A Diaologue between Lord Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva.

Gurugita-14

Yasmaad-anugraham Labdhwaa Mahad-ajnaanam-utsrujet
Tasmai Srii-desikendraaya Namascha-abhiishta-siddhaye
Yadanugraha Maatrena, Shoka Mohau Vinashyatah
Tasmai Srii Desikendraaya, Namostu Paramaatmane

Meaning:
(Salutations to that Lord among Teachers, on receiving whose blessing, great ignorance is dispelled and also wishes fulfilled. Salutations to that Lord among teachers, that Supreme Self whose blessing ends all sorrows and delusions the moment it is received).

Explanation:
What does our soul desire? Lasting peace. There cannot be peace when we are in the middle of problems. There are wants, desires, and duties to be fulfilled. Every man has to pass through this because our soul is in an elemental state. We are born with a passion to enjoy life on the earth plane. So long as the soul is attached to the elemental world, to the senses and egoistic existence, it has to be born again and again to enrich itself and evolve to its full potential. That is why the sages called the earth karma bhumi – the place of actions. The seeds of karma in us make us what we are. You reap what you sow. What we are today is the result of what we were yesterday. We are evolving through this process.
Evolution is related to the upward journey of consciousness from gross planes of existence to the fort of purity and tranquillity experienced in the subtler state of consciousness. That is called Chidananda, the bliss of pure consciousness. Reaching that state, Adi Sankaracharya uttered the words, ‘Chidoham’, Chidoham’, i.e. I am bliss, I am bliss. There are no fights, no fear, no struggles, no grievances, no wants and desires there. It is an endless ocean of pure bliss and love. To reach that state of stillness the soul has to evolve achieving victory over the ever miserable ego, whose ignorance is so difficult to transcend. So long as the veil of ego exists, there is no possibility of experiencing the bliss of God.

The serpents of base instincts, shameful actions, and cruel deeds crawl in the ego-pit of ignorant souls. However, there is hope for those who have a Guru of supreme realization. They can surrender all their bad karmas at the lotus feet of Guru and remain relaxed forever. ‘My devotees never perish’, that seems to be the assurance from the great Guru, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru. All sins get washed away by the purifying light of Guru. Those who live according to the dictates of dharma, who are able to control and discipline their thoughts and actions evolve, become upwardly oriented. They get disgusted by the pendulum of pain and pleasure and its ceaseless repetition. They desire to ascend the peak of spiritual tranquillity, freed from the dark valley of ignorance below. The Merciful Guru is ever eager to reach out to such blessed souls.

Sri Guru Gita – A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva - 11

 Gurucharanam Saranam

Yadamghri-kamala-dwandwam Dwandwa-taapa-nivaarakam

Taarakam Bhava-sindhoscha Tam Gurum Pranamaamyaham

Siva said:

(I salute that Guru, the pair of whose lotus feet remove the suffering owing to the consciousness of opposites and take us across the ocean of worldly life.)

Suffering is the mental agony and agitation arising out of dualities in life such as pleasure and pain, success and failure, opulence and poverty or other experiences contrary to our expectations. Just like night follows the day, pleasure too ends in sorrow. All religions in general and Indian spirituality in particular sought to address the question of human suffering. Lord Buddha specifically identified suffering, its cause and its removal, as the basis of his teaching.  Unless we are able to transcend the domain of pleasure and pain we will not be able to experience peace of mind. And the way of peace is to fix our mind on that imperishable eternal truth called God and His glory.

The other day a retired person from Kolkata came to the Ashram. He said he wanted to have peace of mind now since he has fulfilled all his duties as a householder. How can a person hope for peace after retirement if has not thought about it and striven for it until this moment?  Just like we spend our energies for fulfilling other responsibilities in life, one should start the enquiry to find peace early in life. Otherwise it will be difficult because our body and mind get conditioned by the retirement age and you may not have the necessary energy also for such a mission.   

Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru reminds us that every soul is born subject to the universal rules of karma and spiritual evolution. Guru, who knows the disciple’s soul, cuts the karma with the sword of his grace and lifts the disciple to transcendental bliss. Through the service at the feet of the Guru, the soul gets gradually purified of all sins and bad karma. Only then the disciple can hope to reach the realm of God realisation.  So it is important that we connect our children with a realised Guru early in life. The Ashram is a place where an Atma Jnani Guru, a soul knowing Guru lives. Family life is supposed to be linked to the Ashram of such a Guru. In ancient India, children were educated in an Ashram under the guidance of a realised Guru.  This was known as Gurukula system of education. The children were taught not only spiritual science but all other material sciences such as astronomy, architecture, archery, medicine, metallurgy and so on. The Gurukula system was wiped out by the British during the colonial rule.

Worldly life is compared to an ocean because of the hidden dangers in its unfathomable belly and endless expanse.  Our little boat of life may get overturned by the hissing waves and swirling currents.  It is difficult for a truth seeker to swim over to the other end of this perilous ocean all alone. But with the help of Guru, one can cross over this ocean easily and find peace and tranquillity.   

A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva - 10

Guru-budhyaatmano Naanyat Satyam Satyam Varaanane!

Tallaabhaarttham Prayatnastu Karthavyascha Maneeshibhih

Shiva said to Parvati:

(Nothing exists separate from the Soul. This verily is the truth, O beautiful One! Intelligent men should strive for its attainment as it is their duty. Guru wisdom lies in this).        

The world outside and our soul are not separate from each other. They are one like the two sides of a coin.  Let us see how. Everything is experienced through our subjective consciousness, the soul in us. If there is no soul or consciousness, there would be only a blank; we cannot even know that we exist. Only in the screen of consciousness we can perceive and experience life and the universe around us.

Sri Sankaracharya went a step further in his Vedantic discourse and said: ‘The world exists only within our consciousness just like a city seen reflected in a mirror’.  Spirituality is all about the discovery of this truth experientially.

Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru explained it differently:

‘What is called as God? It is a karma (actualization) that evolves out of the interplay of panchakosas (five sheaths) and panchendriyas (five senses) in synchronization with Jeevatma (individual soul) and Paramatma (Supreme Soul)”.  

So even the concept of God is evolved through our cognitive capacities. The Rishis explain that our body is like a multi-dimensional sphere in the inner cavity of which resides the soul.  Soul is enveloped or conditioned by five sheaths, viz.  Anandamaya Kosa (blissful sheath), vijnanamaya kosa (Intelligence sheath), Manomaya kosa (the mind sheath) pranamaya kosa (energy sheath) and the annamayakosa (physical body or food sheath).   

The soul is constantly struggling to expand by transcending the conditionings of five sheaths to experience the blissful state, the spark of the Divine in us. When the indefinable and unknowable Light of the universe becomes kinetic it becomes Paramatma, the Cosmic Soul, the First Born of the formless Truth.  He is the Aadi Guru – the Primal source of all power, ideation, knowledge, love and bliss.

As He is the embodiment of the Supreme Light, everything is pervaded by Him. We can never define or know the Supreme Light God, but we can definitely know his manifestation, the Adi Guru, the Cosmic Soul in the form of the Primordial Preceptor who designs the universe. For this reason, the Indian Rishis called Him Manu, the primordial human Ancestor.  From the Manu emerged both the blue print and the building blocks of the universe. Many such archetypal Manus and Preceptors in His lineage appear in the endless and timeless episodes of creation repeating the drama of life.

