Guru Poornima Series - Guru Bhakthi-1 Sri.Padmapada

[Guest guest]

Radhe Krishna To All,

 

On the occasion of Guru Poornima today, our swamiji would like to bring in

articles of certain Great disciples who were deeply devoted to their Guru's.

 

The first part will be about Sri.Padmapada a Great disciple of Sri Adi Shankara

Bhagavatpada

 

Sri.Padmapada:

 

Once while Acharya (Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada) was in Kasi he saw Sanandana (one

of his prime disciples) standing on the other bank of the Ganges. Sanandana was

drying Acharya's clothes. At that moment, Acharya decided to reveal Sanandana's

Guru bhakti to the world. So, after his bath in the river, and with his wet

clothes on, the Acharya asked Sanandana who was on the other bank to bring the

dry clothes to him.

 

Sanandana wanted to fulfill his Guru's wish immediately since he had intense

devotion (Bhakti) towards his Guru. He could not bear to see Acharya with wet

clothes on. When ardent love or devotion springs up in one's heart, the mind

loses its rationality. So, Sanandana could not wait to find a boat to cross the

Ganges. While he was oblivious of the deep, vast Ganges flowing before him in

all her splendor, how could he even think of a boat? His mind was totally

engrossed in the thought that Acharya was standing with wet clothes at a calling

distance and has asked him to bring the dry clothes over to him.

 

So, he started walking over the flowing Ganges, just as he would walk over plain

dry land! He did not think twice that he might get drowned. He did not swim

since the Acharya's clothes would get wet and the purpose of his Acharya's call

would be defeated.

 

When such an act of ardent devotion is witnessed, won't the Lord (In the form of

his Acharya) Himself acknowledge it and show everyone its greatness? So, a

miracle did happen! As Sanandana walked over the Ganges big lotuses sprung up

supporting his every step. Keeping his feet on these lotuses, Sanandana walked

over the river. But he was not aware of the lotuses that supported his feet.

Just as one who walks over fire as part of a ritual (Thee midhi) does not feel

the heat, Sanandana could not feel the cool, soft flowers beneath his feet.

While everybody was witnessing this rare show of intense devotion and were

awestruck by the miracle, Sanandana reached the other side of the bank and

handed over the dry clothes to his Guru.

 

The Acharya asked Sanandana, teasingly How did you cross the Ganges? Even then

Sanandana did not turn back to look at the river or the lotuses that had sprung

up. He felt strongly that it was Acharya who had ordered him to do so. That

being the case, how can it remain without being fulfilled? It was his blessing

that had taken him to this place.

 

So he said, The very thought of you reduces the deep ocean of samsara to shallow

knee-deep waters. So, there is nothing to wonder about how I crossed the Ganges

when you had ordered me to do so. After this, the Acharya himself showed

Sanandana, the lotuses that had sprung in order to support his feet and thus

named him Padmapada. Though in one state the Acharya himself is the Lord, he is

also thought of to be the lotus feet of the Lord (Bhagavatpada). It is indeed

apt that such a guru had a disciple named ˜Padmapada!

 

Regards