Hare Krishna,
We have come ot the last sloka of Gurugita. This sloka emphasizes on the importance of a guru. This sloka shows the Guru bhatki which is essential for intial seekers.Without true surrender to guru, without devoted to him,one cannot apprehend the knowledge imparted by the guru.
Sloka -13
Gururaadih anaadischa guruh parama daivatham
guroh paratharam naasthi tasmai sree gurave namah
Words Meaning
Guruaadih --- Guru is the beginning
annadi -- without end
daivatham -- he is divine
paratharam naasthi -- nothing higher than the guru
Explanation
The guru is from the begining and is without any end.He is the supreme purusha.There is nothing else higher than a guru.
The whole world is an effect for which the cause is brahman.So before everything existed , brahman alone existed.Hence brahman alone is from the beginning. Guru who is brahman himself is ever present, he is beyond time and space, he is one without a second,hence its said that there is no end to Guru. He is divine.He shines and illumines the whole world with the knowledge of ultimate reality.He is the supreme purusha and there is nothing greater than the guru. Its only through a guru, a person gets the knowledge of ultimate reality,hence one is ever indebted to a guru and hence there can be nothing supreme than a guru.Guru is the person who helps us to cross over the ocean of the world.So even though a person is realized, he/she would never forget his guru.
To such a guru Who is ever present, who imparts the knowledege of ultimate reality and who is the supreme being,to such a guru I offer my prostrations.
With this we have completed Guru gita slokas.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Guru Gita Slokas - 11 and 12
Hare Krishna,
Till now we have seen the nature of the Guru, being all pervading,in the entire universe in both living and non-living.The capability of the guru to remove ignorance and remove us from bondages of this samsaara.He imparts us the utmost knowledge of aatma jnaana. He is of the nature of brahman.The last three slokas from now speak about the importance of a guru and considered to be very significant among all the slokas.
Sloka -11
Na guroradhikam bhaavam na guroradhikam tapah
tattvajnanaat param naasthi tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
Na guroradhikam -- no more than a Guru
bhaavam --- contemplation
tapah --- penance
tattvajnanaat --- the truth of ultimate reality
Explanation
There is no higher means of contemplation than contemplating on the guru. There is nothing higher than worshipping the guru, there is no higher object of contemplation than the Guru.Surrendering to the Guru,serving him in all ways,being with him is considered greater than doing penance for many years.Because only a Guru can impart us the truth of ultimate reality.Without the Guru a person cannot get the knowledge of ultimate reality.
To such a guru who imparts self-knowledge and who is the greatest object of worship and serving whom alone one can get the knowledge of ultimate reality.
In next sloka we see the knowledge gained by surrendering to the Guru . It speaks about the knowledge imparted by the Guru.It also mentions the stages a person undergoes to know the ultimate reality.
Sloka -12
Mannatha sree jagannatha madguru sree jagatguru
madaatmaa sarvabhootaatma tasmai sree guravee namaha
Words Meaning
Mannatha --- My lord
jagannatha -- lord of the world
madguru -- My Guru
jagatguru --- Guru to the world
madaatmaa -- My aatma
sarvabhootaatma --- the aatma in all beings
Explanation
My lord is the lord of the world,My guru is the Guru of the world,my aatma is the aatma present in everything in the world.
The lord whom I worship is the lord of the entire world,Who controls the world ,who has control over the maya in the world and he is brahman. This is what a sadhaka or seeker contemplates on initially through sadhana.Once he has a guru, he does vigorous sadhana and comes to know that his Guru is brahman and he is the Guru of the entire world.He gains knowledge from the Guru and through aparoskhaanubhuti realizes that he is the aatma who is all pervading, i.e he is brahman himself.So from duality that he is different from the ruler and controller of the world, a seeker through the grace of the guru understands TAT TVAM ASI statement.Thus he gets self realisation.