From the ideation (sankalpam) of Manu, the solar system was formed.  He formed Prakriti potentiated by three gunas (satva, rajas and tamas).  The scientists call them by the terms of electron, pluton and neutron.  From these gunas were born the subtle elements of sound, space, air, fire and water and from them the related senses and sense organs of sound, sight, touch, smell and taste. Subsequently, the work of the creation of life in a physical universe began.  

With the intent of creating the human universe, this Cosmic Person split himself into two, in the form of a man and woman - into Purusha and Prakriti.  He created out of himself the sun and the moon, twenty-seven stars, nine planets and the twelve zodiacs.  The sun represents the Purusha, the masculine principle, while the moon is the woman, the feminine principle. So the souls after death depart either by the path of the sun or the moon. Those who go by the path of the sun never returns while those in the path of the moon are reborn for further evolution, so mention the sages.

Life was born first in the waters of the earth from the interplay of cosmic radiances and energies from the sun and the moon. The warmth of the sun and the cool rays of the moon nurtured life. The life of man is thus inseparably related to the sun and the moon, the constellations, stars and planets. The ancient Rishis taught us to respect the universe around us for this reason. Those who pollute God’s creation will suffer.

The soul requires space to breath and to expand, hence the creation of the planetary system, revolving under which it evolves through many births, through many life forms, learning and self-evolving and finally attains beatitude in the Absolute Truth. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru taught us that the guru-disciple bond is the elucidation of this cosmic truth. In his discourse to Parvati, Lord Siva informs that all intelligent people should tune life with this divine truth as it is the very meaning and purpose of life.

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva -9

Gurucharanam Saranam

Japastapo Vritam Teertham Yajno Daanam Tathaiva Cha

Guru-tatwam-avijnaaya Sarvam Vyartham Bhavet Priye!

O Dear One! Japa (the recitation of mantra) Tapa (spiritual austerities) Vritam (Vows), Teertham (Visiting of Holy Places) and also the path of Jnaana (Knowledge) and Daana (Charities) come to naught if one does not know the truth of Guru.

Explanation:

Has anyone seen the formless God?  No, it is not possible to comprehend the Incomprehensible.  God can be known only through an image or an idea. Thus all religions have originated inspired by some ideologies, gurus or prophets and all of them have left behind a world of images surrounding God.  Although they provide the followers varying degrees of spiritual experience all of us still feel some emptiness, the feeling that there is yet something beyond to be realized. We have not reached that shore beyond - of light, love, knowledge and bliss. Today the spiritual fraternity is groping in the dark unable to experience that Light and Truth.

Consciousness is a multi-layered multi-dimensional experiential journey towards the Absolute Truth – the Brahman.  The self can evolve to become higher spiritual entities such as devi-devas, angels, rishis and other cosmic entities with varying degrees of expanded consciousness. But that is not the final destination. There is a painful gravitational struggle when the soul tries to traverse these realms of consciousness leading us to subtler and subtler transcendental experience. A struggle of grave nature awaits a truth bearer while passing through the nine realms of spiritual evolution before reaching the tenth stage, the ultimate abode of Truth which we call God.  Such a truth bearer becomes the image of God or God itself. The other day, a good soul sent me a copy of Kabir Vani. 

I realize that Mahatma Kabir is also a great soul like the Sikh Gurus who realized the greatness of Guru and the virtue of following the footsteps of a Guru.  Sant Kabir says in one his Sakhis:

“Guru Govind Dou Ek Hai, Duuja Sab Aakar…” (Guru and God is the same, difference is only in the name).

The seekers of truth get stuck at various borderlines of spirituality unable to raise themselves beyond the gross and subtle spiritual planes belonging to various spiritual entities, gurus and prophets.

The experience of late Swami Jagatpriya Jnana Tapaswi of Santhigiri Ashram is an example (taken from the book ‘The Guru of All’ published by Santhigiri Ashram):

The Swami was a devotee of Sri Krishna and was able to see Krishna in vision through his spiritual austerities. Since he was facing some obstacles he began to search for a Guru and finally reached the Ashram of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru. During the audience with the Guru he said that he was able to see Sri Krishna in vision and that Sri Krishna was his Guru. Then the Guru said to him: “Dear Fellow! Sri Krishna will not be Guru to you. It is difficult for ordinary people to get Sri Krishna as Guru. For that, you have to rouse Samadhi.  Therefore, you should find a Guru from somewhere.  If you do not do this, you would face a problem after a year. You should remember me before commencing your meditation and at its conclusion’.

Swami Jagat Priya thought when Sri Krishna himself is with him, what was the need for following the Guru.  Nevertheless, he gave special attention to the Guru’s word that he should remember the Guru prior to and after the prayers. From then, he began to see the appearance of several deities and understood their limited spiritual status.  Sri Krishna was seen as the highest. One day he woke up at 3 AM and began to meditate on the Guru of Santhigiri.  He saw that the self-effulgent light of Guru was an ocean of light filling the whole creation.  He felt that even Sri Krishna had not got this much radiance. He was unable to withstand the impact of this vision; such was the brilliance of that Radiance. The Swami was unable to quieten his mind after this vision. Soon he developed chest pain too. He remembered the words of Sri Karunakara Guru about the need for a Guru. So he prayed to Sri Krishna that he should have a Guru. After praying continuously for a few days, Sri Krishna revealed in vision; ‘What was going on there is what I desired’.  The Swami understood that it was about Santhigiri Ashram and Sri Karunakara Guru.

Thus with Sri Krishna’s full consent he came to see the Guru again. By this time, he was suffering from unbearable chest pain and extreme mental torment. He was in the verge of lunacy.  On seeing him in this condition, the Guru said, ‘It is alright that Sri Krishna came and told you. Let it be. However, now I will tell you what you need’.  Guru touched his chest gently and said, ‘Don’t take the pain seriously’.  With that, the pain which he was unable to bear until then, disappeared completely. From then he came under the protection and guidance of the Guru.

Blind attachment to one’s religious rituals will not help. We need the supreme grace of Guru to overcome such spiritual hurdles. The supreme Guru is one who has transcended all spiritual stages and realized God reaching the tenth stage.  Only such a Guru can lift us up from our spiritual crisis and conditionings. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru adds another dimension to the definition of a Guru when He said:

‘It is true that what really exists is the formless Truth, beyond all conceptions, like the limitless sky… If there is a formless nature to Truth, in what all states they exist? This should be shown by guru. There are many who have experienced the Truth. But Guru is not who has experienced it but who imparts it to others.’

So the experiential part is important. Many are the ideologies and practices which we blindly follow while disputing and disliking the others. Then surely we are in a domain of ignorance, that is the meaning of Lord Siva’s words. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru repeats what Lord Siva said above.

There is some truth in every path, but that is not enough for this new age – the Kali Yuga. We should evolve spiritually which is possible only by getting rid of soul’s karmic and spiritual impurities through the grace of Guru. The Guru meant here is not a Guru in the nursery of spirituality, but a Guru who takes us across the borderless spiritual experience.

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva -8

Veda-saastra-puraanaani Itihaasaadikaani Cha
Mantra-yantraadi-vidyaascha Mohanocchaatanaadikam
Saiva-saakta-agamaadiini Hyanye Cha Bahavo Mataah
Apabhramshaah Samastaanaam Jeevanaam Bhraanta-chetasaam

Siva said to Parvati:

"Vedas, Sastras (sciences), Puranas (ancient narratives), Itihasas (the epics), Mantra (magical chants) Yantras(amulets), Spells, Exorcism, cults like Saiva, Sakteya, etc. and many other paths together are all digressions of deluded souls".

