Gurupooja - A Unique Experience

Gurucharanam Saranam

Guru is My Life
Chidambaran Harippad (Dy.Director of Education, Govt.of Kerala, Retd.)

Thirty one years ago Guru came to my maternal home and got the noble Guru Pooja done with the aid of a disciple (a small girl) having the power of darsan. This was performed through meditation and sankalpa (divine mental conceptualization) by the disciple and the troublesome spiritual powers, deities and serpents we worshipped for generations were removed without any rite or ritual. We tested and were convinced of the effectiveness of this karma in the presence of Guru employing the astrologer who had suggested homas, rites and rituals for a solution. Thereafter, the temples of worship and serpent grove were removed under my leadership. The old house could be renovated. I am happy to say that we do not have any trouble now from the serpents or the spirits that troubled us a lot. In the beginning, I had no belief in it. Then I got the Guru Pooja conducted as a research work and test case as the idea and method were quite strange to the known spiritual realm.

In fact we were quite ignorant of the greatness of this noble act then. We mistook it only as a substitute for homas and rituals. Guru told us that Rishis would take birth in our family in future. But we didn’t understand any thing then. Now we realize that Guru was clearing the ground and laying the foundation stone for a pure lineage in our family. I am glad to state that my children, who are post graduates, are ardent followers of Guru.

It is to be mentioned that the Guru Pooja performed in the ashram now is many times more powerful than that performed in my home. It is a wonderful phenomenon not found anywhere else that, since the merger of Guru with the Almighty, becoming a Navajyothi, Guru has been giving more powerful darsan through the principal disciple, the Revered Sishya Poojitha Janani Amritha Jnana Tapaswini, controlling all the activities of the Ashram and giving guidance to devotees and lineage as per the direction of God.

The gist of Guru Pooja performed in Santhigiri is as follows: The spirits of our ancestors and the spiritual powers we and our ancestors worshipped will have great influence on our life, virtue and fortune. If they are at a mean position or in an adverse situation, our children will be born under mean and unfavorable star positions with a jiva deficient in virtue, fortune and ability. This will adversely affect our activities and those of our children and will ultimately result in failure in action, miseries due to diseases, and experiences contrary to our expectations leading to perpetual worry and grief. The offerings and oblations and the rites and rituals we generally do for a solution will not produce the expected result. They will provide only a temporary relief like a first-aid given when met with a serious accident. Still we believe they are effective. But the misfortune will continue. The Guru Pooja in Santhigiri is done for a permanent solution to this problem.

Brahmam empowers and entrusts an Eternal Guru to purify the spirits of our ancestors, devi-devas and the other spiritual powers we and our ancestors worshipped, making them eligible for rebirth leading to liberation. Nava Jyothi Sree Karunakara Guru is the first Eternal Guru who got permission from Brahmam to perform such purification. Guru, who has reached the zenith of divine wisdom, sees the virtues and sins of a person and his family for generations through his divine transcendental knowledge and purifies the manes and the spiritual powers we and our ancestors worshipped as per the direction of Brahman, without performing any rite or ritual. These spiritual powers are brought to the divine light of Guru by a disciple having. The power of darsan and purified by the spiritual brilliance of Guru. They are then placed at appropriate planes, after liberating those worthy of liberation, if any, and annihilating those deserving annihilation or destruction. The purified souls kept apart will be given birth through the union of well-matched couples having harmony in Jiva (not star) selected by Guru. The children so born will grow as a new pure lineage blessed with punya, fortune and ability for action free from the thoughts of hatred, malice, caste, creed and religion.

Guru informs us that in seven generations this pure lineage will spread throughout the world bringing peace, happiness and harmony. It is to be noted that Guru Pooja is done not for gaining any immediate material benefit for a person or his family, but for the rebirth, growth and spiritual uplift of our ancestors and the spiritual powers we have worshipped. Guru will remove the obstacles from the path of our karma and show the right path. It is our duty to do karma and gain virtue (punya) and fortune. The uniqueness of this Guru Margam is that activities performed strictly following the directions of Guru help to gain virtue and fortune, by blending materialism and spirituality, fulfilling the duties of family life.

What are the requisites for getting good crops from our cultivation? - Suitable land, high - yielding seeds, tilling or ploughing, sowing the seeds, watering and manuring. These factors are essential for a good yield. Similar is the case for getting good offspring. Here Guru will provide us with high-yielding seeds (purified jivathma through Guru Pooja) and will select and show suitable land for cultivation (matching couples). It is our duty to till the land, sow the seed at the right time, and give water and manure properly. That is, to pray and do karma as per the direction of Guru. We are fortunate in seeing and hearing such a great soul in person, who could remove the obstacles in the subtle plane and clear the way for human race to gain liberation.

Now, human race is blessed with the golden opportunity for rectifying and getting rid of the evil effects of its past karma through Guru Pooja or pithrusudhi in Santhigiri and by following Guru Margam. An ardent follower of this Guru Margam, who prays and acts with full dedication and surrender, after facing a lot of obstacles, is sure to get protection from miseries, relief from diseases that and also guidance and help in all activities by the grace and blessings of Guru. This self experience is the secret of the firm faith, deep devotion and self discipline found in the followers of Santhigiri Guru Margam. I do experience it myself in all my activities and feel the bliss of the grace and blessing of Guru. I have also the bitter experience of failure and loss due to non-compliance with the guidance and caution from Guru.

(Courtesy Santhigiri International Conference Souvenir)