Sri Guru Gita – 30 May 2014 – Episode 159

Jaya Guru Datta. Episode summary:

Sri Ganesaya Namah
Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 3:
Shadangadi vedo mukhe sastra vidya
Kavitwadi gadyam supadyam karoti |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

He is well versed in Vedas, holy scriptures and all knowledge. He can give discourses without a break. He can do poetry. He won many awards and titles in the past and will continue to win in the future. So what? “He’s so great”. Okay, so what? Such a person cannot focus his mind on the Guru’s feet. Then, what’s the use? All these are worthless. What’s the use of the number of awards won, the ability to speak eloquently without a break, the spontaneity of the mind and the intellect to create poetry and winning innumerable awards and titles if the mind does not get stabilized on the Guru’s feet? It is being said here that all these are worthless if the mind cannot be absorbed in the Guru’s feet.

Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 4:
Videseshu manyah swadeseshu danyah
Sadachara vrutteshu matto na ca anyah |
Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam
Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim ||

“Highly knowledgeable man, treated with great respect in any country he goes to, has great fame and reputation in his own country too, is leading a well-disciplined and good life, is a straight shooter, brought up his kids with a lot of discipline, he’s got such great titles”. This is what we talk about in this worldly life (samsara). “Did he bring up his kids with discipline? Does he have the ability to go to foreign countries?” This is all we talk about. These are the validations and certifications we use to indicate success. “How nobly is he leading his life. He’s very strict person. Look at his children, they are being brought up according to our culture and tradition, he’s won much fame and respect”. What’s the use of all this? “Moreover, he doesn’t even take dowry. He’s very famous”. Still, what’s the use? If his mind is not absorbed in the Guru’s feet, what’s the use of having all these things? You cannot grasp the supreme reality. Remember that if you don’t have devotion towards the Guru’s feet, all these good qualities will at some point fly away from your mind. They will not last forever. The egoistic feeling that you are such a good man will take over. That is why, you should combine good behavior with devotion to the Guru.

Without devotion to the Guru, there’s no use. Regardless of how strict you are, how important you are, how disciplined you and your children are, even if you keep doing a lot of rituals and worship, there is no use. Despite these great qualities, if your mind cannot be absorbed in the Guru and on the Guru’s feet, if you don’t have devotion, if you don’t even have devotion towards the concept of Guru, all this recognition and good attributes that we talked about are worthless.

Jaya Guru Datta.