Explanation:
In the beginning we were with God alone. We lived bathing in his love and bliss. He gifted us with everything beautiful. Then one day our mind began to wander. We went very far from God to forbidden lands and were caught by cruel spirits lurking in the darkness. We live in fear without freedom unable to escape from the trap. Remembering God, His love and care, now let us begin our struggle for freedom with all our might.

Today there are more than 4000 religions and thousands of other spiritual practices that are not exactly under the nomenclature of religion. All of them assert that their chosen path is the best one. Even God is likely to get stunned over the cleverness of human beings!

The Truth resides in the eternal silence of the soul that is in constant communion with God. However, the prattles of our intellect, the frenzy of our mind and the clamor of our actions unseat this inner calm. From a mind of disquiet arises the demons of delusion. And from delusion, blind faith and bigotry devoid of dharma or the tenderness of love manifest in myriad forms leading to hatred and violence. Religious terrorism we witness today is only one extreme form of this inner digression and bigotry.

Today every sect and creed competes with each other to hoist the god or prophet of their conception as the last word in spirituality. In this frenzy of faiths, it is easy for a true seeker to get deluded and miss the right direction. Thus, instead of worshipping the true God of this universe we land up propitiating the wrong ones. Here, Lord Siva is pointing out this situation to Parvati.

This unholy situation arose consequent to an error in Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Spiritual Order, according to Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru. The Guru describes this error as follows, which is a very important revelation:

“What we are going through is the time-order of Manvantaras. That is our perspective or cognition of the world. In the Manu-tradition a great spiritual evolute fell from grace (in the third chaturyuga of the present seventh Manvantara). As a result, the Brahman initiated a corrective in the seventh chaturyuga (by evolving the Trimurty system) which was brought to a completion in the eleventh chaturyuga. Thereafter astral matters related to mukti were revealed which got codified as Vedas, Sastras and the Upanishads, without changing the old Manvantara order (to reaffirm that order). Since the sages could not transcend those who received these astral matters did not enquire into the reason why they had received such knowledge they used their intellect in understanding the path shown by the Almighty and charted their version of the Manvantara time-order - chaturyugas, manvantaras and kalpas as subservient to Brahma. Thus they could not invoke Manu, the First Guru and grasp the Error and correct it. This is a peril that has befallen us. The Error was repeated again and again as the evolutes who were the spiritual authorities of revealed knowledge could not discover the mystery and unravel it in full before us.

“The feeling of ‘I’ (Aham Brahmasmi) developed in the lineage of Manus. In the higher planes of knowing it was seen that all the wisdom and knowledge attained so far have come through it (the Manu tradition). This ‘I-ness’ can be seen in any of the books of Vedanta. You talk to any common person - this bloated notion of a free ‘I’ (ego) can be seen. When this comes up in the circle of ascetics (brahmacharis), then such notions come forth through the master-disciple lineage. In the tradition of deity-worship (deva parampara), the ‘deva’ (god) I am devoted to or the ‘devi’ (goddess) I am devoted to is the greatest and most glorious (is observed). Because of such possessiveness in individuals, all kinds of deities, chamundi, yakshi, pey, maruta, matan, mantramurthi (dark, evil spirits such as succubi, ghosts, ghouls etc.) became the ‘Lords’. This has happened because of people’s selfishness and egoism.

“Due to the emergence of Varnasrama, castes and castes upon castes, those who worshiped according to the Trimurti tradition could not function in accordance with the goodness of the Age. Earlier to this tales were created using the medium of Srutis and Smritis and they were presented as authentic. Before that, as there appeared the creed of ‘materializations’ some sanyasis themselves handled the traditions of siddhi. As it all came up to this, the tradition of Manu faded away even from memory. This degradation of the times is due to the refusal to modify the customs that required a change according to the age and the falsification of the ideology that the abode of Brahman should all the time be with the celestials (devas) and Brahmins. (Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, A Dialogue on Human Prospects, Santhigiri Publications).

This is the greatest revelation of God in the annals of human history. Let those who have ears hear it. Let those who are seekers hasten to this truth and the spring of God’s grace. Glory to the Guru, the most benevolent ever.

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva -7

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva -7

Durlabham Trishu-lokeshu Tacchrunushwa Vadaamyaham
Gurum Brahma Vinaa Naanyat Satyam Satyam Varaanane

‘O beautiful one! I will tell you that which is very rare in the three worlds. Please listen. Guru is none other than the Absolute Brahman – God Himself. This verily is the truth’.

Explanation: The human guru, whatever is his exalted position, is not given a status above the gods by Vedic tradition. It placed great spiritual masters like Sri Krishna or Sri Buddha subordinate to the gods through fabricated mythology. Thus Sri Krishna and Sri Buddha became avatars of Vishnu contrary to the truth. The pundits as well as the ignorant have not been exposed well enough to the knowledge of lokas or spiritual planes through which a soul evolves in its path of final merger with the Supreme Light.

After taking thousands of embodiment in water and soil a soul evolves to become a plant, an animal and then a man. A man in his brutish state becomes an evil spirit in the bhuta loka after death. If he becomes refined enough to be a just man, then he becomes a denizen of pitru loka and is reborn to earn more meritorious karma. After becoming meritorious enough by observing right karma and dharma and sacrifices he becomes qualified to evolve as a deva or an angel, an embodiment with increased potency for enjoyment in the sixth spiritual sky known as Swarga or Deva loka (heaven). It is also known that there are certain categories of Swarga such as Siva loka, Vishnu Loka, Brahma Loka, Indra Loka etc. in which the respective deities wield power over the souls. Similarly, for the followers of Christianity, Islam etc. there are corresponding heavens under those prophets.

The souls in those heavens are not liberated since they have not transcended name, form and qualities and hence the subjective awareness that cause dual experiences of happiness and sorrow. The real spiritual experience commences from the seventh spiritual plane known as Rishi loka which is said to be a world of pure light and spiritual bliss. The Rishis are liberated souls from the chain of births and deaths. They manifest themselves as light, having lost name, form and qualities as well as the subjective ego consciousness. The devi-devas and angels in the Swarga are subordinates to such great rishis. We can read in the puranas how great rishis humbled the gods on many occasions. We know how Brahmarishi Vishwamitra created another Swarga itself when Indra, the king of gods refused King Trishanku entry into heaven.

Navajyaoti Sri Karunakara Guru once mentioned about the story of Atri Maharshi. Indra, the king of gods was cursed by Rishi Gautama because Indra had violated the chastity of Gautama’s wife. (Just think how ‘noble’ indeed are the deeds of gods!) Due to this curse Indra’s body became deformed. Out of shame, he abandoned the heaven and approached trinity gods - Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara for help. But the gods said they were unable to save him from the curse of a Rishi. At this juncture, Narada advised Indra to approach Atri Maharshi whose ashram was situated near Kanyakumari in the vicinity of mount Mainakam, now submerged under the ocean.

As directed, Indra came down to the ashram of Atri Maharshi and begged the Rishi to rescue him from the curse. The kind-hearted Atri directed his wife Anasuya to help Indra. She brought the ‘paada teertham’ (water made holy by washing the feet of sage Atri) and sprinkled on Indra. Thus Indra was redeemed from the curse and was cleansed of his sins. Even today, this place is known as ‘Sucheendram’ which means the place where Indra got purified of his sin. So who is great in this story? The gods or Atri Maharshi? You may decide yourself. But the priest-class had decided that they would not grant a sage a status above the gods and suitably, myths were fabricated. Today not Atri Maharshi but Brahma and Indra are worshipped in Sucheendram temple, which is the final resting place (Samadhi) of Atri Maharshi.

