24 Gurus of Avadhuta

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Source:http://blogs.epicindia.com/bhagavatam/2005/09/24-gurus.html

 

In the last part of Srimad Bhagavatam, when Krishna is about to

leave his mortal body, he imparts the highest wisdom to Uddhava. In

that teaching, there is this discussion between a Avadhuta

(Dattatreya) and the King Yadhu about what the Avadhuta has learnt

and from what source it came from.

 

Maharaja Yadu once observed a certain brahmana avadhuta, who

appeared to be quite young and learned, wandering about fearlessly.

Being himself most learned in spiritual science, the King took the

opportunity and inquired from him as follows.

 

Sri Yadu said: O brahmana, I see that you are not engaged in any

practical religious activity, and yet you have acquired a most

expert understanding of all things and all people within this world.

Kindly tell me, sir, how did you acquire this extraordinary

intelligence, and why are you traveling freely throughout the world

behaving as if you were a child? Generally human beings work hard to

cultivate dharma, artha, kama and moksha, and their usual motive is

to increase the duration of their lives, acquire fame and enjoy

material opulence.

 

You, however, although capable, learned, expert, handsome and most

eloquent, are not engaged in doing anything, nor do you desire

anything; rather, you appear stupefied and maddened as if you were a

ghostly creature. we see that you are devoid of any contact with

material enjoyment and that you are traveling alone, without any

companions or family members. Therefore, because we are sincerely

inquiring from you, please tell us the cause of the great ecstasy

that you are feeling within yourself.

 

The Avadhuta said: My dear King, with my intelligence I have taken

shelter of many masters. Having gained wisdom from them, I now

wander about the earth in a liberated condition. Please listen as I

describe them to you.

 

I have taken shelter with twenty-four gurus, who are the following:

the earth, air, sky, water, fire, moon, sun, pigeon, python; the

ocean, moth, honeybee, elephant, the deer, the fish, the prostitute

Pingala, the kurara bird (Hawk), the child; the young girl, arrow

maker, serpent, spider and the wasp. My dear King, by studying their

activities I have learned the science of the self.

 

Earth

 

People when they are harassed should understand that things are

happening helplessly under the control of providence, and thus he

should never be distracted from progress on his dharma. This rule I

have learned from the earth.

 

A wise man should learn from the mountain to devote all his efforts

to the service of others and to make the welfare of others the sole

reason for his existence. Similarly, as the disciple of the tree, he

should learn to dedicate himself to others.

 

Air

 

Every person is surrounded by innumerable material objects, which

possess good and bad qualities. However, one who has transcended

material good and evil should not become entangled even when in

contact with the material objects; rather, he should act like the

wind. Though the wind may carry various sweet and bad scents, it is

never contaminated by it and the scent neither belongs to the breeze.

 

Sky

 

A thoughtful sage, even while living within a material body, should

understand himself to be pure spirit soul. Similarly, one should see

that the spirit soul enters within all forms of life, both moving

and nonmoving, and that the individual souls are thus all-pervading.

The sage should further observe that the Supreme Person as the

Supersoul, is simultaneously present within all things. Both the

individual soul and the Supersoul can be understood by comparing

them to the nature of the sky: although the sky extends everywhere

and everything rests within the sky, the sky does not mix with

anything, nor can it be divided by anything.

 

Although the mighty wind blows clouds and storms across the sky, the

sky is never implicated or affected by these activities. Similarly,

the spirit soul is not actually changed or affected by contact with

the material nature. Although the living entity enters within a body

made of earth, water and fire, and although he is impelled by the

three modes of nature created by eternal time, his eternal nature is

never actually affected.

 

Water

 

O King, a wise man is just like water because he is free from all

contamination, gentle by nature, and by speaking creates a beautiful

vibration like that of flowing water. Just by seeing, touching or

hearing such a saintly person, the living entity is purified, just

as one is cleansed by contact with pure water. Thus a saintly

person, just like a holy place, purifies all those who contact him

because he always chants the glories of the Lord.

