Thus Spake the Divine - Guru Bhakti

Thus Spake the Divine

Guru Bhakti

Guru is much superior to Ishvar; Guru Bhakti is much more superior to Ishvara Bhakti. Why do people say that? They say so because nobody has ever seen Ishvara. Guru is one we can physically see. If we are fortunate enough to get a person who is impeccably pure, possesses wisdom and a resolute mind, then we can acquire mental peace and happiness by espousing Bhakti towards such a person. This will be the Guru, who will show us the path to God. That is why people say Guru Bhakti is much superior to Ishvara Bhakti.

See this verse, which brings the non-distinctiveness between Guru and Ishvara. The same verse also highlights the non-distinctiveness between Shiva and Vishnu. We too can instil equanimity within us as between these two Gods by chanting this verse. Why is Guru Bhakti superior? Ishvara has several functions, such as creation, sustenance and destruction. Guru is free from such duties. Ishvara runs an ‘office’, while Guru does not.

Instead of disturbing someone who is simultaneously amidst numerous activities, isn’t it better to plead someone who is free enough to fulfi l our wishes? Whatever virtuous qualities Ishvara possesses, so does the Guru. A Guru is impeccably pure; he does not lie; he is devoid of intrigues; he has conquered his sensory pleasures; he is compassionate; he is a great Jnyani. We see him with our eyes, whereas God is not visible to us physically. Therefore, if we espouse unidirectional Bhakti for our Guru, we will get whatever benefi ts we can get from espousing Bhakti towards Ishvara. That is why Guru Bhakti is much more superior to Ishvara Bhakti. Of course, remember that one should never forget Bhakti towards God. It is only He who has endowed Guru with disciple! Without the grace of Ishvar, how can anybody identify his Guru?

This is the verse written by our Acharya at the beginning of His composition Viveka Chudamani. The meaning of this verse is: There are three great boons that a man gets only with the Anugraha of God. They are: Birth as a human, desire to know the absolute philosophy, which is Moksha, and getting the most virtuous and noble person as his Guru.

Therefore, for everybody, Dakshinamurti is the eternal Guru. How have our guru, our guru’s guru and his guru attained absolute wisdom? If we keep tracking the origin referring one predecessor for each, at the end, naturally the last one should be Ishvar, who must have been the Guru for the Guru to whom He disseminated wisdom, isn’t it? That is why one should never forget God. There is also another interpretation to this.

Instead of espousing Bhakti towards two different individual entities, one as Guru and the other as Ishvar, if we have Ishvara Himself as our Guru, then there is no need for espousing Bhakti separately to Guru. We can surrender absolutely to Ishvara Himself in the form of Guru. A Guru may not be impeccably pure or most virtuous and noble. But once we espouse our Bhakti to this everlasting impeccable and most noble Ishvar, then He will shower His grace on us in the form of Guru too. That is why, at the outset of one’s learning in life, it is taught that Guru is equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and also the Parabrahmam, who is the source for all the three.

In this verse, Vyasa is compared with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It says, He is Brahma without four faces (with one face); He is Vishnu without four hands (with two hands) and He is Lord Shiva without the third eye! There is no one greater than Guru. We should have absolute trust in him; the trust should be genuine. If we trust that Ishvara has descended within the Guru, then there is no need for a separate entity as God. The very Bhakti, the very trust that we have in our Guru will lead us to Moksha.

In case we commit a serious offense against God, it is not necessary that we seek His forgiveness. It is just enough if Guru forgives us of the offense; Ishvara will automatically forgive us. On the contrary, if we offend our Guru in any way, even if we surrender to God, there will be no redemption for the same. Ishvara Himself will direct us back to our Guru for his forgiveness and reparation, if any. If Guru makes a representation on behalf of the disciple, then Ishvara might relent and offer His grace. But if Guru becomes angry over the disciple’s acts, then there is no one to save the disciple. There is a shloka highlighting this truth.

Guru Bhakti. We are impure; we possess a vacillating mind; we are not competent in keeping our mind focused on one single point even for a minute. We can attain a state of equipoise and stillness only if we contemplate on one who is ever pure, fi lled with absolute wisdom, and is resolute, motionless and steady as a wooden log. We will become “he” who we contemplate on. It is not necessary that it should only be Ishvara.