Majority of people are caught in a vicious circle by becoming subservient to celestial powers. The Upanishads mention that those who worship celestials end up in slavery. One has to note that there are two categories of Rishis. One is Devarshis, i.e. those who are dedicated to the devi-devas and the other is Brahmarshis, those dedicated only to Brahman, the Supreme Light. Since Devarshis have not transcended the devi-deva plane they do not belong to the Rishi-loka mentioned above.

There are greater lokas above Rishi loka too. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru referred these lokas as Ishwara Sannidhanam, Brahma Sannidhanam and Para Brahma Sannidhanam counting up to ten lokas in total. Sri Krishna is the only soul who has transcended the eighth spiritual plane equivalent to Ishwara Sannidhanam. At the time of spiritual fulfilment of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru, Sri Krishna helped the Guru to transcend the eighth spiritual plane and complete the stages up to ten. The Guru who merges with Parabrahma Loka (the Source of all creation) becomes That itself. The Guru Lord Siva speaks about is such a Mahatma who has transcended the celestial plane of angels and gods and whatever other spiritual entities and gurus under them. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru said that in front of such a sage the gods are insignificant and of no consequence.

Now what happens to the souls in Swarga loka? Once the merit of their karma is exhausted, they are expelled from the heavenly orb like a penniless man from a five-star hotel. That soul is again born as a plant, animal or man and the vicious circle continues. Sankaracharya described this in his famous verse: ‘punarapi jananam, punarapi maranam, punarapi Janani jatare shayanam, iha samsara bahu dustare pahi murare kripaya pare’ (Man takes birth again and again and dies again and again; he is fated to sleep in the mother’s womb again and again. Indeed, this world is very difficult to transcend. O God, kindly take me across to the other shore!’).

The Vedantis have only helped the ignorance to grow. In their delusion they equate everything from a grass to god Brahma (Brahma and Brahman are different) equal to Brahman keeping the people in darkness forever. Even evil spirits are worshipped as God by some people because of this, apart from their mischief of considering themselves as God.

The second culprit is the Puranas. Puranas contain the imprints of valuable history from an ancient and mysterious past. It contains a good dose of interpolations and fabricated myths too. Through the Puranas the Vedic scribes have wrongly equated celestial gods with Brahman in order to promote or bring under control opposing sects. It’s time we remove the chaff from the grain. One should be conscious of what one's object of worship is, otherwise spiritual evolution gets stunted. Man gets devolved to the state of a brute.

There is also a false notion that one should worship devi-devas as they are the different aspects of Brahman. One can have respect and regard for all divinities, but worship should be directed always towards Brahman, who is the support of the universe. There is no second God other than Brahman. He only is the true benefactor. Since God is formless, He appears in the form of a realised Guru, a Guru who has completed all spiritual stages and attained union with Brahman. Therefore, God is to be worshipped through the medium of the Guru. This is the advice of Lord Siva. Glory to the all-knowing Guru!d through the medium of the Guru. This is the advice of Lord Siva. Glory to the all-knowing Guru!

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva -6

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Mama Ruupaasi Devi Twam Twad-bhaktyartham Vadaamyaham
Lokopakaarakah Prasno Na Kenaapi Kritah Puraa

(O' Divine One! You are my own Being. Owing to your devotion, I am revealing it to you. This question, which is beneficial to the world, has not been asked by anyone before).

Lord Siva is pleased with the unblemished devotion of Parvati. There is a revelation in the Upanishads that in the beginning of creation God divided Himself into a pair, a man and woman. The name of male is Manu and female Satarupa from whom the human race originated. When God thus paired himself in the beginning, everything in nature got paired as male and female. Those who say God has no form are forgetting this creative aspect of God. (Those Hindus who criticise Semitic religions are also forgetting the very Semitic nature of Indian spirituality which extols the One God and His messengers, the Guru medium).

Reminding this truth of creation, Siva equals Parvati to his own Self. Kalidasa mentions in Raghuvamsham that Siva and Parvati are inseparable like ‘word’ and its’ ‘meaning’. The life of Siva and Parvati is also a saga of guru and disciple! The grace of Guru flows down like a downpour that drenches the dry parched earth. Guru with endless patience waits for the arrival of such a disciple and the disciple for such a Guru. There are many a people who go to a Guru, but more often than not, they do it for problem solving or for fulfilment of some wishes. And there is nothing wrong with it because Guru is verily Kamadhenu, the heavenly cow that fulfils wishes!

People talk endlessly about God, about the soul and the universe, all big questions well beyond the grasp of ordinary human intelligence. However, the Guru concept is rarely discussed. There are reasons. First of all, a Guru, when embodied, is seen with the frailties of human nature. Therefore, both the pundit and the ignoramus take the human guru as any other human who cannot be equalled to God. (It is another fact that these people have never seen the God of their imagination and it is impossible also to see any such God).

These people are unable to perceive either the role or transcendent nature of Guru, the Divine in human form as Sri Krishna said in Bhagavat Gita:

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 9.11).

They cannot be blamed because the Guru concept is a riddle and a true Guru or Poorna Guru, a rare occurrence. From a school master to those who perform mantra, tantra, sacrifices etc. are also called gurus. There are deva rishis and brahma rishis, there are also Vedantins, Yogis, Philosophers and miracle workers under the category of gurus. So there is scope for thorough confusion with regard to gurus. Guru Gita discusses these categories of gurus as well.

There should be adequate punya (soul-virtue) to find a true Guru in life. A person can earn such punya even by offering a glass of water to a mahatma in this birth or previous ones, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru said. That small gesture of love itself makes him qualified to get a true guru. The rich have become rich through their spiritual merit which includes service to a Guru. Bhagavat Gita affirms this fact. Sri Krishna assures that those devotees of God who had fallen from the path will be reborn in rich families or as famous men.

It is not dry intellectual discussions or blind faith that leads us to spiritual realisation but the grace of God flowing through the medium of Guru. Well, from perennial time humanity has not well pondered over this question as affirmed by Lord Siva here that this question goddess Parvati asked about Guru had not been asked by anyone before.

(Her Holiness Sishya Poojitha - One more jewel of India after the era of goddess Parvati, Gargi, Maitreyi and Meera)

After the era of Siva and Parvati, Gargi, Maitreyi and Meera, there is another example in our times, of Her Holiness Sishya Poojita Janani Amrita Jnana Tapaswini, the disciple of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru and the present spiritual head of Santhigiri Ashram whose devotion to Guru is matchless. Born as Radha to (late) Sri Chellappan Pillai and Smt. Ratnamma in Idukki Kallar in Kerala she as a child gets the vision of the Guru even before she met Him in person, runs to prostrate at His feet when the Guru once happened to visit Kallar when she was nine years old surprising everyone, goes with Him compelling the parents, ignoring even the warning of the Guru that ashram-life is too harsh for a child of her age, the parents come back to take her home, she refuses saying ‘I have no life without Guru’, the parents go to Court accusing that their daughter is illegally detained by the Ashram, the male ascetics in the Ashram get angered by the accusations and wanted to throw her out along with all other female disciples, then the Guru said to them, ‘you are all free to leave the Ashram if you so wish, but I cannot forsake women, they are to be given spiritual light if the home as well as the society is to be improved’, Radha stands firm like a mountain in her resolve, wins the battle, her devotion to the Guru deepens, receives transcendental visions and revelations through Guru’s grace, her blameless life and self-sacrifice make her eligible to be Sishya Poojitha, the most venerable among the disciples and finally occupies the chair of Guru Apparent after Guru’s physical departure. Thus the mission of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru to liberate women and the downtrodden spiritually and socially breaking the barriers of religion, caste, class and gender remains fructified.

