“One is not sure if Bhagavat Bhakti would liberate a man but Guru Bhakti will never fail a man.”

-Sri Muralidhara Swamigal.

Sri Swamigal ---

“OH! MY HEART! MEDITATE ON THE GURU ALWAYS!”

- “ When we say meditate on the Guru it does not just mean meditating only on a fixed form of the Guru but on all His activities, pleasing qualities, the way He pours His compassion on the devotees,

THAT IS - Oh! My Heart! Meditate on Him! Who preaches the divine Name and Its glories! is like a moon to the ocean of the devotees! is forever engaged in meditating upon the Holy Feet of Sri Hari! destroys entirely the three ‘tãpãs’ that afflict the heart of those who have surrendered unto Him! has a wonderful form and whose body is horripilated in ecstasy! enjoys the nectar of Bhãgavata and has a pleasant face! is gentle and is known for destroying the fear of ‘samsãra’! is adept in singing melodiously the glories of Sri Hari! is the mine of all good qualities! sings ‘Ha! Krishna! Ha! Krishna!’ every moment! has a face lit with a smile, which shines in every devotee’s heart! is the source of all auspiciousness for those very few fortunate people! Whose eyes brim with tears of joy! Holy Feet are engaged in dancing! very nature is to bestow the love of Krishna upon everyone! "

Sri Swamigal,

" To acquire knowledge of even worldly affairs from making a pot to scientific matter one needs a Teacher. If matters such as these that are within the purview of the working of our limited brain needs a teacher then what to speak of high spiritual knowledge which is beyond the realm of the mind? The mind that had been involved in innumerable births to look externally in seeking happiness does not so easily turn inward. It is the Guru - the friend, philosopher and guide in the true sense - who helps us first learn the purpose of life, shows the way to the goal, holds and leads us all through the way and finally sets us in our true nature.

A poverty stricken man is sitting on a cot crying and a Siddha Purusha who passes by enquires the reason for his grief. The poor man says, “I am drowned in poverty. This is the reason for my sorrow”. The Siddha Purusha points out to him, “Do not cry. Dig the ground below the cot on which you are sitting and you will find a pot filled with treasure!” Our situation is akin to this poor ignorant man. Not knowing that happiness is our very nature we are drowned in sorrow trying to seek it elsewhere. It is the Guru who points out to us our very nature that is Bliss. Just as a child who has no parents is called an orphan a spiritual aspirant who has no Guru to guide is also an orphan.

Even Bhagavãn in both His Avatãrs as Krishna and Rama sought a Guru. Krishna’s Guru was Sandeepani and Rama’s Guru was Vasishta. What does Krishna tell his visiting friend Kuchela? “Kuchela! None in the world enjoys peace - neither the rich nor the poor. Each envies the other imagining that the other is happy! However, you who are the personification of poverty and I who am Dwarakãdeesa (the ruler of the wealthy Kingdom of Dwaraka) and Lakshmipati (Consort of Goddess of wealth Lakshmi) both enjoy peace. You do not suffer from the sorrows attached to poverty and I from those attached to wealth. Do you know why it is so? Since we enjoy the Grace of a Guru - our Guru Sãndeepanai!”

“GUROHO ANUGRAHENAIVA PUMÃN PURNAH PRASHÃNTHAYE”---
One on whom guru ‘katãksha’(blessings) has fallen suffers no grief, be he wealthy or poor.

(In the case of Rama, his Guru Vasishta gives upadesa to the aggrieved Rama on the true nature of the Self and shows his true nature.)

Jagadguru Adi Sankara, the teacher of Advaita philosophy, has sung on the Glory of the Guru, “One may possess a beautiful, healthy body; a charming wife; wealth as huge as a meru mountain and enjoy fame throughout the world but of what use are these if his mind is not set on the Lotus Feet of the Guru?

All great Mahatmas have sung on the glory of the Guru. “Kutramutrum aruthennai gunamãi pannithãl Guru uruvãiolir, Arunachala!”, sings Ramana Maharishi, calling upon Arunachala to be the Guru in annihilating his mind and taking him unto His fold! “Guruvãi varuvai arulvãi Guhane!” sings Saint Arunagirinathar calling upon Lord Muruga to be his Guru! And what does the great Kabir say while speaking on his Guru Ramanand? “If God and Guru appear before me I will ignore God and prostrate to my Guru!” and what does Ekanath sing of his Guru Sri Janardhana Swami? “Guru Mãta! Guru Pita! Guru amuchi kuladevata!” - The Guru is my mother, Guru my father and Guru is my family Deity!

