yutasya ca |
Pravaktavya prayatnena mamatma priyate tada ||

A man with a fully mature mind and a man with dedication and devotion should definitely be taught this. Siva says to Parvati that he’s very happy when this happens.

Earlier they said that you should not pine to become a Guru. In the next 3 slokas, they are instructing us not to seek refuge in unqualified and rogue Gurus.

Sloka:
Guravo bahavassanti sisya vittapa harakah |
Durlabhassa gururloke sisya santapa harakah ||

There are many Gurus in the world who rob the disciples of their money. But it is very difficult to get a Guru who robs the disciples of their sins.

Sloka:
Jnanahino gurum manyo mithyavadi vidamabakah |
Svavistrantim na janati parasantim karoti kim ||

A man without knowledge who calls himself Guru, uttering falsehood, and moving about with fanfare doesn’t get any peace of mind. Can he give any peace of mind to others?

Generally, we make our bed a little soft. If we make our bed a little hard, it may take a little longer, but we will eventually fall asleep. It means that we got accustomed to that hard bed. Similarly, based on the situation at hand, how God should be worshiped is to be understood, and followed accordingly. This verse is specifically telling us that one should not accept as Guru one who can neither do good to others, nor to himself and one who is greedy for others’ sake and greedy for his own sake as well.

Episode 154

Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah
Sri Sarasvatyai Namah
Sri Pada Vallabha Narasimha Sarasvati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namah

Sloka:
Svayam taritu maksamah parannistarayet katham |
Dure tam varjayet prajno dhirameva samasrayet ||

If he doesn’t get salvation for himself, how can he get it for others? It is also said that if he cannot climb up to the pot of curd hanging from the ceiling, how can he climb up to heaven? How will such a person uplift you? A wise man should keep away from such people and approach only a Sadguru who is courageous.

A lot of people don’t understand many spiritual truths. Many of them don’t want to admit that they don’t know, so they provide baseless explanations for those concepts. They don’t know anything. And they pass on these ignorant explanations to their disciples.

Once again, saluting the Guru who is of the form of Knowledge, Existence and Bliss, they are concluding this scripture in 3 slokas.

Sloka:
Saccidananda rupaya vyapine paramatmane |
Namassri gurunathaya prakasananda murtaye ||

Obeisance to the Guru who is All Pervasive, the embodiment of the Absolute, the embodiment of Knowledge and the embodiment of Bliss.

Sloka:
Sacchidananda rupaya krsnaya klesaharine |
Namo vedanta vedyaya gurave buddhi saksine ||

Obeisance to Sadguru, the image of Sachchidananda, who is an embodiment of Lord Vishnu, destroyer of all sorrows and miseries, and who is revealed through Upanishads, a witness to all the actions of the mind and intellect.

Sloka:
Yasya prasadadahameva vishnuh mayyeva sarvam parikalpitam ca |
Ittham vijanami sadatma tattvam tasyanghri padmam pranatosmi nityam ||

Obeisance to the lotus feet of Sachchidananda Sadguru whose grace has enabled me to grasp the principle of Supreme Truth and attain knowledge that I am Vishnu, that I am the all-pervasive soul and that the whole universe is conceived in me.

Sloka:
Iti sri skanda purane uttara khande umamahesvara samvade sri guru gita samapta ||

Episode 155

Sloka:
Yasya prasadadahameva vishnuh mayyeva sarvam parikalpitam ca |
Ittham vijanami sadatma tattvam tasyanghri padmam pranatosmi nityam ||

Obeisance to the lotus feet of Sachchidananda Sadguru whose grace has enabled me to grasp the principle of Supreme Truth and attain knowledge that I am Vishnu, that I am the all-pervasive soul and that the whole universe is conceived in me.

Sloka:
Iti sri skanda purane uttara khande umamahesvara samvade sri guru gita samapta ||

Everybody should remember that the Sadguru is as essential as one’s own breath. We may say, “We read the Guru Gita, we all heard the Guru Gita, we discussed it in the form of short stories, I read it 10 times, I studied it 20 times, I did 7 Saptahas” (1 Saptaha = reading for 7 days), but we need the Guru every step of our lives, not just during the study of Guru Gita or during the Saptaha. It is only when we study the Guru Gita, undertake Saptaha or 7 Saptahas, chant the Guru’s name, study the Guru Gita, understand the Guru Principle, follow the Guru, stay in the presence of the Guru as much as possible in one’s life, with a view to strengthening our desire for a Guru that we attain liberation. Guru is like our breath. Giving up your Guru is like giving up your breath. It will not matter then whether we breathe or not at that point. A Guru is must in one’s life. Everybody should know that the Sadguru is as essential as one’s own breath.

Only a person who is desirous of learning more and more about the fame of the Guru and about the Guru principle regardless of how much he’s already learned, will actually realize the Guru Principle. One who thinks, “I have understood, that is enough, I read the Guru Gita several times, I learned the Guru Principle many times, that’s good enough” will never attain the Guru Principle, or anything else.

A lot of people have described the Guru Principle in several different ways. Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada (Sri Adi Sankaracharya) was the first to expound on it. Swamiji is giving you only as much as you need from this hymn composed by Sri Adi Sankaracharya

Sloka (from Sankaracharya’s Guru Ashtakam):
Sareeram suroopam thatha va kalathram,
Yasascharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam,
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thathah kim Thatha kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim

Right in the beginning of this hymn, we are being cautioned, “You have a beautiful body, but what is the use?” The sculptor sculpts according to the Agama scriptures (these scriptures talk about the architectural principles for temple construction, creation of idols and much more), yet the sculpture doesn’t look like it has life in it. There is a procedure called “Drishti Pradanam”. Only when this is completed does the sculpture come alive with conscious awareness. “Drishti Pradanam” is a procedure done to sculptures after the yantra is installed and the sculpture is put in place.

Episode 156

As discussed earlier, right in the beginning of this hymn, we are being cautioned, “You have a beautiful body, but what is the use?” Let’s recall the sloka.

Sankaracharya’s Guru Ashtakam, sloka 1:
Sareeram suroopam thatha va kalathram,
Yasascharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam,
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thathah kim thatha kim, thatha kim thatha kim

What is the use of that beauty? The sculptor sculpts according to the Agama scriptures (these scriptures talk about the architectural principles for temple construction, creation of idols and much more), yet the sculpture doesn’t look like it has life in it. Similarly, it is hard to say that the body, by itself, is beautiful. Even though that sculptor has sculpted beautifully, it needs “Drishti Pradhanam”. There is a procedure called “Drishti Pradhanam” (giving the power of vision or conscious awareness to the image). Only when this is applied does the sculpture look like it has life in it, otherwise it doesn’t. The sculptor who gave this power of vision to the sculpture then offers salutations to that very sculpture he worked on. Similarly, the creator is pleased to see the various forms of life he created. So, just as the creator himself is pleased with the forms he creates, the sculptor, after he has applied “Drishti Pradhanam”, is also pleased with the sculpture and offers his salutations to it. Now tell me, did the body get its beauty because of you? Why are you so proud of your beauty? What benefit does it give you? You are so proud. You stand in front of the mirror and keep admiring yourself. If your own beauty has no use for you, what is the use of the beauty of your wife and children? Similarly, what is the use of your fame?

Some people are never satisfied with how much wealth they accumulate. They want to keep earning more and more. Their goal is to just keep earning. A lot of people accumulate wealth equivalent to Mount Meru (enormous mountain considered the abode of many Gods). Their bank account has loads and loads of money. What’s the use? They don’t even know what to do with all the money they saved. They only care about hoarding wealth. They are hoarding all their life. I don’t know when they enjoy that wealth or put it to good use. Finally, the money falls into the hands of the government or the thieves. What’s the use of that wealth with which you do nothing? The government takes it over or the thieves break in and take it away. The thieves will enjoy the money. That is why, it is said that whatever you earn, you should spend it in this life itself and put it to good use.

Some people adopt a child. When that adopted child wastes all their wealth, they grieve over it. Why this karma? Just because you have no children, you adopt a child, perhaps a relative’s child and hand over your wealth to him. You cry when he wastes all the money. What is the point of doing this? That is why, treat orphans as your own children and help them. Help even orphaned animals. Or, help destitute students. There are plenty of opportunities to help others. It’s wonderful if you are able to spend your wealth thinking of others as your own children. One should not just hoard wealth. This wealth is given to you by God.

Episode 157

We discussed that some people are never satisfied with the wealth they accumulate. Their goal is to just keep earning. They accumulate wealth equivalent to Mount Meru (enormous mountain considered the abode of many Gods). They don’t even know what to do with all the money they saved. Finally, the money falls into the hands of the government or the thieves.

We also discussed that some people adopt a child and hand over all the wealth to him. When that adopted son wastes all their wealth, all they can do is grieve over it. But since it is God that gave you all this wealth, how wonderful would it be if you adopted that God. If we spend the money on meditating on God, on spiritual resolutions, on spiritual programs for the society, that would be equivalent to giving money to God, because we are considering God as our own child. There is so much joy when we are able to, in turn, give back to God what he gave us. Always remember that whatever you offer to God or to Guru is like a bank deposit. Offering to the Guru or to God is like savings in a bank account. Even if you don’t enjoy the interest from this account, it’ll go to your children, or to your near and dear relatives who need it. But, we do not feel like giving any money.

We should remember that even for us to have the mindset to donate to worthy causes, we need merit from our previous births. If we don’t have merit from previous births, we can’t even think of donating. If we have merit from previous births, our mind gets absorbed in the Guru. If the mind is not absorbed in the Guru, there is no use of such wealth. If your mind is not absorbed in the feet of the Guru, if you are unable to meditate on the Guru, if you don’t serve the Guru, if you don’t grasp the Guru Principle, if you are unable to offer to the Guru’s feet the fruits of the actions undertaken per the Guru’s command, if you don’t receive the Guru’s initiation, your beauty, your wealth and your fame are of no use. Not only are they of no use, but remember that the pride from your beauty, the pride from your wealth, the pride from your knowledge etc will get to your head. Such a person will be consigned to the nether worlds just like King Bali was. Knowledge has value only when there’s humility. Money has value only when there’s sacrifice. When service does not involve physical labor, beauty has no value, just as beautiful flowers without aroma have no value for worship. What’s the use of a money lender who has no generosity. There’s no redemption for that money.

Some trees grow magnificently. But, you cannot even fell and use as firewood, they emit too much smoke, cause burning sensation in the eyes and are completely worthless. They don’t even burn well. What is the use of such a big tree? Only when the mind is completely absorbed in service to the Guru, when the mind is absorbed in the Guru, all these will bear fruit, they will definitely bear fruit. You should use whatever you earn towards service to the Guru. Your mind should be absorbed in the Guru Principle. Only then will it bear fruit.

Episode 158

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 2:
Kalatram dhanam putrapautradi sarvam
Gruham bandhava sarvametaddhi jatam |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

The house is abuzz with joyous activity like Nanda Gokulam (where Lord Krishna grew up) with wife, wealth, children, grandsons, granddaughters. Hearing the grand child call him “grand father” is a source of so much joy. That his wife will not eat till he comes back home is a source of so much joy. Aha! Why do they have so much love for him? The crux of the matter is “Dhanam meru tulyam” (from Sloka 1 in Guru Ashtakam, meaning wealth as big as Mount Meru). The reason is hidden in money.

A man has a big diamond necklace. The heirs are waiting for him to die. The diamonds are very big. This man is always wearing it. All these people around him pretend to love him a lot. The love is not for him, it’s for the necklace. Once in a while, they keep wishing that he dies. In their minds, they are waiting for him to pass away. And then there are relatives. Where there is jaggery, won’t there be house flies? Your relatives are flocking to you because you have wealth, mansions, education, power, influence and much more just as house flies surround a piece of jaggery. If you didn’t have these possessions, would any relative even look at you? Place an announcement in the newspaper one day that you’ve lost all your wealth and have become a pauper. Even your wife will not treat your properly thereafter. Take off the diamond necklace and place the announcement in the newspaper and see the events unfold.

There is no unselfish love in worldly life (samsara). It is always selfish. Each one is intertwined with the other due to desire and selfishness. To pass on the sweetness from one piece of sugarcane to another, God has intertwined so. It is strange. There is no use of all of this because your mind is not absorbed in the Guru. That is why, first, focus your mind on the Guru. When your mind is absorbed in the Guru, all these will seem even more beautiful to you. They will cause more joy. Not only that, renunciation will also become easy. When necessary, such a person can drop everything and leave. Such dispassion will arise in you. Generosity will fill your being. Such a person will withstand all difficulties without getting dejected. A lot of people develop a lot of fear and lose sleep over little things. They struggle a lot because they have too much attachment. That is why they are saying here that when you want to share your wealth, when you want it to be useful to other people, when you want it to be of service to Guru, renunciation will come to you automatically.

No amount of praise or discussion on the Guru Principle is enough. For every instance, for every minute, Sankara Bhagavadpada (who composed this hymn) has specific advice for each person. Depending on the ego of each person, depending on their personal values, he described what each person can and cannot attain.

Episode 159

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 3:
Shadangadi vedo mukhe sastra vidya
Kavitwadi gadyam supadyam karoti |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

He is well versed in Vedas, holy scriptures and all knowledge. He can give discourses without a break. He can do poetry. He won many awards and titles in the past and will continue to win in the future. So what? “He’s so great”. Okay, so what? Such a person cannot focus his mind on the Guru’s feet. Then, what’s the use? All these are worthless. What’s the use of the number of awards won, the ability to speak eloquently without a break, the spontaneity of the mind and the intellect to create poetry and winning innumerable awards and titles if the mind does not get stabilized on the Guru’s feet? It is being said here that all these are worthless if the mind cannot be absorbed in the Guru’s feet.

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 4:
Videseshu manyah swadeseshu danyah
Sadachara vrutteshu matto na ca anyah |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

“Highly knowledgeable man, treated with great respect in any country he goes to, has great fame and reputation in his own country too, is leading a well-disciplined and good life, is a straight shooter, brought up his kids with a lot of discipline, he’s got such great titles”. This is what we talk about in this worldly life (samsara). “Did he bring up his kids with discipline? Does he have the ability to go to foreign countries?” This is all we talk about. These are the validations and certifications we use to indicate success. “How nobly is he leading his life. He’s very strict person. Look at his children, they are being brought up according to our culture and tradition, he’s won much fame and respect”. What’s the use of all this? “Moreover, he doesn’t even take dowry. He’s very famous”. Still, what’s the use? If his mind is not absorbed in the Guru’s feet, what’s the use of having all these things? You cannot grasp the supreme reality. Remember that if you don’t have devotion towards the Guru’s feet, all these good qualities will at some point fly away from your mind. They will not last forever. The egoistic feeling that you are such a good man will take over. That is why, you should combine good behavior with devotion to the Guru.

Without devotion to the Guru, there’s no use. Regardless of how strict you are, how important you are, how disciplined you and your children are, even if you keep doing a lot of rituals and worship, there is no use. Despite these great qualities, if your mind cannot be absorbed in the Guru and on the Guru’s feet, if you don’t have devotion, if you don’t even have devotion towards the concept of Guru, all this recognition and good attributes that we talked about are worthless.

Episode 160

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 5:
Kshma mandale bhoopa bhoopala vrundai
Sada sevitam yasya padaravindam |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

The kings and emperors on earth serve at your feet everyday. So, what is the use? You may think, “All the important people on earth are coming to me, they are worshipping my feet, what do you think of me? My word is gospel, it’s final”. So, what is the use? Some boast egoistically, “Everybody on the planet has to come to me. They have to hover around my house. I know everyone personally. Actually, they don’t do anything without asking me first”. They may say, “If the phone rings, it has to be them, the important people. They will not leave the house until I ask them to. It is me that has to even select their car. It is me who needs to tell them the direction they need to face while eating. It is me who needs to tell them whether or not they should have a shower today. It is me who has to instruct them on the color they need to wear to achieve victory. It is me that tells them what color pen they need to carry today. It is me that has to tell them to eat exactly 22 morsels, that they cannot eat the 23rd morsel”. This is wonderful. You have so much control. Wow! Some people even tell others that they need to count the grains in each morsel of food. That’s the kind of orders they give. There are many who gloat, “The government runs because I decide the date for the swearing-in ceremony, otherwise the government won’t run”. That’s good. Let there be such people. Let them achieve respect. Let their words come true. That’s fine. But, there are missing the crown of all these attributes – devotion to Guru. It is being said in this sloka that regardless of how important you are, if you cannot focus your mind on the Guru, what’s the use, what’s the use? They are asking us to keep our mind always focused on the Guru.

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 6:
Yaso me gatam diksu dana pratapat
Jagadvastu sarvam kare yat prasadat |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

They have done a lot of charities. Their fame and charity has spread to all corners of the world. They are well known in all countries. They are on television around the world. So, what is the use? There is reference in our scriptures to many who cut off parts of their bodies to donate to others. They did not attain salvation. Why? Because, they were unable to focus on the Guru. Those who have the Guru’s grace will attain anything in the world. That is why, without Guru’s grace, what’s the use of such charity? What’s the use of fame and reputation? What’s the use of having all this? They donated, they helped others, people even compared their generosity to Karna’s (a character from Mahabharata known for his courage and generosity). Some of you may have heard this story from the scriptures. A pigeon captured by a hunter cries, “He’s eating me, please save me”. The king who hears this talks to the hunger and gives him flesh equivalent to the pigeon’s weight from his thighs. Such a great sacrifice. The Gods appeared in front of him. He attained great fame, but he did not attain liberation. Why? He did not have devotion to Guru.

Episode 161

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 7:
Na bhoge, na yoge, na vaa vajirajou
Na kanta mukhenaiva vittesu chittam |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

So far we discussed that some people feel, “I am prosperous, I have desires”. True. Still, if the mind is not absorbed in the Guru there is no use. Even if you have all the wealth, desires, fame and Karna-like magnanimity and courage (Karna is a character from Mahabharata known for his courage and generosity) , life is worthless if the mind is not absorbed in the Guru’s feet and there is no devotion towards the Guru. They stipulated that if there’s no devotion to the Guru, all these can be dismissed.

Now, they are talking about sacrifice. Lot of people say, “I have no desire at all for pleasures, for Yoga, for karma (action), or for women”. They keep saying this all the time. “What’s there in money? I have no desire for money. All these Yogas – Kriya Yoga, Raja Yoga, whatever, I have no interest. What’s there in them. Sacrifice! I have no interest in luxuries or in Yogas or in karma. People do a lot of rituals and fire sacrifices. I do not even think of them. I am not interested in women either. I have acquired dispassion. I don’t even believe in Guru”. All this sounds good…they are saying they have no interest in anything. But, it is not enough to say that you have done everything you needed to do. You will still not attain liberation. Unless you have the Guru’s initiation, your dispassion will not take you anywhere. That is because you do not have the passport called Guru’s initiation. You cannot go to any other world, you cannot attain liberation. Because you do not have the passport of Guru’s initiation.

Some people say, “My father is my Guru, he initiated me”. True. Father and mother are the first Gurus for anyone, but you have a certain leniency with them. Even if they are great Gurus to you, when you see them, you feel the leniency that they are your mother and father. Once in a while, you will feel, “I am near my father and mother, why should I take their words seriously. They will always forgive me for my mistakes”. That is why you should always follow a Guru. Even if your parents initiate you, even if you consider them your Gurus, you should follow another Guru.

These days, there are many people that will initiate you to a mantra if you give them 10 rupees. Only 10 rupees. It used be 100 rupees in the beginning, it dropped to 50 rupees and now it is 10 rupees. Everything else has increased in price, but the Guru’s initiation has fallen to 10 rupees. It feels like some will even do it in exchange for a cup of coffee. But, there is no benefit at all from those mantras. First, you must grasp the Guru Principle. Your mind should be absorbed in the Guru. Only then will your dispassion and sacrifice bear fruit.

Episode 162

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 8:
Aranye na va svasya gehe na karye
Na dehe mano vartate me tvanarghye |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

Lot of people say, “I don’t desire to go to the forests, I don’t desire to stay at home either. I have no interest in any activity. I don’t even pay attention to my body”. Just listening to those words gives us a sense of dispassion. Even people that don’t have a spiritual bent of mind feel like they are unlucky they do not have the same feelings. Such is their talk. They even act like that. Whatever they said is true. Whatever we discussed about these great people is true. There is no doubt about that. There is no deceit here and these people act the way they speak. Whatever they’ve been doing and whatever they’ve been saying they are doing is all true. There are no lies at all in these words. That is why, if such a person says he wishes to go to the forests, he will. True. Now, he is saying that he doesn’t even need to go to the forests. That means sacrifice. When people say, “What is in it? There is nothing. I don’t desire to stay home. I have no interest in any activity at all whatsoever. Moreover, I don’t pay attention to my body”, we feel good about it. It’s true that they feel that way. They even prove with their actions. A salute to them. They are great souls. Salutation at their feet. There is value in their dispassion. They’ll even act that way. While they are saying, “I do not need anything”, they will add, “The only thing is I need is for my house to sell at a good price”. Here’s where the problem arises. There is some deficiency here. Such people are good for nothing.

But, some people can sacrifice anything within a minute. Such disposition is very rare. But, even such people are possessed with this demon that they don’t believe in Guru. What’s the use of doing and saying all this? They don’t contemplate on the Guru Principle. In reality, this sacrifice and dispassion are very difficult to attain. Just as it is difficult to have charity where is wealth and humility where there is knowledge, this sacrifice and dispassion are most difficult to achieve. Those who have wealth don’t want to donate. It’s very difficult to have that charitable disposition. Knowledge doesn’t come with humility, people with knowledge have a lot of pride. They boast with arrogance. Even with minor possessions of wealth and knowledge, if it’s difficult to gain the associated noble qualities, how can you gain the most difficult attributes of sacrifice and dispassion?

The Guru is always striving to remove the bonds, one by one, in his disciples. He tries very hard and in many ways to distance all the worldly bonds from his disciples. That is a very difficult task to do. But if such sacrifice has arisen in these people automatically, it’s a great blessing. These people have such sacrifice. The Guru went through many difficulties to teach that sacrifice. But, this man got it himself. But, what’s the use? If there’s no attention paid to the Guru’s initiation, such sacrifice has no use. They are saying very clearly here that such sacrifice is worthless.

Episode 163

If you listen to the Guru Ashtakam that you just heard, over and over again, if you learn it by-heart, if you keep chanting this mantra all the time, you will attain the good fortune of having read the Guru Gita, you will attain the good fortune of having followed the Guru’s instructions, you will attain the good fortune of having understood the Guru Principle. Whether you are a great scholar or a lay person, whether you are a Yogi, whether you are diseased or wealthy, regardless of who you are and what state you are in – God gave everyone a different state – you will benefit from it. Whether you are a Karma (action) Yogi or a Jnana (knowledge) Yogi or a Tyaga (sacrifice) Yogi, it’s a state you acquired due to your past karma. It’s a certificate you received. It is inevitable that you go through the experience.

However, everyone needs to practice good habits. In some instances we can, but in some others we are unable to. For instance, sometimes, it may be hard to study the big Guru Gita. That is why, they made a scripture like Ramayana easy for us with the 100 verse Shata Shloki Ramayana because we may not have the opportunity to study and learn by-heart the 24000 verses in the Ramayana. But, for those who want more stories than what is in the 100 verses, it’s enough to read Sundarakanda (one of the 7 sections in Ramayana). If you study it everyday, that’s good. Even if you chant the Eka-Shloki (single verse) Ramayana every day, that’s good. If you don’t have the opportunity to do that, it is enough if you chant “Rama”, “Sita”, “Rama”. Like that, they have made everything easy and more accessible for us.

Similarly,

Final verse in Guru Ashtakam:
Gurorashtakam yah pathet punya dehi
Yatir bhupatir brahmachari ca gehi |
Labhed vancitaartham padam brahma sanjam
Guro ruktavakye mano yasya lagnam ||

Just as we discussed so far, whether he is a Yati or a king, whether he is a Brahmacari (celibate) or a householder, whoever he is, if he studies the Guru Ashtakam, he will be purified, his mind will be absorbed in the Guru’s instructions, all his wishes will be fulfilled and he will attain Supreme bliss.

It does not matter who you are, if you have the desire to study the big Guru Gita, but do not have the opportunity to, you can study the Guru Ashtakam any number of times, at all times and in all states. You attain great fortune if you study the Guru Ashtakam or learn it by heart of even listen to the recording. One attains supreme bliss (Brahmanandam) and all his wishes will be fulfilled. “Brahmam” refers to bliss that is unparalleled. It’s not the ordinary, mundane kind of joy. People that attain this supreme bliss are merging into the supreme reality. They are merging with eternal bliss. The greatness of Guru Ashtakam is such.

Episode 164

The Guru and the Universe are not separate. Guru is the Universe and the Universe is the Guru. The visible energy that pervades the universe is the Guru alone. That is why, since the Guru and the Universe are one and not separate, Guru has become an integral part of man’s life. We thought they were different, that Guru was separate and the Guru Principle was separate. But, that is not the case. When we realize that since the Guru has manifested in this Universe, since the Guru is the Universe and the Universe is the Guru, since man’s life is in the Universe, since man’s life is in accordance with the principles of the Universe and the principle of Time, we can see that the Guru has become a part of man’s life.

If a limb or a body part is missing, we feel like the body is not functioning correctly. If we can hear through both ears, we feel like it’s stereo sound. If we cannot hear through one ear, it sounds garbled. If we see with only one eye, we do not know if our visual focus is correct. Yes, it is true that when there is a defect in one part of the body, God energizes another part even more. We have seen a lot of people like that. A person may be visually impaired in both eyes, but God gives him amazing artistic or other capabilities he can demonstrate with his hands or amazing speaking ability. We marvel at those skills. It seems like even people with two eyes cannot perform those feats. Even people with good hands cannot do it. Some people who have a defect or deformity in one hand, use the other hand to do the work of both hands. This is God’s miracle. Such a person may use his sense of smell or sense of hearing to identify objects. This is the energy given by God.

If there is a defect or deformity in some part of the body, do you know how difficult life is? It is very difficult. If one leg is shorter than the other, one finds it very difficult to walk. Similarly, Guru is a part of our life, he is a principle in our lives. If the Principle of Guru is not in one’s life, he will face many difficulties. That is why God always takes care of and uplifts those who directly or indirectly place faith in him. The Principle of Guru is such. Some people are blessed directly and visibly by the Guru Principle. God has come in the form of the Guru Principle. That is why we say “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Maheshwara”. (Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu and Guru is Siva). Such a Supreme One, the God of Gods is carrying out all tasks in this universe. He is visible to some and invisible to the others. He benefits some people visibly. The rest are benefited invisibly. Just because the disciple can see his own progress, he should not take pride in it. If the disciple is being benefited indirectly, he should never become egoistic thinking that he alone is responsible for his own strength. Neither should a devotee become egoistic realizing that the invisible God is uplifting him.

Episode 165

We discussed so far that the Guru uplifts some people visibly. He uplifts some others invisibly. If the disciple is being benefited indirectly, he should never become egoistic thinking that he alone is responsible for his own progress. Neither should a devotee become egoistic upon realizing that the Guru is invisibly uplifting him. It is wrong to think that you are responsible for your progress. Without getting egoistic, one must realize that the Guru is the reason for that progress. You should keep saying physically, “If I am able to do all this, it is the Guru’s invisible hand. If Guru is visibly uplifting me, there is no greater fortune.” Only such a person becomes the best of disciples. He will be the one that understands the Guru’s intentions well. A true disciple is one who realizes that it is the Guru’s invisible hand that is uplifting him.

Guru protects like a mother, like a father, like a friend, like a relative. We don’t even realize that sometimes the Guru is in the form of a relative. Yes, the relative is well known to us, but the Guru entered the relative and is helping us out. Visibly, the Guru uplifts as a friend, as a relative, as a father, as a mother and so on. He protects us and keeps us from falling from the path of Dharma. All this is evidence that Guru is always watching over you. Even when we don’t ask or realize, our father gives us guidance. The mother gives us guidance. We get guidance in not one, but in so many forms, from a friend, a brother and so on. The Guru entered them and appeared to us in their form. A small house fly, a small bird also teaches us lessons in Guru Principle. We should look at them from that perspective. Don’t dismiss a dog as just a dog. See the dog as an evolved soul. Of course, the dog will not talk to you, but you will surely find something in the dog that you can learn from.

We see so many instances where a tiger cub was raised by a cat. Similarly, we’ve seen a baby cuckoo being raised by a crow. We keep seeing such instances even today. It makes us so happy. We have even seen instances where a kitten suckles a dog. Even though it looks strange, see how God protected the kitten in the form a dog. All these creatures may look strange to us. But, we should try to learn lessons from all the beings around us. You should not dismiss them, saying “This is a dog”, “This is a wolf”. That is why, Guru tries to keep us from falling from the path of Dharma by appearing to us in various forms. The role of a Guru in our lives in that important.

We discussed that even Lord Datta had 24 Gurus. It is never enough to recollect this over and over again just as it is never enough to recite the Guru Gita over and over again. These are 24 Gurus who teach us the Guru Principle. We know that this has already been described in the scriptures.

Episode 166

We discussed so far that Lord Dattatreya has 24 Gurus. Lord Datta is the Adi Guru, he is the original preceptor. Just as the first couple was Siva and Parvati, the first Guru is Lord Datta. He himself had 24 Gurus. He himself declared in the scriptures that he has 24 Gurus. Srimad Bhagavatam says that Lord Datta assumed the form of an Avadhoota (loosely defined as a mystic who has renounced all worldly attachments and lives in a state beyond body consciousness) and uplifted King Yadu. Let us learn about the teachings of Lord Datta here and the spiritual truths he explained.

Once upon a time, when King Yadu was on a pilgrimage, he came upon a young Avadhoota. Yadu addressed the Avadhoota thus, “O Mahatma (great soul), you look like an erudite scholar. Yet, sometimes, you behave like a boy. People in this world make efforts to fulfill their desires. They will not carry out any action without desires. You have strength, a healthy body, intelligence and self-realization. How did you escape from desires? Your face is radiating with bliss. Your smile never disappears. You seem happy and calm. You look so youthful and strong. How did you attain this dispassion? I am unable to fathom this secret”. Yadu prayed to the Avadhoota, “Please reveal your spiritual quality and uplift me”.

Gurus are very magnanimous. Like a cloud, a Guru pours all his energy into the disciple. Remember that. That Avadhoota was our Lord Datta. The Lord shows each person a different miracle. That is why, they worship the Lord as

Dattatreya Hare Krishna, Unmatta Nanda Dayaka |
Digambara Munebala Pisaacha Jnana Sagara ||

The Avadhoota was very pleased with the king’s humility. He withdrew his mystic form. With a blissful countenance, he looked at Yadu and imparted spiritual truths. Let us learn a little about what the Lord taught Yadu. The Lord started his discourse. The Lord prayed to God first,

Dattatreyam Sivam Santam, Indraneela Nibham Prabhum |
Atma maya ratham devam Avadhootam Namamyaham ||

So, the Avadhoota blessed Yadu and imparted spiritual truths. Those truths were as follows:
“O King, I sought refuge with many Gurus. I learned many good things from them. Important among them are 24 Gurus. I am teaching you the knowledge I learned from them. Receive these truths”

Episode 167

We discussed that the Avadhoota blessed Yadu and imparted spiritual truths. Those truths were as follows: “O King, I sought refuge with many Gurus. I learned many good things from them. Important among them are 24 Gurus. I am teaching you the knowledge I learned from them. Receive these truths.

The first Guru is Mother Earth. I examined the quality of Earth and understood that the Earth is very great and has great patience. I examined the quality of Mother Earth very well. Even though all living beings are walking on her with their feet, the Mother tolerates very patiently. Even though pits, wells, lakes etc are dug on her body, she tolerates patiently. So many people have dug into earth and removed the soil to create these large structures. Mother Earth tolerates everything. Moreover, to satisfy the hunger of her children, she even lets crops grow and be harvested. She protects trees. She benefits even those who give her pain. Earth is so big, yet has so much patience. Earth also manifests in the the form of large mountains, i.e., in the form of large trees as well as smaller plants and shrubs to bring us rains. If we didn’t have trees, how would we have rains? From the trees, she gives us sweet fruits and cool shade. From the mountains, she lets waters flow down to help the crops grow. Even though she does so much for us, she never expects anything from us. How much she does for us! She tolerates, she tolerates everyone walking on her, she feeds everyone although we are not doing anything for her. Let us learn about the greatness of Mother Earth in more detail.

The Mother who is completely sinless is Mother Earth. That is why she is eternally blissful. She keeps blessing us with minerals, solids (metals, ores etc) and liquids (water, oils etc) we need” They are describing in detail what Mother does for us.

Episode 168

“The Mother who is completely sinless is Mother Earth. That is why she is eternally blissful. She keeps blessing us with minerals, solids (metals, ores etc) and liquids (water, oils etc) we need. Mother Earth is the birth mother for all living beings. She’s worthy of great worship. Mother Earth bestows great fortune on those who worship her. She forms the residence for all living beings. She carries the seas, oceans, rivers, mountains, gems and diamonds only for universal welfare. She does not carry them for herself, she carries them for the world. Like this, the Mother whose vow is universal welfare is Mother Earth. I learned patience, forgiveness and courage from that Mother”, said Avadhoota Swamy. “I learned courage along with patience. Mother patiently tolerates many gigantic elephants stepping on her, so I learned courage, patience etc.“

Did you see Earth’s magnanimity? The Avadhoota continued, “There is a proverb that says that a mother will not feed you unless you ask her for food. But, you do not need to ask this Mother for anything. While other mothers need to be asked, you do not need to ask his Mother. She protects us in many ways. She feeds and protects us. She tolerates many difficulties patiently. Only Mother Earth has such great qualities.

One who inculcates the patience and forgiveness like Mother Earth’s will become the best among men. He will be respected by all living beings just as Mother Earth is. I learned about such quality from Mother Earth.

The Veda contains the line, “Ugraya Namah” That means, salutations to one who causes movement both within and without and is in the form of air. One who is in this form is of course the Supreme. Air is verily Parabrahman. He also has a name called “Gandha vahana”. He is eternally moving and supporting life. Filled with fragrance, he exhilarates the mind. Vayu Deva (the Wind God) carries to the Gods, our worship and our offerings. With his cool breeze, he softens the clouds and causes them to condense to give rains. Due to rains, we get food. People eat food and become happy. They undertake righteous acts, walk the noble path and earn great merit. Vayu Deva moves within the human body in the form of Prana, Apana, Vyana and Udana (vital airs in the body).

Episode 169

We discussed that Vayu Deva moves within the human body in the form of Prana, Apana, Vyana and Udana (vital airs in the body). He (Vayu Deva) helps us practice Yoga and provides good health. Although Air cannot be seen, we can feel it with our sense of touch. Air has two attributes of sound and touch. It is only because air is constantly moving that the entire creation is filled with life. Without air, there is no life. It is due to air that the skin covers the body and we are able to live, otherwise we wouldn’t be alive. In the outer space, there are seven planes of atmosphere. They are greatly benefiting the universe. Air exists in all living beings as life force or Prana. Even though it exists in everything, it has no attachments. It is subtly holding together the stars, the sky and the earth. “Anila” is Air. “Anala” is Fire. They are both friends. Anila and Anala – how nice are the names. Air along with Fire carries the offerings from the sacrifices to the deities. That is why they are both good friends. Like that, the Wind God and Fire bring us the blessings from the Gods.

The Veda extolls the greatness of Wind, “Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahma”. Using “Soham Hamsah”, all the great sages and realized souls regulate the air in their body That means, we should understand that the sages and realized souls earned the wealth of penance and meditation due to air.

Air expands our intellect. It molds the mind as desired. It subjects the mind to expansion and contraction. It equips the mind for analysis, intelligence and awareness. Knowledge, divinity, concentration, cleanliness and purity are caused by air. This the greatness of air.

Next, let us learn about what Avadhoota Swamy taught king Yadu. “I told you my second Guru is Air. We breathe in only as much air as we need. Similarly, I learned that wise people eat not to appease their tongue, but just enough to survive. Air carries fragrant smells. Similarly it also carries bad odors, but remains untainted itself. Neither does it shake off the bad smells, nor does it get excited with the fragrances. Air remains without any changes.

Episode 170

Avadhoota Swamy taught king Yadu, “I told you my second Guru is Air. Air is everywhere. We breathe in only as much air as we need. Similarly, I learned that wise people eat not to appease their tongue, but just enough to survive. Air carries fragrant smells. It also carries bad odors, but remains unchanged itself. Similarly, I learned that Yogis remain unattached to joys and sorrow. Yogis remain unattached. They are untainted and unblemished. Thus I learned that purity and impurity pertain to the body and not to the soul”. “This is good, this is bad” is only for the body and not the soul, taught the Avadhoota.

From Air, a disciple who is a spiritual seeker should realize that “Excess” is very dangerous and should be cast away while “Moderation” aids our spiritual progress like a good friend. That is the thought here. This is how they are describing the gist of lessons learned from Air.

Third Guru is Sky. Avadhoota Swamy so far taught king Yadu what he learned from Earth and Air. Next, he talked about Sky. In this context, let’s learn about the important characteristics of Sky.

“Yadausha Akasa Anandosyat”

The Vedas say that the Supreme reveals Himself to us through the sound of the Sky. The Absolute is very great. It’s all pervasive. It is divine. There is no greater example than the Sky to prove that God is all pervasive. Sky is everywhere, where is it not? It pervades everywhere. We do not know where it ends. We do not know where it begins. We do not know where it goes. It has no beginning and no end. That is how the Sky is. God has this omnipresent quality of the Sky. There is no greater example than the Sky to show God’s omnipresence.

Upanishads say, “Akasadvayuh, Vayoragnih”.

The sky was born from the Absolute. The sky supports the existence of the other elements of Nature and has the attribute of sound. All beings are born from the Sky and merge back into the Sky. Sky is the biggest of all elements of Nature. It supports all the elements of Nature. Sky is none other than the Absolute.

Episode 171

We discussed so far, “Akasadvayuh Vayoragnih”.

The sky was born from the Paramatman. The Sky supports the existence of all other elements of Nature and has the attribute of sound. All beings are born from the Sky and merge back into the Sky. Sky is the biggest of all elements of Nature. Sky is the basis for everything.

Those who realize that the external Sky that is of the form of Absolute also exists within our body are greatly blessed. You should realize that whatever is outside is also inside our body. It is with the support of the Sky that man can talk, man hear others talk, man can carry out all tasks. That is why Sky should be worshipped as the Supreme. Such a worshipper will experience great bliss. Real Sky cannot be seen directly, nor can it be comprehended directly.

According to Vedic Sciences,
“Ghatakasa, Matakasala”. With support, we can identify the great Sky. That means, within the heart of every being, there is a subtle sky. That is called “Dahara Akasam” (the space in the spiritual heart)

“Dahara Uttarebhyah”

One should worship the Parabrahman that is in the Dahara Akasa. Sky protects all other elements of Nature. That is how great the Sky is. Avadhoota Swamy taught King Yadu what he learned from the Sky, “There is no place that Sky does not exist. The clouds dispersed by wind cannot touch the Sky. Similarly, the Atman (Soul) within does not mix with the body. It remains unattached. Through Sky, I learned the quality of detachment and the omnipresence of the Absolute”.

There is a proverb that says that one should rise to the height of the sky. It means that one should develop the great qualities of the Sky. One should have a open mind and a big heart. Only then can one gain equipoise. You will feel love for all living beings. You will gain the state of equanimity in joys and sorrows. Like this, the seeker who learns these great qualities from Sky will become the best among seekers.

Next, let us learn about Water. Avadhoota Swamy told king Yadu that his fourth Guru was Water. He described thus what he learned form Water, “Water is pleasant and pure. It is sweet. Similarly, a sage should be pure within and outside. He must be without any impurity and should be pleasant. He should be calm. He should never hurt anyone and should always speak sweetly. He should be clean. He should have love for everyone. He should show love to all living beings. He should remove the difficulties of those who approach him. He should give them courage.” Let’s see what’s next.

Episode 172

Avadhoota Swamy told king Yadu that his fourth Guru was Water. He described thus what he learned form Water, “Water is pleasant and pure. It is sweet. Similarly, a sage should be pure within and outside. He must be without any impurity and should be pleasant. He should be calm. He should never hurt anyone and should always speak sweetly. He should be clean and hygienic. He should have love for everyone. He should show love and compassion to all living beings. He should remove the difficulties of those who approach him. He should give them courage. He should purify others with his darshana (view of his divine form), touch, songs and words. He should remove the sorrow hidden deep inside the heart of the downtrodden. He should give them the appropriate lessons and encourage them to undertake Dharmic (righteous, for universal welfare) acts.” See, this is how a sage’s conduct should be. “They should clearly point out which tasks are beneficial and which ones are harmful. They should constantly strive for universal welfare”, Avadhoota Swamy said.

The Vedas say that in the process of creation, God created Water first. Waters enlivens all worlds. Water is the basis for all substance. These days, we hear news of travel to other planets. The first thing they look for is presence of water. Scientists get excited at even the prospect of water having existed there many years ago. Imagine if they actually found water. That is why water is primary, it is the basis of life for all living beings. It enlivens all the worlds. Water is the basis for all substances. Similarly, a Yogi should constantly strive for universal welfare.

“Apo Narayati Prokta”

Water has the names Aapam and Naram. The Supreme resides in Naram. That is why he is called Narayana. Water purifies the living beings, it makes them clean. Similarly, a Yogi too should be pure, clean and hygienic. Where there is purity, auspiciousness occurs. That is why, those who learned qualities such as pleasantness, purity and cleanliness like water will never face failure. They will always achieve victory. They will achieve unblemished fame.

Episode 173

Fire. Avadhoota Swamy is teaching King Yadu what he learned from his fifth Guru. “Parabrahman is in the form of fire. He in the form of radiance. Our sacrificial offerings are received by the Gods through fire. That is why, our scriptures teach us to do Yajnas (ritual of offering and sublimating herbal preparations in fire accompanied by chanting of Vedic hymns) so that the country can be prosperous. By performing Yajnas, owing to the sacrificial offerings received through fire, Lord Varuna (the God of Rain) showers rains on us. Moon is pleased and infuses plants with medicinal qualities, due to which we get food. Fire gives us the strength to gain victory over enemies. He keeps the enemies subdued. He keeps us pure. He gives us longevity.

Fire God exists in the middle of east and south directions. Some people consider Fire God who has the ability to burn everything, a destroyer. But, Fire God is not a destroyer, he actually promotes growth. He increases friendship. That is why bonds of friendship are sealed in the presence of Fire. Friendships are fostered in the presence of Fire. We already know the story of how Rama and Sugreeva sealed their friendship in the presence of Fire. Even someone as great as Lord Rama, someone as Supreme as Rama and someone as courageous as Sugreeva had Fire God as their witness. “With Fire God as witness, I promise to help you”. “With Fire God as a witness, we are best friends from today”.

Everyone knows the qualities of Fire. Jatharagni (loosely, the biological fire energy or digestive fire) in our body digests everything that is put into the stomach. If God did not endow us with that Jatharagni that enables digestion, man cannot live. It digests all the food that enters the stomach, enables purified blood to be circulated to all parts of the body and helps the person live. That is why, “Agni Saakshi” (Agni=fire; Saakshi=witness) is very important.

When resolving disputes, people keep a fire lit in front of them and discuss matters of morals, ethics and justice. They may use an oil lamp. Looking at the lamp, looking at the aura around the lamp, at the center of that fire, they use the energy at the center of that fire as witness. Truth gets protected. Fire is always at a high level. It’s sound is also at a high frequency. Fire is red in color. Fire gives light and heat. In the nights, he exists as heat. He makes the seeker adhere to truth. He bestows concentration on worship of the Atman. He ensures that the soul’’s objectives are fulfilled. He removes the obstacles to faith and trust. He fills us with strength, faith and courage. The amazing qualities of Fire are almost impossible to describe in words. We discussed that he ensures that the soul’s objectives are fulfilled.

Episode 174

We talked about Fire yesterday. We discussed that Fire gives light and heat. In the nights, he exists in the form of heat. He makes the seeker adhere to truth. He bestows concentration for worship of the Atman. He ensures that the person’s objectives are fulfilled. He removes the obstacles to faith and trust. He fills us with strength, faith and courage. When we concentrate on the radiant form, we achieve concentration. Residing in the body, the Fire God detects diseases early and sends us signals. He provides good health. Even though Fire God can consume everything by burning them, he is untouched by impurity. Fire is everywhere. There is nowhere he is not. Even though he is everywhere, he is in the form of dormant fire in some places. We just said that there is no place where there is no Fire. He is in the form of dormant fire. For instance, sometimes, the piece of wood seems to have been burnt, but it has fire inside.

One must lead a life of cleanliness, untouched by impurity just like Fire. He must be radiant with the power of penance. He must accept whatever is given to him. He must stand by those who seek refuge in him and those who place trust in him. He should do good to them. All living beings are subject to birth and death. Birth and death are for the body, not for the soul. The body is impermanent. We see that the soul alone is permanent.

Fire has no form. It takes on the form of the object it is burning. In the same vein, one should consume food only for universal welfare, not for greed. A seeker should sometimes be introverted like Fire. In other instances, he must be extroverted. The qualities of Fire, one greater than the other, are amazing. Avadhoota Swamy said to King Yadu that he learned all these qualities from Fire. When a seeker imbibes the qualities of Fire and undertakes spiritual discipline, he will receive results quickly.

Next, Moon. While revealing his 24 Gurus to King Yadu, Avadhoota Swamy talked about Moon. Vedas proclaim the Moon as Parabrahman. They say that the Moon is the Parabrahman who is the essence of all living beings. Because Moon is filled with nectar and bliss, viewing it gives us joy. Children are happy seeing the Moon. Elders feel peaceful seeing the Moon. Because Moon rules over the mind, he cures diseases of the mind (psychological disorders). He eliminates those diseases.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says, “Nakshatraayaaham Shashi”. The Lord is saying, “I am also the Moon who rules over all the stars”. That Moon (the Lord) said that he is the Moon that rules over all the stars.

Episode 175

Due to Moon, medicines become potent and powerful. That is why, Moon is also called “Aushadisha” (Aushada=medicine; Isha=God, so God of medicine) and “Dvijaraja” (Dvija=twice born; Raja = king, so King of the twice-borns). Moon appears to us in a pleasant form. He showers cool moonlight. He looks beautiful and accessible. That is why he is variously called Chandra, Soma, Raju, Seetamsha, Nishesha, Nishesa. Because he is the ruler of the stars, he is called “Nakshatra Natha” (Nakshatra=star; Natha=husband or ruler) and because he is the king of Dvijas (twice-borns), he is called “Dvijeshwara” (God of twice-borns). Because the manes (Pitru ganas) are in the Moon, he is also called “Pitru Natha” (Ruler of the manes). Moon is worshipped because of his nectar, because of his coolness and because he bestows happiness.

“Svetah, svetambaradarah, svetasah, sveta vahanah, gata panir, dvibahusca, smartavyo varadah sasi”

Moon who is white in color and wearing white robes moves around in a three wheeled chariot with white horses. Along with 27 stars he gives light to the world. He nourishes all living beings. If Moon is pleased, Aditya (Sun God), Visvadeva (Vedic Gods), Vayudeva (Wind God) and Marut ganas (Storm Gods) are pleased.

“Candrama manaso jatah” says the Veda.

Because Moon is the powerful celestial body associated with the mind, Moon should be worshipped if mental problems need to be removed, if mental disorders need to be removed. Moon bestows goodness on the mother’s side of the family. Due to Moon, intellect blooms, laziness is removed, forgetfulness is gone, mental strength is attained, fame is achieved. Moon has 16 appearances (14 during waxing and waning phases, new moon and full moon). That is how great Moon is.

When we see the Moon in the sky, he sometimes seems to grow, and sometimes seem to diminish. This growth and diminishing are the called Shukla paksha (waxing phase) and Krishna paksha (waning phase) of the moon. These are the unique features of the Moon. Avadhoota Swamy taught King Yadu thus, “A seeker should be cool like the moon, should develop his intellect, should strengthen his mind”. Just as the lustre of the moon seems to grow and diminish due to the effect of time, birth and death apply to the body, but not to the soul. I learned that the soul is changeless”.

A seeker that realizes that the soul is changeless and eternal never faces defeat.

Episode 176

Sun. Avadhoota Swamy is telling King Yadu about Sun. Let us learn about the Sun now. Let us try to understand a little, the quality of Suryanarayana Swamy (Sun God). Parabrahman is verily Sun. Sun is the visible God. He appears to our eyes everyday. He drives away darkness and blesses us with light. He blesses us with knowledge. He is life for all living beings. He shines resplendently in golden color. He shines in his golden hair. With a golden form and with golden nails, he appears as a golden bird. We have seen a golden bird many times in these episodes. We should remember which bird we saw during each episode. Like that, with a golden form, with golden nails, the Lord appears as a golden bird. That is why he has the name “Ut”. Because he is untouched by sin, those who worship him will also be untouched by sin. Sins get destroyed.

Sun is of the form of the Trinity. During dawn, he is in the form of Brahma. He awakens the creation. He sharpens the dormant intellect. He infuses new life into the passive life force. Then, during noon, he is in the form of Rudra. He absorbs into him the lower beings who are in the form of micro organisms. He makes way for better births. During dusk, he is in the form of Vishnu. Vedas proclaim that Sun is the Atman of this universe. He is the soul in all living beings. He strengthens the feeling of unity and gives the resolve to undertake noble tasks. Residing in the external sky, he blesses us with good health and eyesight. Manifesting in the Daharakasam (spiritual heart – inner sky), he blesses us with peace of mind and sharpens our intellect. He inspires good intentions in us. He even removes chronic ailments.

Arogyam bhaskaradicchet

Bhaskara (Sun) is the provider of good health. Everyone was born at once from Lord Suryanarayana. That is why he got the name “Surya”. Because he has taken on a body, he’s called “Ravi”. Because he rises in the sky, he became “Bhaskara”. Because he has great brilliance, he became “Prabhakara”. Because he divides the day he came “Divakara”. Because he is the foremost in this creation, he became “Aditya”. He performed great austerities and became 12 Adityas. As witness to this universe, he runs, rules and protects the universe. This is the principle of Lord Suryanarayana Swamy.

Avadhoota Swamy described what he learned from Suryanarayana Swamy thus, “Sun, without touching the water, turns the water into vapor and passes them to the clouds. When time comes, he showers rains. The amazing Fire principle of Sun God here cannot be praised enough”.

Episode 177

Avadhoota Swamy described to Yadu what he learned from Suryanarayana Swamy thus, “Sun, without touching the water, turns the water into vapor and passes them to the clouds. When time comes, he showers rains. Similarly, a seeker of Yoga should consume through his senses. He should donate to the needy. Even though the sun appears in various water pots as multiple suns, in reality, there is only one sun. In the same manner, the seeker of Yoga should realize that even though Atman appears as multiple bodies, there is only one Paramatman. He should be an embodiment of knowledge like Sun. He must look after the welfare of those who seek refuge in him. He must give them the alms of knowledge and enable them to perform their duty.

When one always does his duty like the Sun, the entire universe will cooperate with him. Sun is always doing his duty. The Sun always does his duty, whether it is in the morning, or the afternoon or the evening. He is so useful to people. He remains untainted and untouched by everything. The Sun taught us all these things. With him that constantly does his duty like the Sun and follows his Dharma, the entire universe will cooperate. Remember this very well.

Next, pigeons. We see a lot of pigeons on the street. There are a lot of pigeons in India. But, some pigeons look very different, we will talk about that later. If great souls say something, they say it out of experience. They don’t just say something randomly. You should never take what is said lightly or dismiss it, but you must put it into action. Great souls give us words of wisdom. There is a good reason behind what they are saying. We should never ignore what is being said. That is when we can get out of difficulties. The journey of life proceeds smoothly. We gain the mental strength to face difficulties.

If a great soul says, “Being overly friendly is not good. Talking too much is not good” you must stop doing those (being over-friendly or talking too much). However great the person is, he must put these into action, otherwise, he will subject himself to difficulties. They get into such difficulties that they may not be able to rise from them. As an example, Avadhoota Swamy told King Yadu what he learned from pigeons.

What is this? What can you learn from pigeons? How interesting? Sometimes we ignore the words that come from great souls. We think, “What do they know? They just speak from their experience. Our experience and our difficulties are different. Times are different now. Their experiences were from a long time back. What is the use talking about them now”. But here, the incarnation of the Supreme, the Parabrahman Lord Dattatreya, appearing in the form of an Avadhoota is talking to King Yadu about learning each object, from each substance, from each living being, about the method of learning. Let us look at what Avadhoota Swamy is saying to King Yadu.

Episode 178

Avadhoota Swamy described to King Yadu what he learned from the pigeons. “There was a lovely pigeon couple in a forest. They lived in harmony for a long time. In course of time, they also had a few baby pigeons. They began bringing up their children with a lot of love and affection. Birds look very beautiful as babies. They are just about to grow wings and they sound really cute. These parent pigeons, with a lot of love for the children, would undertake any amount of hard work to go out and bring food from the forests to feed their children. This became a regular practice.

A hunter noticed that the parent pigeons go out to the forest, bring back food and feed the baby birds. One day, he cast a net and captured the baby birds that were barely able to fly. The mother pigeon who brought food back for the kids found the nest empty and experienced unbearable sorrow. Wailing, from her attachment with the kids, the mother pigeon who set out to search for her children found the children in the hunter’s net a little distance away. Anxious and eager to save her children, the pigeon flew towards the net and got stuck in it. After a little while, the male pigeon who came searching found the female pigeon and the baby pigeons caught in the net. Filled with sorrow, in an attempt to save them, the male pigeon also got stuck in the net. The hunter who was observing all this from behind a tree was very pleased thinking, “My hunt today has been successful. I am going to have a sumptuous meal”. Gleefully, he threw the net containing the birds over his shoulder and took it home.

See, what attachment led to. One should not think that taking care of family is the ultimate goal of human life. One should let go of attachments, otherwise downfall is certain. One will have to face great sorrow like the family or birds did. The mother bird died seeing the baby birds. The male bird saw the female bird and followed. The entire family was gone due to a small attachment. If the parent birds used reasoning and avoided getting stuck in the net by understanding that there was no way to save the little birds, they would have at least lived and perhaps had more baby birds down the line. That is why, one must let go of attachments, otherwise downfall is certain. He will have to experience great sorrow like the family of birds did. King Yadu, listen, I learned that he who lives with attachment to worldly life will perish one day”.

Did you see the downfall that attachment brought? That is why, one should inculcate dispassion and pursue liberation and salvation. One must continue his efforts through his spiritual practice and be able to visualize the inner self. This story is so wonderful.

Next, python. Everything is determined by time. In this age, desire crosses limits and turns into greed. Let us talk about this next.

Episode 179

Now, let’s talk about the python. Everything is determined by time. In this age, desire crosses limits and turns into greed. Just as the proverb (in Telugu) says that greed breeds sorrow, greed brings us a lot of difficulties. Nobody is able to live within boundaries and limits. The primary reason for that is lack of association with noble souls. Thinking, “I alone am great”, and ignoring noble souls is the root cause of all sorrow.s Great souls will persistently guide and pursue us to enable us to walk the dharmic path. They enable us to undertake noble tasks and receive the good merit for those tasks. They help us be satisfied with what we receive. They make our lives comfortable. In this context, Avadhoota Swamy told King Yadu what he learned from the python.

“In a forest, there once lived a python with two heads. But, it would never move from its place. It would just stay put in its place. It made no effort whatsoever to gather food. If some food came to it, it would eat and be content. Whether the food was delicious or not, whether its hunger was satisfied or not, it would be content and satisfied. Similarly, a Yogi too should observe caution regarding food. He should consider whatever food he receives as a blessing from God and be satisfied. In the event he receives no food, he should be content with what he has. He should live courageously. He should be steadfast in his spiritual practice. The mind should be merged in the Absolute”.

Did you see, it is being said here that the spiritual seeker should behave like the python when it comes to his spiritual practice. Only then will equanimity of mind become a habit. He will realize the state where he views joys and sorrows, heat and cold as equal. Greed will never come close to such a person. Desire will always be within reasonable limits. The spiritual seeker, with the aid of the great soul, will be able to climb up higher steps in spirituality. Great souls keep the disciples’ desires in check and uplift the disciples while deconstructing the source of all desires and explaining how to get rid of them. A perfect disciple will realize that he is gaining contentment with whatever he has. He realizes that the Guru’s words are full of truth.

What a wonderful lesson we learned now. A perfect disciple will realize that he is gaining contentment from whatever he has, just like a python. The Guru’s teachings are such. The python would eat whatever would come its way and just stay put. Similarly, we should understand from this that the disciple leads a life of contentment, satisfied with whatever he has.

Episode 180

Next, ocean. There is a proverb (in Telugu) that says that a full pot (of water) does not move. True. A pot that is full does not move around like an empty pot. It remains stable. If even a little water is removed from the pot, the water splashes around every time the pot is moved. If the pot is filled to the brim, the water does not splash. It remains calm. Similarly, a spiritual seeker should have a great depth of personality at all times and never lose courage. Only then will he be able to withstand the obstacles faced in life and in his spiritual practice. He will withstand joys and sorrows and other dualities.

We sometimes observe, “This elderly person used to be fine. But, now he is sitting like a helpless person”. Lack of courage and mental strength makes a lot of elderly people weak. The reason is not disease or lack of comfort and amenities. This elderly person has no ailments. All comforts and amenities are within his reach. He even has people that will attend on him at the drop of a hat. The person looks quite okay, but seems to be in fear a lot. That is because he lost his courage. That is slowly emaciating him. Even a strong person looks like a coward if he loses courage. That is why, one must be strong in all aspects and activities. One must have the mental stability, “Let anything come, let anything happen”. One should never be afraid. One should not announce his weakness and fears to others. That is how courageously one must behave. That itself will pour life into the man. One endowed with such courage will always look alive and vibrant. This will save man’s life and give him longevity. If one keeps pondering and losing courage despite having no ailments and despite having all comforts within reach, he will die early. His lifespan will shrink. “How is this man so hale and hearty despite his illnesses and difficulties?” That’s because he has a lot of mental strength.

Keeping what’s in the heart from getting out is Gambhiryam (profundity). You should not repeatedly talk about your fears. It is difficult for another person to correctly judge or estimate a person with a great depth of personality. When one is profound and has a depth to his personality, he can even win over enemies. That means, if one is not profound, his actions and words will clearly reveal what is in his heart. Bad things will not happen to one who has a deep personality that does not reveal everything in his heart to others. Having a great depth of personality means that he has unlimited wealth. It means he is a treasure-house of knowledge. Unless one accumulates a lot of knowledge, such a quality will not become a habit. Even if difficulties keep piling on in layers, a stable and steadfast demeanor will become a habit. That is why, when we talk about depth of personality, the ocean first comes to mind. The ocean is also called Ratnakara. He has so much depth, no one knows what’s in his heart. Who knows what’s deep inside the ocean? Nobody does.

Episode 181

When we talk about profundity, the ocean first comes to mind. The ocean is also called Ratnakara. He has so much depth, no one knows what’s in his heart, but heholds a lot of precious stones and gems. It is said that the belly of the ocean contains great wealth. Streams, rivers, rivulets etc come running in to the ocean. With a big heart, the ocean invites them into him and gives them refuge. He never refuses anyone. He gives his water to the sun, helps it precipitate as rain and benefits everyone.