Sri Guru Gita - A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva - 5

Aum Namo Devadevesa Paraatpara Jagat Guro
Sadaasiva Mahaadeva Gurudeekshaam Prayaccha Me
Bhagavan Sarva Dharmajna! Vrataanaam Vratanaayakam
Bruuhi me Kripayaa Sambho, Guru-maahaatmya-muthamam
Kena Maargena Bho Swaamin! Dehii Brahma Mayo Bhavet
Tat Kripaam Kuru Me Swaamin! Namaami Charanau Tava||

(O Lord of all celestial beings! O Transcendental One! O World Teacher, the ever blissful one, Mahadeva! May it please you to clear my doubt as a Guru would attend to his disciple! O Lord! Knower of all Dharma! O Sambho! Kindly disclose to me the greatness of Guru, which is supreme and (the devotion to which) is the foremost vrata (vows) of all vratas. ¡O Lord! Kindly tell me about that path by which soul attains union with God. O Lord! I bow at your feet).

Here we find Parvati surrendering at the feet of Siva, her Guru in all earnestness beseeching him to guide her in the science of the soul. How to merge oneself with Brahman, the Supreme Light of God and find eternal peace? Parvati, who is ripe with penance and purity is the symbol of a truth seeker who has reached the summit of self-realization. Even such noble souls need guidance while ascending higher and higher. One does not know how many births, how many lives of internal transformation the soul might have undergone before reaching this threshold of enlightenment and to ask, ‘How do I merge with the Lord and find eternal peace?’

What helps here is not tradition or culture, religiosity or philosophies, rituals or riches, name or fame but only the Guru. Therefore, one should set out in search of a Guru to find peace neutralizing the bubbling desires within and deluding attachments arising from dual consciousness, which is the cause for all sorrows.

‘Arise! Awake! Approach the feet of the Master and know That’, says Katha Upanishad (1.ii.8). ‘The Guru disciple bond is the most sublime subject’, Navajyoti Sri Karuakara Guru said. ‘It is said that Guru is Sakala Dharmatma, (the embodiment of all dharma). We realize ourselves the vice and virtue (paapa and punya) in the soul accrued through many births and deaths and submit everything at the feet of Guru. Guru by imparting spiritual experience breaks the karmic entanglements…’, mentions Guru.

Here, the Guru becomes the liberator. Bhakta (devotee) is given the opportunity to unburden and sublimate all karmas, good and bad, at the feet of the Guru. And Guru assures him liberation, the bliss of enlightenment through spiritual experiences in order to dispel all doubts and purify the person of all bad karma. The Guru-Sishya concept goes beyond the popular one about Guru. Chindu Ratna, a Research Associate in Santhigiri Social Research Institute defined the role of Guru in a sociological perspective. Guru has the role of the Originator, Sustainer and Annihilator (Srishti, Stiti and Samhara), he explains.

In Santhigiri the Guru plays the role of shaping a healthy and virtuous human race. Today, one of the major challenges in front of man is a society free from diseases, disabilities and moral downfall. There should be spiritual guidance with regard to marriage and married life in order to prevent the birth of a meritless generation. Therefore, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru gave utmost importance to the generative aspect, which is Srishti or creation. The system of marriage and childbirth the great Guru initiated will ensure the birth of supramental souls and a supramental age, which Aravind Ghosh had envisioned.

Today, life poses a major challenge before man. He has to be productive to sustain himself and others around him. Consumerism has unsettled the holistic perspective of life. Entrepreneurs vie with each other to offer more and more products and services that change the way man wants to live. Profit motive makes entrepreneurs less responsible to man’s concerns about health and environment as well as exploitation of natural resources. The Guru showed an alternative way of self-reliant commune life. Only the products that are essentially required by the community is produced without harming Nature. There are educational institutions, hospitals, manufacture of Ayurveda and Siddha medicines and other small-scale enterprises in Santhigiri that meet the demands of the community. Here, life becomes a collective effort which eases the burden of a life individually lived. This is Sthiti or sustenance.

Another area of worry in man’s life is the thought about his karma and its consequences here and hereafter. He is worried about diseases and death. Man is in need of a sound doctrine that can alleviate the worry about death and suffering. Here, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru presents a concept that is founded on Sanatana Dharma. The soul is caught in an evolutionary journey wherein life does not end with the present. Each birth is an opportunity to evolve higher and higher until it merges with Brahman, the Supreme Truth. Our actions and our view of life determine the sorrow as well as happiness in life. When a person blindly follows ritualistic tradition, soul’s progressive evolution gets arrested. Thus, the Guru’s ideology helps the followers transcend the fear of death. This is Samhara, the annihilation of the fear of death.

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva -4

Suuta Said:
Kailaasa-shikhare Ramye Bhakti-saadhana Hetave
Pranamya Paarvatii Bhaktyaa Sankaram Paripruchhati

(At the beautiful mount of Kailas, Paarvati, bowing in devotion submits a question to Sankara (Siva), for the sake of nurturing devotion).

Now a misguided campaign is going on in Kerala against the entry of women in Sabarimala temple. It is a rare occasion in history when both men and women join a self-defeating campaign blinded by superstitions and the crafty policies of a priest-class, which had for long denied women the rights for spiritual performances including the right to cover their nakedness. One gets both pained and surprised by seeing this foolery. Sri Guru Gita shows how the gods and sages of India helped women in their spiritual growth and gave them freedom to ask questions. In fact, no spiritual performance is complete without the participation of women because man and woman are the inseparable creation of God.

For a woman, the husband is her guide, her Guru and therefore a divine being. The husband is even equated to God in Sanatana Dharma. This is the ideal situation according to the wise rishis, but we know it is quite difficult if not impossible to find such a noble soul as husband in this age. A husband should be a spiritually elevated soul with the knowledge of dharma, karma and transcendental knowledge.
In the ancient Rishi tradition, a child is sent to an ashram to get trained and educated in dharma (spiritual knowledge), artha (wealth), kama (desire fulfillment) and moksha (liberation) under an enlightened guru.

The ashram education package includes practical knowledge related to God realization as well as exposure to the riddles of Creation, Life and Death. Only the right spiritual knowledge leads the soul to lasting freedom and joy. It is an exercise to find the meaning of life itself. Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksha scheme works out our cravings in life while fulfilling the duties as householders towards the family, society and the world at large. In this process, one is supposed to develop the soul with virtues like truthfulness, purity, compassion, love, self-sacrifice, etc. which leads to personal fulfillment and moksha. But sadly, the western education has wiped out this Indian system of gurukul education, which has made Indians (Hindus) spiritual illiterates and a culturally devastated lot.

The Ashram-centric life or Guru-Sishya relationship is to learn about life. Only in the presence of the sun, darkness gets dispelled. Similarly, the divine presence of Guru in life illumines our minds and cleanses the impurities or karmic entanglements. After the education in dharma and other worldly subjects living in the Ashram of Guru, the student is directed to lead the life of a householder. Only such a man becomes qualified to become a successful householder, an ideal husband, who can help his wife grow spiritually as equal partners in the path of the Divine.

The conjugal bliss and prosperity fundamentally rest on this spiritual harmony between a husband and wife. When there is no such spiritual harmony, very unpleasant experiences await such couples. A girl or boy, therefore, should marry only under the spiritual guidance of an all-knowing Guru. There is a lot to be said about marriage and how to beget a fortunate child without any type of physical and mental debilities. This subject also comes under the spiritual guidance of a realized Guru. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru has given utmost importance to the institution of marriage and family by bringing to fore this long lost Rishi tradition in the Ashram. The help and guidance mothers get from the Ashram prior to and during pregnancy and after childbirth is beyond words.

