Guru Bhakti Excerpts from H.H. Sri Sri Swamiji’s upanyãs on Ekanath at Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Adyar, Chennai, on Wednesday, the 13th August 2003 Sri Swamiji has been rendering ‘Upanyãs’ (discourses), in Tamizh. This is being brought to you here. There may appear to be variations in the ‘tense’ of the language. This is due to the fact that great effort has been taken to maintain the original style of the ‘Upanyãs’. Therefore, we request you to keep this in mind while reading the translated ‘words’ of Sri Swamiji.

“When the Guru gives you ‘upadesa’ of the Divine Name, He bestows His ‘tapas’ along with it.”

“What should one ask of a Guru/a Sadhu? Not help in education, marriage or begetting children. All these happen at the appropriate moment as destined. You should ask a Guru/a Sadhu that which cannot be obtained elsewhere. That which is not available anywhere else - Moksha! Ask them for Liberation.”

……………. H.H. Sri Sri Swamiji

Sri Swamiji,

"HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE"

“ Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, one day, stretched out his hand and said to Kali, ‘Mother! I offer all my kama, krodha…….’ and suddenly he felt a hand taking hold of his outstretched hand. He then heard a voice say, ‘Do not offer these to Kali. Whatever you offer to Kali will return to you in multifold.’
“Our offerings to Sadhus do not go a waste. When we offer something to the Guru, to Sadhus, to Bhagavan it comes back to us in multifold.
This is ‘Satyam’,” His Holiness said passionately. “

“ A man had, at night, fallen inside the manhole on the road. He stayed there the whole night without any help. Fortunately, the level of the gutter was only upto his neck. In the morning a passerby heard his cry and came up to him.
He asked the fallen man, “What can I do for you?”
The fallen man said, “I have not had my supper last evening. I feel hungry. Please get something for me to eat!”
What a fool is he who, having fallen into the stinking gutter asks for something to eat, instead seeking help to get out of it! Likewise, we have fallen into the gutter of samsara and when help is forthcoming, foolishly seek only the pleasures of the world that stink like the gutter and do not jump at the opportunity that has presented itself in the form of a Guru/Sadhu, to get out it. “

“ A man can never repay the Guru in any manner. Even if he places the whole Universe at the Guru’s Feet it is no equal to the Moksha that the Guru bestows on you. A Sadguru bestows Moksha on you. He is one who knows your ‘thãpa’(longing/yearning) to reach Bhagavan and Bhagavan’s ‘thãpa’ to take each jiva unto Himself.
Kabir says, ‘if Guru and Bhagavan were to appear before me, I would ignore Bhagavan and prostrate to my Guru.’
Why does he say so? He explains, ‘when I was filled with the filth of the vices of my mind it was my Guru who took me unto Himself and cleansed me. Bhagavan did not turn to my side at all. It is only after I have been purified by the contact with my Guru that Bhagavan turns to me. Bhagavan appears only to one who is pure, bereft of kãma, koba, etc.’

Guru is like the mother who carries the child in her womb for nine months. She avoids food that would affect the health of the infant in the womb. Though in discomfiture she lays down in a way that might not hurt the infant within. She undergoes inexplicable pain during labour. After birth it is the mother who cleans the baby when it dirties the bed. When the baby cries she carries it on her shoulder all night, trying to soothe.
She feeds the child with her milk. She spends sleepless nights when the baby falls ill.
The father is akin to Bhagavan. He does not carry the child in the womb. He does not suffer any labour pain. He does not take care of the child day and night. But, when the child has grown into a respectable adult he walks on the street with his hand on the shoulder of his son. To a friend that he meets he introduces his son proudly, ‘this is my son. He holds high office in the United States!’ “

“ A man has fallen into a well. A man offers to lift him up.
The fallen man asks, “Sir! You offer to lift me up. But, would you not, in this attempt, fall down?”
The man on top questions back, “Do you think that I do not value my life? I can lift not just one like you but a hundred, a thousand, a lakh and a crore of people fallen into this well.”
This man having gained confidence in the man’s words places another question, “How will you lift me up?”
The man on top says, “I will drop a rope. Catch hold of it. I will pull you out.”
The fallen man now doubts the strength of the rope. The man come to lift him up assures him, “Do not doubt the strength of the rope. Note the trademark on it. It is a strong one.”
So, the fallen man catches hold of the rope and is lifted up.
He now asks the one who has helped him out, “Now that you have lifted me up, do you seek some payment from me.”
The one who has helped him laughs, “I am happy having successfully lifted you out of the well. I seek nothing in return.

The well is the ‘samsãra’ (life) into which we have fallen. It is verily the Guru who has come up to lift us out of this well of a ‘samsãra’. The rope that he drops for us to take hold of is verily the path of Nãmasankirtan (taking the Divine Name of the Lord). It has the trademark of innumerable Mahans who have followed this path. If the Guru says wear green or red vastra you may doubt. But, this is the path shown by innumerable Mahans.