Ocean and Lord Rama, both belong to the Iksvaku dynasty. That is why Lord Rama was compared to the ocean as “Samudra iva sindhubihi.” Noble souls would come as rivers would, to join the ocean of Sri Rama. Everyone coming to have darshan of Sri Rama was uniting with the ocean. Sri Rama would treat them with great respect and give them all refuge. Similarly, just as the line “Samudra iva gambhirye” from Ramayana says, Sri Rama had the depth of personality like the ocean. He had a large heart. Due to that, a state of equanimity is attained.

Avadhoota Swamy is explaining this matter to King Yadu in great detail. “Yogi should always be happy. He should be unmoved by dualities like attachment and aversion. He should be (stable) like the full pot of water. One should be like the ocean that does not overflow even when the rivers flow into it. That means, he should not be overjoyed when his desires are fulfilled. Just as the ocean does not dry up in summer, a yogi should not be depressed in the face of sorrows. He must focus his mind on God, on Lord Narayana, and have equanimity of mind”. A seeker who learns this from the Lord and puts it into practice will attain Brahman.

Next, let’s move ahead. Moth. Attachment brings downfall, regardless of the stature of the man. Attachment is of many kinds, such as attachment towards wealth, towards power etc. The most dangerous of these is attachment to women, in other words, attach. That means one who cannot control his sense organs can never rise in life. He cannot attain victory. He cannot reach his goal. A woman must be respected. One should remember to never offend them. One must extend as much help to them as possible. One can achieve the goal together with a woman and share equally in the results. But, if due to lack of control on the sense organs, once is devious or wicked, he will not be able to rule or rise in life even if he is a Sadhaka. He will be completely destroyed. Ravana, who was born in the lineage of the great saint Pulastya fell prey to such attachment. Let us learn about this a little.

Episode 182

The most dangerous of temptations is temptation towards women. That means one who cannot control his sense organs can never rise in life. He cannot attain victory. He cannot reach his goal. A woman must be respected. One should remember to never offend them. One must extend as much help to them as possible. One can achieve the goal together with a woman and share equally in the results. But, if due to lack of control on the sense organs, one has increased temptation and is devious or wicked, he will not be able to rule or rise in life even if he is a Sadhaka or a noble person or even the best among men. He will be completely destroyed. Ravana, who was born in the lineage of the great saint Pulastya fell prey to such temptation. He, along with his sons, friends, family and relatives was completely destroyed. The one hundred Kauravas met with the same fate. Many great kingdoms crumbled. Many great people were vanquished. Temptation towards women is so dangerous.

That is why, many great souls talking about this in some scriptures, said bluntly over and over again that we need to have control over our sense organs. Temptation towards women is like a net, it slowly draws you in and becomes an obstacle to progress. It becomes a roadblock. That is why they teach us using some examples that temptation to women should be avoided. To describe even more clearly, the moth can be used as an example.

A moth is deluded by fire, thinking of it as just light. It slowly goes closer to the fire. Unable to bear the heat from the fire, it gets burned and dies. Similarly, temptation to women first attracts you. Gradually, unbeknownst to you, it leads to one loss after another until complete downfall. It leaves behind cowardice and weakness and fills you with complete despair. It deals a blow in life that’s hard to recover from.

Avadhoota Swamy considered the locust (moth) as his Guru. He found the root cause of people falling into the mire of samsara (worldly life). He taught, using the moth as an example, that a Sadhaka should always be vigilant when it comes to control over the sense organs. You will see that in all the scriptures, in all the little stories in the Upanishads that you may read, study or tell others about, a lot of examples are provided. These examples show us how when one takes an ignoble path, he is making mistakes and how unbeknownst to him, it is ruining his life one thing after another leading to complete downfall. That is why they are saying that temptation towards women should be avoided. Let’s see what’s next.

Episode 183

You must listen when someone is talking about good things. Turning a deaf ear to it is not right. You don’t know which snake resides in which ant hill (Telugu proverb which means that you don’t know what good stuff someone is capable of). Similarly, we don’t know from where good fortune will come our way. We acquire a better sense of discrimination from gaining knowledge. We struggle when we do not have a sense of discrimination between good and bad. A greedy person accumulates things, but loses because he cannot make the right decision at the right time. He accumulates money earned in many different ways. One day, a burglar will happily take away that money. That is why, one must have the right attitude and practice along with accumulation of objects. One must do charity and donations appropriate with his wealth. A seeker must learn the practices appropriate for him and put them into practice. That is when he will be able to overcome obstacles and roadblocks.

Avadhoota Swamy who was talking about the 24 Gurus was describing the honey bee. The honey bee does not discriminate between big and small flowers. The bee goes from flower to flower and draws nectar. The seeker too should collect good things. He must not discriminate thinking, “This is a poor household, this is a rich household”. He must live on accepting just a morsel of food from each household. Similarly, if the scriptures spoke greatly of a particular quality in one context, but did not speak greatly of that same quality in another context, you should not critique and criticize the scriptures, but should analyze the quality. Absorbing good qualities is very useful. It teaches us great lessons in the journey of life. It enables us to always tread carefully, with full awareness, every step of the way. Hence, the seeker must listen to whatever anyone says, analyze the matter and choose what’s right. You should not think, “I know this, why should someone tell me this?” Even if you know, you must listen to it one more time. When you listen, you must absorb the good stuff in it. You should not think, “He is younger than me, who is he to tell me?” or say “I already know this, why should I listen to this?” When you hear about something you already know, you can absorb something good from it each time. Even if someone we don’t know is talking about it, we may find something we didn’t know. A real seeker should distill the good lessons when he hears the matter over and over again. That is when knowledge increases and the path to the goal becomes easy. A lot of people dismiss everything saying, “I already know this.” They are not even interested in finding out.

A lot of people feel insulted thinking, “I already know this, hearing from him is an insult”. Some may think, “Why should I be told by someone younger than me?”. That is very wrong. You never know where good advice comes from. Avadhoota Swamy taught King Yadu about what he learned from the seekers who are like the honey bees drawing nectar from big flowers and small. Listening to the wise teachings of noble souls increases knowledge.

Episode 184

Next, elephant. You should interest, have but should not have excessive attachment. If interest is within limits, the purpose will be fulfilled, if not, the task should not be undertaken. It will lead to a loss. Behaving without discrimination and scrutiny will lead to this disaster. Many famous people have wealth and experience. But, we have also seen many of them these days lose everything over something new that catches their fancy. They accumulate a lot of money, working very hard, earning great reputation and wealth that would last them several generations. But, something else catches their fancy and they get into it. For instance, a great film actor, after earning millions of dollars, instead of using it for charitable purposes, gets down to making a movie himself and loses all money. We have been seeing that a lot of these days. They have no sense of discrimination on what they should and should not do or where their experience lies. One person may be successful thinking, “I know everything, it’ll be done”, but everyone will not be. They lose whatever reputation they have.

Avadhoota Swamy is pointedly repeating the same topic of infatuation towards women. There is no sin of repetition in cautioning repeatedly about danger. Some people say, “Be careful, You are heading out now, be careful. Be careful on the bus, be careful there, be careful here”. They even seat that person on the bus and run after the bus cautioning them. That does not mean the person cautioning us is stupid. When someone is repeatedly cautioning us we should not say, “I know, how many times will you tell me?” You cannot be cautioned enough. That is why Avadhoota Swamy is telling King Yadu the same thing in many different ways. He is reminding and talking about whatever he said before. That is why, the more careful you are about women, the better for you.

If an enemy is unable to confront a wealthy person, they will observe the habits of that wealthy person, be careful. They will find out what that wealthy person is interested in, and get him addicted to it. A few people gather around wealthy people, famous personalities, or great people, becoming their minions, always praising them. They observe and understand the person based on his habits, his talk and his behavior. They will get to the person’s weakness and slowly push him towards it, getting him addicted to those vices. They will make sure he spends all his money on those vices. They will use his intellect and his money. So, they find out what he has interest in, make sure he has full access to whatever he is attached to and they get him addicted to it. That means, they bring him to a point where he cannot let go of that habit and then they suck out everything from him.

We are being cautioned against this here.

Episode 185

If the enemies are unable to confront powerful people, they observe their habits. Then they slowly gather around these people pretending to be friends, as though they are helping them out, as though they are best friends. They find out what this person’s desires are and constantly talk about these desires, slowly making him addicted to those vices. They bring him to a state from which it is nearly impossible for him to get rid of that addiction. Praising him, “It is proved beyond doubt. You are the only able ruler for this State. There are so many of us standing by and supporting you. You are everything, you are Indra, you are the Moon, you are Devendra”, they not only spend his money, they sap him of his energy. They get a clear understanding of his weaknesses and exploit that knowledge to push him towards his vices, making the strong person weak and cowardly. They do this because these people are his enemies. As they continue to do this, one fine day, they pull a coup and seize the government. In other words, they seize whatever possession that person had – whether it was wealth or fame.

We saw many such instances in history. Excessive desire is a flaw. That is why one should be careful. You should not keep chasing desires one after another and lose everything you have. Avadhoota Swamy found out about the ruin that the elephant brings itself with its desire. He advised King Yadu thus, “The elephant is unparalleled, like a king. The elephant looks so majestic and strong. But, the elephant has excessive lust. It usually wanders around with female elephants. It wanders around while avoiding getting captured. That’s how well it protects itself very well. Then, they use a female elephant as bait and capture the male elephant. Normally, hunters lure the male elephant using the female elephant as a bait. Because infatuation towards woman is so dangerous, they are telling us once again using the elephant as an example that seekers who restrain their sense organs should always be cautious.

Desires are of many kinds. We discussed that of all the various desires, desire for women is very dangerous. We are being taught that this is an obstacle in reaching the highest goal. When the seeker eliminates the thorns and walks on flowers, he will attain realization. The Guru’s only aim is to uplift his disciple. Towards that goal, the Guru endures any amount of hard work in making his disciple shine like a diamond. What amazing examples we are being told here. They are teaching us about the 24 Gurus. We are being taught in great detail about each Guru. The Guru’s only aim is for the disciple to become the best among mankind. That is why we are being taught these valuable lessons. The Guru wants the disciple to learn these lessons even if the disciple feels guilty or insulted. There is no need to feel that way.

Episode 186

Honey bee. There is nothing wrong with earning wealth and material possessions. You’ve earned material possessions, you are earning wealth, what’s wrong with that? Nothing wrong with that. If you earn only as much as you need, that’s good for you. But, you are earning more, that’s okay. Just remember that earning more than you need brings problems. Even though there is nothing wrong with earning more than you need, it does pose dangers. It brings sorrows. Sometimes, the wealth you’ve accumulated to support yourself through life dwindles. We face great losses. Even after earning so much, if we get greedy for more and gamble like you would with a lottery, all the earnings are lost. A millionaire becomes a pauper. He makes his dependents helpless. This is the secret behind why great souls keep exhorting us to walk the path of Dharma.

Dharma protects us. It keeps our bad qualities in check. It increases the goodness in us and gives us happiness. Dharma makes people who seek refuge in it, fearless. Life goes on smoothly. The wise and the knowledgeable should understand these subtle aspects. Avadhoota Swamy taught to King Yadu what he learned from the honey bee, “A sage must not be interested in any object. A seeker must not hoard those objects, otherwise he develops attachment to those and goes down the wrong path. The mind gets destroyed. That is why, he must lead a life without any kind of ostentation. He must live, making his hands his begging bowl. A seeker who sincerely years for liberation should not hang a sign saying he’s renounced everything in the world while holding on to various belongings. That is why, if you say you have renounced everything, you must really let go of everything. Considering your hands as your begging bowl, you must eat from them whatever alms you receive and pray to God without any desire and with a calm mind. That means, such a seeker must live making his own hands his begging bowl. Swamiji, during his childhood, has been with such noble souls who lived that way.

One must eat only enough to fulfill his hunger. One must not have a desire to keep eating more once the stomach is full. Nor should he hoard for dinner the alms received, anticipating bad weather in the evening or owing to his inability to go out for alms. Be careful, you should only eat whatever you get and be content. Unless you implement such rigorous practices, breaking free from desires and attachments will be impossible.

The honey bee works very hard in gathering nectar from each flower. It flies to each flower, draws the nectar and stores it in one place. It hides the honey as if it’s a treasure. One day, someone else will steal the treasure. He will smoke out the beehive and take away the honey. All the efforts of the honey bee who was the owner of the treasure until them become futile. It cannot even enjoy anything. Keeping the honey bee in mind, a seeker should also earn only as much food as necessary.

Episode 187

Now, let us learn a little about the honey bee. We discussed that the honey bee works very hard in gathering nectar from each flower. It flies to each flower, draws the nectar and stores it in one place. It hides the honey as if it’s a great treasure. We discussed that one day, someone else will steal the treasure. He will smoke out the beehive and take away the honey. All the efforts of the honey bee, which was the owner of the treasure until then, become futile. Until the honey is stolen, the bee is very pleased with its big store of honey, its big box of honey. It stores the honey in the box and drinks the honey over a month. During that time, it doesn’t fly anywhere, just enjoys drinking the honey. Every bee in the hive thinks greatly of itself, it is happy thinking the honey belongs to it.

When the honey gatherer smokes out the beehive and drives away the bees, the bees’ distress is hard to see. The effort of the bees in gathering the honey becomes futile because the bee did not even enjoy the fruit of its efforts. Instead of enjoying what it gathered right the next day, it stores the honey to enjoy it later on, after the full moon, perhaps. Don’t know what that calculation is and why God made it like that.

Keeping the honey bee in mind, a seeker should also gather only as much food as necessary. If he stores the food for the afternoon or for the evening, he will lose like the honey bee does. It he hoards for another day, for another year, what’s going to happen? Someone else will take away whatever he has. Caught in the web of desires, he gets ruined. They are giving this example to tell the seeker that instead of hoarding objects, one must making life fulfilling by engaging in earning knowledge, because knowledge cannot be stolen.

Next, animal. What did I learn from animal? Man is very intelligent. Animal has no intelligence. Intellect is the only difference between the two. That is why, an intelligent man should not live like an animal.

Jantunaam nara janma durlabham

Sankara Bhagavatpada described in many texts, especially in Viveka Choodamani the greatness of the human birth. One must make his life fulfilling and not waste it away. Living righteously, he must undertake tasks related to Dharma He must fill his life with Dharma. He must gather knowledge and strengthen his mind. He must control his sense organs and rein them in. He must slowly bring his mind under control. These are a must to living a disciplined life. If you want to live a disciplined life, you have to apply these in your life.

We do not know where bad things may come from, but when man lives with knowledge and awareness, there is no need for any kind of fear. He will withstand bad from any direction. That is why, a seeker should never accept things that increase his desires. Those who encourage those desires should be kept at a distance. He must be careful around them. He must be disinterested in those matters, “I know it, it’s okay, I don’t need it. I am happy with what I have”. Only when you can be this way, can you win. That is why elders tell us to always stay away from the wicked.

Episode 188

We were talking about the seeker and the lessons learned from the deer. We discussed that the seeker should never accept things that increase his desires. Those who encourage those desires in us should be kept at a distance, we should stay away from them. We must inculcate disinterest in those matters. That is why elders advise us to always stay away from the wicked.

Everybody wants to live a happy life, nobody wishes for unhappiness and sorrow. That is why, Avadhoota Swamy taught us, “Do not live like a deer, live like a human being, use your intellect to find out who you are and to uplift yourself. Otherwise, just as the deer in the forest who is lost in music gets captured by a hunter and puts itself in danger, a foolish man lacks control over his sense organs due to which he gets caught in the web of desires and gets ruined”. It does not mean that the deer should not listen to music. It can. However, it should be aware of the dangers it may encounter. If it instead closes its eyes and loses itself in the music, a hunter will capture the animal and take it away. On the other hand, if the deer is careful, if it keeps its sense organs in check and enjoys the music while being careful, that would keep it away from danger. Because you are engaged in one task, you should not forget the other tasks. Listening to music, if the farmer forgets to watch over his paddy field, the donkeys will eat the harvest and walk away. If the farmer who is watching over the field listens to music in ecstasy while still carefully watching over the field, there is nothing wrong with it. The poor deer has no intelligence. That is why, man who is endowed with intelligence, must make all efforts to keep his mind in control. You are not a deer. If you succumb to music like that, you will face danger. That is why, man should use his intelligence to keep his mind in control. He must make all efforts to keep his mind in control. Because the mind is hard to control, it should be concentrated on the Guru’s feet. That is why (it is said in the Guru Ashtakam):

Sloka (from Sankaracharya’s Guru Ashtakam):
Sareeram suroopam thatha va kalathram,
Yasascharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam,
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thathah kim thatha kim, thatha kim thatha kim

If the mind is not absorbed at the Sadguru’s feet, there is no use. Even if it’s done forcibly, one who concentrates his mind on the Guru’s feet will be benefited, he will definitely be benefited. Avadhoota Swamy described all this to the King Yadu saying he learned about restraint of sense organs from the animals. Those who do not keep their mind in control are not even human. We should learn from this example and try to uplift ourselves.

Next, they talked about the fish. Remember that there is a difference in contentment between the older days and these days. There has been a lot of change since the older days. There were not many amenities back in the day, but everybody lived comfortably and happily. They were content with what they had and spent their life happily. Today, we have many modern comforts within reach. Science has progressed greatly. Yet, we are lacking when it comes to satisfaction.

Back in the day, people may not have been that well educated. Were they not knowledgeable? Many people that didn’t have much formal education became very knowledgeable. You should not assume that people back in the day were not at all educated. Some had greater education than we have today. Didn’t they have great knowledge, weren’t they knowledgeable?

Episode 189

There is a difference in contentment between the older days and these days. There were not many amenities back in the day, but everybody lived comfortably and happily. They were content with what they had and spent their life happily. Moreover, they had a lifespan of 120 years. If you go further back, people had a lifespan of 300 years; if you go even further back, they had a life span of 600 years. Like that, people lived a life of contentment. The kept everything within limits. They lived a life of discipline. Today, we have many modern comforts within reach. Science has also progressed greatly. Yet, we are lacking when it comes to satisfaction.

Back in the day, were people educated? So, were they not intelligent? They were great people, they were intelligent, remember. Similarly, people today are also intelligent, but they don’t know the secret of life. Even after being so intelligent, they don’t know the secret. That is, they still don’t know the secret of living life. People back in the day learned well, the secret of life. Those who know the secret of life understand that there is no point in building a mansion of desires. Sometimes, desire takes away life, it lands us in trouble. Due to desires, we will have to live a life of difficulty and distress.

Just as one can understand that a beautiful mansion made of mirrors cannot stand in the sky, one should understand that there is no use in a beautiful and impossible desire. Avadhoota Swamy is teaching the seeker to break free from desires. With intelligence, one should understand the nature of desires. One should examine whether desires can be fulfilled or not. One should have a sound sense of discrimination. The ones that are possible and noble can be implemented. Then, there is safety and welfare. The desire will be fulfilled even without necessarily examining it.

The fisherman throws a hook to capture fish. The fisherman has a bait on the hook. The fish, desiring the bait, gets caught in the hook. The big lake has a variety of food, yet the fish, out of greed, goes after the bait knowing fully well that it would get caught. Further, the bait is a dead worm, it’s not even tasty. The fish, trying to get the bait, gets caught in the hook. They even lose their life in this attempt. The seeker should not succumb to desires like a fish. If he runs after useless desires, he will kill himself. In ignorance, the being should not become a slave to the sense organ of tongue and bring danger to himself.

Episode 190

We discussed that the fish, trying to get the bait, get caught in the hook. We said that the fisherman throws a hook to catch the fish. The fisherman places a bait on the hook to attract the fish. The fish, desiring the bait, get caught in the hook. They even lose their life in this attempt. The seeker should not succumb to desires like a fish. If he runs after useless desires, he will kill himself. Filled with ignorance, the being should not become a slave to the sense organ of tongue and bring danger to himself. He must gain knowledge, learn about contentment and be satisfied with what he has. Then, greed will not take him over. Discrimination and knowledge will take a foothold. Such discrimination and knowledge will also reveal to us what kind of ruin the web of desires bring us. It keeps the seeker within appropriate limits and protects him.

The 17th Guru is a prostitute named Pingala. Let us see what we can learn from this.

This creation is full of surprises and marvels. There are many things to learn from people in the lower strata of society. Do not think you cannot learn anything from people in the lower strata of society. The subtle aspects reveal themselves only to people who have a broad perspective. One gains the company of noble souls and equanimity of outlook only when one has has a broad perspective.

That is why, with the grace of noble souls, one must practice having a broad perspective. Avadhoota Swamy was great. Datta Swamy was very great. Because he had a very big and a broad outlook, he taught King Yadu what learned from the prostitute Pingala.

In the country of Vidarbha, a prostitute named Pingala earned a lot of money using her beauty and charm. One day Pingala did not get any customers. She grew tired and weary. Her disappointment led to dispassion. “What is this? I did not get any money today…”. She was disgusted with her profession and even her life. Her disgust increased her dispassion. She gave up her desire for money. She dedicated her life to Sri Hari. She centered her mind on Hari. The reason for this change in her was Hari.

The ignorance ones think that desires lead to happiness. They take refuge in the false happiness of desires. Man is fundamentally full of desires, but his desires should further a noble cause. Unless it furthers a noble cause, it is not a worthy desire. If the desire is not fulfilled, it leads to disappointment and sorrow. We thought that it was the desires that drove all the noble causes. But, those are not really desires. If the desire is not fulfilled, it causes sorrow. To withstand this sorrow, there is no other means except refuge in the Guru. Guru teaches dispassion. He fixes and improves our lives.

Episode 191

We discussed that if desire is not fulfilled, it causes sorrow. To withstand this sorrow, there is no other means except refuge in the Guru. Guru teaches dispassion. He fixes and improves our lives and makes us human. He teaches us the ways to get out of the web of desires.

Dispassion is a part of our lives. If we have dispassion, we learn to face our sorrows. We learn to courageously overcome those sorrows. Studying scriptures like Bhagavad Gita helps develop our mind and intellect. It teaches us to lead this journey of life smoothly.

Asahi paramam dukham, nairasyam paramam sukham

This tells us that desires lead to the deepest sorrows and lack of desires lead to the highest happiness. Avadhoota Swamy told King Yadu that this is what he learned from the prostitute. A seeker who limits his desires to those that are possible and combines them with a little dispassion and leads his life accordingly will not be affected by joys or sorrows. Be careful.

Next, bird. For the human birth to be fulfilled, attachments should be removed first. In reality, nothing is eternal. Man created bonds and attachments, wealth and mansions. They do not last forever. Reputation and prestige last. It does not even take a second to behave badly. But, it takes a lot of effort to be good. Too much attachment ends up as a roadblock to man’s progress.

Excessive attachment is the reason some children end up being stubborn. Attachment benefits only when it is within limits. It can increase good will and affection. Attachment should be kept well in control. When we show excessive attachment, children are spoiled, the mind gets spoiled, the family get spoiled, friends get spoiled, reputation and prestige get spoiled. One must not have unrestrained and uncontrolled attachment. Attachment should always be under control.

King Parikshit who had a curse earlier, heard the Bhagavatam completely from Suka Maharishi. He sacrificed his attachments and his love for life and thereby attained liberation. King Parikshit heard completely the essence of the Bhagavatam from the parrot-faced Suka Maharishi. That is why, he was able to let go of his attachments and love for life and attain liberation. In Mahabharata, King Dhritarashtra had uncontrollable affection for his sons (the Kauravas) due to which he became of the cause of ruin of the great Kuru empire.

Attachment resides in the mind. There are six enemies in us. The Guru is the only one who can find and extricate those enemies from us. We do not even realize their presence. Those six enemies have taken shelter in us. Let’s move ahead and learn about these six enemies.

Episode 192

Attachment resides in the mind. We discussed that the mind along with the six enemies in us leads us to commit sins. The Guru is perhaps the only one who can find and extricate those enemies from us. Attachment leads to such grave consequences. Avadhoota Swamy taught this lesson to King Yadu using the example of the Osprey.

One day, an Osprey was very happy to find a piece of meat. It wanted to sit comfortably and eat the meat. It grasped the piece of meat in its beak and began to fly away. A few other birds saw the bird and began attacking it for the meat. The Osprey had to put its life in danger to protect its food. It let go of its attachment for the food and immediately dropped the food from its beak. The birds stopped attacking the Osprey and went after the meat. The Osprey escaped imminent danger and saved its life. It then flew away. It would have worked out better if the bird quietly sat on a tree and ate the piece of meat. But, it flew all over the sky to show everyone that it captured the meat. Would the other birds let it be? The other birds attacked the Osprey and took away the meat. The Osprey let go of the meat to save its life.

Similarly, a Yogi too should let of of his attachments for the objects he acquires. Avadhoota Swamy is seeing a Guru in every object, every bird, every little parrot, every ant. That is what we should learn to do. What do we do? We see these things with different feelings, with different desires. So, this is an example to show that we should let go of attachment. We should lead a simple life without ostentation. We should not associate with these things. Avadhoota Swamy taught that we should realize that attachment is the seed for sorrow to sprout. The Osprey taught that happiness is in letting go, not in holding on to things. We conclude from this that a seeker who learns from this and gives up the things that bring sorrow will gain equanimity of mind.

Next, boy. Among the phases of life, childhood is very precious. It is very important. The time spent during childhood is like a golden dream. Childhood is a great fortune, it’s a gift. The mind is tender and innocent in that phase. The mind is not even developed that phase. In childhood, there is no knowledge or awareness about any aspect of life. That is why, parents must build the character of their children at that time, they should not ignore it. You must not say, “He’s just growing up”, “He’s a boy, we don’t have to worry about him”, “She’ a girl, we don’t have to worry about it” etc. A boy’s mind is always on toys and strange objects. He is always interested in them and collects them and keeps them near him. He always plays with them. He spends time with them. He always cries for them, and is stubborn about them. Once he gets them, he is very happy. He places them near him when he goes to bed. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 193

In childhood, there is no knowledge or awareness about any aspect of life. That is why, parents should remember to take responsibility for inculcating discipline in their children and building their character. A boy’s mind is always on toys and strange objects. He is always attracted to them. He stubbornly cries for them. Once he gets them, he is very happy. A boy often keeps laughing to himself.

A boy has no bondages, no sorrows. Avadhoota Swamy is teaching us that the Yogi should be like a boy. Yogi should realize the Supreme Truth and find his inner happiness. Just as a boy is free from worry, a seeker of Yoga too should be free from worry. The boy is not affected by the six vices (Arishadvargas – kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya), he does not know anything, he is calm. Similarly, a Yogi too should be calm. The boy does not know anything, he is innocent. The Yogi should absorb the innocence from the boy and learn to be humble. He must never reveal his state to anyone.

In reality there are only two kinds of people that are free from all worry. One is the boy and the other is the person who is beyond the three attributes (gunas: sattva, rajas, tamas). A Yogi should never reveal his spiritual practices to anyone. He should earn his spiritual wealth while remaining humble, as if he does not know anything. He must try to become the person who is beyond the three attributes. Only then will he achieve his spiritual goals.

Outward trappings and fanfare will not allow spiritual progress. Many obstacles will come up and will impede spiritual practice. That is why, Avadhoota Swamy is teaching that in spiritual practice, a seeker should be like a boy. It is much better for the seeker of Yoga to say, “I don’t know, I would like to know”, than to say, “I know it all”. That will benefit the seeker and will protect his spiritual practice. Otherwise, ego will take root and all the hard work will be wasted. The Yogi will fall from Yogic grace. A seeker of Yoga who is always like a boy will go beyond the three attributes.

Next, maiden. To write a good poem, to meditate or to analyze the future course of action, solitude is necessary. How much we can be in solitude depends on our state of mind. Solitude helps us look back at our actions and analyze them as well as think about what we need to do in the future. Solitude should be used for good deeds to attain good results, but not for bad deeds. Avoiding duty and sitting in a corner to find solitude will only bring sorrow.

Episode 194

Solitude should be used for good deeds, to attain good results, but not for bad deeds. Avoiding duty and sitting in a corner like you are a great explorer of solitudewill only bring sorrow. There is also the danger the person turning insane sometimes. He’ll go crazy. Desiring the welfare of the world, learned sages took the help of solitude to earn great merit from penance. They continue to do so even today. One must have such a noble desire – a desire for the welfare of others.

All merit earned from penance was dedicated to the world and it continues to be dedicated to the world. Everybody should use solitude for a little while each day to examine their thoughts and mind. They must earn the benefits of that. Avadhoota Swamy taught King Yadu what he learned from the maiden:

In a village, there lived a maiden in a poor family. A few elders went to the maiden’s house to finalize a marriage proposal for her. There was no one else in the house besides the maiden at that time. The maiden who had to take care of feeding her guests went inside the house. The sack of rice was filled with paddy. She took some paddy and started pounding it to get rice. When the bangles on her wrists began jingling, she felt that her guests would find out about her state of poverty. She removed the bangles and keeping just two on each wrist, continued pounding. Those two bangles were also jingling. The maiden wanted to pound silently, so she only kept one bangle on each wrist and continued to pound. The jingling stopped and she was able to pound silently.

Based on this incident, you must realize one thing. When a lot of people gather in one place, quarrels ensue. If three people gather, talking starts. When two people get together, arguments begin. Where there is only one, peace ensues. That is why, solitude is best. This is proof that every person must spend a little time each day in silence. A Yogi should wish for solitude. Solitude brings great protection to a seeker and to a Yogi. In these days, people find it difficult to be in silence. “So much silence, Oh my God, I’m unable to take it, I need some sound”. They will play some music or play some drums and take pleasure in those sounds. A lot of people who come to the Ashrama cannot sleep in the night. They keep walking around. Why? “We cannot sleep because it is so silent here”. That is why some people bring tape recorders to play while sleeping. They are not playing bhajans. These people are sleeping happily to the tape playing sounds of buses and traffic. That is how some people fall asleep.

Episode 195

Spider. God’s creation is a wonder of wonders. It is not even possible to imagine. Everything looks so magnificent. Heavy mountains standing on earth, heavy mountains standing at the edge of great oceans cause amazement. Even the blooming of the flowers, the growing of fruits, the harvesting of crops within the boundaries of the boundaries of the five elements of Nature, the water bodies staying still on earth, the sun and moon following their discipline, the stars balancing in the sky, all following the rules of Nature, cause bewilderment. This is not a creation just described by some poet, or a sketch that is drawn. This is God’s creation. Everything is in the place it should be. He knows that, that brings balance. He is providing for people in those places to be benefited appropriately with his creation. He created living beings. He gave them freedom within the boundaries of Nature.

Sometimes, when we go out and look at the sky sometimes, it seems so fascinating. It’s so majestic. Sky, ocean, mountains, hill, stars, trees, colorful flowers, delicious fruits, rivers, birds flying in the sky – what a creation! Is it possible for anyone to create this? No one can do this. God alone is responsible for this creation. Such a creation should cause us so much amazement.

God has filled everything and everyone with his energy. He filled this creation with so many wonders so we can discover and learn about him. All this is his play. God’s only desire is for his creation and the children from his creation to be happy. That is why, for universal welfare, he created some processes. We need to adapt to those.

We should make use of what God has given has provided us with. That does not mean you can say, “I will fetch the water out of the ocean”, “I will turn the earth upside down”. That is not possible. One should not cause any difficulty to Nature. Otherwise, there will be natural disasters that will bring difficulty to everyone. That is why God’s creation plan should be learned and understood from elders. One should understand God’s form and try to reach him. One should realize that God who created such beautiful creation is also our provider. He provides food for all living beings. He is the one creates and preserves creation, and also dissolves the creation in the end, merging everyone into him. Sometimes, we are amazed when we unearth ruins that were buried eons ago. We feel great respect for God at those times. God, who is the most powerful has an intense desire for everyone to become like him.

Episode 196

God, who is the most powerful has an intense desire for everyone to become like him. That is why, he exists as the Atman in everyone. The seeker should perceivethe God that pervades the entire universe. That is why, Avadhoota Swamy taught King Yadu the principle of creation he learned from the spider.

The spider stirs the threads in its stomach and brings them out through its mouth to weave the web. It plays with the web for some time. Later, it swallows the web. In the same manner, God too creates the universe through maya. He nourishes it for some time. Eventually, he unites it back with himself. This God-given opportunity is precious. One who utilizes this opportunity properly without wasting time will become the best among mankind. He will become like God himself.

Next, snake. While describing the 24 Gurus, Avadhoota Swamy talked about the important requirements of spiritual practice necessary for a seeker. He is now talking about the lessons he learned from the snake. In life, silence, vigilance, awakeness and solitude are very important. In carrying out one’s duty, a little rest is necessary for the mind, body, intellect and sense organs. That will be possible only when there is silence. After getting that rest, one is energized. One can then carry out one’s duty with renewed enthusiasm. Silence aids this process.

Vigilance indicates being aware at all times. Always being aware of right and wrong, never allowing lapses and following a disciplined process shows vigilance. If one follows a process without vigilance, there is no use. Vigilance is very important for carrying out one’s duty and for spiritual practice.

One must be aware of what he’s doing. That is awakeness. Some people may be sitting in a chair, their eyes may be open and looking at something, their lips may be moving in speech, their hand may be moving in writing, or they are shaking their leg, but if someone suddenly asks them their name, they cannot answer. This is not the state of awakeness, it is absent-mindedness. That is not good and should not be there. One should always be fully aware. Solitude greatly aids and promotes us in carrying out our duty. It helps us achieve our goal.

Arjuna alone mastered archery in solitude. We all know that Arjuna achieved tremendous skill in rapidly shooting arrows using both hands. He had the massive ocean-like Kaurava army trembling in fear

Episode 197

Avadhoota Swamy is teaching King Yadu thus: A follower of Yoga should always be noiseless like the snake in his pursuit of Yoga. Every step he takes should be with full awareness and caution. The spiritual wealth should be secretly hidden. He must lead a life without ostentation in places worthy of inhabitation. He must survive on the roots and vegetables available in Nature. He must live with vigilance and awareness. Absent-mindedness should be discarded. The seeker that practices these will be calm and pleasant. His life will progress without any worries or anxieties.

Next, Avadhoota Swamy is talking about what he learned from the Arrow Maker. Let us learn a little more about the qualities essential to a seeker. The dos and don’ts of a seeker are being explained through the 24 Gurus. Avadhoota Swamy is talking about the 23rd Guru – the Arrow Maker.

He is talking about the most important characteristic a seeker must have. Mind is the root cause for thoughts to take birth, for those thoughts to take on a form and for the intellect to bloom. If one uses the mind for complete concentration, the task at hand will be successful. Otherwise, the outcome will be half-baked and full of defects. That is why our elders keep reminding us to put our mind to our studies or to put our mind to the task at hand. This tell us how important the mind is.

The mind is very fickle, it runs in all directions. One should hold the mind and keep it steady. The mind is always fickle, it never stays steady. It is very hard to restrain the mind. Sri Sankara Bhagavatapada revealed an expedient way in Shivananda Lahari” “In the forest of my heart, there is a monkey called mind that is always wavering and running here and there. It is not getting captured, it is not getting under control. O God! I am putting it under your control. Please sit in my heart. Please catch hold of the monkey called mind”.

Unless the mind is, first and foremost, surrendered to God, it cannot be controlled. In other words, they are saying that the mind will not be steered in the right direction until it is first surrendered to God. That is the real medicine. Avadhoota Swamy is teaching this great lesson using the Arrow Maker as an example.

The Arrow Maker does not care about the commotion surrounding him. No amount of noise bothers him. Even if a huge procession of the King and his army is passing by with much fanfare, he is oblivious to it. Avadhoota Swamy is indicating that the arrow maker has so much concentration and focus in making the arrows.

Episode 198

Avadhoota Swamy is teaching great lessons using the example of the Arrow Maker. The Arrow Maker does not care about any amount of commotion surrounding him. He has concentration. No amount of noise bothers him. He has concentration. Even if a huge procession of the King and his army is passing by with much fanfare, he is oblivious to it. He has concentration. That means, the Arrow Maker has extreme concentration in the making of the arrows and as much focus on his aim. He has intense concentration. His mind is steady without any wavering. Similarly, the seeker should have concentration in his spiritual practice. He should always be focused on his aim. That aim is very important. Regardless of the commotion surrounding him, his mind be unaffected and steady.

One should learn to make his mind steady from the Arrow Maker. Mind is very important. The mind alone is the cause of joys and sorrows. That is why elders keep teaching us various ways to restrain our mind. They teach us ways to restrain our mind using various tasks, various arts and various mantras and yantras. One who restrains his mind becomes great. The seeker who learns to restrain his mind and allows the intellect to bloom will become a good siddha (one who has achieved spiritual realization and supernatural power).

Next, the 24th Guru. The bee. We are learning about the 24 Gurus. Avadhoota Swamy is finally telling King Yadu about this 24th Guru. When we introspect, we see that the characteristics to be practiced by a seeker have been explained in a methodical manner.

To start with, the seeker should have discipline, patience and forbearance. While mingling with everyone, he should remain detached. He must realize that Atman is eternal. His behavior must be pleasant. While keeping his spiritual practice and accomplishments a secret, he should learn to reveal it only if the situation so demands. He must see God in everyone. He must realize that the Atman has no modifications, that the same Atman pervades every living being and that the Atman is completely pure. He should refrain from being overly friendly. He should let go of attachments. He should be content with what he has. He should be steady, profound and unwavering. He should not ruin himself by getting deluded by the expected fruits of his actions. He must learn to see good in others, especially if one has a predominantly good nature. He must not always keep finding faults in others thinking that he alone knows everything and is great and everyone else is dishonest and knows nothing, that he alone is strict and pure. He must learn to absorb good qualities from others while leaving out their faults. He must collect good qualities from others. Just because he sees faults in them, he should not dismiss the good qualities in them.
Let’s continue recapitulating.

Episode 199

We are being told here that Avadhoota Swamy is teaching how a seeker should pursue his spiritual practice and realize its benefits. They are not just talking about spiritual practice, but are explaining how one can attain the fruits of one’s practice in a systematic manner. We all like to know the significance and outcome of our spiritual practice. Just as we customarily do Aarati (part of the ritual in which the light from wicks soaked in ghee or from camphor is offered to the deities) and receive Teertham (holy water or liquid blessed by worship) at the conclusion of our worship, we like to know the fruits of our spiritual practice.

A devotee should become like the bee. That means he should only focus on God. An insect that is in the bee’s nest is always thinking about the bee eventually becoming a bee itself. Reason? Because the insect does not know when the bee will come back and sting it, when the bee will transmit its radiance and light to the insect. So, the insect is constantly worried and thinking about the bee eventually turning into the bee itself. Similarly, when the devotee always contemplates on God, he will slowly develop the characteristics of God and become God himself. That is why we feel that some great souls have the compassionate heart of God. Reason? They are always contemplating on God. When we see them, we feel like we are seeing God. Seeing them gives us a lot of peace. We even develop the faith that seeing them removes all our anxieties. They do not even need to talk to us. There are many stories where devotees worship certain deities and gain the form of those deities. We have also seen many worshipers of certain deities looking like the deities themselves.

The seeker should focus his mind on the Guru. The Guru Gita states that we should offer obeisances facing the direction the Guru is in (even if the Guru is in a different part of the world). We should rise to the state where we would not even point our feet in the direction that the Guru may (physically) be in (even if he is in a different part of the world). One should constantly think, “What might my Guru be doing now? Is my Guru meditating? Is my Guru talking to someone?” The seeker should put into practice the teachings taught by the Guru. Then the seeker will also become as great as the Guru.

Avadhoota Swamy is finally stating that the seeker should have the qualities of the bee. Through the examples of the 24 Gurus, Avadhoota Swamy blessed the world with great teachings on what the seeker’s qualities should be.
May Avadhoota Swamy who is Lord Dattatreya himself, who was teaching King Yadu these great lessons on the 24 Gurus, bless that the qualities of the 24 Gurus get soaked into your mind and uplift you. Lord Dattatreya revealed his qualities himself. It is impossible for anyone else to explain his qualities. Who else but the Guru, can explain the Guru Principle? Only following the Guru’s explanation, we may be able to describe the same.

Lord Shiva himself became the Guru and explained the Guru Principle to Mother Goddess Parvati. Did Mother Goddess ask the question for her own sake? She is part of Shiva – Siva is Ardhanareeswara. (Ardhanareeswara – Lord Shiva is half Parvati and half Shiva). The thoughts in Lord Shiva’s mind are also in Mother Goddess’ mind. So, where is the need for her to ask this question? She did it all for us. May Lord Dattatreya remove ignorance from the minds of those who listen to and discuss the Guru Principle over and over again. May he merge their minds into him. Lord Dattatreya teaches devotees about his qualities and then unites them with himself, just like he did with Pingala Naga.

Episode 200

Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah
Sri Saraswatyai Namah
Sri Pada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namah

Cakresu yoga pratibhasitesu
Tatta surali vapusa jvalantam |
Samasta beejaksara laksya bhutam
Dattam gurum cetasi bhavayami ||

The principle and miracles of Lord Datta are not easy to understand. But, if we examine them, we will see that they are always for universal welfare. The Lord is like wind. The wind comes in contact with the flames of a lamp on one hand, and the funeral pyre on the other; it comes in contact with Brahmarishis (great sages) on one hand and with barbarians on the other. Yet, wind is untainted. Similarly, the Guru of the three worlds, that great Yogi, is untouched by the purity resulting from righteousness or the impurity from unrighteousness. Virtue and vices cannot touch him. He has neither attachments nor is he trying to break free of attachments. Dull-witted persons, not knowing this, aspire to bind Lord Datta with worldly laws. They fall from Dharma and get destroyed.

The story of Jambhasura helps us understand this very clearly. That is why, let us learn the story and try to grasp the inner meaning. Let us try to understand the greatness of the Sadguru.

Once upon a time, a demon named Jambhasura, having become invincible by the power of penance, invaded heaven. He drove Indra and other Gods out of heaven, who had to run for their lives. When Indra sought help from Bruhaspati, the Guru to the Gods, Bruhaspati consulted with the sages sitting around him and advised Indra thus, “Indra, Lord Datta alone can save you from this calamity. That great soul, that Sadguru, alone can save you. You should approach him. Out of affection for you, who are my disciple, I am revealing another secret. Listen. One God likes Abhisheka (Lord Siva is said to like Abhhisheka – pouring libations on the image of the deity being worshiped), another God likes being decorated (Lord Vishnu is said to like being decorated), another God may like prostrations. But, our Lord Datta likes testing. Saduguru’s tests are like that. If he is to grant liberation, he needs to test. Otherwise, it’s not possible. He will test in many different ways. But, do not let go of him. Until he blesses you, do not let go. Like the wind, he has no attachments, like the flame of a lamp, he is unwavering. Now, go”. Saying this, he bid Indra to approach Lord Datta. When Indra reached Lord Datta, the Lord was engaged in apparently frivolous activity with a woman.

That is a big test for Indra. The Lord’s disciples were attending to whatever he needed. Indra had his Guru Bruhaspati’s instructions, firmly fixed in his mind. He clearly remembered his own Guru’s teachings about this universal Sadguru Lord Dattatreya. Without any doubt, he began serving the Lord. The Lord insulted Indra and asked him to leave. Yet, Indra, without any fickleness, continued serving the Lord.

Episode 201

Finally, one day, Lord Datta said, “Indra, King of Gods, I know why you came to me. But, I am a man of pleasures. I cannot help you”. Indra folded his hands and pleaded with Lord Datta, “Swamy, don’t test me anymore. You are not a man of pleasures. You are certainly not a man of Yoga either. But, I know one thing. You are neither of these. You are Yoga yourself. You are neither a man of Yoga, nor a man of pleasures, nor a man of sacrifice. You are Yoga yourself. Virtues and vices cannot touch you. You are the sinless Anagha Swamy. The Mother next to you is the power of yoga, manifested as Anagha Lakshmi. We know that the Mother next to you is not a woman of pleasures either. She is the power of Yoga, not just Mother Goddess, but the power of Yoga. That is why she is Anagha Lakshmi. You are both Lakshmi and Narayana (Lord Vishnu and his consort). Please bless me”.

Lord Datta smiled, “If you bring your enemy to my presence, your work will be done. Consider it done if you can put them in front of me. You will not have to worry about anything at all”. Then Indra challenged Jambhasura and the demos to a battle and cleverly had them end up in the Sahyadri mountains while fighting. He made sure Lord Datta’s eyes fell on them. At that time Lord Datta looked like a mad man and Anagha Devi, a woman of rare and enchanting beauty. It was a strange sight indeed. Jambha and other demons were infatuated with her beauty. They did not like the fact that the beautiful lady was with the mad man. They ran to them, pulled the mad man aside and put the beautiful woman in a palanquin. The crazy demons lifted the palanquin itself and placed it on their heads.

Indra and the Gods were worried, but Lord Datta who was not at all worried burst into a laughter. “Your work is done. Their work is finished”. Lord Datta continued looking at the demons while imparting knowledge to the Gods. “Lakshmi dwells in seven positions in the human body. When she dwells in the feet, they will have the fortune of living in large mansions. When she dwells in the thighs, they will receive beautiful clothes. When she dwells in his private parts, he will live happily with his wife. When she dwells in the chest, it will result in fulfillment of desires. When she dwells in the neck, they will receive jewelry and ornaments.and have the support of relatives. If she dwells in the face, she confers an abundance of food through all lifetimes, absolute power in words and the ability to compose poetry. After traversing these six places, when Lakshmi gets on to the head, she will leave. That person will be ruined. That is why, we should never keep Lakshmi on our heads. It is like saying, “his insanity has gone to his head” (it means the insanity is aggravated). The powerful demons are now rendered powerless. Now, you can go and earn back your kingdom”. As soon as Lord Datta said this, Anagha Lakshmi jumped from the palanquin and stood near Lord Datta.

Indra killed Jambhasura while the other gods killed the rest of the demons. They earned back their kingdom of heaven. For universal welfare, the greatest Yogi, Lord Datta, showed such amazing miracles with his Yogic power. The Lord’s miracles were all only to uplift the worlds. He cleanses thoroughly with his tests and purifies those who believe in him. He continues to keep them pure. He bestows knowledge along with wealth, abundance, and education. The Sadguru’s miracles are so great.

Episode 202

Complete realization of the Supreme occurs only with the Sadguru’s grace. Even incarnations of the divine like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna set examples for us by learning all knowledge from a Guru. Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada who, in this new age, spread the glory of Sanatana Dharma to the four corners of the planet also approached and served a Guru. When young Sankara was a year old, he already knew alphabets, words, phrases and big sentences. By the time he was two, he knew other languages. At three, he completed the study of sound, poetry and drama and began the study of scriptures. By five years of age, he started the study of Vedas. Sankara could grasp and recount whatever was taught to him by his Guru just once. Generally, the intelligent learners study throughout the year and finish the study of the Veda within the year. A lot of people take 12 years to study a Veda, but Swamy (Sankara Bhagavadpada) finished the thorough study of each Veda within a year.

In that tender age, he also developed Vak Siddhi (ability for the spoken word to come true).

An impoverished housewife used to be very sad about her inability to give nothing but a gooseberry in alms. Sankara made it rain gold in her house. For the sake of his mother, he had river Poorna flow in front of the house. In due course, he achieved mastery and excellence in all kinds of knowledge. He inquired into the truth in the Upanishads. He achieved mastery in the Science of Logic and the Science of Reasoning. He grasped the secrets in numerology. With the intense desire to make knowledge of the Supreme easily accessible to everyone, Sankara adopted Sanyasa (path of renunciation) with this mother’s permission and set out to have darshana (seeing a divine being) of his Sadguru.

Guru alone is capable of removing the doubts in the mind. He alone can give us knowledge. How? By removing ignorance. He can show us the path to ending the cycle of births and deaths. To have darshana of such a Sadguru, Sankara walked went through villages and forests, crossed rivers and reached the banks of river Narmada. There, he fell at the feet of Govinda Bhagavadpada and humbly prayed to him thus:

“In the devotee who seeks refuge, you are the Sadguru who breaks through the 8 nooses of aversion, suspicion, behaviour, caste, strength, fear, attachment and compassion and then bestows purity. I am seeking refuge in you, who blesses us with yoga, and am waiting for your command”

The old and learned Govinda Bhagavadpada was awaiting the arrival of an eligible disciple. He questioned Sankara, “Son, who are you?”. Then, Sankara said, “Swamy, I am not the five elements”. Let’s see what he says next.

Episode 203

We discussed that Sankara reached Govinda Bhavadpada, prostrated at his feet and humbly said:

“In the devotee who seeks refuge, you are the Sadguru who breaks through the 8 nooses of aversion, suspicion, behaviour, caste, strength, fear, attachment and compassion and then bestows purity”. In the beginning itself, Sankara quickly found out and sang praises of the Guru’s fame, Guru principle and the Guru’s compassion. He humbly prayed“I am seeking refuge in you, who blesses us with yoga, and am waiting for your command.” Such humility is necessary. A lot of people think they have a right to be taught because they sacrificed everything to come to the Guru. There are even disciples who try to test the Guru.

The old and learned Govinda Bhagavadpada too was awaiting the arrival of an eligible disciple. He questioned Sankara, “Son, who are you?”. Then, Sankara said, “Swamy, I am not the five elements. I am not their attributes either. I am not the sense organs. I am of the form of truth, knowledge and bliss. I am the Parabrahman. I am changeless. I am complete”. He said “Sivohamasmi kevalaha sivoham”. Hearing the words, the Guru was immersed in ecstasy. He affectionately drew Sankara close to him. Because, for a person to have this kind of realization, he must have earned a lot of education, spiritual practice and humility. The Guru, right then and there, initiated him into Sanyasa and christened him “Sankaracharya”. Sankara had a lot of humility and obedience. Humility is very important. With a lot of obedience, he learned Vedas and other scriptures as well as the science behind them one more time very thoroughly and minutely.

Govindapada initiated Sankara into a mantra and 4 Mahavayas that were the essence of Upanishads. Immediately, the principles of the Brahma Sutras occurred to him. All doubts were erased and questions answered completely.

Durlabho visaya tyagaha. Durlabham tattva darsanam
Durlabha sahavastra Sadguruo karuna vina

Without Sadguru’s grace, the disciple cannot do anything. He will not be able to get rid of his desires for material belongings. He will be unable to realize the Guru Principle. That is why, the Guru must be served selflessly to obtain knowledge.

Even though Sankara was an incarnation of the Almighty, he was always contemplating on the Guru, singing glories of the Guru, serving the Guru. He became a guide to the world by practically demonstrating how one should serve the Guru Later, with the Guru’s permission, he wrote commentaries on Brahma Sutras, propagated the philosophy of Advaita to all corners of the country and poured life back into Sanatana Dharma. We cannot recall Sankara Bhagavadpada’s history enough number of times for our life. We will keep coming back over and over again to the story of Sankara Bhagavadpada who taught us the Guru principle.

Episode 204

Padma Pada. Without Guru’s grace, no knowledge can be successfully realized. We have been talking about the Guru so far – that there is no knowledge without the Guru’s grace. To obtain that grace, the disciple should constantly serve the Guru, should worship the Guru, should meditate on the Guru. The disciple should forget himself in service to the Guru. The disciple should have unwavering devotion towards the Guru’s feet. A disciple with such devotion will earn a place in the heart of the Guru. He will earn the Guru’s grace completely.

Yatpada pansavah santah kepi samsara varidheh |
Setubandhaya kalpante desikam tamupasmaha ||

Sankara Bhagavatpada’s disciple Padma Pada is a great example of a disciple who had such unwavering devotion. Padma Pada’s stories should be discussed at least once every day. These stories have so much power. Padma Pada’s previous name was Sananda. He was a Brahmin boy from the Chola kingdom. Sananda learned the Vedas and Vedangas, studied the scriptures, observed complete and lifelong celibacy. Yet, none of these gave Sananda complete bliss. His mind was not at peace for some reason. Some mental trouble always tormented him. Looking for a preceptor who would remove his sorrows, Sananda traveled many countries.

At that time, Sananda heard about the reputation and prestige of Sri Sankaracharya. He learned that Sri Sankaracharya was in Kasi. He set out for Kasi to have Sri Sankaracharya’s darshana at any cost and get rid of his sorrows. At Kasi, when Sananda saw Sri Sankaracharya for first time, he was amazed at the divine radiance of Sri Sankaracharya. He decided to himself that Sri Sankaracharya was his Guru. He approached Sankara and held on tightly to both his feet.

He prayed that until the Guru (Sankara) gave him refuge, he would continue to be hold on this feet. The Guru understood the anxieties and the desire for knowledge in the disciple. He affectionately pulled him up and asked, “Son, who are you? Why are you here? Where are all the places you are traveling. Why did you come here? What brought you here?”

Sananda gave his details and said, “Swamy, I distanced myself from the worldly attachments and visited many pilgrimage places to gain mental strength. “I don’t have any worldly attachments, I already distanced myself from them, but I am suffering from mental anxieties. There was no use of visiting so many pilgrim places I prayed to the Gods. I undertook a lot of worship and rituals. Not one, not two, O Lord, but several. Still my mind could not find peace.”

The doctor gives medicines only for physical ailments. But, Sadguru alone is capable of curing the disease of samsara (worldly life) and bestowing eternal happiness. With tears in his eyes, Sananda prayed, “Remove my ignorance and save this hapless soul”. Let’s see what he says next.

Episode 205

Sankara Bhagavatpada accepted Padmapada as his disciple. Sananda was serving his Guru with a lot of devotion. Guru meant everything to him. Whether his eyes were open or closed, he was always meditating on the Guru. Guru was his world. There was nothing beyond the Guru for him. He always awaiting the Guru’s command. He carried out all tasks of the Guru with a lot of dedication. He would understand the Guru’s mind and act accordingly. With a lot of concentration and with humility and obedience, he would practice the knowledge taught by the Guru.

Gradually, he became one of Sankara Bhagavatpada’s favorite disciples. Sankara would lovingly call him “Sananda”. Sankara noticed other disciples wondering what the reasons were for Sananda to become such a beloved disciple. He planned to show them Sananda’s devotion.

We normally do see that when a few devotees gather around a Guru, they may be jealous of each other. A lot of disciples discuss, “Why is he closer to the Guru, why I am not closer? What did I do? What is his greatness to deserve this? Did I commit a sin? Did they do something great?” If such thoughts occur in their minds, it means these people are the demons gathered around the disciples to take on the sins of the disciples.

The first thing to discard in service to the Guru is jealousy. Suspicions like, “May be the Guru likes him more than he likes me”, “Why doesn’t he acknowledge me?” should not be allowed. If this bug enters the mind, it means that these people have started on their path to their downfall.

That is why, once you are with a Guru, you should consider everything and everyone around the Guru as the Guru himself. You should think, “All of them are the Guru’s forms. They are all teaching me beautiful lessons”. You should feel, “You went to the Guru, I am so happy. Seeing you go to the Guru, I felt like I went to the Guru myself. If you found that happiness, I found happiness too.” When we inculcate this open mind and loving heart, liberation will automatically follow. There is no need to do anything else, no need for a yantra, mantra, tantra or anything else.

We sometimes say, “I don’t know what sin I committed, why do I have these faults despite my devotion to the Guru? “ This is what it is. This is the mistake we make. These are our faults. vAs soon as one starts to think, “I have been here for 10 days, the Guru did not even talk to me. This devotee came just yesterday and the Guru is talking to him”, he is immediately a demon. From there, he restarts his cycle of births starting out again as a microorganism. But, once you correct that thought and start serving the Guru, realizing that everybody is equal and that everybody else is just a different form of your own self, that they are all like you, you will start coming to a good state.

That’s what happened here. Seeing Sananda, the other disciples got jealous. The Guru is always calling Sananda, always saying “Sananda”, “Nanda”. Why does he not call us? We are right here. You should think, “Let me also get that good fortune”, but you should not think, ”Why does he not call me”. That is why, Sankara wanted to correct this behavior in them. He called Sananda to show the disciples Sananda’s devotion. Let us see what happens. Let’s see the play that Sankara Bhagavatpada orchestrated here.

Episode 206

So far, we discussed that Sananda would carry out the Guru’s tasks with a lot of dedication. He would understand the Guru’s mind and act accordingly. Not everyone can do this. Some people do the work before the Guru even asks them to. Some do the work after the Guru asks them to. Some do not do the work even after the Guru asks them to. Examine for yourself which category you belong to. The first category is where one understands the Guru Principle, understands the Guru’s mind and briskly gets the tasks done. Alright, there is the second class of people who do the work after being asked to…let’s at least belong here. We don’t want the third class, which is to not do the work even after being told by the Guru. There are demons walking amongst us, there are humans walking amongst us and there are people with godly nature walking amongst us. Which one of these are you?

Doing without even being asked to – understanding what needs to be done and getting down to doing it immediately thinking, “this might be it, let me do it” is associated with godly nature. Doing after you are being asked to is human nature. Procrastinating to tomorrow after being asked to do it is demonic nature. Which nature you will associate with, which nature you associated with so far, when you will next get admission, I don’t know, but you should be careful. With a lot of concentration and with humility and obedience, Sananda would practice the knowledge taught by the Guru. It was enough for Sananda to be taught once, because he had great concentration. Only when one has concentration, humility and obedience will the knowledge be absorbed completely by the seeker, otherwise it will not.

We discussed that Sananda gradually became one of Sankara’s most loved disciples. We discussed that Sankara would lovingly call him “Sananda”. Sankara noticed other disciples wondering what the reasons were for Sananda to become such a beloved disciple. “There seems to be some secret, that is why our Guru is keeping Sananda so close to him”. Such thinking is normal among humans, those disciples were after all human. So, like this, a doubt arose in their mind that led to such discussions. Guru Sankara noticed this. “The disciples have this bad habit, let me teach them a lesson” he thought. He planned to show them Sananda’s devotion. He wanted to show them what real devotion to the Guru meant.

One day, Sankara who went to the banks of river Ganga with his disciples called Sananda who was on the other side of the river saying, “Son, Sananda, come over to this side quickly”. Sankara called Sananda on purpose. The Guru called on the disciple was on the other side and asked him to quickly come over to this side. How would we have responded? Would we say, “I don’t know how to swim, Swamy”? Would someone say, “I don’t have a boat, Swamy”. Would yet another person say, “I don’t have the power to come over to that side, Swamy. Why are you calling me?” It’s very well possible. There are many among you, yes?

But, look what Sananda’s devotion prompted him to do. Sananda to whom there was no thought other than the Guru’s command, quickly walked over water to the other side of the river. This is not mesmerism or magic or the power of penance. It is purely devotion to the Guru. There are many who say, “I am very devoted. I think of him day and night. Who do you think the Guru is! I’m always chanting Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Gurudevo Maheshwaraha. I am always thinking of the Guru” while they have a lot of desires in their heart. Sananda’s case was not like that.

First, he already let go of all attachments in the world. Secondly, he learned all forms of knowledge. Third, he served his Guru with singled-minded concentration. Fourth, he had acquired good karma all his life. Fifth, he had an abundance of Guru’s grace. See for yourself if you have all these. Sananda walked over the water and reached the other shore. Every step that Sananda took on water, lotuses bloomed to prevent him from sinking into the water. Everywhere he stepped, lotuses bloomed. Everybody was awestruck. Seeing his devotion, all other disciples – who usually think about food, about their next meals – were surprised. When Sananda walked, lotuses bloomed. When we walk, calluses grow on our feet. We don’t even walk without footwear. Amazed at his devotion, the other disciples offered him their respects. Since then, the name Padmapada (Padma = lotus; Pada=feet) became famous. Did you see the devotion to Guru?