Even if we identify an individual similar to us, who possesses all the above virtues, and if we treat him as our Guru, we will become “that individual”. Only when the mind becomes still and motionless can Atma shine and true bliss felt. We need Guru Bhakti and Ishvara Bhakti only to stop our mind from wavering. That is what our Shastras denote. Only with the Anugraha of Guru can we attain wisdom, says Chandogya Upanishad. It says, “He alone shall attain Jnyana who has an Acharya (Acharyavan Purusho Veda)”. It is also narrated in the form of a small story. There is a man living in Gandhara Desham (today’s Kandhahar in Afghanistan).

He has been blindfolded and left in an uninhabited place away from Kandhahar. How will he ever return to his native place? Will he panic or be confused or both? Which direction will he take to return; North, South, East or West? Along comes a good samaritan who opens his blindfold. He guides the man about the correct route to reach Kandahar. Without lamenting or panicking, the person follows the route suggested by his benefactor and reaches his town. Chandogya Upanishad says Maya has, similarly blindfolded and left us in this Cosmos. But guided by the directives of our Guru (Acharya), we can reach the point of our origin, which is Brahmam.

Sri Shankara Bhagavadpada, the Jagaguru, speaks of the eminence of Guru again and again. He asks, “How does it matter if a man is great in many aspects? When there is no mental devotion towards the lotus-feet of the Preceptor, then what, then what, then what, then what? The Jagadguru is not asking this question just once. He is asking it four times at the end of each verse of Gurvashtakam (a hymn with 8 verses in praise of the Guru) Tatah kim? Tata Kim? Tatah kim? Tata Kim? Here, Guru means the Sanyasa-Guru, who initiates his disciple into Sanyasa.

Only during this stage of life can one seek Moksha through Pranava Upadesha, Mahavakya Upadesha etc. This is the last stage of life of the four Ashramas (stages): Brahmacharya (student), Gruhastha (householder), Vanaprastha (retired) and Sanyasa (renunciation). In the Brahmacharya (student) stage of an individual, the Acharya mandates that the disciple learn Veda and practice other rituals as ordained under the Veda Shastras before proceeding to the next stage of life, which is Gruhastha, and ultimately reach the stage of Sanyasa.

What is the importance of adhering to Veda Karma? Only when one’s mind is calm and composed can Pranava Upadesha and Mahavakya Upadesha lead one towards attaining Moksha. (Vedas being four, namely, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, there are also four Mahavakyas. 1. Prajnyanam Brahma (Consciousness is Brahman), Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahmam), Tat Tvam Asi (That Thou Art) and Ayamatma Brahma (This Self is Brahmam) respectively).

If the mind is disoriented, it cannot absorb any Upadesha. We go to a number of spiritual discourses; we listen to discourses on Bhagavad Gita. But why do we still remain entangled within our sorrows? Why does Jnyana not dawn on us? This is because our mind is not calm and hence retains nothing. In his Upadesha Panchakam, Acharya says, “Carry out the Vedic rituals and other Karmas as ordained by Veda, and dedicate them to the feet of Ishvara without looking for any rewards.” By this, he means that mind should be cleansed (Chitta Shuddhi) and turned unwavering.

Our mind is like a barren fi eld. First, it should be ploughed with Karma. What comes next? The fi eld must next be watered. Here, we need to water our mind by way of unidirectional Bhakti towards Ishvara and Guru. When there is Guru Bhakti, one’s mind automatically becomes motionless and unwavering. Our mind’s absorption capacity is strong when we are in the presence of great saints and Mahans. When they read or say something just once, our mind becomes calm and quiet only because of their sacred presence. The same state cannot be felt when we read something in a library; whatever we read just drains away from our mind.

That is why we should take Upadesha from people with great souls. We should learn everything with Guru as our medium. We may be very learned but ignorance remains in our mind. We should thus go to a place, where such ignorance gets eliminated and wisdom dawns. That place is the Sannidhi (Shrine) of an Acharya. The entire journey of cleansing one’s mind goes like this: An individual in his Brahmacharya Ashrama learns Veda from his Guru; in his Gruhasthashrama, he carries out what he has learned and adheres to the Karmas as directed by the Guru; he acquires Upadesha on Mahavakya from the Sanyasa Ashrama Guru. This is the way one learns, just as a seed germinates and grows. This means that, ultimately, Jeevan unifi es with Brahmam. It is the Guru who facilitates this at the beginning and at the end. Guru Bhakti is one that possesses all the above aspects.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.