To such a guru who imparts Knowledge and who is the Guru of the entire universe and who guides me in the path of self-realization ,I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
Till now we have seen the nature of the Guru, being all pervading,in the entire universe in both living and non-living.The capability of the guru to remove ignorance and remove us from bondages of this samsaara.He imparts us the utmost knowledge of aatma jnaana. He is of the nature of brahman.The last three slokas from now speak about the importance of a guru and considered to be very significant among all the slokas.
Sloka -11
Na guroradhikam bhaavam na guroradhikam tapah
tattvajnanaat param naasthi tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
Na guroradhikam -- no more than a Guru
bhaavam --- contemplation
tapah --- penance
tattvajnanaat --- the truth of ultimate reality
Explanation
There is no higher means of contemplation than contemplating on the guru. There is nothing higher than worshipping the guru, there is no higher object of contemplation than the Guru.Surrendering to the Guru,serving him in all ways,being with him is considered greater than doing penance for many years.Because only a Guru can impart us the truth of ultimate reality.Without the Guru a person cannot get the knowledge of ultimate reality.
To such a guru who imparts self-knowledge and who is the greatest object of worship and serving whom alone one can get the knowledge of ultimate reality.
In next sloka we see the knowledge gained by surrendering to the Guru . It speaks about the knowledge imparted by the Guru.It also mentions the stages a person undergoes to know the ultimate reality.
Sloka -12
Mannatha sree jagannatha madguru sree jagatguru
madaatmaa sarvabhootaatma tasmai sree guravee namaha
Words Meaning
Mannatha --- My lord
jagannatha -- lord of the world
madguru -- My Guru
jagatguru --- Guru to the world
madaatmaa -- My aatma
sarvabhootaatma --- the aatma in all beings
Explanation
My lord is the lord of the world,My guru is the Guru of the world,my aatma is the aatma present in everything in the world.
The lord whom I worship is the lord of the entire world,Who controls the world ,who has control over the maya in the world and he is brahman. This is what a sadhaka or seeker contemplates on initially through sadhana.Once he has a guru, he does vigorous sadhana and comes to know that his Guru is brahman and he is the Guru of the entire world.He gains knowledge from the Guru and through aparoskhaanubhuti realizes that he is the aatma who is all pervading, i.e he is brahman himself.So from duality that he is different from the ruler and controller of the world, a seeker through the grace of the guru understands TAT TVAM ASI statement.Thus he gets self realisation.
To such a guru who imparts Knowledge and who is the Guru of the entire universe and who guides me in the path of self-realization ,I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
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
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
Guru Gita Slokas - 7 and 8
Hare Krishna,
We have seen the all pervading nature and the all knowing nature of brahman till the earlier slokas. The nature or qualities of a Guru or brahman is explained in the 7th sloka.
Sloka -7
Chaitanya shaashvathah shaantho vyomaateetho niranjanah
bindunaada kalaatheethah tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
Chaitanya -- existense
shaashvathah --eternal
shaantho -- peace
vyomaateetho -- beyond space
niranjanah --- pure
bindunaada kalaatheethah --- words representing the taantric system
Explanation
Guru is a person who is a jeevan muktha, who is ever established in brahman.Such a jeevan muktha nature is explained in this sloka.He is an embodiment of existence, peace and eternality. People experience bliss around a person who is a jeevan muktha. We are influenced by the surrounding environment.So we feel peaceful and calm when we meet mahatma's.That is the reason why many people go to mahatma's, to get peace.
Brahman is eternal, it has no limitations .He is beyond time and space or aakasham.Aatma can be compared with Akaasha .The taitreya upanishad says that "atamanah aaksha sambhootam". From the aatman came the aakasham. Hence both have similarities.Askham is pure,all pervading,without parts, like brahman.Guru or brahman is without any impurities.
Bindu naada and kala refer to the terms in taantric system.It is followed by people who do the shakthi poojas.Guru is above all this .
To such a guru who is the chit, who is eternal, of nature of bliss,beyond imitations and pure ,I offer my prostrations.
This sloka explains the importance of a guru. This answers our questions like Who is a guru? and Why do we need a guru?.