Episode 207

Thotakacharya. With Sadguru’s grace, even the most dull-witted person will become a scholar. But, to earn Sadguru’s grace, one must be like pure gold. Only with pure gold can a good ornament be made. If you just turn in any gold to the goldsmith asking him to make some jewelry out of it, he will say, “There is a lot of impurity in this gold, it will need to be purified by placing in fire”. That is why, to earn Sadguru’s grace, one must be pure. Sadguru’s grace is a test.

If you say, “Bless me. If you bless me, everything will be done”, Saduguru will say, “You want my blessings? Okay, you will face tests from today”. That is the blessing. Sadguru’s grace is not just a token that can be given away like a pumpkin. It’s not as simple as saying, “Sadguru did not give me the pumpkin”. Obtaining Sadguru’s grace means that the tests in your life have started – it may take a year, it may take 10 years, it may take the entire lifetime or even the next life. That is Sadguru’s grace. We cannot even admit ourselves into Sadguru’s grace. We just talk about it because we have heard it in stories and have seen examples.

It’s like saying, “If we have devotion, what can we not accomplish? If we have Sadguru’s grace, what can we not accomplish? Everything will be okay. Just ask him to give it (Sadguru’s grace), why the delay? We have been waiting for two days”. Guru’s grace is not a stick he can give you, it’s not a piece of jaggery he can just give. He will not even give the piece of jaggery just like that. It is true that the Sadguru’s grace can turn even the most dull-witted person into a scholar. But, the disciple needs to acquire certain traits in order to become a scholar. It is true that he will also become knowledgable. But, to earn the Guru’s grace, it is the disciple’s duty to serve him with devotion. But, if you don’t have this and still want Sadguru’s grace within a second or within a minute or within a day or within a year saying, “Sadguru is my only refuge”, will it happen? Why do all this drama? We are being guided in the right direction, we are being taught what we need to do to earn Sadguru’s grace. Just put it into practice. That is the Guru’s grace. There is no need to look for any results. Receiving guidance is itself the Sadguru’s grace.

Sadguru may say, “Do this worship”, or “Be this way”, or “Study this”. The story of Thotakacharya, one of the four key disciples of Sankaracharya explains this point.

Guru Gita Sloka:
Guruvaktra sthita vidya prapyate tatprasadatah |
Tasmattam desikam dhyayet yathatyosit priyam swakam ||

There were many disciples engaged in study and practice of knowledge under the tutelage of Sankara Bhagavadpada. There were many disciples and many kinds of disciples. A boy named Giri also came to be Sankara’s disciple. Giri was dull-witted. He was unable to absorb the lessons taught by the Guru. His mind used to be elsewhere. He would think, “Has the seasoning been added to the food in the kitchen?” or he would think “Have they rung the bell in the kitchen yet?”, or he would think, “What will be the new dish today?” and so on. He was always immersed in these thoughts, his mind was never on what was being taught. He would not understand anything easily. He was very dull-witted. That is why, his fellow disciples would never take him seriously. But, how did Giri feel? We said he was dull-witted and stupid, but what was his stupidity like. Let’s see.

Episode 208

We discussed that there were many disciples engaged in study and practice of knowledge under the tutelage of Sankara Bhagavatpada. We also discussed that a boy named Giri too came to be Sankara’s disciple. Giri was dull-witted. He was unable to absorb the lessons taught by the Guru. He would not understanding anything easily. That is why, he became an object of ridicule among his fellow students. When they called him by his name, “Giri”, they would imply that he was dumb as a stone and make fun of him. Giri means mountain. There is no effect on the mountain even if you collide with it. So, they implied that he was like a big stone.

Even though Giri was not intelligent, his mind was pure. Did you see? We find some people dull-witted, but their minds are pure. Giri’s devotion to his Guru was boundless. Even though he was dull-witted, he would attend on all of the Guru’s tasks. He would take care of all the tasks; like a machine, he would just keep doing one task after another. Nothing else would matter to him except doing those tasks. He would get the water ready for his Guru. He would wash the Guru’s clothes. He would fetch drinking water from the river. He would do all these tasks on his own. But, he did not acquire any knowledge being taught. When he sat in class, he would never absorb what was being taught. But, he would be able to carry out all other tasks. He would gather the flowers required for worship. Every moment of the day, his interest lay only in serving the Guru. Did you see, we said so many things about Giri, that he was dull-witted, that his intellect was too stubborn to absorb any knowledge, but he was doing such good service, he had great devotion towards the Guru.

One day, when it was time for Sankara to teach, the disciples gathered for the class. Sankara also arrived. The disciples pulled all their scriptures together and eagerly looked forward to the lesson their Guru was going to teach them. But, Sankara did not start the lesson. He sat quietly. He did not see Giri among the students in the class. The Guru noticed that Giri was not in class. Giri, who had gone to the river, to wash the Guru’s clothes and bring them back did not return yet. The disciples who saw that the Guru was awaiting the arrival of Giri got jealous and began whispering among themselves, “Why is our Guru looking for that Giri?” “What is this? It is the past the starting time of the class. Yet, the Guru is not starting the class. We have to go out and play after the class. What is this? We are getting late”.

It is like saying, “Even after so long, the bhajans have not started. We have been here for a very long time. Why did he not come today?” as if they are paying wages for the bhajans. They may not even question those they are paying wages. They make a demand, “Why will he not give darshan today? Why did he still not come for bhajans?” The disciples waited for the dull-witted Giri to return.

The class has not started and time is running out. Yet, the Guru is not starting the class. They discussed among themselves, “He is awaiting the arrival of the dull-witted Giri. Why is he waiting for Giri? Giri will not understand anything properly anyway. This is strange. Why is the Guru so compassionate towards him? It does not matter anyway whether he sits in this class or not. He does not understand anything”.

The omniscient Sankara comprehended the thoughts of his disciples. He understood the ridicule they had for Giri.

Episode 209

We discussed the way Guru Sankara waited for Giri to come to class and the way the disciples wondered why the Guru was waiting for Giri with so much compassion. The omniscient Sankara comprehended the thoughts of his disciples. He knew what they were whispering to each other. He understood the ridicule they had for Giri. He decided to correct their behavior and show them Giri’s devotion to Guru.

Immediately, Guru Sankara who was an ocean of compassion filled his disciple Giri with his grace. By the power of Guru’s will, Giri became very scholarly. He became proficient in all forms of knowledge. Giri who was walking back from the river with the cleaned clothes of the Guru on his shoulder, approached his Guru with devotion, sang glories of his Guru with “Thotaka” hymns and prostrated to the Guru. Listening to the hymns bearing beautiful poetic ornamentation and sound, flowing in perfect and incomparable beauty from Giri’s lips, his fellow disciples were aamzed at this scholarliness and poetic abilities.

“We thought he was stupid, but what a deed has taken place here!” The pride in them vanished. They realized their mistake and pray to Guru Sankara for forgiveness. “We thought he was dim-witted, but we see what has happened now”. Sankara initiated Giri into Sanyasa (renunciation) and christened him “Thotakacharya” and made him one among his primary disciples. By eloquently reciting the Thotaka hymns with the Guru’s grace, the name “Thotakacharya” became very popular.

This story about how, with the Guru’s grace, even the most dim-witted person can, within a second, become a scholar is only a small example to show that service to the Guru confers the greatest results.

Without any devotion or service, some people approach the Guru, offer a prostration and after four days and after performing 5 or 6 homas wonder, “Why did I not get liberation?” They cannot even pronounce “liberation” correctly. Will liberation come that quickly? I don’t know. You’ve come to me because of good karma over many births. You must try to strengthen this as long as you are alive. But, you should not think you will get liberation right away. You experience all your karma elsewhere and come here and demand, “Why am I still not completely healed?” What is this? You come and ask all these questions of the innocent Swamiji. “What are you saying? I placed my faith in Swamiji”. What is faith? Does faith mean just visiting the Guru 4 times. Just because you have difficulties and illnesses back home, you come here and demand, “I’ve been asked to come. I’ve been waiting since this morning. I still haven’t received anything”. What is this? Will things happen in a second? Are you as devoted as Thotakcharya? Do you have that much devotion to Guru? Tell me. We learned so far that with the Gurus’ grace, even a fool becomes a scholar within a second, but why are we applying that to ourselves? We discussed a small example over and over again to understand that great results are obtained by the grace of Guru.

Episode 210

Next, Bharadwaja. Remember that to acquire knowledge from a Guru requires firm determination. It’s an initiation. One will need to toil without annoyance or rest. You should not look for rest in between. “I need some rest. Ohh, I’m tired of reading the Bhagavatam over and over again. Let me take just a little rest, let me go for a stroll to take in some fresh air”. You should not even be irked or annoyed. Nor should you be bored. “Why do I have to read the same thing over and over?” You should be so immersed in what you are reading, you should become a part of what you are reading so that there isn’t even the effort in reading again.

“I’ve chanted the name of the Lord thousands of times”, “I’ve chanted the name of the Lord millions of times, tens of millions of times. I’ve used the rosary so much, look my finger is swollen. The rosary has fallen apart, my hand is all swollen and I am vexed with all this”. The moment you are vexed or annoyed, all your chanting and penance is like performing a Yajna in water (i.e., all your chanting and penance is a waste). That’s it. Closed. Your penance, your initiation becomes like a fistful of salt thrown into the sea. It just melts into the salt of the sea. You cannot search for it after.

One needs a firm vow of determination. Effort without annoyance and rest is required. You should never be annoyed or vexed. Those who are never annoyed will not even feel tired. They are always enthusiastic doing service to the Guru. The moment you think, “None of those people are doing anything, why am I alone doing this?”, you are ruined; you will fall from yogic grace. In case you are wondering who is a Yoga Bhrashta (someone who falls from Yogic grace), it is person like this.

After toiling hard with a lot of devotion towards the Guru, if you suddenly one day get irked and feel, “My Guru has said this to me, he humiliated me”, you will fall from Yogic grace, you will become a Trishanku Yoga Bhrashta (Trishanku denotes the middleground or limbo between one’s goals or desires and one’s current state of possessions).

The more the Guru chides you, the more your sins are getting washed off. You are forgetting that he is drawing you closer to himself. “He was unjust towards me, he was not fair to me. Oh, he did not give me anything”. Is this something that can be put in a bag and given to you? He (the Guru) will not even give that.

Spiritual practice is like that too. There should be no room for annoyance or rest. You should never even utter the word, “Boredom”. “I have heard this bhajan so many times. Why couldn’t he sing a new bhajan”. Done. All the merit from listening to the bhajan previously has been destroyed. It is closed. You must instead say, “I can never hear it enough number of times”.

So, be careful and remember that spiritual practice is also like that. Guru gives various kinds of techniques, bestowing various kinds of knowledge removing each kind of ignorance from us. We do not even realize that he is working on us. We are administered anesthesia prior to being operated on by the doctor. Without even administering anesthesia, the only doctor who operates on us to remove our wavering nature and our sins is the Guru. All other kinds of doctors do something else. That is why we should be careful. We should not waver. We should not be annoyed. We should never complain of boredom. We should not say “Next” (looking for the next command from the Guru).

Whatever has been asked of you should be immediately acted on. You should not say, “He asked me to do something else before, so let me finish that before I come to this”. You must immediately carry out whatever he asked you to now. Once this task is complete, you can go back to the previous task. You should never forget about the previous task.

This is not something that will be done in a day or in a year. Some people demand instant liberation. It’s like saying, “I need liberation immediately. Urgent! Urgent! I arrived here after booking my return trip. I have to leave by the evening train. So, if I get liberation immediately, I can take the evening train back”. If you are given liberation, how will you go back by train, you may go under the train. There are some people that occasionally come up to ask for liberation immediately. I tell them that they are mad.

Episode 211

We discussed that the Guru, the Paramatman, teaches various techniques, bestowing various kinds of knowledge removing each kind of ignorance from us.

Sloka:
Guror vidyatmano nanyat satyam satyam na samsayah |
Tallabhartam prayatnastu kartavyo hi manisibhih ||

This is not something that will be done in a day, or in a year or in 10 years or in 18 years. Its like saying, “I climbed up the steps to the temple of Lord Ayyappa for 18 years. I did not get Darshan of the Lord.” It’s like saying, “I climbed up the hill in Tirupati once”. Once you decide to climb, you must keep climbing till you are alive. You must climb till you have legs. You must climb until your legs lose their strength.

Service to the Guru is similar. You should never be annoyed doing service to Guru, never. If you ever get annoyed, there is no service to the Guru for you from that day. All the service you did so far was a farce, a drama. Your devotion is deceitful. Hide that deceit. Let go of the expectation to get liberation immediately. This is a cuss word. I call it a cuss word. “Will I get liberation immediately? Will I get liberation in this birth itself?” If you keep thinking like this, you will get liberation not in this birth, but tomorrow or the day itself after when you are put in a mental asylum. You will get liberation very soon.

This is very wrong. Liberation cannot be gained like this. You cannot gain liberation by using scare tactics with the Guru. A lot of people cry and say to Swamiji, “People around me are scolding me for going to Swamiji”. So, why are you coming then? So, will the Guru say, “Oh is it? People around you are scolding you? Oh my darling child, let me give you liberation right away”? The Guru will not say that. “My daughter is not getting married. People are asking me why my daughter is not yet married even after I have been going to Swamiji for 3 years. That is all Swami, I am worried about people talking like that”. So, to appease those people, I should immediately get your daughter married? Is this good behavior? Can you blackmail Swamiji like that? Can you say those things to Swamiji? Some cry, “I have spent money and come to Swamiji 4 times, I did not get liberation”. Can you talk like that? Is it not blackmailing? Isn’t it blackmail to tell me that your neighbors and relatives are chiding you for going to Swamiji out of devotion even though nothing good has come out of it? Tell me. I don’t know. I just felt that there was deceit. Can you talk like that?

Let them chide you. You have acquired enough karma, so they are chiding you. I am also asking you why you came here. Even if you have been coming for the last 10 years, your story is closed with today if you talk like that. What kind of liberation is this? What kind of devotion to the Guru is this? Do we compare our devotion to the devotion of the great characters we have been talking about? Is this what Guru Gita teaches? Nice. Fulfilled.
Spiritual practice should always keep going as ordained by the Guru until our last breath. Until the very last breath, our spiritual practice should continue. There is no room for the word “rest” for this being, for these sense organs and for this intellect. Who needs rest? The sense organs? Are the sense organs yours? Who are you to give them rest? “I will take a break from chanting for 4 days”. Who are you to say that? That is why there is no room for the word “rest” here. To understand this, we need to learn the story of Bharadwaja. Whatever I have said so far is the story of Bharadwaja. You foolishly assumed that what I said so far related to you, related to Swamiji, related to Ashrama, related to your visits to the Ashrama. No, it was not. I was only telling the story of Bharadwaja from a different angle. It is incidental that you may also relate to it.

Episode 212

The first name that comes to mind when we think of study of the Vedas is Bharadwaja. The way Bharadwaja, who is one of the Saptarishis (the 7 great sages. The others are Gautama, Atri, Jamadagni, Kasyapa, Vasishtha, Viswamitra), acquired knowledge is very interesting. We discussed so far how one should conduct himself when studying under the guidance of a Guru. In the course of his study, when Bharadwaja completed the study of the branch of Vedas assigned to him, he asked his Guru if his study was complete? We do not need to go into the details of what branch he was studying. He asked his Guru if his study of the subject assigned to him was complete.

The Guru said, “Son, not even 1% of it is done. Unless you are born again with a full lifespan, your study of the Vedas will not be completed”. We have to listen to what the Guru says. We cannot go against it. That is it. If the Guru says, “It will not happen in this birth. You need to take another birth. You will need to serve the Guru again. Until then you will not attain liberation”, then, one has to take another birth. Bharadwaja embarked on deep meditation to acquire the lifespan required for the study of the Vedas. He pleased Indra, the king of Gods and earned the boon for another birth will a full lifespan. People had such energy back then to pray and acquire such boons. Can we do this? We are limited to being happy just reading about them in books.

So, Bharadwaja again started his study of the Vedas. He realized that his study of the Vedas was not completed in that birth either. He again deeply meditated on Indra. When the Guru said that his study was not complete, he took another birth. Like this, Bharadwaja had to take 3 births. The fourth time, Indra appeared and said, “Bharadwaja, this fourth time, you are earning the blessing to live for a thousand years. By the way, what you are doing with this lifespan? You are taking so many births. What do you really need? What are you doing? You are getting one thousand years now, what are you going to do?” Bharadwaja replied, “Lord, I decided to study the Vedas completely and thoroughly. My lifespan was not enough to do that. That is why, I meditated 4 times”. Here, study (of Vedas) does not mean just reading. It means understanding and absorbing the essence completely.

Some people say, “I am studying the Vedas. I am almost done. I studied all the Upanishads. I know them by-heart, I can recite them anytime without any mistakes”. Is that enough? One needs to grasp the truth in them completely. Until then, you will not understand them. In the study of the Vedas, one needs to contemplate the meaning of each syllable. Every syllable in the Veda has knowledge associated with it, where did the syllable come from, what is the meaning, where does it get its meaning from and so on. One needs to understand those truths completely.

Then Indra pointed to Bharadwaja three mountains of sand to symbolize the infinite Vedas. So far, Bharadwaja took on 3 births and is again taking birth for a thousand years and asking Indra about his study of the Vedas. Indra is pointing to him 3 mountains of sand. What will he say? Picking up a fistful of sand at a time, Indra said, “Bharadwaja, if Vedas are as big as this huge mountain of sand, what you studied is as much as this fistful of sand. That was a huge mountain of sand. “The study of the Vedas is like this big mountain of sand. Since you asked me how much you studied, I am telling you. It is one fistful of sand. This is how much you studied”.

But Bharadwaja did not lose heart at all. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 213

Bharadwaja. When he performed intense penance for Indra, Indra appeared before him and blessed him for the fourth time with a 1000 year life span. Indra asked Bharadw aja what he was doing with that lifespan. Bharadwaja said that he was praying for the lifespan so he could study the Vedas. Indra was alluding to how difficult it was to live for 1000 years when Bharadwaja told him it was only for the study of the Vedas. Then Indra pointed to Bharadwaja 3 mountains of sand as being symbolic of the infinite Vedas. Picking up a fistful of sand from each mountain, Indra said, “If Vedas are as big as these mountains of sand, what you studied is as much as this fistful of sand”.

But Bharadwaja did not lose heart at all. He joyously prostrated to Indra reverentially for having shown him the nature of the Vedas. Indra, pleased with Bharadwaja’s dedication and firm resolve, blessed him and said that every student should be like Bharadwaja. Indra said that if every student is like Bharadwaja, any kind of education can easily be attained, any practice will bear fruit and knowledge will be kindled. He initiated Bhardwaja into “Savitri Upadesa” and before leaving, blessed him saying, “You do not need to gain any further education, all mantras will appear before you. You will become famous as a seer of mantras”.

Afterwards, Bharadwaja remained an eternal student. Every time he recited a mantra, he felt like a student studying the Vedas. He continued to always be like that. The scriptures “Bharadwaja Smriti” that he authored on the principles of Dharma have gained much fame. Bharadwaja is the great soul who showed the world what spiritual practice should be like.

Guru Gita Sloka
Guror vidyatmano nanyat satyam satyam na samsayah |
Tallabhartam prayatnastu kartavyo hi manisibhih ||

Let’s move forward.

Guru Gita Sloka
Namami sadgurum santam pratyaksa siva rupinam |
Sirasa yoga pithastham mukti kamyartha siddhaye ||

By meditating on the supremely peaceful Sadguru, our mind will become peaceful. The Lord, the Sadguru, is an eternal ocean of peace. That is why those who pray to him also become peaceful. Their peace seems as deep as an ocean. When we pray to or contemplate on someone with certain attributes, we absorb a few of those attributes. That is natural. Sadguru is always peaceful. He is an eternal ocean of supreme peace. Just as the ocean is solemn and majestic, the Sadguru’s peace is too. That is why they say the Sadguru is Supremely peaceful. They don’t just say “peaceful”. But, he is supremely peaceful. He is the most peaceful of all in the universe – of all living beings, all planets, all creation. He is more peaceful than all of these, he is supremely peaceful. Guru exists as the image of this entire creation. That means, he appears as an image of everything in this creation. What this means is that he is everywhere, all pervasive. He is supremely peaceful. He is the supreme image of the creation. He is the creation and the creation is him. He is the ocean, he is the depth and majesty of the ocean. That is why they are saying here that by meditating on the supremely peaceful Saguru, our mind will become peaceful.

Episode 214

For any task in our day-to-day life to succeed or for any practice in our spiritual life to become powerful, peaceful nature is very necessary.Things will not happen just like that. If you want everything to light up, but don’t have any light, how is it possible? How can you get what you want without working for it? “I want to be able to concentrate, I want to have peace, I want knowledge…”. If you don’t even try, if you don’t do your spiritual practice, if you don’t practice peaceful nature, how would that be possible?

You see the big ocean and lament about how little water your vessel contains? How big is your vessel? How much spiritual practice are you undertaking? For any thing in our worldly life to succeed, for any practice in our spiritual life to become powerful, the important requirement is peaceful nature, patience. Without patience, nothing can be achieved. We sometimes say to others, “You have no patience, you don’t have the habit of being patient”. Patience also means tolerance. If you lose tolerance and give in to anger, many disasters can occur. Anger destroys the fruit of all penance in a moment. We read of many such stories in history.

Guru Gita Sloka
Namami sadgurum santam pratyaksa siva rupinam |
Sirasa yoga pithastham mukti kamyartha siddhaye ||

You may have undertaken many good deeds, you may have been very patient throughout, but if at the end of it all, you suddenly get angry, that is what people will remember. There are many stories in the scriptures to explain this to us.

The righteous Parikshit, the spiritually accomplished Shringi also succumbed to anger. At that time, Shringi’s father Shamika imparted a valuable lesson to them that everyone should remember. One day, Parikshit went to the forest for hunting. He was tired after hunting for a long time. In the meanwhile, a deer really attracted him. The deer seemed to be get captured, but would eventually escape again and again. The deer was escaping the king’s arrows. The king would shoot arrow after arrow, but the deer would escape and run away. Could the king be quiet? His determination got stronger. He began chasing the deer. On the way, the king found a hermitage. The king who was already tired and thirsty by then, went into the hermitage to quench his thirst. That was the hermitage of sage Shamika. He was very peaceful by nature. But his son, Shringi was a little boy. He hadn’t yet conquered anger. The little boy was ill tempered. The king who entered the hermitage saw Sage Shamika absorbed in deep meditation. Bowing to the sage, the king said, “A deer escaped my arrows and came this way. Did you happen to see the deer?” The sage who was absorbed in deep meditation did not even notice the arrival of the king. The sage was completely absorbed in his meditation. He did not provide any reply. Let’s see what reply he gives later.

Episode 215

We were talking about the great sage Shamika and King Parikshit. The tired King Parikshit found a hermitage that he stopped at for some rest. We discussed that it was the hermitage of sage Shamika. The sage was very peaceful by nature. But his son, Shringi, even though young, hadn’t yet conquered anger. The king who entered the hermitage saw Sage Shamika absorbed in deep meditation. Bowing to the sage, the king said, “Maharishi, a deer escaped my arrows and came this way. Did you happen to see the deer?” The sage who was absorbed in deep meditation did not even notice the arrival of the king. The sage was completely absorbed in his meditation. He did not provide any reply. The king was still awaiting reply expecting that the sage would reply in a little while. “The sage will wake up from his meditation when he hears me, he will wake up due to the question I asked”. But a long time passed and the sage did not wake up from his meditation. The king waited a very long time, hoping the sage would wake up. The king kept looking at the sage hoping for an answer. But, when the sage did not open his eyes for a very long time, the king lost his patience, “I’ve been asking for a very long time, but he is not talking”. The king was enraged.

Picking up a dead snake lying at a distance, he put it around the sage’s neck and went away. The king was very angry. Luckily, he did not try to punch the sage to wake up him. Had the king done that, his story would have ended right there. But, instead of walking away quietly, he picked up a big dead snake and put it around the sage’s neck.
The king lost his nobility with that act. Whatever noble nature he had, he lost with that act. What a great emperor Parikshit used to be. As soon as Parikshit left, Shringi entered the hermitage and saw his father. He was furious seeing the insult meted to his father. He immediately pronounced a curse, “Whoever insulted my father will die on the seventh day from today by succumbing to the bite of serpent king Takshaka”. Because he put a snake around the father’s neck, the offender will meet his death due to a snake on the seventh day from that day cursed Shringi. That’s how angry he was.

Because all these people had achieved great fruits from their penance, their words always came true. We also talk on the street, pick up quarrels and curse each other. What is the use? Quarreling and cursing, people get tired and then resort to drinking. But, here, the spiritual practice and penance done by the noble souls, the great sages was truly great. One glance, one word, one touch, one step from them is enough for their energy to pervade throughout that place.

Here Shringi too lost his patience, discretion and knowledge. One one hand, the emperor lost his patience and put a dead snake around the sage’s neck, and on the other hand, son Shringi lost his patience seeing the insult meted to his father. Despite performing so much meditation, Shringi lost his patience. Such a great emperor, such a great Pandava emperor, he was from the lineage of the Pandavas, he too lost his patience despite being an emperor. He could have simply walked away because the sage was absorbed in meditation, but he did not. Both, emperor Parikshit and sage Shringi lost patience.

Let us see this great example of what kind of disasters one encounters when patience is lost. Let’s move forward.

Episode 216

We discussed that as soon as King Parikshit left, Shringi, who entered the hermitage was extremely furious seeing his father in that state and immediately pronounced a curse, “Whoever insulted my father will die on the seventh day from today by succumbing to the bite of serpent king Takshaka”. Shringi too lost his patience, discretion and knowledge. Shringi removed the dead snake from around his father’s neck and threw it far away.

At that time, Shamika, the great sage, opened his eyes slowly. He learned about what happened. He chided Shringi and said, “Son, anger ruins meditation. It destroys the Ashta Siddhis (ashta =8; siddhis = supernatural powers). That is why, the spiritually wealthy as well as the spiritual seekers should not have any anger. They should discard anger. The penance of one without patience is like water in a pot with a hole”. What a beautiful analogy. “It is a pot, no doubt. It also contains water. But, it also has a hole. But, after a while, it will not have any water due to the hole. Still, it’s a pot. That’s what will happen. The Tapasvi (one who performs penance or deep meditation) will have a big body, but it will be like a pot that cannot hold its water. Even a small hole is enough to drain the water. The penance of one without patience is like the water in a pot with a hole. How can there be any water in it?”

The sage continued, “What have you done? Who did you think he was? He was our emperor. We are carrying out our meditation in his kingdom. You’ve made a mistake”. Saying this, the sage immediately dispatched a disciple to let the king know of what happened. That is why, a spiritual seeker should be very cautious when it comes to anger. He should win over it with peace. “What a disaster has taken place! What will happen next? If he dies from snake bite, what will be the fate of the kingdom? What will be our fate? You made a grave mistake.”

That is why, one should constantly pray to the Sadguru for a peaceful nature. Despite doing a lot of meditation, despite a lot of knowledge, we sometimes lose our patience. We get angry over small things. A lot of people say during childhood, “You have anger at the tip of your nose” (a phrase in Telugu to mean that the person is short tempered). If one broke a sweat on the nose, they would say that the person was short tempered. If one broke a sweat on the eyes, they would say that he was a very cunning fellow. If one broke a sweat on the ears, they would say that he would believe in gossip and trash talk. If one broke a sweat on the forehead, they would say that he was a hard working person. If one broke a sweat on his neck, they would say that he occasionally would say some good lies. What is this? You must be thinking that this is some Science of Sweat.

Normally, elders talk to us about and guide us in our actions. They talk to us about our difficulties and our patience. All these will seem like Lizard Science or Parrot Science or Ominous Science or Cat Science or Dog Science and now the new Science of Sweat. It is not like that. Elders only use these actions as proverbs to caution us. That is why, if we are to have a peaceful nature, if we are to improve our good nature, if we are to get good results for our meditation, we should meditate on the Sadguru every moment. Similarly, those who meditate on the Sadguru, who is an embodiment of peace, before embarking on an auspicious task will keep their mind from losing to anger quickly.

Episode 217

Mother Goddess humbly questioned Lord Shiva fervently begging him to teach her the Guru Principle. She pleaded for even more knowledge on the Guru Principle. She very clearly enunciated what she wanted. With great devotion, she prayed, “I prostrate to your feet, please bless me”. She demonstrated how a disciple should behave. She demonstrated how disciples should conduct themselves and how they should ask the Guru for what they want.

Disciples eager to gain knowledge from the Guru should first surrender to the Guru. They should not go to the Guru with preconceived notion of what they already know. There are many people that present their knowledge in front of a Guru and say, “What else do I need besides this?” There are others that say, “I acquired knowledge so far. Please bless me”. There are yet others who say, “There is no other knowledge more important than this. This is all there is to knowledge”.

There are people who ask, “Can you tell me if there is anything more to learn?” And when the Guru tells them, they counter with, “I thought it was not like this. I read that book which said something different. That Guru said differently. But, they are referring to what you are saying differently there. The scriptures are saying something else. And in common usage it is referred to differently too. But, what you are saying is different from all the above. So, what should I follow? So, should I just follow whatever I learned before, Swamy?” So, why bother even asking for more knowledge in the first place?

A lot of people come with half-baked knowledge and ask for more knowledge, feeling like they have learned a lot already. Some of these people say, “This Swamy has come to our house, that Swamy has come to our house, you also come”. So, either you are implying, “All these Swamys have come before, so you are not a big deal, you come too” or you are implying, “My place has been certified as a good place due to visits by all these Swamys so you should come too”. I do not understand what you really mean.

Some people praise one Guru in front of another. That is not necessary. That is completely unnecessary. Will they be quiet if you praise one product while talking of another? If you praise river Cauvery while bathing in river Krishna, will river Krishna be quiet? Of course, it will let you bathe, no problem, but how can you keep talking about each one in the presence of the other, constantly comparing?

When one prostrates to the Guru with the desire to gain knowledge, he should completely forget the knowledge he gained thus far. The real Guru will ask that the disciple completely forget everything he learned so far. Only then will the Guru bestow him with real knowledge. If the Guru does not do this, the disciple will counter everything the Guru is saying, every step of the way saying, “It’s not like that, it’s not like this” as if the Guru himself is teaching the Guru. How will the disciple ever gain knowledge? He will not. That is why, here, they are saying that the disciple desirous of gaining knowledge should first surrender to the Guru. They must surrender completely to the Guru right there. Guru is the source for any worship, for any teaching, for any Dharma. Only with the grace of the Sadguru will it be possible to remove ignorance. Remember this very well. Ignorance will not be wiped away on its own. It may be removed with experience, but that will take a very, very long time. With Sadguru’s grace, the ignorance within us will be wiped away within a moment. That is why, to get rid of ignorance, Guru is the only witness. Guru is the only teacher, we should surrender to the Guru and pray to the Guru. The Guru alone can do this. Surrender to the Guru is the only way to do this.

In Sri Rama Gita, Lakshmana says to Lord Rama,

Aham prapannosmi padambhujam prabho

Padambhujam prabho – Lord, you are my only refuge. You are the only one that makes me happy. Please teach me to so my ignorance is removed. When Rama and Lakshmana were walking in the forests during their exile, there were many discussions they had. Rama continued to teach Lakshma. We will discuss all this later.

Episode 218

When Arjuna stood in the battlefield and saw in front of him his relatives, fathers, grandfathers and Gurus, he was overcome with sorrow and dropped his bow (Arjuna’s bow is called Gandeeva), refusing to fight the battle. Everyone that has read the Bhagavad Gita knows this. Saying, “There are so many relatives, I cannot do this. I cannot fight them”, he threw away his weapons. He sacrificed them. Recognizing his own weakness, he sought refuge in Lord Krishna praying to him to teach him his duty. If Arjuna had not done this, we perhaps would not have had the expansive Bhagavad Gita and this great teaching today. Arjuna was wondering why this was happening to him. The one who pleaded with Krishna saying, “I want to fight, I want to fight, I need to earn my kingdom back, I need to punish the wicked, please help me”, who even left for the battlefield and got ready to fight, is now unwilling to fight when the battle is about to start. What has come over Arjuna now?

He threw away all his weapons, saying he did not want any weapons, that he could not fight the battle. He sought refuge in Lord Krishna and prayed to him to teach him his duty and said, “What are my weaknesses and faults? Why I am wavering? Please help me recognize my faults and teach me my duty”. What did Arjuna say? He said, “I am your disciple. Do not think of me as your relative now. Even though I am your relative, I am your disciple. Because, I am wallowing in ignorance, please grant me knowledge. I am running around in darkness, please shed some light. I am your disciple, O Lord, O Guru, O Sadguru. You are the Guru to all the worlds. You are the Jagadguru (Guru to the universe). I am immersed in sorrow and attachments. Please help me walk the right path. I am filled with sorrow because I have to kill so many people. I am filled with attachment. These are my relatives, my uncles, grandfathers. How can I kill them? He is my older brother, how can I kill him? He is my little brother. How can I kill him? I cannot do this. I cannot kill them. I am immersed in attachment. I am drowned in sorrow. Please help me walk the good path. Please teach me my duty”. Today the Bhagavad Gita is such an ideal for us. It is a wonderful scripture. It is a great teaching. Everybody born as a human being, every single person, in all countries across the world, should read the Bhagavad Gita, should study the Bhagavad Gita and should follow the Bhagavad Gita. This is a must. Unless this happens, our country will not prosper. When one does not follow the Bhagavad Gita, there will be no peace. People should follow Bhagavad Gita to the extent possible. The Lord taught it in a way that’s appropriate for every body, in every stage of life.

That is why Bhagavad Gita is a very sacred scripture for us. When Arjuna surrendered himself completely, Sri Krishna accepted the position of Guru and taught him. Until now, he acted only as a relative. Of course, all acts are carried out by the Lord himself. The one who acted as a relative, the one who acted as friend, the one who promised to support him in earning his kingdom back and doing him good is now the Sadguru who accepted the position of Guru to teach him his duty. Using Arjuna as the proxy, he taught this world the Gita.

To summarize various philosophies describing the Guru, it says,

Anapekshah Suchih Dakshah Karunamrita Sagaram

One who is proficient in the Vedas and all scriptures, one who is firmly established in the knowledge, one who views everyone as equal, one who has the ability to teach the disciple in a way that he understands, one who is compassionate towards the disciple and wants to uplift him, such a person is Guru.

Episode 219

Lord Krishna, acting as Guru to Arjuna was teaching him the Guru Principle. Summarizing the various philosophies describing the Guru, the Bhagavad Gita says,

Anapekshah Suchih Dakshah Karunamrita Sagaram

One who is proficient in the Vedas and all scriptures, one who is firmly established in the knowledge of Brahman, one who views everyone as equal, one who has the ability to teach the disciple in a way that he understands, one who is compassionate towards the disciple and wants to uplift him is Guru.

The Guru has an intense desire to bestow the disciple with real knowledge and make the disciple like him (Guru). It is only due to many births of intense devotion (on our part) that God, out of compassion, comes to us as a Guru and teaches us the the path to Self Realization. We should remember this very well. Who is Guru? Paramatman. For the Paramatman himself to come to us is possible only due to many births of worshipping God, of good behavior and noble character. It is not just someone that is coming in the guise of a Guru. God himself comes to us as Guru.

Scriptures declare that the Guru uplifts them from the ocean of samsara (worldly life).

The more humble the disciple is with the Guru, the more love the Guru has for the disciple. Humility is very important. We learned yesterday of people that say, “I learned half the knowledge, please give me the other half”. There are people who show off their scholarship to demonstrate what they learned. Sankara Bhagavadpada is teaching thus about how one should conduct oneself with a Guru:

Sushrushaya sada bhaktya, pranayomai rvinayoktibhih. Prasannam guru ma saadhyah,
prashthavyam jnayamatmanah

One should always serve the Guru with devotion, prostrate to the Guru and humbly speak to the Guru. One should humbly serve the Guru with devotion. One should prostrate to the Guru with devotion, and not just dive mechanically when you see the Guru, like you would dive into a swimming pool. In prostrating to the Guru, one should not think, “I might as well do a prostration. It is good exercise”. One must prostrate with devotion, in complete surrender, with the feeling, “You are the only one. You are everything. That’s it, do whatever you want”.

The disciple must serve the Guru with devotion, prostrate to the Guru and speak humbly to the Guru. The disciple must find an appropriate moment when the Guru is happy before he presents his question. The question should pertain to spiritual knowledge, not worldly desires. The disciple should then await the grace of the Guru. The disciple may use the opportunity for other questions, but should be careful. The disciple should prostrate to the Guru with pure devotion. In other words, he should completely let go of his pride, authority and ego. There is no room for any of these in the presence of a Guru. With great humility and obedience and finding an opportune and appropriate moment, the disciple should put forth his question with devotion. Whatever question is being asked, it should be asked at the appropriate time. Just because the Guru is visible, when he is getting into the car or when he is rushing to worship, you should not grab him like you would chase and grab a rabbit and pose questions then. You should always wait for the appropriate time.

Episode 220

When one does not realize the Guru Principle, the study of the several scriptures or the acquisition of several kinds of skills is futile. These will only throw you into illusion. So, how does the disciple need to be for the mind to be absorbed in the Guru Principle? Many people do not pay attention to the Guru Principle. There are a lot of people that say, “We are doing some service to the Guru. We are passing time. It is helping us earn some food and clothing. Our life is going on like this”.

Someone asks, “Are you living near the Guru?”. There are people that say , “Yes, we are. life is going on. It is not possible to not have some anxiety or another. Yet, we forget everything there and live somehow. It is hard to live outside these days. So, we just manage to live there, near our Guru”.

Is this why you live? Is this why you came to the Guru? We should experience real bliss with a Guru. We are near a Guru so we can gain knowledge of the Absolute. We are not there for food and clothing. Even though it might seem so externally (that we are living there for food and clothing), we should use every opportunity to gain knowledge. We should think about, recall and reflect on the knowledge acquired. So, what should the disciple do when he wants the Guru’s grace, when he wants the mind to be absorbed in the Guru Principle?

If the disciple says to the Guru, “I left everything behind and came to you”, is that humility? That is arrogance. One should have humility and devotion. Even if you have done a lot of service, you must continue to be humble. Some people have humility and devotion to the Guru on the day they enter the Ashram, but those qualities disappear after a few days. They feel, “Oh, this is all there is to it?” There starts their downfall. They will take birth as a demon in darkness.

You were pining to come to the Guru, to have darshan of the Guru, you were intensely yearning for the Guru’s grace, you had a lot of humility and devotion on the day you arrived. The humility and devotion you had at that moment is what you should continue to have till today, till the end, till you die. Only then will you understand the Guru Principle. After you come to the Guru, you should not say, “Oh, this is all there is to it.”

There is no end to this. Now, some people may attain liberation and go to Brahma. They may think, “Is this it? Why couldn’t there be something else?” What else? There will be Brahma’s head there, that’s all. If you go and sit on Brahma’s head, you will say, “Is this it?” How much do you need? Is that not what we were working for? For that bliss, for that knowledge? When we gain that peace, that itself is liberation. That is why one must have humility and devotion to the Guru. Only then will one realize the inner meaning of all that is learned, otherwise he will not. There is not one or two, but so many kinds of knowledge. When one does not get the inner meaning, that knowledge is like logs of wood on one’s head.

You are so educated. You earned so many degrees. Wow, you learned all Vedanta by heart. You even wrote all Vedanta. What is the use? They are like the logs of wood on one’s head. It is like the comfort and use one gets from keeping the logs of wood on one’s head all the time, while sitting, and while sleeping.

The great sage (Maharshi) Bharadwaja had a disciple named Gargi. Gargi was very intelligent. He was well educated. He would understand and remember anything he heard just once. But, he had a strange habit since childhood. He would engage in debates with other people and would be satisfied only when the other person conceded defeat. He had to hear the other person say, “I don’t know”. A lot of people have this urge. They keep putting a barrage of questions. The other person keeps answering. At some point, the person answering will say, “I don’t know”. That’s it, the one putting the questions is so happy because he knows the answer.

Let’s learn the story of Gargi ahead.

Episode 221

The great sage Bharadwaja had a disciple named Gargi. Gargi was very intelligent. He was well educated. He would grasp anything he heard just once. But, he had a strange habit since childhood. He would engage in debates with other people and would be satisfied only when the other person conceded defeat. There are many people like that. If they find someone sitting quietly, they will go sit next to that person. Slowly they will start,

“What is your name? What town do you come from?”
When the person tells them where he is from, they will say,

“Oh, that town! My grandparents live there”.
In reality, they don’t have any grandparents that live there
The person says, “Oh okay”

“Where do you work?”
That person will answer.

“Oh, it’s getting late. What is the time?”
That person gives the time.

“Oh, you must be getting late?”
The other person hesitates and says, “It’s okay”.

“What is your subject?”
The person responds.

One by one they ask questions and pull the other person into it. The number of questions these people ask will not even be asked in job interviews. That is it, they will continue to ask questions and argue relentlessly. Until the person concedes defeat, they will not be satisfied. There are a lot of people like this. They continue to talk non-stop and ask questions until the person finally says, “I don’t know”. Then, they are satisfied, “See. I know. You don’t know”. They are never satisfied otherwise.

So, Gargi would unnecessarily get into arguments with others for this. Maharishi Bharadwaja chided him during many instances. Still, there was no change in Gargi. The Guru said, “Don’t do this, it is not good. It is not good to keep asking questions so that you can finally hear them say that they don’t know the answer. Why do you have so much ego?”. But, Gargi did not stop.

Even some students engaged in worldly/material education believe they know more than the others. Feeling that they are ahead of other students, they tease and torment the other students. Some students do actually learn more than others. They gain proficiency in a particular subject. Agreed. But, their pride continues to be with them, “I am better than the other students studying along with me”. They always feel like they alone are proficient in the subject. Believing that they are ahead of everybody else, they give their fellow students a hard time.

Knowledge is as expansive as the ocean. It is very deep. All knowledge can be summarized in one sentence. It can also be gathered into one big scripture. Yet, we can never reach the bottom of it. We sometimes summarize the Ramayana into one line. Bhagavatam can also be condensed into one line. Mahabharata also can be condensed into one line. We can summarize into a small line. We can describe them in just 4 lines too. The entire history of India can be described in 4 lines. Similarly, it can also be described in a big scripture. Bhagavatam is so vast. Mahabharata is very vast. The history of India is very vast. We can talk about them endlessly everyday. Yet, we will not reach the bottom of it.

The Guru alone knows what should be taught, to whom it should be taught, when it should be taught, what the benefit of that teaching is and how the disciples’ shortcomings should be fixed. A lot of teachers just say, “Okay, I am finishing the syllabus”. The teachers these days do not have the habit of testing the students to make sure that every student has understood the lessons taught.

That is why, the Guru’s greatness is being described here.

Episode 222

We were talking about the Guru and the knowledge he imparts. The Guru alone knows what should be taught, to whom it should be taught, when it should be taught, what the benefit of that teaching is and how the disciples’ shortcomings should be fixed. Even though sage Bharadawaja told him many times, Gargi did not let go of his pride of knowledge. Gargi did not heed the Guru’s advice. In any case, Gargi completed his education in a few years. Eventually, the time leave the Gurukul (Guru’s school of spirituality, often residential in nature) had arrived. Bharadwaja bidding his disciple farewell specially advised him, “Look, do not insult anyone”.

Speaking of not insulting anyone, even though we may not intend to hurt the other person, we may behave recklessly. By the time Gargi completed his education and returned, poverty and misery had taken over his house. There was not even food to eat in the house. In order to earn some money, he set out for the court of King Janaka. The king was a scholar, very knowledgeable and had no enemies. We can talk endlessly about the virtues of Janaka. We will talk another time about the king’s nature and his knowledge.

Here, Gargi’s parents were happy that their son was going to earn some money. Gargi went to Upamanyu’s ashram enroute. Upamanyu, who was very happy to see Gargi, honored him since he(Gargi) was a disciple of sage Bharadwaja. Accompanied by his disciples, he joined Gargi to go see the king.

The king joyously worshipped and honored his guests. In those days, visiting scholars were always worshipped and honored. After completing the honors, the king humbly asked them the reason for their visit. Gargi said to the king, “Your majesty, I learned that you honor a lot of people. But, it would be better if you find out their scholarship before you honor them. I want to have a debate with you”. He came to the court of the king with a desire. He did not even have anything to eat, so he came to take anything the king may give him to get rid of his poverty. The king was a very respectful man. He had welcomed them humbly and asked them what they wanted. Instead of responding to that, Gargi said, “Before you help people, first find out about them”. Should hungry, impoverished people talk like this? “Please know who you are giving food to. Be careful. You should not feed everyone”. If someone says that, he will be the first one that’s denied food. Was that the appropriate thing to say at that time? When the king was honoring him, instead of happily blessing the king, he asked to have a debate with the king.
Witnessing Gargi’s pride, Upamanyu was surprised. He felt bad thinking, “I didn’t know he had so much pride. I may have made a mistake in coming here with him”. Though Upamanyu was young, he was very experienced and peaceful by nature. He had great devotion towards his Guru and was always desirous of singing glories of his Guru and spreading the Guru’s fame. Upamanyu was surprised thinking about the pride in Gargi’s words. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 223

So far we discussed that Upamanyu, accompanied by his disciples, joined Gargi to go see the king. Gargi, who was impoverished, was going to king Janaka to get some help from him. The king joyously worshiped and honored his guests. When the king humbly asked them the reason for their visit, they are supposed to tell the king what their desire was. Instead, we discussed that Gargi said, “Your majesty, I learned that you honor a lot of people. But, it would be even better if you find out their scholarship before you honor them. I want to have a debate with you”.
Upamanyu was surprised at Gargi’s pride. But the king calmly said, “You must be tired from traveling today. So, let’s talk tomorrow”. This was the appropriate and respectful thing to say. He did not get into a debate right away. This was the first blow to Gargi’s ego. When the king calmly deferred the debate to the next day, Gargi already felt the pinch. He was very ready and eager to have a debate at any cost, but when the moment the king deferred the debate to the next day, he felt a blow to his ego.

The next day, there was a very detailed discussion on the scriptures. The king’s scholarship was well known to everyone. He was not an ordinary king. He was a great scholar. Everybody knew that. Gargi who had knowledge of what he was taught, but never gained knowledge based on experience argued until he lost. Until he lost, his ego did not subside. He assumed he was the only one that was highly educated. Second, he had the desire to defeat everyone. He asked King Janaka to forgive him, “I made a mistake, I had a lot of ego”. He realized his mistake and humbly prayed to the king for forgiveness. It was then he realized the essence of all his education. Until then, he knew everything he learned, but he did not know the essence of his education. He had so much education, but did not have the essence of that knowledge he acquired. What is the use?

That is why, one must realize that education coupled with ego will not grant knowledge. Those with ego will not be able to acquire real knowledge. In other words, without understanding of the Guru Principle – which is the essence of all knowledge – any amount of prayer, chanting, penance, worship, rituals is futile. The Guru Principle is the most important of all knowledge. There is no use if one does not understand the Guru Principle even if he is a great devotee or is very knowledgeable. For self realization, one has to seek refuge in the Guru. Without the Guru’s help, no one can gain self-realization. Lord Panduranga (Lord Vishnu) himself revealed this to his beloved devotee Namadev and enabled him to receive the Guru’s initiation.

Namadev was very knowledgeable. This is a good story, you must listen. Namadev was very knowledgeable. In his childhood, when he felled trees for wood, he wondered how the trees felt. Immediately, he struck his leg with the ax. He wanted to know the pain the trees were feeling when they were axed. Immediately he axed his leg. He was in great pain. He was a great soul who realized in his childhood itself, the Vedic saying, “Atmavat sarva bhootani”. We can never talk enough about Namadev’s devotion.

Episode 224

We discussed that we cannot praise Namadev’s devotion enough. He was such a great devotee that he used to forget himself while singing praises of Lord Panduranga (Lord Vishnu). Whenever he found a moment, in fact with every breath, he would sing the Lord’s name, “Ranga”, “Vithala”, “Vithala”, “Vithala”, “Vithala”, “Vithala”. Pleased with his devotion, Panduranga would himself sometimes talk to Namadev.

Once, Jnanadev organized a satsang. A lot of devotees assembled to sing the glories of the divine (for Divya Nama Sankeertana). Namadev also participated in it. After the Bhajans (singing of divine names) concluded, Jnanadev summoned Gora Kumbhar (potter-saint) and asked him to test the devotees present. Gora Kumbhar said, “Gurudeva, I am a potter, all of them here are great devotees. I do not have the capability to test them”. He said that he was just a potter and the people gathered there were eminent scholars and devotees. He said he was not qualified to test them. Jnanadev said, “Everyone’s body is like a pot. How do you test whether or not the pots are fully baked? Use the same method in testing them”.

Gora Kumbhar took a stick and gently struck each one’s head saying “this one’s good” or “this one’s not fully baked”. This was interesting. He came to Namadev and tested him as well. Namadev was sitting with everyone else in a row. When the stick was approaching Namadev, he was furious, “What is this? Why is he beating everyone like this? He is smacking some on the head, he is hitting some on the back and he is repeatedly beating some others. How dare he come here to beat me”. As soon as the stick struck Namadev, he was very angry. Suddenly, Kumbhar told the Guru, “This pot has not been fully baked, it needs to be baked some more”. Namadev felt even more humiliated. He, who was a great devotee, who would converse with Lord Vithala everyday, was already feeling insulted for having come here for satsang. Namadev used to sing glories of the Lord. He was also somewhat knowledgeable.

So, Namadev was already feeling like it was a mistake having gone there for the satsang and to partake in the meals. “What is this? He is having Kumbhar smack me on the head.” He felt greatly humiliated. Angrily, he addressed Jnanadev thus, “Jnanadeva, you and your disciples are causing great humiliation to us. This is intolerable. We cannot bear this. We do not want to eat here, you humiliated us, you are having Kumbhar beat us, this is not good”. Saying this, he walked away in a huff.

Due to the humiliation he experienced, he was upset. To get some peace of mind, he went home and sat down to pray to Panduranga. Panduranga appeared in front of him and enquired about the reason for Namadev’s sorrow, “Why are you unhappy? What happened to you?” Namadev described the humiliation meted out to him. Then Vithala said, “Namadeva, what Jnandev said is correct. You do not have a Guru. That is why you are feeling bad because you are unable to understand what happened. If you had a Guru, you would have understood the Guru Principle. Since you do not have a Guru, you are unable to understand what happened. That is why you are feeling bad”. When Namadev heard this, he said, “Lord! Compassionate One! You are full of compassion. Whenever I pray to you, you yourself talk to me, you sit with me for a meal. Why do I need another Guru?”.

Let us see what happens next.

Episode 225

Because Namadev’s mind was in turmoil due to the humiliation he experienced, he went home and sat down to pray to Panduranga to get some peace of mind. Panduranga appeared in front of him and enquired about the reason for Namadev’s sorrow. Namadev said, “I have been greatly insulted. Out of reverence for the elderly Jnanadev, I went there for a meal. When I went there, Jnanadev and Kumbhar were doing a little charade with Kumbhar striking everyone with a stick, saying, “This is baked”, “This is not baked”. They smacked me a lot, even before the meals. Moreover, they said that I was not baked. You appear in front of me everyday, no one else gets this. No one else gets to talk to you, but I do. No one else gets to touch you, but you sit with me for meals. How can there be a greater devotee than me in this world? How can he say that this pot is not fully baked? How can he even compare this body with a pot? I cannot bear this insult”.

Lord Vithala said, “Namadeva, what Jnanadev said is true. You do not have a Guru. That is why you are feeling bad, because you are unable to understand what actually happened”. When Namadev heard that, we discussed that, he said, “O compassionate Lord, you are my God, I talk to you, I see you, I have meals with you. Who is a greater devotee than me? Why do I need another Guru?” Then, the Lord said, “Namadeva, your devotion is very great. Owing to your devotion, I appear in front of you every time you pray. True. I sit with you for a meal. I talk to you. I touch you. Why? There has been devotion ingrained in you for a long time. That is the good fortune you earned. That is what is drawing me to you. But you are unable to understand the Principle of Truth. You have God, but you do not have a Guru. Owing to the merit you earned previously, I came to you. That is good. You know that getting close to me is very difficult. But, you have to eventually acquire self-realization. To attain self realization, you need a Guru. It is only when you attain self-realization that I can always be with you. But, now, once your merit diminishes, I will have to leave. I cannot come back for sometime. Then, you will even curse me, “Why are you not coming when I am so devoted to you? ” Your quota would have been spent. Your good fortune would have been exhausted. There would be nothing left. It is that good fortune that got me close to you in the first place. From the moment I came to you, you should intensify your spiritual practice. Only then can I be with you forever. What you have now is good fortune you earned a long time ago. I am appearing to everyday due to this merit. But, in this birth, you are not even thinking about Guru and about knowledge. That is why, you must receive initiation from a Guru to attain self-realization. To give you this message, I caused that incident to happen. Who do you think Jnanadev is? I caused that incident to happen.

Namadev prostrated to the Lord, sought permission from him, sought refuge with the Sadguru and attained liberation as a realized soul. Did you see? Even though God himself was appearing before him, even though the Lord was always with the him, there cannot be liberation without Guru. All else is transient. That is why, they are telling us about the great importance of a Guru through this story of Namadev and Jnanadev. We have discussed the story of Prahalada, the most important among devotees of Vishnu in Datta Darshanam several times. Prahalada sought refuge in Lord Datta and attained self-realization. That is why, one must always seek refuge with a Sadguru to attain the knowledge that will lead to self-realization.

Episode 226

Those who completely surrender their mind to the Guru will definitely attain liberation. We discussed the interesting way this happened in the story of Namadev. In the story of Namadev, there was devotion, but there was no devotion towards Sadguru. He had not even accepted anyone as Sadguru. Some people argue about why they need a Sadguru when they are already directly conversing with God. Some others even argue about why need a Sadguru when they have already mastered so much knowledge. There are people who say, “What does a Sadguru do? He gives two mantras. I already learned those two mantras”. “What else can Sadguru do? Can he teach me some other skill or knowledge? No, he will not even do that”. That is why those who felt they already had God were told by God that unless there was a Guru, there was no liberation.

That is why, one must offer their ego. That is what is surrender of the self. So, surrendering the self means surrendering one’s ego completely to the Guru. That is the kind of surrender true seekers of knowledge should make. What is self-surrender? Surrendering the self is not just giving up wealth. A lot of people say, “I have surrendered myself, I have surrendered everything”. Giving up wealth, giving up the house, the husband leaving the wife and the wife leaving the husband, leaving the kids, offering all the money in the donation box, is this surrender of the self? These are just what are physically visible. The inside is piled up with ego. Ignorance has taken root. Some kind of madness has piled up. Eccentricity has piled up. There is some madness in these people. All these should be given up. Lot of people sit in the presence of the Guru as if they are meditating. The Guru does not even talk. The fickleness and pride in mind, intellect, thoughts and ego should be surrendered. It is not just the physical surrender. It is not just offering two lakh rupees (10 lakhs = 1 million) or paying three lakh rupees or offering a house. One must let go of the ego. That means, it is not enough to just surrender yourself physically. It is not enough to think, “I did it. I even surrendered myself physically”. The ego inside you should also be surrendered. In other words, the external bad characteristics visible to the eye as well as the internal bad characteristics should be completely sacrificed to the Guru.

When people say they have given up everything, they are usually talking about giving up what is physically visible – wealth, land, children – all these are visible to the eye. What are the things not visible to the eye? Ego, ignorance ingrained in the intellect, I mentioned earlier – madness and eccentricity, even those should be given up. These must be completely sacrificed to the Guru. It is said that such people gain knowledge of the self easily. The Guru is saying, “They will gain knowledge of the self easily”. Our past karma holds on to us tightly. If that karma is extricated from the roots, knowledge is acquired. That is liberation.

In his youth, King Janaka once organized a conference of scholars. He questioned, “What is the way to attain liberation quickly?” At the outset of the discussion, King Janaka said, “Help me get knowledge within a second. If I were to place one foot in the horse stirrup, I want to get knowledge before I place the other foot in the stirrup”. He challenged the scholars. People normally mount a horse with the help of stirrups. “Once I place my left foot in the stirrup, before I take my right leg over the horse and place it in the stirrup, I want knowledge. Tell me if there is knowledge I can gain like that. If not, I will imprison all of you”. What a situation this is? If he cannot gain knowledge, what use is it to imprison those that are there? It’s his ego from being the king.

The scholars agreed. Each one exceeded the other, debating in great detail. Still the debate was inconclusive. Even after strong arguments and debates, the matter was inconclusive. There did not seem to be a way to gain knowledge within a second as per the king’s desire. Knowledge needed to be gained in one second. We discussed earlier – knowledge was to be gained between the time the first leg was placed in the stirrup and the time the second leg was placed in the stirrup. The king was young, so he threatened to imprison everyone. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 227

We discussed that when King Janaka was in his youth, he once organized a conference of scholars. He asked them for a way to gain liberation quickly. We discussed that at the outset of the discussion, King Janaka said, “Help me get knowledge within a second. If I were to place one foot in the horse stirrup, I want to get knowledge before I place the other foot in the stirrup. Otherwise, I will imprison all of you”. The scholars agreed. Each one exceeded the other, debating in great detail. Still the matter was inconclusive. Finally King Janaka was frustrated and as declared earlier, put all the scholars in prison. He thought, “The matter is inconclusive. There are so many scholars here. Even though there are so many scholars here, nobody could give me the answer” and put everyone in prison. That was all was capable of.

At that time, Ashtavakra came to that conference. All those present were already imprisoned. A great sage had arrived. King Janaka who knew of the greatness of the sage got a little cautious. He knew that Ashtavakra was a very great soul and was highly knowledgeable. He prayed to Ashtavakra too, to grant him liberation within a second. Let’s see if Ashtavakra also has to go to prison.

Ashtavakra said, “Can the Vedas ever be untrue? I will definitely do as you requested. Vedas themselves have said that knowledge can be attained within a second. Can that be untrue? The Vedas can never be wrong. Therefore, I will try. I will do as you desire. But, you have to follow what I say. Whatever the Guru says must be followed. Only if you follow what the Guru says will it be possible”. King Janaka agreed to this because he wanted the knowledge. He was curious to see how Ashtavakra, whose body was deformed, could give knowledge in one second.

Ashtavakra said, “With the sun and moon as witness, you must accept me as your Guru. Before I teach you, you must accept me as your Guru”. The king agreed to this as well. He promised to do as told. Then, Ashtavakra was the Guru and Janaka was the disciple. The Guru said, “You must offer to me your position and all your wealth”. This is the Guru’s command. “You must give me your position as well. Get down. You are sitting up on the throne. Get down”. Janaka followed the Guru’s instructions; he did not even know what was going on in his own head at that moment. Then the Guru said, “Bring a horse, we will go out. You asked me if it was possible to get knowledge from the time one leg goes on the horse’s stirrup till the time the other leg goes on the other stirrup. Here, I will do it because you took me as your Guru. You gave me your position, your attachments, all your wealth and luxuries. With the sun and moon as witness, you accepted me as your Guru. That is why, I will do it right here and now”. Then, he said, “I want to enable you to get knowledge within a second because you asked for it. Bring a horse, we will go out”

Ashtavakra then said, “Once you place your foot in the left stirrup, do not move until I ask you to. King Janaka agreed and stayed still. King Janaka too was quite stubborn because he wanted to find out what this kind of knowledge was. Ashtavakra happily sat back and started eating a fruit. He was testing Janaka’s feelings. Some people who saw Janaka in this state felt bad for him. Some others felt that this was a fitting lesson to the king who punished the scholars. Ashtavakra just had the king freeze like a statue. The king held the horse reins, placed one leg in the stirrup, pulled the other leg up, when he was ordered to stay still. It was like kids playing “stop” (all the kids freeze in their respective positions when someone shouts “stop”). That’s how King Janaka stood still when Ashtavakra asked him to. Let’s see what happens to this “stop”.