A Sadguru is like the mother and God like the father of a child. It is the mother who takes care of the child from its birth upto the time he is able to take care of himself. In babyhood and childhood she handles the child with care and affection. When the baby dirties the bed it is she who cleans up the mess even as she speaks loving words to the baby. She sits with the child day and night when he is sick and attends to his personal needs without a frown. Whereas, the father takes pride in the son only when he stands on his two feet and makes a name for himself in the world. Likewise, God is accessible only to the pure heart but the Guru takes on the ‘jiva’ ONLY TO CLEANSE HIM OF HIS DIRTS (‘vãsanas’) and liberate him. The Sadguru’s Grace is beyond the description of words!

A man with his inherent nature of successfully completing a task taken up may perform japa or meditation with obstinacy. But what happens to such a one who takes to intense spiritual practice without the guidance of a Guru? The net of Maya only tightens its hold by bestowing him with supernatural faculties. He is able to learn the happenings that are beyond the reach of our mental faculties. He may be able to cure diseases. The world, too, holds and looks upon him as verily Bhagavãn. But the truth is that he has not attained liberation but has been pulled deeper into the pit of Maya (of ego)! He himself is aware of this. By his own effort a ‘jiva’ cannot disentangle himself from the chains of Maya. It is only a Guru who can annihilate a person’s Ego, which is the only block in knowing/being his true Self. A classic example of this is Sãrngdev who had a huge following of wealthy powerful men. He was a Siddha Purusha who could even revive the dead. Thus, he was sought after by one and all and there was always a long line of the dead and their relatives at his doorstep! Once Mukta Bai, the little sister of Saint Jnãnadev, enquired about this long line of dead. On learning the reason the little one said to the relatives of the dead, “I can also revive them to life!” and chanted the Nãma ‘Vittala’! ‘Vittala’! in each one’s ear and the dead jumped back on ‘its’ feet and danced away singing the Nãma ‘Vittala’! ‘Vittala’! The belittled Sãrngdev rode on a lion to accost Jnãnadev whom he looked upon as his archenemy. Jnãnadev who was poor and lived in a hut was repairing the broken wall of his hut. He saw Sãrngdev ride arrogantly on a lion and only to teach him that ‘Siddhis’ were silly matters, sat on the wall and tapped it; and it moved up to Sãrngdev! The astounded Sãrgndev fell at the feet of Jnãnadev as he realized his own folly and the emptiness of all around him. He sought knowledge from Jnãnadev who blessed him with the Nãma ‘Vittala’! Sãrngdev gave up his wealth, relatives and followers immediately and took to incessant chanting of the Name of Vittala into which Jnãnadev had initiated him. Very soon his nescience was wiped out and he became a Jnãni!

Another fine example is Namdev for whom Lord Panduranga was easily available as a friend. This Namdev who enjoyed the company of Lord Panduranga day in and day out, since his childhood, was called an ‘unbaked clay’ by Gora Kumbha (a potter saint). Angered by this insult, Namdev approached Lord Panduranga who endorsed the view! The latter then explained, “You do not have a Guru to correct you hence you are an unbaked clay. It is only a Guru who can annihilate your ego and help you find your real Self” and directed him to a Guru living in the nearby forest. Namdev sought refuge in this Guru who destroyed his ‘Ego’. With the death of the ‘Ego’ Namdev realized that everything was verily Brahman; that he himself was not apart from God. Everything was in God and God was in everything as the ‘antarãtma’.

Sabari known for her Guru Bhakti was born in a family of hunters. She lived in a forest killing animals and birds for food. Such a Sabari attained liberation through the grace of her Guru Mandanga Maharishi who blessed her with the darshan of Lord Rama! Bhagavãn Himself comes to her door in search of her and accepts her hospitality. Speaking to Lord Rama on the glory of her Guru she leaves her mortal body to join her Guru, with Lord Rama as the witness. It is very clearly shown here that this old lady from a hunter’s family attained liberation through the Grace of the Guru, with Bhagavãn only as the witness to the event! Such is the glory of the Guru!

The working of Guru’s Grace is like the oil in a lamp. The wick, which is lit without oil in the lamp is quickly burnt out and the light, too, dies out. But if oil is poured into the lamp it not only protects the wick from burning out but also helps the lamp burn continuously. Likewise, one who does not enjoy the Grace of the Guru suffers from his ‘prarabda’ (the effect of his past merits and demerits). He is like the wick in a lamp bereft of oil. ‘Prarabda’ shudders at the prospect of even approaching a ‘jiva’ who enjoys the Grace of the Guru.

The Sadguru can in a snapping of fingers’ time bestow liberation on the disciple! There once lived a King by name Katvanga . He desired liberation and sought the Vedic Brahmins to help him. But the learned could not help him. It was then that a great Mahatma visited the Kingdom who bestowed the King with liberation within the snapping of fingers’ time!

The glory of the Sadguru is beyond verbal description. It is to be experienced!”

“SADGURU MAHARÃJ KI!”
“JAI!”

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