MOKSHAMOOLAM GUROH KRUPA

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THE ROLE OF GURU IN

SELF-REALISATION

In the matter of realizing one's True Self, the Guru's role is quite exceptional.  When the disciple's intellect attains purity to a high level, he or she becomes eligible to receive the Guru's spiritual initiation which is called ज्ञानदीक्षा.  It is similar to a camphor-tipped wick kept ready in all respects to receive the flame from an already burning wick in a lamp, to become lighted.  

All the endeavours, the disciple has put in till then would not be sufficient to realize the True Self independently.  If it should become possible to realise the Self independently by a disciple through his individual effort, the Self should become an object like any other object remaining perceptible to the intellect through the agency of the sensory organs. But, actually, the Self remains beyond the reach of the intellect, at the same time, energising the intellect by remaining as its substratum; as It is verily the Subject.  The Guru may be within for the highly evolved souls who are born with very little Karma in the empirical realm like Bhagavaan Ramana Maharshi.  For all the others the Guru has to be without i.e. as a separate perceptible entity, different from the disciple.  As such, the Guru's initiation is indispensable for everyone, aspiring Self-realisation,.  This topic is convincingly and elaborately explained in Appendix I to this literary work, titled ईश्वरप्रसादादेव पुंसां अद्वैतवासना which means that by Easwara's grace alone, the axiomatic Adwaitic knowledge dawns in the intellect.    

    

ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्तिः  पूजामूलं गुरोः पदम्  |

मन्त्रमूलं गुरोर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरोः कृपा  ||

ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्तिः = The  ideal  object  of  meditation  is  the  very  form  of  one’s  Guru.  पूजामूलं गुरोः पदं  =  The  ideal  object  of  worship  is  the  Holy  Lotus  Feet  of  one’s  Guru.  मन्त्रमूलं गुरोर्वाक्यं  =  Guru’s  utterances  should  be received verily as Mantra or to be more precise, as  Mantropadesha  by  the  guileless  disciple.   Guru’s  utterances  whether  seemingly  casual  or  serious should be given the importance of Mahavakya like TATWAMASI by the serious disciple.   Guru’s utterances may contain deep inner meanings which would become clear after repeated reflections only.  Therefore, the true disciple should never consider the Guru’s words as casual utterances.

Now comes the most important part of the verse - मोक्षमूलं गुरोः कृपा =  The  cause or means of one’s final liberation from the bondage of transmigration  is verily the Guru’s overflowing compassion.  Shankara Bhagavatpaada in  his  commentaries, states clearly that the state of  transmigration is nothing but  the most dreaded disease.  It is  BHAVA-ROGA.  The Guru is the BHAVA-ROGA VAIDYA – the doctor who cures the disease of BHAVA-ROGA.  Elsewhere  in  Guru  Geeta, the Guru is compared to an eye-surgeon or ophthalmologist.

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य   ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया  |

चक्षुरुन्मीलितं  येन  तस्मै  श्रीगुरवे  नमः  ||    

The person who is blinded by the cataract of  AGYAANA is treated with the  black eye ointment of AATMAGNAANA by the Guru and the person’s vision  is restored.  Here, the veil of Maaya is causing the cataract and the Guru’s  GNAANA-DEEKSHA is acting as the black eye ointment.

Therefore, the means of Moksha is verily the Guru’s grace.   Granting Moksha is the exclusive prerogative of the Guru.   Here one may be tempted to ask  the question - why should it be the prerogative of the Guru alone?  Why can’t it be that of God also?  In this context we have to understand the logic  involved here, clearly.  A minus figure can be made a plus figure by adding a  greater plus figure to it.  Only a Kubera or the Goddess Mahalakshmi can  eradicate the poverty of a person effectively and eternally.  Only  a  person  of clear vision can lead the blind; not lesser ones.  Similarly a liberated  person only can liberate another person remaining in bondage. The Guru is a liberated person.  But the Saguna Easwara, even though not entangled  unlike an ordinary mortal, considers Himself entangled in the midst of Vyavahara due to His Karma of creation, sustenance and destruction.  So,  the Saguna Easwara remains within the realm of Gunaas of Satva, Rajas  and  Tamas.  As He has not transcended the Gunaas, He considers Himself unfit to grant Moksha.  For granting Moksha, God should assume the transcended  form of Sadasiva who is the Aadi Guru.  Dakshinamurti is a synonym of Sadasiva. In Vaishnava tradition Lord Narayana or Lord Hayagreeva is considered as Aadi-Guru.  The liberated Sadguru is the symbolic form of  that  Aadi  Guru.   Even if the Saguna Easwara wants to grant Moksha to anyone  He cannot do it directly or independently as He Himself is not fully established in an absolutely liberated state.  But He can grant Moksha to anyone through the medium of a Sad-Guru.  He can recommend an individual to the liberated Sad-Guru for initiation.  The Saguna Easwara can directly grant only name, fame, prosperity, rulership, progeny and the like which are diametrically opposite to Moksha.  This is not my personal opinion or conclusion.  This is the conclusion of the Shaastras.  To  explain  this  topic  further,  we  can  take up the  story  of  a  devotee who became a liberated person through the Guru’s initiation.