Episode 228

We were discussing the story of Ashtavakra. We discussed that Ashtavakra became Janaka’s Guru. Upon Ashtavakra’s command, Janaka offered him all his power, wealth and luxuries. Then, he asked Janaka to bring a horse saying that he would give him knowledge within a moment. Janaka brought the horse. Janaka raised the left leg and placed the foot in the stirrup. We discussed that before he placed his other foot in the stirrup, Ashtavakra said, “Stop”. It’s like kids playing “Statue” (a game where kids freeze in place when one of the kids says “statue”). He still had one leg midway to the other stirrup. Everybody was witnessing what was going on. Some thought, “This Guru did a good thing. The king put so many scholars in prison. Because he gave those scholars grief, this is a fitting lesson for the king”. But, out of fear for the sage, nobody said anything. They did not know what Ashtavakra would say next, what he would do next. His penance and meditation was so great. Whatever he says would come true. So everybody was very careful.

In this state, Ashtavakra was Guru. King Janaka had become an ordinary man because he did not have a kingdom anymore. He gave away his power over the kingdom and all his wealth and luxuries. Therefore, Janaka was there like an ordinary man. Saying, “Janaka, surrender all your inner feelings to me” Ashtavakra asked him to sit on the horse and said, “Let’s go to the royal court”. He had asked Janaka to surrender all his inner feelings and emotions. Janaka did as instructed. Once they reached, he said, “Prepare a seat for me”. He sat on the seat prepared for him and said, “I am hungry. Take his bowl, beg for food saying “Amma” (Amma = mother. In other words, beg humbly) and bring it to me”. What a test this is? See the travails the great emperor was going through for knowledge. He was now in the clutches of Ashtavakra. The other scholars trying to demonstrate their scholarship, were in prison because they could not satisfy Janaka’s desire. They were experiencing great grief in prison. Ashtavakra did not get caught like the other scholars. His body had many deformities. We discussed his story in the past. Now, Janaka was in his clutches. He was going through a lot of trouble and inconvenience.

Promising knowledge, he had him sit on a horse and came to the royal court with the horse, sat down and said he was hungry. There was nothing there that Janaka could offer because he had already surrendered everything. Janaka could not even touch water there. Therefore, Ashtavakra took a bowl and gave it to him. Beg for food saying, “Amma”. When Janaka took the bowl and set out as ordered by the Guru, the courtiers felt bad for the king, “What difficulty has come upon the King. Why does the King have the bad fortune of begging? That bowl is just a coconut shell. Now, he has to bring food in that shell. What is this?”

In the meanwhile, the Guru called Janaka back and asked, “Did you get self-realization? Did you understand my actions?” He did not teach anything. But, he asked if Janaka attained self-realization. “Are you able to understand the meaning behind my actions?” Janaka said, “Lord, I have attained self-realization. I have no enemies now. I have no worries anymore. Whether I get food to eat or not, I am not worried”. Did you see? Now, he has no relatives, no wealth, he had given away everything. He had also surrendered all his inner feelings.

Episode 229

We discussed that Janaka was about to set out with an empty bowl to beg for food as instructed by the Guru. The Guru Ashtavakra who was seated on the emperor’s throne called him back and said, “You do not need to go, come back”. When Janaka came back, he asked, “Did you attain self-realization? Did you understand my actions? Did you get self-realization at least now? Did you understand the inner meaning of my actions?”. Janaka said, “Swamy, I attained self-realization. I feel so because I have no enemies. I am not a king anymore. That is why, I have no enemies. I have no fear of any kind. I am not afraid of someone trying to kill me. I have no worry of any kind. I am not concerned about whether I will receive alms or not. Even though I am going out begging, it makes no difference to me whether I receive alms or not”. Then the sage said, “You have found what you wanted. Now, I am returning your kingdom to you. Rule over it happily”. He further blessed Janaka saying, “You received whatever you wanted. You said you had no enemies. Reason? Your ego was gone. You said there was no one to cry for you. That is because you surrendered everything. You had nothing left. I did all this so you can get that feeling. I am giving you back the kingdom. Rule over it righteously”. The sage then left.

This is what a Guru’s test is like. In a different narrative, they have a slight variation of the story too.

Here, the scholars tried unsuccessfully to teach Janaka wisdom through debating. Ashtavakra was a great Yogi. Because he was such a great soul, he was able to teach Janaka practically and bless him with divine knowledge. He did not just come and give sermons. He showed it practically through actions.

Only if one serves the Guru with body, mind and senses, with purity in thought word and deed (trikarana shuddhi = purity in thought, word and deed), getting rid of ego and in complete self-surrender, will he attain self realization with the Guru’s grace. This story clearly demonstrates that one cannot gain self realization only through study of scriptures and debates. By debating over and over and over and over, by arguing about what is greater, one can show his scholarship, but there’s no use. Instead, Ashtavakra used practical application to impart wisdom.

Next, when the Guru gives anything, it should be received with devotion. Getting Prasadam (anything given to us by the Guru is automatically sanctified and sacred and is considered Prasadam) from the Guru is good fortune. The 98th sloka in the Guru Gita says this. Shall we listen.

Sloka:
Upabhunjita no vastu guroh kincidapi swayam |
Dattam grahyam prasadeti prayohyetanna labhyate ||

Whenever the Guru blesses us with something, we should receive it with devotion. Getting Guru’s Prasadam is a good fortune. A lot of people go to Gurus and cry over their problems. The Guru listens to everything they have to say and gives them a flower or fruit or vermilion as Prasadam. But, they are not satisfied, “What is this? After I talked about so many problems, all I am getting is a Raksha (sacred thread that’s tied around the wrist), is that all?” I don’t know, maybe they need something large and voluminous like a pumpkin. Or, maybe I should bring a car and put the blessing in the car. They think blessings are as big as buffaloes. They think blessings have to be big and blunt. It is enough for the Guru to merely think about their problems. A lot of people are not satisfied because they don’t know the significance of the Prasadam given to them. They will not understand the significance that even a blade of grass will carry when given by the Guru, they will just put that blade of grass on a shelf. If they are given some vermilion, they put that away on the window sill. The ants on the window sill attain liberation. Even when given sugar crystals, they will not put them in their mouth.

Episode 230

We were talking about the 98th sloka in Guru Gita.

Sloka:
Upabhunjita no vastu guroh kincidapi swayam |
Dattam grahyam prasadeti prayohyetanna labhyate ||

With a desire to get rid of their problems, a lot of people go to Gurus and cry over their problems. The Guru listens to everything they have to say and gives them a flower or fruit or vermilion as Prasadam (anything given to us by the Guru is automatically sanctified and sacred and is considered Prasadam) . But, they are not satisfied. They do not know the greatness of the Prasadam. Carelessly, they put it away some place and forget about it. Sometimes, they even give it away to others. They lose the Prasadam. They do not understand, talk about or share the glories of such Prasadam. And as noted, they sometimes give away the Prasadam to someone else. After some time, they again come after the Guru crying that their difficulties did not get resolved. That is wrong. Prasadam from God or Guru should be handled with care. One should be very careful about it. Very careful. Indra’s story demonstrates the significance of the Guru’s Prasadam.

Once upon time, Devendra intoxicated with his victories was filled with arrogance that there was no one as great as him. While thus arrogant, one day, he drank nectar and was sporting with the celestial maidens. At that time, sage Durvasa was on his way from Vaikuntha to Kailasa. Indra saw him, gathered his presence of mind and prostrated to the sage. He honored Durvasa and his entourage appropriately. Pleased with this, Durvasa gave Indra the garland of Night-Flowering Jasmine flowers that Lord Vishnu had given him. It was very sacred Prasadam given by Lord Vishnu himself, but since Indra was his disciple, he gave it to him. That garland was Lord Vishnu’s Prasadam. It had the power to get rid of old age, diseases and death. It even could grant liberation. Indra who was engulfed by the pride of his power placed the garland on his elephant’s head. It would have been good if he at least placed the garland on his own head, instead he took the garland and placed it on the elephant’s head. Indra was already seated on the elephant that was moving. Immediately, the elephant left Indra and ran into the forests. As it ran, the garland of Night-Flowering Jasmine flowers fell under its feet and got crushed. The garland that was on the elephant’s head fell down and got crushed under the elephant’s feet.

With Lord Sri Hari’s Prasadam crushed to the ground, Durvasa was enraged. “Aye Indra, this was the garland that Lord Vishnu blessed and gave me. It is an offering of the Gods to Lord Vishnu. Whether it is a fruit or a leaf or a spoonful of sanctified water, it must be accepted with devotion. Instead, if one rejects or discards the Prasadam, he incurs the sin of killing a Brahmin. Any Prasadam given by the Guru should be carefully protected. We should save it in a safe place with devotion. It should not be given to others. A lot of devotees place anything given by the Guru – whether it is Prasadam or a Raksha (sacred thread that’s tied around the wrist) or Vibhuti (sacred ash) or vermilion – in a little container in their shrine. They occasionally take pleasure in looking at it. They even use it as needed when they are in danger. But, what did you do instead with the Prasadam given by the Guru? You discarded it. That is why you will incur the sin of slaying a Brahmin. One who incurs this sin will lose everything he has”. The sage cursed Indra saying, “Because you insulted the purity of Lord Vishnu, you will lose your kingdom” and walked away immediately.

At the same moment, Swarga Lakshmi (Goddess of Heaven) left heaven and merged into Maha Lakshmi (consort of Lord Vishnu) in Vaikuntha. Demons conquered Indra’s kingdom. Indra, devoid of his kingdom was full of misery and helplessness. With great grief, he approached the Bruhaspati, the Guru to the Gods.

Episode 231

We discussed that because Indra insulted the Vishnu Prasadam that sage Durvasa gave him, the sage cursed him, “Since you insulted the purity of Lord Vishnu, you will lose your kingdom” and walked away immediately. At the same moment, Swarga Lakshmi (Goddess of Heaven) left heaven and merged into Maha Lakshmi (consort of Lord Vishnu) in Vaikuntha. Demons conquered Indra’s kingdom. Indra, devoid of his kingdom was full of misery and helplessness. With great grief, he approached Bruhaspati, the Guru to the Gods.

In every instance of life, it is inevitable that we seek refuge with a Guru – whether it is Guru who enables us for a certain occupation or Guru who gives knowledge or Guru who initiates us into a mantra, or Guru who grants liberation.

Indra pleaded with his Guru saying, “Sage Durvasa told me that it was Prasadam from Lord Vishnu. The Prasadam was full of purity. I did not heed what he said and placed the Prasadam on the elephant’s head. The elephant ran into the forests and in the process crushed the garland under its feet. This is my mistake. That is why Durvasa got angry with me and cursed that I would lose my kingdom since I insulted the Prasadam of the Lord that he gave me. He cursed that I be left with nothing. O Lord Guru, please protect me. I am seeking refuge in you. Please liberate me from this curse”.

The Guru consoled Indra saying, “Do not grieve. It is inevitable that everyone experience the results of his karma, whether good or bad. If one incurs good karma, he will experience good results. Because you performed bad karma here, you cannot escape the consequences. Karma is the cause of everything. Even karma from millions of births continues to follow the beings. Good karma will pave the way for blessings of Maha Lakshmi while bad karma will be the cause for misery. In grave danger, the name of Lord Narayana is the only way out. Hence, meditate on Lord Narayana. Only Lord Narayana has the authority to relieve us of the karma if we realize our mistake and are repentant about any karma we do, any bad deed we do. Therefore, chant Narayana mantra.

Subsequently, Brahma, Bruhaspati, Devendra and all other Gods went to Vaikuntha together and sang glories of Maha Vishnu. That is why, we often see “Indra Stuti” (praise sung by Indra) as part of the glories of Maha Vishnu (Narayana Stuti) in the scriptures. Everybody went to Vaikuntha along with their Guru and pleaded with the Lord. The Lord blessed Indra and the other Gods with a great message on Dharma. He asked them to join forces with the demons and churn the ocean of milk”. That is his karma. There is no escape from it.

The Gods were immersed in preparations for the task. Did you see? He told them to join forces with the demons and carry out a certain task. Jaya Guru Datta. Let us see what happens next.

Episode 232

Indra’s Guru is saying, “In grave danger, the name of Lord Narayana is the only way out. Hence, meditate on Lord Narayana. Go and meditate on Lord Narayana. There is no other way”. We discussed that Brahma, Bruhaspati, Devendra and all other Gods went to Vaikuntha together and sang glories of Maha Vishnu. The Lord blessed Indra and the other Gods with a great message on Dharma. He said, “Join forces with the demons and churn the ocean of milk. Churning the ocean of milk would provide you with nectar. If you consume that nectar, the demons cannot do anything to you. But, you have to join them in preparing to churn the ocean”.

The Gods then immersed themselves in preparations for the task. On the other hand, Sri Hari asked Lakshmi Devi to take birth with his aspect in the ocean of milk. The gods and demons churned the ocean. Goddess Maha Lakshmi rose from the ocean of milk as Goddess Shashwata Lakshmi (Shashwata = eternal). Sri Swamiji has wonderfully described the episode of churning the ocean of milk as part of Bhagavatam discourses. You all heard it. You may hear it again and again in the future. It’s a supremely wonderful episode. The Supreme Lord Vishnu underwent so many difficulties for the sake of his devotees. Here, Goddess Maha Lakshmi rose from the ocean of milk as Goddess Shashwata Lakshmi and again wed Sri Hari. She bestowed the gods with their kingdom and prosperity. That is why, the Prasadam received from a Guru or from God should be handled very carefully. Even a blade of grass given as Prasadam should be handled with great care. You must not be careless or negligent. You must not say, “This is all I get?” You must not think, “I have been working so hard since morning. He just threw a Raksha for my face”. That Raksha itself is meant to protect you. It is meant to protect your being. It gives you prosperity. It bestows knowledge. It bestows the Guru’s grace on you. Because, even just getting the Guru’s Prasadam is very difficult. When we do receive such Prasadam, if we receive with great devotion and dedication, all our difficulties will be removed.

What do we understand from this story? Indra had a big ego. He was the king of the Gods. Besides Indra was once blessed with immortality. That’s a big story. Such an Indra had to go through so much hardship because he insulted the Prasadam given by the Guru. Finally, even Maha Vishnu himself had to undergo hardships for the sake of his devotees. Did you see, we learn from this story that one who places complete faith in the Guru and follows the Guru’s instructions will be blessed with knowledge. Now, let’s move ahead.

King Kusika. Sometimes devotees feel like they are rendering great service to the Guru. “I sacrificed so much to come to the Guru. I left everything behind to come here. I used to draw a salary of Rs. 70,000. I left that behind to come here. Even now, if I go out to earn, I will draw good money”. There are many people in the world that talk like this. It is a big mistake to talk like this. You can earn that salary of Rs. 70,000, but you cannot easily get the opportunity to serve the Guru. You should think that service to the Guru is superior. You should not keep talking about your own greatness. Only the Guru should say good things about you. That is such a great blessing. The Guru says good things about us only out of love for us. Because he cannot give love any other way, he gives it in this way. “He sacrificed so much to come here”. There is nothing wrong in it. You get overjoyed, believe it to be true and start getting careless. That is a big mistake. It’s a mistake to think that you are rendering great service.

Episode 233

We discussed that some devotees feel they are rendering great service to the Guru. But, that is a big mistake. Out of compassion for you, to uplift you, Guru blesses you with service. He has so much love for you. It is to uplift you that the Guru blesses you with opportunity to do service. You should consider this a great fortune and not assume you are doing some great deed. You should not think, “I left everything behind. I came here for Swamiji”. You came here for yourself. Why do you use Swamiji as an excuse? You can leave right now if you want to. You should not keep laying the excuse on someone else, more so on the Guru. You should not even say, “The Guru summoned me here”. You can say, “Out of compassion for me, the Lord has blessed me to come here and has given me the opportunity to serve. This is my great fortune, I am very lucky”, but you should never say or even think that you are rendering some great service. You should neither say this to others, nor should you let these thoughts in your mind.

If we observe the great service that King Kusika rendered to his Guru, we will understand what our mindset should be in service, how stable our mind should be. Did King Kusika render such great service? To test King Kusika’s devotion to Guru, sage Cyavana once came to his kingdom, “Let us see if he has such great devotion”. As soon as he saw the sage, the king went up to him, offered him water to wash his hands and feet, honored him and enquired about his well being. He humbly prayed to the sage, “Your arrival has sanctified my kingdom today. Great souls will not stir from their place without a purpose. It is our good fortune to have the opportunity to serve someone so spiritually accomplished as you. I am at your command. Please let me know how I can serve you”.

“King, your humility and manners are making me happy. I don’t need anything in particular. I came here to stay with you for a few days. It is enough if you and your wife serve me without any shortcomings”, said the sage. What a test! It is very rare for the Guru to say this. He came here to test the king. Will anyone normally say, “I will stay in your house. Both of you should serve me well. You should serve me together”? This is clearly a test by the Sadguru. The king agreed and arranged for quarters for the Guru with all facilities possible. He arranged for delicious food items for the Guru’s bhiksha (meals) and made him happy. After completing his meals, sage Cyavana told the king, “King, I am sleepy. Until I wake up, you and your wife should serve my feet. Until I wake up on my own, no one should disturb me or wake me up”

Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 234

We were talking about the Sadguru’s tests. We were discussing the story of King Kusika. Sage Cyavana, the Guru, was telling the king, “I want a special mansion. I want delicious food”. He further said, “I am going to sleep now. You and your wife should perform service to my feet till I wake up. You need to keep serving until I wake up on my own. You cannot wake me up”. He then went into yogic sleep. What a test this was! This was a big test.

“Keep performing service at my feet, you cannot move away while you are serving, nor can you wake me up. Until I wake up, you need to keep serving”. According to the Guru’s instructions, the royal couple exercised extreme alertness and with great stability of mind, foregoing food and sleep, kept performing service to Cyavana’s feet.

Twenty one days passed thus. That’s it. Neither did they stir from their positions, nor did the sage wake up from his sleep. If those without devotion to the Guru were serving, what would they do? Saying, “The Guru has passed away”, they would carry away the Guru. They would not wake him up, they would actually carry him away.

But, the couple had wonderful devotion to the Guru. According to the Guru’s command, they continued doing service to the Guru’s feet. Was it for a day or two? There are many people these days who will use the Guru’s feet for a soft pillow to sleep on, instead. There are many like that. They will find it very comfortable and relaxing. But here, twenty one days passed. We cannot serve for twenty one minutes. We fall asleep before the Guru does. He may get startled and probably wake us up. Twenty one days passed. On the 22nd day, Cyavana woke up slowly and began walking out of the mansion without even acknowledging their presence. What is this? Not only did he sleep for 21 days, with the couple sitting right there continuing to serve him, but when he woke up, he slowly got up and walked out right away without even greeting them. I don’t know if the Gurus are crazy. The royal couple followed him out. People from this day and age may have said, “Where are you going? Just stay here.”

The couple followed him out. Wherever the Guru went, they went too. This time, Cyavana using his power of illusion subjected them to fear and anxiety and went to sleep again. He got them both scared, filled their minds with illusion and slept right there, he did not need a home or a bed. The Kusika couple again began serving his feet as they did before. We can talk endlessly about the Kusika couple. Again, twenty one (21) days passed. May be he had a vow for 21 days. At the end of these 21 days – that’s a total of 42 days – Cyavana woke up and said, “King, I will go on the chariot to donate gold, diamonds, cows etc. to the poor and the needy. You two should pull the chariot in place of the horses”. What a crazy Guru, I don’t know. For 42 days, they gave up food and sleep, served the Sadguru’s feet and finally, after the Sadguru woke up, instead of having a shower and eating food, he says, “I need to sit in the chariot, you pull the chariot”. He did even want horses. Good. Let us see what happens.

Episode 235

We discussed that the Kusika couple again immersed themselves in performing service to the Guru’s feet. Twenty more days passed. Cyavana woke up from his sleep and said, “King, I will go on the chariot and give gold, diamonds, cows and other things to the poor and needy. You two should draw the chariot in place of horses”. Kusika positioned himself in front of the chariot, the queen positioned herself behind the chariot and they began pulling the chariot happily. As the royal couple thus pulled the chariot, Cyavana sat in the chariot with great authority and using a strong goad, prodded them to move faster. He was beating them like one would beat cows, oxen and horses saying, “Go faster”. On one hand, Cyavana was beating the royal couple and on the other, he was giving away all of the king’s wealth to the poor and needy he saw along the way. He exhausted all the king’s wealth. Moreover, he donated all the land the king had. While that may be, he was continuing to beat them prodding them to go faster.

When the chariot reached the outskirts of the town, Cyavana got off the chariot and looked at the royal couple once. There were not in the least discouraged. He looked at them once to see how they were. Were they annoyed? Were they sleepy? Were they complaining of hunger? Or were they sad internally on losing all their wealth? There was no sign of anger or annoyance on their faces. There was no sign of negativity in their inner feelings. He searched their inner feelings and their body language. Did they distort their face? Did they close their eyes and sigh? What is in their mind? Are they expressing anything outwardly? He found nothing.

Cyavana was overjoyed with their pure mind and attitude to service. That’s how much they served him. He gently massaged their bodies once with his hands. Immediately, all the injuries on their bodies disappeared. They had so many injuries. Cyavana sat in the chariot and beat them up a lot. They had even pulled the chariot. Their necks were badly bruised and injured. They were bleeding from the many injuries they had. He glanced at them compassionately, touched them and gently massaged them once with his hands.

Cyavana drew them close to him and said, “O King, I am very impressed with your unparalleled peaceful nature and restraint of sense organs. I am very happy. Ask for whatever you want. I yelled at you so much. I beat you and scolded you so much. You never even had the pride of being a king. You accepted everything with devotion. You accepted all the beating and scolding with devotion. I made you penniless. I deprived you of food. I made you powerless, yet you did not get annoyed. King, you have so much devotion to the Guru”. He went on to say, “Ask for whatever you want”. The royal couple told the sage in unison that they wished for nothing but service to the Guru. Cyavana was their Guru. They expressed their wish thus, “We don’t want anything. It is okay if we lose all the wealth. Any amount of pain the body is subject to is okay. Any amount of humiliation is okay. Because you are offering a boon, we only want the fortune of serving you”.

Cyavana was even more pleased with their dispassion. He said, “King, you will have a grandson called Viswamitra. He will become capable of not only uplifting your lineage, but also this world. He will become a Brahmarishi and will be the Guru to the Sri Ramachandra, incarnation of the Paramatman. Because of your name, he will also gain fame as Kausika”

Did you see what a great boon they got? This story clearly shows us how service should be done and what the fruits of service are when done with a pure and stable mind and without any desire for its outcome.

Episode 236

The Sadguru is compared to a mirror. Because, just as a mirror shows us our reflection, the Sadguru shows us our true nature. The mirror shows you what your face looks like, it does not show anything different. In case your face is distorted, that is what the mirror will show too. If you smash the mirror against the wall, “How dare you show my face distorted, what are you thinking?”, it’s of no use. An ordinary mirror is normally useful for us to see our reflection in, so we can decorate our form. The mirror called Sadguru helps to fix our nature and our behavior. When we look into a mirror, we only see our external form. That which shows us our inner nature is Sadguru.

While far away objects appear tiny in the mirror, the mirror called Sadguru very clearly shows us even unknown tendencies that have been coming to us from our previous births. When we look into a physical mirror, we see tiny reflections of objects that are far away. But, the mirror called Sadguru shows with great clarity, the tendencies accumulated birth over birth. It is only in the reflection that the object knows of itself. In some cases, if there is no reflection, the object even forgets its state. Let us discuss a small example to show how the Sadguru shows us our forgotten mental state.

A shepherd once found a little lion cub in a forest. The cub’s mother died as soon as it gave birth. The shepherd took pity on the cub, picked it up and brought it home along with his herd of sheep. The lion cub grew up little. The shepherd was taking the lion cub to the forests along with the sheep for grazing. While this went on, one day, a big lion attacked this herd of sheep for its food. As soon as the sheep saw the lion, they began running out of fear for their lives. The terrified lion cub, crying like a sheep, ran along with the sheep. The cub used to eat the same grass the sheep ate, it forgot all about meat and it forgot how to hunt. When the big lion saw this cub, it was very surprised. It wondered, “Is this a lamb or a cub? It may be a lion’s cub, it looks like a lion cub”. Immediately, the big lion gave up chasing the sheep, chased the lion cub instead and captured it. The big lion asked the cub, “You ran away in fear like a sheep, but you are a lion cub, aren’t you?” The cub, trembling in fear said, “No, I am a lamb”. “What, you are not a lion cub, you are a lamb? No, no. You are a lion. You shout like a lamb, you eat grass like the sheep, but you are a lion cub. You can roar like me”. Saying this, the big lion roared. But, the lion cub could not roar, it bleated like a sheep. Then, the big lion, after thinking about what it needed to do so the cub realizes it is a lion cub, took it to a lake. Thinking, “Even after telling it so many times, the cub insists it is a lamb. I will help the cub realize it’s actually a lion cub”, it took the cub to a lake. Let’s see what happens there.

Episode 237

We discussed yesterday that the lion cub could not roar, that it was growing up with the sheep, that it shouted like the sheep and ate grass like the sheep. The big lion wanted to somehow show the cub that it was actually a lion cub. It thought of an idea, made a good plan and took the cub to a lake. The big lion showed the cub its own reflection in the lake. The lion cub had never seen its reflection before. Why would it go see its reflection?

Then the cub understood, “I am a lion. Drinking sheep milk and eating grass like a sheep, I became like a sheep”. Immediately, it gained the characteristics of a lion. It’s fear disappeared. The reason for this transformation in the cub was the big lion showing the cub its own reflection and enabling it to know itself. Similarly, the Sadguru too acts as a mirror and brings transformation in his disciple with his power and shows him the karma accumulated over many births and bestows knowledge. He reveals to the disciple, “Your true nature is bliss”. What is in you – your true inner nature is bliss, in other words, it is liberation, it is Paramatman. Otherwise, the disciple would continue to be immersed in ignorance.

Based on the eligibility of the disciple, Gurus make disciples practice silence or chanting or worship or meditation to help them gain control over their mind. To help them improve concentration, based on their eligibility, the Guru prescribes, “You can do this”, “You should not do this”, “You need to only focus on chanting the divine names, that is enough”, “You should only go on pilgrimages”, “You must only chant this mantra”, “You must only do this worship”, “You must only practice silence”, “You do not need to do anything, just serve the poor and the needy”. Based on their eligibility, based on their karma, based on their karma over their past lives, the Guru will sometimes issue these commands to help them gain control over their mind. We discussed that the Guru makes them practice silence or chanting or worship or meditation. He gets rid of the termites of ego and attachment that have taken over the disciple’s mind using mantras, rituals (tantras) and other tactics. Like this, since he employs many methods and techniques to show us our true nature, the Sadguru is compared to a mirror.

Next, by the grace of God, among the 8,400,000 species, we attained the human birth that is most conducive to spiritual practice. Out of love for this human world, God made this creation very beautiful. He blessed us with so many things. The most precious among all of these is time. Time is very important. We keep saying, “Time, time, time, time”. We keep talking about time, but do not realize its importance. Every hour of our human birth is very precious. Every second is precious. Each breath is precious. We cannot describe its importance in words. Those who understand the principle of time can achieve anything. The spiritual seeker should not waste a single moment. He should be engaged in good deeds every single second. To attain an enlightened state, the seeker needs to use his time wisely. He should not misuse it. What do we do instead? We spend some time there, some time here, we talk to people about unnecessary things, we sleep at erratic hours, we talk whenever we feel like. Let this be.

Let’s move ahead and talk about time.

Episode 238

We were talking about time i.e., Kala. Time is the greatest. Man should not waste a single moment of time. One should use time wisely, it should not be misused. We do not know how many days we will live. We do not know how many days, how many seconds we are going to be alive. Every second, every moment, every breath should be used to do good to ten other people. We should only do good things that give lasting benefit. You should be useful to ten other people. Even if you can make yourself useful to a Sadguru, that would be good. He will be useful to millions and millions of people. That is why, it is enough if you surrender all your service to him. That is why, one must not waste even a single moment.

During the Mahabharata war, Sri Krishna blesses Arjuna with the ability to see his Universal Form (Vishwaroopa; Vishwa = universe; Roopa = form). When Arjuna saw that form, he was of course feeling blissful, but along with bliss, he also felt intense fear. Out of that fear, he asked Vishwaroopa Sri Krishna thus, “Lord, I am unable to see you in this form. I am unable to understand you completely. Who are you? How should I understand you?” Krishna was Guru, relative, friend and God. Arjuna was so fortunate to see the Lord in that form. He asked “How do I understand you?” Sri Krishna replied, “I am of the form of time” Because Arjuna was his own disciple, he said to him, “I swallow everything. I am time”. He was like fire. Fire does not discriminate. It burns everything. He said, “I am fire and of the form of time. I swallow everything”.

A lot of people are losing out by wasting the God-given gift of time. Where they are losing out most is from wasting time. People watch a movie for 3 hours and waste time. One can watch a movie once a while if there is a good movie, if it will do good to you, if you think it is a good movie, otherwise it is a waste of time. Watching the same movie again is a waste. A lot of people waste so much time in unnecessary talk. It is called garbage talk. They do trash talk, talking ill of others and destroying time. They just sit there and even say “we are passing time”. They say, “We are just killing time”. Does it make sense to kill time? Time should be used wisely, does it make sense to kill time? Does it make sense to lose out like this?

Will the time from today, will the second from today come again tomorrow? Will this year, this week, this day, this dusk, this dawn come again? Will the same year, the same month come again? No. It will be a different year, a different month, a different second, a different morning,a different evening, a different afternoon. You are losing time now. Let us see if you can breathe the same breath you just did, by taking it back. It is gone. You will only get a new breath. That count is gone. If you throw each grain of salt in your fist into the ocean, will you get the same salt back again from the ocean? That salt melted. That is why, time is very crucial.

A lot of people say “katha kalakshepam” (katha = story; kalakshepam = pastime) when they talk about Hari Katha (composite arm form composed of story telling, poetry, music, dance, drama, philosophy. Usually stories of the Lord; Hari = Lord, Katha = story). It should not be called a pastime. Passing time with Hari Katha? Listening to Hari Katha is a great fortune. It should not be called a pastime. That is wrong. We will talk about an example in that respect. Let’s see what that example is.

Episode 239

We discussed that a lot of people were losing out in life by wasting the precious God-given gift called Time. Here’s an example story:

Once, a king went to the forest for hunting. There, he saw an old man working hard to cut wood. He felt pity for the old man and went up to talk to him. That old man told the king about all his troubles and said that there was no one to look after him and that cutting wood was his only means of livelihood. The king out of compassion, donated to the old man a piece of fertile land close to the forest. There were also many large sandalwood trees on that piece of land. The king made that donation and went back to his kingdom.

Two or three years passed. The king again went hunting. He again found the old man cutting wood in the same place. The king thought, “What is this? I gave him a piece of land with large sandalwood trees. Why is he here again cutting wood? What kind of man is this?” The surprised king sent his servants to bring the old man to him. He asked the old man, “I donated a piece of land to you. Instead of living comfortably by using that land for farming or by employing laborers to do the farming, why are you again toiling to cut wood? Because you were getting old and still working that hard cutting wood, I gave you that land, but why are you still engaged in this work?” The old man replied, “King, I was unable to till the land you gave me. I did not have the strength to do it. There were large trees on that land. Felling those trees and selling them also felt difficult. That is why, I axed those trees, burned them, made coal and sold it away. The money I earned from selling that coal has already been spent. That is why I am again cutting wood for livelihood”. This is what he did with the sandalwood trees.

Then the king said, “Old man, what have you done! Those were all sandalwood trees. If you had sold them, you would have enough money for many generations. You got hasty out of ignorance and ruined the opportunity you got.” Regretting the old man’s foolishness, the king went back to his kingdom.

The king called God has bestowed us the gift of sandalwood trees called time. Did you observe? We need to understand here. What did the old man do to the sandalwood trees given to him by the king? He axed them and unable to even sell them, he burned them, made coal and sold them. Does it make any sense to do that? Like that, God has given us these sandalwood trees called time, or time equivalent to these massive sandalwood trees. In the form of Guru, he constantly reminds us of its value as well. In the form of Guru, God himself, is reminding us of the value of time. He is constantly reminding us that time is like that garden of sandalwood trees and its value is like Sadguru. It is up to each one of us whether we use it wisely or whether we axe the trees, burn and make coal and waste them. We should not destroy the value called Sadguru and the sandalwood trees called time. In other words, we should not kill or waste time.

We should understand the Guru Principle and use time wisely.

Jaya Guru Datta. Let’s move ahead.

Episode 240

When chanting, worship, meditation etc are done in sacred pilgrim places, they give results faster. The reason for this is the positive energy of the place joining together with your spiritual practice. We can see from our scriptures that sages and saints would find pleasant and isolated places in forests to carry on their spiritual practice. That is why, when a Sadguru gives a mantra, he asks you to chant it by the river, in a temple, at a shrine or at a calm and serene place. Even though the entire world is God’s creation, each place has its special energy. Remember this very well. Do not assume that all places are same. Each place has its own power and energy. Everybody has to agree. Everybody knows about it and everybody has to admit it.

There are people who question, “If God is in your heart, why go to temples?” A lot of people say, “God is in my heart, why should I go elsewhere?” They are unable to understand that due to consecration of God’s idols with Vedic chants, the entire temple is purified and energized. “Why are temples considered so sacred?” The temple is considered so sacred and powerful because the consecration was done with powerful mantras, because the Yantra (a mystical, geometric design placed under the deity’s idol) has so much power and because the entire place is so energized. Whatever good or bad happens to us, the influence of the place plays a role to some extent. There is a good story that talks about the energy of the place.

Rama entered Dandaka forest during his exile. Lakshmana who was carrying the items belonging to Sita and Rama was walking behind them. When they arrived at a certain place, don’t know what happened to Lakshmana, he gave all the items to Rama saying, “You both carry your own things”. By then, he had accepted Rama as his Guru. After walking some distance, he recovered and said, “Oh, what is this? My Rama, my Guru, my brother, why is he carrying all the luggage”. He regretted what he said earlier, “What happened to me? What all did I say?” He fell on Rama’s feet and prayed for forgiveness.

Rama laughed and said, “Lakshmana, that was not your fault. The influence of the place there was such. Demons had done meditation there in the past. Their negative vibrations are still hovering in the atmosphere there. Anybody else would have been in the state just like yours. After crossing that place, your mind was restored to its original state. That is not your fault. It is the influence of the place. The place has some bearing on anything good or bad that happens to man”. Explaining thus, Rama pacified Lakshmana.

From this, we understand what the influence of a place is. That is why, we are asked to go on pilgrimages once in a while. The calm and serene environment in those places will have a positive effect on our mind. It will benefit our spiritual practice. These days, a meditation room is being set up in many temples and Ashramas. If we want to restrain our mind from hankering after material activity, it is good to set aside a room in the house for prayers. We cannot talk enough about the influence of the place. We have seen what happened to Lakshmana.

So, just as a place has its influence, there is a lot of influence in service to the Guru as well. When serving the Gurus, their influence falls on us and we imbibe their goodness. They do not need to specially bless us, their association is such.

Episode 241

Let us learn some secrets in spiritual practice. Following certain disciplines is a must for spiritual practice. These are called secrets. When one follows these disciples, he will definitely be blessed with realization of the mantra and even darshana (opportunity to see a holy person or a deity) of the Sadguru. Some people do not follow those disciplines. They will say, “We want the Guru’s darshana quickly, we want to talk to the Guru, we want knowledge”, but they will not try to make any changes in their lives. They almost seem to make some changes, but do not really do so. They follow the disciplines for two days, but discontinue from the third day on. They will seem ready to fast for two days, but will not actually fast. They will chant the Lord’s name 100,000 times today, but the next day, they think , “Ohh, who is going to do the chanting, God knows everything that’s on my mind”.

There is no room for laziness in spiritual practice. What does this mean? Laziness. Many people have laziness. They fall asleep in the middle of their spiritual practice. They fall asleep in the middle of their chanting. They fall asleep while turning the beads of the rosary. That does not work. That is called laziness. You can sleep as much as needed, but you must not sleep during chanting. Spiritual practice has no room for laziness. But, on the other hand, the eagerness to quickly finish the process does not work either.

There are many who say, “Because they said laziness does not work, we completed it very quickly for today because we were getting sleepy. We had planned to chant certain lakhs of times, so if we can finish this quickly, we can enjoy the rest of the holiday”. “Ohh, I chanted 4 lakh times, I feel good”. Sure, you feel good, but you will not realize the power of the mantra. Your mind feels good, because what was on your mind? “I wanted to chant a certain lakh number of times, I finished that count today”. Your mind will have an unknown laziness and satisfaction from such thinking , but that does not work. When you are in a hurry to finish, your mind cannot be made steady.

Some people want to do every good deed. They pay lip service, “I need to do this good deed. I need to talk good. I need to do good to other people. I must do spiritual practice too”. They keep saying this over and over, “I need to do spiritual practice, I need to concentrate, I need visit pilgrim places, I need to talk to Sadguru, I need to read good books”. But, what do they follow up these words with? They keep procrastinating their tasks to the next day or the day after. “I will start studying the Ramayana from tomorrow”. If they hear the Ramayana somewhere, they say, “How can one not study the Ramayana? One has to study the Ramayana”. If there are little children reciting some verses from the Bhagavad Gita along with its meaning, they feel very ashamed, “It would be nice if we learned the Bhagavad Gita verses and the meanings too”. This is very wrong behavior. This is a mistake.

Those who say, “Let’s do it tomorrow, I will start from tomorrow”, will not start at all. When those addicted to smoking say, “I will quit smoking from tomorrow”, they will never quit smoking. They must quit right then and there. It is not until you have actually stopped smoking that you have quit. You must have that obstinacy. There are those that say, “Let me drink alcohol today, I will quit from tomorrow”. What will you quit after drinking today? Tomorrow, you will feel like drinking another. It is only when you harden your mind right then and there, become your own doctor and try to correct that bad habit that you will attain concentration from that goodness. Otherwise, what does paying lip service do for you? People keep procrastinating saying “tomorrow”, “the day after tomorrow” etc.

The second category of people start on the task right away, but their focus is more on thinking about when they can finish the task than on doing the actual task. A lot of people start right away, but they will be victorious only if they do it with concentration. They do not. “I need to finish this task. It should be completed by tomorrow”. They go through the task very quickly. As a result, they make many mistakes. They will have to start all over again. They have to be reprimanded by others, they have to pointed out at. They receive a lot of criticism, “What is this, look at your spellings. You should use upper case letters, but you used lower case letters. There are no punctuations, no periods. There are no commas here” and so on. Then they have to start fixing all over again.

Similarly, a lot of people that are initiated into a mantra think they have to attain liberation right away. Just as on one hand they may start on a task at hand right away but are unable to concentrate, ruining the task and doing it all wrong, on the other hand, because the Guru asked them to chant 2 crore (20 million) times by the river, they finish chanting within 2 hours what would normally take 2 days in the cold. How can they attain salvation? Neither of these two kinds of people can reach their goal.

Let’s move ahead.

Episode 242

We were discussing that in spiritual practice neither hurriedness nor laziness works. We discussed that spiritual practice must be done with patience. Only when interest is combined with hard work and patience, the seeker will achieve his objectives, otherwise, he will not. Patience is very important. If you don’t have patience and want to finish the task in a hurry, the task will be ruined. Only a person with patience and hard work will gain happiness in his spiritual practice. Such a person will feel, “I do not even want liberation. I want to continue doing this spiritual practice, one after another”. He feels happiness in just doing his practice. When the task is complete and one feels it was well done or if another appreciates that the task was well done, the person is very happy.

In many households, the mother cooks. When everybody sits to eat, if one says, “Mother this food is so tasty”, the mother is lost in happiness. She does not even care to eat. She wants to fine tune it and cook even better the next time. Our mind reacts the same way. When we carry out a certain task to achieve an objective, if you or someone next to you or your teacher feels that the task is successful, the mind is in heaven. That means, the person is content thinking, “the task I am doing has been successful.” Such a person gains happiness in just doing his spiritual practice. He carries out his practice with concentration and patience.

One must also master certain techniques in achieving his goals. To fix one’s aim, to reach a goal, unless you know some techniques, how can you get there? We should not just blindly keep going in a straight line. We should learn a few techniques. Such a person will achieve success in any field. Once he masters the techniques appropriate for the task and fixes his aim, he will certainly be victorious.

A person once felt like learning sword fighting. He approached a teacher who taught sword fighting. He bowed to the teacher and asked, “Sir, how many days will it take me to learn to maneuver the sword skillfully?” Here is a student coming to learn sword fighting who is already interested in the results and is asking right at the outset about how long it would take him to maneuver the sword. The teacher looked at him, laughed and said, “It will take 10 years”. He knew that this person was lazy. “Okay, if I practice without taking a break, if I consistently practice maneuvering the sword everyday for 24 hours, without even taking a holiday…”. The teacher intervened and said, “Hold on, son, hold on. Why are you in such a hurry? It will take 20 years, that’s it”. So, to the question on how long it would take if he put in all his concentration and practiced without a break, the teacher said it would take 20 years. The seeker should not be in a hurry in any matter. A seeker that is in such a hurry will not achieve anything easily or quickly or properly. This person had not even been admitted in the school for sword fighting, he did not even know how to hold the sword, but he starts practicing in a hurry because he thinks he’ll learn in 10 years. “Hold on, son hold on, it will take 20 years, not 10 years” said the teacher.

What this means is that if you are in a hurry, you will not achieve your results easily or quickly or properly. That is because, you have no concentration. You just want to finish quickly, get your certificate and run. Even if he gets the certificate, he cannot gain happiness. There would be no satisfaction from what he learned. He just did something for the sake of it, it did not mean much.

If the teacher is satisfied, we will be satisfied too. But, even if the teacher shows mild satisfaction, our mind still needs satisfaction. Even if the teacher is not satisfied, we should practice until we are satisfied. Then, you will definitely be successful.

Episode 243

The Sadguru here is revealing a few secrets, a few techniques for spiritual practice, a few secrets of Yoga. We talked about sword fighting where the teacher said that the student would need 10 years, or even 20 years to learn to maneuver the sword. Let’s talk about an example in that respect.

Say, there are two yogis who were engaged in spiritual practice for several years. Narada once went to these yogis. Both of them got up and offered prostrations to sage Narada. They wanted to find out when their spiritual practice would be complete. Narada was a great Yogi and knew the past, present and the future. They both wanted to know what Narada would say about their spiritual practice.

The first among them asked, “Lord, when will I attain liberation?” Narada replied, “Be patient for 3 years, you will attain liberation”. As soon as he heard that, unable to wait that long, he was filled with sorrow. “It will take me 3 years?”

The second said, “Lord, what about me? You told him it would take him 3 years, when will I attain liberation?” Narada responded, “Look at that tamarind tree over there. You have to take as many births as the leaves on that tree”. The second yogi was filled with great joy. He also instantly attained liberation. He was filled with so much joy that he even forgot his body.

Here, the poor first yogi did not know that over-zealousness does not work in spiritual practice. He was rushing to attain liberation quickly and was forcing himself to spiritual practice as if someone asked him to. He was forcing his mind, his body and his sense organs. That is why he was left dissatisfied, he wanted to get results faster and faster. But, the second one felt, “I am happy to be able to do spiritual practice, I can gain liberation happily. No problem, I can take as many births as the leaves on the tamarind tree. No big deal. I will attain liberation at least then. I will at least gain liberation eventually even if I have to take as many births as the leaves on the tamarind tree”. He was happy thinking, “Okay, I will attain liberation at least by then”. That is why he gained liberation instantly. He thought, “At least by the time the leaves of that tree drop, I will gain liberation”.

From this, we clearly understand that over-zealousness, “When I will I reach my goal?”, “When will my spiritual practice conclude?” will not work. The yogi should have been happy that it would only take him 3 years. And for the other yogi to take as many births as the leaves on the tamarind tree is no child’s play. It is hard to even count the number of leaves on the tamarind tree. In such a case, the second yogi should have been sad thinking about the number of leaves on the tamarind tree. Instead, the first yogi was sad about having to do spiritual practice for 3 more years. He should have actually been happy. One who experiences happiness in spiritual practice and works towards his objective will reach his goal quickly. Otherwise, he will not.

Let us recall verse 15 from the Guru Gita. We cannot recall it enough number of times. These slokas keep coming up based once in a while on the examples we are discussing. That is why you must listen to the slokas this second time. You should understand that Swamiji is explaining the meaning of the sloka. You should not wonder about why you are hearing this again. Why not listen to this again?

Sloka:
Yadanghri kamala dvandvam dvanda tapa nivarakam
tarakam bhava sindhosca tam gurum pranamamyaham

The lotus pair of the Sadguru is the reliever of the passion caused by dualities. Passion caused by dualities. Love and hatred, cold and heat, joys and sorrows etc are called dualities. The Guru rids us of the passions caused by these dualities. How does he rid us of them? The Guru enables your mind to clearly grasp that the reason for your joys and sorrows is none other than yourself. You should not point to others as responsible for your joys and sorrows. We are being told here that you alone are responsible for your joys and sorrows. Let us learn more.

Episode 244

We were talking about the 15th sloka.

Sloka:
Yadanghri kamala dvandvam dvanda tapa nivarakam
tarakam bhava sindhosca tam gurum pranamamyaham

We were talking about the dualities. Relief from the passion caused by dualities. Love and hatred, cold and heat, joys and sorrows etc are called dualities. The Guru rids us of the passions caused by these dualities. How does he rid us of them? The Guru enables your mind to clearly grasp the knowledge that the reason for your joys and sorrows is none other than yourself. To console the grieving Yudhisthira who considered himself responsible for the death of Kauravas, Bheeshma told a story.

“Why are you grieving so much?” See, people here are becoming Gurus to each other. This is God’s divine play.

Whoever teaches us good things is a Guru to us. Such a person is our well-wisher. Elders are advising us of matters that help us in the path of liberation. They come to us as Gurus. If you read or listen to the Mahabharata, every page, every moment, the greatness of the Guru is revealed. Krishna played such a great role there. He played the role of a Sadguru. He went into each person’s heart and taught them of the spiritual practice they needed to attain liberation.

Bheeshma is saying, “Dharmaraja, do not grieve. You were not responsible for the destruction of Kauravas. Why are you grieving thinking, “I am responsible, I am responsible”. Why do you keeping saying, “Because, I played a game of dice and lost at it, we are beset with this sorrow”. How did you become the cause? Their karma alone is the reason. Because they accrued strong karma, you were a means to teach them a lesson due to which you decided to play the game of dice.

Listen to me, long ago, the son of a Brahmin lady called Gautami was bit by a snake”. Bheeshma was helping Dharmaraja understand. “The boy immediately died. The lady sat crying in front of the boy’s body. That is natural. In the meanwhile, a savage called Arjuna came by holding a snake in his hand and excitedly said, “Mother, this is the snake that killed your son. If you permit, I will cut this to pieces”. This is a savage called Arjuna, not our Arjuna (from Mahabharata). We keep coming across the name Arjuna a lot. The name Krishna, the name Dharmaraja also keep appearing quite a bit. Even in Ramayana, there are many people with the name Rama. Not all Ramas are Lord Rama. And not all Arjunas are Arjuna. This was a savage called Arjuna.

Bringing the snake to the mother weeping by the corpse, he said, “This is the snake that bit your son, is it not? Mother, this is the snake that killed your son, is it not? If you permit, I will cut this to pieces” . The mother did not agree to this. She did not give him permission to kill the snake. She said, “Tell me how the snake is responsible for my karma or my son’s karma. The snake is not the cause. Therefore, let it go. How can the snake be the cause. My son saw the snake many times. If the snake bit my son now, it is because my karma has come to bear”. The savage did not agree. He thought that because the snake bit the boy, the snake should be killed. Moreover, he insisted that the snake be killed. “No, this snake has to be killed. There will be no closure until then. It unjustly killed the little boy”.

In the meanwhile, surprisingly, the snake itself spoke. “O savage, I have been listening to what you are saying”. Let us see what the snake has to say. How is it that the snake is talking? Sometimes, snakes are talking, sometimes parrots are talking, sometimes cows are talking. Sometimes, horses are talking, expressing their feelings. Let that be. We will later talk about the story where parrots talk.

Episode 245

We were discussing so far that the lady was wailing sitting by the dead body of her son who was bit by a snake. A hunter brought the snake saying, “Mother, permit me to kill the snake” to which the lady said, “Do not kill the snake. Why do you want to kill the snake? This is a result of my karma and my son’s karma. What can the snake do? How can the snake be responsible for our karma? We are responsible for our own karma. The snake received the order to kill, so it did. So, do not do anything”. We discussed that at that point, the snake suddenly began talking.

“O hunter, I have been listening to what you are saying. Why are you cursing me so much? Why are you so eager to kill me? You are making me responsible for the body’s death, do you have any sense? How can I be the cause? There is nothing in my hands. I am just like a stick in the hands of the Lord of Death. I bit the boy only on his order. Why would I want to bite the boy? I see him everyday I would not normally bite the little boy. It was a command from the Lord of Death to bite him. It was a command from the supreme power, so I bit the boy”.

The Lord of Death (Yama) appeared and said, “You are fighting amongst yourselves and blaming me. What is this? O snake, not only are you able to talk, but you are unjustly accusing me. The lady is also saying, “It was my bad time, it is my karma that I lost my son”. You are also saying the same thing. The hunter is agreeing with all this. What are you doing? Why are you blaming me who is somewhere else. In reality, what is in my hands? Everything is controlled by Kala Purusha (Time personified; Kala = time; Purusha = Supreme Being). It is not under my control. I am under the control of Kala Purusha. I do as he commands. It is my duty, that is all. It is not my doing, I just follow karma”.

When he heard this, Kala Purusha himself appeared. He said, “I am always blamed for anything that happens to anyone. What is this? Unjustly, you first blamed the snake and then you said it was not the snake. You thought it was karma, you thought it was Yama in the form of karma and then Yama appeared. Yama said it was not him, but Kala Purusha. So, here I am. But, I am also merely an instrument”. What, everybody is trying to escape here.

First, they blamed the snake. The snake said, “I came here because it was Lord Yama’s command”. When Yama was accused, he said, “I do as Kala Purusha commands”. Now Kala Purusha, the Supreme, is here. Kala Purusha is saying, “Why are you unjustly accusing me? Each one’s karma is what guides them. There is nothing here that I did or did not do. Each one’s karma is always in his/her account. Each one’s karma continues to be on his/her plate. It is always in his/her account”.

Then, the Brahmin lady intervened and said, “O hunter, did you see? Kala Purusha is saying what I said. He is the Supreme being. I told you right in the beginning that this is my karma. You called everybody here one after another. Did you see? What happened eventually? Kala Purusha himself is saying the same thing.”

Episode 246

We were talking about Kala Purusha, the snake, the hunter and the woman who lost her son. We discussed that the Supreme Power, Kala Purusha appeared and said, “Everyone blames me for anything bad that happens to anyone. Step-by-step they keep passing the blame to another until it points to me. In reality, I too am merely an instrument. Each one’s karma is what guides them. There is nothing that I do or do not do.”

The Brahmin lady slowly intervened and said, “O hunter, did you see? Kala Purusha is saying what I said. That is why, nobody is responsible for my son’s death. His karma alone is the reason. Therefore, let the snake go”. Then the hunter, ashamed of his ignorance, let the snake go. Thus Bheeshma, assuming the role of a Guru, explained the Principle of Karma.

Therefore, it is clear that no one is responsible for another’s joys or sorrows. One should not blame another saying, “I am sad and these people are responsible for it”. No one else is responsible for one’s sorrow. Nor are they responsible for one’s happiness. In other words, each one’s karma takes on the form of joys and sorrows. Each one must experience the karma accrued due to one’s good or bad deeds. No one else can experience for him. Each one needs to experience it for himself. We should remember this very well. You should not assume that someone else will carry your karma for you. You should not expect to come to the Guru and do some rituals and pass your karma on to the Guru. You must experience the result of of your sins.

You have to either digest what you eat or suffer indigestion yourself, but how can your neighbor suffer indigestion on your behalf? If you say to the doctor, “I ate food, I think I have indigestion. Doctor, I do not want medicine. Can you suffer indigestion on my behalf?” why would the doctor suffer indigestion on your behalf. The doctor will give you 4 injections, but why would he go through the experience on your behalf? You need to pay for whatever you have done. A person who gains this knowledge will be isolated from bad karma. The day, the moment, a person understands this, he will be distanced from bad karma. So, by seeking refuge at the Sadguru’s feet, by meditating on his feet and serving his feet, this knowledge will be firmly established in the mind. That is why, the Guru’s feet are referred to as “Dvandva tapa nivaranam” (reliever of the passion caused by dualities). All passions and anxieties are removed from one who seeks refuge at the Guru’s feet and has firm faith in the Guru. Dvandva tapa nivarakam (dvandva=dualities; tapa=passion/heat; nivarakam=relief).

Next, the disciple’s duty. So far, they talked about the disciple’s practice, they cautioned us. Now, they are talking about Dharma, about what should the disciple’s conduct be. To the question, “What is the right behavior for a disciple?”, the answer is a little tricky. Because, only one with all the virtues becomes a disciple. The most important of those virtues is devotion to the Guru. Devotion to the Guru is the foremost Dharma of the disciple. We are talking about Dharma, the primary Dharma of a disciple is devotion towards the Guru. That is Dharma. Many people ask, “What is Dharma? Is it donations and charity?” Dharma is devotion to Guru, concentration. We should understand that, that is the greatest of all virtues. Dharma is a great virtue. Everyone should follow and apply it in their lives. So, let us learn about Dharma in more detail.

Episode 247

We were discussing till yesterday that the answer to the question, “How should a disciple be?” is a little difficult. Because, only one with all the virtues becomes a disciple. What did they say was the most important of those virtues? It was devotion to the Guru. Devotion to the Guru is the foremost Dharma of the disciple. We should understand that, that is the greatest quality of a disciple. There is nothing that a disciple with unwavering devotion towards the Guru cannot achieve. Even the Gods look forward to the opportunity to aid such a disciple in his tasks. See, even the Gods are standing by to help out a devotee who has unwavering devotion towards the Guru. That is because, the disciple is practicing devotion to the Guru as his Dharma. Even the Gods await the opportunity to be of assistance.

To help us understand this better, let us briefly learn the story of Udanka. Udanka was one of sage Paila’s disciples. We have many example stories of Gurus and devotees. Even after discussing many examples, there will be millions more. Even then, it’s not enough. We forget these stories right then and there. Even if we can remember one story, that will be enough. Even if we can remember one Guru-disciple story, we can use it as a reference.

We are talking about the story of Udanka. He completed his education, all the while serving his Guru with great devotion. He attained good education from his Guru. Now, it was time for him to step from Gurukulam (Guru’s school) into Grihastha Ashrama (householder’s life). There are various stages of life. Here, after completing his education, he was getting into Grishastha Ashrama. You know there are various phases after Grihastha until they reach old age. Udanka went to the Guru and prayed, “What can I offer to you as Guru Dakshina?” (Guru Dakshina = tradition of repaying one’s teacher after completion of formal education). He said, “I got all my education from you. I am now going home. What can I offer to you as Guru Dakshina?” The Guru said, “Son, you served me with devotion and earned good education. That itself is Guru Dakshina to me. You learned so much. You had so much dedication towards your studies. That is enough for me. Your dedication and devotion to Guru are enough Guru Dakshina. But, why are you insisting that I ask for Guru Dakshina? I do not need anything. Therefore, go to my wife, find out what her desire is and bring her whatever she needs. That itself will be Guru Dakshina. Do not ask me. Why are you asking me? Even though I am refusing, you are asking. I am saying that you are okay to go and live with continued devotion to the Guru, but you are insisting on offering Guru Dakshina. I do not need anything. So, go ask my wife”

Udanka then went to the Guru’s wife and asked her. She said, “I decided to undertake a religious vow. For fulfillment of that vow, I need the earrings of the woman of great chastity – King Paushya’s wife within 4 days”. The earrings of the queen of King Paushya. What is this? Moreover, she said, “I need them within 4 days, I am undertaking the vow”. Instead of quietly going home, what did he get into? Udanka set out to bring the earrings. Now, this was mother’s order, there is no escape.

On his way, a great man mounted on an ox told him, “You are on your way to doing your Guru’s work. Eat this ox’s dung and go. Eat your fill”. Indra himself came in the form of that man to help Udanka. Udanka did as the great man asked him to.

Udanka then went to the queen and pleaded with her to give him her earrings. See how interesting this story is. Let’s move ahead.

Episode 248

We were discussing the story of Udanka – Udanka asked his Guru what he could offer as Guru Daskhina when his Guru directed him to his wife. The Guru’s wife asked Udanka to get her the earrings belonging to the queen of King Paushya. Udanka set out on the task with devotion towards his Guru. He ran into Indra who wanted to help Udanka owing to his great devotion to his Guru. Still, Indra put him to a small test and asked him to eat the dung from the ox which Udanka did. Udanka then went straight to the queen and pleaded with her to give him her earrings. In the meanwhile, there is also another story unfolding. The queen gave him the earrings saying, “Carry them without ever placing them on the ground. Where you place them on the ground, that’s it, the serpent king Takshaka will take them away, be careful. There is a very nice story that takes place here, we will talk about that another day.

Udanka who was carrying the earrings back stopped at a lake during dusk. Forgetting what the queen said, he placed the earrings on the ground and stepped into the lake for a bath. It was the time of dusk and Udanka, who wanted to do his daily rituals (anushthana), placed the earrings on the ground. He forgot what the queen had told him. Takshaka seized the opportunity and appearing in the guise of sage, took the earrings and disappeared into Patala Loka (nether world). That was what was meant to happen. He took away the earrings. Udanka had forgotten and placed them on the floor. Udanka who had decided not to return without the earrings took a small stick and began digging up the hole into which Takshaka disappeared. Takshaka had disappeared in the form of a snake. So, Udanka spent hours digging and looking for the snake. Pleased with his devotion to the Guru, Indra and the other gods appeared in front of him and gave him Vajrayudham (Indra’s powerful weapon) saying, “Why are you digging with a small stick?”

With that he made a tunnel to Patala Loka, earned back the earrings and offered them to the Guru’s wife as Guru Dakshina. Did you see? For Indra himself to give his weapon, devotion towards the Guru was the reason. That is what is devotion to the Guru. Devotion to the Guru is as important as the education we gain from the Guru. Even Gods stand by and protect those who have unwavering devotion towards the Guru. This story helps understand that very well.

