Sri Guru Gita – 17 July 2014 – Episode 207

Jaya Guru Datta Pujya Appaji_/\_!!
Happy Guru Day prostrations at the Lotus feet of Our Dattaswaroopa Sadgurudeva _/\_!!

Jaya Guru Datta. Episode summary:

Jaya Guru Datta.
Thotakacharya. With Sadguru’s grace, even the most dull-witted person will become a scholar. But, to earn Sadguru’s grace, one must be like pure gold. Only with pure gold can a good ornament be made. If you just turn in any gold to the goldsmith asking him to make some jewelry out of it, he will say, “There is a lot of impurity in this gold, it will need to be purified by placing in fire”. That is why, to earn Sadguru’s grace, one must be pure. Sadguru’s grace is a test.

If you say, “Bless me. If you bless me, everything will be done”, Saduguru will say, “You want my blessings? Okay, you will face tests from today”. That is the blessing. Sadguru’s grace is not just a token that can be given away like a pumpkin. It’s not as simple as saying, “Sadguru did not give me the pumpkin”. Obtaining Sadguru’s grace means that the tests in your life have started – it may take a year, it may take 10 years, it may take the entire lifetime or even the next life. That is Sadguru’s grace. We cannot even admit ourselves into Sadguru’s grace. We just talk about it because we have heard it in stories and have seen examples.

It’s like saying, “If we have devotion, what can we not accomplish? If we have Sadguru’s grace, what can we not accomplish? Everything will be okay. Just ask him to give it (Sadguru’s grace), why the delay? We have been waiting for two days”. Guru’s grace is not a stick he can give you, it’s not a piece of jaggery he can just give. He will not even give the piece of jaggery just like that. It is true that the Sadguru’s grace can turn even the most dull-witted person into a scholar. But, the disciple needs to acquire certain traits in order to become a scholar. It is true that he will also become knowledgable. But, to earn the Guru’s grace, it is the disciple’s duty to serve him with devotion. But, if you don’t have this and still want Sadguru’s grace within a second or within a minute or within a day or within a year saying, “Sadguru is my only refuge”, will it happen? Why do all this drama? We are being guided in the right direction, we are being taught what we need to do to earn Sadguru’s grace. Just put it into practice. That is the Guru’s grace. There is no need to look for any results. Receiving guidance is itself the Sadguru’s grace.

Sadguru may say, “Do this worship”, or “Be this way”, or “Study this”. The story of Thotakacharya, one of the four key disciples of Sankaracharya explains this point.

Guruvaktra sthita vidya prapyate tatprasadatah |
Tasmattam desikam dhyayet yathatyosit priyam swakam ||

There were many disciples engaged in study and practice of knowledge under the tutelage of Sankara Bhagavadpada. There were many disciples and many kinds of disciples. A boy named Giri also came to be Sankara’s disciple. Giri was dull-witted. He was unable to absorb the lessons taught by the Guru. His mind used to be elsewhere. He would think, “Has the seasoning been added to the food in the kitchen?” or he would think “Have they rung the bell in the kitchen yet?”, or he would think, “What will be the new dish today?” and so on. He was always immersed in these thoughts, his mind was never on what was being taught. He would not understand anything easily. He was very dull-witted. That is why, his fellow disciples would never take him seriously. But, how did Giri feel? We said he was dull-witted and stupid, but what was his stupidity like. Let’s see.

Jaya Guru Datta.