The legendary story is like this.  Saambaan was a Harijan by birth.   He was a wood cutter and splitter by profession.  He lived some centuries ago in Chidambaram.   He  was  serving  Lord  Nataraja  by  providing  the  required  firewood  to  the  Madappalli, the  temple kitchen.  He  did  such  selfless  service  until  he  attained  a  ripe  old  age  when  the  intense desire  for  Moksha  dawned  in  his  mind.  As such, he prayed his beloved Lord Nataraja that he may be granted  Moksha.   The Lord acceded promptly to his prayers and gave him a letter of recommendation, written on a bit of palm leaf with His valid signature - TIRUCHITRAMBALAM, addressed to the famous  Umaapati Sivaachaariar who belonged to the clan of THILLAI   MOOVAAYIRAVAR,  the  three  thousand priestly families migrated from Kaashi who had the  exclusive right of performing Pooja (worship) to Lord  Nataraja.   As  per  the  legend, Lord Nataraja Himself belongs to this elite clan of THILLAI  MOOVAAYIRAVAR.  Umaapati Sivaachaariar was a renowned Gyaanee and a liberated Soul of that period.   On receiving the Lord’s recommendation letter, Umaapati Shivam initiated the wood-cutter,  Saambaan,  into  such  a class of Samadhi  that no sooner Saambaan was initiated, his physical  remains  got  merged  into  the  basic  elements  and  his Soul became one with the Universal Spirit, symbolically worshipped as Chidambara-Rahasyam in that place of Chidambaram.  There was no trace of the person after the initiation.  His wife and other relatives went  to  the local  ruler  complaining  that  Umaapati  Shivam  had  done  some  trick in the form of a black magic to cause the death of Saambaan.  The ruler who had the  responsibility to grant justice to the aggrieved party, went to Umaapati Shivam (as it was not proper to summon him) along  with  those  relatives  of  Saambaan and inquired into the matter of alleged black magic.  Umaapati  Shivam narrated to them the actual fact that Saambaan was one with  Chidaakaasha for which the word, Chidambaram is known for.  They were not satisfied with the reply at all.   As  such,  they  asked  Umaapati  Shivam  to carry out another such initiation in front of their eyes after which there  would be no trace of the individual.  Umaapati Shivam found no one as eligible in their group for the initiation and as such, confessed his inability.  But as they were adamant in their demand, he had to choose an eligible  individual elsewhere for receiving  the  initiation.  For  this  purpose,  he  chose a thorny shrub, which stood close to his dwelling, in the garden, which  had the rare privilege of receiving the Abhisheka Teertha (sanctified holy water sprinkled or poured over the tiny symbolic Archaa forms of God cast in an alloy of five metals) flowing  out  of  his  Pooja-room for a long time.  It  had  attained  great  purity  by  absorbing  the  sanctified holy water through its roots.  So he chose that thorny shrub as an appropriate Adhikari or one endowed with the required eligibility to receive the initiation.  Thereafter,  he initiated it into that lofty transcendental state and lo, it  was not to  be  seen  the  next  moment.  When  they  saw  this miracle in  front of their own eyes they got convinced of Umaapati Shivam’s earlier statement and thereafter, all of them went home delightfully, singing the  praises  of  the  great  Guru,  Umaapati  Shivam.  

The greatest magic on earth is the Guru’s Gyaana Deeksha which is capable of transforming individuals beyond recognition.  Only those who have experienced this phenomenon can actually believe it.  This transformation can be compared to a great extent with that of the philosopher's touch stone transforming base metals into gold.  But the touch stone doesn't transfer its special power of transforming to the transformed gold.  Here the Guru transforms the disciple to his likeness in letter and spirit and this act of the Guru is unique. Shankara in his composition of Shatashloki (the centum of verses on Adwaita Vedanta) verse No. 1, declares thus -