A husband has the sacred responsibility of elevating his wife too to the pedestal of his attainments- both spiritual and temporal. How glad we would be to come across such blessed couples in our times! Here we find the epitome of that principle in Siva and Parvati. The example of Siva and Parvati has always been extolled in the sacred literature. Kalidasa described the union of Siva and Parvati as inseparable as the 'word' is with its 'meaning'. Parvati herself is well known for her practices of spiritual austerities. She worships Siva as the greatest ascetic and the knower of dharma. In her devotion to Siva, she finds latent in him the sacred Guru-hood, which inspired her to ask questions about the mystery behind the Guru-Sishya relationship.

Sri Guru Gita- A Conversation between Siva and Parvati on Guru Tatva - 3

Rishaya Uvacha:
Guhyaat Guhyatamam Saaram Gurugiita Visheshatah
Twat Prasaadaaccha Shrotavyaa Tat Sarvam Bhruuhi Suuta Naha

(The Rishis said: O Suuta! Guru Gita is very unique, and its contents holding greatest hidden meaning. Therefore, may it please you to render all of that, which would be suitable for our ears).

Here, Guru Gita has been described as a text that contains the greatest spiritual secrets to be known by seekers since it dwells upon Guru Tatva in depth. Maharshi Suuta was a disciple of Vyasa and the son of sage Loma. He was approached by a group of rishis who were eager to know about the mystery of Guru. Suuta, then, through his visionary faculty narrates to the eager rishis the conversation that took place between Siva and Parvati on the mystery of GURU.

One of the qualities of a seeker is the eagerness for spiritual knowledge. Where there is no desire for knowledge, it would be futile to discourse on spiritual knowledge. There was a time (in 1970s) when thousands of young people especially from the West along with some Indians crowded the ghats and gallies of Varanasi, Rishikesh and other holy places seeking transcendental wisdom. I don’t know where all they have disappeared. It was not an unrelated occurrence without any sufficient cause. That was the time when God’s Light descended on India. Then, in the far south, a unique spiritual event was taking place - revelations from the Light of God through a less known Soul who lived secluded in a thatched hut away from all publicity - Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru. First of all, it is difficult to have ‘mumukshutvam’ the desire for salvation. Even if one has ‘mumukshutvam’, only through the virtues of many lives it is possible to reach at the feet of the appointed One. So the spiritual wave of 1970s dissipated.

Presently, we are concentrated only on the fulfilment of desires. So, there is the increase of rituals. ‘Pongala Hinduism’ is more popular than salvation. Once the disciples of Buddha asked the Noble One that why he was not able to give salvation to the people who are suffering from worldly sorrows through his Noble Dharma! Upon this Buddha asked his disciples to go and bring any person desiring enlightenment. The disciples went down to the village. Door to door they went. Some were suffering from poverty and they wanted money, some others wanted a progeny or a bridegroom for their daughters or the healing of a disease, and so on. The disciples returned to Buddha unable to find a single soul desiring salvation.

Most of us are unable to look beyond and search for durable peace. We are enslaved by our physical wants, mental desires and intellectual thirsts. We are trapped in our vicious karma and vasanas, so unable to step into that world of tranquility, purity and eternal bliss for which the soul thirsts. But the rishis are noble souls who ever want to dwell in the world of transcendental wisdom. Their minds constantly debate on the question of life here and hereafter, on the question of God and Self or how to wriggle out of this horrible karmic pool. The Guru concept is an inseparable part of this enquiry, hence their eagerness to hear about it from a great soul - Maharshi Suuta.

Sri Guru Gita - A Discourse between Siva and Parvati- 2

Achintyaavyakta Ruupaaya, Nirgunaaya Gunaatmane
Samasta-Jagadaadhaara, Muurthaye Brahmane Namah

(Salutations to Brahman, the Supreme Being, who is incomprehensible and of indefinite form, who is with and without attributes and the support of the whole universe!)

Sant Kabir once said that if God and Guru were to appear before him, he would first bow at the feet of the Guru for it was Guru who made him experience God! Although Nirguna Brahman (God without attributes) is the changeless Reality, it can be experienced only through the binary of Jeevatma and Paramatma. Paramatma here is Saguna Brahman, God with attributes. Jeevatma or individual soul comes into existence from the projection or sankalpa of Paramatma. Jeevatma has no independent or permanent existence of its own as it is bound to Paramatma like the wave is to the ocean, like the smell is to a flower or like the child is to its father. In short the universe comprising of all animate and inanimate beings is the projection of Paramatma, the Comic Soul.

Paramatama or Saguna Brahman is with attributes, i.e. with name, a definite form along with qualities and the power to imagine and act (Sankalpa Shakti and Kriya Shakti). Different sects in Hinduism address him Siva, Vishnu, Goddess, Surya, Ganapati, Krishna and so on according to their vision and experience, although they too accept Nirguna Brahman as the ultimate truth. Buddhists and Jains advise the followers to concentrate only on deeds or karma, rather than debating about a God that is beyond human intelligence. However, they believe in the concept of Mahatmas or Arahats whom mankind has to follow for attaining Nirvana or enlightenment.

In Christianity, Paramatma is called the Father in Heaven. In Islam, they say Allah, which is supposed to be Nirguna Brahman, God without attributes. Islam does not accept the concept of Saguna Brahman. They suppose that Nirguna Brahman has all the power to create, judge and punish. However, this idea is not acceptable because the God which creates, judges and punishes, that God requires a mind to imagine and intelligence to order the universal function. He should also have a physical form. In the scriptures it is said that God, desiring to create the world, first projected himself in the form of a man (Purusha). This Purusha was split into two, a man and woman by his own will for the purpose of procreation. We can assume that Purusha, the first projection of formless God (Nirguna Brahman) is Manu, the Adi Guru or the primordial ancestor of human universe. It is said that the solar system was born out of the sankalpam of Manu. That is why the age of our solar system is calculated in terms of the time cycle of Manu or Manvantara.

God without form, name and qualities is an unknowable abstract concept. God is said to be pure light, consciousness and bliss. (Sat Chit Ananda). In that state of God, there is no mind, no intelligence, no imagination or karma of any type including creation. It is said to be a state of pure bliss untouched by gunas or qualities. That is why the rishis called this state of God as Nirguna Brahman, which can think and act only when it transforms itself into an embodiment with Jnana Shakti, Kriya Shakti and Sankalpa Shakti (the power of knowledge, volition and action).

Realized Gurus are the mind-born embodiments of the Purusha in human form. A few great souls crossing many spiritual skies or lokas attain the abode of Paramatma through tapasya or austerities spanning many births. Such souls are sent by God for man’s spiritual guidance. That is the reason, Guru is realized and worshipped as Paramatma or Brahman itself. Guru Gita tries to project this truth throughout its discourse. This mantra is both the invocation and definition of God. It tries to define God in beautiful terms as the Unknowable and Indefinable Support of the Universe, the Eternal Truth, with and without Attributes.

Sri Guru Gita - A Discourse between Siva and Parvati

Gurucharanam Saranam

Today is an auspicious day to listen to Sri Guru Gita, the discourse between Siva and Parvati that is said to have taken place on the beautiful mountain of Kailas probably on a moonlit night of Pournami, the full moon day. Among others who listened attentively to this sacred discourse were great sages and rishis. Surely, Sri Guru Gita contains the secret of all secrets for spiritual enlightenment leading to God realisation.