Sloka -8
Jnaanashakthi samaaroodah tattvamaala vibhooshithah
bhukthi mukthi pradaathaa cha tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
Jnaanashakthi samaaroodah -- with power of knowledge
tattvamaala --- necklace of the ultimate reality of brahman
vibhooshitah --- being decorated with or wearing
bhukthi -- wordly needs
mukthi -- moksha
pradaathaa -- who gives
Explanation
A guru is a person who is powered by knowledge and who is an emodiment of ultimate reality of brahman.He helps us in the achieveing both our wordly and spiritual pursuits.
We have seen in earlier slokas that Guru is all knowledgeable,what ever he says has the support of scriptures.So he wears the tattvamaala i.e, he is the person who is ever established in the ultimate reality of brahman.Being enpowered with knowledge of the reality of brahman, he imparts us the knowledge.Anything that we possess can be given to others,what we do not have we cannot give others.So only a Guru who has realized brahman can impart us the knowledge of brahman. Guru who is brahman himself has control over even emperical things.So such a guru even takes care of wordly needs of the person as well as his spiritual needs.So if a person ,surrenders himself to the guru, takes refuge in the guru ,the guru takes care of his wordly needs, so that they do not create any obstruction to his spiritual path for him to realize.
To such a guru who is brahman himself and who takes care of all my needs , I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
We have seen the all pervading nature and the all knowing nature of brahman till the earlier slokas. The nature or qualities of a Guru or brahman is explained in the 7th sloka.
Sloka -7
Chaitanya shaashvathah shaantho vyomaateetho niranjanah
bindunaada kalaatheethah tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
Chaitanya -- existense
shaashvathah --eternal
shaantho -- peace
vyomaateetho -- beyond space
niranjanah --- pure
bindunaada kalaatheethah --- words representing the taantric system
Explanation
Guru is a person who is a jeevan muktha, who is ever established in brahman.Such a jeevan muktha nature is explained in this sloka.He is an embodiment of existence, peace and eternality. People experience bliss around a person who is a jeevan muktha. We are influenced by the surrounding environment.So we feel peaceful and calm when we meet mahatma's.That is the reason why many people go to mahatma's, to get peace.
Brahman is eternal, it has no limitations .He is beyond time and space or aakasham.Aatma can be compared with Akaasha .The taitreya upanishad says that "atamanah aaksha sambhootam". From the aatman came the aakasham. Hence both have similarities.Askham is pure,all pervading,without parts, like brahman.Guru or brahman is without any impurities.
Bindu naada and kala refer to the terms in taantric system.It is followed by people who do the shakthi poojas.Guru is above all this .
To such a guru who is the chit, who is eternal, of nature of bliss,beyond imitations and pure ,I offer my prostrations.
This sloka explains the importance of a guru. This answers our questions like Who is a guru? and Why do we need a guru?.
Sloka -8
Jnaanashakthi samaaroodah tattvamaala vibhooshithah
bhukthi mukthi pradaathaa cha tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
Jnaanashakthi samaaroodah -- with power of knowledge
tattvamaala --- necklace of the ultimate reality of brahman
vibhooshitah --- being decorated with or wearing
bhukthi -- wordly needs
mukthi -- moksha
pradaathaa -- who gives
Explanation
A guru is a person who is powered by knowledge and who is an emodiment of ultimate reality of brahman.He helps us in the achieveing both our wordly and spiritual pursuits.
We have seen in earlier slokas that Guru is all knowledgeable,what ever he says has the support of scriptures.So he wears the tattvamaala i.e, he is the person who is ever established in the ultimate reality of brahman.Being enpowered with knowledge of the reality of brahman, he imparts us the knowledge.Anything that we possess can be given to others,what we do not have we cannot give others.So only a Guru who has realized brahman can impart us the knowledge of brahman. Guru who is brahman himself has control over even emperical things.So such a guru even takes care of wordly needs of the person as well as his spiritual needs.So if a person ,surrenders himself to the guru, takes refuge in the guru ,the guru takes care of his wordly needs, so that they do not create any obstruction to his spiritual path for him to realize.