दृष्टान्तो        नैव       दृष्टस्त्रिभुवनजठरे        सद्गुरोर्ज्ञानदातुः

स्पर्शश्चेत्तत्रकल्प्यः    स    नयति    यदहो   स्वर्णतामश्मसारम् |

न   स्पर्शत्वं    तथाऽपि    श्रितचरणयुगे    सद्गुरुः  स्वीयशिष्ये

स्वीयं  साम्यं  विधत्ते  भवति  निरुपमस्तेन  वाऽलौकिकोऽपि ||

"In the whole range of Tribhuvana consisting of earthly plane, the nether world and the heavens, an appropriate illustration or simile to Sadguru, the awakener, par excellence, from the slumber of ignorance, cannot be found out.  When we try to consider many examples, even the nearest illustration (दृष्टान्तं) of the philosopher's touch stone (स्पर्शमणि) comes nowhere near the subject (दार्ष्टान्तिकं).  The touch stone only transforms the base metal into gold never bestowing its special gift of transforming the base metals, to the transformed pieces of gold.  At the same time the Sadguru transforms the disciple, who has surrendered himself at his holy lotus feet, to his likeness in letter and spirit.  As such, the Sadguru should be considered unique and अलौकिक i.e. uncommon or not belonging to this world."         

Let us come back to our topic proper now.  Easwara has created or – if stated more precisely – has projected this world of names and forms with the help of His all-bewitching power of Maaya.  The word, Maaya, means magic, the deluding power of Paramaatman which projects anything and everything contrary to what actually it is, like projecting a snake in a bit of rope in dim light. But this magic of Easwara is totally eclipsed by the Guru’s magic. The Guru’s magic of Gyaana Deeksha pushes all the names and forms projected by the deluding power into a state of seeming non-existence or oblivion in a single stroke. So Easwara’s magic cannot stand in front of the Guru’s magic.

From whatever have been said  till  now, one  should not conclude that the  Guru is actually capable of granting only Moksha and not the material  prosperity.  The liberated  Guru can bless the devotee with all the name,  fame, progeny, prosperity, etc. which, the Saguna Easwara is capable of granting.   If we put it more precisely, it should be stated that whatever Easwara  can  grant  can  be  granted  by  the  Guru as well.   But  all  that  the  Guru  can  grant  cannot  be  granted  by  Easwara  because  Easwara  cannot  grant Moksha independently.  He can grant Moksha only through the agency of the Guru. See this Mantra from   Mundakopanishad for conviction.

यं यं लोकं मनसा संविभाति  विशुद्धसत्वः कामयते यांश्च कामान्  |

तं तं लोकं जयते तांश्च कामान्  तस्मादात्मज्ञं ह्यर्चयेद्भूतिकामः    ||

This Mantra states clearly that the knower of the Self alone is to  be  worshipped by the one desirous of attaining even the fleeting fortunes and all sorts of  material  prosperity. 

 Let  us  come  back  to  our  original  topic  of  MOKSHAMOOLAM  GUROH  KRUPAA  now.   By  now, it  would have become sufficiently convincing  that  granting  Moksha  is  the  exclusive  prerogative  of  the  Guru  as  the  Guru  is  above  God.  In  other  words,  Guru  is  the  highest  evolved  form  of  God.   That is why a Sanyasin, in  general, who is supposed to have transcended  Vyavahara, the empirical plane by intuiting his own Self, is to  be prostrated four times and the Saguna Easwara three times  only,  as  He  has  not  transcended  Vyavahara.  This is the injunction of the Shaastras.   

Now  it  would  be  clear  that  Guru  alone  can   grant  Moksha.   For this to happen, the Guru’s total grace is needed.  In  the  verse,  it  is  said  GUROH  KRUPAA  -  the  Guru’s  overflowing compassion (अव्याज-करुणा).   How  will  the  Guru’s  compassion  flow  towards  an  individual  in  abundance?  For  this  to  happen,  one  should  please  the  Guru  by  all  means and at all costs.   In  pleasing  the  Guru  the  world  and  the  worldly  considerations  should  never come  on  the  way  of  the disciple.  In this regard, the Gopis of Vrindavana have set the  greatest  example to the world.  

We say  "KRISHNAM  VANDE  JAGADGURUM".     Krishna was the great Guru of the Gopis as well.   Their  only  aim  in  life  was  to  please  Krishna  at  any  cost.  For Krishna’s pleasure alone, they did everything.  Collecting  the milk, curdling, churning and extracting the butter, attending to the needs of the body in which the daily activities of eating,  sleeping, dressing up, doing make-up to the body using cosmetics -  everything was done in a spirit of  pleasing  Krishna, keeping Krishna always in the mental background.  They never suppressed their feelings as the recluses or Bairagis did.  They practiced sublimation and their sublimation was of the highest  order.   When  they went to the sandy river bed of the Yamuna during those autumnal full-moon nights for RAASA-LEELA, they were totally unmindful of the world and its criticism.   They said “Let the present world and the ensuing posterity condemn us outright as a fallen lot - fallen from our noble Dharma of PAATIVRATYA i.e. chastity.   Let the world write us off as unfit to attain  anything  sublime  in  this  world  and  in  the  next  worlds.   But  we  cannot  bear the separation of Krishna after hearing the music emanating from His flute.”  This point is very clear when they sing in GOPIKAA-GEETAM - Sreemad-Bhaagavata 10th Canto, Chapter 31, Verse 16.