Next, as we move ahead, forgiveness. If you want to move forward quickly and achieve progress in your spiritual life, you must inculcate certain habits in your worldly life too. You must imbibe great virtues in worldly life. Important among them is forgiveness. Forgiveness is a virtue that everyone needs to practice. That itself is a spiritual practice (sadhana). Forgiveness does not come easily to anyone. People are always getting angry. If someone makes a mistake, if someone says something, or if someone does something that one does not like, he will hold a lot of anger against that person until he can scold or beat him up. But, forgiveness is a great sadhana. Even a thousand years of meditation becomes futile in a second if there is no forgiveness. We discussed that some people have anger at the tip of their nose. So, even if you meditate for a thousand years, your spiritual practice becomes futile within a second if you do not have the quality of forgiveness.

Jaya Guru Datta. Let’s talk about the quality of forgiveness.

Episode 249

We were talking so far about the quality of forgiveness. Forgiveness. We discussed that even the spiritual practice of a thousand years becomes worthless in a moment if there is no quality of forgiveness. In this regard, we know the story of Vishwamitra. No one has more forgiveness than Mother Earth. Lord Dattatreya told us about his 24 Gurus. Earth is one among his Gurus. Lord Datta said that he learned the quality of forgiveness from Earth. Regardless of how much she is tortured, kicked or dug into, she definitely bears it all patiently. We are witnessing it ourselves. So many people are digging into earth, so many are kicking and so many are walking on earth. They are inflicting so much pain on her. Regardless of how much pain is inflicted on her, Mother Earth silently bears it all. The seeker must also try to earn such patience. Only then can they became great.

When we examine the lives of some great people, we learn what patience is like. Regardless of how others talk to them, regardless of how much others insult them, their natural trait is to always do good to others. Despite not knowing anything about these great people, criticizing and blaming them unnecessarily is a lowly trait among people. Even if they know nothing about the great people, they unnecessarily criticize them. That is a lowly trait, it is not? Even if they don’t know the first thing about them, they will keep pointing fingers at them and blaming them. That is a lowly trait among people.

However, great souls pay no heed to such behavior, any amount of blame or criticism does not bother them. They treat blame, praise and rejection the same. Working towards universal welfare and doing good to others is their natural behavior. They will tolerate anything to do good to others. There are many stories in the scriptures that reveal these virtues among the great souls. Even in these days, there are many such great souls. Everyone knows the story of Kabir. He is a great devotee.

Once, he went to a house to beg for alms. Out of anger, the lady of the house threw the rag she was mopping the house with at him, “What is this? He troubles us everyday”. Still Kabir remained calm. He took that cloth, washed it up, tore it into pieces, made wicks out of them and lit lamps. Moreover, he prayed wholeheartedly to God to bless the lady with good disposition. Did you see? If it were someone else, he would have thrown the rag back at her. That is real devotion to the Guru. Kabir Das was also being tested by Lord Vithala. As a result of this, the lady took birth as a very knowledgeable person and undertook many charitable deeds.

In another instance when Kabir went begging for alms, the lady of the house did not even open the door. Still, he patiently went back there the next day. Why did he go back there again? Perhaps to give her liberation or to instill better sense in her. God keeps doing this through the Guru.

Episode 250

We heard that story where Kabir washed the mopping rag that the lady of the house threw at him, and made wicks with it. Subsequently, the lady attained knowledge and got liberated. When the same Kabir again went out to beg for alms from another household, the lady of that house did not even open the door. Still, Kabir patiently went back there the next day. Guru persists after you to give you knowledge. The lady opened the door this time, but she showed her annoyance and did not give him food. Earlier, she would not answer the door, but today, she got impatient and opened the door. She did not give him any food, instead she showed her annoyance. The third day, Kabir again went back to the same house. The lady got very angry and dumped the ash she had in her hand on his head. While the other lady threw the dirty old rag at his face, this lady took the ash from cleaning the stove in the house and dumped it on his head. Still, Kabir went back to the same house the fourth day. He could have gone to some other house, but he went back to the same house where he got ash dumped on his head.

The lady was surprised. This time, she called him in and gave him food. She took pity on him. In this manner, she gained a bit of a charitable disposition. Thinking that he would not come back again if she gave him food, she fed him. The goal of great souls is to somehow bring about good thoughts in people and to uplift them. The goal of this Guru was the same. It is with this goal that they wander around different towns. It is with this goal that they beg for alms. They travel around the world. Without realizing this, some people make it their duty to blame great souls, criticizing their every action. It seems like these people have to take back the little sin that the great souls may have accumulated in blessing them. This is nothing but envy.

Great souls treat huts and mansions alike. Whether it is mud or a soft bed of swan feathers makes no difference to them. Great souls and Gurus mingle with society to inculcate qualities such as compassion, charity and patience in people. They do not care what people say. They are not related to anyone. They are not bothered with what someone thinks. Their only goal is to benefit and uplift others. It is only with that goal that regardless of all insults, accusations and blaming, they forgive others. That is why one must follow such noble souls and practice the qualities taught by them instead of unnecessarily blaming them. This story tells us that noble souls must not be criticized.

Episode 251

The Guru saves an eligible disciple even from the clutches of death. Kacha was the son of Brihaspati. Shukra was the Guru to the demons. Both were very accomplished. Kacha came with the purpose of making the gods successful and fulfilled his Dharma. On the other hand, the Guru to the demons, Shukra also fulfilled his Dharma. They both stand as an example of a good Guru-disciple relationship.

That was the time when there were constant battles between gods and the demons. One could not stand the other. The gods used to lose more often than win in those battles. The gods realized that the reason for this was Shukracharya’s knowledge of “Mruta Sanjeevini” (hymn to revive the dead). Brihaspati sent his son Kacha to acquire this knowledge. Kacha approached Shukra with the purpose of helping the gods and prayed, “Sir, I am the son of Brihaspati. I came here to serve you. Please be compassionate and accept me as your disciple”.

The foremost characteristic of a disciple must be humility. Shukra was impressed with Kacha’s humility. He immediately took him as a disciple. The demons who knew the gods’ plan did not like what their Guru did. Shukra’s daughter Devyani alone liked it. Let us see what happens ahead with this liking.

The demons who were angry with Kacha once took him to a forest, killed him, tied his body to a tree and left. Upon Devyani’s insistence, Shukra grasped the situation and using his knowledge of Mruta Sanjeevini revived Kacha. The demons again killed Kacha, burned him to ashes, mixed the ash with alcohol and had Shukra consume it. Again, upon Devyani’s insistence, Shukra realized that Kacha was in his stomach. He initiated Kacha into Mruta Sanjeevini. Kacha emerged by piercing Shukra’s stomach and in turn revived his Guru using the knowledge of Mruta Sanjeevini, thereby earning the grace of Shukra. Did you see how many attempts took place in the process of learning this knowledge?

In the meanwhile, Kacha was put in a very difficult situation due to Devyani. Upon completion of education, when Kacha was about to leave, Devyani again stopped him. Still Kacha did not swerve from the duty of a disciple. “Guru is like a father. You are the daughter of the Guru. Hence, you are my sister”. Devyani was angry when she heard this. She cursed him saying, “The knowledge you earned here will not be useful to you”. Kacha left for his world saying, “It is okay if it is not useful to me, it is enough if it is useful for others”.

Like this, Kacha, without yielding to any temptations, displayed the best Dharma of a disciple and earned the grace of his Guru. Even though Shukra knew that Kacha was his enemy Brihaspati’s son who came to him with the goal of enabling the gods to succeed, he was impressed with Kacha’s virtues and so followed his Dharma of a Guru. Besides Shukra’s love for his daughter Devyani, Kacha’s virtues were also a reason Shukra revived him from dead so many times. This story shows us how, when it comes to knowledge, the Guru and disciple should carry out their Dharma.

Episode 252

Nireekshana (waiting patiently/looking forward). Looking forward to the Guru’s grace with devotion is itself penance. That will definitely lead to attainment of knowledge. It is inevitable that one wait a long time for the Guru’s grace. With a thousand eyes, one must look forward to the teachings of the Guru who is a personification of knowledge. There is a lot of joy in doing so. That it itself a kind of penance. Patiently waiting is itself a kind of penance. To practice such penance, the mind needs to be pure and strong. Penance is not an ordinary practice. To practice such penance needs strong will power. One must also never lose enthusiasm because he did not receive the Guru’s teachings immediately. It never happens immediately. It always takes time. Regardless of how many obstacles come up, one must patiently wait as long as it takes – months or years. That is Yoga.

Just as Shabari awaited the arrival of Sri Rama, one must continue chanting the Guru mantra and await his grace. How long did Shabari wait for her Lord? Rama’s arrival in search of Sita was foretold. That is why, she continued to wait for Rama. A devotee desiring initiation sought refuge with a Guru. Let’s discuss a short story. After receiving the disciple’s service for some time, the Guru once called the disciple and said, “I will come to your house myself and give you initiation sometime. Okay? Therefore, you may go back to your house”. The disciple went back to his house and patiently looked forward each moment to the arrival of his Guru and to the initiation from his Guru. “When will my Guru arrive? When will my Guru give me knowledge?” He would constantly think of his Guru. “When will the Guru arrive? What time will the Guru arrive? Will he arrive at dawn? Will he arrive in the morning? Will he arrive during the day?” He did not know. That is why he would always stay awake and remember his Guru. He would always remember his Guru. “Will he arrive now? Will he enter through this door? Will he arrive through that door? Or will he arrive in a subtle form through a small opening?” The disciple did not know when and how the Guru would arrive.

A carpenter bee brings an insect to its dwelling and constantly makes a buzzing sound around the insect. The insect is intensely focused on the bee, constantly thinking of the bee and listening to its sound. After some time, the insect transforms into the bee. We have seen these insects that take on the form of the bee. Like that, the bee would place the insect in its dwelling and constantly hover around it, making a buzzing sound. Once in a while, the bee would sting the insect. What happens after a few days? The insect takes on the form of the bee. This is what is called “Bhramara Keeta Nyayam” (bhramara = bee; keeta = insect; nyayam = justice).

This disciple’s state was similar. In thinking of his Guru and awaiting his arrival, he even gave up sleeping. If he ever snoozed, he would feel like his Guru arrived. He had no sleep. Occasionally, he would sleep a little. Even in his sleep, he would feel, “My God is arriving. My Guru is arriving”. After a few days passed like this, the disciple went to the Guru’s Ashrama for his darshan. After some time, he went in to the see the Guru.

As soon as he saw the disciple, the Guru said, “I will certainly come to your house either tomorrow or the day after”. This devotee had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Guru. Unable the wait any longer, he had gone to the Guru. As soon as the disciple stood by the Guru’s side, the Guru himself said this. Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 253

The Guru thought that the devotee came to remind him, to invite him to visit his place and do the initiation. Immediately, he said, “Son, you are here? I will come to your house in two days, you may go. I will come either tomorrow or the day after”. The devotee said, “Lord Guru, I came here to pray to you to not come to my house so soon. There’s supreme joy in waiting for your arrival”. Are there people in the world who tell the Guru who is ready to visit the house the next day, not to? “Please do not come over. If you come, I will have difficulty. I will place sheets all over. Then, I will know when someone walks on the sheets. That is why, please do not come now. There is so much joy in waiting”. So, what did the devotee say even when the Guru was ready to visit, “Lord, please do not come over yet. I am experiencing supreme joy in looking forward to your arrival. I am able to meditate well too”.

In reality, even as the Guru was saying that he would grant him initiation later, the Guru granted him initiation right there. The Guru said, “Is it? Okay, I will give you initiation later”. As he was saying this, he granted him initiation. The devotee realized this too. Let us talk about another incident.

Uddhava went to the Gopis after having darshana of Sri Krishna to his heart’s content in Dwaraka and told them, “Our Lord said he would come here after a few days. He asked me to let you know”. Do you know what the Gopis said then? “Krishna is going to come here? No, let it be. Chanting his divine name is enough for us. We are in bliss waiting for him to arrive. We keep thinking, “Will he come? Will he come over right this second? Will he come over tomorrow? That is such a nice feeling. There is so much joy. Our hearts feel so full”. So, why should the Guru come over right now? Once he leaves, the feeling of fullness in the heart will be gone. The enthusiasm will drain. There is so much happiness in waiting for him. But, if he comes over right now, that joy will be gone. That is why, the Gopis said that they gain happiness in just waiting for him. This wait for the Lord is itself Yoga.

Like this, it is enough to constantly remember the Guru and carry out your duties. There is no need to do anything else. That is itself meditation. Remembering the Lord while carrying out your duties is itself great meditation. What happens as a result of such meditation? The mind gets purified. When the mind is thus purified, knowledge will certainly be realized by the Guru’s grace.

There are many devotees who always see Swamiji in their hearts and think of him. There are devotees who see the Guru live and remember him. But, there are many who keep remembering him, seeing him in their hearts. Whether you are near the Guru or away from the Guru, you should practice remembering your Guru all the time. One should not assume, “The Guru is not here”. Instead, you should think, “Why is the Guru not here? The Guru is right here in my heart”. That is when one will experience real devotion towards the Guru.

Next, service to the Guru. Knowledge is attained only through service to the Guru. Service to the Guru alone brings about knowledge.

Episode 254

Only service to Guru leads to attainment of knowledge. We discussed many times that knowledge can be attained only through service to the Guru. An interest in gaining knowledge germinates in some people after listening to discourses by great souls or after reading some scriptures. They develop an interest in gaining even more knowledge. Due to that interest, they seek refuge with Gurus asking for initiation immediately. They seem to gain dispassion all of a sudden. When they read a scripture, or when someone dies, or when someone cries, they suddenly feel an urge for self-realization, “This is all there is to life, there is nothing else. Let me go to a Guru right now, get initiation, wear saffron robes, shave my head and get that done with”. That’s it. After some time they forget all about it and drink coffee. In other words, as discussed, a lot of people seek refuge with a Guru asking for initiation immediately.

However, even after a lot of pleading, the Gurus do not care. They do not care at all. “There is more time for it. Let us see about it later. In the meanwhile, do these tasks”. The Guru recommends various tasks to the devotees. The Guru will not give initiation immediately. He keeps postponing saying, “Do this work”, “Do this mantra” or “Do this worship”. These people do not like that. They find it difficult to do worship, chanting or service. They get anxious thinking, “What is this? They ask us to wake up early. They ask us to do so much work. I am not interested in all that. I don’t feel any devotion towards it. Why did I come here? So that he can show me the path to self-realization. Instead, he is showing me all these other things? Okay, how long should I do these other things?” They get down to these tasks mechanically but their mind is not in those tasks.

Sometimes, they feel that a certain Guru is not working out for them and they approach another Guru. They quit. “I came here for self-realization. I want self-realization. I want liberation. I came here so I can go to God. But, I’m given various other tasks here. I’m asked to work in the agricultural farm. I’m asked to take care of Bonsai plants. I’m asked to take care of the birds. I’m asked to write down the names of people visiting. What is this? I’m asked to mop the place. I’m asked to take care of the bulls. Now, there are horses in the Ashrama. I’m asked to take care of the horses”. They get frustrated thinking, “I came here for one thing and I’m asked to do something completely different”. They leave this Guru and run to another Guru.

The thing such people should note carefully is that, passion to gain knowledge is indeed very good. However, one should examine whether or not he has the eligibility to gain knowledge. If you really had the eligibility, the Guru would give you initiation without even being asked. Hence, until you gain eligibility, you must quietly do everything he asked you to. You should not raise questions. You should not find faults with it. You must to do what you are asked to.

Everybody knows of the saint of Maharashtra – Eknath. Let us learn a little more about this as an example. For devotees who are fickle, this is an example.

Episode 255

We discussed that the saint of Maharashtra, Eknath was very widely known. Owing to his previous tendencies, he had a desire for self-realization at a very young age. He sought refuge with a Guru. He suddenly felt that he wanted to gain knowledge of the Absolute. The Guru did not say anything about whether he would give initiation to Eknath or not. Instead, the Guru asked him to stay with him, take care of household work and look into all the accounting work. There was no correlation at all. Eknath wanted knowledge of the absolute, but instead, he was asked to do two things – look into accounting and clean the house.

With a lot of dedication and without a second thought, Eknath began carrying out all the tasks assigned to him by his Guru. A few years passed. Eknath continued to carry out all the tasks without any annoyance. One day, as Eknath was tallying the accounts as usual, he found a little discrepancy. The amount spent and the amount left over were not adding up. “Why is it like this? It used to add up correctly everyday, but today for some reason, it is not tallying”. He started over again tallying all the accounts from the beginning. He did this over and over. Despite scrutinizing the accounts over and over, he was unable to pinpoint the discrepancy. Eknath lost his peace of mind, “Why are the accounts not tallying?” He gave up food and sleep and was up all night looking for the error, “Where did I make a mistake? Where was I off in counting?”

After about eight hours of detailed scrutinizing, he was able to pinpoint the error. Immediately, he screamed with happiness and danced in joy. Since dawn had already broken in, the Guru was up from his sleep. Hearing Ekanth’s screams, he went in to see what was happening. But, Eknath was not even in a position to notice the arrival of his Guru. He was still dancing in joy. The Guru waited for him to come back to his normal state and then asked, “Why are you jumping around? What is the reason for so much happiness?” Eknath first prayed for forgiveness for not having noticed the arrival of his Guru, “Forgive me, I did not notice your arrival”. He then went on to tell his Guru about what happened, “There was a discrepancy in the accounts. I examined them with a lot of concentration as a result of which I could pinpoint the error and fix it. Because I was able to fix it, I was very happy”. He told his Guru about how the error crept into the books and how he spent all night unravelling the knots in the accounts. The Guru immediately said with a lot of joy, “Son, you are now in a state ready for gaining knowledge of the Self. You proved that you are capable of carrying out a task with concentration, offering yourself to it completely. Show the same concentration, determination and commitment that you showed in accounting, towards God. You will gain divinity soon”. Saying so, the Guru immediately taught him knowledge of the Self.

By the grace of the Guru, Eknath became a great saint in very little time and gained Self-realization. Out of love for Eknath, Lord Panduranga himself came to Eknath and served him in his house as a disciple. Eknath had become such a great saint. Because he sang glories of the Lord with great concentration, because he was completely immersed in the Lord, not only did he attain Self-realization, but the Lord himself used to serve him as his disciple in his house.

Those desirous of knowledge, should first gain such eligibility through service to the Guru. It is from such service that the mind gets purified and concentration, determination and commitment gradually take root. Concentration and commitment will be fully realized. It is then that the teachings of the Guru will be firmly established.

Episode 256

The Guru uses various methods to rid the devotees of their attachments. He alone knows best about what method to use for which devotee, what to bless each devotee with and what to accept from each devotee. Even if it is the same ailment, the doctor does not administer the same medicine to everyone. Depending on their body and their constitution, he will administer only the medicine that will work for them. The Guru is like that too. That is why, his actions might seem strange at times. However the actions may appear outwardly, the inner meaning of those actions always aim to uplift the devotee.

Krishna and Arjuna once set out for a recreational walk. After walking for a long time, they got a little thirsty. They went to a nearby village and stopped in front of a house for water. That house belonged to a trader. The trader was wealthy, but very miserly. When Krishna and Arjuna went to the house, the merchant was absorbed in counting his money and updating his ledger. He said, “I have no time, I am very busy”. He was indeed busy. Let alone offering them water, he was not in the state to even notice their arrival. If the people that arrived asked for water, should not one at least see who they are? He did not. He was so busy doing his accounts. Arjuna got very angry. But, Krishna smiled and starting walking away blessing the merchant thus, “O Merchant, since you like wealth more than you like me, I bless that you have more of this wealth that you love. You will become one of the wealthiest people in this country”. Saying so, he and Arjuna moved on.

After walking some distance, they found a hut in a village. That belonged to a poor Brahmin. His only wealth was a lone cow. He was managing to earn a livelihood with just that. When he saw Krishna and Arjuna, he felt ecstatic. Due to the joy of seeing his favorite deity, his eyes were filled with tears. Prostrating to the feet of Krishna, the poor Brahmin reverently showed them inside. He laid out an old mat he had for them to sit on. He offered them milk freshly squeezed from the cow and prayed to the Lord saying, “Lord, with your arrival, my life is fulfilled today. I did not imagine that you would bless me like this. I have nothing else to offer you, Lord. Please be compassionate and accept this milk and bless me”.

Did you see the difference between the trader and this man? Accepting the milk offered with devotion, Krishna was pleased. Arjuna was also satisfied with the respectful treatment. They were very thirsty and they were able to quench their thirst. Stepping out of the hut and walking two steps, Krishna said, “May the cow die immediately”. Arjuna was very surprised. “Lord, this man has a lot of devotion towards you. He will not be able to live without the cow. You blessed the trader who had no devotion at all with a lot of prosperity. But, what did you do to this man? You said that his only cow should die. Why did you do this?”

Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 257

Arjuna asked Krishna, “Lord, what did you do? You blessed that trader who did not offer anything, who was miserly, saying, “May you get more money, may you become even more wealthy”. This devotee does not even have a proper house, poor man. He lives in a small hut. He has only a cow and you said that, that was his livelihood. He invited us inside and gave away the cow’s milk. What kind of a blessing did you give this devotee? You pronounced that the cow die immediately. I don’t understand. You blessed the trader who had no devotion at all with more wealth. I do not understand this strange behavior”.

Krishna said to Arjuna, “Arjuna, there is nothing wrong with my behavior. That wealthy man thought wealth alone was permanent. That is why I blessed him with even more wealth and prosperity. Owing to the pride that arises from that, he will become egoistic and will face difficulties. His ego will lead to difficulties. Eventually, he will feel an aversion for those and will place his focus on me. With this poor man, it’s different. He has no interest at all in wealth. The cow alone was his one and only attachment. Due to constant worry about who would look after the cow after he dies, he is unable to steady his mind on me. He is unable to keep his mind steady. He is a good devotee, no doubt. He is always thinking about the cow, “What will be the fate of the cow after I die?” So, to help him calm down, I removed that anxiety. He will be more relaxed henceforth. He had only one worry – the cow. Now, he will be able to calmly steady his mind on me and attain me”.

In the same manner, it is very difficult to comprehend the inner meaning of the Guru’s actions. It is not something we can grasp with our knowledge. That is why, instead of getting down to unnecessary criticism, the devotee’s duty is to carry out with dedication the Guru’s commands given to him. “Why is the Guru like this?” “Why is the Guru doing that?” “Why did the Guru not do this?” “Why did the Guru bless them like that? They have no devotion. But, he spoke to them very easily. He did not speak to the one that has devotion”. One should refrain from such criticism. This story proves the same to us. The Guru Principle is such.

“Win over anger with peace” is usually said to those practicing meditation and Yoga. Sri Krishna is a Jagadguru (Guru to the Universe). There is definitely a lesson to be learned from every instance of his life. Even though it may appear ordinary outwardly, there is supreme inner meaning in his actions. One day Krishna, Balarama and Satyaki together went to another town for some work. There is big story around Satyaki as well, I will tell you later. There were some beautiful gardens on the way. They spent some time there. Later, there was a forest on the way. Since the sun had set by then, it had grown very dark. Therefore, they decided to stay the night in the forest itself. It was a dense forest. A lot of cruel beasts wandered there. Balarama decided that they would take turns keeping guard for two hours each. According to this plan, Satyaki’s turn was first. As Satyaki kept guard, Balarama and Krishna slept.

Let’s see what happens next.
Jaya Guru Datta.

Episode 258

We were talking about Balarama, Krishna and Satyaki. As Satyaki kept guard, Balarama and Krishna went to sleep. In the meanwhile, a frightening form was seen coming towards them. From afar, Satyaki thought it was a cruel animal. But after it got closer, he realized that it was a frightening demon. Still, gathering courage, Satyaki stepped forward to confront the demon. A small battle ensued between the two. Satyaki was angrily and vengefully fighting the demon. But, the strange thing was that as Satyaki’s anger increased, the demon’s body grew bigger. Finally, Satyaki looked like an insect next to the demon. The demon gained a form that was that huge. The demon caught Satyaki, pulled him up and threw him into the trees. Satyaki somehow managed to escape. The demon disappeared.

Now it was the turn of Balarama. The demon came again, he did not let go. Balarama as it is, is an angry person. In addition, he cannot tolerate humiliation. Therefore, he battled the demon with a lot of anger and vigor. As his anger, vigor and vengefulness increased, the demon’s form was getting even bigger. Balarama understood this secret. He tried very hard to fight calmly. But, it was not possible. Finally, Balarama also lost like Satyaki did. The frightening demon picked up Balarama, flung him away and walked away. After sometime, Balarama’s two hours of keeping guard also concluded. The three were keeping guard, one after another. As two of them slept, one would keep guard. Both of them received severe blows from the demon. Balaram did and Satyaki did too.

Jagannataka sutradhari (the one who is the conductor/director of the cosmic drama), Krishna was observing all this. In his half-asleep state, he was looking at what was happening. Now, it was Krishna’s turn. Satyaki and Balarama were exhausted and asleep. They could not do anything else, they just fell asleep. The demon did arrive. As the demon’s anger grew, Krishna fought calmly, relaxedly and with a smile playing on his lips. As a result, contrary to what happened before, the demon’s body began shrinking. Krishna was laughing and smiling and battling calmly. The demon kept shrinking. The demon wanted to somehow get Krishna angry. If he got Krishna angry, his form would get bigger. He tried various ways. But, Krishna remained an epitome of peace. As Krishna’s peace grew, the demon’s form shrunk to the size of a mustard seed. Now, the demon appeared like a small insect. Krishna tied the demon to one end of his vastram/garment.

The day broke. Satyaki and Balarama woke up from their sleep. Both of them narrated the strange incident that happened in the night to Krishna. Krishna listened to everything and showing them the demon tied to the end of his garment asked, “Is this the demon you are talking about?” Satyaki and Balarama’s surprise knew no end. Krishna showed them the demon and said, “He is a manifestation of anger. I battled him calmly, with a smile and with a peaceful mind. That is why, his body withered and shrunk and became like an insect. Take a look”.
Therefore, anger does not work.

Let’s talk more ahead.

Episode 259

We were talking about the story of Satyaki, Balarama and Krishna. Krishna, showing them the demon tied to the end of his garment asked, “Is this the demon you are talking about? Is he the one that you suffered and had difficulty battling all night?” Satyaki and Balarama’s surprise knew no end. Krishna showed them the demon and said, “He is a manifestation of anger. I battled him calmly, with a smile and with a peaceful mind. That is why, his body withered and shrunk and became like an insect. Take a look”.

This incident seems very simple and funny to us. But there is a lot of hidden meaning in this. Here, Krishna is teaching that anger can be won over only through peace. You can only win with peace. You cannot win with anger. Anger cannot be won over with anger. Anger must be won over with peace. In case another person is angrily fighting us, responding peacefully and calmly, will embarrass the person who will then start talking calmly as well. In this way, by being peaceful, not only will you benefit yourself, but you will benefit others too. Therefore, all problems from that moment on will be solved peacefully. It is true, is it not?

Next, spiritual practice. See how Sadguru’s grace is. There are two types of people that listen to spiritual discourses. Those who listen during difficult/sorrowful times and those who listen during good/comfortable times.

Some people say one is better, some say the other is better. But, for us to find out which one is better in reality, we should first understand what comfort is and what difficulty is. What is comfort? Is it eating? Is it earning money? Is it power? All these seem like comfort, but there does not seem to be an end to desires. Endless desires only lead to sorrow. If you eat limited quantities of food, you will gain strength. If you overeat, you will get diseases. This holds true for everything. What starts as comfort ends up in sorrow. There are some others who have no work, neither good nor bad. Even though this is good, the intellect that has nothing to do only thinks of bad things. Is it not true? It is good that some people have neither good nor bad. But on the other hand, because they have nothing, they only keep thinking bad. That is demonic disposition. Outwardly, they appear like Yogis. They do not read, they do not listen, they do not contemplate. They question why one needs the scriptures. The thinking and disposition is constantly shaped by the food eaten and the matters heard. That is why, matters of food are very important to a Yogi. Controlled diet is very essential.

When it comes to intellect, the important thing is friendship. Those who want to really be happy should always put the idle mind to work. That is why Swamiji always says, “Do not waste a single second. Read something good. Listen to something good”.

Let’s move ahead.

Episode 260

We just discussed that an idle mind needs to be put to work. Along those lines, one must study good books and scriptures. One must read them to others. Study and help others study. Do chanting and meditation. Do Pranayama.

All these are niyamas (rules). Why do we have niyamas? These are a lesson to the intellect and the Indriyas (sense organs). It is futile to ask “Should it be done only at this hour?” “Should it only be like this?” We need to teach lessons to and train the Indriyas and the intellect. Due to this, the intellect will be purified and the solutions to your problems will become clear to you. You will be able to think of the solutions yourself. A mind that is calm and engaged in good work can absorb Vedanta. Even in difficult times, Vedanta can be absorbed.

For example, Bhagavad Gita was taught to Arjuna during a life-endangering moment in the battle, wasn’t it? Arjuna listened with single-minded concentration, grasped the truth and carried out his duty. After that, during the time the Pandavas were ruling the kingdom, Arjuna said to Krishna who was seated on the plank of a swing thus, “Brother-in-law, in that chaos, you taught me something. I cannot remember it very clearly. Please give me Upadesa (teaching) again”. Krishna replied, “Arjuna, Upadesa is something that should always be contemplated on. It is not something you should plan on thinking about when you have some leisure or procrastinate contemplation indefinitely into the future. Moreover, whatever I say now will be different from what I said then. Still, out of love for you, out of love for my disciple, I’ll tell you again, listen”. Krishna gave the Upadesa again.

But now, Arjuna did not have time. Various officials and administrators were frequently coming and asking questions in between. Arjuna was listening to the Upadesa while responding to their questions. How can that work? This Upadesa can be found in Mahabharata by the name Anu-Gita. The complete essence of Bhagavad Gita has been described in this. After listening to everything, Arjuna said that the first Gita was much better. What was the reason? Arjuna was not able to listen with concentration this time. That is because he had greater accountability. He had the responsibility of the kingdom. He had the responsibility of managing various affairs of the kingdom. That is why, he was unable to concentrate here. Instead, he concentrated on matters of the kingdom.

Therefore, for Upadesa, the disciple’s mind is more important than the external environment. When the man is in sorrow, he must be taught Vedanta. When he is going through good times, he should recall the Upadesa he received during difficult times. That recollection should increase day after day. In times of difficulty, the Guru should be remembered. One should talk to him (Guru). In good times, one should serve the Guru even more. In good times, one will gain knowledge along with Pragnya. What is Pragnya? It is the desire to find out. In difficult times, that will not be there. Therefore, Upadesa is necessary during good times as well as bad. Good disciples should wish along these lines.

We always remember the Upadesa received during difficult/sorrowful times. On the other hand, the Upadesa received during good times is often lost. That is what happened to Arjuna. He remembered well the Upadesa received during difficult times. But, he is unable to understand well the Upadesa received now, during good times.

Episode 261

Causing even more obstacles to a spiritual seeker are bad habits. Let’s think a little bit about what the solution to these is. Many bad habits that hinder spiritual progress catch hold of our mind. What are these? “Alasyam”, “Shrama”, “Tandra”, “Bheda Bhranti”, “Mithyatmita”, “Narmukti”, “Droham”, “Akrosam” and “Bhayam”. Due to these, the mind is getting polluted. Let’s learn a little about these.

Alasyam (Delay). It is said that delay turns even nectar into poison. Due to this, the task at hand is harmed. Therefore, it is best to do right now whatever you are thinking of doing some random time in the future. A lot of people keep procrastinating, “That involves some hard work, let’s worry about it later.” or “That work is so easy, I know very well. I can finish it off in an hour, I’ll do it later”. All these cause a lot of obstructions in spiritual practice. That is why, instead of doing it sometime in future, it is best to do right now, is it not?

Next, Shrama (hard work/effort). Man wishes to get results without putting in effort. That is not possible. When we get the results for the effort we put in, we don’t count that effort. A lot of people make no effort, but they want the results. How is that possible? It is not possible. When the effort does not give results, it causes sorrow. When effort gives the right results, we are very happy. But, we should in fact, inculcate Shamam. Next, they are talking about Shamam. Shamam indicates that we should make peaceful nature a habit. Whatever we are doing should be done with patience and forethought.

Next, Tandra. Lot of people have much Mandyam (dullness/inertia) or laziness, or in other words, dullness of intellect. Due to this, they cannot do anything. Laziness/Inertia. If they are sitting, they will continue to just sit. If they are sleeping, they just continue to sleep. That’s it. If they are reclining in a corner, feeling warm, they will just lie down and sleep there. To lose this, one should wake up early in the morning at “Brahma Muhurtam” (usually one and a half hours before sunrise). Then, this laziness will be gone. One must make this a habit. This will lead to an expansion of the intellect. Then, even before you realize, dullness of intellect and laziness will be gone. So, it is said that to get rid of the dullness of intellect, one should wake up early in the morning. We do not wake up even at 10am. That’s because, we go to bed only at 4am. We watch movies all night. We watch two movies. We do not realize it when we are watching the movies. The mind is so interested and we are glued to the movies. We sleep very late and wake up very late. This will of course lead to dullness of intellect. The intellect will die and sometimes it feels like they will have no virtues left. That is why here, to lose this dullness of intellect, we should first make it a habit to wake up a little early. If we go to bed by at least 11pm, we can wake up by 5am.

Episode 262

We were talking about the various obstacles a seeker runs into. A seeker must not have “Bheda Bhranti”. (Bheda=difference; Bhranti = illusion). In our day-to-day life, we see difference between one object and another in this creation. Things in this creation seem different from each other. The reason for this difference is Rajo Guna. (Rajo Guna = the quality of passion/active). To get rid of this view of differences, we need Abheda Darshana (abheda=not different) or the vision that everything is the same. The feeling that everything is the same arises from Sattva Guna (Sattva Guna = the quality of purity and equanimity). When this knowledge is realized, everything appears the same, as the manifestation of God. This is truth. Therefore, man should always try to imbibe and expand Sattva Guna. Only then will the feeling of difference vanish.

Next, Mithyatmata. Atheists and materialistic people do not admit to the state of the Atman. Some argue that Atman is permanent, while some others argue that Atman is impermanent. What is permanent is Atman alone. Sastras, Puranas, Upanishads all prove Atman is eternal and permanent. Only when one realizes this truth is it possible to get rid of ignorance. One must realize that Atman is truth.

Next, Narmokti. This indicates jeering or making fun of others. It is easy to make fun of others. Jeering at or dismissing others is easy. But, making fun of others without any basis in truth hurts others’ feelings. Whatever you are saying about them is not true. You are speaking what is untruth. So, it really hurts their feelings. To avoid this, you must speak what is really in your heart. You must practice and live by it. One who is truthful like this will not make fun of others and hurt their feelings. Someone who understands this truth will not hurt others. It is because one does not understand this that they hurt others.

Next, Droham (Deception). People keep accumulating sins by deceiving others. If you treat everyone as equal to you, you will get rid of that urge for deceiving. You must realize that others are as hurt by being deceived, as you would be if you were deceived. You must know that others also are like you.

Next, Akrosam (Anger/Acerbity). Sometimes, others will criticize or blame you. You must practice ignoring it. But, you must not lose patience. Not only that, the scriptures say that talking to such people respectfully, with a smile is the right treatment. If you are detached like that, the grief from criticism or blame will not even affect you. Without even bothering about whether they criticized you or not, it is enough if you keep smiling. You will not have any grief.

Episode 263

We were talking about what we should practice and what we should not. Bhayam (fear). Even though it’s natural for every living being to be in fear of what danger may befall any moment, to get rid of this fear one must increase their faith in God. Everyone has fear, “Don’t know what’s going to happen”, “Don’t know how it’s going to be”. To get rid of this fear, one must increase their faith in God. From that, one gains self-confidence. Faith in God will dispel that fear. This is the antidote to bad habits. Mastering this should be the seeker’s primary objective.

Pride of education. Humility is key to education. It is said that if humility is firmly established in one’s heart, his education is worthy of reverence even it is a little defective. On the other hand, if his heart is full of arrogance, even if his education is complete, even if he is a great scholar, his education will have no use. Humility is important for education. Without humility, education has no decoration. It can benefit neither one’s inner self nor the society. Moreover, sometimes, it can even lead to danger. As evidence of this, we find a nice story in Mahabharata.

During their period of study, Arjuna and Ashwatthama had good rivalry. Both were learning the use of weapons. There is a powerful weapon called “Brahmashironamakastram”. Ashwatthama prayed to Dronacharya several times to teach them the use of that weapon. This weapon was even more powerful than Brahmastram. That is why, Dronacharya did not immediately teach them the use of that weapon. Finally one day, he taught Arjuna and Ashwatthama the use of that weapon. However, he did not teach the method to withdraw, which is usually taught along with the method to use the weapon. The weapon will be useful only when one knows the method to withdraw it. One should not use the weapon without knowledge of withdrawing the weapon. Ashwatthama was very sad.

During the same period, Ashwatthama found out that Sri Krishna, who was the same age as him, earned the Sudarshana Chakra (Lord’s Vishnu’s discus). He was very surprised to hear that. He went to Krishna and said, “Krishna, I heard that you earned the Sudarshana Chakra. I was very happy to hear that. I also got the extraordinary Brahmashironamakastram weapon. Shall we swap our weapons for sometime?” Sri Krishna clearly saw the arrogance and jealousy in Ashwatthama’s heart. Still, feigning ignorance, he said, “I cannot withstand your weapon. If you wish, you can take the Sudarshana Chakra that’s in the shrine. You can take that if you want, but I cannot manage or withstand your weapons”. Ashwatthama who was happy, proudly walked towards the shrine and was about to pick up the Chakra. Let’s see what happens when he picks it up.

Episode 264

Sri Krishna clearly saw the arrogance and jealousy in Ashwatthama’s heart. Still, feigning ignorance, he said, “I cannot withstand your weapon. If you wish, you can take the Sudarshana Chakra that’s in the shrine”. Ashwatthama who was happy, proudly walked towards the shrine and was about to pick up the Chakra. As soon as he touched it, his entire body started burning due to the radiance of the Chakra. Out of fear for his life, he said he did not want the Chakra anymore and leaving the Chakra there, went away saying he could not handle it.

Guru Dronacharya who observed the difference between Arjuna and Ashtwatthama, once taught Arjuna when he was alone, the complete method to withdraw the weapon Brahmashironamakastram. Even though Ashtwatthama was his own son, the Guru did not teach him the same because Ashtwatthama was arrogant. Arrogance does not work for such education. Still, during the battle of Mahabharata, Ashtwatthama employed this weapon in violation of scriptural injuctions and became the target of terrible curses by Sri Krishna and Sage Vyasa. Therefore, if arrogance takes seed in the heart, it will lead to ruin regardless of how great one’s knowledge/education is.

By the grace of Lord Datta, I pray that you all be bestowed with humility along with good knowledge, I bless that all arrogance be removed. Let us remember the Sadguru’s grace again and again. Prostrations to the Sadguru who elevates us from the ocean of samsara/worldliness. Association with others(association with worldly objects/people) becomes the cause of samsara.

“Na sange na samam papam
Vairagyena samam sukham”

Na sange na samam papam. Vairagyena samam sukham. This means that there is no sin like Sangatyam/association and there is no happiness like Vairagyam/renunciation. What is association? Association with objects. That is the bond we create with samsara/worldliness. Due to this association, there is only sorrow, no happiness. Man may feel temporary happiness from association, but it eventually only gives grief. Sorrow, disease and anxiety are caused from association with worldliness whereas association with noble souls leads to eternal happiness. In other words, keeping good company or association will lessen our attachment to worldly bondages. It will also lead to detachment. Man needs detachment, if he wants happiness. That is why,
“Satsangatve nissangatvam”
(Satsanga=good company or company of noble souls; nissanga = detachment or lack of association). Such a mind will be pure and will be directed toward God. Due to that, detachment towards worldly comforts will grow. That is dispassion. Such dispassion leads to eternal happiness.

Everybody thinks that earning more money and wealth than necessary and bequeathing that to the children will ensure the children are very comfortable. However, due to that, there may be temporary happiness, but what is left in the end? Only sorrow. That is why, we should only earn as much as is necessary. A lot of people keep earning more and more. Until they die, they are only trying to earn more and more money. So, what comes from that? Only sorrow.

Episode 265

Long ago, there was a king called Rishabha. He was an incarnation of an aspect of Vishnu. A part of his kingdom is now our country of India. Rishabha’s son was Bharata. It is after his name that our country is called Bharat or Bhaarat. Bharata had great power of penance, courage, intelligence and fulfillment in both worldly and other-worldly aspects. He was also an emperor in the world of Yoga. After some time, he coronated his son as king and went to the forests for meditation and penance.

There used to flow a river across Bharata’s hermitage. One day, a fully pregnant doe (female deer) wandered near the hermitage. As it was drinking water, a lion let out a loud roar. Hearing the roar, the doe got nervous and began crossing the river in fright. As it crossed the river, it delivered a baby deer and then lost its life.

Bharata who witnessed all this, picked up the baby deer out of pity and began taking care of it. Gradually Bharata grew very fond of the baby deer. With all attention focused on rearing the baby deer, he completely let go of his spiritual practice. He was always immersed in the baby deer, he was always with the baby deer. Thinking that if he was not around the deer, a lion or tiger would prey on it, he would always be with the deer.

The Yogi neared his time of passing. He breathed his last thinking only of the baby deer. Consequently, he was born as a deer in his next life. But, since he had recollection of his previous life, Bharata who was in the form of a deer would think of God at all times and in all states. This being in the form of a deer was always thinking of God. He had finally learned his lesson. In the next life, he was born in the house of a Vedic pundit as a Brahmin. Because he remembered his previous life, he completely gave up all company. Appear to onlookers as a foolish and lazy man who knew nothing, he observed strict spiritual disciple and attained liberation. This story shows us how great the power of association is. Even though he was a great Yogi, he took birth as a deer because he was only thinking of the deer in his last moments.

“Avasaane smaram devam, muktim gachchati”

That is why, if one dies thinking of God, one attains liberation. But, to one who is always immersed in worldly matters, thoughts of God will never arise. They will forget to think of God in their final moments. Whatever they associate with the most is what they always think of. By constantly thinking of God and by serving the Guru, all associations vanish and the mind is centered on God at all times. That is why, we can never talk enough about Satsanga.

We should practice it from now on, when we have some sense and strength. Once all senses diminish, once we lose all our strength, once we get old, we remember the thoughts, activities and practices we had during our youth. That is why, if we do good things now such as thinking of God, Satsangatyam (assocation with noble souls), service to Guru and chanting God’s name, we will remember them in our old age and in our final moments. Otherwise, if one keeps bad company, lies and always thinks of business and money at all times, if one always thinks bad thoughts and forgets God, he will not attain liberation.

Therefore, if you think of God at all times, you will think of God in the final moments and only then attain liberation.

Episode 266

Guru Upadesam (Guru’s teachings/instructions/initiation). Let us learn a little about this. Everyone has right over the air we breathe. Similarly, everyone has the right to get Guru Upadesam. However, only the clouds in the air that constantly strive for others’ benefit can keep rising up. It is because the clouds have the noble intent to help others, to keep earth cool, to help harvest crops and to provide good rains that they keep rising higher and higher. Similarly, even with Guru Upadesam, only those few magnanimous ones who, like the clouds, want to benefit others will reach higher states. Only those doing good deeds are rising higher.

Those who want to find out about the origin of all knowledge will have the darshana/vision of the Guru’s lineage. Here, let us learn about what it means to have darshana. Many accomplished divine souls have handed to us the knowledge that flows from the power of pure consciousness. All these souls are unselfish. They have no selfishness at all. Awareness of such souls is itself said to be darshana. It is also said that learning about good souls is itself having darshana of Paramatman. The more one has such awareness, the more one is subject to the feeling of unlimited gratitude. Moreover, one will be anguished that all the love he shows towards such Gurus is very insignificant. Owing to that, he will try to expand his gratitude towards them even more. As this continues to happen, he will feel more and more that there is no difference between him and others. Such unselfishness nature will grow and bloom in his mind. The more it blooms, the more he gets to the category of the Sadgurus without even realizing it. In the process the disciple is able to realize Siddhis (supernatural powers). In other words, he will keep reaching higher levels that take him from an earthly living being to divinity. We learned this concept using the analogy of the clouds earlier.

The cloud, at some point, was a drop of water on earth. All water on the earth does not at once turn into a cloud. We should understand that only the water drops that are capable of benefiting others turn into clouds. In the same way, of all the beings that receive Guru Upadesam, those who keep improving their own purity, those who keep increasing their unselfishness will keep reaching the highest levels. So, we learned the relationship between knowledge, the vow to help others, devotion to Guru, Siddhis and the power of pure consciousness. Lord Datta is the Adi Guru – the primordial Guru. He is the Guru to the God of Gods. He is the primordial deity. By his grace, may this message be understood clearly by all of you. I bless that you all have darshana of Guru Parampara (lineage of Gurus). May you all understand the Guru Principle. The goal of Guru Gita is to take everyone happily towards liberation.

Episode 267

Dakshinamurti. The Guru, during some instances, appears like he is making mistakes. He pretends he is making mistakes. His actions seem strange to us. We feel, “Why is he doing this?”, “Why did he say this?” However he may appear outwardly, he is the pure flame of light that is beyond the dualities and is untouched by likes and dislikes says the great sage Garga to Kartaviryarjuna in Datta Darsanam. Let us keep recollecting this story over and over and over again.

If we examine this story, this matter will become even more clear to us and we’ll gain a better understanding of it. Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatkumara, Sanasujata were Brahma’s mind-born sons. Even though they were thousands of years old, they always look like 5 year olds. Once, in pursuit of self-realization, they began searching for the right Guru. In this context, they met sage Narada and asked him to grant them the knowledge needed. “I was going to come to you myself, you should kindly grant me knowledge” said sage Narada. When they asked Narada, he said, “I was coming to you myself”. Okay, what are they to do. The four of them then set out to ask other great souls, “Let us go to other great souls and find out”. All of them gave the same answer that Narada did, “We wanted to come to you ourselves, we wanted to ask you our questions relating to Dharma”. The four were slightly disappointed and since this was not working, they went to Lord Brahma. Since everybody was saying the same thing to them, they went to Lord Brahma.

May be Lord Brahma did not notice the arrival of the four, but as if he did not even see them, he sat listening to Mother Saraswati play the Veena. He did even look at them, he did not even look in their direction, he did not even greet them. Thinking, “Why is he behaving like this? How can someone like this give us knowledge? He is just sitting and enjoying the music, what knowledge does he have? There is no use.” they went to Vishnu.

At exactly the time they arrived, Vishnu was happily asleep. Goddess Lakshmi was pressing/massaging his feet. Seeing this they felt, “Brahma was better than him. At least he sat at a little distance from his wife. But what is he doing here? He is getting his feet pressed. Fie! Vishnu is having his wife sit on the bed and serve his feet. Fie”. They then set out for Kailasa. “Let us go to Kailasa. There is no use here”.

When they arrived in Kalisa, they saw Parvati dancing along with Siva. They felt, “They are both dancing. In one place, there was music. In the other, he had his wife sit on his bed, fie. In this place, what is this? Looking at all this, it seems like Brahma is better. What are they doing here? They are both dancing. They are singing duets. What is going on here? Parvati is also dancing along with Shiva. We were hoping that Mother Goddess could help us, but Mother Goddess is dancing along with Shiva, shedding all her inhibitions. Fie! And, if we look at the Siva Ganas (Siva’s attendants) who are normally absorbed in meditation, they are dancing too.”

Seeing all this, the four felt that Brahma and Vishnu were better than Siva and Parvati. They felt that the first was better than the second who was better than the third. They felt, Brahma and Vishnu were better and said, “These two are embracing each other and dancing. Fie! How can such people give us knowledge? Saying this, they left.
Siva was observing all this. They (the Gods) were doing this on purpose. Concerned for them that they were leaving, Siva manifested a new form from his lower region and appeared in magnificent effulgence when they were on their way. Siva loves his devotees, he did not let them go. Because they were leaving, he manifested a form out of his own and placed it before them. It was a magnificent form.

Episode 268

We were talking about Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatkumara and Sanasujata. Datta. Siva was observing all this. Concerned that they, who came seeking knowledge, had to unfairly leave because they witnessed the illusion and succumbed to it, Siva manifested a new form from his lower region and appeared before them with brilliant effulgence as Dakshinamurti while they were on their way. He closed his right fist, slowly raised his little finger, ring finger and middle finger, brought the tips of the index finger and thumb together and showed them the Chin Mudra. That is it. The three raised fingers here indicate the three states of Jagrut (wakefulness), Svapna (dream), Sushupti (deep sleep). The index finger and the thumb together are representing Atma Tattva or Turya Avastha (the fourth state). In other words, they indicate the state that is beyond the three states. The three fingers sometimes also represent the three bodies (gross, subtle causal).

Forgetting these bodies, leaving the three bodies, the Atman merges with Paramatman (meaning of the Mudra). The inner meaning is that those who go beyond the three states and reach the fourth state of Turya, the state of Paramatman (represented by the thumb) will achieve complete knowledge or self-realization. This incarnation of Siva is Dakshinamurti. With just that Mudra, the Lord taught them everything. He did not talk, nor did he spend days on end.

I prostrate to Dakshinamurti, who is sitting under the Banyan tree, who grants knowledge to all the sages, who has the ability to remove the sorrows caused by life and death, who is the Guru to the three worlds.

“Chittam vatu taror moole, vriddhaha sishyah gurur yuvah
Gurostu mauna vyakhyanam, sishyastuchchina samsayah”

Sishyastuchchina samsayah. How amazing! There is a young Guru seated under the Banyan tree.

Chittam vatu taror moole, vriddhaha sishyah gurur yuvah
Gurostu mauna vyakhyanam, sishyastuchchin samsayah

How amazing this is! How amazing! There is a young Guru seated under the Banyan tree. All his disciples are elderly. Silence is his exposition. With that, all the doubts of his disciples were cleared. Beholding this wonderful form of Dakshinamurti, absorbing his silent exposition, Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatkumara, Sanasujata and other great souls gained complete knowledge or self-realization.

Even though the Trinity appeared to them as lovers of music, dance and women, they had no perversions of any kind. What perversions do they have? This is their creation. All Maya/illusion is theirs. They created the Maya. They cover with Maya, they remove Maya, they are themselves Maya. The sages had thought that one was longing for music, one was longing for his woman and one was indulging in sensual pleasures with Goddess Lakshmi. They have no perversions. Maya is under their control. So, how can they have any perversions? They give perversions, they remove perversions. They appeared as if they had perversions. They showed us our perversions, by appearing to have those same perversions. The four sages realized only then that the Trinity has no perversions. They had not realized until then.

Even though the clouds, ocean, foam and snow look different, they are all made of the water element. Only, their forms are different. Similarly, the one who is beyond the dualities of joys and sorrows is Sadguru. This story is a wonderful testament to the point that we should never attribute any distortion/perversion to the Sadguru.

Episode 269

One gets a Sadguru owing to merit earned over past births. One does not get a Sadguru just like that. The stories in the scriptures and the life histories of Sadgurus confirm this. It can also be said that the Sadgurus’ life histories are filled with mysticism. It is said that the purpose of a Guru’s incarnation is to release the souls that are in bondage. Those who seek refuge in a Sadguru will receive the fruit of knowledge.

The Guru-disciple relationship is very subtle. To the question, “Are you my Guru?”, the Guru gives 3 kinds of answers based on who is asking the question. One, the Guru says, “Yes”. Two, he says, “No”. Three, he says, “You will slowly find out for yourself later”. To some, he will reinforce with time that he is their Guru. So, even when the Guru says, “I will tell you later”, the disciple will himself suddenly, without being asked, say, “You are my Guru”.

There are two methods – the Guru searches for the disciple or the disciple searches for the Guru. The Guru always waits for the eligible disciple. Different kinds of people such as disciples, devotees and attendants seek refuge with a Sadguru. Among the Sadguru’s disciples, there are many categories. Some call themselves the Guru’s attendants, but they are all devotees, they are staunch devotees, they are staunch disciples. Some say “disciples”, some say, “devotees, there are many that surround a Guru seeking refuge in him.

To some, the Sadguru grants knowledge. He gives initiation to only a few. To some others, without doing any of the above, he instructs tasks and duties, “You do not need any of these”. Having them render such services, improving the disciples step-by-step, the Sadguru makes them eligible/ready to receive knowledge. He enables them to get the authority to gain knowledge. The disciple must never regret, “He did not immediately give me knowledge, He gave me all these menial tasks to do”. Even the menial task instructed to you is meant to grant knowledge to you. The knowledge for you is right in it. That is itself becoming your initiation. You must do as the Sadguru instructs. Following the Guru’s command is real Seva/service. That is the right method of Sadhana/spiritual practice.

The great soul Vyaghrapada had two sons, Upamanyu and Dhaumya. Even though Vyaghrapada was a realized soul, he lived in poverty for some time. He lived like that only to test his sons. He wanted to test his sons in that state. Earlier, we talked about the story of Upamanyu. Like Upamanyu, Dhaumya too did meditation/penance for Siva. Siva appeared and granted him a boon saying, “You will become Guru to the Pandavas in Dvapara Yuga. Vishnu will incarnate as Sri Krishna Paramatman. After you provide education to Pandavas, you will perform penance and attain liberation with the grace of Sri Krishna”

Once, the Pandavas defeated Gandharva King Angapanna. After the battle, Angapanna said to the Pandavas, “You fought quite well. You can win all the worlds with your strength. But, you do not have a Guru”. Then Pandavas sought refuge with Dhaumya and prayed to him to accept them as his disciples. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 270

We were talking about the story where the Pandavas once defeated Gandharva king Angapanna. After the battle, Angapanna said to the Pandavas, “You fought quite well. You can win all the worlds with your strength. But, you do not have a Guru”. Then Pandavas sought refuge with Dhaumya and prayed to him to accept them as his disciples. He agreed and taught them skills and knowledge. He got them married to Draupadi. With Yajnavalkya as the Adhvaryu (priest’s assistant), Krishna Dwaipayana as Brahma (superintendent of the entire ritual) and acting as the priest himself, he even had them do a Yajna (ritual of offerings accompanied by chanting of Vedic mantras). During their exile, he stayed with them and granted them his Satsanga (noble company). Once, in a forest, when the Pandavas were suffering from hunger, he initiated them into the Surya Mantra (Surya=Sun God). The Surya Mantra is a very important one, it is very powerful. Therefore, it is very good to chant the Surya Mantra along with having darshana of Surya every day. By the power of the Mantra, the Pandvas earned the Akshaya Patra (Vessel with inexhaustible supply of food. Akshaya=never ending; Patra=vessel). Dhaumya was the one who accompanied the Pandavas just like sri Krishna did during difficult times, during Yajna, during their rule over a kingdom and during their stay in the forests, and blessed them with wonderful teachings.

Dhaumya was a Sadguru who waited for the Pandavas and showed them the noble path every step of the way. What else does one need when one places faith in the Guru. It is a great blessing to have the Guru with us during difficult times. We have to go through bad times, that is our karma. We discussed before that no one else can carry our karma. Sadguru does not take it (karma) either. He helps us experience it, but because he is with us, we don’t feel the burden of the karma as much. This is the good fortune the Pandavas earned. Dhaumya showed them the noble path. This is proof that service to the Guru should be done wholeheartedly with complete surrender. Dhaumya’s story is proof that those who believe that the Sadguru is everything will always receive the Sadguru’s grace. The Pandavas suffered a lot, did they not? Even though they had such a big kingdom, they were cheated off it.

The Sadguru enables the disciple to do many tasks. For the fulfillment of these tasks, good rigor of spiritual practice is required. Let us learn a little about rigor of spiritual practice. The disciple must himself develop his spiritual discipline. It is not necessary for the disciple to know what is on the Guru’s mind. Why the Guru assigned that task to him is also not necessary for him to know. The disciple’s only duty is to do the tasks instructed. The disciple must never think or say that he lacks the strength to carry out the task, because it is the Guru who gives the strength to carry out all actions. However, you must attempt the task with Trikarana Shuddhi (purity of thought, word and deed). When that attempt happens, the plan and the strength for the success of the task are granted by the Guru’s grace. This realization occurs only when there is purity of heart. Like this, each one should purify his own heart. That is why, this principle orders the disciple that he himself develop the rigor of spiritual practice. You must attempt to develop spiritual discipline.

When Lord Hanuman crossed the ocean, Lord Rama did not hand him a boat. Hanuman carried out the task with his own strength. In fact, Rama did not even ask Hanuman to cross the ocean.

Episode 271

It is the Guru who gives the strength to do all work, do all spiritual practice and carry out all actions. It is because he gives us that strength that we do what we do. Otherwise, how would we do it? Lord Datta himself is giving us the energy. However, you must attempt the task with Trikarana Shuddhi (purity of thought, word and deed). When that attempt happens, the plan and the strength for the success of the task are granted by the Guru’s grace. This realization occurs only when there is purity of heart. Like this, each one should purify his own heart. That is why, this principle orders the disciple that he himself develop the rigor of spiritual practice. You must develop it yourself. You must correct yourself.

To Lord Hanuman who crossed the ocean, Lord Rama did not hand a boat. In fact, Rama did not even ask Hanuman to cross the ocean. He only asked him to search for Sita. He asked Hanuman to just do that task for him, but did not ask him to fly across the ocean and look for Sita. He only asked him to search for Sita. It was the duty of the disciple, he had to fly, he had to jump, he had to search for Sita even if she was in the nether worlds. That is why, because he was asked to search for Sita, he had to cross the ocean. Otherwise, there was no need to. Ramayana very clearly states that Hanuman was able to cross the ocean only due to the power of Rama’s name. It was by chanting the name of Lord Rama. The name of Lord Rama was enough. Great saints like Purandara Dasa and Tyagaraja have expressed through their keertanas/songs that they did not need Rama, that Rama’s name alone was enough. From this, it is clear that a disciple can carry out his duties only due to devotion towards to the Guru. Moreover, the disciple will be able to achieve the rigor of spiritual practice due to that.

In this example, there is another meaning as well. In the context of spirituality, Rama is Paramatman. Hanuman is jeevatma. The ocean is samsara/worldliness. Crossing the ocean is attaining liberation. Understand this very clearly. For this (crossing the ocean of samsara) to happen, first, the disciple should recognize his Guru. For this recognition to happen, the disciple should examine his heart. This examination will give the disciple the purity of heart and the rigor of spiritual practice. A disciple who does rigorous spiritual practice will cross the ocean of samsara with ease like Hanuman did.

We are remembering this story so that you understand this message and thereby gain the strength to develop your spiritual practice. Even though Hanuman was omnipotent and capable of anything, the Guru’s command was important. Rama was Guru and Paramatman here.

Next, see how much meditating on the Guru helps develop spiritual practice. Just meditating on Rama, he accomplished Rama’s tasks. He crossed such a big ocean. We’ll discuss this once again.

Episode 272

Let’s talk a little about what pure devotion is like. In any kind of worship, devotion is of utmost importance. Without devotion, chanting millions of times is of no use. Without devotion, any amount of Abhisheka (pouring libations on the diety being worshiped while chanting mantras) is futile, any amount of decoration done to the deity is useless. There is no use donating food to any number of people if you do not have dedication and sacrifice. That is why, here, devotion is of utmost importance. It is the same with worshiping the Guru. Whatever you do, you should do with devotion. That means, do it with dedication. Another meaning for devotion is dedication. Yet another way to say it is that you completely immerse your mind in doing the task.