To such a guru who is brahman himself and who takes care of all my needs , I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Guru Gita Slokas - 5 and 6
Hare Krishna,
We see that the all pervading nature of the brahman and the guru who is one with the brahman, being stressed upon in all the 4 slokas we have discussed till now. Udhalaka explains his son svethakethu about " tattvam asi " using many analogies several times.Repeating or stressing upon a statement is done several times just to make the listener understand the significance of the statement and also the import behind the statement. We see that the 5th sloka of gurugita also talks about the all pervading nature of brahman.
Sloka -5
chinmayam vyaapiyat sarvam trailokyam sacharaacharam
tat padam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
chinmayam -- filled with consciouness
vyaapiyat --- all pervading
trailokyam -- all the three worlds
sacharaacharam -- in living and non- living
Explanation
This world is filled or occupied with chit alone.'Chit' the consciouness is all pervading, has no limits, its present in everyone as I exist.Entities which have limits cannot give us bliss in the world.Hence brahman of nature of chit alone can give us eternal bliss.Brahman is explained as "Prajnaanam" in taitreya upanishad.It means prakarshena jnaanam, meaning consciouness.Hence Brahman is the consciouness alone. Its present in all the three worlds of boo bhuva suva.Chit illumines all existing and non-existing entities in the world.The brahman which is reffered to as "tat padam " is shown to us by the guru..
To such a guru who shows us the path to realization I offer my Prostrations.
All the earlier slokas spoke about the all pervading nature of brahman. In this sloka we see the all knowing nature of brahman. Guru who is one with brahman is all knowing.Thus he guides and imparts us knowledge ,removes our ignorance about the world, enlightens us with the truth of ultimate reality..
Sloka -6
sarvasruthi shiroratna viraajitha padaambhujah
vedantaambuja soryo yah tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
sarvasruthi -- All sruthi's/vedas
shiroratna --- jewel in the crown
viraajitha -- placed at
padaambhujah-- at the feet
vedantaambuja soryo yah --- sun of vedanta
Explanation
The sruthi or vedas whick are like the jewels studded in a crown,lie at the feet of the guru.He is the sun of vedanta.
The sruthi's bow down at the feet of the Guru, who follows the sruthi and who stands for sruthi.It means that what ever the Guru does, any act of the Guru is in line with the sruthi statements.His actions are faultless.What ever he says ,he has the support of the sruthi for it.The words from his mouth are equivalent to the statements of the sruthi.Thus he is considered the ever shining sun of vedanta.The sun of vedanta, which illumines the entire world with its light, without whose grace ,life cannot exist on earth. Thus guru he is all knowledgable and whose blessing initial seekers would need to gain knowledge and also be able to apprehend it.
Thus the guru through the knowledge of light , shows us the path to self-realization.
To such a guru I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
We see that the all pervading nature of the brahman and the guru who is one with the brahman, being stressed upon in all the 4 slokas we have discussed till now. Udhalaka explains his son svethakethu about " tattvam asi " using many analogies several times.Repeating or stressing upon a statement is done several times just to make the listener understand the significance of the statement and also the import behind the statement. We see that the 5th sloka of gurugita also talks about the all pervading nature of brahman.
Sloka -5
chinmayam vyaapiyat sarvam trailokyam sacharaacharam
tat padam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
chinmayam -- filled with consciouness
vyaapiyat --- all pervading
trailokyam -- all the three worlds
sacharaacharam -- in living and non- living
Explanation
This world is filled or occupied with chit alone.'Chit' the consciouness is all pervading, has no limits, its present in everyone as I exist.Entities which have limits cannot give us bliss in the world.Hence brahman of nature of chit alone can give us eternal bliss.Brahman is explained as "Prajnaanam" in taitreya upanishad.It means prakarshena jnaanam, meaning consciouness.Hence Brahman is the consciouness alone. Its present in all the three worlds of boo bhuva suva.Chit illumines all existing and non-existing entities in the world.The brahman which is reffered to as "tat padam " is shown to us by the guru..
