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