What ‘mãrga’ does a Sadguru show? He shows the mãrga that Mahans such as Mira, Thiagaraja, Badrachala Ramdas, Ãzhwãrs, Nãyanmãrs, the Bhaktãs of Pandaripur like Namdev, Tukkaram have all shown; and they have all taken the path as shown by the Shastras. A true Guru shows the path taken by such great Bhaktas. Nãmasankirtanam is a very easy path. Do not think, ‘I do not know to sing. I do not possess melodious voice. I have no knowledge of ‘rãgãs’.’ Just utter ‘Ra’-‘Ma’. It is also verily Nãmasankirtan. That is all to it. But, people are always in awe of arduous ways. This is the reason for their indifference to this easy ‘mãrga’. The Adyar banyan tree here is hundreds of/ thousands of years old. If we desire to bring it down we bring bulldozers and such big machines. With great difficulty we try to bring it down. Instead, if we get some termites to the tree they gradually multiply in crores, eat away the wood and thus bring the deep-rooted huge tree down easily. Rama Nãm is verily this termite that can easily, gradually eat away the kãma, krodha, moha within you and make you pure (‘pavitram’)! Yogãbhyãsa, karmas, Vedanta vichara are like the big bulldozer. “

When the Guru gives you ‘upadesa’ of the Divine Name, He bestows His ‘tapas’ along with it.

We may question, ‘why can’t I meditate on the clock on the wall or on the black dot on the wall?’ Sound has power. Food and water affect our body. Alcohol affects our body. The five elements - fire (‘agni’) in our body digests the food that we take. If we drink contaminated water it affects the body health. If unhealthy food is eaten we suffer from food poison. All the five elements are found in our body - fire, water, earth, air and space. Space does not mean the sky seen on the outside but there is ‘akãsa’ within our body, too. There is space between the liver and another part of our body. There is space between the different parts of our body. This space is affected by the sound that is heard. Just as unhygienic drink or food affects our system so does unhealthy sounds (in the form of vulgar songs, speeches) affect our system both physically and mentally. Just as medicines prescribed by a doctor cure us of the infection from impure water and food so do the sound of the Vedas, Divine Name of the Lord purifies the space within, which has been infected with impure sounds.

Let us say that on the compound wall of our house some dirty posters have been pasted. What should we do to stop this? We should paste a poster reading, ‘do not paste any poster on this wall.’ This would stop further pasting of posters. Thus, by listening to Bhagavan’s ‘gunãs’ (qualities), Bhakta charitras (life histories), Vedic sounds, sound of the Divine Names unwanted thoughts are erased out and new ones do not crop up. All our ‘kãma’, ‘krodha’ are wiped out. Listening to Bhakta charitra is greater than even listening to Bhagavan’s charitra. “

“ ‘Prakriti’ is the mother and Bhagavan the father. Prakriti, the mother, slaps us across the face harshly and it is then that we run to the Father, the Lord! “

“ You cannot comprehend Bhagavan/Atma with your ‘buddhi’. When you are totally ignorant to what is happening beyond these walls, what is going to happen tomorrow and what had happened some 30/40 years back how can you think of comprehending Bhagavan with your ‘buddhi’? It is like trying to see the Sunlight with the help of the moonlight when the reality is that the Moon has no light of its own but it is only the reflected light of the Sun. It is only through the association of Sadhus can you earn bhakti. Sadhus are the hands of the Lord. Just as we pick up things with the hands, Bhagavan pulls us unto Himself using Sadhus as His hands. Never sever your association with Sadhus. “

“ One should get under the wings of a Guru. But, do not go out in search of a Guru. You will not be able to attain a Sadguru through your own effort. It is not easy to identify a Sadguru.
‘Then what am I to do? You say that one should embrace a Sadguru to attain Bhagavãn and you also say that one cannot easily identify a Sadguru. Then what is the way out?’ Keep praying to Bhagavan sincerely. If you have deep yearning to attain Bhagavan, Bhagavan himself will send a Sadguru to you. This is certain. “

“ There are three kinds of ‘diksha’ (initiation). Initiation by touch, initiation by sight and initiation by thought. Ramana Maharishi also speaks of these three ‘dikshãs’ in his ‘Aksharamanamalai’.

A hen lays her eggs and sits on it to hatch it. By the touch of the hen the egg is hatched and the chickens come out of the eggs. Likewise, the Guru touches his disciples and this activates the spiritual fervour in them. Many young boys used to visit Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Suddenly these young boys would stop visiting him. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would feel disturbed and when the boys visited him after a gap would question them, ‘why have you not come here for a long time?’
The young boys would explain, ‘our elders at home do not like our visiting you. They say that by visiting you our studies would be spoilt. They refuse to permit us to come here.’
Sri Ramakrishna would tell the boys to somehow bring the elders at home - the parents or uncle or whoever it was who tried to stop the young ones from visiting him - to him. When those elders came to him, he would touch them while speaking to them. This touch would change their attitude and they would begin to visit Sri Ramakrishna! This is ‘hasta diksha’ (initiation by touch).