To such a guru who shows us the path to realization I offer my Prostrations.
All the earlier slokas spoke about the all pervading nature of brahman. In this sloka we see the all knowing nature of brahman. Guru who is one with brahman is all knowing.Thus he guides and imparts us knowledge ,removes our ignorance about the world, enlightens us with the truth of ultimate reality..
Sloka -6
sarvasruthi shiroratna viraajitha padaambhujah
vedantaambuja soryo yah tasmai sree gurave namaha
Words Meaning
sarvasruthi -- All sruthi's/vedas
shiroratna --- jewel in the crown
viraajitha -- placed at
padaambhujah-- at the feet
vedantaambuja soryo yah --- sun of vedanta
Explanation
The sruthi or vedas whick are like the jewels studded in a crown,lie at the feet of the guru.He is the sun of vedanta.
The sruthi's bow down at the feet of the Guru, who follows the sruthi and who stands for sruthi.It means that what ever the Guru does, any act of the Guru is in line with the sruthi statements.His actions are faultless.What ever he says ,he has the support of the sruthi for it.The words from his mouth are equivalent to the statements of the sruthi.Thus he is considered the ever shining sun of vedanta.The sun of vedanta, which illumines the entire world with its light, without whose grace ,life cannot exist on earth. Thus guru he is all knowledgable and whose blessing initial seekers would need to gain knowledge and also be able to apprehend it.
Thus the guru through the knowledge of light , shows us the path to self-realization.
To such a guru I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Guru Gita Slokas - 3 and 4
Hare Krishna,
The sloka we are going to discuss today is a very simple and well known sloka.
Sloka --3
Gururbrahma guruvishnu gururdevo maheshwarah
guruh saakshaat param brahma tasmai sree gurave namaha
Explanation -- Guru is brahma ,guru is vishnu and shiva. He is direct brahman alone. Thus he is everything , he is the person who is ever established in brahman. The world is the effect the cause or substratum being brahman. Thus the guru is the world and everything in it too. He is all pervading, present everywhere. Displeasing the Guru is equal to displeasing god.
To such a guru I offer my prostrations.
The 4th sloka in guru gita is in the same lines of the earlier slokas.
Sloka -4
Sthaavaram jangamam vyaaptham yat kinchit sacharaacharam
tatpadam darshitham yena tasmai sri gurave namaha
Words Meaning
sthaavaram -- Not moving
jangamam -- moving
vyaaptham -- pervading
sacharaacharam -- in living and non- living
Explanation
Brahman is from which world comes, world lies and the world ends.Brahman is the cause whose effect is the world.It is the substratum of the world.As the mud is the cause whose effect is the pot. This causation theory which explains the effect of world,where the brahman is the cause is only from an ignorant persons perspective.The rope was never a cause for the illusion of snake but Its the ignorance which causes the superimposition of the snake over the rope. So from an ultimate view point brahman it is not the cause of the world.
Thus Guru who is Brahman himself is said to be all pervading .Brahman is present in the world in both living and non-living.
To such a guru who shows me the path to realization I offer my Prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
The sloka we are going to discuss today is a very simple and well known sloka.
Sloka --3
Gururbrahma guruvishnu gururdevo maheshwarah
guruh saakshaat param brahma tasmai sree gurave namaha
Explanation -- Guru is brahma ,guru is vishnu and shiva. He is direct brahman alone. Thus he is everything , he is the person who is ever established in brahman. The world is the effect the cause or substratum being brahman. Thus the guru is the world and everything in it too. He is all pervading, present everywhere. Displeasing the Guru is equal to displeasing god.
To such a guru I offer my prostrations.
The 4th sloka in guru gita is in the same lines of the earlier slokas.
