Guru Tattva - Part 3 By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji.

[Guest guest]

Sundara Kaandam in Ramayana depicts Guru Tattva. Valmiki has named the different

cantos in Ramayana as Kishkinta kaandam, Ayodhya kaandam, Yuddha kaandam,

Aaranya kaandam but he has named this canto as Sundara (Beautiful) kaandam. He

could have named it as ‘samudra kaandam’ as Hanuman jumped over the ocean or

‘Sita darshana kaandam’. But, he has named it as Sundara Kaandam because it

speaks about a ‘sundaramaana vishaya’ (beautiful matter).What is

‘sundaramaana vishayam’ for a ‘samsaari’? To attain liberation from this

samsaara is the ‘sundaramaana vishaya’ for a samsaari.

 

What does Valimiki say here? In the meeting to decide about the messenger to be

sent to Sri Lanka to meet Sita, each monkey speaks out the distance that he can

cover over the ocean. One monkey says that he can jump upto 30 ‘yojana’

(measure of distance), another says 40 and so on. But, this only meant that they

could not cross over the ocean totally. How then can they bring Sita over to the

Lord? Only Hanuman could jump across the ocean, meet Sita in Asoka vana and help

in bringing her back to her Lord. A Guru who has performed austerities only

about 10% or another who has done about 20% or yet another who has done 30% can

never help another to cross the ocean of samsara. Such a Guru falls and is

drowned being unable to find a way out for himself. How then can he help another

cross over the ocean of life? Here, Hanuman is shown as the Guru.

 

One should not label himself as a Guru. Neither is he able to cross over the

ocean nor help another. If he does pose as a Guru, he will struggle as one

caught between the devil and the deep sea!

 

You may be doing japa of a mantra. When someone seeks you out for some help you

may advice something and by chance it might meet with the anticipated result. He

then considers you a Guru. This works in your mind and you also begin to think

that you are indeed a Guru! But, later on you find that you are caught up with

‘devotees’ whom you are unable to help cross over the ocean of samsara

(life), as you are yourself struggling to find a way out! Having become a

‘Guru’, you come to have ‘sishyaas’! You expect respect from your

‘sishyas’. When it is not forthcoming you feel disappointed and angry. You

begin to feel malice towards other Gurus as they seem to pull larger crowd than

you! When this happens you lose out on the purpose for which you had given up

everything in life. It will push you into a situation far worse than

‘loukiika’ (world). This is because usually we nurture jealousy towards

people in the same field. A musician may

regularly attend a dance consort and praise the performance sky-high but would

never do the same with another musician. In the same manner, an immature

‘Guru’ holds malice towards other ‘Gurus’ and competes to out beat them

in crowd pulling.

 

Therefore, we should be very careful while doing japa, dhyana. We should try to

inherit the quality of Hanuman. What is the foremost quality of Hanuman?

‘Vinaya’ (humility). A Guru should wander about without remembering his

‘paraakrama’ (strength/prowess). Hanuman is said to unaware of his prowess.

What does this mean? A Guru should move amongst the people as an ordinary man. A

true Guru is very humble without any pomp and show.

 

While there were many monkeys, why did Rama choose Hanuman to go to Sita? Why

did Rama give His ring to Hanuman? Guru should be one sent by Bhagavaan.

Bhagavaan should give him the permission to help people cross the ocean of life.

Only then should he go to do this work.

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Regards