theist 1 Report post Posted May 18, 2003 tad viddhi praëipätena paripraçnena sevayä upadekñyanti te jïänaà jïäninas tattva-darçinaù SYNONYMS tat;that knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhi;try to understand; praëipätena;by approaching a spiritual master; paripraçnena;by submissive inquiries; sevayä;by the rendering of service; upadekñyanti;they will initiate; te;you; jïänam;into knowledge; jïäninaù;the self-realized; tattva;of the truth; darçinaù;seers. TRANSLATION Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. PURPORT The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhägavatam (6.3.19) says, dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam: the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help lead one to the right path. Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. Not only should one hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect. ------------------ So I highlighted a couple things. I suspect everything that is needed to explain intiation and the relationship between disiple and master in here, as well the necessities for each. Correct me if I am wrong or missing something and please elaborate on this verse for us. What sticks out for you in this verse and purport? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
srivats 0 Report post Posted May 18, 2003 Haribol ! this is very inspiring versus .. about path to god.. i have posted in a thread "I have been taught from childhood Matha , Pitha , Guru and theyvam ( god ) who is to be given prefernce " This line is said to mean differnelty , i have also seen other such vedantic lines were taken in wrong sense. "Matha , Pitha , Guru and theyvam ( god ) " This is vedantic line repeated by tamil people ( i am not sure if this exists elsewhere also ) This is normally told to make them believe that we have to give respect first to Mother and father and then to Guru and then to God. But i see this line as a path to God When we are born we dont even know who is mother and father. Mom teaches the basic things and introduces the father to us. This is the first step The father then teaches things about the world , and living in that , he introdues guru to get more knowledge. This is the second step The Guru teaches us path to the god , he teaches one level above the earthly things , he introduces god to us. This is the third step. After guru teaches , we need to ourself experience and learn what is good and bad , simply by telling fire is hot and sugar is sweet will not help , we need to experience and cry once to know about fire, we need to experice the sweetness of the sugar. the fourth step is the step of self realisation. I understand and see this line as Matha - First step.Knowing about mother Pitha - Second step.Knowing about father Guru - Third step.Knowing about Guru. Theyvam ( god ) - Fourth step. Knowing about god ,Parama purusha. Its just my understanding about this , and i have expressed what i felt like. Please correct me if this is wrong. Madhava Kesava Madhana Gopala /images/graemlins/laugh.gif! Srivats Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 18, 2003 THE GURU is as good as God.Sri Guru is the mercy-incarnation of the LOrd.When the jiva is crying/petitionig to the Lord for deliverance,then the LOrd out of causeless mercy appears in the form of Sri Guru to accept service and surrender from the heart of the conditioned jiva soul. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
