Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Guru Gita Slokas - 9 and 10

Hare Krishna,

We have seen in the earlier slokas about the nature of the Guru or brahman as all pervading and nature of consciousness, as all knowledgeable ,beyond all limitations and who takes care of both the wordly needs and the spiritual needs of the people.This sloka speaks about the knowledge the guru imparts to us. We come to know the benefits of having a Guru.

Sloka -9
Aneka janma sampraaptha karma bandha vidaahine
aatmajnaana pradaanena tasmai sree gurave namaha


Words Meaning
Aneka Janma -- through many births
sampraaptha --- got through
karma bandha -- bondages due to actions done
vidaahine --- removes
aatmajnaana --- self knowledgeable
pradaanena -- imparts

Explanation
The bondages we have accumulated in pervious births are burnt when the guru imparts the knowledge of the self.

All the actions done with ignorance, without remembering the ultimate reality, thats the ulimate reality is what really exists in the world, without an attitude of complete surrender, we get attached to the actions and thereby have to enjoy the fruits of action, whether good or bad. This chain of doing actions and enjoying the fruits of actions continues, until a compassionate Guru imparts us the knowledge of the self, that you are the nature of bliss and hence bliss neednt be sorted from the outside world. This knowledge like a fire burns the bondages we have accumulated from previous births.

Lord krishna says in the 4th chapter thus.
4.33 sarva karma akhelam partha ajnaanee parisammapyathe. Meaning that All the actions end in knowledge.Gaining knowledge alone all the bondages are removed.

To such a guru who imparts me self-knowledge and removes me of all bondages, I offer my prostrations.

As in the earlier slokas, next sloka also explains the importance of a Guru and how Guru helps us in the path of realization.

Sloka -10

Shoshanam bhava sindhoshta jnaapanam saara sampadah
guroo paadodakam samyak tasmai sree gurave namaha


Words Meaning
Shoshanam -- dried up
bhava sindhoshta --- the ocean of samsaara
jnaapanam -- bestows upon
saara sampadah -- the essence of all knowledge
paadodakam samyak -- prostrating at the feet

Explanation
The Guru imparts the knowledge of brahman to the disciple and dries up the ocean of samsaara, for a person who surrenders at the feet of the Guru.

For a person who surrenders at the feet of the Guru, who obeys the guru , the Guru imparts him the knowledge knowing which there is nothing else to be known in the world.This knowledge burn all the previous birth fruits of actions and removes him from the bondages, this is what is meant by the ocean of samsaara being dried up.

So for a person who completely surrenders to the guru,he gets the essence of all knowledges and all the shackles of bondages are removed.

To such a guru who imparts self-knowledge and removes me of all bondages, I offer my prostrations.

Hare Krishna,
Aparna

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