Sri Guru Charanaravindam -AT THE LOTUS FEET OF THE GURU!

[Guest guest]

On this Beautiful Thursday dedicated to Guru , it gives me great

pleasure to bring to this august audience two stories regarding

the glory (mahima) taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Guru .

 

The first story revolves around Sufi Bhakta Sant Kabir Das!

 

One day , Kabir had gone to meditate on the banks of the river

Ganges in KASI. Guru RAMANAND had also gone to the river bank to

take his bath along with his disciples . It was the early hours of

the morning and the Sun had not come out as yet and it was pretty

dark. Guru Ramanand could not see Sant Kabir sitting and meditating

on the river bank - Without knowing , Guru RAMANAND stepped on

Kabir's hands ! Kabir realized here was the great realized soul

Ramanand himself standing before him - it would be foolish to let go

of this golden opportunity and Kabir held on to the Guru's feet !

Guru EXCLAIMED 'Jai Sri Ram ! i am sorry i stepped on you " Kabir

fell at the Guru's feet and said " Sir ! No need for you to

apologize rather you have blessed me with the Taraka mantra (Sri

Ram) and please accept me at your disciple . Now , Ramanand was a

caste Brahmin and he now faced a great dilemma . Meanwhile , his

brahmin disciples advised Ramanand not to accept Kabir as a disciple

saying 'kabir is a muslim and he cannot grasp the principles of

Hindu Dharma. " But , Ramanand was a wise man and he immediately

recognized the 'earnest' seeker in Kabir and He accepted Kabir as

his disciple against the wishes of his other disciples! It was a

unique Guru- sisya relationship wherein the guru also learned

something from his sisya what 'true' religion is ! i will narrate

those stories another time !

 

Kabir's shraddha for his Guru is so strong that he sings in one of

his Dohas ( couplet- 2 lined wisdom sayings)

 

Guru Govind dono khade, kiske lagun paany,

balihai guru aapki, Govind diyo bataay.

 

Translation

 

If Guru and God ( Govind ) are standing before you , whose feet you

will bow down to ?

 

Kabir says 'you should offer your salutations to the lotus feet of

the Guru because it is the Guru who will show you the way to God (

Govind'

 

How True! For Guru is God in human form !

 

Next we take up the story of Adi ShankaRA and how he met his Guru ,

Govindapada!

 

Adi Shankara bhagvadapada had already 'masically ( in mind) accpted

the great saint Govindapada as his Guru . One day , ADi shankara

while travelling with his disciples reached the banks of the narmada

river . There were some caves nearby where many greeat saints were

meditating for years and years ! Adi shankara Bhagvadpada reached

one such cave in Badrinath and saw the unique vision of the feet of

one such saint hanging out of the cave - Adi shankara clutched the

feet of the Saint and held on to them ! The saint was touched by

this show of great devotion and asked ' Who are you ? " Adi Shankara

replied " O revered Guru! I am neither fire nor air nor earth nor

water-none of these, but the Immortal Atma (Self) that is hidden in

all names and forms". He also added "I am the son of Sivaguru, a

Brahmin of Kerala. My father died in my childhood. I was brought up

by my mother. I have studied the Vedas and the Shastras under a

teacher. I took Apath-sannyasa when a crocodile caught my foot while

I was taking bath in the river. Kindly initiate me formally into the

holy order of Sannyasa".

 

Swami Govinda was very much pleased with the truthful narration

given by Sankara. Govindapada accepted YOUNG SHANKARA as his

disciple and TAUGHT HIM THE FINER NUANCES OF ADVAITA VEDANTA !

 

There are many versions of this story - i narrated the one i lioked

most - the ideaa of 'clutching ' guru's feet is very appealing!

 

That is why , in the very first verse of Viveka chudamani , Adi

Shankara sings thus :

 

sarva-ved'aanta-siddh'aanta-gocharaM tam agocharam

gov'indaM param'aanandaM sad-guruM praNato'smy aham ..(Viveka

Chudamani Verse1)

 

I prostrate myself before Govinda, the true Guru and ultimate Bliss,

who is the unattainable resort of all scriptures and Vedanta.

 

wHAT A POETIC gENIUS OUR ADI SHANKARA BHAGVADPADA IS ! hE IS

ACKNOWLEDING THE GREATNESS OF HIS GURU ( GOVINDA) as well as

Govinda , the Saguna Brahman!

 

As Sri Ramana Bhagwan says

 

" Just as the prey that has fallen into the jaws of a tiger has no

escape, so those who have come within the realm of Guru's gracious

look will be saved by Him and will never get lost. "

 

 

At the lotus feet of my Atma guru Sri Ramana

 

At the Lotus feet of jagat guru Adi Shankara

 

SRI gURAVE NAMAHA!