 

Fire

 

Saintly persons become powerful by execution of austerities. Their

firmness is unshakable because they do not have anything to do with

the material world. Such naturally liberated sages accept foodstuffs

that are offered to them by destiny, and if by chance they happen to

eat contaminated food, they are not affected, just like fire, which

burns up contaminated substances that are offered to it.

 

A wise man sometimes appears in a concealed form and at other times

reveals himself like fire hidden in the woods. For the welfare of

the jivatma who desire real happiness, a wise man may accept the

worshipable position of guru, and thus like fire he burns to ashes

all the past and future sinful reactions of his worshipers by

mercifully accepting their offerings.

 

Moon

 

The various phases of one's material life, beginning with birth and

culminating in death, are all properties of the body and do not

affect the soul, just as the apparent waxing and waning of the moon

does not affect the moon itself. Such changes are enforced by the

imperceptible movements of time.

 

Sun

 

Just as the sun evaporates large quantities of water by its potent

rays and later returns the water to the earth in the form of rain,

similarly, a wise man accepts all types of material objects with his

material senses, and at the appropriate time, would return such

material objects. Thus, both in accepting and giving up the objects

of the senses, he is not entangled.

 

Even when reflected in various objects, the sun is never divided,

nor does it merge into its reflection. Only those with dull brains

would consider the sun in this way. Similarly, although the soul is

reflected through different bodies, the soul remains undivided and

nonmaterial.

 

Pigeon

 

One should never indulge in excessive affection or concern for

anyone or anything; otherwise one will have to experience great

suffering, just like the foolish pigeon.

 

There once was a pigeon who lived in the forest along with his wife.

He had built a nest within a tree and lived there for several years

in her company. The two pigeons were very much devoted to their

household duties. Their hearts being tied together by sentimental

affection, they were each attracted by the other's glances, bodily

features and states of mind. Thus, they completely bound each other

in affection. Naively trusting in the future, they carried out their

acts of resting, sitting, walking, standing, conversing, playing,

eating and so forth as a loving couple among the trees of the

forest. Whenever she desired anything, O King, the she-pigeon would

flatteringly cajole her husband, and he in turn would gratify her by

faithfully doing whatever she wanted, even with great personal

difficulty. Thus, he could not control his senses in her

association. Then the female pigeon experienced her first pregnancy.

When the time arrived, she delivered a number of eggs within the

nest in the presence of her husband. When the time was ripe, baby

pigeons, with tender limbs and feathers created by the maya of the

Lord were born from those eggs. The two pigeons became most

affectionate to their children and took great pleasure in listening

to their awkward chirping, which sounded very sweet to the parents.

Thus with love they began to raise the little birds who were born of

them. The parent birds became very joyful by observing the soft

wings of their children, their chirping, their lovely innocent

movements around the nest and their attempts to jump up and fly.

Seeing their children happy, the parents were also happy. Their

hearts bound to each other by affection, the foolish birds,

completely bewildered by the maya of Lord Visnu continued to take

care of the young offspring who had been born to them.

 

One day the two heads of the family went out to find food for the

children. Being very anxious to feed their offspring properly, they

wandered all over the forest for a long time. At that time a certain

hunter who happened to be wandering through the forest saw the young

pigeons moving about near their nest. Spreading out his net he

captured them all. When the lady pigeon caught sight of her own

children trapped within the hunter's net, she was overwhelmed with

anguish, and crying out, she rushed toward them as they cried out to

her in return. The lady pigeon had always allowed herself to be

bound by the ropes of intense affection, and thus her mind was

overwhelmed by anguish. Being in the grip of the maya of the Lord,

she completely forgot herself, and rushing forward to her helpless

children, she was immediately bound in the hunter's net. Seeing his

own children, who were more dear to him than life itself, fatally

bound in the hunter's net along with his dearmost wife, whom he

considered equal in every way to himself, the poor male pigeon began

to lament wretchedly.