The fish lays its eggs in the water and keeps moving hither and thither in the water. But, the fish keeps looking at the eggs laid. Though the very gaze of the fish the eggs are hatched. This is ‘chakshu diksha’ (initiation by look). The Guru looks at his disciple and this triggers off the spiritual fervour in him. Paul Brunton came to the presence of Bhagavãn Ramana Maharshi at the advice of Maha Periyava. He had a number of questions to be placed before Bhagavãn. Bhagavãn said to him that he would meet him in his room. Bhagavãn went as promised and sat gazing at Paul Bruton. At the end of it, Bhagavãn asked him, ‘you wish to place some questions before me. What are those questions?’
Paul Brunton said, “No! The need to question does not arise. All my questions have been answered.”
Such is the gaze of the Guru.

A tortoise lays its eggs on land and moves over to the water. Staying in water, its thoughts rest on the eggs laid on the land. By the constant thought of the eggs by the tortoise the eggs get hatched. Similarly, the Guru thinks of his disciple and this takes the disciple higher in his spiritual path.

One who has fallen into the gaze of the Guru has no escape just as a goat on which the mark of the Tiger’s teeth has been made. “

“ Girish Chandra Ghosh was a man full of vices. Name the vice and he had it. However, he had deep affection for Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Ramakrishna asked him to chant the Lord’s Divine Name every morning and evening. Girish Chandra Ghosh said, “I cannot. It is not possible for me to chant the Divine Name every morning and evening.”
Paramahamsa said, “Well! Chant it just before you take your meals.”
Girish Chandra Ghosh, “No, Sir! This is not possible for me!”
Paramahamsa said, “Well! Chant just once before going to bed.”
Girish, “No! This, too, is not possible for me!”
Paramahamsa said, “Well! then, surrender to me. I will take care of you. I will take you to Moksha. Give the power of attorney to me.”
Girish Chandra’s joy knew no bounds. He thought, ‘what fortune! I can lead my life as I have been living. The Master will do japa for me and take me to Moksha.’
At once he gave his power of attorney to Paramahamsa.
But, what happened after this? The moment Girish lifted the wine bottle he saw Ramakrishna’s face on the bottle. He could not drink. When he visited any woman for company he saw Ramakrishna in her and could not go near her. Girish was unable to carry on life in his old style. He thought, ‘I thought that surrender was very easy. But, it is not so.’
Every moment, in all actions, he saw only the Master. He just could not forget him. “

“ One should see Bhagavãn in everything. All Mahans have lived only in this manner. Once, Namdev did not come home even for food. So, his wife carried the ‘roti’ and sugar mixed with ghee for him. Namdev, who was busy performing Nãmasankirtan asked her to place it near him and leave. He promised her that he would eat it. But, what happened? Soon after his wife left, a dog came near Namdev and carried the ‘roti’ away. Seeing this Namdev chased the dog. He chased the dog not for retrieving the ‘roti’ but in his hand he held the cup with sugar-ghee mix calling out to the dog, “Panduranga! How will you eat the ‘roti’ alone? Have this sugar with ghee!” Namdev perceived this dog verily as Panduranga. “

“ What should one ask of a Guru/a Sadhu? Not help in education, marriage or begetting children. All these happen at the appropriate moment as destined. You should ask a Guru/a Sadhu that which cannot be obtained elsewhere. That which is not available anywhere else - Moksha! Ask them for Liberation.

Vivekananda once approached Ramakrishna with his family problems. After the death of his father Vivekananda realized the real situation of the family. They were neck deep in debt. His mother and siblings had no food, proper clothing. He asked Ramakrishna to speak to Kali to improve his family circumstances. Ramakrishna said to him, ‘you talk to Kali yourself.’
Vivekananda said, ‘it is you who talk to her. So, talk to her on my behalf.’
Ramakrishna said to him, ‘go to Kali tonight. I will request her to speak to you. You may then speak to her about your family problem.’
That night Vivekananda visited Kali Temple in Dakshineshwar and Kali appeared to him. On seeing Kali, Vivekananda asked her, ‘Mother! Please give me pure ascetic life!’
When he came back to Ramakrishna the latter asked him, ‘well! Did you see Kali? Did you ask her whatever you wished to ask of her?’
Vivekananda said, ‘I saw Kali but forgot to speak to her about my family problems. Instead I asked her to give me pure ascetic life.’
Ramakrishna sent him to Kali again. Once again Vivekananda forgot to speak to Kali about his family problems and asked Kali to bless him with a pure ascetic life. The same happened the third time also. But, after the fourth visit Vivekananda said to Ramakrishna, ‘this time I did not forget. But, I felt ashamed to speak about such petty matter to Kali who is of such great glory. To speak to her of petty life struggle is akin to seeking salt and pepper of a king who can give you precious gems. To seek such petty things is showering disgrace on the king. So, I did not seek her help in my family matters.’ "

GOPIKA JEEVANASMARANAM!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA!”

NOTE: Any discrepancy/lapse in the translated version of the Upanyasam is the sole responsibility of the person/s who translated the work from Tamizh into English.

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