First let us begin with a prayer to the Guru:

Paramaachaarya Padapraaptam, Paramaatma Swaruupakam
Karunaakara Gurum Vande, Bhavaroga Bhishagwaram

(My obeisance to Sri Karunakara Guru, who has attained the seat of Supreme Guru-hood and who is the embodiment of the Absolute Truth and is the healer of the affliction that is life on the earth plane!)

This mantra is an invocation to the Guru seeking his blessings. It is an ancient practice that when we commence a work, first we pray to Guru. All our actions and thoughts, both good and bad, are to be submitted at the divine feet of the Guru. Guru, while talking about daily routine of a devotee advised that we should try to recollect all our thoughts and actions of the day before going to bed so that we can analyse them in our mental screen and make subjective amendments. It is a subjective process that will help internal harmony or the mind-soul integration. The residues of conflicts in life work subjectively and create ripples of disharmony in the mind and body leading to ailments in the form of worry, tension and so on.

We must understand that GURU is a spiritual phenomenon that is one with the Universal Consciousness. Such a Guru will be a Trikala Jnani, i.e. the one who knows the past, present and future. Guru is the projection of the unknowable, immeasurable, nameless ocean of Light, i.e. God. Every phenomenon in the universe is nourished, harmonised and ultimately evolved in this universal consciousness called Guru. The afflictions arising out of the binaries of existence can be harmonised only on this plane of Absolute Truth.

Guru Gita –The Arcanum of Cosmic Law of Guru

Guru Gita is lesser known among the ancient sacred texts of India. It is an intriguing fact that an important scripture like Guru Gita had for a long time remained eclipsed. But the past decade has seen the growing popularity of Guru Gita. Most of our spiritual texts reflect a pantheistic view of religion. They have given rise to multifarious traditions of worship and led to the fragmentation of Indian society. Against these popular traditions, we can identify another stream of spiritual pursuit in India for the realization of transcendent truth. This is reflected in texts like the Upanishads, the Bhagavat Gita and Guru Gita. They show the path to god realization through Guru, the bearer of Truth and who connect the consciousness of man to a higher realm of spiritual experience. Their contents are eternally universal, i.e. Sanatana. The seekers of truth the world over from time immemorial have turned to these sources of wisdom for guidance.

Sanatana Dharma is the backbone of Indian culture evolved from the vigilant knowing of the Guru and disciple through their sacrifices for realizing the truth. Guru Gita, which reveals the secrets of this vital Guru Principle, is the quintessence of Sanatana Dharma, the Veda of the Age. Guru Gita is a text that should adorn every home like a shining priceless gem. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru has opened up an astounding vista of spiritual freedom through a newly found, vibrant Guru-Disciple mutuality. May the glory of Guru be celebrated again in this land of Rishis.

The grand narrations of ancient India are mostly found in Sanskrit verse, have a meandering form and are made up of numerous interconnected stories and advices. They often enshrine laws of life, great mystical truths and cosmic visions. Skanda Purana is one such grand narration depicting the ancient saga of Skanda, the mighty warrior who fought with skill to overcome the dark powers that troubled the world. Skanda, whose many other names include Kumara, Shanmukha, Subramanya, Karthikeya and Muruga is fabled in Indian mythology to be the son of a greater father, none other than the Siva, lord of dance, the conqueror of death and the powerful deity of dissolution and destruction.

Guru Gita occurs as part of the Uttarakanda of Skandapuranam. In spite of being only a part of a larger text, it is complete in itself. Further, it is an Arcanum containing the most vital law of life – the cosmic law of GURU – and is therefore perennially relevant to the world. It would not be wrong if we conclude that such visionary literature was made possible by a great tradition of spirituality that thrived in those times in the distant past as a result of austerities of a long line of rishis, who were seekers of Truth. Such is the uniqueness and grace of this treasure trove in world literature.

It is not the literary quality alone that makes this text outstanding, nor its sacredness. Guru Gita contains that sense of direction which is crucial to save planet earth itself from the man-made disasters it is riddled with. The human race has to return to the righteous path by restoring its connection with the Light of the one Universal God and through this finding, its proper relationship with Nature.  Needless to say that this involves the purification or cleansing of the human content.

Only when the human factor is correct can life be renewed with the infusion of compassion at all levels, ending violations of all kinds. All human affairs including politics, government and international relations need to be re-oriented on this basis. According to Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru, the powerful in the world is ‘conforming to the Vaisya’s way, a life-view clouded by ignorance and apathy’. The Vysya being the trader, who has created the market economy, considers only what is expedient. Expediency is the key word in today’s market culture. This can change only through individuals who change subject to spiritual intercession at the subtle planes and get oriented to basic values.

There is an interesting point to be noted here. Siva and Parvati are bonded in an ideal relationship. In sharing the secretes of god head Siva, the husband becomes Parvati’s guru. Parvathi, the wife is such an evolved disciple as to elicit those spiritual secrets from him. Conventionally Indians fancy that a wife should treat the husband as a deity. That the husband has to earn such a position is never highlighted. Guru Gita by the very form it is conceived implicitly conveys this idealistic message to householders.

Guru Gita is in the form of a dialogue between Siva and his consort Parvati – the parents of Skanda. Again, the dialogue is conceived as a retrieval from the past (possibly from what might be termed as ‘aakashic records’) by sage Suuta who is endowed with the faculty of transcendental vision of a higher order. Sage Suuta was a disciple of Vyasa and the son of sage Loma. He was approached by a group of rishis who were eager to go into the depths of the law of Guru. Suuta, then contacts through his visionary wisdom the knowledge that was given by Siva to Parvati on the mystery of GURU. And Suuta relates it to the eager rishis. This exchange between Suuta and the rishis, it is said, took place in Naimishaaranyam, a forest endowed with great natural beauty where a number of spiritually evolved sages lived and strived for perfection. (This area is supposed to be the present Nimasar in Sitapur district in Uttarpradesh).

The number of verses in Guru Gita appears to vary from version to version.  To wield a metallic stylus on palm leaves treated for the purpose of inscribing in order to make a copy of any book must have been a time consuming task before printing was invented. Patient and expert scholars only could have undertaken such a task. In the process of making such copies, omissions and additions could have naturally taken place. Among the disciples of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru there are many with awakened faculty of inner vision. The most evolved of them, Sishya Poojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini is the present spiritual head of the parampara. A mantra was revealed to her from the Supreme Light:

‘ AUM Sri Karunakara Guru Ateeva Satyaprakashaya Namah’

This is being chanted by the Santhigiri parampara along with two earlier lines revealed around 1968-69.

‘ AUM Sree Karunakara Guru Parabrahmane Namah

AUM Sree Karunakara Guru Sathyapradaya Namah’

These three lines show GURU as:  1) the ocean of mercy, 2) the Absolute Brahman, 3) the giver of Truth (Jnana) and 4) the Light Supreme. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru represents the Light of God.