So, how should this devotion be? What kind of devotion pleases him the most? There are many types here. One, to achieve selfish ends; another, to please the Sadguru; yet another, with the selfish desire that one will attain liberation through this devotion; another through selflessness; like this, there are many kinds of devotion. Let’s talk about what kind of devotion pleases him the most.

The answer is selfless devotion. That means, the devotion should not be selfish. It should be selfless. One should not expect anything. Not having the feeling of “I” or “mine” is selflessness. The final stage of this selflessness is love. This selfless person will not keep/hide anything for himself. Offering to others is a specialty of selflessness.

Doing worships and rituals to satisfy the mind full of desires is selfish. We are doing a lot of worships, rituals, vows, disciplines to satisfy our desires. We are perhaps seeking refuge in a Guru to satisfy our desires. That is not real devotion to the Guru. It is business-like devotion. Instead, we should practice to not expect anything in return. Swamiji makes disciples and other people who come here practice this. Do not expect anything in return. Whatever has to happen will happen. You should not ask for the big energy for your little difficulties. You should keep it safely. Don’t exhaust it. That is why, devotion with selfishness, charity with selfishness, service with selfishness are of no use. Serving God or Guru selflessly, without any expectation, without causing any inconvenience or difficulty whatsoever is selfless devotion. There is more power in selfless devotion.

So, it is being said here that one should worship with just pure/full love. One should only worship with pure love, devotion, faith. Pure love does not mean worshipping with plates and bowls full of flowers and fruits. It means, doing it with complete love, without any burden on the mind, with pure mind, with pure dedication, with pure happiness, “He has given me this great fortune. I am able to do this worship”. Great souls do it like this.
Only when done like this, everything is fulfilled and the Lord’s grace is bestowed on us. If we want the Lord’s grace, only worship done with pure love is considered worship, only service done with pure love is considered service.

Episode 273

We should offer to God and to Guru only the best of things, only things we dearly like. We should offer up and surrender to the Lord the things we like. Instead of doing that, we keep the good fruits for ourselves and pick up cheap ones for offering thinking it’s only for the temple, only for the Naivedya (offering to God), only for the deity. That should not be done. It’s the same with flowers. Keeping good fragrant flowers for oneself, and offering a few mangled flowers to God is not right. Offering to God Areca nuts that cannot even be consumed and keeping the good ones for yourself, offering betel leaves that are torn here and there and cannot even be consumed to God but keeping the good ones for yourself, should not be done. Picking good apple for yourself and offering some other fruit, that look like an apple, may be pomegranate or something similar is wrong. Instead of offering a plateful of these, you should offer to the Lord the good fruits, the best ones that you bought for yourself. You must offer only the best to the Lord, and not do it like it’s just a duty. A plateful of flowers, a plateful of fruits, useless fruits…even the cows and goats near the Guru will not eat them, what is the use of bringing such fruits?.

Some people bring such fruits here. Even the deer don’t eat them, they throw them away. You must never bring such offerings. You must only bring good ones. It is none of our business whether the Guru feeds them to the cows or to the donkeys or to the bulls or to the disciples or eats them himself or offers them in the fire pit. We should offer good things. It is okay if it is in small quantities. Instead of offering ten bad fruits, offer just one good fruit, that is okay.

When some people to go Kasi, they give up a fruit that’s usually not available anywhere or a fruit they do not like. When they go to Kasi, Gaya, or other such places and are asked to give up forever something they like, they start searching, “What fruit do we not get in our town?” The husband and wife start discussing, “Is there a fruit that’s not available?”. They search for that fruit and discuss, “We will not get this fruit. It’s only available in foreign countries”. Then, they decide to give up that fruit. Because, once they give up a fruit, their mind will not easily allow them to eat it again. There is also that fear in mind. Our of fear of committing sin if they eat it, they offer up to the Lord something that they cannot usually get. That is very bad. Here too, there is selfishness. You want the fruit of giving up something, but your comfort should in no way be compromised on. It should not be like that.

Say, the husband and wife are fighting a lot. If each one thought, “I am giving up my wife from today onward”, what is your fate? “I am giving up my husband from today onward, because he always fights with me”. If that happens, he will fight a lot more. Is that possible to do? That is why, it is not about your convenience or giving up your husband or your wife so you’ll have fewer fights. You should give up a food item you like or a vice or bad habit. You may like cigarettes, so you should offer that to the Lord. It does not mean you place two cigarettes in front of God and light some up because it is just smoke. That should not be done either.

Like that, we should offer what we like. We can also give up bad habits or vices there. We like those bad habits. During every birthday celebration for Swamiji till about ten years ago, a lot of people would come to Swamiji and say, “Swamiji, I am giving up this bad habit from today onward”. There are a lot of people that still do this today. It does not mean that I should do those things from then on. They are letting it go, they are putting in in the Homa fire, it is getting burned. From that day onward, you cannot touch it. One who wants to continue just for that day and give up the next day onward will not be able to give up.

A lot of people want the fruit, but don’t want to give up any comfort. It should not be like that. If you offer the thing you like to the Lord, your life will be fulfilled. Moreover, by doing that, it will create a path for you to win over your desires. It is only with this intention that our elders have asked us to give up something we like when we visit pilgrim places. Is it not?

Episode 274

When selfishness is completely removed from the mind, pure and perfect love will take birth. The feeling of difference between you and others will vanish. Nothing is impossible for that pure love. Radha Devi is an example of such selfless and pure devotion filled with love.

The heart of Radha Devi, Krishna’s devotee is filled completely with love for Krishna. She would always sing devotional songs with ecstasy. There was no other thought in her mind. Once, Rukmini and Satyabhama decided to test her devotion. After all, they were jealous that Krishna would always say, “Radha, Radha, Radha”. So, Satyabhama and Rukmini decided to test her somehow. They took steaming hot milk in a bowl and saying, “Radha, here, take the Lord’s Prasadam”, gave her the bowl.

Radha said, “Can there be a greater fortune this? You have come here yourself. It’s as if my Lord is here himself. You both, Rukmini and Satyabhama are very dear to my Lord. If you are coming and giving this Prasadam to me yourself, this is Maha (great) Prasadam”. She briefly placed it near her eyes as a mark of reverence and quickly gulped down the hot milk that was steaming. She did not even notice how hot the milk was. She was immersed in meditation on Lord Krishna. When she drank the milk, there was no change in her. She did not feel the heat, nor did she distort her face. She did not even ask why the milk was so hot. Rukmini and Satyabhama who witnessed this looked at each other in amazement wondering how she drank it up. Radha would always meditate on Sri Krishna’s feet in her heart. She always felt Krishna’s feet were in her heart. That is why as soon as she drank the hot milk, the feet of Lord Krishna who was seated in the palace got burned. The hot milk fell on the Lord’s feet because those feet were in Radha’s heart. As soon as the milk fell on the feet, the feet got burned. The Lord happily bore that.

Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita that for those who without a second thought serve him selflessly, he will himself take responsibility of granting everything needed and preserving everything granted. You all know the sloka “Anayascinta yanto ma…” It is said that out of concern that Krishna’s sleep may be disturbed, Radha would not even sing the Suprabhatam. Lord Krishna’s feet were very delicate. Out of concern that the feet may hurt if she puts flowers on them, she would not even place flowers on the feet. “The feet may hurt if I place flowers, the feet are so delicate”. Like this Radha Devi’s devotion was selfless and expected nothing in return. Whatever her Lord liked was what she liked.

Sometimes, when we find the Lord’s feet made in stone, we exploit it completely and do as much Abhishekam as we wish, pour Panchamruta as we like, put sandalwood paste as we wish, we even break our head on it as we wish. If no one else is watching, some people may even break a coconut on the feet, I don’t know. “I will break one coconut on this foot and one coconut on the other foot. I have a desire in my mind. That is why, I’ll break the coconut”. I would have run away. Is that nice to do?

But see Radha Devi’s devotion. Out of concern for Lord Krishna’s feet, she would not even put flowers on it. She would not even sing Suprabhatam after waking up in the morning, “Why should the Lord wake up on my account. He is somewhere in Vaikuntha. Why should I wake up my Lord?” She had so much devotion. The disciple too should try to gain such devotion towards the Guru. That is what is pure selfless devotion.

Episode 275

Dispassion, Oh dispassion. When some people listen to the discourses of great souls or read spiritual texts or have increased difficulties, they temporarily have lesser desire for worldly matters. “What to do? It’s okay. I had thought of a certain thing. If it happens, well and good. If not, that’s okay”. The decreased desire for those matters appears as dispassion.

Some people keep saying all the time that they will quit their job/business and will go away to some Ashramas or to the Himalayas. “I’m going to retire soon, I will come. Please get my two children married. They are yours. I put everything at your feet”. “There are four daughters. I put everything at your feet. You get them married. Please take care of everything for them in the future, their children etc.” You give birth and I make the effort.

How wonderful is this! You don’t want to do anything. “Search. Look for a good groom to get the girl married”. They say, “We are incapable. You please search for a suitable groom. We are incapable”. “Oh, you gave birth to five, ten or fifteen children, so many children. Now, you are saying you are incapable. I am supposed to get them married?” What kind of work is this? Mistaking for dispassion their fleeting incapacity due to fear or difficulty is the reason for this behavior. “I have gained dispassion. It is over. Everything is yours, your responsibility”. People say that when they have some problem at home – some problem regarding money, or some fights or problem getting the children married. So, they think they gained dispassion. Such dispassion does not work. This is fleeting. It’s not in your heart. You say, “I am coming, I am coming”. Where will you come? That will not last long. Such momentary dispassion. If you say it wholeheartedly I may help you. But, you are not saying it wholeheartedly. You are saying it only to get your work done. You are saying it to satisfy your urge for the moment.

In reality, dispassion is not about sacrificing the world, sacrificing pleasures etc. It is letting go of the association we have with them. We have bondage, strong bondage with them. We need to let go of the bondage, the attachment we have with them. In other words, it means to lessen the great desire we have for pleasures, the unbounded attachment we have for wealth, family etc. Its okay to have it within limits. You may have a little attachment, not extreme attachment for those around you, for your family, wealth etc. You should not have extreme desire. Only when you slowly lessen it will dispassion develop little by little, little by little, little by little. That is, it is only when you lessen that attachment that dispassion will develop little by little.
Without decreasing these desires in your mind, there is no use even if you go to the Himalayas. What is the use of going to the Himalayas if your mind is filled with all this? What is the use of serving the Guru? There are many who go to the Himalayas and keep talking on the phone with their families back here. They are there, but their mind is here. When they are here, their mind is. Perhaps, that (having mind there) was better. Let’s talk later about these devotees that go to the Himalayas.

Episode 276

So far we discussed that Vairagya/dispassion/renunciation does not mean sacrificing worldly life, pleasures etc, but it means letting go of the attachment we have for them. That means, lessening the excessive attachment we have towards pleasures such as money, family etc. We are not being told to sacrifice those completely. We are being told to lessen the attachment. You must attempt to lessen the attachment. Only when you decide to give them up completely will the attachment lessen a little. It is not enough to just say so. There is no use even going to the Himalayas If you do not lessen the attachment in your mind. You must uproot it from your mind, not just say it with your lips. Some people keep telling all their guests, “I am going to the Himalayas next year. I felt like I should just stay there for a few days. I found out that Swamiji has two Ashramas there. I decided to go stay there. There is no problem for food, someone cooks there”. Why should they say all this? They say there is no problem for food, that they can get a telephone there, that it is warm and so on. “I will stay there only during summer, I will come back during winter”. Is this renunciation? This is like an excursion. Your mind still does not have dispassion. You have a lot of attachment for pleasures. Even if you go there, you will be calling home a lot. And you will curse that there is no signal there. Even though you go to the Himalayas saying it is Siva’s Kailas, Vishnu’s Vaikuntha, that it is Brahma Loka, and even though you go closer and closer to the Himalayas, you will curse the government for lack of (phone) signal in the area. You always need that. Unable to withstand the cold temperatures, you may even smoke cigarettes there saying, “It’s cold here!”.

There is no use going to the Himalayas if your mind is not transformed. Your mind will keep thinking of these things even while you are there. A lot of people are always thinking of their lustful desires. It is only when you clean your mind of all these, that you will not be affected by anything even if you are leading a worldly life. You must let go completely in your mind. Continue as usual with your worldly life. Just do it like it’s a duty, for your children. That is when you will have nothing to lose. Losses cannot affect you, because in your mind, you already let go of everything. As Krishna taught us, when each one carries on his responsibilities without any expectations, like it’s his duty and is constantly contemplating on God in his mind, the mind gets purified. Gradually, dispassion too will be established in the mind.

Our mental discipline should increase. If the thoughts occasionally come back to our mind even after we let go of things, we should let go of them every single time. We should not say, “Let me indulge in these thoughts for a little while. Alongside the knowledge I have, let me think of these a little”. A lot of people when asked, “Why are you not chanting the Lalita Sahasra Nama anymore” say, “You did not give me the mindset to”. Then God will say, “True, I did not give you the mindset. But, you were asking for something else, what were you asking? You were asking that goodness be bestowed on you. I do not have the mindset to do so”. What will you do then? There is nothing to do.

“Why did you not come to the temple?”
There are some who cleverly say, “I did not have the buddhi to come, you brought me here now”. God is even cleverer. He is the one that gave you that cleverness. He is the one that gave you this birth. He will very cleverly say that you cannot escape your karma. That is why, we should not try to escape with clever talk.

How does the mind of those, who are constantly contemplating on God, get purified? It is not because they are cleaning the mind with soap. They should contemplate on God constantly, at all times, like Radha did. Because she would think of Krishna’s feet 24 hours a day, the hot milk she drank fell on the Lord’s feet, but her heart did not burn. But, if you thought, “They gave me hot milk, this could burn me, this could burn my heart”, then your heart will really burn. That is why they are saying here that the mind of those, who always contemplate on God, will be purified and dispassion will gradually be established firmly.

Episode 277

Yesterday we discussed that the mind gets purified and dispassion gradually gets firmly established in those who constantly contemplate on God. Priyavrata’s story is a good example for this. Brahma’s mind-born son Swayambhuva Manu had two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada. You knew this story in your childhood. Appropriate to his name, the older son Priyavrata was always immersed in Tapasya/meditation. As he progressed in age, Swayambhuva Manu called Priyavrata and asked him to accept the kingdom. Priyavrata did not agree, but instead went to the forests and started Tapasya for Parama Guru, Lord Brahma. After some time, Brahma appeared and said, “Son, I am very happy with your Tapasya. But, you must first accept the responsibilities of the kingdom. Without getting entangled in the royal pleasures, carry out the activities solely as my command and your duty. Consider that your Tapasya. That means, you need to be untouched by karma and attachment. Lotus leaf is born in water. A drop of water that falls on the leaf does not stick to the leaf even though the leaf is born in water. It falls away like a pearl.

See how wonderful this is. That is how one should be. You are born into this worldly life just as the lotus is born in a swamp. But, the lotus looks so pleasing, has a beautiful color, it has a great aroma and causes great joy beholding. Mud does not stick to it. Similarly, even though you are in this worldly life, it will stick to you only if you let it stick it you, but if you do not let it stick to you, it will not. That is why, do not get entangled in royal pleasures. Carry out your responsibilities solely as my command and with a view that it is your duty. Consider that as your Tapasya. Do it like it’s just a duty that I asked you to carry out. Only then will it be easy for you to wipe away karma. You will attain liberation sooner”.

Priyavrata who understood the inner meaning of Brahma’s command accepted the kingdom and ruled it in an extraordinary manner, like it was an offering to God. In the end, he even attained liberation. He is the one that divided the earth into 7 continents.

Therefore, instead of deciding for oneself that he has attained dispassion, it is better that one travel the right path with the Sadguru’s help. Otherwise, it is very difficult for us to attain liberation while living in this samsara/worldliness. We will get stuck in this samsara. We should be like Priyavrata. God has already given us that boon. But, we are unable to understand it clearly and use it. We assume that God has given us these pleasures and luxuries for us to enjoy them. These pleasures and luxuries are only lessons for you to win over this samsara. He is teaching you this lesson. He is giving you these pleasures and luxuries and giving you opportunities so you learn to not get stuck in them, but get out of them. Saying, “Do not get stuck in this illusion” he covered us with illusion.

That is why, you should not think you have attained dispassion, “We have attained dispassion. We are leaving. We are going to the Himalayas”. It is good to travel the right path with the Sadguru’s help.

Episode 278

Ego. Just as we cannot count the number of waves in the sea, we cannot count the various forms that ego takes. There is excessive ego. We exhibit ego with our words, we exhibit ego with our actions, we exhibit ego with our pride, we exhibit ego with our anger, we exhibit ego with our decorations, we exhibit ego with our haughtiness.

One whose ego has gone to his head cannot realize his faults. He is not aware of what he’s doing. He has no idea why he’s acting crazy. He certainly cannot understand another person’s traits. He cannot understand his own traits, let alone understanding another’s traits. His insanity has increased and has gone to his head.

Second, he’s puffed up that he’s greater than everyone else and that everything is happening due to his influence. When ego crosses the limits, it immediately leads to downfall. When there is excessive ego in a person, someone will teach him a lesson, they won’t let him go, or he will himself fall from grace. It leads to his downfall. To protect from that, a Guru is necessary. The Guru will correct the disciple even if it needs that the disciple be punished appropriately. In reality, if the Guru wants the disciple and wishes to uplift the disciple, he will first punish the disciple appropriately before imparting the right lessons. Whether it is humans or Gods or anyone else, such punishment is unavoidable.

Let us learn about the story where the Jagadguru Parabrahman taught a lesson to Indra and the other gods. This is a small example. So what if it is Indra and the gods? We will learn the story where they were taught a lesson. Let us see how the Parabrahman taught them a lesson.

Once, there was a terrible battle between the gods and the demons. Back then, there used to always be battles between gods and demons. So, there was a battle between gods and demons. By the grace of God, the gods were victorious over the demons and attained the heavens. A little while after this happened, Indra along with Dikphalakas (deities who rule various directions) was strolling haughtily on a mountain peak. The Dikphalakas were praising Indra’s bravery. Indra too was appreciating them. Each one was overjoyed he himself was responsible for victory over the demons. The gods had attained victory over the demons sometime back.

Shortly after, at a little distance, they saw the form of a Yaksha that they had never seen before. Indra sent Agni Deva (Fire god) to find out who he was and what he was doing there. He sent Agni saying, “Why did he come here? Why is he on this mountain? Find out”. As soon as he saw Agni, Parabrahman who was in the form of a Yaksha questioned him saying, “Who are you? What is your power?”. Surprised, Agni said, “You don’t know who I am? I am Sarva-dahaka, I consume everything. I can turn anything into ashes within a second. By the way, who are you?” The Yaksha said, “I will tell you later who I am, but first let me see you burn this blade of grass”. Saying so, he threw a dry blade of grass towards Agni Deva. Agni burned ferociously. He roared and roared, “What are you thinking? You are throwing a blade of grass at me?” He used all his might, yet the blade of grass did not burn. The Yaksha said, “Did you realize your strength? You may go now”. Humiliated, Agni retreated and reported to Indra about the Yaksha, “He asked me to burn a blade of grass, but even though I gathered all my might, I could not burn it. He is not an ordinary Yaksha. I do not know who he is and what he is. I am defeated. He is not ordinary, he must be a great illusionist”. Let’s see what Indra says.

Episode 279

We discussed that humiliated, Agni (Fire God) turned around and reported to the Gods that he was unable to find out who that Yaksha was, “How come it was like that? He threw a blade of grass. I could not even burn it” This time Indra sent Vayu (Wind God), “There is reportedly something about that blade of grass, go look into it”. He commanded, “Along with the blade of grass, fly the Yaksha here too. It’s a mere blade of grass. Go fly the blade of grass and the Yaksha over here”.

Vayu used all his might. The surrounding massive trees flew away but the blade of grass did not budge. This time, carrying the Vajrayudha (Indra’s powerful weapon), Indra himself approached the Yaksha. “What is this? Let me look into this. Agni went and he could do nothing. Vayu went and he could do nothing either. Let me go myself”.

However, the Yaksha disappeared and was not visible to Indra. In the meanwhile, Jaganmata Parvati Devi appeared in front of Indra who was looking for the Yaksha and talked some sense into him, “Why are you searching so hard? Why are you wandering so much? Why are you so angry? Devendra, the Yaksha they saw before was none other than Parabrahman. It is because of the greatness of Parabrahman that you gained victory over the demons. You are haughty thinking you defeated the demons yourself and earned your victory. None of you has any power. The power in your, the reason for your victory, every movement in you is the Parabrahman’s power. Understand that. There is nothing you can call your own”. Indra and other Gods realized their mistake and felt ashamed.

Did you see? Every person keeps thinking that he is very great, that there is no devotee like him, that he’s a great devotee. They’ll say whatever they feel like. It is meaningless talk. Thinking there is no one as knowledgeable as they are, boosting their ego, they are becoming the reason for their own downfall. That is why, one must always exercise caution in matters of ego. We must realize the truth that the wealth, power and knowledge we have are all bestowed on us by the grace of God. A lot of people do not realize this truth. They say, “I have earned everything”. A lot of people get their sons educated, “I worked so hard to get them educated.

If not for me, they would not have been educated”. Of course you would get your sons educated, why would you get your neighbor’s sons educated? “I built this huge mansion. I worked so hard to build this. I built it with my own strength. What did you think?” You built the mansion and you live in it, that’s all. Did you give it to someone else to live in? Like this, people exhibit unnecessary and useless ego. That is why one must realize the truth that whether it is our wealth, our energy/power, our knowledge, we have them all by the grace of God.

Those who constantly contemplate on God are free from this danger. A lot of people forget even God. They keep praising themselves. They keep worshiping themselves. They keep talking about themselves to their children. They are often bragging, “I am like this”, “I am like that”. They start off, “In 1970…” or “In the year 1832…”. As soon as the children hear this, they run away knowing that he’s started off again. They keep talking as they wish. “I cut off his arm, what did you think?”, “I cut off his leg in the war”, “I did this”, “I did that” and so on. One boy asked, “Father, you always keep saying that you cut off the arm or cut off the leg. Did you never cut off the head?”. The father says, “Someone already cut off the head”. That is how our story is. There are some people who say, “Stack up 100 Papad (thin, crisp, wafer like Indian food). Watch me break that stack with one punch”. Who cares about punching Papad? Like this, there are many who are puffed up with ego.

Episode 280

We discussed that humiliated, Agni (Fire God) turned around and reported to the Gods that he was unable to find out who that Yaksha was, “How come it was like that? He threw a blade of grass. I could not even burn it” This time Indra sent Vayu (Wind God), “There is reportedly something about that blade of grass, go look into it”.

Bhagavad Darsanam (Vision of God). Everyone has the desire at some point to have darshana (vision) of God, “Wonder what God looks like?” They imagine many things about God. “I must see God once”. Is it vada (savory Indian donut) or coffee for you to see? Even those will not appear in front of you whenever you wish. For this, along with your efforts, Guru’s help is a must because he has already attained such darshana.

We should get help from those who experienced it, those who know from experience, those who made the effort to go that point to have darshana of Paramatman, instead of saying whatever comes to mind.

First, we should seek refuge with a Guru. We should have faith in Guru first. We should serve the Guru. Every Guru says the same thing about God. All Gurus say the same thing. He is all-pervasive, or in other words God is one who is pervades everything like the sky. When we just want to see God, if our Guru says that he is the one that is all-pervasive, we don’t understand it. We get doubts, we have suspicions. We even lose faith. We doubt, “If he is all-pervasive, why isn’t he visible to us?” Our Guru keeps saying, “Paramatman is one who is all-pervasive, that he is omnipresent and omniscient”.

“I am the fire in fire, I am the water in water, I am in the earth in earth, I pervade the sky, everything”.
When the Guru keeps saying, “Everything is you, Paramatman.

Everything is Paramatman”, we are unable to believe the Guru’s words. If he is all-pervasive, he should be visible to us, isn’t it? Why is he not visible to us? Should he appear to us with a physical form?

If he were to appear to us, how big is Vayu (wind)? How expansive? He will appear with the body of Vayu. Where will you be then? You are in him. You must try to understand the Guru’s words a little. “I am the water in water”, he’ll say. If all the water in the oceans were to come together, what would happen? That is Paramatman.

Such is his principle in the five elements of Nature. Such is his form, he is Paramatman. What form is Paramatman in? He is the water in water, he pervades the sky, he is the fire in fire. Do you think he’ll appear to you with arms and legs, wearing a crown, standing like in a movie? May be that’s what you thought. How does God look?

Did you think, “He’ll be mounted on a nice vehicle, he’ll get down from the vehicle, he’ll get down from his vehicle – the peacock, or from his vehicle – Garuda, or from his vehicle – the crow”? He can be like that too, but when you are able to see the all-pervasive Paramatman, that form will not matter to you.

You are arguing with the Guru about why you are unable to see him if he is everywhere. Here, there are three points you should observe carefully. First, if any object is not visible despite being right in front of us, it means that there is some obstacle between us and the object. If we are unable to see it, there is some obstacle.

We need to remove the obstacle. During monsoon season, when the clouds block the view, we cannot see the sun even if it is in front of us. The sun will not be visible to us at all. If we cannot see such a big sun, it means that the clouds are blocking the view. It is the same with God. We are unable to see him.

Let us see what else blocks the view.

Episode 281

As discussed earlier, all Gurus say the same thing about God. They say God is all-pervasive. People then question, “If he is all-pervasive, why are we unable to see him?” So, there are three points you should observe carefully. First, when there is question as to why an object that is in front of us is not visible to us, we think that there must be an obstacle between us and the object, otherwise, we would be able to see the object.

During monsoon season, when the clouds block the view, we cannot see the sun even if it is in front of us. We should learn from the Guru about what it is that is blocking us from seeing God and how can we remove the block.

Second, someone is suffering from some pain. If you go to him and ask him to show his pain, he cannot. How can he show pain? Pain is not something that‘s visible to eye. Because it’s not visible, it’s not right to say that the pain does not really exist. Let’s ask someone who’s complaining of pain to show us the pain. How can he show the pain? It is not possible. Not all feelings can be understood just by seeing with our eyes. We cannot see everything with our eyes. Even though feelings are objects, only those that experience the feelings know it. One may say he feels a certain way, but if you ask him to show it, he can only express his feeling to us through his words and his actions. We just have to believe him. Sometimes we do not believe him. Okay, can you at least show you feelings? Others cannot show the feelings born in you. Just as they cannot show their feelings, you cannot either. Only the one experiencing it knows, only he understands. The God you want to see is also an object of experience. That is why, since he is all-pervasive like the sky, we can only know him from experience, and not in any other way.

The Sadguru teaches us what needs to be done to gain that experience. He removes the obstacle if you want to gain that experience. The Sadguru will tell you how to gain that experience. Otherwise, you will never have that experience. If we are to gain that experience, the Sadguru has to teach us and show us the path. That is given the name Sadhana (spiritual practice).

The third point. Even though the sky is all-pervasive, we cannot see it when our eyes are closed. We definitely do not see it. Not only that, even when our eyes are open, if someone asked us what just passed in front of us, we are unable to answer. Because God is like the sky, we cannot look up at the sky and see the stars and constellations if we close our eyes. So the thing blocking your sight is your eyelash. The eyelashes that protect also block our view. Here, Paramatman himself placed an obstacle. We need to remove that obstacle with our will.

Episode 282

The third point. Sky. Even though the sky is all-pervasive, it’s not visible to us when we close our eyes. Moreover, even when our eyes are open, if someone asks us about what just passed in front of our eyes, we are unable to answer. The reason for that is our mind not being present there. If we close our eyes, of course we do not see anything. But, when our eyes are open, we are unable to answer the question about the object that just passed us in front of our eyes. In other words, unless we are able to bring the mind filled with thoughts and feelings to focus, we will not see the object. We should carefully observe whether or not we are focusing our mind. We talk randomly with our mind elsewhere. That should not happen. We should keep our mind right where it should be.

Another important point is that not all feelings/emotions in the world can be grasped by all the Indriyas/sense organs. Some are grasped by the eye, some by the ear, some others by nose, skin or tongue. What is grasped by the tongue is not grasped by the skin and what is grasped by the skin is not grasped by the tongue. What is grasped by the ears cannot be eaten and what can be eaten cannot be grasped by the ears. Things we see with our eyes, we may not grasp with our ears. Like that, there are some that are grasped only by the mind.

God is manovagateeta. In other words, he cannot be reached either through the sense organs, or through speech or through the mind. He cannot be reached with anything. He who is everywhere cannot be reached by any of this means. It’s only when we set all these aside that it is possible to see God. Therefore, we should first make that attempt. For that, we should seek refuge with the Sadgurus who’ve already achieved success on that path. There has to be someone who knows it, who has experienced it. It is when you ask the person who knows, that he will tell you his experience and his philosophy. Like that, we should learn from a Guru who has had that experience.

That is why, one should seek refuge in a Guru. That is the only way. Only then can one experience God.

Even though God is all-pervasive, what is the reason for him being invisible? We see that it is attachment to the Indriyas/sense organs. Those immersed in pleasures of the sense organs will not see God even if God is right in front of him. In other words, expecting to see God without gaining control over the sense organs and the mind is akin to closing your eyes and expecting to see the sun. “I will not open my eyes. The sun should be visible to me. I will not open my eyes. The moon should be visible to me”. How’s that going to happen with your eyes closed? When you open your eyes and look will they be visible. Similarly, the inner eye filled with attachment, desire, anger is closed. That is why, we should distance such feelings from ourselves. That is when we can see (with our inner eye).

Therefore, when one undertakes spiritual practice in the path taught by the Sadguru and brings the mind to focus on God, one will definitely experience God. As mentioned before, if we want to have darshana of our experience, we need to get rid of the karma such as anger, desire etc that are attached to that experience, that are enveloping/hiding our inner eye. If you close your eyes and expect to see them, how can you see them? In the material world, you can see only when you open your eyes. That is why, when one wants to completely concentrate his mind on God, all such obstacles should be removed.

Episode 283

Let’s discuss a little about Shanti/peace. According to the Guru Gita, you should recognize that he whose darshana gives you peace in your heart effortlessly is your Guru. We do not call just anybody, Guru. Guru is a term of respect, yes and he may be a Guru too. But, when you accept someone as your Guru, you must carefully observe and accept someone as your Guru when you mind is transformed and when your mind is effortlessly filled with bliss. In addition to the feeling that he (Guru) belongs to you, you gain the courage, “He will address my desires and difficulties” and thereby gain peace of mind. That is when you should seek refuge in him as Guru.

However, it would be a mistake to think that our responsibility ends there. One should not think, “We have identified our Guru, that is it. He will take care of my Sadhana/spiritual practice”.

To make that momentary peace of mind permanent, one should serve the Guru and start undertaking Sadhana in the path shown by the Guru. Shortly after we start such Sadhana, we realize a truth. That truth is, “By continuing to fulfill desires, permanent peace cannot be attained, it is only by getting rid of desires that we attain permanent peace”. Desires keep sprouting one after another like a continuous chain. If you keep fulfilling them, you gain some contentment. Initially there is some contentment, but soon there is discontentment, “Why are we always trying to fulfill our desires?” That is when we will not feel right about this.

So, what is it that gives complete contentment and permanent happiness? There is nothing in this world that can give us that. It is only Paramatman who can give us that. It is God who gives real and lasting happiness. What is it that we want? Happiness. We want happiness that is permanent. What is that called? Sat Chit Ananda. Even though everything else – people or objects or whatever else – seem to initially give happiness, they eventually give us grief. Such knowledge is obtained only through service to the Guru and through his teachings. Lot of people hanker after material objects in pursuit of permanent happiness. But when struggle when they realize that it only gives temporary happiness.

So, to be in Sat Chit Ananda, to be in permanent bliss, is possible through Guru alone. Service to the Guru and adherence to the teachings of the Guru will permanently establish that bliss. Since we set out on this journey in quest of lasting peace, our focus should be turned away from desires and towards realization of God. Because, what is it we are after? Why do we undertake this journey? It is to gain peace. Along with peace, we should get rid of the ignorance and restlessness in us. Along with that, we should gain real bliss. Along with that, we should make that bliss permanent. To do this, we need to turn our mind towards realization of God. That is when we visualize the experience. In other words, it means that God is giving us happiness and is watching/taking care of us.

Episode 284

Since we set out in quest of lasting peace, we need to turn our focus away from desires and towards God realization. In other words, we need to turn our mind inward. Some people get a doubt, “Why should one let go of desires? Why can’t we keep desires in one part of our mind and focus the other part of the mind on trying to realize God?” A lot of people think this way, “They say that realization is possible only when we sacrifice all desires. We have such a big mind. Why can’t we use some of our feelings/thoughts for desires and in another part of our mind, use our feelings/thoughts for God realization?”

That is not possible. Because, when the mind moves, desires emerge. When we keep the mind still, without any movement, realization of God emerges. Therefore, it is not possible for both to co-exist. The only way to do this (achieve realization of God) is to slowly turn the mind away from desires and towards Paramatman. This is easier said than done. It is to achieve this that Vedas and Shastras have prescribed us various ways. Those are what our Datta Guru tell us too. There are many paths such as the path of Bhakti (devotion), the path of Karma (action), the path of Yoga and many more. You have previously been told about Bhakti, Karma and Yoga too. So we understand these even more clearly, God wanders the earth in the form of Guru to come down to our level and teach us. He does this because we do not easily understand these – whether it is the path of Bhakti or the path of Karma, or the path of Yoga or the path of Jnana (knowledge). They are very difficult to understand. We can talk about them easily as story headlines, but it is difficult to understand them enough to gain the experience. God is the only one who can teach us in a way we understand. In other words, Guru is the only one who can do this. God will not come down to teach us.

We clearly understand that in addition to giving you the knowledge to do this, the one who enables you to undertake the appropriate Sadhana/spiritual practice, and bestows everlasting peace on you is the Sadguru. Continual, perpetual Sadhana is very important.

Next, the great sages Romasha and Ashtavakra. It is natural for those in eminent positions in life to feel that there is no one better than them and that no one else can achieve what they achieved, “We alone could achieve this, no one else is capable of this”. However, such feelings sometimes occur even in those pursuing spiritual practice. Occasionally, during some instances, they feel, “I am doing such great Sadhana. There is no one else doing Sadhana like me”. When you think, “I am a great devotee” or “The Guru likes me more than he likes others” or “My Sadhana is superior”, it is clear that there is something lacking in your devotion and in your Sadhana. Because, the greater meaning of all Sadhana is to view the Paramatman who pervades all living beings equally. So, there is no question of superiority.

Once, Brahma thought, “Is there anyone more elderly than I am?” He Initially felt there was no one else. After some thinking, he felt that Lord Vishnu alone was older than him. He went to Lord Vishnu right away and said, “Lord, I am the oldest after you, is it not?”. “Who knows? We don’t know who else there may be” said Lord Vishnu. Brahma did not appreciate that Lord Sri Hari did not acknowledge Brahma’s elderliness”. Therefore, he asked, “What is this Lord? I was the one born after you. I was the one that created all life forms. So, how can there be anyone older than me?” Let’s see what Lord Vishnu says.

Episode 285

Brahma did not appreciate that Lord Sri Hari would not acknowledge Brahma’s elderliness. Therefore, he asked, “What is this Lord? I was the one born after you. I was the one that created all life forms. So, how can there be anyone older than me?” Fine. Lord Vishnu looked here and there and said, “There is an old man I know. May be he knows something about this. Let us find out”. He further said, “This elderly person is quite old. He is older than I am. Let us go to him and present to him the question that arose in your mind”. Saying so, Sri Hari brought Brahma to Sage Romasha.

Since he had a body full of hair, the sage earned the name Romasha (roma=hair). By the time the two got there, half the hair on the sage’s body had fallen off. Beholding Brahma and Vishnu, the old man very respectfully worshiped them and enquired about the reason for their visit. “Sir, what is your age?” asked Sri Hari. Looking puzzled, the sage said, “Lord, I am nothing in comparison to you. But, since you asked, I’ll tell you. One thousand Maha Yugas (According to Wikipedia, 1 Maha Yuga lasts for 4,320,000 years) in the human world are equivalent to a half day in the life of Brahma who is standing next to you. So, with that being half a day, when he completes 100 years, he would have completed his lifespan. With each such Brahma, one hair from my body falls off”.

Brahma must have gone crazy. What a big calculation he presented. He said that one hair falls off after tens of millions of Brahma. He said, “Like this, about half the hair from my body have fallen off. I still have half left. When these fall off too, I will attain permanent liberation. I don’t know when I will receive your compassion”. Hearing this, Lord Brahma’s jaw dropped. Without saying another word, Sri Hari held Brahma’s hand and took him to the hermitage of Sage Ashtavakra. They set out, “Let us go to the hermitage of Sage Ashtavakra from this hermitage of Sage Romasha.”

It is well known that there are eight deformities in his (Ashtavakra) body. But now, there appeared to be only two or three deformities. While Lord Brahma was looking at him in amazement, the sage performed glorious worship to Hari and Brahma and enquired about the reason for their visit. Lord Vishnu said, “There is no big reason. We went to see Sage Romasha. From there, we came here to see you. Okay, let that be. Sage, what might your age be?”

Slightly embarrassed, that sage said, “O Lord of Lords, you may have seen many like me. The fact that you came to me and put this question is my great fortune. You said you saw Maharishi Romasha before you came here. With each Maharishi Romasha, one of my deformities will disappear”. Wow! May be it is better to not ask. May be it is good to just go home. There are so many that are very elderly. In the previous instance, the sage would lose one hair after many Yugas. We have no idea how many Brahmas there were in those Yugas. In this instance, it is even more strange. When one such sage Romasha – who loses one hair after many Yugas, imagine how long and how many Yugas it would take for him to lose all his hair – is gone, Ashtavakra says he would have one less deformity. Ashtavakra of course has over eight deformities. Now, there seemed to be only two deformities. So, wonder how many deformities disappeared. How many Sage Romashas there were? He offered salutations saying, “I have lost four deformities. I have four more. I don’t know when your compassion will favor me”

So, what can one say about Brahma? Let us give him a break for sometime. Let us talk later about what happens to Brahma.

Episode 286

After darshana of Maharishi Romasha, Sri Hari along with Lord Brahma went to Maharishi Ashtavakra. The Maharishi worshiped his visitors and enquired about the reason for their visit. Lord Vishnu asked Ashtavakra what his age was. Ashtavakra said, “Lord of Lords, you said you visited Maharishi Romasha before coming here. With each such Maharishi Romasha, one of my deformities disappears. I lost four deformities thus far. I have four more”. He offered salutations to the Lord saying, “I don’t know when your compassion will favor me”. He looked at Sri Hari.

Immediately, Sri Hari glanced at Brahma. Brahma lowered his head in embarrassment. Sri Hari patted him on his shoulder and said, “Brahma Deva, age and elderliness are related to the body. This body seems burdensome to one who has experienced true inner bliss. He is eager to unload this burden. For one who has attained such self-realization, any age for the body is completely worthless. One who has reached the state of permanent awareness of one’s divinity has no meaning for the question, “What is the age of my body?”

Regardless of how great one may be, there is inevitably someone greater than him. One must never ever forget that. Further, regardless of how many powers one has gained, all those powers are like insignificant fireflies that came from God. The person himself is like an insignificant firefly. Understanding this is real knowledge.

Let’s talk about sacrifice a little. We attempt to identify great souls by their miracles and their divine powers. However, it is sacrifice that is the real greatness of noble souls. Just because so many people are following a Guru, we believe the Guru is very powerful. We make assumptions, “He is very powerful, he is very strong”. However, the real characteristic of a noble soul is sacrifice. It is sacrifice that is the real greatness of a noble soul. That is what we should try to acquire too. When such souls become Gurus and either travel various countries or confine themselves to the forests, it is only for the welfare of the world.

Angirasa was a mind-born son of Brahma. From the time he was born, he had a supremely peaceful nature and was always immersed in Tapasya/meditation. No one knows how many kinds of tapas-siddhis (supernatural powers gained through Tapasya) this great soul with no desires attained. He was not even cognizant of the fact that he gained supernatural powers. Brahma, the Lord of the world however, knows everything about everyone. How could he not know.

In the meanwhile, the great soul who was in the position of Agni Deva (Fire God) once got angry with the Gods. Saying, “I do not even want this position”, he left his home and went to the forests to undertake Tapasya. He felt “Since there is presently no one among the Gods that has the capability to fill this role if I leave, the Gods themselves will beg me to come back” Let us see where his ego leads him.

Episode 287

The great soul who was in the position of Agni Deva (Fire God) once got angry with the Gods. Saying, “I do not even want this position”, he left his home and went to the forests to undertake Tapasya/meditation. Internally, he internal intent was, “Since there is presently no one among the Gods that has the capability to fill this role if I leave, the Gods themselves will beg me to come back” A lot of people have this feeling. Once they get that seat (of power), everyone has to give respect to that seat. So, people will gather around. The people in that seat will slowly develop ego inside, “If not for me, these people would not be there, even this world would not be there. If I leave this position, who is capable enough here? There is no one who is capable”. We see instances of such ego these days too.

Finally, after sitting in Tapasya, Agni Deva slowly had fear creep into his mind, “What if someone makes some adjustments and steals my position?” He (Agni Deva) left his position for no good reason. He wanted them all to beg him, to gather around him. A lot of people are happy when people gather around saying “Don’t do this again and again. Please don’t resign. Please don’t resign”. They feel, “Did you see (my prowess)? What did you think of me?”

But no one came to him (Agni Deva). Regardless of whether someone approached him or not, he felt in his mind, “Alas, maybe no one will come. Suddenly, someone may make some adjustments and steal my position. What did I unnecessarily do this?” In line with his fear, no one ever came and begged Agni Deva to come back. He of course suspected someone would steal his position, but it was worse that no one even came to beg him to return. Unable to withstand this anymore, he went to his kingdom to see what was happening. “Something must have gone wrong here, let me see”.

What did he see? His head was spinning. Maharishi Angirasa was sitting on his throne and was glowing even more brightly than him. He saw that while on the one hand the great soul Angirasa was carrying out the responsibilities of his role, he was on the other hand continuing his endless Sadhana / spiritual practice. He realized that Lord Brahma himself placed the sage in that role and under his rule, all activities in Agni Loka (Agni=fire; Loka=world) were taking place in an extraordinary manner. Even without Agni, the activities were happening in an extraordinary manner. With Brahma’s power, with the power of Sage Angirasa, another Agni Deva was acting as Agni Deva himself. Then, the old Agni Deva completely lost courage. How had this (old) Agni Deva first gained this position? It was only by the power of Lord Brahma. But, he forgot that. When people are blinded by attachment to their position, they forget who was responsible for their rise to that position. There are many instances where they forget the very public that was responsible for their ascent. When they forget the public, when their ego increases, what’s left? They have to get down from that position one day.

It’s like the rooster just continuing to sleep thinking that the day would not break unless it cries. But morning did come. Morning came before the rooster cried. The bird thought that morning would not come until it cried. But, just because we think a certain way, it’s not going to happen that way. Everything happens according to time.

Then Agni Deva lost all courage. Sage Angirasa had so much brightness that even Agni Deva could not withstand it. His capability was extraordinary. His fame needed no mention. He was afraid that he lost his position for good. He thought. “Alas, what did I do? I am unable to even behold Angirasa. He is so powerful. He has such austerity. What is left? He will be here and my position is gone”.

Episode 288

We discussed that the old Agni Deva lost all courage. Sage Angirava had so much brightness that even Agni Deva could not withstand it. His capability was extraordinary. His fame needed no mention. He was afraid that he lost his position for good. In the meanwhile, don’t know how, but Sage Angirava learned of the arrival of Agni Deva. That’s it. Immediately, he came to Agni Deva and prostrated to him and slowly requested thus: “Agni Deva, welcome. My father (Brahma) asked me take this seat until you came back so that your activities continue uninterrupted. He only asked me to do your work until you came back. I am doing so. It is my duty to do as my father Brahma says. So, I took the seat. Now that you are back, my responsibility is fulfilled. You can take over your work. You may accept your responsibilities any day you wish”. Agni Deva felt great relief, “My goodness! Now I understand”. But, he still had some fear lurking inside him. “Even though this sage is talking very humbly, can anyone that has tasted power let go of it so easily?” His thinking was in line with his nature.

“So, there is no political angle here, is there? Wonder what’s cooking. There may be some political conspiracy here”, we hear people say sometimes. “Conspiracy”, “Conspiracy”. “There seems to be something going on here. There must be something going on”. Will those who’ve tasted the pleasure of power let go so easily? They will not. No matter what anyone may say, they will not let go. Neither the father’s command nor God’s command matters. Once they’ve tasted it, that’s it. Will they let others take over that position? They never will”.

That is why, Agni Deva was thinking, “Sage Angirava must have developed such attachment in his mind, may be this great sage has such feelings. He may be looking to throw me out of power. He may be looking to permanently prevent me from coming back. It looks like this is his plan”. Comprehending Agni Deva’s feelings, Sage Angirava once again offered salutations to him and spoke with a smile. He knew what was going on in Agni Deva’s mind. He had the ability to know. He said, “Agni Deva, there is no need for you to suspect anything. You are worthy of worship. You are God. I am a human child. I am like a son to you. If you wish, you may accept me as your adopted son. I can serve you like a son”. Agni Deva was slightly ashamed, “He found out what I was thinking”. He was ashamed slightly thinking what he felt was wrong.

He felt a mountain of happiness. Saying, “Getting a son like you would be my good fortune”, he embraced Sage Angirava and accepted him as his adopted son. Witnessing the extraordinary sacrifice by Sage Angirava, the abode of Gods was filled with amazement. They immersed the sage in a shower of flowers. The sage handled feelings related to the material world (Agni Deva’s feelings) with good intelligence. Otherwise, there could have been a big battle between the two. Did you see? He did so because he was a great soul.

Maharishi Angirava did not at any time exhibit his powers. Moreover, he offered himself up as an adopted son. He said, “Father, adopt me. I’ll serve you”. Then Agni Deva gained real courage. When he had his father’s (Brahma’s) command, he did not hide his abilities. But, when the time had come, he did not shirk from sacrificing more than required, either. His extraordinary sacrifice made him one of the Saptarishis (Seven great sages) in later ages. Until then, he was not part of Saptarishis. He now did a great sacrifice. Sitting in the seat shown to him by Lord Brahma himself, sitting in Agni Deva’s seat, he made such great sacrifice, such sacrifice is the real greatness. So, when we see great souls, great sages or Gurus, we should pay attention to their sacrificing nature and thereby imbibe some of that nature ourselves, but not focus on external miracles. Great souls are those who have more of a sacrificing nature.

Episode 289

Nireekshana (waiting patiently/looking forward). Liberation itself will come in search of one who has unwavering devotion towards the Guru’s feet, unbounded faith in his words and unlimited dedication in following his command, even if he doesn’t study the scriptures or does not undertake Yoga/Tapasya. There is no penance greater than devotion to the Guru. Shabari’s story is evidence for this.

During Sri Rama’s time, there used to be a lady called Shabari who belonged to the tribal community. Everyone knows Shabari’s life history. There is perhaps no one in the world that does not know her life history. Yet, one should repeatedly recall the stories of such pious souls. She was such a great devotee. She was such an ardent devotee.

Shabari was the devotee of Maharishi Matanga. She used to live on the banks of river Pampa. We remember Lord Anjaneya when we hear of river Pampa. The mind of this tribal lady was very pure. That is why she got to live in the Ashrama premises of Maharishi Matanga. Such a pure mind she had. She would always sweep the Ashrama and keep it clean. When Maharishi Matanga was about to depart for the divine worlds, he said, “Shabari, Sri Maha Vishnu will come to this Ashrama in his incarnation as Lord Rama. You must wait patiently for him. You will receive his grace”. These were the words of her Guru.

While immersed in chanting Sri Rama’s name, Shabari who had unwavering devotion and faith in her Guru was patiently waiting for Sri Rama thinking, “When will my Rama come? When he comes, how should I serve him?” “When will he come?” “When will he come?” Observing severe austerities and disciplines, she lived like a Sanyasini/renunciate. She heard that during his exile in the forests, Sri Rama had come to Chitrakoota. Thinking, “He will come here tomorrow”, “He will come here tomorrow”, she would clean her hermitage everyday, adorn it with rangoli, decorate the place and collect beautiful fruits and flowers for Sri Rama. Every object in the Ashrama seemed like it was waiting for Rama. Even the elephants in the surrounding area would cause no trouble in the Ashrama. Shabari’s devotional vibrations were so strong. That is why, the cruel animal around the Ashrama would never cause any harm. Even the elephants would cause no harm. Every object that Shabari had eagerly looked forward to Rama’s arrival. In additional Shabari had the Sadguru’s command that she had to have darshana of Rama.

One day Rama did arrive. Accompanied by Lakshmana in search of Sita, he came to the area where Shabari lived and gave her darshana. Shabari was ecstatic to have darshana of Sri Rama. She washed Rama’s feet and welcomed him into the Ashrama. Her patient wait finally bore fruit after such a long time. That patient wait that she did, that is real penance. The wait, “My God will come, my Lord will come” is so beautiful. She was overjoyed offering him fruits she already tasted. She would taste each fruit to see whether or not it was sweet and only offer the sweet fruits to him. Let us see what happens ahead. We are talking about Shabari’s devotion.

Episode 290

We discussed that Shabari was ecstatic to have darshana of Sri Rama. We discussed that she washed Rama’s feet and welcomed him into the Ashrama. Her patient wait finally bore fruit after such a long time. She was overjoyed offering him fruits she already tasted. She would taste each fruit to see whether or not it was sweet and only offer the sweet fruits to him. Impressed with her devotion, Lord Rama was thrilled to eat the fruits she tasted. Did you see, the Lord ate fruits that were already tasted before. This shows how Shabari’s devotion was. Lakshmana was surprised. He even got angry with her. But, he said nothing. “She is offering fruits she tasted. She must be mad. Or, due to her senility, may be she does not know”, thought Lakshmana.

Rama bathed in the lake nearby. That lake had the power of Sapta Teerthas (the seven holy pilgrim centers) and the oceans. There was so much effect in the power of Maharishi Matanga’s Tapasya. Rama offered oblations to his ancestors, blessed Shabari and granted her the abode of the Supreme. Did you see how much devotion there was. Patiently waiting, “When will God come home?” is itself penance. She did not even realize, what she should offer to God, what is good, what is bad. That is true devotion. That is true love. Shabaris story is proof that God would bless those with such love and devotion. Because she waited so long upon the Guru’s command, she had darshana of God. We see how important the Guru is. We are seeing how amazing the Principle of Guru is in every instance.

Next, Bhageeratha. To a Yogi who is in the state of universal consciousness, there is no difference between a kingdom or life in a forest or a bed of soft swan feathers or anything else. Joys and sorrows do not touch them. They are beyond dualities. With compassion, they wander the world for universal welfare. The story of Bhageeratha is an example. Everyone knows the story where Bhageeratha brought river Ganga down to earth. Bhageeratha was the king of Ayodhya. As the emperor of all of earth, he used to rule very well. To understand his real nature, we should learn about the story that transpired after he brought Ganga to earth.

During the time the king was ruling his kingdom, he decided to learn about God. He expressed all his thoughts to his Guru. Upon his Guru’s advice, he performed a Yagna and donated all his wealth to Brahmins and others. But, he still had his emperorship. He asked many, many Brahmins to take that position, but no one came forward to. He then invited his neighboring king. When the king heard of the emperor’s request, he made haste to escape saying, “O King, you are a righteous ruler. I am not at all the right person to take your position”. Bhageeratha convinced him with appropriate words and somehow handed over his kingdom to the king.

After that, during midnight, he disguised himself and went away to another country. Let us see what happens next.

Episode 291

Bhagareetha convinced his neighboring king with good words and somehow entrusted his kingdom to the king.
Afterwards, during midnight, he disguised himself and went away to another country. So nobody recognized him there, he used to stay in stealth during the day. At night however, he used to beg and live like a mendicant. After sometime, he gained a little confidence that the ego in his mind was destroyed. He then began begging for alms fearlessly during daytime as well. In a few days, he reached his own country of Ayodhya and continued begging for alms there. Nobody in Ayodhya was able to recognize him.

One day, he went straight to the king himself and asked him for alms. In the meanwhile, one of the guards there recognized king Bhageeratha by his voice and some of his physical features and reported to the king. That king prostrated humbly to Bhageeratha and prayed, “Please accept this kingdom”. Bhageeratha unwilling to do so, was obstinate in his refusal, “King, please give me alms if you wish, if not that is okay”. What could that king do? Unable to say anything else, he offered alms. Bhageeratha very happily received those alms and left.

After some time, the king ruling Ayodhya died. He had no heirs. Therefore, the people of the country searched and searched, found Bhageeratha and insisted, “As our Bhiksha (food/donations offered to one asking for alms), you must accept this kingdom. You have no choice”. By then, Bhageeratha who had attained God-realization agreed to the people’s request. Previously, when he was being forced to accept his kingdom back, he did not yield to that temptation. This time, when people prayed to him to accept the kingdom that was orphaned due to lack of a king, Bhageeratha did not even refuse. Because he had gained self-realization by then, the kingdom did not at all appear as an obstacle to Bhageeratha, “Come what may, what can it do to me? I had darshana of Paramatman”.

Previously, before he attained unison with the principle of the Absolute, he would say, “There is nothing in this world. We have to leave everything behind one day. So, why should I worry about this? I do not need anything”. Now, he attained unison with the principle of the Absolute. He attained bliss. That is why he said, “Okay, I will do as you say. You are saying that the kingdom is orphaned. No problem”. The kingdom did not seem like an obstacle to him. He accepted the responsibility out of desire for universal welfare.

It was because he was a great soul who could reach such a magnanimous state that emperor Bhageeratha was able to bring even Ganga Devi to the earth for the welfare of all the worlds. Emperor Bhageeratha’s inner nature and commitment to universal welfare should be an ideal for all seekers. It is due to Bhageeratha’s attempts that we have Mother Ganga (on earth) today. If we were able to get Mother Ganga so quickly in answer to Bhageeratha’s Tapasya, if she came down to earth as requested by Bhageeratha, it was because he had no attachment towards anything, he was reveling in Absolute bliss. Therefore, Mother Ganga was pleased and came down to earth.

Similarly, I pray to Lord Datta that Bhageeratha be an ideal for spiritual practice in all of our lives.

Episode 292

When we examine the life histories of devotees, we see that the Gurus or God subject them to several tests and then grant boons to the devotees once they win in those tests. The tests are delivered such that all karma accrued to the devotees gets destroyed during the tests itself. In the case of Lord Datta, this can be seen even more clearly. In this matter, everybody may naturally have a question: “If the devotee cannot understand devotion unless he is tested, how can the Guru grant boons? If the devotee is able to understand, then what is the use of these tests?” The point to observe here is that the tests are not given to test their devotion at all whatsoever. Extracting the bad tendencies in the devotee’s mind and making them aware of these tendencies is the inner meaning. In other words, testing each karma accrued, one by one and removing all the infection like the doctors do. It is after all the infection is removed and the necessary tests are done, that one gets a bed in the hospital. Then, the patient is ready for operation.

Like that, God or Guru extracts the bad tendencies hidden in the mind of the devotee, all the bad tendencies that are piled inside the mind. We do not even realize. Removing each tendency one by one and making (the devotee) aware is the inner meaning. He is making them aware, “See this is how much you have”, “This is how much karma you have piled up, that is why I am removing all this.” Giving them an opportunity, thereby, to flush these out is the intent of these tests. If you say, “Oh he is testing me, does he have no compassion towards me?”, where will the karma piled up inside go? It really has to be extracted, isn’t it? That is why they conduct so many tests. You should not blame God or Guru, “Why are you testing me?” He is showing you the ignorance that is inside you. He is showing you all the impurities in your mind.

We discussed before that if it is an ordinary mirror, it will show you your external form. But, mirror of Sadguru’s compassion shows you the decorations that have piled up deep within your mind – in other words, your karma – and gets them out. Only a mind flushed of impurities like this becomes eligible to receive knowledge. It becomes ready for knowledge. Otherwise, it is useless for knowledge. It is ridden with ignorance. How can a mind filled with attachment receive knowledge?

Sometimes you may think, “Does not each person know his mind? Is it necessary to conduct tests like these to show them their mind?” You may think, “Does not God know what is in our mind? What is the necessity to show us?” In reality, finding out the secret of the mind is not that easy either. In this matter, not only the lay person, but scholars and Yogis too make mistakes. It is very difficult to remove the inner impurities, because, each one believes that his mind is pure. But, it is only when one faces a difficult situation that one’s inner disposition is revealed. In situations where when one loses wealth, respect etc does one’s propensity to act in accordance with Dharma and without bias get revealed.

Episode 293

We were discussing that in situations where when one loses wealth, respect etc, one’s propensity to act in accordance with Dharma and without bias are revealed. We are talking about how God or Guru extracts the sins piled up in the mind and shows them to us. In other words, if you want liberation, if you want knowledge, you should remove all that is buried deep inside you. I gave you a small example. If you want to get ready for operation/surgery, first your blood pressure should be right. Then, your blood level should be good. Only when all parameters are right will they do the operation, otherwise they will not. Like that, the Sadguru extracts the ignorance that’s inside you and shows it to you. Then, we feel, “He does so much, doesn’t he know what is in our mind? Just in order to show us what is inside, is it necessary to test us so much, to bring it outside?”

Sometimes a person knows what is in his mind. But, in some instances, a person himself may not know what is in his mind. In such instances, even though the Guru knows (what’s in your mind), he brings it out so that you know.
In situations where when one loses wealth, respect etc does one’s propensity to act in accordance with Dharma and without bias get revealed. There are people who blame God when they lose all their wealth. Ashwatthama is an example for us in this regard. Ashwatthama always considered himself biased towards the Pandavas right from the beginning. However, in the war of Mahabharata, as soon as he found out that Duryodhana lost, he got ready to even annihilate the Pandava lineage. He killed the Upa Pandavas (five sons born to Draupadi from each of the Pandavas) when they were asleep. Even though that’s an entirely different story, see how such a good person turned out.
Similarly, we always see that in many households, brothers that lived together with great love and affection go to court and separate over trivial matters concerning their property. We talked about wealth a little while ago.

When the issue of wealth comes up, they do not care about whether it is their brother or their father or their mother. Such is the state. How will such a person gain any knowledge? There are many instances like this. They do even realize up until that minute that their lust for wealth was great enough to distance their own kith and kin from themselves. Ashwatthama was like that with the Pandavas. He was so close to them. As soon as he found out that it was all over and that the Kauravas were going to lose, he suddenly joined the Kauravas. What happened finally? He even killed the Pandava children. In other words, he could not recognize what was buried deep in his mind until that point. Like this, this story is narrated with two different perspectives.

Because it is so hard to identify the flaws in the mind, Guru in the name of tests, creates various situations to extract those flaws. With various plays and with various situations, he ensures that they are extracted, “Whatever it may be, these have to be extracted”. Therefore, we should understand that the Guru’s tests are only meant to benefit us. They are only meant to uplift us, not to humiliate us or to test our devotion. How is he testing our devotion? It is, in fact, to strengthen our devotion that he is doing this. Gold is heated and then pounded and pounded and pounded to make ornaments. It is like that. Why should one pound gold? It is so that all impurities are gone. Similarly, it is the compassion of the Sadguru towards his disciple that he wants the disciple to become even purer gold. That is why he makes you laugh, he makes you cry and uses many means to test you. In other words, we should realize that the Guru’s tests are meant only to uplift us. We should be careful.