पति-सुतान्वय-भ्रात्रृ-बान्धवान्  अतिविलङ्घ्य  तेऽन्त्यच्युतागताः |

गतिविदस्तवोद्गीतमोहिताः     कितव    योषितः    कस्त्यजेन्निशि ||

This  means  -  “We  have  come  to  your  physical presence,  transgressing  all the injunctions of Dharma enjoined for a woman of chastity.  We have  left  behind  our  husbands,  children,  clan,  brothers  and all other  relatives.   We are irresistibly driven to take such a decision by the mesmerizing music  flowing  from  your  flute.  Therefore, O, Imposter, how can You abandon us, the weaker sex, in the wilderness of the jungle and that too at the dead of night?"  This proves that the Gopis of Vrindavana were totally unmindful of the world’s evaluation of their character and the criticism emanating from that.   This strong resolution of the Gopis is the evidence of their having renounced the desire for even the goodwill.  Generally Shaastras say that there are three types of attachments.  No.1. is the attachment  to  the  near  and dear ones, property, power, wealth, and the like.  No.2. is the attachment  to  one’s physical body, its good health, good  shape,  etc.   No.3. is the attachment  to  one’s own life.

These are mentioned in the order of their intensity on the personality of a person.  In certain situations one can renounce even the attachment to one’s  life.   But  this  will  not  be  sufficient  to  become  one  with  God.  We come across a good number of martyrs in this world, who  willingly  sacrificed  their  precious lives for some noble causes.  They had the firm assurance in their hearts, that posterity would felicitate them by building monuments extolling their brave deeds which would be remembered for a long period, at least for some centuries if not for eternity.   The life may end at any time  even against one’s will and wish.  Therefore, before that actually happens if one could earn the respectful worship of the world by sacrificing one’s life it should be desired by all means.  Anybody would desire to gain a Himalayan output from a silly input.  Otherwise no one would embrace martyrdom willingly. This is the general tendency of the world and this is the real logic behind martyrdom.  None desires to be remembered by posterity as a villain or a person wedded to anything despicable in this world.  Even the Asura-King, Hiranyakashipu, would have desired  to  be  remembered  by  posterity as a noble person, loved by all.  He provided all the material comforts desired by his subjects, to their heart's content.  Materialism was at its zenith during Hiranyakashipu's reign which was at the cost of spiritual values.  We read in Bhaagavata-Mahaa-Puraana that the nature provided bountiful yields during that period.  The plants and trees were flowering in all seasons alike resulting in the bearing of fruits.  From these statements we can infer that the genetic science was mastered more perfectly at that time than it is done today.  Hiranyakashipu's only demand was that he should be extolled above even Shreeman-Naaraayana, in return for all the material prosperity he provided to his subjects.  The rationalists and materialists of present times would definitely agree with Hiranyakashipu's conclusion as there exists an irrefutable logic behind his demand.  So this is the perceptible attachment of a Jeeva for goodwill, in other words, unsullied reputation.  It is the most difficult thing in this world to get rid of.  But what did the Gopis of Vrindavana say?  “We  don’t  care for the world and its evaluation on our character.  We want only Krishna  and His loving company at any cost.”  This is the SARVA-SAMARPANAM or total and unconditional SHARANAAGATI mentioned in Bhagavad Geeta.  Chapter 18, Verse 66.

 

सर्वधर्मान्    परित्यज्य     मामेकं     शरणं     व्रज      |

अहं   त्वा   सर्वपापेभ्यो    मोक्षयिष्यामि   मा   शुचः  ||

"Abandoning all forms of rites and duties take refuge in Me alone.  I shall liberate you from all sins and the effects accruing thereof.  (Hence) Do not lament even in the least."