 

The male pigeon said: Alas, just see how I am now destroyed! I am

obviously a great fool, for I did not properly execute pious

activities. I could not satisfy myself, nor could I fulfill the

purpose of life. My dear family which was the basis of my dharma,

artha and kama is now hopelessly ruined. My wife and I were an ideal

match. She always faithfully obeyed me and in fact accepted me as

her worshipable deity. But now, seeing her children lost and her

home empty, she has left me behind and gone to heaven with our

children. Now I am a wretched person living in an empty home. My

wife is dead; my children are dead. Why should I possibly want to

live? My heart is so pained by separation from my family that life

itself has become simply suffering.

 

As the father pigeon wretchedly stared at his poor children trapped

in the net and on the verge of death, pathetically struggling to

free themselves, his mind went blank, and thus he himself fell into

the hunter's net. The cruel hunter, having fulfilled his desire by

capturing the head pigeon, his wife and all of their children, set

off for his own home.

 

In this way, one who is too attached to family life becomes

disturbed at heart. Like the pigeon, he tries to find pleasure in

mundane sexual attraction. Busily engaged in maintaining his own

family, the miserly person is fated to suffer greatly, along with

all his family members. . The doors of liberation are opened wide to

one who has achieved human life. But if a human being simply devotes

himself to family life like the foolish bird in this story, then he

is to be considered as one who has climbed to a high place only to

trip and fall down.

 

Python

 

The Avadhuta said: O King, A living entity automatically experiences

sorrow in heaven or hell. Similarly, happiness will also be

experienced, even without one's seeking it. Therefore a person of

intelligent discrimination does not make any endeavor to obtain such

material happiness.

 

The python never attempts to go in search of food. It accepts what

happens to come of its own accord, whether such food be delicious or

tasteless, ample or meager.

 

A wise man should remain peaceful and materially inactive,

maintaining his body without much endeavor. Even though possessed of

full sensual, mental and physical strength, the wise should not

become active for material gain but rather should always remain

alert to his actual self-interest.

 

Ocean

 

A sage is happy and pleasing in his external behavior, whereas

internally he is most grave and thoughtful. Because his knowledge is

immeasurable and unlimited he is never disturbed, and thus in all

respects he is like the tranquil waters of the unfathomable and

unsurpassable ocean.

 

During the rainy season the swollen rivers rush into the ocean, and

during the dry summer the rivers, now shallow, severely reduce their

supply of water; yet the ocean does not swell up during the rainy

season, nor does it dry up in the hot summer. In the same way,

people sometimes will receive by providence great material opulence,

and sometimes will find materially destitute. However, like the

ocean never rejoice in a flourishing condition, nor feel morose when

poverty-stricken.

 

Moth

 

One who has failed to control his senses immediately feels

attraction upon seeing a woman's form, which is created by the maya

of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, when the woman speaks with enticing

words, smiles and moves her body sensuously, his mind is immediately

captured, and thus he falls blindly into the darkness of material

existence and destroys himself just as a moth maddened by the fire

rushes blindly into its flames.

 

Honey Bee

 

Just as the honeybee takes nectar from all flowers, big and small,

an intelligent human being should take the essence from everything.

 

The honey bee collects honey and stores it in excess out of greed.

It never gets to use it, whereas the bee's are forcibly thrown out

and the honey is enjoyed by others. Similarly the wise should not

store more than what is required of him, which would only result in

anxiety in protecting it and sorrow. A greedy person accumulates a

large quantity of money with great struggle and pain, but the person

who has struggled so much to acquire this wealth is not always

allowed to enjoy it himself.

 

Elephant

 

A sage should never touch a young girl. In fact, he should not even

let his foot touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. By bodily

contact with a woman he will surely be captured by illusion, just as

the elephant is captured in a ditch by the attraction towards a she-

elephant due to his desire to touch her body.

 

Deer

 

People given to self control should never go in search of sensual

pleasures like listening to songs motivated by wordly desire music

promoting material enjoyment. Rather, a saintly person should

carefully study the example of the deer, who is bewildered by the

sweet music of the hunter's horn and is thus captured and killed.

Attracted by worldly singing, dancing and musical entertainment of

beautiful women, even the great sage Rsyasrnga, the son of Mrgi,

fell totally under their control, just like a pet animal.