Episode 294

Vairagyam/Dispassion/Renunciation. We are talking about things that help us in serving the Guru. We are talking about the Guru Principle. Asha/Desire and Nirasha/Despair are pair words. Sometimes, we talk about Asha, sometimes we talk about Nirasha. Here, Nirasha does not mean lack of desire, but the despair that we are unable to fulfill the desire. This is also called Nirvedam. In other words, Asha/desire is natural to everyone. In reality, it is one with desires who makes progress in this world. A lot of people past the age of 50 years slowly make entry into Vedanta thinking, “Why bother with all this?” because most of their desires were not fulfilled.

They believe that they attained dispassion because their desires have not been fulfilled. However, we should think a little about whether this is dispassion or despair.

When a desire is not fulfilled, you are in despair. Perhaps, it would be better if you are in despair after your desire is fulfilled. We will talk about this in the future. Sometimes it feels like attaining dispassion after the age of 50 or 60 years has no use. Desire enthuses the mind. It does not stop there. In the name of enthusiasm, it attempts to edge out values. So as the desire keeps simmering, the person will decide at some point to do something unrighteous. We have been occasionally witnessing people in politics commit various crimes due to their desire to earn a position of power. There are people who deceive even the people that trust them.

What they say and what they do are completely different. They are filled with desire – a desire to earn that position of power. They can go to any lengths due to their desire for power. That is why, what is this called? This is called Moham/delusion. This state is called Moham.

Dhritarashtra is cited as an example for Moham. He had knowledge of Dharma. He also had fear of Dharma to a certain extent. Despite that, the overpowering desire to give his children the kingdom threw him into delusion.

Whether the desire is small or big, it inevitably brings with it a certain amount of delusion. One must not have even an iota of desire, neither big desire not small desire. Desire is desire. Whether it is small or big, it is desire. If the desire is noble, a desire for the welfare of others, that is good. Selfish desire is not good. That is what we have been discussing so far. Whether it is a small desire or a big desire, it does bring a certain amount of delusion with it.

If the desire is fulfilled, one believes that it was fulfilled due to one’s own strength. The desire is there, we are working very hard for it. When the desire is fulfilled, we say, “Do you know how hard I worked for it?” The delusion in you leads you into believing, “I got all this due to my own power. I did all this”. This is another big delusion. There is already delusion to start with. But, to believe that all this has happened due to one’s power is the delusion that’s tied to one’s ego. If the desire is not fulfilled, it encourages the person into unrighteous means of fulfillment in the name of determination. “No matter what, it has to be done. Sadhana has to be done”. This is not good. Let’s see what happens next.

Episode 295

We discussed that whether the desire is small or big, it inevitably brings with it a certain amount of delusion. If the desire is fulfilled, one believes that it was fulfilled due to his own strength. This is another big delusion. If the desire is not fulfilled, it encourages the person into unrighteous means of fulfillment in the name of determination, “No matter what, fulfill your desire. No matter how, run through the back door if necessary”. Like this, whether the desire is fulfilled or not, it always leads to delusion. For most part, desires do not get fulfilled for most people. As their age progresses, the mind perceives, “We will not able to achieve what we wanted in this life”. A lot of people wait to see if their desires get fulfilled. When they do not get fulfilled, they slowly become stubborn. With that stubbornness, they try to get the desires fulfilled through unrighteous means. If they fail even at that, their mind develops a kind of hopelessness.

Initially, they used to be on the righteous path. Once desire took over, they slowly slipped away from the righteous and gradually surrendered to unrighteous means. If their desires do not get fulfilled even with unrighteous means, what happens to them? They develop a strange feeling of hopelessness, “My desires did not get fulfilled. Even after 60-70 years, my desires did not get fulfilled”. They gain a certain kind of hopelessness.

Due to that hopelessness, their focus turns towards spirituality a little. Due to their hopelessness, their mind moves a little towards spirituality. Seeing this, relatives around him assume that he’s acquired dispassion because he is not stubborn anymore, he is not lying anymore due to these big desires, he is not committing unrighteous deeds. He already did those. He fell. That is why, he is disinterested. He is disinterested in everything. People think he is filled with dispassion, “He acquired dispassion”. While some people think this may be good for him, some others say, “He is just pretending. He is such a bad person, how will he gain dispassion? He just appears so”. Listening to all these different people, it feels as if there is truth in everyone’s opinion. This person himself believes that he’s acquired dispassion.

But, if he hits a lottery or if a path to fulfilling his desires opens up unexpectedly, the dispassion disappears the next minute. So far we talked about dispassion coupled with disinterest when the desires do not get fulfilled even after stubbornly pursuing them, we talked about how everybody around them talks about it. If he suddenly hits a lottery or if a path to fulfilling desires suddenly opens up, his dispassion would have completely disappeared the next minute. The person suddenly changes. Can something that flies away within a second be dispassion? It flies away all of a sudden, it vanishes. It flies away like a bird, within a second.

Here, if we think carefully, we will understand that hopelessness is a distorted form of desire, and not freedom from the web of desires. In childhood, if a child that is normally interested in playing is weak from fever and does not play very much, can we call that dispassion? We say, “He does not play very much these days”. He is not interested in playing, he does not have the strength to play. If he does not play as much, would that be dispassion, tell me. It is not.

Episode 296

Hopelessness is only the altered form of desires, but not liberation from the bondage of desires. In his childhood, if a child who is usually interested in playing reduces the amount of playing at one point due to weakness from fever, would that be called dispassion, tell me? It would not. Once the same child grows up, has more knowledge and gains more discrimination, even though nobody would stop him from playing the same games that demand strength and energy, why would he play those games? He does not even play. Due to the discrimination he gained, he realizes that the value of those games is very small. After he grows up, he would not go anywhere near those small games. He will think, “What is this? There is no use playing these games”. So, he lost interest in the games. This is dispassion. Losing real interest/desire is dispassion.

Similarly, realizing the pettiness of desires through discrimination, if one gives up making efforts to gain something even though he has the opportunity to, that is dispassion. That means, if one gives up something not because it’s impossible to get, but because it has no value to him, he will not have delusion and hopelessness.

“Those can be earned easily. Even though it can be earned easily, I’m letting it go”. Here, there is neither despair due to non-attainment nor delusion. If one gives up what he’s getting even without going through these feelings, that is also real sacrifice. It also leads to dispassion. May be it can (barely) be called dispassion. Such people’s mind continues to be powerful and letting go of trivial desires, it will be turned towards the invaluable knowledge of the self. That is what is called dispassion. Such courageous people can achieve anything, they have so much power. They have the strength of people, the strength of wealth. Secondly, they don’t even have any attachment/delusion towards what came to them on its own. They can attain anything. They are ready for any sacrifice.

Therefore, this principle is saying that the seeker should let go of not only desires but also despair at the same time.

Asaam jahi niraasaam cha, mohinim shoshinim mateh
Yugapat tve tyaje tyaastu saiva vairagya vruchchati

Desire deludes the mind. Despair – or Nirvedam, the feeling that I could not get this – dries up the mind. We understand here that only the one that can let go of these two feelings at the same time can gain dispassion.
We are moving ahead. Let’s recall once what we learned so far.

When someone who is obstinate and strong and also has great determination has something come to him on its own, without making any effort and if this person gives up that fortune that is coming to him on its own, that is real dispassion. But, earning by telling lies, earning using stubbornness, or earning using unrighteous means, is not real dispassion. Lot of people gain dispassion, only because they could not get something.

The fox jumps to grab the grapes. When it cannot reach the grapes, it says, “The grapes are sour, I don’t need them”. If it were able to reach the grapes, it would eat them saying, “Even if it is sour, it’s full of vitamin C”. That should not happen. Desire deludes the mind. Despair, or Nirvedam – the feeling that one could not get something dries up the mind. We are remembering again and again that one who can give up both of these at the same time can gain dispassion.

Episode 297

Tapasya/penance/effort to achieve self-realization. Meditation and Yoga are example of Manasika (mind-based) Tapasya. They are not externally visible. They do not make a big show and appear externally. Tapasya is running in the mind. The seeker is doing Tapasya wherever he is – Ajapa japa (constant awareness of the mantra). In other words, he is chanting with every breath. That is Mano japa (mental chanting), it is constantly happening in the mind. He keeps restraining the Prana (Pranayama), that is good Yoga. That is Manasika Tapasya. Reading good scriptures is also mind-based Tapasya.

Next Vachaka(speech-based) Tapasya. Those were examples of Tapasya one did in the mind – Yoga or chanting a mantra in the mind or meditation are all Manasika Tapasya. Reading good, holy books is an example of Vachaka Tapasya. Things like service to mankind is Kayika (physical) Tapasya. Kayika Tapasya is what is done physically with the body. So, Tapasya done with Trikarana – Manasa (related to thought), Vacha (related to spoken word), Karmana (related to deed), Indriyas (sense organs) etc – can take the forms of serving with the mind or with body or with a little wealth. These three kinds of Tapasya give us heaven or in other words, bliss.

Among these, mind is the most important. Before we learn about the kind of Sadhana/spiritual practice done with the mind, we should think a little about what the mind really is. Even though this question is very deep in reality, if we have to simplify it, we can say that the thing that gives rise to thoughts in us is the mind.

Because without thoughts in the mind no sensory organ will work for any living being, the mind is the root cause of all actions. Constantly fluctuating is the nature of this mind. Not just constantly, but at every moment, at every breath it keeps fluctuating. Developing love towards whatever it is the mind thinks about the most is one of the important things among the many strange things the mind does.

Just as water always flows down the slope, even though we know that external/material matters eventually cause grief, the mind always gravitates towards these matters. If one wants to go against this and journey towards God, he should first stop the external movement/flow of the mind. He must make the effort to turn it back. This is a must. That is why, in the beginning, they said meditation, Yoga etc were Manasika Tapasya.

Lord Sri Krishna pronounced this even more clearly in the Bhagavad Gita. Wishing for thousands of desires and getting annoyed because those don’t get fulfilled is the first characteristic of the mind. Therefore, the seeker should try to keep his mind peaceful. This is the first step.

Not having peace in the mind within, frowning and showing annoyance and friction on the face, showing annoyance in words is another characteristic of the mind Therefore, the seeker should convince the mind to be peaceful such that his face is always pleasant. One must keep saying, “Shantam” (peace). One must not keep showing anger on his face. One must keep telling the mind, “Be careful. You cannot show anger. You cannot talk as you wish. You must not have greed for anything. You must not be jealous of anything. You must not unnecessarily speak lies or hurt others”. One must convince the mind to always be pleasant. This is the second aspect.

Episode 298

Even if the lips don’t move externally, the mind is constantly chattering internally in some language or another. What does one do, the mind does not stay put in one place. It keeps talking to itself about something or the other internally. It never stops. That is why the seeker should first teach the mind silence. Not external silence. This is the third step.

At every moment, the mind is driving one Indriya (sensory organ) or another to some thought/topic. There are so many Indriyas. The mind keeps flowing between the Indriyas internally. It keeps the Indriyas thinking about one thing or another. And if nothing works, it will spin up something itself. Therefore, the seeker should teach the mind itself about how to use the mind to keep the Indriyas restrained. He must teach the mind, “This will not work for us”, ““This will not work for us”, “You will be ruined”, “You think you are winning, but there isn’t a bigger deception than this”. Like this, by continuing to teach, by inculcating a righteous fear in it and convincing it that nothing is eternal you must try to channel the mind in the right direction.

Now, deception is something that comes easily to the mind. In other words, harboring many bad thoughts within, but using arguments externally, the mind convinces itself that what it is doing is right. The mind tries to convince the other person. Be careful. If we are taken to the subconscious state and asked to speak the truth, we will be surprised listening to the tapes, “We really have thoughts like this?” In the names of modern-day culture, prestige and other such things, we fuel the deception that the mind has. Therefore, the seeker should check from time to time to see whether his thoughts are clean or not. This is the fifth step.

These five steps are not sequential, rather they are interdependent. The result of all of these is tranquil meditation. The outcome of meditation is bliss. If we are able to bring the mind to this state though, that becomes the best kind of Manasika Tapasya. Whether or not one comes to this point, if one practices these five steps, it eases the way for Vachaka and Kayika Tapasya. Therefore, to keep in control the mind, which is the root cause of all of these, everyone definitely needs the Guru’s help. Therefore, by the grace of Datta Sadguru, may all of you get that help. We are recalling again and again.

Now, let’s talk about character. A lot of people say, “We perform worship every day. We do chanting every day. We work hard to do our spiritual practice. Yet, we don’t see the results. We don’t have peace of mind”. “I go to the temple every year. I climb the hill to Lord Venkataramana’s temple on foot every year. We offer the hair on our head each time”. Like this people say many different things. “Whatever we have, we offered in the donation box”.

“We chant Lalita Sahasra Nama”. “We go to Vishnu Sahasra Nama chanting sessions”, “We set up Kalasha (a pot filled with water or rice, used as center piece in worship/rituals) at home on Saturdays”, “We do charity and donations”, “When winter arrives, we distribute free sweaters to some people, we distribute blankets”. “When monsoon season hits, we help people”. They keep saying a lot of things. Finally, they say, “Why do we not have peace of mind after doing so much?” Let’s see why they do not have peace of mind.

Episode 299

We discussed that a lot of people say, “We perform worship every day, we do chanting, we work hard to do our spiritual practice. Yet, we don’t see the results. We don’t have peace of mind”. Such people should observe one point carefully. Those who wish to achieve progress in the spiritual field conduct themselves with honesty and good behavior in their worldly life. You wonder what the relationship is between spiritual practice and honesty in worldly life? Lot of people think, “We do some Pranayam, we do worship, we do Homa. There isn’t necessarily a connection between that and the work we do in our business and personal lives?” That is a mistake. Honesty is a mental practice. If it becomes a habit, then it percolates into all layers of the mind. It is expressed in everything the mind does. Deception is the same. If someone thinks that it is important to conduct oneself with honesty in spiritual life, but okay to be anyway one wishes in his worldly activities, that is not possible. Those who think so are deceiving themselves.

Hareetha, an expert in Dharma and the scriptures, declared that if one has the below mentioned 13 characteristics, then he has a character that has honesty without any kind of deception. Character without deception. We have to somehow gain these 13 characteristics.

1) Brahmanyatvam: This does not mean the state of being a Brahmin. It means desire for God. Having desire for God is Brahmanyatvam.
2) Deva-Pitru Bhakti: Devotion towards God and towards parents.
3) Soumyatvam: Having a gentle nature. One should not lose temper frequently.
4) Not torturing others.
5) Not having jealousy.
6) Mrudutvam (Having a soft heart): This is a mental quality that is manifested in one’s words and deeds.
7) Parishatvam: Not having harshness/roughness
8) Maitri: Real and simple friendship towards all living beings.
9) Priyavaditvam: Speaking measured, beneficial, gentle and truthful words.
10) Krutagnata (gratitude)
11) Saranyatvam: Appropriately benefiting those who seek refuge with you
12) Karunyam: Compassion, or the quality of considering others’ difficulties as one’s own.
13) Prashanti (peace).

Generally, the above mentioned qualities of Karunyam and other qualities create turbulence in the mind. However, when one has firm faith in God and in the divine plan, such turbulence does not occur and peace of mind is not disturbed.

Of the 13 qualities that Hareetha mentioned above, the first 11 are useful for spiritual and worldly matters. Karunyam and Prasanti mentioned in the end are like the two legs of spirituality. Without these, the spiritual walk will not take place. Therefore, those desirous of spiritual progress should practice the above mentioned qualities. These are very simple and very important. With determination and with interest, we should observe these qualities.

Episode 300

The primary quality that a student gaining education must have is humility. Only when there is humility will education result in true knowledge. It’ll be useful for the welfare of the society. Education means that which gives rise to knowledge. So, what kind of knowledge does it give rise to? The answer depends on the situation. For those practicing medicine, knowledge of medicine is their education. The result (of such knowledge) is good health. For those learning music, knowledge of music is their education, the pleasure of listening (to music) is the result. Similarly, for those learning the principle of Truth, the principle of the Absolute is the education. Infinite bliss is the result. Like this, every education has a specific result.

However, for any education to be grasped well by the student, it is not enough to learn the subjects by rote. Every subject has some important secrets. Only when those are known, the result of such education will have been gained fully. Those are understood only through the Guru’s teaching. For the Guru to teach, the student should have humility. To a humble student, the Guru teaches the secrets of the subjects and deepens his (the student’s)learning. Like this, by constant learning, the student’s intellect will develop. Due to such development, not only will he visualize new dimensions/aspects of that education, but will also understand principles unrelated to his subject. One who has reached this stage will not be content with just describing the theory/science of his subject, but will also implement them and show. He will use them for the welfare of the society. When knowledge reaches that stage, it transforms into Sadvidya (true knowledge). What is Sadvidya (true knowledge)? It is that which can give everyone the principle of the Absolute that results eternal bliss.

When the intellectual development as mentioned before takes place, true knowledge can be learned well from any knowledge. That is because, this is the root of all knowledge in the world. This is the root. There may be a question as to why Gurus impart the secrets of the subjects only to the humble students? Because, only when one has humility and good behavior will that development take place in the mind. Only then will knowledge turn into true knowledge. In other words, it has no distortion/perversion. One will have a mind that develops. In case if anyone thinks that they can pretend to have love and respect so that they can learn the secrets of the subject, they may gain expertise in the subject matter, but they will not gain that mental/intellectual development due to the Guru’s teaching. They can gain the knowledge/experience, but they will not attain that true happiness. The bad tendencies in his mind will obstruct (that experience).

Such people’s knowledge is like the image of the moon drawn on a paper. Regardless of how beautiful the image of the moon on the paper is, it cannot give moonlight, can it? It cannot give light. It cannot give the coolness. The image is beautiful. It is very beautiful. With the moon and the rivers, he drew a stunning image. It’s the best painting. True. It is the best painting of the painter. It really feels like the moon is there, but it cannot give light. Nor can it give coolness. Similarly, it is clear that the knowledge of one who pretends to have humility may be useful for earning money, but will be useless for their own development of for the welfare of the society. The paint may be hung on the wall and the one who drew the picture may get the first prize, but we will not get any light from the moon drawn on the paper. Therefore, as important as knowledge is, humility is even more important. One must always have in his mind, love and respect for his Guru. Without that respect, without that love, that knowledge will not bear fruit.

Episode 301

Tests. What does that mean? Tests in the classroom? No. As soon as they hear about the Guru’s tests, some people get scared. “That is why we are not even going to the Guru, he keeps testing”. Out of fear, a lot of people do not even take refuge with the Guru. Lot of people do not worship Lord Anjaneya. “He is Brahmachari (celibate). If we make a mistake, he will beat us with the mace he always holds in his hand or with his tail”. They do not even worship Ganapathy. “He is also Brahmachari. Why bother”. They do not worship Lord Rama. “He was always in difficulties. We will also run into difficulties. Why bring that upon ourselves. He went in search of his wife.

Why bring that upon ourselves. We may also run into the difficulties he did. We don’t want to worship him”. Lord Krishna. “Krishna is very bad. He had so many wives”. They don’t want to worship Krishna. Mother Goddess. “Mother Goddess has a very big tongue inside, she sucks everybody in. We don’t want to worship her”. There are people who give these reasons.

Will you worships stones and rocks then? Who will you worship? “Why worship stones and rocks? There is no God in them. Why worship them?” Will you bathe in the river? “We’ll catch a cold in the river. Also, we may catch an infection from the water”. They give a reason for everything. It may be okay to give a reason for all these, but there are people who say, “We don’t want to go to a Guru, he tests us”. Okay, will you take Mangala Harati (the auspicious light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor that is offered to the deity)? “We don’t want Mangala Harati, it causes heat in the body”. Alright, take some teertham (sanctified water offered to the deity).

“Teertham makes our body cold”. So, what will you take? “If there is crystal sugar or sweet pongal (sweet dish made during festivals with rice and lentil), we can take that”. There are people who talk like this. Good.

Some people question, “There is nothing that the Guru does not know. So, why is it necessary for him to again specifically test the disciples? He knows everything. He is immanent and omnipresent. Why then does he test the disciples that come to him?” Those who question like this are forgetting one important thing. The Guru’s tests are not meant to destroy the disciple. You must not think that he is destroying the disciple. It is not such an attempt at all. Guru is not one who competes with the disciple at all. Jealous he is never. Even more, he is not an enemy. The Guru does not enjoy seeing the disciple struggle either. “Then why the tests?” you may wonder.

Guru has a problem. “Oh, why does the Guru have a problem?”. That is, the disciple has faults/deficiencies. The disciple is unable to identify these and recognize them on his own. Enabling him to recognize them, he has to create opportunities/situations for the disciple to recognize them. Those situations may not seem very favorable to the disciple, they may seem like tests to him. However, for his benefit, that unfavorable instance cannot be avoided. Causing a little grief is inevitable. If anybody receives a bruise/injury, we immediately apply tincture as part of first aid so that it does not cause infection. It singes immediately. We are very angry with the doctor. The doctor administers an injection to reduce the pain. That injection is painful. But all this is done to reduce the pain. Therefore, sometimes the disciple finds these tests unpleasant, not favorable. ”Why is he testing me so much?” This unpleasant experience is inevitable. Sometimes, one has to have bitter experiences with a Guru. We should never think of them as bitter. I am saying it like this only for you to understand.

Such instances are Guru’s tests. Sometimes we feel, “Why is the Guru who always speaks so lovingly, speaking so harshly today?” But, to extract the deficiencies in us, he has to roar, and threaten and do as if it hurts us. But, that is not pain or grief. Let us see what he does.

Episode 302

We discussed so far that the tests the Guru gives us are sometimes harsh, they are not pleasant. That is because the Guru is doing all this to drive away the disciple’s faults and deficiencies. When such instances arise, we discussed that they are the Guru’s tests. To understand this well, we can take a situation from our daily life as an example.

A little child who is just learning to walk often gets out of the house and walks into the street. The child does not know. He is just excited. As he walks, he gets excited. There is some new feeling in him. As he takes his steps, as he learns to balance, he feels that he is going somewhere on his own. That is why when he gets out of the door, he does not think about whether this is the street, whether this street has cars and buses running. He just runs onto the street. He keeps walking on the street. He has no fear that if he gets onto the street, he may be run over by a car, that he would fall down. He does not understand even if he is told. Moreover, he gets angry and cries. Then the mother sits at the door and smacks him hard on his butt every time he gets out of the door. A lot of mothers, unable to bear this, tie up the child. The poor mother is by herself, she also has to cook food.

Some people set up a small gate at the door. Like this they do many things – whatever is needed to stop the child. They even hit the child.

After receiving many such smacks, the feeling that he will be hurt if he crosses the door will be firmly established in his mind, “They will beat me”. After that, regardless of how much one encourages him to, he will not get out the door, “Mother will beat me”. He feels like he’s already being smacked, that is he why he’ll be careful not to get out the door.

The Guru’s test are like this smacking. Tests are those situations that give you the experience for things that cannot be explained or those that cannot be understood even after explaining. Here, we can never say, even by mistake, that the mother has hatred for the child. How can that be? How can she have hatred for the child? It is only so the child understands that she smacked him. In case a mother spoils her children and lets them go on to the streets, we cannot appreciate that mother, can we? If something happens to the child, it is the mother that is cursed and criticized, not the child. Similarly, a Guru who is responsible uses various ways to extract and show his disciples their deficiencies and faults. Even then, disciples that cannot learn from that have to be smacked. That is the Guru’s test. It is by no means a trick played by the Guru to hide knowledge.

If the disciple is unable to understand the teaching that’s given to him subtly, as a principle, the Guru thinks about why the disciple was unable to understand, identifies the bad characteristics that are obstructing him (the disciple) and gets rid of those characteristics. This is why the Guru gives tests.

Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta

Therefore now we understand that the tests the Guru gives us are only out of his infinite compassion and not because he is harsh.

Episode 303

For self-realization, devotion to God or Guru is more important than great scriptures. As an example, let’s look at a short story. Srirangam is a very sacred location for Lord Vishnu. The Lord’s name there is Sri Ranganatha Swamy. Once, there was an ignorant/illiterate man among the group of priests there. To him, Ranganatha Swamy was everything including mother, father, Guru and God. The work of this Vishnu devotee was to tend to the garden everyday and using the flowers from the garden offer Thomala Seva (elaborate service that includes offering of garlands to the Lord) to the Lord. With utmost devotion and dedication, he would carry out this task with more love than he had for his own life.

While this may be, the king there had a great desire to learn the principle of the Absolute. He wanted to see the miracles of God. He invited many great scholar and listened to their teachings. He organized conferences and held discussions. There was no end to the debates between the scholars. The debates went on and on, the scholars continued to talk endlessly. The king however could not get closure on the principle, “What is this, the scholars are debating a lot but the result is still unknown”.

While this was going on, Ranganatha Swamy felt compassion for them. Immediately, he appeared in front of the illiterate and ignorant Thomala Seva priest and ordered, “You have to go the royal assembly today. Finish off the discussions of the debating scholars there and clearly teach them the principle of the Absolute”. Thrilled to bits, the innocent devotee who was ecstatic with the vision of divine and auspicious form of Ranganatha Swamy, got worried, “What is this? How can I debate with them?”. He was very worried and afraid. He raised an uproar, “Lord, I am illiterate. I have no education. How can I get the ability to debate in the assembly? I don’t know how to debate or discuss or argue. I don’t know any kind of debates or arguments. I am not educated”. He pleaded, “There will be disrepute to you on my account owing to the fact that they kept an illiterate person in the kingdom. Why should I unjustly go there? I cannot do this, Lord”

The Lord insisted, “Why do worry about all that? Do as I say”. The Thomala Seva priest did not say another word. He went to the royal assembly the next day. Miraculously, as soon as he sat in the royal assembly, he had the vision of all Vedas and scriptures and the principles propounded by all the seers. Everything that happened thus far, all principles, flashed in front of his eyes. He had a clear vision of the principle of the Absolute. With that divine knowledge gained by the grace of the Lord, he enunciated the principle of the Absolute and received everyone’s praise.

Among the stories of Lord Vishnu’s devotees, this is an important one. In this, there are aspects that devotees, disciples and seekers should learn.

The priest who was doing Thomala Seva recognized his own ignorance and constantly served the Lord to earn his grace. When the Lord Himself appeared and asked him to teach the Principle of Truth in the royal assembly, the disciple still did not lose the feeling “I am ignorant. I do not know anything”. When he was asked to go and debate in the royal assembly, he said he was incapable of doing so. Because he had not yet experienced the bliss obtained from true knowledge, he was afraid that he may bring disrepute to the Lord. Let’s see what happens ahead.

Episode 304

We were talking so far about the priest doing Thomala Seva (elaborate service that includes offering of garlands to the Lord). Recognizing that he was ignorant, he constantly served the Lord to earn his grace. The Lord himself appeared to this devotee, who believed he was ignorant, to tell him he was knowledgeable saying, “You teach them the Principle of Truth in the royal assembly”. We discussed that the devotee said he was ignorant and he knew nothing. We discussed that because he had not yet attained the pure bliss that comes with true knowledge, he was afraid that he would bring disrepute to the Lord. He went to the assembly (upon the Lord’s command). There, even though the Lord was not physically present, all knowledge took form in his heart and he was able to see it all by the Lord’s grace. The supreme essence of all that knowledge – the Principle of the Absolute – manifested itself.

At that point, the sorrow that he was ignorant was removed. Until then, he would lament everyday – he was a great devotee, no doubt, but internally he would lament – that he was ignorant and that he had no knowledge at all. At that point though, that sorrow as removed. What had he learned? He was not educated. The moment the Lord’s grace flowed on him, he attained all knowledge. He experienced unbounded bliss from the knowledge. Due to that, there were no doubts left in his heart. With supreme bliss and without any hesitation, he taught everyone the Principle of the Absolute.

Contrary to this, the scholars in the assembly had considered themselves subject matter experts and knowledgeable scholars and had got down to debating earlier. They all thought, “We are very well versed in the Vedas, we are very knowledgeable”. That is why they got down to debating. They felt that way due to their own ego. In that state, they were not even able to see God. They were such great scholars, but they did not even know the nature of God. They did not know devotion towards God.

It is clear that the Lord was not satisfied with their debates. Still, since they were lesser mortals attempting to gain the Principle of Truth and out of compassion for them, he encouraged the Thomala Seva priest and taught them the Principle of Truth. He had infinite compassion for them. These scholars were fighting so much, each one trying to outdo the other, “Our scholarship is greater, there is no scholarship greater than ours”, they were unnecessarily fighting. Through the Vishnu devotee who was ignorant and knew nothing, he blessed them with knowledge to show them his Principle of the Absolute. Instead of a scholar, he used an ignorant/illiterate man to give them knowledge and show them that for self-realization, the Lord’s compassion was the only way, not large heavy, voluminous scriptures. Big scriptures are not what teach you the Principle of Truth, it is only when you have real devotion that you will understand it.

In this story, the truth we need to learn is:
One who thinks that he is knowledgeable will not be able to inculcate proper devotion. Remember well.

When one recognizes that he is ignorant, even if such a person does not immediately attain knowledge, he will be able to inculcate devotion to God. We can see clearly that hence, the Lord’s grace will be showered on him and by the time he’s ready, pure knowledge will itself take shape in his mind.

Devotees pining for knowledge should recognize that they are ignorant and should serve the Lord like the Thomala Seva priest did. They should not go about thinking they learned a lot. How was the Thomala devotee? “I don’t know anything. I am ignorant”. He kept serving the Lord with devotion. By the grace of the Guru, knowledge will itself come to them.

Episode 305

The devotee should be able to do his Sadhana/spiritual practice without getting deterred by difficulties. A lot of people give up their Sadhana when they run into difficulties. Saying, “I have been going to the temple, that is why I have these difficulties”, they stop going to the temple. “I have been serving the Guru, I should just stop going to the Guru”. We discussed earlier what those people say about the kind of difficulty that comes with praying to each deity.

Vayu/Air is one of the Gods. You are breathing that Vayu, so you may now have difficulties or diseases. Immediately stop breathing, that’ll make you feel better. You are living in light. That light belongs to God.

Because you are moving around in God’s light, you may have difficulties. Sun is God, he will burn you. Therefore, die immediately. Does this kind of thinking work? Hence, the disciple must be able to do his Sadhana without getting deterred. He must not think that any Sadhana he is doing is bringing difficulties. It is enough for the Guru to have the faith that the disciple will work hard and do the Sadhana he recommends. There is no limit to how hard the Guru will work for such a disciple’s sake.

In reality, it is not the disciple who is working hard, it is the Guru. It is not the disciple doing Seva/service, it is the Guru who is doing the service. He is always watching over you. “How is he doing? What is he up to? What is his difficulty? What is his worry/desire? He’s always on the road”. Like this, strangely, the Guru is always thinking about us. While we believe we are doing service to the Guru, here’s it is topsy turvy. It feels like the Guru is the one doing service to us.

If the disciple can make all the effort the Guru asks him to and can gain the great fruit of spiritual success, that is enough. The Guru is very happy. The student learned so much. The Guru considers that (learning) as his Guru Dakshina (repaying one’s teacher or Guru after completion of education) and is very pleased, “Even after going through so many difficulties, he is still gaining his education from me. He is learning the Guru Principle.

Despite all his worries and anxieties, he is still taking refuge in me”. Once he (the disciple) understands the Guru Principle, the Guru is very happy. This is the characteristic of a spiritual Guru. Pleasing the Guru in this manner is the characteristic of a good disciple.

To understand this clearly, there is a small story. In Sri Rama’s lineage, there used to be an emperor called Raghu many generations before Sri Rama. He was very brave. In his journey of victory, he won over all of earth and amassed boundless wealth. He earned so much, he accumulated so much wealth, it was boundless wealth. Immediately, he started a great Yagna called Viswajit. This Yagna was such that at the conclusion of this Yagna, the doer of the Yagna had to donate everything he had. That is why kings never do this Yagna, because they would have to give away in charity, everything they have.

Raghu concluded the Yagna and gave away all the wealth he had earned with so much effort. He would cook and eat in earthenware utensils. He demonstrated to the world that everything one earns is only to donate to those in need. When one has so much wealth, what quality should one have? Charity. Only when there is charity does wealth have meaning. Even the Gods were amazed at his magnanimity and charity.

While this was the case, in the forests that were under his rule, there was a small school run by a great sage called Paratantu. A young boy called Kautsa completed learning all fourteen kinds of knowledge under his tutelage. He went to the Guru and prayed, “Gurudeva, I learned all knowledge from you. I wish to you give you some Guru Dakshina. Please tell me how much you’d like. Even if I have to toil hard, I will earn it and offer to you”. The Guru said, “I do not need anything. You can go your way”. A lot of people keep asking their Guru, “Tell me what you like, I will bring it for you”. If you ask me I will of course ask for something you cannot get.

Okay, let’s talk about that later.

Episode 306

In a certain place in the forests that were under king Raghu’s rule, there was a small school run by a great sage called Paratantu. A young man called Kautsa completed learning all fourteen kinds of knowledge under his tutelage. He went to the Guru and said, “Gurudeva, I learned all knowledge from you. I wish to you give you some Guru Dakshina. Please tell me how much you’d like”. It was as if he was bargaining with the Guru. “Even if I have to toil hard, I will earn it and offer to you”, he prayed. The Guru kept saying, “I do not need anything. You can go your way”, but the disciple did not listen. The Guru then thought for a second and suddenly said, “You learned 14 kinds of knowledge, get me 14 crores (140 million)”. The disciple tested the Guru, so the Guru gave a fitting response. “Get me money worth 14 crores”. The disciple did not know what to do.

Yet, he recovered within seconds, saying “As you say, Gurudeva” and went away. He agreed. Sitting under a tree in the forest, he thought about what he should do. Finally, he remembered king Raghu. Believing that the virtuous king would surely help him, he set out for Ayodhya city.

When he finally arrived, he saw the king who was cooking and eating from earthenware utensils. Kautsa’s desire watered down. Unable to say anything, he began returning. The king stopped Kautsa who was walking away, found out what his desire was and asked him for one day’s time. Kautsa was amazed. When the kings learned about this, they began trembling in fear. Since he already won over all the kings on earth, Raghu did not like to wage a war against them again. Yet he thought for a little while and decided to wage a battle against Kubera (Lord of Wealth). The worried Kubera who knew about the king’s valor had it shower gold so the king’s treasury filled up overnight.

The king had those gold coins loaded onto carts, called for Kautsa and asked him to take them.

Out of happiness, Kautsa asked, “King, how many might there be?” “Why do you care about how many there are? I earned all this for you. Therefore, all this for you. Take them”. When he heard this, Kautsa’s face changed. “King Raghu, I only need 14 crores. I don’t want a penny more. Please have them counted first”. King Raghu said, “It is okay, give the 14 crores to the Guru and keep the rest for yourself. Or, give everything to the Guru. How can I retain some for myself from what I got for you?” Kautsa and king Raghu, both insisted on their respective stance. Kautsa insisted that the money be counted first and king Raghu insisted that he would not. The matter was not resolved even after a long time.

Episode 307

We were talking so far about king Raghu and Kautsa. You heard the story. Although king Raghu gave Kautsa wealth worth 14 crores that his (Kautsa’s) Guru asked for, the king actually ended up giving Kautsa in excess of the amount. While Kautsa was insisting that the king count the wealth and give him only 14 crores, the king was insisting that Kautsa take the wealth and either keep the remaining (that is in excess of 14 crores) himself or offer it all to the Guru. They were both insisting on their respective positions. The matter did not get resolved even after a long time. The people were surprised. “What is this? Instead of giving to the Guru the 14 crores and keeping the rest, or counting the wealth himself and returning the excess to the king, why are they arguing like this?”

In the meanwhile, Paratantu Maharishi arrived. “Now, the issue is going to be resolved”. Everybody thought that the sage would take all the money. However, quite unexpectedly he said, “King, by your grace, our school is running well. I was able to successfully teach Kautsa the 14 forms of knowledge. He studied well, but he had a little desire for wealth in his mind. That is why he was hankering after me to offer me money. Unless he loses that desire, he cannot grasp the essence of knowledge completely. It is to get rid of that, that I had to give you some trouble. Because I had the courage that you were there, I asked him to bring the 14 crores. Otherwise, where would he bring 14 crores from? We live in your kingdom. He would anyway come to you and ask you. I knew you will definitely give him the money, that is why I did this. Even though you are the king, due to association with you, a noble soul without any desires, he gained the pure state of selflessness. The moment he said that he only needed 14 crores and nothing more than that, he obtained the essence of knowledge. The 14 forms of knowledge that I taught him now have a meaning. He gained the state of complete selflessness. That is why, he refused to take even a few grams of the gold, he refused even a gold coin. Now, as a Guru, my responsibility is fulfilled. His mind is transformed. He has now gained the knowledge he needed. This is what I wanted, I wanted him to gain this knowledge. I wanted him to attain perfection and he did. The education I have given him has a meaning now. We do not want this wealth. Please use it for public service. What do I need so much money for? That would be the right duty for both you and us. You are here to serve people, that is your duty. My duty is also to give you, that is all”. Everybody was bound by his command.

This lovely story tells us about what Guru Dakshina is like between the spiritual Guru and the disciple. Here, the disciple himself created the opportunity for the Guru to test him. “If I wanted to test him, it may have happened a long time after. I asked him to leave, but instead of leaving, he kept asking me how much money I wanted as Guru Dakshina. That is why, he created an opportunity himself for me to test him. Otherwise, I don’t know how long or how many years it would have been before I tested him. For him to get this spiritual bent of mind, I don’t know how many years it would have taken. You enabled him to immediately develop that inclination.

You helped me well. My disciple has benefited greatly”.

Did you see how the Guru’s tests are…how many different ways he test.

Episode 308

Seelam/Character. Character means having good/noble behavior. This is very important in the spiritual field. Gurus make a lot of efforts to build good character in their disciples. Some Gurus pine a lot and go through much difficulty to give initiation to some stubborn disciples. A story from an earlier time comes to mind.

The Guru follows some disciples birth after birth, he does not let go regardless of how many births the disciples take. For some reason, the Gurus have unbounded compassion and mercy on them and want to bless them. Whenever and wherever they take a birth, in whatever form, the Guru is always with them. Benefiting them, the Gurus make a lot of effort to give them liberation. We are talking about spiritual Gurus here. There are many worldly Gurus.

They’ll of course teach you education, teach you business, teach you about money as well. Let that be. They are also Gurus.

But, spiritual Gurus do whatever is needed to get near the disciple, whatever birth they (disciples) take, wherever they are.

There is a good disciple. He did good Sadhana/spiritual practice. He lost his life after sometime, that’s normal.

He was born somewhere else. The Guru understood, “My disciple passed away. He is born somewhere else, he is growing up somewhere”. With his divine vision, he saw what state the disciple was in. The Guru found out that he was relatively wealthy and engaged agricultural farming in a village. Thinking “This is a good time. The disciple is doing quite well, he is growing his crops well, he is happy and comfortable. I must somehow give him initiation and get him liberation”, he went straight to the village, asked for Bheemayya’s location and went right up to him. He said, “I want to give you initiation”. For some unknown reason, the disciple who was engaged in agricultural farming got a little annoyed as soon as he saw him.

“Yes sir, what you are saying is very good. Giving initiation is very good. I don’t know why but when I see you, I am a little irritated on one hand and feel love on the other. That is why, since I am newly married, let me have a little baby boy. Since I have so much wealth, I can bequeath all my wealth to him and because I will have had an heir, I will take initiation as soon as you come”. “Okay, so be it, so when do you want me to come?” “Come after the boy is born”. As if he knew that a boy was surely going to be born. As luck would have it, a boy was born. The bearded man came again, “Bhemayya, I want to give you initiation”. “The boy is just born, he did not even open his eyes, he did not even see his father. After a few days of feeding him food, watching him learn to walk, seeing him happy, I will call you, then you can come and give me initiation”. As if there was a telephone.

Saying, “Okay, so be it, let it be as you wish”, he went away.

As agreed, after some time, the boy ate food, learned a lot of things and began walking. The bearded man came right away. “Hello Bhemayya, are you ready?” “Not now sir, the boy is 5 years old. My wife is in the third month of her pregnancy. Let me see the child we give birth to and then I’ll call you”. “Okay so be it”. The old man just would not give up. Saying, “So be it”, he went away. He was so obstinate. After sometime, the man had another baby boy. Let’s see what happens.

Episode 309

We were talking about a story yesterday – the story of Bheemayya, the story of the stubborn Guru. That Guru visiting again and again offering to give initiation each time – may be he did not have other disciples, who knows – but this man refusing to get initiation each time, the man waiting for the birth of his child and then waiting for the child to learn walking and then waiting for the next child to be born, like this, it kept going on and on. The second boy also was born. Soon after, the bearded man appeared. The older son gained a little awareness of his surroundings. He kept seeing the bearded man. He thought, “They talk about something, that man comes and says something and my father responds with something”. The man said, “My second son is still very small. Please come back once he grows up a little”. Saying, “Okay, so be it“, the bearded man went away again.

Let’s see how long this goes on. Will there be four more children that will be born, we don’t know.

The second boy also began growing up. The bearded man got ready. Time flew. Bheemayya said, “I am very satisfied, Swamy. It is true, I have two good sons. Once they grow up a little bit more, I will teach them how to plough the fields, I’ll straighten up all the activities for them. Before you come next time, I’ll be ready”. By then, the boys had already grown up. They both kept seeing the bearded man who would come often and say something to the father. The father would refuse and the bearded man would go away. They did not understand what was going on. They were puzzled, “What might the secret be here?”

A few days passed. Bheemayya passed away. When that happened, what could one do? Who could he give initiation to? The bearded man appeared again. The two sons were there. They thought the man man would talk to them, but instead, saying, “Tommy, Tommy”, he began talking to their pet dog. The dog shook its head and said something.

The man heard that and went away. After a few days, the dog died. The dog Tommy that the two sons loved was no more. They thought, “Alas! Let the bearded man come back, we’ll fix him”. The sons thought Tommy died. They did not know it was their father. Soon after, the bearded man appeared again and enquired about the dog when the sons told him, “The dog died, we were waiting for you”. Saying, “Oh is it so?” he went straight to the fields.

Bhemayya who was born as the dog was now born as a bull in his fields. Not only was he born as Tommy before, but he was now born as a bull and was ploughing the fields. “You are here? Let me give you initiation at least now”.

The bull shook its head in refusal. “I am watching over their fields. They don’t know anything. They keep going out a lot. I have to watch over their house. I have to guard the money. How can I do this? If I take initiation now, I will die. Therefore, I don’t want it now”. “Okay, as you wish. So, what will you do?” “After some time, when they understand things better, one of them will get old and will guard the house. Then, I will take initiation”. At that point, the sons were annoyed, “What is this, what are you doing?”. In the meanwhile, the man went away. No sooner did the man leave than the bull died.

The sons were enraged. They searched for the monk, but could not find him. After a few days, he appeared again. “This bearded man is stuck to this house like the inauspicious Saturn. Every time he comes, someone dies. Let us see what brought him here this time”.

Houses in the old days used to have a little garden like open-air arrangement in the center of the house. The bearded man went straight there and was looking around. A small snake emerged from there. He said something to the snake after which the snake went away to its pit. As soon as the sons saw that, they felt, “Now is the right time”. They caught hold of him. When they caught hold of him, he said, “Wait a little. I was telling your father all along that I would give him initiation. Your father kept refusing. He wanted to wait till you both were born.

You both were born, you look strong now. Good. After that, because he could not stay away from you, he was born as a dog here. Again, unable to stay away from you, your father was born as a bull. Again, still unable to stay away from you, he was born as a snake in this pit. I asked him why he was there. He said that he kept all his wealth there. It is your wish, why do I care”. He then went away.

The sons felt that what the bearded man was saying seemed like the truth. They thought, “Let us see. If this is the truth, we will bring the bearded man and get some rituals done. Otherwise, we will find him and beat him up”.

Episode 310

We were discussing the story where the Sadguru keeps going to the disciple birth after birth to uplift him. There used to be a man called Bheemayya. When the Guru went to give him initiation, he refused and said, he wanted to take it later, after his children were born. When the Guru came back after the children were born, the man was no more, he was born as a dog and then as a bull. Now, he was born as a snake.

After the bearded man left, the sons dug the pit. When they dug the pit they could not see anything initially. Then the younger son said, “It looks like there is something inside”. The older son said, “Okay, first kill it”. They almost killed the snake and threw it away on the road. They took out all the money that was hidden there. In the meanwhile, the bearded man arrived again. As soon as he came, he began talking to the snake. The snake with its life ebbing, began talking. It was telling its sons, “You fools, come here”. The sons came. “You are big fools. He is my Guru. He had come to give me initiation. I asked him to come later after you were born.

Subsequently, I took birth for your sake as a dog and then as a bull. Again, to guard your wealth, to guard over the wealth that was hidden in the pit, I took birth as a snake. To get that money, you did even heed him, you almost killed me. Fie on you! This is bad. What you did is very bad”. He then prayed, “O Great Lord, I made a mistake. O my Guru, please protect me. I am neither there nor here now. I cannot die, nor can I live”.

Then the Guru came close to him and said, “I do not have time now, I will come later” and quickly walked away. What a turn the story took. The bearded man who chased them down like the inauspicious Saturn, is now walking away from Bheemayya who had always escaping saying, “Not now”, “Not now”, “Not now”, but was now begging the Guru in his half dead state to give him initiation. How do we feel now? Whose fault is this? Is it the bearded man’s fault or is it Bheemayya’s fault or is it the children’s fault? What fate is this?

The one thing that the Guru did was to wait for the disciple’s mind to be ripe/ready. It just started. The half dead snake just began to find out what the Guru really is. It would not die just yet. The Guru’s view was to increase the devotion towards the Guru. Even if he had given initiation right now, the disciple never experienced devotion to the Guru. “He’s been seeing me a lot, but he does not know to pray to me. It is me who has been coming to him all the time. I myself kept coming, I myself kept saying, I myself offered to give you initiation, I myself offered to help do worship”. Now, he found out for himself for the first time. He understood. He has to pine for me. That was the Guru’s intention. The Guru keeps doing that. The half dead snake would pine and pine and pine, the Guru would come at some point and give initiation.

Even though this story may sound funny, did you get it’s intent? The Guru principle is very important. No amount of explaining is enough. Gurus make a lot of different efforts to build good character in their disciples. This is what we understand from this story. Why should the Guru himself come? Why should he be get criticized and beaten by the children, tell me? That is because the Guru wanted to uplift the disciple. Seelam/character is the good behavior to work towards everyone’s good. That is what happened here too. In the previous story we saw the Guru say (to king Raghu) to give away all the money to people. That is what is character. If everyone should benefit, Dharmas such as truth, non-violence, compassion, charity should be observed with purity of thought, word and deed (trikarana shuddhi).

Episode 311

Seelam/Character. Character means having good/noble behavior. This is extremely important in the spiritual field. Good behavior. A lot of people frequently get angry, they get annoyed. In addition to that, they have laziness. In addition to that, they have a lot of interest in unnecessary activities too. Two or three people get together to talk about unnecessary matters. If all these are controlled, one can build character. Gurus make a lot of different kinds of efforts to build good character in their disciples. We wonder why the Sadguru is making so many plans, why he is saying so many things, why he is working so hard, why he is doing this, why he is doing that. It is because he is continuously working hard to teach someone the right lessons.

Character is the noble behavior that strives to do good to everyone else. If everyone is to benefit, virtues such as truth, non-violence, compassion and charity should observed with purity of thought, word and deed (trikarana shuddhi). In other words, it is not enough to just not speak lies. A lot of people do not speak lies. They speak like they are saying the truth. They speak like they are saying it as it is. They say, “I am speaking only the truth”. But they have a lot of untruth, jealousy, envy, greed etc filled in their hearts. One must have truthful disposition even in the mind. Speaking the truth externally, but having jealousy on the inside, being intolerant of others, wanting everything to oneself, obstinacy that everyone follow his command is wrong. “I am the only one speaking the truth, no one else is”, “I am the only truthful one”, okay be truthful, but be like that on the inside too, that is when what you say is meaningful. Those who are like that (truthful) on the inside, do not say it externally. In other words, you should be truthful on the inside too. The behavior with which you live and help ten other people live, the behavior with which you progress and also become the reason for the progress of others, the behavior due to which you are happy and are letting everyone else be happy, is good behavior. That is Seelam/character. If you do not have that, all the great Tapasya/meditation you did, all the powers you gained are futile. Those will only bring you danger. This was stated by Bruhaspati, the Guru to the Gods himself. Let us learn that story.

We heard many stories about the battles between gods and demons. Every time we hear the scriptures, we keep hearing about the battles between gods and demons. In those battles, the gods would usually emerge victorious. Once, the demons got together and thought, they discussed why this was the case. The demons learned that pleased by the gods’ Tapasya, Yagnas etc, the Trinity was pleased and was helping them out. Immediately, what did they do? They secretly began observing what Yagnas the gods were doing and what mantras they were chanting. The demons too did similar Tapasya and Yagnas and earned many weapons and powers. With great enthusiasm, they waged a war against the gods.

While they were thinking, “What’s left? Victory is ours this time”, the Trinity appeared and again made the gods victorious. Paramatman is always siding with the Gods. He always sides with Sattvic (pure, uncontaminated) behavior. People with Rajo guna (excitable quality) swing between the two states (Sattvic/pure and Tamasic/demonic). Demonic behavior or Tamo guna can never win. People with this behavior will always lose. That is why, they torture those with Sattva Guna. They are overcome by jealousy, to win the battle. They did not realize that gods are worthy of respect. It is because many demons realized this that they became great devotees. Prahlada is a demon after all. But he is such a great devotee. Like this, there are many demons. Gajasura is one of them too. Even if they waged a war in the beginning, they all became devotees of Vishnu. Why go that far? Of Ravana’s two brothers, Vibheeshana and Kumbhakarna, Vibheeshana was such a great devotee. Demons always want to trouble others, they always want to win.

Episode 312

While the demons were thinking, “What is left? Victory is ours this time”, the Trinity appeared and contrary to what the demons thought, made the gods victorious again. The Lord gives the demons a lot of time. Is there a rule that demons should not win? Is there a rule that demons cannot gain divinity too? Is there a rule that demons should not practice Sattva Guna (purity and equanimity in behavior)? The God does not at all wish that demons not have noble behavior. But, demons somehow don’t get that noble behavior. We may feel that, that’s because they are demons (that they do not have good behavior). That’s why here, what we should observe carefully is that, Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants) should not have demonic behavior internally. A lot of people have demonic behavior. “The other person must somehow be defeated. The other person must be made to admit his mistake”. But, they don’t stop there. They also want that other person to acknowledge that this person is right. Okay, have the other person admit that he is wrong, but wishing to have them acknowledge that you are right is difficult/unnecessary. Demons are like this.

So, what happened to the demons this time? They were perplexed. “We followed the same Yagnas, the same mantras and the same Tapasya”. They stole from the gods, the mantras, Yagnas, method of worship etc. They stealthily observed carefully and learned. Still, why did they lose? After much thinking, “Why the Trinity help only the Gods? Why did we lose?” when they still could not understand, they went to Bruhaspati, the Guru to the Gods and asked him. They had to finally seek refuge with the Guru himself. Whether they are gods or demons or those with Rajo guna (excitable nature) or Tamo guna (dar/inert nature) or Sattva guna (pure and equanimous nature), they all need to seek refuge with the Guru. People of all three gunas have no other way but to seek refuge with the Guru. Everyone has a Guru. We should observe and learn. We should not think, “Why do I need a Guru?” People who think, “Why do I need a Guru” will never have the problem resolved.

The demons approached Bruhaspati, the Guru to the gods and asked him, “What can we do? Why do we keep losing?” Bruhaspati said, “There is no big secret here. You think there are secrets. You think there are other mantras that the Gods used above and beyond what you know. Don’t think that the gods used mantras that you do not know of. In reality, there aren’t separate entities called gods and demons. They are all children of the Maharishi (great sage) Kasyapa. Everybody studied the Vedas. They performed all actions in accordance with the Vedas”. Did you see, they are all children of the same Maharishi. Some were born with Sattva guna, some with Rajo guna and some with Sattva guna. There were so many different kinds even within the demons, even though they are all the same. Each one’s behavior/practice led them to who they are. The demons were not born specially from a demon’s womb. They are all children of Maharishi Kasyapa. He had everyone study the Vedas. He had everyone perform actions in accordance with the Vedas too. They even did so. The Gods and the demons both performed their actions in accordance with the Vedas. Nobody gave it up. Demons were doing good karma. So were the gods.

“However, the gods were carrying out their actions with Brahmacharya (control of the sense organs), with truth, with sincere devotion to the Guru and with humility. They were carrying out their actions for the purpose of universal welfare. You, on the other hand, are carrying out your actions for your own selfish reasons, to gratify your senses. In other words, you are doing it with ego. Gods are doing it with a lot of discipline, faith and Brahmacharya. Do you observe Brahmacharya? You do not eat Sattvic food, you eat impure food, you think bad thoughts, you torture people, you have no restraint on your sense organs. Look at you all, each of you has six, seven or eight wives. Look at the gods. With truthful conduct, they observe the vow of having just one wife once they get the her hand in marriage.

Second, when they are carrying out worship and other such programs, they do not even talk to women or other people. You? You do your Yagnas while indulging in pleasures. And your fickleness? You have so much fickleness. You have fickleness in your sense organs. Due to that fickleness in your sense organs, you want to eat tasty food. Once you eat tasty food, the other sense organs get agitated. Then, you satisfy that fickleness of other sense organs in other ways. Moreover, you get into little fights. Additionally, you torture those with Sattva guna. Further, the Yagnas and other programs that you undertake, you do not do with selflessness, you do out of selfishness. You do them with ego and jealousy. That is why you are always defeated.

Episode 313

The gods are carrying out their karma with Brahmacharya (control of the sense organs), truth, sincere devotion to the Guru and humility”, advised Bruhaspati to the demons. “The gods are doing their karma for universal welfare. Oh demons, listen carefully. Because they are doing good karma, they are achieving good results. Even if it is a little delayed, they are getting the results. But, you are in a hurry to achieve results. If you want to earn it in a hurry, you may earn it sometimes, but the results will not last. So, what will people with a little weakness in their mind, with a little sickness think? “Unrighteousness always wins”. But remember that it is only transient victory for unrighteousness.

Dharma/righteousness always has eternal victory. However, righteousness sometimes wins while also giving a little grief, a little anxiety. You must withstand that.

You have envy. Kauravas were like that too, they acted out of jealousy.

In that great kingdom, they could have simply just given away five villages. The Pandavas said, “Okay, we don’t need any kingdom. Just give us five villages, that is enough. Each one of us will live in a village do some agricultural farming and live happily. Did the Kauarvas agree? Greed. “We want to keep those five villages too”. Let alone five kingdoms, they wanted to keep the five villages too. What greater misfortune than that can there be? The Kauravas were living in such luxury. They had demolished even a luxurious mansion. How can they still not be content? Further, they had many brothers born. On the other hand, there were only five Pandavas, thin and emaciated. They would be blown away in strong wind. They only had God on their side, nothing else. Kauravas had so many warriors, so much strength, the power of so many kingdoms.

Both Pandavas and Kauravas were educated by the same Guru. They learned all education, all skills in weaponry and warfare with the same Guru. Pandavas and Kauravas had the same Guru, Dronacharya. Both were even born in the same lineage. They of course eventually met in the same battlefield. God was occasionally giving them darshan (i.e., appearing to them in his divine form). He was giving the Pandavas darshana in a Sattvic form because they were Sattvic. So, they had his darshana in a Sattvic manner and attained eternal happiness.

What about the Kauravas? The Kauravas too would occasionally see Krishna. But, they did not attain eternal happiness. Even when they saw Krishna, i.e., even when they had darshan of Paramatman, their mind was filled with jealousy. They even accused him and criticized him, the Paramatman. Then, how can they achieve victory. But occasionally in the interim, they would appear to be victorious.

“It’s almost over, he is winning by a margin of 2 votes”, “He is winning by a margin of 3 votes”, “the other party is leading”, the party personnel stress out assuming the opposition candidate will win. Such a scenario too played out in the battle between Pandavas and Kauravas when it sometimes seemed like the latter would win, “It is clear that Kaurvas will win”. Not only in the war, but even prior to the war, at every instance, it seemed like the Kauravas would win. Hoping they will correct themselves, God himself went as a messenger. Did they correct themselves at least then? No. Okay, may be they did not correct themselves, but they humiliated the messenger who went to them, they tied him up, in full view of the assembly. The way they humiliated Draupadi, they humiliated Paramatman who was himself Lord Vishnu, the protector of the worlds, the same way. Puffed up with short-lived pride and haughtiness, they all laughed.

The Lord lowered his head and returned, “Not now, they will learn later”. The people with Sattvic nature wept, “They tied up the Lord, what is this. He (the Lord) just came back quietly. He could have destroyed them all by just flicking the edge of his fingernail”. A lot of people even criticized Lord Krishna, “Did Krishna lose all his power?” they wondered. “Not now, I will teach them a lesson later”.

Episode 314

Some people even asked, “Did Krishna lose all his power?” They assumed he did. Lord Krishna thought, “Not now, I will teach them a lesson later”. Prahlada chanted the Lord’s name so many times. Even though Prahlada was a demon (Rakshasa), he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Even though Vibheeshana too was a demon, he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is because he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu that Lord Anjaneya Himself went to Vibheeshana to give him the vision of his divine form. When Vibheeshana traveled along the sky and approached Rama, the Lord gave him refuge and even kept him with him. Similarly, in Prahlada’s case, subjecting him to many punishments, his demon father chanted, “Krishna”, “Rama”, “Narayana”, “Govinda”, even without the son chanting those names himself. “Chant my name, you cannot chant “Narayana’s name”. What happened eventually? After a long time, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation tore apart and killed the demon and granted liberation to Prahlada. Why could he not come earlier? The time has to be right.

Similarly, the time has to be right for Kauravas as well. We will talk about this story later. Bruhaspati continued, “You are filled with jealousy. That is why you are only paying attention to their actions/karma. You are not paying attention to the character/nobility in their heart. You must observe their noble nature. Pandavas were victorious because they were of noble nature. Kauravas were also doing karma, they did more karma than Pandavas, they did more charity and donations, yet they did it with jealousy. That is why, your Yagnas did not give you victory. You lost.

The Trinity’s task is to make sure that all powers in this creation promote the welfare of the world. That is why, they helped the gods. Why would you work hard? Whatever karma you do, you should offer it to the Lord, “Krishnarpanamastu”. You did not do that. You did all karma and all Yagnas with the desire that all merit accrue to you. There is small difference. They chant the name of God during sankalpa (declaration of purpose during worship), then they offer all merit to God. Then God himself protects. If we offer all our karma to God, he will somehow protect us. If we keep all the good karma and only offer him the karma when we are in danger, it will not be enough. We cannot protect ourselves with any amount of merit accrued. That is why, if you say, “Whatever I earned, I offer at your feet”, he will protect you during difficult times. When difficulties increase, he will stand by you and protect you. But if you say, “No, let us take care of it. Let us hide it or keep all the mantras in a bank”, in times of great difficulty, the Lord will say, “You have it your bank, keep it for yourself”. He will say, “You seem to have hidden it away. Take care of it”. But, that will not be enough for us.