Sloka -4
Sthaavaram jangamam vyaaptham yat kinchit sacharaacharam
tatpadam darshitham yena tasmai sri gurave namaha
Words Meaning
sthaavaram -- Not moving
jangamam -- moving
vyaaptham -- pervading
sacharaacharam -- in living and non- living
Explanation
Brahman is from which world comes, world lies and the world ends.Brahman is the cause whose effect is the world.It is the substratum of the world.As the mud is the cause whose effect is the pot. This causation theory which explains the effect of world,where the brahman is the cause is only from an ignorant persons perspective.The rope was never a cause for the illusion of snake but Its the ignorance which causes the superimposition of the snake over the rope. So from an ultimate view point brahman it is not the cause of the world.
Thus Guru who is Brahman himself is said to be all pervading .Brahman is present in the world in both living and non-living.
To such a guru who shows me the path to realization I offer my Prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Guru Gita Slokas -1 and 2
Hare Krishna,
Guru gita is from the skanda puran, where Lord Shva explains Goddess parvati, the significance of a Guru.We are going to look into some of the slokas of Gurugita in the coming days. Guru gita consist of 200 to 300 slokas. But we shall discuss 12 of the popular and important slokas from guru gita.Guru gita explains the nature of a guru, the significance of a Guru who is our guide in the spiritual path.Reciting these slokas would help us seek the blessings of guru, without which its impossible to progress in the spiritual path. As part of sadhana, its good for initial seekers to learn guru gita.
In Guru Astakam written by Adi Sankaracharya , he explains the word guru thus, "Gu karascha andhakaroo, ru kara sthan niroodhakrith, ajnaana graasaka guru brahmaiva na samshayaha".
The word Gu stands for darkness and ru stands for dispelling darkness , thus it means that Guru is one who dispels darkness or ignorance.
Sloka -1
Akhanda mandalaakaaram vyaaptham yena charaacharam
tat padam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Word Meaning
Akhanda --- Indivisible
mandalaakaaram -- shape of the universe
vyaaptham -- pervades
charaacharam --- living and non-living
tat padam -- the mahavakhya tattvam asi
darshitam -- shows
tasmai sree guravee namaha -- prostrating before the guru
Explanation --- Guru is indivisible, he pervades the whole universe , in both the living and non-living things. He is the emodiment of the ultimate reality and shows us the ultimate reality , through paroksha and aparoksha anubhuti.
By indivisible it means one without parts.Anything which has parts is subject to change, the shad vikaras ,birth and death and hence is temporary, whereas brahman is indivisible, it has no parts.Its expalined as "ekam eva adviteeyam "-- meaning it alone exists and is not divisible. Hence it stands for eternality. Hence the Guru who is brahman is indivisible as its eternal.
Brahman pervades the entire universe. He is the substratum of the world.As pot is made out of mud, similarly the world is made of brahman alone, and brahman alone exists. the effect of pot has its cause as mud, similarly if the world is considered as an effect, the cause is brahman.Thus guru or brahman pervades the universe made of both living and non-living things.
Guru is the person who symbolizes utlimate reality,He is brahman alone. He stands for the mahavakya "tatvam asi". He also makes us realize the ultimate reality, through paroskha Jnaana initially and also aparoskha jnaanam.Experiencing brahman through guru , by listening to him one gets paroskha jnaanam.Being established in brahman is aparoskha jnaanam.To such a Guru who is the embodiment of Brahman, who shows us the path and makes us realize the ultimate reality, I offer my prostrations.
In the earlier sloka we have seen that Guru is all pervading and is brahman and helps us in realizing brahman. Lets discuss the next sloka of guru gita today. This sloka also explains the significance of the Guru in the same lines.
Sloka -- 2
Ajnaana thimiraandhasya jnaanaanjana shalaakhaya
chakshurunmeelitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Word Meaning
Ajnaana -- Ignorance
Thimiraandhasya --- darkness
jnaanaanjana shalaakhaya --- stick of Knowledge
chakshurunmeelitham -- opening the eyes
Explanation
Comparision is done here with blind person who uses a stick as a support to walk. As a stick is the support for a blind man to walk, so also for people who are blind by ignorance, the guru like a stick of knowledge guides us into the spiritual path. He is one who leads us from darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.He removes the ignorance by imparting knowledge.