Guru

Guru – the two Sanskrit syllables ‘Gu’ and ‘Ru’ means the dispeller of darkness. That is a fully realized Guru is the Light of God. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru is such a fully realized Guru who brings the Light of God to our world. An experienced disciple Carloz Guzman who came to Guru, like the three Maji of the East went to infant Christ, without address or information, was led by this Light. Gifted by strong extra sensory vision Carloz vouches for the greatness of Guru’s Light. He speaks of the process of transformation individuals undergo in Guru’s presence thus:

‘By simply being near Guru his immense Prakasham – Light will immediately start purifying your soul in a very powerful way’. This experience of Carloz can be related to following verse from Guru Gita:

Abhyastai Kimu Deergha-kaala-vimalair-vyaadhi-pradair-dushkaraih

Praanaayaama-satair-aneka-karanaih Dukhaatmakai Durjayaih

Yasminnabhyudite Vinasyati Balii Vaayuh Swayam Tatkshanaat

Praaptam Tat Sahaja-swabhaavam-anisam Seve Tamekam Gurum

(What is the use with practices like Pranayama and several hundreds of other means that cleanse the soul prolonged, that produces affliction, that are strenuous, miserable and unattainable? On whose appearance (or presence), the uncontrollable life force (the Prana) becomes immediately subdued on its own, only that Guru, who has attained the ever abiding form, should be served always).

Guru is the Master of not only our soul but all the influences that affect it. He is the Master of our destiny, our ancestors and successors. Hear what Herman Nenning, another disciple of Guru has to say about it.

‘The complexities of the spirit world have direct influence on this life on the earth plane. Spirits of our ancestors (pitrus) and the deities they worshipped while they lived have astral links with us. From their various spheres, these entities could be good or evil. Guru severs their links with us, and they are helped at the astral level by Guru.  According to what they deserve, some of them are even liberated by Guru, some others are guided to be reborn. Those who are irretrievably evil could be even destroyed’.

Mr. Nenning had an issue to tackle:

‘My younger brother had taken to heavy drinking. He had closed up and after repeated efforts and much coaxing, he let his secret out. He was being haunted by evil apparitions. These entities even entered his body and tried to push him out of his body. No matter where he slept, these forces followed him. Every night he had these terrifying experiences. His way out was alcohol, even as a temporary solution, from this astral tyranny…’

Nenning had approached several adepts before for a solution to this problem. All of them had prescribed elaborate rituals in temples… Guru when informed of this responded differently. Your brother is attacked by spirits’, He said, ‘there is a solution here – Guru Pooja. But it is not easy. Means a lot of responsibility for you, you have to understand many things as well’.  In the Guru Pooja, there was no pooja, rites or ritual involved. The disciple ordained by Guru to do the ‘sankalpam’ to effect this spiritual intercession, did it at Guru’s behest. All Nenning did was to attend all the prayers in the Ashram prayer hall on the day this was done.Here is what Nenning had to say about the result.

 ‘After two weeks I reached Germany. My brother came to receive me. I asked him: ‘How are you?’ He answered, ‘I don’t know how, since two weeks I could sleep well and am completely free of the fear which troubled me’.

On hearing this Nenning introduced Guru to his brother for the first time. He was naturally astonished. Herman says that ‘Guru could, from such a distance and, without ever seeing effect a remedy to his problem was unbelievable!’

Later when Herman got closer to Guru he mustered the courage to ask Guru how many souls were freed from their stagnation through Guru Pooja.  ‘Between five to ten thousand’ was the answer. The Ashram does not have an exact account of families Guru has accorded this rarest of the rare act of grace. The number runs to several thousands. This act of grace had started in 1972.  This aspect of Guru can be related to:

Kulaanaam Kula-kotiinaam Taarakah Tatra Tatkshanaat

Atastam Sadgurum Jnaatwaa Trikaalam-abhivandayet

(It takes mere seconds for the Guru to save clans of men, millions of them. Therefore, knowing that perfect Guru, worship him during the three turns (sunrise, noon and sunset) of the day).

This work of unparalleled grace is going on ever after Guru left his physical form and merged in the Supreme Radiance of the Almighty. His Will works through Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini, his closest disciple who is the present spiritual head of the parampara. Guru’s picture comes to our mind in the lines:

Hridambuje Karnika-madhya-samsthe Simhaasane Samsthita-  divya-moortim

Dhyaayet Gurum Chandra-kalaa-prakaasam Sachit-sukhaabheeshta-varam Dadhaanam

Swetaambaram Sweta-vilepa-pushpam Muktaa-vibhuusham Muditam Dwinetram

Vaamaanga-peetta-sthita-divya-saktim Mandasmitam Poorna-

kripaa-nidhaanam

(That divine form of Guru is to be meditated upon, who is in the throne, situated in the middle of the petals of the lotus-shaped heart, radiating like the luminous moon, and giving the coveted boon of transcendental joy. I ever salute that Guru robed in white, wearing white flowers and pearls, who is the basis of absolute compassion, who is with jubilant eyes, and ever abiding ‘divine power’ and pleasant smile).

He did not customarily wear white flowers and pearls but was always dressed in immaculate white. We get a clear picture of our Guru in:

Mohaadi-rahitah Saanto Nitya-tripto Niraasrayah

Trineekrita-Brahma-Vishnu-vaibhavah Paramo Guruh

(Free from all delusions and sorrows, calm and eternally satisfied, needing no support, and wielding incomparable power that makes naught the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara, is the Supreme Guru)

We have realized:

Na Guroradhikam Tatwam Na Guroradhikam Tapah

Na Guroradhikam Jnaanam Tasmai Sree Gurave Namah

(My salutations to that auspicious Guru, other than whom there is no greater truth, no greater penance and no greater knowledge).

As far as we, Guru’s disciples, are concerned there is no philosophy, no law that is above our Guru. Guru’s words are the mantras that rescue from life’s crises. Guru’s form is a reason for us to meditate. We spontaneously keep on remembering Him. His sacred lotus feet inspires all our worship.

Dhyaana-moolam Guror-muurthih Poojaa-moolam Guroh Padam

Mantra-moolam Guror-vaakyam Mukthi-moolam Guroh Kripaa

(The basis of meditation is the form of Guru. The basis of worship is the feet of Guru. Mantra results from the words of Guru. The basis of liberation is the compassion of Guru).

In short we are convinced that our Guru Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru is none other than God – the Absolute Brahman:    

Durlabham Trishu Lokeshu Tacchrunushwa Vadaamyaham

Gurum BrahmaVinaa Naanyat Satyam. Satyam Varaanane.

(Oh beautiful one! I will tell you that which is very rare in the three worlds. Please listen. Guru is none other than the Absolute Brahman – God Himself. This verily is the truth).

Our Guru is God, though he himself said:  “I am only a means......”

How else can we experience God except through the perfect, fully realized, true GURU. And a number of persons who came in contact with our Guru have realized that He is a perfect, fully realized Guru.

The spiritual head affirms this through her exalted vision. Other visionary renunciants affirm this. Several householder disciples affirm this. All have seen Guru being worshipped by countless devis, devas, angels, prophets – souls of great evolution. Rishi Ratna Jnana Tapaswini gives an account of her experiences thus:

‘Once during our school excursion it was planned that we would be visiting Dharmasthalam, which is famous for its ancient temples and other holy places. Along with my friends when I came in front of the sanctum where the idols were placed, I saw the deities in reality and they were standing with folded hands in the prostrating manner.  A question crept up in my confused mind why should these powerful deities offer namaskaram to me, when lacks of people all over the world came here to offer salutations to them. The teacher from back started to call us to come fast. When I turned back, it was then that the doubts in my small mind were cleared. Guru with his gentle and consoling smile was standing in a bright radiance greater than that of these deities just back of me. Then only I realized that these deities were actually prostrating to Guru. In a similar manner, I started to receive visions where I saw crores of Devi-Devas, rishis, sanyasins, and prophets of all religions with their entire parampara surrendering to my Guru. It was from then on I started to realize and recognize the greatness and the mission of my Guru”

By Smt. O.V. Usha (The author is a well known Poet, Writer and Social Activist)