That is why here, it is the Trinity’s task to make sure that all powers in this creation promote the welfare of the world. The Trinity’s task is to protect those who work selflessly. Since this is possible only for those who have noble a nature, the Trinity helps only such people. They do not help based on (external) work that is visible, they help when their mind on the inside is just as noble. The Trinity punishes those who, instead, just increase their own power. You keep collecting and collecting and collecting, but it has no value for the welfare of the world. Nobody benefits. Neither is another person able to use it, nor is another person able to eat it. Only when you act out of a desire for welfare of others, whatever you earn, whether it is money or Yagnas, have meaning. Whether it is for Sadhana/spiritual practice or for Tapasya, character is most important.

By the grace of Datta Sadguru may all you have an increase in noble nature.

Episode 315

Sadguru teaches all students the same way. He does not discriminate. He teaches everyone the same way. We discussed that Pandavas and Kauravas had the same Guru. We discussed that along the same lines, demons and gods had the same father. The Sadguru has no bias at all whatsoever. He teaches all disciples in the same manner. But, we should be able to absorb it quickly. The more intelligent students keep getting ahead although the Guru is teaching everyone in the same manner. How can one help if a student is not studying. Therefore, there is no inclination for any kind of bias. The Guru did not give one set of lessons to one group and a separate lessons to another group or provide chairs to some students.

King Dasaratha sent Rama, Lakshmana and the rest of his four sons to Sage Vasishtha’s Gurukul (hermitage where students live and learn). Unbeknownst to King Dasaratha, mother Kausalya and the other mothers sent cartloads of things for convenience along with the sons. They sent good beds, good mosquito nets – it was a forest, there were going to be mosquitoes – good sweaters to stay warm in since it would be cold there, good pants, jean pants etc.

They sent cartloads of all of these items. We call them jean pants now, but they existed a long time ago. They sent everything. The four sons arrived and got off the chariot at the hermitage. There were 10-12 carts arriving after them. Sage Vasishta noticed. “It is good that these children are here. But, what are these carts behind them? Why are the carts filled with things? The forest now seems to be filled with things – ten.. eleven..twelve..fifteen…eighteen…twenty…there seem to be up to a hundred carts lined up here. They brought things to last them 12 years. Who asked them to bring this? I asked them to send the children. The king prayed that he would send the children. That is why I agreed to educate them. But, what is all this stuff in the carts? There are cooks, washermen, all kinds of help, singers, dancers, there seem to be more carts arriving.

Sage Vasishtha got very angry. “Stop. Where are you going? You think all these carts will fit in the Ashrama? Why did you bring all this? Who asked you to bring this? I only asked for the four students. Why are you sending all this?” the sage asked the minister. The minister said, “I do not know. The king asked me to send all this, so I brought them”. “Why, why did you not just hook the entire city of Ayodhya to the chariot and bring it? That would be have been good. The entire city of Ayodhya seems to be here. Did the students come here to learn from me? Or did they come here to have a picnic with me in the forest? What is my job here? Are they going to use the beds and enjoy the dance and water sports? Did you come for excursion? What did you do? Will they gain anything from what they learn here? You are unloading something else there, what is it?” Those were television sets from those days. “Ohh, those have come too? Good. Very wonderful”. If we see all this, what do we feel? Can we gain anything from our education?

Here, in the Ashrama too, there are many who enroll their children as students in the Veda school so they can learn all the Vedas. With great difficulty, even when they are asked not to, they join the school after getting through all the exams. They study diligently. But the parents spoil these children who are studying. Making phone calls to the children frequently, coming to the Ashrama for all the good functions, giving chocolates to their children, talking to them secretively, sitting close to them and kissing them, the parents used to do all this once upon a time. “If you are going to do all this, take them home” their Guru would say. Swamiji did not have to say anything, the teachers/Gurus were taking care of it. “You can take then, we don’t need them. If you are going to make phone calls to them, we don’t need those students”. Their mind will get corrupted. Why did you send your boys who were so dear to you, then? You could have put them in a regular school and educated them there, given them worldly education. You want them to know the Vedas, you want them become the best of scholars, you also say, “After gaining such scholarliness, who cares about worldly education, Swamiji? We don’t want. We can get such education later”.

Because once your intellect is developed, worldly education is absorbed much faster. You pleaded, “We want to have good traditions”. Now what you are doing? You are frequently coming to the Ashrama for functions. You would not coming earlier, but you are coming now because your son is here. You are telling your son about all the progress at home, “We got this constructed”, “We got that constructed”, “We got your sister married” and so on. What will happen to his mind? “We made crispy snacks for you”, “We got crispy snacks for you”. You give those snacks only to your son in the prayer hall. He would be the only one eating those. You ask him to eat it all himself and not share with his friends. Is this not a bad habit? Will he gain education? He will not gain education.

“Aye demons, I feel like you learned that kind of education, Yagnas and other rituals that are done with selfishness. That is why you did not gain victory” he said.

Episode 316

We discussed that the Sadguru teaches disciples the same lessons in the same manner. We also interspersed it with a few stories. You heard a little about the story of Pandavas and Kauravas and why the Kauravas were unable to attain fulfillment. You also heard the story of Prahlada – I really like the story of Prahlada. Paramatman knows when to appear to the devotee. Along the same lines, you heard what sage Vasishtha had to say. Bruhaspati is telling the demons, “Look, God has no bias of any kind whatsoever. Neither does the Sadguru. Bias is not possible here. The Guru will never have more love for one and less love for another. The Guru wants to impart good lessons to all disciples. However, the reason why disciples do not all see the same results is their own mind”.

For the reflection of the image to look good, the mirror needs to be clean. We need to wipe the mirror clean. Sometimes the mirror looks foggy. If we look at our face in the mirror, it will look like a ghost’s face. We get angry with the mirror, “My face is so beautiful. What do you think? I’ve become Miss Akividu” (town in Andhra Pradesh) or “I’ve become Mr. Vijaywada (district in Andhra Pradesh). What do you think of me?” The mirror should be clean. Similarly, for power of knowledge given by the Guru to reflect well in the heart, the disciple should have a clean mind. For the Guru himself to appear in the heart, for the knowledge to be absorbed while the Guru is teaching, we the students or disciples should have a pure mind. It is only then that we can see God reflect in our heart, we can see all our impurities. Then, the mind inside will shine like a pure crystal. That is what is meant by Shuddha Sphatika (shudda=pure, sphatika=crystal). We hear the phrase, “Your mind is pure as a crystal”. When someone is doing a lot of charity, we say, “You are like the daana veera shoora Karna (i.e., charitable, courageous, brave Karna. Karna was the first born of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas). Like that, if you have a pure mind, the reflection of God as well as all knowledge will be perceptible in the heart. That is why they immediately absorb each and every teaching by the Sadguru.

But the others are unable to. A lot of times, Swamiji sings the same bhajan. He may sing that bhajan on many occasions. Some people keep listening to it. One day suddenly, they will say, “Wow, what a bhajan! I never heard this bhajan. I never heard Swamiji sing like this with that wonderful voice”. A lot of people are surprised, “What is this? Every day, he sings “Pranava Svarupam”, but how come they are saying that it sound so good today? They are always listening to the bhajan “Pahi Pahi Gajanana”, they are always listening to the bhajan “Krishnam Vishnum”. Why are you raving about it today and giving a certificate of excellence?” That is because your mind is not here during every bhajan that is sung. Your mind is on your house, your phones, your sleep, hunger, jealousy etc. You are just seated here. Your body is here. You are watching like an owl. You are also hearing it. Yet, your mind is somewhere else. Your mind is not here. This is not good. You must change your mind, it’s a must. Only if you change your mind can you experience. Your mind is extremely fickle. That is why today, only because you steadied your mind does this bhajan sound good to you.

The heart of man without virtues is like a foggy mirror. We discussed that we cannot see our face clearly when we look at a mirror that is foggy. That is why, when our mind is muddy when there is jealousy, knowledge will not be absorbed, it will not be recorded.

It is only when you press the right buttons on the recording device that you can record it. When you use the right buttons in the body – intellect, dedication, the faith/discipline need for it – can you record it (knowledge), otherwise you cannot. If you just sit for two or three hours and assume it will get recorded, how will it get recorded? It will not. Everybody else was able to record. They pressed the right buttons. We did not. We bring the tape recorder and expect it to record. How will that happen unless you press the right buttons? That is how our story is. If we just come and sit thinking, “The Guru teaches everyone the same way, let him teach me too”, but have no interest in it, how can we absorb knowledge? We cannot. There are too many stray thoughts. In other words, the heart of one without virtues is like a mirror that is foggy. It will grasp the gross form of the knowledge, but it is unable to distill the essence.

Episode 317

The heart of one without virtues is like a mirror that is foggy. It will grasp the gross form of the knowledge, but it is unable to distill the essence. Such knowledge can, in some instances, even lead to danger. Once, Drona decided to test them both on their knowledge (gained so far). He took them both to the forest. There they saw a strange sight. A small boy was being chased by a powerful Yaksha who was trying to catch him. The boy was running to evade capture. Bheema and Duryodhana approached the Yaksha and asked him why he was chasing the boy. The Yaksha answered, “His father pronounced a curse on my father”. What is this? He said, “His father pronounced a curse on my father. Due to that curse, my father died. That is why, I need to catch him and kill him. Only then will my revenge be fulfilled. This boy is evading capture even after a lot of chasing. If either of you two can catch the boy for me, I will give you a huge fortune. I will also give you the power of Mantra”. All Yakshas have the power of Mantras.

Greed took root in Duryodhana. Immediately, he started chasing the boy to capture him. The boy had Duryodhana run through the entire forest, but still evaded capture. Bheema though, just stood still and watched. “What is going on? Why are you standing still? Don’t you want any fortune?” the Yaksha asked Bheema. “Don’t you want fortune? Don’t you want the power of Mantra? Don’t you want to know the tricks of warfare? Then why are you standing like this?” “What can the poor boy do about the curse that the father gave? Why kill the young boy? I don’t need anything, it’s okay” said Bheema. Bheema had the ability to catch the boy, in fact both of them had the ability to catch him. But, Duryodhana went and Bheema did not which is when the Yaksha asked him. Bheema said, “I do not need anything. Why unjustly kill the boy? If his father killed your father, that is the enmity between them, not between you and the boy. That is why, I don’t want anything. This is not good. It is not right”.

With the greed that he would earn great fortune, Duryodhana chased the boy, ran after him and eventually, unable to catch him, returned exhausted. While they were talking, he came back with empty hands saying he was unable to catch the boy. The Yaksha was none other than Lord Vishnu himself. He then gave them darshana of his true form and said, “Did you see how much difference there is between the two of you? Bheema was satisfied with whatever God gave him thus far. Duryodhana desired wealth that was earned unrighteously”. He then went away.

“Did you see the difference between the two of you? You thought, “Why am I different? Why is he different?” Both of you are educated. Good. Did you see the differences, though? Both of you have the same Guru. You were born in the same lineage. So, why did you turn our different? There is a difference between you. Duryodhana wants fortune, he wants Mantra. Bheema said, “I am happy with the fortune I have, I am happy with the Mantra I have, I am happy with the knowledge I have gained. Why should I capture the boy?” Both Bheema and Drona gained their education from Drona. Yet, did you see how much difference there is in their thinking? Drona never gave special instructions to Bheema. It was his Sattvic nature that led him to behave that way. It was not just practice of Sattvic nature. He was perhaps born with Sattvic nature, that he nurtured and practiced in the meanwhile. That is why he was filled with that Sattvic nature. He had a lot of strength. Yet, he trusted the Sattvic qualities. That is why he was able to have darshana of the Lord. Because Duryhodhana had those wicked traits, he was unable to catch the boy. Duryodhana’s vices and greed made him act contrary to Sattvic nature. The greed in Duryodhana, the vices in Duryodhana acted against him which is why they prompted him to run and catch the boy. This is not good.

Episode 318

Satyakama. The Guru Gita says that one should see the peaceful form of the Guru who is an embodiment of God in all of God’s creation – in the animate as well as the inanimate. Since the Guru is all-pervading, he grants knowledge to the eligible disciple immediately without a second’s delay wherever the disciple may. Satyakama’s story clarifies this.

Satyakama was the disciple of sage Gautama. He seeks refuge with the Guru for knowledge. In order to test Satyakama, Gautama gives him 400 weak and emaciated cows and asks him to go to the forests. If he nurtures the cows well and increases their count to one thousand and then returns to Gautama, he would, at that time, give him knowledge of the self. Of the 400 cows the Guru gave him, half could not conceive. They would not contribute to the increase in count. They would only keep grazing, it is only the remainder of the cows that would useful. Some people who heard about this said, “What kind of test is this? Go to another Guru. If you do this, you will never attain self-realization. What is this business of taking care of cows? When will these cows give birth? Increasing their count to one thousand seems no where in sight. These cows do not even have the strength to give birth. That is why, go to another Guru. You will never attain self-realization here. You will get it elsewhere”. Everybody discouraged Satyakama.

But Satyakama who had firm devotion towards the Guru did not care for their suggestion. He set out to the forests as per the Guru’s command to serve the cows until the count grows to one thousand. “No matter what, I have to get to one thousand cows from these cows”. With great faith, Satyakama would feed the cows in the forest while meditating on the Guru. Some time passed like this.

Once, Gautama went there. Satyakama was very happy that his Guru gave him darshan even while he was still serving the cows. He was happy, “I am still serving the cows, the Guru himself came here to give me darshana, I am so fortunate”. “Stop all religious rituals and focus only on serving the cows. No more meditation, worship etc. You must give up all this. If you really want to serve the Guru, then with a focus on duty, give up all these for now and only take care of the cows”. Gautama ordered him and went away. As per the Guru’s command, Satyakama spent his entire time taking care of the cows and considering the cows as Parabrahman. That was it for him. He treated the cows as Guru, as Parabrahman. “I do not need to observe any religious rituals. Taking care of the cows itself is my religious ritual. That is my meditation”. He had no other thoughts.

After some time, the count of the cows crossed one thousand. But Satyakama did not even notice. He was just continuing to serve the cows. One day, a bull near the river spoke in human language, “Why are you still here? You approached the Guru for knowledge of the self. Our count crossed one thousand. Take us to the Guru’s hermitage. Learn knowledge of the self”. Then, Satyakama set out for darshana of the Guru. The bull spoke, “Prakashavaan” or one who illuminates and saying, “The God of Fire will teach you the next verse”, joined the herd.

Satyakama learned the first line of the teaching in the Principle of Truth. After walking a little distance, The God of Fire taught the second line “Anantavaan”. That means, God pervades the earth, the sky, all the worlds and all the seas, he is infinite. After walking even further, a swan taught him the third line, “Jyotishmaan”. That means, fire, sun, stars, moon etc are all powers of God. Finally a waterhen taught the final line, “Aayatanavaan”. Energies such as Prana, eye, ear, mind etc are caused by God’s grace.

Episode 319

Satyakama reached the Ashrama and entrusted the wealth of cows to the Guru. Very pleased, Gautama said, “You look like someone who has gained knowledge of the Absolute. Who taught you?” Satyakama related the happenings to the Guru and humbly prayed, “Gurudeva, knowledge that comes directly from the Guru is of the highest order. Kindly bless me with your teachings. I want initiation directly from the Guru. I will be very blessed”. Pleased with his faith and steadiness and his devotion to the Guru, Gautama taught him the same principles of the Absolute.
From this story, there are some truths that disciples must learn. It is devotion to the Guru alone that leads to knowledge. Guru is the Paramatman who pervades the animate and the inanimate. Knowledge gained directly from the Guru is of the highest order. It means that even though the animals taught him the principles, even though they took the form of gods in teaching him those principles, it is only when the knowledge comes directly from the Guru that it leads to fulfillment.

Yasya deve parabhaktih
Yatadeve tatha guru

One must have utmost devotion to God. One must have as much devotion to the Guru as he has towards God. Such a person is a great soul.

The story of Aruni in Mahabharata is an example of such devotion to the Guru. In the Gurukul of the great sage Dhaumya, there were three disciples called Aruni, Paila and Upamanya. Gurkul is the Guru’s home/residence. In the ancient days, there were no separate colleges. The Guru’s house itself acted as college and hostel in those days. The students would be dependent on the Guru for accommodation and food. Therefore, the students had a lot of humility. In the Gurkuls, Gurus with knowledge of the Supreme would also teach the ordinary sciences in those days. Therefore, there was no place there at all for knowledge not related to the Principle of Truth. Although such knowledge is common now, it was not taught in the Gurukuls. There was also the method where disciples were made to practice humility for a long time and finally given knowledge through Shaktipat (transmission of spiritual energy).

First, the disciples were taught good humility, good intellect and good Yoga. Once that was complete, they would gain knowledge within an instant through Shaktipat.

The Ashram of the great sage Dhaumya was one such. The sage would have them do a lot of labor for him, but would not give them education. He would eventually teach them at some point, but he wasn’t now. He was just getting them to do a lot of labor. This went on for a long time. One day, the Guru called Aruni and asked him to channel water into the fields. The disciple went to work on it. In the meanwhile, the wall of the canal leading to the field broke. Aruni hurriedly placed stones and sand to plug the hole. He was trying to channel only the required amount of water into the fields and channel the rest elsewhere. But, there was now a hole that he was trying to plug with sand. He placed stones, but his attempts were unsuccessful. Not only was the water going waste, but the crops were getting destroyed. Seeing this Aruni risked his life and laid down against the flow of water. He could not bring any more stones or sand. By the time he would bring more stones and sand, the hole was getting bigger. The fields were getting destroyed. “Since I am not able to place a lid on this flow, my body will become the lid”. He entered into the pit and laid down blocking the flow of water. The required amount of water was flowing into the field, but the water was not getting wasted.

When the disciple did not get back even after dark, Dhaumya came in search of him, “Why is he not back yet, what is he doing?” He could not find the disciple. He shouted out Aruni’s name. This is the work that Aruni was doing with real devotion.

Episode 320

We discussed that Guru Dhaumya set out for the fields in search of his disciple who did not return even after darkness fell. He did not find the disciple there. The Guru called out, “Aruni”. In response, he heard the moans of life ebbing out. Worriedly, the Guru immediately went and pulled the disciple out. The Guru’s heart wrung at the disciple’s devotion that had reached its peak. Immediately, he transmitted the 18 forms of knowledge through Hasta-Mastaka Samyogam (energy flow from the Guru’s hand to the disciple’s head). How long does it take once the Guru decides? Similarly, Guru Dhaumya would test the other disciples too until the time was ripe and would all of a sudden transmit knowledge in the path of Yoga when the time was right. Disciples should try to inculcate great devotion towards the Guru like Aruni did and not wander about cursing the Guru, “He still did not come”, “He still did not come”.

Knowledge without Guru is not knowledge. Some people do not like pleading humbly with the Guru or serving them for a long time in order to gain knowledge. “We should gain knowledge quickly, but not keep serving for days on end like this”, they think. They want to gain knowledge in a hurry and want to earn great reputation. I wonder if they think such earning can be kept forever. However, it is impossible to gain knowledge without Guru. It is like putting a ladder up to the sky. The story of Avakrita explains this.

The great soul who performed intense penance for Devendra, had him appear three times, increased his own lifespan and studied the infinite Vedas is Maharishi Bharadwaja. He saw God so many times. He increased his own lifespan so many times. He took so many births. As if all those were under his control, the great soul who won with his own strength and studied the infinite Vedas is Maharishi Bharadwaja. There is no other Maharishi like him. He had a friend called Raibhya. Bharadwaja and Raibhya set up their Ashramas close to each other and were immersed in spiritual practice and penance.

In due course, Raibhya had two sons named Arvavasu and Paravasu. Arva, Parva, nice names. Bharadwaja had a son called Avakrita. Raibhya’s sons got all their education from their father and gained fame as great scholars. Avakrita however had more interest in Japa (chanting the divine name), Dhyana (meditation) and Tapasya (penance). He would never try to gain any knowledge. He argued that everything could be gained with Tapasya. Desiring to gain knowledge without listening to the Guru is ego, is it not? Service to the Guru itself is great penance. Bharadwaja tried to explain to his son in many different ways that knowledge gained from such service (to the Guru) is what protects a person. Yet, Avakrita would not give up his stubborn nature. Avakrita could not tolerate Raibhya’s sons. He was even envious of their scholarliness. Bent upon becoming greater than them, he did intense penance for Indra like his father did.

Indra appeared and asked, “Son, why are you doing such intense penance?” “Lord, you are an epitome of compassion. After holding your divine feet, I cannot hold the feet of ordinary humans. Without having to study with Gurus, I must immediately perceive the Vedas, Shastras and all other knowledge. I cannot do service to the Guru. Gurus test terribly. Moreover, they do not at all provide initiation. That is why I am here. That is why I am doing this Tapasya. Please bless me”, pleaded Avakrita with Indra. Listening to this Indra said, “Son, your thinking has gone astray. Immediately go to your father, listen to him and learn the Vedas and related knowledge.
Jaya Guru Datta. Did he learn? Let us see ahead.

Episode 321

Avakrita performed intense penance for Indra. Indra appeared and asked, “Son, why are you doing such intense penance?” “Lord, you are an epitome of compassion. After holding your divine feet, I cannot hold the feet of ordinary humans. Without having to study with Gurus, I must immediately perceive the Vedas, Shastras and all other knowledge. If we just keep serving the Guru, we don’t know when they’ll have mercy on us. They will not give us initiation until then. They will not tell us about the principle of the Absolute. Moreover, they are humans. I don’t want to hold their feet. That is why I’m holding your feet. Please give me knowledge without fail. That is why I am doing this Tapasya. Please bless me”, pleaded Avakrita with Indra. Listening to this Indra said, “Son, your thinking has gone astray. Immediately go to your father, listen to him reverentially and learn the Vedas and all related knowledge. Knowledge gained by reverentially listening to the Guru grants humility, discrimination and even self-realization. Wishing to steal knowledge through Tapasya, will only increase your ego”.

Deciding, “I must do more Tapasya”, he began intensifying his penance. A few days passed. One day, Avakrita went to river Ganga for a bath. There he saw an old man picking up fistfuls of sand from the shore and throwing it into the river. Avakrita watched for a little while. The old man, who had no strength was struggling and out of breath. Still, he did not stop throwing the sand into the river. He would just not stop. He would keep picking up sand and throwing into the river. Witnessing this, Avakrita took pity on him, went up to him and asked, “What are you doing, grandpa?” “I am building a bridge across river Ganga”. Oh oh. He’s throwing fistfuls of sand into the river to build a bridge across the river. Hearing this Avakrita laughed and said, “Grandpa, you have advanced so much in age, but without any knowledge, you are embarking on an impossible mission. Will that ever happen? Will you build a bridge across river Ganga with this sand? As soon as you throw the sand in the river, it’s getting washed away. Is it possible to build a bridge with this sand on this great, rapidly flowing river?”

The old man replied, “There are some people who, without a Guru and without trying to gain knowledge are doing Tapasya. There are many who do this. They claim they don’t need a Guru. They say they can achieve anything with Tapasya. That is not possible. But, in case that were possible, why is it not possible to build a bridge with the sand. If that is possible, this is possible too. They are trying to achieve an impossible task. Let’s assume that I am trying the same”. Then Avakrita understood that Indra himself had come in the guise of the old man. Indra drilled some sense into Avarkita, “Learn Vedas and other knowledge from your father. You will soon become a scholar”. Yet Avakrita did not let go and got down to Tapasya again. This time, Indra granted him knowledge. But, that only led to his destruction. Subject to various severe difficulties, Avakrita eventually realized his mistake. Like in Avakrita’s story, we should not ask for knowledge without Guru. We should realize that there is no greater penance than service to the Guru and that, that alone leads to knowledge.

Episode 322

When one is in the presence of the Guru, when one is doing Sadhana in the path taught by the Guru or when one is residing in powerful divine places, the Arishadvargas (the six passions of the mind) calm down. If we assume then that we have achieved something, that means we are fooling ourselves. We should be happy that we were successful due to the Guru’s grace. The source of passions like desire, anger etc is carelessness. Some people have over-confidence. They exhibit the courage that they can face anything. But they finally fail. Confidence is good, but over-confidence and pride are not good. They derail the duty and lead to the man’s destruction. They lead Sadhana down the wrong path. Someone as great as Narada himself once had this experience.

Maharishi Narada during his wanderings once reached the place where Kama Dahana (kama = desire, dahana = burned) took place. In other words, that was where Manmadha (Cupid) was burned to ashes. The divine tranquility of that place was very appealing to his mind. He decided to do some penance there for some time. Narada’s penance was progressing uninterruptedly. At that time, a few celestial maidens tried to disturb his penance. However, all their attempts were unsuccessful. Narada was not even angry with those who tried to disturb his penance. Happily, he completed his penance and went straight to Kailas. There, instead of keeping quiet, he proudly bragged that he gained victory over desire and anger. Shiva heard everything, laughed and kept silent. He did not say anything. He thought, “Is it so? Okay” and did not say anything. He did not even say, “That is not right”. He just laughed and kept silent. Later, Narada went to Brahma and again boasted in a similar manner. Brahma too maintained silence. He did not commend Narada. Finally, he went to Vaikuntha, stood before Vishnu and said, “Lord, I gained victory over desire and anger”, as if he alone did Sadhana.

In reality, there is a big reason why the celestial maidens did not get their way with Narada. We discussed that the place where Narada did penance was the sacred place of Kama Dahana. That is the place where Lord Shiva did penance, therefore, there will be no perversions or distortions of the mind there. It is due to the greatness of that sacred place that Narada’s penance had no disturbance whatsoever. His penance continued uninterrupted. Vishnu who knew this very well tested Narada in order to remove his ego.

As Narada was on his way back, he saw a beautiful royal mansion. It belonged to a king called Ambarish. His daughter was Srimati. She was extremely beautiful. As soon as Narada sees her, he falls for her and wishes to marry her. He wishes that he gain the handsome form of Vishnu. At the same time, Narada’s nephew Parvata arrives wishing to marry Srimati. Ambarish says that he will marry his daughter off to the person that she chooses during her Swayamvara (practice where the bride would choose a husband from among a list of suitors). Narada and Parvata, unbeknownst to each other, approach Vishnu and pray that the other person become monkey-faced. Let us see how they become monkey-faced.

Episode 323

Both Narada and Parvata came to the royal assembly, each one vying with the other to wed Srimati. Unbeknownst to each other, they approached Vishnu and prayed that the other person become monkey-faced. Sri Hari fulfills the desire of both. What does he care? He fulfilled them both. Then, both of them turned monkey-faced. Sri Hari too participated in the Swayamvara. In the Swayamvara, Srimati weds Vishnu. Narada gets angry and curses Vishnu, “Since you deceived me and gave me the form of a monkey, may you be born as a human on earth and suffer separation from your wife. Eventually, may it be with the help of the monkeys that you get your wife back”.

Narada who thought he had gained victory over desire and anger had succumbed to both without even realizing. He fell prey to desire and succumbed to anger. It was his desire to marry the daughter of king Ambarish. His anger led him to curse Sri Vishnu himself. Did you see? Afterwards, he realized his mistake and prayed to Vishnu for forgiveness. “You created all this play…it’s unfair. Please forgive me.” Therefore, in the matters of Indriyas (sense organs), in the matters of desire and anger, one must constantly be cautious. We never know when it will hit us. We never know what kind of fickleness of mind it’ll give way to. The feeling of ego, “I achieved” is not good. Without the Guru’s grace showing us the path, it is not possible for anyone to gain victory over these passions of the mind.

It is to benefit the Sadhana that God, out of compassion, creates a favorable environment for the seeker. If one can understand this and utilizes it properly, their Sadhana will progress even better.

Moving ahead, Indeevaraksha. These days, it is very common for students in universities and colleges to make fun of their teachers. Just as older students “rag” (haze) new students, the students rag some lecturers every day. It does not happen very much these days because the government has woken up to this truth. For those who are in the business of making cinema, this has become a funny theme. They weave a story out of just students making fun of teachers and make a movie out of it. The main reason for this is that we are forgetting our own culture. We have forgotten our real culture. We forgot our traditions and our Dharma. Disrespect even towards teachers teaching worldly subjects is not good. They should not be poked fun at, they should be tormented.

But, if one challenges a Guru that grants knowledge or pokes fun at him, the Guru Gita says that such a person will be born as a ferocious demon spirit in a jungle without water. Let’s talk about a story from Markandeya Purana in this context.

Those were the days when there was free movement between the world of Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and the world of humans. The residents of Gandharva Loka lived in a pleasure-centric world. Indeevaraksha was a Gandharva. Visiting the hermitages of Brahma Rishis on earth was a pastime for Indeevaraksha. Let us talk about the story of Indeevaraksha.

Episode 324

We were discussing the story of Indeevaraksha. Visiting the hermitages of Brahma Rishis on earth was a pastime for the Gandharva/celestial being, Indeevaraksha. However, he did not have the sense to be humble when he visited them. Seeing his rogue like demeanor, the Brahma Rishis would not really give him much consideration. Nor would they bless him. Nor did he really know that he should try to get their blessings. But that did not mean that he was very young. He was already married by then and had a little daughter called Manorama. One day, he went to the Ashrama of Brahmamitra, a Brahma Rishi. By the time he went there, the sage was imparting knowledge of Ayurveda to some students.

Indeevaraksha who thought that great sages only had knowledge of Vedanta was amazed at the depth of knowledge Brahmamitra had in the sciences. He was even impressed. He had the desire to learn this knowledge himself too. Immediately, he went to the sage and in a tone that conveyed humility only for humility’s sake said, “Please teach me Ayurveda too”. Then, Brahmamitra looked at Indeevaraksha from head to toe again and again. The sage saw a golden crown on his head, mouth chewing betel leaves, fragrant perfumes and scents on him and a pair of golden footwear.

The sage was disgusted. He said without any hesitation, “Oh man of pleasures, Ayurveda is knowledge that is given to those with sacrificing nature. It is of no use to rogues like you. Go, go”.

Indeevaraksha felt like he was beheaded. Thinking, “Fie, this sage has no knowledge of worldly affairs at all whatsoever. He does not even know how courteously he should talk to residents of the upper worlds like me. I know how to teach such people a lesson”, he went away. But, he did not leave the place. He hid behind some trees and with his mystical powers, made himself invisible and went back to the Ashrama. The Maharishi too had divine vision, of course. Yet, he did not pay much attention to Indeevaraksha who now came in an invisible form. The Maharishi just thought that Indeevaraksha would leave after sometime.

But Indeevaraksha who had magical powers did not at all leave. He stayed there for a few years and learned all Ayurvedic knowledge with his magical powers. On the final day, he had uncontrollable joy on account of having learned so much. Due to the deficiency in his nobility, he had arrogance of victory instead of gratitude. He regained his form puffed up ego and dramatically laughing and clapping said, “Hehehe, Maharishi, you think I cannot learn if you do not teach me? Did you know that I stayed right here and learned all Ayurveda?” The students there were surprised. They did not understand how he was right there, learning everything. They are of course afraid to speak in the presence of their Guru. They thought, “On one had he is claiming to have learned everything from the Guru, on the other, he is speaking with arrogance”.

In the meanwhile, the Guru whose natural state was always supreme peace burned with anger said… what did he say?

Episode 325

The Guru whose natural state was supreme peace suddenly burned with anger and said thus, “Aye, you inferior Gandharva! The Dharma Shastras (scriptures on Dharma) state that gaining knowledge by deceiving the Guru results in birth as a Rakshasa/demon. I had ignored you and let you be because you were hiding out of keen interest in knowledge, but you are so boastful and conceited. Deceiving the Guru was mistake one. I knew you were hiding and listening. I knew very well that you were here with your magical powers. Still I kept quiet thinking, “He is making a lot of effort for knowledge, let him learn, what’s the big deal.” I kept quiet. But, rather than be quiet yourself, you insult me? Deceiving the Guru was one mistake. After that, going against the Guru was another mistake. Finally, contempt in the presence of the Guru was the biggest mistake of all”. “As a result of these mistakes, may you become a rakshasa/demon right away”, cursed the sage.

We discussed earlier that his name already had “Rakshasa” in it. Hearing the curse that fell like lightning, everybody froze. Indeevaraksha trembled with fear. Recovering quickly, he begged the sage in various ways to forgive him for his mistakes and to withdraw the curse. Brahmamitra, who was naturally very peaceful immediately softened and said, “Despite all the mistakes, you are my disciple too. I do not like you to become a demon. But, it is inevitable that you pay for your mistakes. Your intellect itself is flawed. For that to be removed, a brave warrior will need to use the Agneyastram (fire weapon) on you and purify you with fire. That day will come soon. In the meanwhile, be careful not to indulge in too many demoniacal acts. Go!”

Indeevaraksha was satisfied. He was very repentant. He lost his pride. Soon, demonism took over him. Therefore, he made it a habit to wander in the forests, far away from people, because it would have been difficult if he were close to people. Many years passed like this. One day, by divine intervention, his own daughter Manorama came to the forest he was in, during her recreational travels. Indeevaraksha could not recognize his daughter who had grown up into a young woman. He pounced on her to torment and eat her. Manorama began shrieking in fear. At that time, Svarochi, the father of the very pure and very close friend Svarochisha Manu, had set out hunting and was in the same forest. Svarochisha Manu was very pure and very friendly. He was a good friend of everyone. Svarochi heard the screams of Manorama. He started fighting the demon to protect her. After a long fight, he finally invoked the fire weapon and used it on the demon. As soon as the fire weapon hit the demon, his curse was lifted. Indeevaraksha’s original form was revealed. After that, Indeevaraksha spent the rest of life making good use of his medical knowledge, his ego was removed.

Did you see the great sin incurred on account of disrespecting the Guru? Did you notice how many disasters it led to? Here, since the Guru was a Brahma Rishi, he had him experience the inevitable outcome of his sins early by way of the curse. All Gurus may not have this kind of power. This story is teaching us and clearly showing us that even if they (the Gurus) tolerate and keep quiet, rogue disciples will have no way than to pay for the grave sins in their future births.

Episode 326

Anandam/Happiness/Bliss. Some people say, “We are so happy and comfortable. Why do we need a Guru?” It may be true that you are comfortable. You are leading a contented life owing to the strength of your previous merit. When that punya/merit gets exhausted, difficulties again are inevitable. The wheel of happiness and sorrow is unavoidable for living beings. However the bliss the Guru grants is beyond all of this. That is not something that gets exhausted. It is eternal.

That is why, the Guru Gita sings glories of the Sadguru, “Brahmanandam Paramasukhadam”. That means, he is an epitome of Brahmananda/Supreme Bliss and provides Paramasukham/Absolute Happiness. Let us observe the difference between ordinary happiness and Absolute Happiness.

Man desires to always be happy and constantly strives for the same. As far as we know, all these kinds of happiness come to us based on our Indriyas/sense organs. The joy experienced by Gods is much stronger than the joy experienced by humans. Whatever it is, it is not possible to experience one kind of happiness while experiencing another kind. For example, it is not possible to experience simultaneously the happiness that comes from relaxation when one is in solitude and the happiness caused from being felicitated in an assembly of distinguished people. The happiness caused by one sense organ often adversely affects another of the many sense organs. If one eats to satisfy his tongue, the stomach hurts. That sense organ hurts. All happiness that we experience is of this kind.

Happiness that comes from knowledge is greater than the happiness that is caused by the sense organs. All these (caused by the sense organs) keep vanishing slowly. It is the Sadguru alone that can grant happiness from knowledge. If we assume that the joys we experience are like little droplets of water, the happiness caused by knowledge is like a great ocean. That is why all these joys are described as aspects of bliss.

We discussed that the Sadguru is regarded as Brahmananda Swaroopa (epitome of Supreme Bliss). That means, when compared with the bliss that the Sadguru revels in, the bliss experienced by the gods too are little particles of dust, let alone the happiness experienced by humans. Therefore, if we are able to earn the grace of the Sadguru he will grant us such bliss. That means, we will begin to experience the great ocean of bliss ourselves. Then, you will have the experience of those little droplets of happiness all at once. That means, all our desires would be fulfilled at once. Not only that, happiness caused by sense gratification gets exhausted, but happiness from knowledge is unlimited. That is the state of Supreme Bliss. The Sadguru alone has the power to grant us that state.

He alone has the power to give us that supreme bliss. Transient happiness can be induced by ourselves or by friends and family. But, eternal, supreme bliss can be granted by Sadguru alone. Therefore, when we worship the Guru with devotion, even while experiencing small joys by his grace, we will eventually reach the state where we can attain Paramasukham/Absolute Happiness.

That is why here, Brahmanandam refers to the complete and Absolute Happiness. Absolute Happiness gives us the state of eternal and supreme happiness.

Episode 327

Satyatapa. Saduguru’s grace transforms even a cruel person into a Maharishi/great sage. Did you see? Even a hard stone melts. A hard-hearted person is transformed. Cruel nature changes. It helps overcome even the most difficult moral predicaments with ease. The story of Satyatapa is an example.

Satyatapa is a title that he earned. In the beginning, he was a big wayside robber. His occupation was to lay siege in the forest routes, murder people and loot their money. One day, as he was wandering the forests, he encountered a sage called Aruni who was immersed in penance. Wanting to loot money from him, he screamed aloud and pounced on the sage. Sage Aruni opened his eyes and looked at him once and then calmly immersed himself in penance again. The cruel man was very surprised. Unbeknownst to him, his mind changed. Immediately, he offered obeisance to the saint and said, “Sir, I attacked many people, I killed many people, but I have never seen someone that is as fearless as you. Seeing you, there is some change in my mind. I will not commit any more sins”. He prayed, “Please show me the path to liberation”.

Without responding to the man, the sage got up and left. Pitifully praying to him, the cruel man began following the sage wherever he went. As he kept following, one day, all of a sudden, a tiger came out of nowhere and was about to pounce on the sage. The cruel man who noticed this bolted like an arrow, fought the tiger and killed it.

Pleased with the man for saving his life, the sage said, “Son, today onwards, speak only the truth. I bless you. Since you saved me from the tiger, I give you this boon. However, do not use Shakata tree for food”. Somehow, the sage gave a boon, but also advised of a rule he needed to follow. Normally, some sages provide initiation and then prescribe rules to follow. But, we are remembering this man’s story, this man’s transformation. Merely by Darshana, by the pleasing Darshana of the Guru, through the actions of the Guru each minute, the man gained transformation.

He who had initially wanted to attack the sage is now transformed by the sage. So, the sage is saying, “You must speak the truth. But, do not use the Shakata tree for food. This is your initiation”.

The man was overjoyed with just this. With the Guru’s permission, he sat in a spot in the forest and began doing penance. Strangely, everywhere he looked in the forest, he could only see Shakata trees. He had come to such a forest. Bound by the Guru’s command, he continued his penance without eating, because everywhere he saw, there were only Shakata trees. The Guru forbid him from eating from that tree. Therefore, he undertook penance without any food.

One day, the great sage Durvasa came to this man’s Ashrama for food. The cruel sage prayed to Lord Shiva. Immediately, a gem studded bowl appeared with the food he desired. Durvasa got a great meal. Pleased, Durvasa said, “Your devotion to the Guru is wonderful. You are living with truth as your penance”. Congratulating him, “Therefore, from today onwards, your name is Satyatapa”, the sage left.

Episode 328

One day as Satyatapa was cutting twigs to feed the sacrificial fire, he accidentally cut his finger with the knife. The finger detached and fell. But, by the power of his penance, the piece of finger that was lying on the ground came back to its original position and attached itself to the hand again. Indra found out about this strange event through some Kinnaras/celestial beings. To test his adherence to truth, Vishnu and Indra came in the guise of a boar and a hunter respectively.

As the hunter chased it, the boar feigned fear and ran into Satyatapa’s Ashram. The hunter came right after and asked, “Swamy, which way did the boar go?” Satyatapa was in a bind. If he spoke the truth, the boar would lose its life. If he lied, he would have violated the Guru’s command. What could he do? If he admitted that the boar was hiding inside, the hunter would kill the boar. If he did not, he would have violated the Guru’s command.

Just then, the following words rolled out involuntarily from him, “Sir, it is the eye that saw the boar. But the eye that saw cannot talk. The mouth that speaks did not see. How can mouth that did not see say that it did?” He spoke these strange words. Pleased with his adherence to truth and compassion, Vishu and Indra revealed their divine forms to him, “Good. You are only speaking the truth. But, you are also speaking without causing any hurt. Good”.

He said that the eyes could only see, but not talk and that the mouth could only talk, but not see. So, he neither denied nor admitted to the boar being in the Ashrama. Did you see how the Guru’s grace transformed such a cruel man into such a sage? When one has the Sadguru’s grace and when one adheres to truth in even in the most difficult situations, the energy/power will automatically flow. The power to protect that adherence to truth will come automatically.

Now, Maharishi Bhrugu. As children grow up, they keep learning new things. Owing to that, they feel some satisfaction. Each time they learn something new, they are happy they learned something. So far so good, but some people pick up the habit of bragging about what they know. It is okay to learn and be silent, but some people keep boasting. Gradually, they become egoistic that they know more than everyone else. But without stopping there, they even think that no one else but him knows anything at all. They do not, at their age, understand that all these are aberrations caused due to ignorance. To help them understand and to impart wisdom, Sadgurus go through any amount of humiliation. Maharishi Bhrugu’s story is a great example.

In the ancient times, great souls who adhered to a life of austerity and penance would not easily come into towns. They could not stand the town, their mind would not take to it.

People in the town are drowned in illusion and do not seem to act in accordance with Dharma. If a great soul ever entered town, all denizens of the town would serve him with great reverence. If a great soul came into town, everyone would offer their respect. Contrary to this, a young man by name Nidhaaga went to Maharishi Bhrugu who had come into town and posed Vedantic questions. He demonstrated his scholarliness to the sage. Only when one has a sincere desire to learn do the elders whole-heartedly provide answers. Otherwise, they will not. They think about how one is asking the question and how they should answer that question. They comprehend the disciple’s nature. That is when they will provide an answer, otherwise they will not. If the disciple is posing the question for fun or to kill time, they will not answer. That is the nature of great souls.

So, Maharishi Bhrugu stayed silent and inert. He did not say anything. He did not speak even after being repeatedly asked.

Episode 329

We discussed that a young man by name Nidhaaga went to Maharishi Bhrugu who had come into town and posed various questions. He demonstrated all his scholarliness to the sage. Only when one has a sincere desire to learn do the elders whole-heartedly provide answers. Otherwise, they will not. That is the nature of great souls. So, we discussed that Maharishi Bhrugu stayed silent and inert. With that Nidhaaga got extremely charged and demonstrated all of his Vedic scholarliness. He demonstrated every bit of it.

In the meanwhile, Nidhaaga noticed the king’s procession coming that way. He stopped talking immediately, stepped aside and stood in humility, fear and devotion. Maharishi Bhrugu though saw the procession and began shouting, “What is that? What is that?” Nidhaaga said, “The king is going on an elephant. Do not shout!” “Between the two of them, which one is the king and which one is the elephant?” the sage asked innocently.

Nidhaaga said, “The one with the crown is the king and the one that is fat is the elephant, isn’t it?” The sage whispered in his ear, “Which one has the crown?”

In the meanwhile, the king’s procession passed. Furious, Nidhaaga immediately climbed up the sage and sat on him and shouted, “The one that is below like you, is the elephant and the one that is on top like me is the king. Do you understand?” The sage very calmly said, “But what I am seeing below and on top is only me”. As soon as Nidhaaga heard that, he felt his head spinning. This was the Vedanta he had been talking about all along – that “I” am all pervading. That is what the sage was asking from experience, “Who is the king and who is the elephant?” He gave the message that the same consciousness pervades everyone. Without comprehending that, Nidhaaga was the sinner who turned arrogant and climbed up and sat on the sage.

The moment he realized this, Nidhaaga immediately jumped off sage Bhrugu, held on to his feet and prayed for forgiveness. As soon as he touched the sage’s feet, as soon as he came in contact with the Guru’s feet, the grace of the Guru flowed and knowledge turned into experience.

We discussed earlier that to impart knowledge to the disciples, the Guru goes through any amount of hardship. He will tolerate any number of humiliations. The sage was in the situation where he had the man sitting on his head. This story demonstrates that the Guru will do anything to impart knowledge to his disciples. Jaya Guru Datta.
Next, Trishanku. Regardless of how powerful one is, if he does not have the grace of the Guru, if he disregards the Guru, he cannot escape destruction. Trishanku’s story is an example for this. Trishanku was the son of the Aruni, a king in the Sun dynasty. His original name was Satyavrata (Satya=truth, vrata=vow).

His name was Satyavrata, but his nature was not very good. He once abducted a Brahmin bride during her wedding. He suddenly took her away. Enraged, Aruni banished him from the kingdom.

Episode 330

We were talking about Trishanku. We discussed that Trishanku was the son of the Aruni, a king in the Sun dynasty. His original name was Satyavrata (Satya=truth, vrata=vow). His name was Satyavrata, but his nature was not very good. Once, he abducted a bride during her wedding. Enraged, Aruni banished him from the kingdom. Satyavrata went to the forests and was wandering around with the tribals. He wondered why Guru Vasishtha who knew the codes of righteousness did not interfere when his father gave him such a big punishment for the small crime he had committed. “Maharishi Vasishtha was right there, but he did not say a word”. He was angry with sage Vasishtha. His anger for Vasishtha turned into affection for sage Vishwamitra. Even though he was wicked, he had a few good traits.

In those days, when Vishwamitra had gone away for penance, his wife who was unable to fend for the children attempted to sell off one of her children. Satyavrata noticed this. Satyavrata took pity on her and stopped her, “I will tie a sack of food to the tree in your Ashrama every day. Please eat that. Do not sell your children”. From that day on, he would hunt the animals in the forest, tie up the meat in a sack and hand them over to Vishwamitra’s wife. One day, he was unable to find any animal to hunt. When he was wondering about what he could do, he spotted sage Vasishtha’s cow. Owing to his anger for Vasishtha, what did he do? He killed the cow, ate the meat and also gave the meat to Vishwamitra’s family in the usual sack. When Vasishtha found out about this, he was furious, “Aye, wicked man! You abducted a woman. You were subject to your father’s wrath. Now, you even killed a cow. These are three blots on you”. He cursed him, “Therefore, you will have the name Trishanku and wander about as a ghost that everybody can see”.

While this may be, Satyavrata who was in the form of a ghost got the Mother Goddess’ Navakshara Mantra from the son of a sage. He chanted the mantra intensely. After he chanted the mantra a lot, he decided to do Japa Shanti (shanti=peace) for which he invited priests to do Homa (ritual that involves a sacrificial fire). The priests rejected the invitation saying, “You who turned into a ghost due to curse by Guru, have no right to study the Vedas. We will not be your priests”. Humiliated, Satyavrata decided to give up his body. He made a pyre and before jumping into it, meditated on his favorite deity, Goddess Parameshwari. Pleased with his devotion, Mother Lalita Parameshwari appeared in the sky and said, “King, do not commit suicide. Your father has gotten old. He will call you the day after tomorrow and coronate you king”. She even removed his ghostliness. By the grace of this event, Trishanku became effulgent again. King Aruni learned of these happenings from sage Narada.

Aruni had Trishanku come back home, handed over the kingdom and went away to the forests for penance. Trishanku became the emperor, did many rituals for Mother Goddess and ruled over the kingdom righteously for a long time. However, in later times, he insisted with sage Vasishtha that he wanted to go to heaven with his body, despite being repeatedly told not to. Unable to achieve this, he got stuck in between. That is what is called Trishanku Swargam (swargam=heaven) that Vishwamitra built for him by pouring the entire power of his penance. He had gathered all his power and wasted it. He created an entire heaven.

Did you see how one who does not have the power of the Guru’s grace or has violated the Guru’s order gets destroyed due to the intellect going astray even if he has had the vision of the Mother Goddess by his own worship. This story shows us.

Let’s talk about his again and again so we can understand it even better.

Episode 331

The actions of the Guru in relation to King Shakunta sometimes seem very strange and unrighteous. We are talking about King Shakunta. But that does not mean we can hastily attribute faults/sins to him. If we did that, we would be sinners. The world does not know what such people’s divine determination is until the result of such actions completely plays out. King Shakunta’s story explains this to us.

Normally, people criticize the Guru a lot. Even those considered disciples sometimes through their words, actions and the way they lead their life criticize thinking they see some fault in the Guru’s behavior. It is only later we understand. We tell ourselves, “Why is he doing this?”, “Why is he doing this?”, “Why is he doing this?”, “He should not do this”, “He should not say this”. However, whatever he (the Guru) does and whatever he says is very correct. Here is an example for that.

A long ago, Sri Rama started a great Yagna (ritual sacrifice with a specific objective) for universal welfare. Even though he was an aspect of the Paramatman, even though he was Paramatman himself, Sri Rama had taken on a human form, so he had to follow human actions and activities. In the process of observing such actions, he once decided on a Yagna.

King Shakunta who had come to witness the Yagna saw sage Vasishtha outside the place of Yagna and prostrated to him right there. As he was proceeding to go inside, he received news that some danger struck the kingdom. He immediately turned back. He did not even enter the place of Yagna. He learned of the imminent danger to his kingdom before he stepped in. Vishwamitra who was inside the place of Yagna noticed this. Enraged thinking that Shakunta deliberately did not pay respects to him, Vishwamitra ordered Rama to bring Shakunta’s head and throw at his feet. See how this turned out. “How arrogant is he? He offered salutations to Vasishtha and left right away. Bring his head and throw it at my feet”.

Bound by his Guru’s order, Sri Rama sent Lakshmana to capture Shakunta and bring to him. In the meanwhile, Narada slowly conveyed this news to Shakunta and said, “O King, at this time, only Anjana Devi, Anjaneya’s Mother can save you. This unfortunate event has happened to you. Rama is bound by the command of his Guru who asked him to bring your head and offer at his feet. So, they are coming here with their armies. You must go seek refuge with Lord Anjaneya right away. But, since you cannot directly get Lord Anjaneya, you must go and seek refuge with Anjana Devi. Anjana Devi is the only one who can save you. Go to her, but do not tell her all the details. If you do, I don’t know whether or not she’ll agree. Promise to her truthfully, “I did not commit any mistake” and beg her to save your life. Tell her, “I am not a criminal. I did not commit any mistake”. Pray to her to save you.

King Shakunta did as told. Anjana Devi even promised to save his life. Afterwards, when she found out the details, she got worried and prayed to Lord Anjaneya. Anjana Devi learned all the details later. Once she did she thought, “What a big deed has happened here. Now, he has to oppose Rama. I promised to save his life without knowledge of all the details. What should I do? Anjaneya is my only refuge”. She prayed to Anjaneya. As soon as Anjaneya arrived, she said, “Son, he is innocent. Moreover, he is a devotee of Rama. He came to my house and begged me to save his life. To him who came home and begged for life, I promised to save (his) life”. Let’s see what happens after.

Episode 332

King Shakunta did as he was told to, he sought refuge with Anjana Devi. Anjana Devi even promised to protect his life. Afterwards, when she found out the details of what actually happened, she got worried and prayed to Lord Anjaneya, “Anjaneya is my only refuge”. As soon as Anjaneya arrived, she said, “Son, he is innocent. Moreover, he is a devotee of Rama. I promised to protect his life. But this is going to bring enmity with our beloved Lord Rama. You may decide what should be done”. Anjaneya thought for a second, “Mother, Lord Rama is the epitome of Dharma. My duty is to uphold my mother’s word”. He built a fort around King Shakunta with his tail and sat on top of the fort chanting Lord Rama’s name thinking, “Come what may, Lord Rama himself will protect me”.

After some time, Lakshmana arrived and asked him to hand over King Shakunta. When Anjaneya refused, a battle ensued between the two. You all know of the battle – the Rama Anjaneya battle that is to follow. Defeated, Lakshmana returned. Rama got angry and came down himself to battle, “What did my devotee do? He violated my command? He did not hand over Shakunta?” He came down himself to the battle. Anjaneya prostrated to Lord Rama and said, “You are the true representation of Dharma. I am standing here to protect my mother’s vow. I promised to protect my mother’s vow of truth. If you wish, please kill me and take the king. I give you permission for that. I am yours, I am eternally yours. You may take the king once you kill me”. Rama got furious and showered arrows on him, “What? You are opposing me? Instead of handing over Shakunta as asked, you are asking me to kill you?”

Hanuman closed his eyes, prostrated and began singing Lord Rama’s name. “Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama”. He continued, “Sri Rama, Rama, Rama…” Strangely, all of Rama’s arrows bounced back and fell at Rama’s feet. It was all very mystical. Rama worriedly thought, “Deva Rishi, Rama’s arrows have also gone in vain”. In the meanwhile, Narada appeared, “Why are you both at war? What is happening?” Rama said, “Narada Maharishi, what can I say? To whom can I say? Rama’s arrow is very great. You know that it does not care about who is at the other end. Even the arrow turned back and fell here. Now, my life is a waste. If Rama’s arrows have turned back, there is no use of doing anything else. Therefore, my life is a waste. Please tell me what I can do now”.

Narada laughed happily and said, “Lord, your play is unparalleled. There is nothing you do not know. Yet, since you asked, I will tell you. This is not a defeat for you. It is victory. Vishwamitra enacted such a big drama to tell the worlds that Rama’s name “Rama, Rama, Rama” is more powerful than Rama’s arrow. Rama’s name is so wonderful . Rama Rama, Rama, Rama. The king asked for Shakunta’s head to be thrown at his feet, but he did ask for the head to be detached from the body.”

At the beginning of this story, we felt that Vishwamitra was petty, “He got mad, he was angry. Does he not know? Can he not use his divine vision to find out what happened to Shakunta?” We went through all those thoughts and see what it has come to now. It can also be said that he used the king to find out the extent of Hanuman’s devotion. So here, eventually, we find out how broad-minded he was, how much he was bound to universal welfare, how selfless he was. That is why nobody should hastily criticize the actions of great souls. We should accept the Guru’s actions with reverence and happiness, but not criticize them.

Episode 333

Gurorati gurubhaktih visishyate
Devotion towards the Guru is more important than the Guru. What’s more important than the Guru is the devotion towards the Guru. The method of education differs in each Yuga. The disciple gains knowledge based on his faith and devotion, his past karma, the parents’ upbringing, environment etc. But, everybody needs devotion towards the Guru which is more important than all of these. There is nothing that cannot be achieved when one has devotion to the Guru. Devotion towards the Guru is more powerful than the Guru. Ekalavya is proof for this.

We know that Dronacharya was Guru to Pandavas and Kauravas. He taught them archery. In the surrounding area, there lived a tribal king’s son Ekalavya who was also very interested in learning archery. He had a very keen desire to learn archery. He knew very well about Dronacharya. With a mountain of desire to somehow seek refuge and learn archery from him, he approached Guru Dronacharya. Ekalavya prayed, “Sir, please teach me archery too”. Dronacharya looked at home and said, “You are the son of the forest king. Your occupation is to commit violence. If I teach you archery, you will kill other living beings. This skill is limited to the Kshatriyas (warrior/royal class). Why should I teach you? You will kill and eat other creatures with this knowledge. That is why, I cannot teach you archery”. Dronacharya refused to teach Ekalavya.

Dronacharya said that this was limited to the princes because he knew the future very well. Ekalvya decided to somehow learn this skill. He observed Dronacharya’s face carefully. He returned home. He created an earthen replica of Dronacharya. He placed that statue in front of him and thinking that the Guru himself was teaching him, he learned archery with immense concentration. With that kind of education, he gained good expertise. He learned more than the princes did.

With a view to testing their skill in archery, Dronacharya once brought the princes to the forest. He pointed to a bird in a tree and asked each one to take aim carefully and shoot. Each one got ready to do so thinking, “Oh, that’s it? This is easy”. Before each one took aim and released the arrow, Guru Drona asked, “What do you see now?” In response each one variously said, “Tree”, “Branches”, “Leaves”, “Bird”, “Bird’s head” etc. Arjuna alone said, “I can only see the bird’s eye”. We can see that Arjuna’s concentration was that great. Dronacharya said, “Arjuna, I had promised you once that I would teach you archery so there would be no one greater than you in that skill”.

At exactly that moment, the hunter dog they had started barking. Immediately, an arrow came out of nowhere and hit the dog. It was clear that someone had used “Shabda vedhi” to shoot the arrow (shooting the arrow following the source of sound). The arrow appeared just as Guru Dronacharya was speaking. The arrow hit the barking dog exactly in its mouth.

Episode 334

Drona had once promised, “Arjuna, I will teach you archery so there would be no one greater than you in that skill”. At exactly that moment, their hunter dog barked. Drona was praising Arjuna, “You said you could only see the eye of the bird. We saw what everyone else said. Your aim is so great. Your concentration is so good.

Otherwise, you would have also seen what the others said they saw. They said they saw branches, they saw the wings of the birds and so on. That is not archery. You said you could only see the eye of the bird. That means you can see your target and aim for it”. No sooner did he say this than their hunter dog barked. No sooner did the dog bark, than an arrow came out of nowhere and hit the dog. He realized that someone used the knowledge “Shabda Vedhi” to shoot the arrow (shooting the arrow following the source of sound).

Amazed, they walked in the direction the arrow came from. What did they see? Ekalavya was sitting in meditation. Near him was a replica of Dronacharya. Everybody was surprised to see that replica. Ekalavya was very pleased to see the Guru himself come. He welcomed Dronacharya with due honors, worshiped him and humbly said, “I treated your replica as verily you and learned this skill with concentration”.

When Arjuna saw Ekalavya, he felt envious. He felt that Ekalavya gained more skill than he did. Drona comprehended Arjuna’s feelings. The Guru contemplated with a lot of foresight. He arrived at a conclusion and said to Ekalavya, “Son, isn’t it my boon to you that you learned this skill?” “Yes Gurudeva”, said Ekalavya. “Then, you need to give Guru Dakshina”, said Drona. (Guru Dakshina is the offering made to Guru in gratitude for the knowledge given by the Guru). “Please let me know what you want”, said Ekalavya. “Nothing much, you need to give me the thumb of your right hand”, said Drona. Before that sentence was finished, Ekalavya cut his right thumb and gave it to the Guru.

When Arjuna saw this sight, his mind was filled with sorrow. “Alas, it is because of me that he had such a big loss”, Arjuna felt very remorseful. Ekalavya’s devotion to the Guru is extraordinary. But, there is an inner meaning to why Drona asked Ekalavya to cut his finger and give him. As soon as Ekalavya felt that the dog was disturbing his meditation, he unjustly shot an arrow at the dog. Knowledge in the hands of one without restraint is not complete. One must remember this. When one does not have restraint, any knowledge or skill, however big, is never complete. It is also very dangerous. Such a person will have to bear the repercussions of all the disasters caused by it. Out of compassion for the disciple, to protect him from this, Drona in the name of Guru Dakshina took his finger. See how much secret there is here. Drona knew fully well that this would bring him disrepute. However, in order to protect his disciple, Guru who was in the form of Drona, was ready to bear that insult.

When we see this story, we may also wonder if it is fair that such a big Guru as Dronacharya ask for the thumb of the disciple who learned great skills in archery with immense concentration even though Drona did not teach him personally. But, this was necessary for universal welfare. Secondly, he had also promised Arjuna, “There will no one equal to you in archery. You will the best”. He had to protect this promise. That is why, we have to observe carefully that the Guru in order to protect his disciple was even ready to take humiliation. The Guru’s sacrifice is always like that.