Bhakti and Jnanam- WAVE 8

[Guest guest]

Sri subbuji asks Who is the author of this sloka ....

 

( Ruupam ruupavivarjitasya bhavato dhyaanena yatkalpitam

stutyaa anirvachaniiyataa akhila guro duuriikrtaa yanmayaa |

vyaapitvam cha niraakrtram bhagavato yat tiirtha-yaatraadinaa

kshantavyam jagadiisha tadvikalataa-doshatrayam matkrtam ||)

 

This beautiful sloka was posted by none other than sri Yaduji

sometime ago on the list and Vk-ji also liked the sloka so much and

wanted to know the 'author ! another member and i thought at that

time that this sloka was from Sri Dattatreya's avadhuta gita ...but

when Sunder-ji posted the link to the sanskrit version of Dattreya's

sloka, i discovered i was wrong .... although Sloka 7 of sri

dattatreya's avadhotta gita says the very samething ..

 

..Lord Dattatreya also talks about the three sins in his Avadhuta

Gita

1. You are bereft of any form. Yet I imagined a form in the

name of meditating upon You.

2. You are beyond words. No words can explain Your nature.

Yet I have sung Your glories through words.

3. You are all-pervading. Yet I undertook pilgrimages to

worship You in specific places.)

 

i THINK THE AUTHOR OF THIS VERSE IS NONE OTHER THAN ADI SHANKARA

HIMSELF - one day while surfing on the net , i read that Adi

shankara after completing his trip to south india came back to Kashi

and prayed to Kasi Vishwanath and composed this verse extempore !

 

Whoever the author is, it is beautiful verse! Why do we go to temple,

visit pilgrimage spots and sing the glories of the God ? A good

question ...

 

Why do we do all these external acts of worship and visit pilgrimage

spots etc ? This is to purify the mind and 'tame the mind '! Our mind

is like a 'monkey' ... by visiting holy places , by engazing in

bhagwat and my meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord , we

want to purify our mind!

 

In sivananda lahari, adi shankara says in verse 20

 

sadaa mohaaTavyaaM charati yuvatiinaaM kuchagirau

naTatyaashaashaakhaasvaTati jhaTiti svairamabhitaH |

kapaalin.h bhiksho me hR^idayakapimatyantachapalaM

dR^iDhaM bhaktyaa baddhvaa shiva bhavadadhiinaM kuru vibho || 20||

 

Translation

 

It (my mind) roams always in the forest of delusion, it

dances on the physique of young women, it wanders on the

branches of desire rapidly, at will all around. Oh Kapali,

Oh Bhikshu, tie my exceedingly *fickle monkey like heart,*

firmly by devotion. Oh Siva, Oh Vibhu, make it subservient

to you.

 

Yes! here the great acharya is comparing the mind to a 'monkey ' ad

asking for Bhagwat kripa ( lord shiva's infinite compassion) to tame

the devotee's monkey like mind by being 'devoted' to the lord!

 

and Lord Dattatreya also points out the importance of God's grace in

the verse first verse of Avadhuta gita!

 

There is an inner pilgrimage and outer pilgrimage!

 

The body itself is a sri chakra and all the sacred rivers like ganga,

saraswati, yamuna are inside the body says the Tantras ! But till

this realization is reached, we do need the help of external acts of

worship!

 

All the saints and sages stress the importance of ISHWARA KRIPA AND

GURU KRIPA ! DUE TO ISHWARA KRIPA, YOU GET INITIATED BY A QUALIFIED

gURU AND IT IS THE REALIZED GURU WHO SHOWS YOU THE VISION

OF 'ISHWARA'

 

On this day dedicated to Guru, please allow me to quote a few verses

from Vivaka chudamani

 

shrotriyo'vR^jino'kaamahato yo brahma-vittamaH

brahmaNy uparataH shaanto nirindhana iv'aanalaH

ahetuka-dayaa-sindhur bandhur aanamataaM sataam .. 33

 

The guru should be one who knows the scriptures, is blameless, not

overcome by sensuality, and a supreme knower of God. He should be at

peace in God, tranquil as a fire that has run out of fuel. He should

be a boundless ocean of compassion and the friend of those who seek

his protection. 33

 

and IN ANOTHER VERSE OF vIVEKA CCHUDAMANI

 

shaantaa mahaanto nivasanti santo

vasantaval lokahitaM charantaH

tiirNaaH svayaM bhiima-bhavaarNavaM janaan

ahetun'aanyaan api taarayantaH .. 37

 

"The great and peaceful ones live regenerating the world like the

coming of spring, and after having themselves crossed the ocean of

embodied existence, help those who try to do the same thing, without

personal motives.

 

On this day dedicated to Guru , please join me in honoring Jagadguru

Adi Shankara bhagvadapada who descended on this earth to save the

sanatana dharma! Shankara means one who gives happiness ! Shankara

also means one who removes doubts'

 

Ashta varshe chaturveedi

Dvaadasae sarva saastravit,

Shodasee kritavaan bhaashyam

Dvaatrimsee munirabhyagaat."

meaning,

 

 

"At eight, a master of four Vedas

At twelve, a professor of all sastras,

At sixteen, an interpreter and commentator

At thirty two, a great sage."

 

To such a shankara bhagwan , i bow , i bow , i bow!

 

ACHARYA DEVO BHAVA!

 

JAYA JAYA SHANKARA

 

HARA HARA SHANKARA

 

PAHI MAAM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> *****

>