How does a disciple attain Jnana ....

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Dear All,

Here is a dialogue between a great saint - Shirdi Sai Baba and one

of his devotees. It is to do with the attitude of a disciple to a

Guru.

 

This line seems very much in keeping with our discussions on the

Guru Gita . It is from the Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 4 , Verse 24.

 

Prostrate completely before the Guru , question the Guru and serve

the Guru . And pleased with you , the Guru will remove your

ignorance.

 

Jai Maa

Jai Guru

Latha

 

=======================

>From the Sai Satcharita

 

.....................

 

Nanasaheb Chandorkar was a good student of Vedanta. He had read Gita

with commentaries and prided himself on his knowledge of all that.

He fancied that Baba knew nothing of all this or of Sanskrit. So,

Baba one day pricked the bubble. These were the days before crowds

flocked to Baba, when Baba had solitary talks at the Mosque with

such devotees. Nana was sitting near Baba and massaging His Legs and

muttering something.

 

Baba - Nana, what are you mumbling yourself?

 

Nana - Iam reciting a shloka (verse) from Sanskrit.

 

Baba - What shloka?

 

Nana - From Bhagawad-Gita

 

Baba - Utter it loudly.

 

Nana then recited B.G.IV-34 which is as follows :-

 

'Tadviddhi Pranipatena Pariprashnena Sevaya,

Upadekshyanti Te Jnanam Jnaninastattwadarshinah'

 

Baba - Nana, do you understand it?

 

Nana - Yes.

 

Baba - If you do, then tell me.

 

Nana - It means this - "Making Sashtanga Namaskar, i.e.,

prostration, questioning the guru, serving him, learn what this

Jnana is. Then, those Jnanis that have attained the real knowledge

of the Sad-Vastu (Brahma) will give you upadesha (instruction) of

Jnana."

 

Baba - Nana, I do not want this sort of collected purport of the

whole stanza. Give me each word, its grammatical force and meaning.

 

Then Nana explained it word by word.

 

Baba - Nana, is it enough to make prostration merely ?

 

Nana - I do not know any other meaning for the word 'pranipata'

than 'making prostration'.

 

Baba - What is 'pariprashna'?

 

Nana - Asking questions.

 

baba - What does 'Prashna' mean?

 

Nana - The same (questioning).

 

Baba - If 'pariprashna' means the same as prashna (question), why

did Vyasa add the prefix 'pari'? Was Vyasa off his head?

 

Nana - I do not know of any other meaning for the

word 'pariprashna'.

 

Baba - 'Seva', what sort of 'seva' is meant?

 

Nana - Just what we are doing always

 

Baba - Is it enough to render such service?

 

Nana - I do not know what more is signified by the word 'seva'.

 

Baba - In the next line "upadekshyanti te jnanam", can you so read

it as to read any other word in lieu of Jnanam?

 

Nana - Yes.

 

Baba - What word?

 

Nana - Ajnanam.

 

Baba - Taking that word (instead of Jnana) is any meaning made out

of the verse?

 

Nana - No, Shankara Bhashya gives no such construction.

 

Baba - Never mind if it does not. Is there any objection to using

the word "Ajnana" if it gives a better sense?

 

Nana - I do not understand how to construe by placing "Ajnana" in

it.

 

Baba - Why does Krishna refer Arjuna to Jnanis or Tattwadarshis to

do his prostration, interrogation and service? Was not Krishna a

Tattwadarshi, in fact Jnana himself.

 

Nana - Yes He was. But I do not make out why he referred Arjuna to

Jnanis?

 

Baba - Have you not understood this?

 

Nana was humiliated. His pride was knocked on the head. Then Baba

began to explain -

 

(1) It is not enough merely to prostrate before the Jnanis. We must

make Sarvaswa Sharangati (complete surrender) to the Sad-guru.

 

(2) Mere questioning is not enough. The question must not be made

with any improper motive or attitude or to trap the Guru and catch

at mistakes in the answer, or out of idle curiosity. It must be

serious and with a view to achieve moksha or spiritual progress.

 

(3) Seva is not rendering service, retaining still the feeling that

one is free to offer or refuse service. One must feel that he is not

the master of the body, that the body is Guru's and exists merely to

render service to him.

 

If this is done, the Sad-guru will give you Jnana .......