 

Fish

 

Just as a fish, incited by the desire to enjoy the taste of the bait

is fatally trapped on the fisherman's hook a foolish person is

bewildered by the extremely disturbing urges of the senses and thus

is ruined.

 

The Prostitute

 

O son of kings, previously in the city of Videha there dwelled a

prostitute named Pingala. Now please hear what I have learned from

that lady. Once that prostitute, desiring to bring a lover into her

house, stood outside the doorway at night showing her beautiful

form. O best among men, this prostitute was very anxious to get

money, and as she stood on the street at night she studied all the

men who were passing by, thinking, " Oh, this one surely has money. I

know he can pay the price, and I am sure he would enjoy my company

very much. " Thus she thought about all the men on the street. As the

prostitute Pingala stood in the doorway, many men came and went,

walking by her house. Her only means of sustenance was prostitution,

and therefore she anxiously thought, " Maybe this one who is coming

now is very rich...Oh, he is not stopping, but I am sure someone

else will come. Surely this man who is coming now will want to pay

me for my love, and he will probably give lots of money. " Thus, with

vain hope, she remained leaning against the doorway, unable to

finish her business and go to sleep. Out of anxiety she would

sometimes walk out toward the street, and sometimes she went back

into her house. In this way, the midnight hour gradually arrived. As

the night wore on, the prostitute, who intensely desired money,

gradually became morose, and her face dried up. Thus being filled

with anxiety for money and most disappointed, she began to feel a

great detachment from her situation, and happiness arose in her mind.

 

The prostitute felt disgusted with her material situation and thus

became indifferent to it. Indeed, detachment acts like a sword,

cutting to pieces the binding network of material hopes and desires.

 

The Prostitute sang: Just see how greatly illusioned I am Because I

cannot control my mind, just like a fool I desired lusty pleasures

from an insignificant man. I am such a fool that I have given up the

service of that person who, being eternally situated within my

heart, is actually most dear to me. That most dear one is the Lord

of the universe, who is the bestower of real love and happiness and

the source of all prosperity. Although He is in my own heart, I have

completely neglected Him. Instead I have ignorantly served

insignificant men who can never satisfy my real desires and who have

simply brought me unhappiness, fear, anxiety, lamentation and

illusion. Oh, how I have uselessly tortured my own soul! I have sold

my body to lusty, greedy men who are themselves objects of pity.

Thus practicing the most abominable profession of a prostitute, I

hoped to get money and sexual pleasures. This material body is like

a house in which I, the soul, am living. The bones forming my spine,

ribs, arms and legs are like the beams, crossbeams and pillars of

the house, and the whole structure, which is full of stool and

urine, is covered by skin, hair and nails. The nine doors leading

into this body are constantly excreting foul substances. Besides me,

what woman could be so foolish as to devote herself to this material

body, thinking that she might find pleasure and love in this

contraption? Certainly in this city of Videha I alone am completely

foolish. I neglected the Supreme Person, who awards us everything,

even liberation, and instead I desired to enjoy sense gratification

with many men. The Supreme Person is absolutely the most dear one

for all living beings because He is everyone's well-wisher and Lord.

He is the Supreme Soul situated in everyone's heart. Therefore I

will now pay the price of complete surrender, and thus purchasing

the Lord I will enjoy with Him just like Laksmidevi. Men provide

sense gratification for women, but all these men, and even the gods

in heaven, have a beginning and an end. They are all temporary

creations who will be dragged away by time. Therefore how much

actual pleasure or happiness could any of them ever give to their

wives? Although I most stubbornly hoped to enjoy the material world,

somehow or other detachment has arisen in my heart, and it is making

me very happy. Therefore the Supreme Person, Visnu, must be pleased

with me. Without even knowing it, I must have performed some

activity satisfying to Him. A person who has developed detachment

can give up the bondage of material society, friendship and love,

and a person who undergoes great suffering gradually becomes, out of

hopelessness, detached and indifferent to the material world. Thus,

due to my great suffering, such detachment awoke in my heart; yet

how could I have undergone such merciful suffering if I were

actually unfortunate? Therefore, I am in fact fortunate and have

received the mercy of the Lord. He must somehow or other be pleased

with me. With devotion I accept the great benefit that the Lord has

bestowed upon me. Having given up my sinful desires for ordinary

sense gratification, I now take shelter of Him, the glorious

Narayana.