Through knowledge he opens our eyes and shows us the path to bliss, leads us to self realization.To such a Guru who removes ignorance, who guides us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
Guru gita is from the skanda puran, where Lord Shva explains Goddess parvati, the significance of a Guru.We are going to look into some of the slokas of Gurugita in the coming days. Guru gita consist of 200 to 300 slokas. But we shall discuss 12 of the popular and important slokas from guru gita.Guru gita explains the nature of a guru, the significance of a Guru who is our guide in the spiritual path.Reciting these slokas would help us seek the blessings of guru, without which its impossible to progress in the spiritual path. As part of sadhana, its good for initial seekers to learn guru gita.
In Guru Astakam written by Adi Sankaracharya , he explains the word guru thus, "Gu karascha andhakaroo, ru kara sthan niroodhakrith, ajnaana graasaka guru brahmaiva na samshayaha".
The word Gu stands for darkness and ru stands for dispelling darkness , thus it means that Guru is one who dispels darkness or ignorance.
Sloka -1
Akhanda mandalaakaaram vyaaptham yena charaacharam
tat padam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Word Meaning
Akhanda --- Indivisible
mandalaakaaram -- shape of the universe
vyaaptham -- pervades
charaacharam --- living and non-living
tat padam -- the mahavakhya tattvam asi
darshitam -- shows
tasmai sree guravee namaha -- prostrating before the guru
Explanation --- Guru is indivisible, he pervades the whole universe , in both the living and non-living things. He is the emodiment of the ultimate reality and shows us the ultimate reality , through paroksha and aparoksha anubhuti.
By indivisible it means one without parts.Anything which has parts is subject to change, the shad vikaras ,birth and death and hence is temporary, whereas brahman is indivisible, it has no parts.Its expalined as "ekam eva adviteeyam "-- meaning it alone exists and is not divisible. Hence it stands for eternality. Hence the Guru who is brahman is indivisible as its eternal.
Brahman pervades the entire universe. He is the substratum of the world.As pot is made out of mud, similarly the world is made of brahman alone, and brahman alone exists. the effect of pot has its cause as mud, similarly if the world is considered as an effect, the cause is brahman.Thus guru or brahman pervades the universe made of both living and non-living things.
Guru is the person who symbolizes utlimate reality,He is brahman alone. He stands for the mahavakya "tatvam asi". He also makes us realize the ultimate reality, through paroskha Jnaana initially and also aparoskha jnaanam.Experiencing brahman through guru , by listening to him one gets paroskha jnaanam.Being established in brahman is aparoskha jnaanam.To such a Guru who is the embodiment of Brahman, who shows us the path and makes us realize the ultimate reality, I offer my prostrations.
In the earlier sloka we have seen that Guru is all pervading and is brahman and helps us in realizing brahman. Lets discuss the next sloka of guru gita today. This sloka also explains the significance of the Guru in the same lines.
Sloka -- 2
Ajnaana thimiraandhasya jnaanaanjana shalaakhaya
chakshurunmeelitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Word Meaning
Ajnaana -- Ignorance
Thimiraandhasya --- darkness
jnaanaanjana shalaakhaya --- stick of Knowledge
chakshurunmeelitham -- opening the eyes
Explanation
Comparision is done here with blind person who uses a stick as a support to walk. As a stick is the support for a blind man to walk, so also for people who are blind by ignorance, the guru like a stick of knowledge guides us into the spiritual path. He is one who leads us from darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.He removes the ignorance by imparting knowledge.
Through knowledge he opens our eyes and shows us the path to bliss, leads us to self realization.To such a Guru who removes ignorance, who guides us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge I offer my prostrations.
Hare Krishna,
Aparna
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