ultimate surrender

[Guest guest]

Jaya Guru Datta

 

I personally feel that there is no better example for total surrender to

Sadguru than our own most beloved Sadgurudeva, Sri Swamiji.

 

On this auspicious morning of Sankara Jayanti, thoughts naturally go back to

remembering the day when Satyanarayana was eleven years old, and received all

the siddhis from his mother and guru during the braahmee muhurtam. A huge

responsibility was placed on his small shoulders to rescue humanity from the

snares of the world, and to establish dharma in the world. Satyanarayana was

commanded by his mother that he had to be an example to humanity so that others

could follow in his footsteps. Minutes after, Mother Jayalakshmi left her

physical body. Satyanarayana implicitly obeyed his guru’s command, come what

may.

 

Look at the courage that Satyanarayana displayed on that morning, guarding the

body of his divine mother, dutifully and vigilantly, wielding a stick, without

resorting to sitting in a corner and sobbing! He scrutinized the mentality of

the people around him with a clear insight to recognize what is wrong with

society. He understood what needed to be done. He prayed to his mother to bless

him with the knowledge and strength to achieve the goal that was destined for

him. He knew that it was only her body that was left behind. He knew that his

mother is the Mother of all fourteen worlds. He knew that She is always with

him.

 

When Satyanarayana’s father dragged Satyanarayana and Varalakshmi to the

village well with the intention of throwing them in it, Varalakshmi cried and

screamed out of panic. Satyanarayana was prepared for any fate. He was not

afraid. He lost the baby brother that he dearly loved. He was separated from his

little sister Saraswati. He had to move to Proddutur, a different town, to a

different lifestyle, with no more tender loving care of his mother, and no more

of her sweet songs. How stoically Satyanarayana accepted all these changed

circumstances. Like the rest of us do, Varalakshmi whined that she was hungry,

and cold, and uncomfortable. She clung to her brother for support. But

Satyanarayana surrendered without question or complaint to the new lifestyle of

daily beatings with a stick, a hard, cold floor to sleep on, merciless

mosquitoes, a hungry stomach, lack of sufficient sleep, and an extremely

stringent schedule, with the added bonus of severe

scolding from his aunt and new guru, Venkamma. He had to go begging for food.

He had to treat and care for himself when he had the smallpox!

 

Satyanarayana has shown us by his example how we should accept without

resistance, everything that comes our way and treat it all as divine prasadam.

He cried, he laughed, and he experienced doubt and confusion. He was loved,

insulted, punished, and ignored. He felt anger, temptation, pride, and despair.

He has explained to us that every one of the incidents that took place in his

life, whether pleasant or unpleasant, had a specific purpose. Every little

episode was orchestrated by Mother to ultimately bestow a priceless benefit upon

him. Life was definitely not easy for him, even for a God Child. He acted like a

human, on every occasion. He did express feelings and emotions, yet, all with

the total acceptance and faith that it is all decreed and designed by Mother for

his own benefit. All that he has ever expressed is gratitude.

 

In our little ways, we also have our sadguru’s commands to follow. They are

not easy. I fervently pray to our Datta Sadguru Sri Swamiji to bless us so that

we also have the same strength and total faith to follow in His footsteps come

what may. Sri Jayalakshmi Mata is with us all, lovingly guiding us through

every experience, holding our hand firmly in the form of our own most

compassionate Datta Sadguru Sri Swamiji.

 

Sri Guru Datta