 

I am now completely satisfied, and I have full faith in the Lord's

mercy. Therefore I will maintain myself with whatever comes of its

own accord. I shall enjoy life with only the Lord, because He is the

real source of love and happiness. The intelligence of the living

entity is stolen away by activities of sense gratification, and thus

he falls into the dark well of material existence. Within that well

he is then seized by the deadly serpent of time. Who else but the

Supreme Person could save the poor living entity from such a

hopeless condition? When the living entity sees that the entire

universe has been seized by the serpent of time, he becomes sober

and sane and at that time detaches himself from all material sense

gratification. In that condition the living entity is qualified to

be his own protector.

 

The avadhuta said: Thus, her mind completely made up, Pingala cut

off all her sinful desires to enjoy sex pleasure with lovers, and

she became situated in perfect peace. Then she sat down on her bed.

Material desire is undoubtedly the cause of the greatest

unhappiness, and freedom from such desire is the cause of the

greatest happiness.

 

 

Hawk

 

The avadhuta said: Everyone considers certain things within the

material world to be most dear to him, and because of attachment to

such things one eventually becomes miserable. One who understands

this gives up material possessiveness and attachment and thus

achieves unlimited happiness. Once a group of large hawks who were

unable to find any prey attacked another hawk who was holding some

meat. At that time the hawk gave up attachment to the piece of meat

and experienced actual happiness.

 

The Child

 

In family life the elder people are always in anxiety about their

home, children and reputation. But I have nothing to do with these

things. I do not worry at all about any family, and I do not care

about honor and dishonor. I enjoy only the life of the soul, and I

find love on the spiritual platform. Thus I wander the earth like a

child.

 

The Young girl

 

Once I noticed a young girl husking the grains, The bangles on her

hands were continuosly making noice as she worked. So she broke all

the bangles until only 2 bangles were left. Even this didn't stop

from making noise, so she broke one of the bangle and continued

working with a single bangle on her hand. From this I've learnt that

if more people live together, there would be lot of disagreements

which would create a lot of noise in our lifes, there would be

noises even if its reduced to people. Therefore, to avoid conflict,

one should live alone, as we learn from the example of the bracelet

of the young girl.

 

The Arrow maker

 

When one is concentrated on a particular task completely, other

activities do not disturb him. The best activity in this world is to

contemplate on the supreme, When we are established in the supreme

bliss the three gunas do not disturb you. This I've realised

noticing a arrow maker who was so immersed in making the arrow, that

he did not even notice the king pass by.

 

Serpent

 

People living in a temporary material body try to construct a happy

home, the result is fruitless and miserable. The snake, however,

enters a home that has been built by others and prospers happily.

 

Spider

 

The Lord of the universe, Narayana, is the worshipable God of all

living entities. Without extraneous assistance, the Lord creates

this universe by His own potency, and at the time of annihilation

the Lord destroys the universe through His personal expansion of

time and withdraws all of the cosmos, including all the living

entities, within Himself like a spider builds a web and draws it

within itself finally.

 

Wasp

 

If out of love, hate or fear an embodied soul fixes his mind with

intelligence and complete concentration upon a particular bodily

form, he will certainly attain the form that he is meditating upon.

O King, once a wasp forced a weaker insect to enter his hive and

kept him trapped there. In great fear the weak insect constantly

meditated upon his captor, and without giving up his body, he

gradually achieved the same state of existence as the wasp. Thus one

achieves a state of existence according to one's constant

concentration.

 

O King, from all these spiritual masters I have acquired great

wisdom. Now please listen as I explain what I learned from my own

body. The material body is also my spiritual master because it

teaches me detachment. Being subject to creation and destruction, it

always comes to a painful end. Thus, although using my body to

acquire knowledge, I always remember that it will ultimately be

consumed by others, and remaining detached, I move about this world.