Brahma-Loka-Praapti  i.e.  the  attainment  of  that  lofty  state  of  Brahma-Loka is assured to a woman of true chastity by the Shaastras.   Even  this  chastity and its result of attaining the higher realms, Punya-Loka-Praapti,  should be placed at the Holy Lotus Feet of the  Lord  to  merge  with  Him, to  become one with Him eternally.  When this desire for goodwill  is  renounced  in total, one  can  conclude  that  one  has  renounced  everything;  but  not  before that.  Gopis renounced this desire for goodwill and they are remembered  by  posterity as the ever-shining examples of total surrender,  GURU-BHAKTI and  BHAGAVAD-BHAKTI.  Krishna  told  them  that  He  could  not repay them even in a small measure for their unparalleled devotion.   Meppattur Bhattatiri, in the concluding verse of RAASAKREEDA portion of  NAARAAYANEEYAM  says -  

ब्रह्म-शङ्कर-मुखान-पीह  पशुपाङ्गनासु बहुमानयन्  |

which  means that “Even  Lord  Brahma, Shankara,  etc.  extol  the  Bhakti  of  the  Gopis.   Even  they  consider  the  Gopis  at  a  higher  level  than  they  are in  and  as  such,  respect  them, worship  them."   

There  is  a  story  connected  with  the  Paraa-Bhakti  and total surrender of  the  Gopis.   This  will  remove  the  doubts,  if  any,  in  the  minds  of  the  readers.  Since  leaving  Vrindavana  by  Akrura’s  chariot  at  the  age  of  eleven, Krishna slew Kamsa and later made Dwaraka His home-town.   Krishna  never  returned  to  Vrindavana  after  that.  As such,  the  Gopis  had  no opportunity to renew their friendship, by being in the physical presence  of Krishna, except during a solar eclipse, when the inhabitants of Nanda-Gokula and the Yaadavas of Dwaraka assembled in Kurukshetra.   In  the worldly sense, Krishna’s act of side-lining the Gopis would seem  ungrateful.   In spite of this the Gopis were ever charitable towards Krishna.  Actually Krishna had firmly established the Gopis' minds in His thoughts before leaving Vrindaavana.  As such, there was no need of His physical nearness for the Gopis of Vrindaavana.

When Krishna was living with his  harem consisting of sixteen thousand, one hundred and eight Kshatriya women in Dwaraka, symbolising महागार्हस्थ्यं, the grand life of a house holder unheard of, He used to speak very highly of the  devotion of the Gopis of Vrindavana in the midst of His harem which used to  create ill-will and jealousy in the hearts of those Kshatriya women towards the Gopis.  So, Krishna wanted to make them know where they stood vis-à-vis the Gopis of Vrindavana in the matter of devotion who were illiterate and  uncivilized in the consideration of the world.  One day when Sage, Naarada  was present in Dwaraka, Krishna pretended to be suffering from a severe  headache.  His wives, one after the other, tried their best to cure Him of His  headache.  But Krishna said that the intensity of the headache was soaring  higher and higher.  Finally when they confessed their helplessness Naarada  asked Krishna if He knew the remedy for the headache.  Then Krishna  disclosed that the remedy was the PAADA-RENU i.e. the dust clinging to the  feet of anyone who loved Him above everything else.  The dust should be  applied to His forehead and the headache would vanish.  When those  women in the harem heard this, they didn’t come forward to provide this  remedy.  They had their prestige and goodwill above everything else in their  heart.  What the world would think of them if they apply their PAADA-RENU  on Krishna’s forehead?  The Shaastras never allow a woman of chastity to  apply her PAADA-RENU to her husband’s forehead.  And if she transgresses  the Shaastras she would be remembered by posterity as unchaste and  immoral.  Seeing their dilemma Krishna sent Naarada to Vrindavana seeking  the PAADA-RENU of the Gopis.  When Naarada told the Gopis what the  matter was, they all, without the exception of anyone, came forward to give  Naarada their PAADA-RENU spontaneously so that Krishna would be cured  of His headache.  By the time Naarada returned to Dwaraka with the PAADA-RENU of the Gopis, Krishna had already got up from His bed saying the  headache had vanished.  He asked Naarada to explain to His harem the  Paraa-Bhakti of the Gopis of Vrindaavana. This is why the Gopis are remembered at the commencement of any auspicious beginning as we say, “GOPIKAA – JEEVANA – SMARANAM  : GOVINDA, GOVINDA”.

Whatever  pleases  the  Guru  or  God,  that  and  that  alone,  one  should do without considering the world and its evaluation expressed in the form of criticism or adoration.  If this is possible, the Guru’s  compassion will flow abundantly towards an aspirant of Moksha.  This  is  the significance of the statement - MOKSHAMOOLAM GUROH  KRUPAA.

            

யாம் பெற்ற இன்பம் பெறுக இவ்வையகம்
LET ME SHARE THE BLISS I ATTAINED WITH THE WHOLE WORLD