Guru Kripa- Grace of Master

Guru Kripa (Grace of Master)-

The process of Master/Disciple& Devotee Relationship to be eligible to receive Grace of Master (Guru Kripa- A most Vital Force in one’s life).

Dear Readers,

Please take time to read this article fully in leisure time.


Advantages of having a Guru:

The Guru Shows the Path. A guru shows the path of enlightenment to seekers.
The guru is both a formal teacher and a spiritual preceptor. He is a storehouse of spiritual energy, which he can transmit to others. He helps the aspirant to polish his inner self till it reflects the light of truth. Guru denotes darkness (ignorance) and Guru denotes the removal of that darkness.

The word Guru has two other meanings.

In the first one,” GU” signifies guna titha (one who has transcended the three gunas)

And “Ru” signifies the formless aspect (one who has grasped that).

Gur means heavy or weighty, signifying the weight of the guru's wisdom, which can benefit others. The guru is both a formal teacher and a spiritual preceptor. He is a storehouse of spiritual energy, which he can transmit to others. He helps the aspirant to polish his inner self till it reflects the light of truth. In the Shirdi Sai Satcharita a seeker asks Shirdi Baba: "Where to go?" Baba replies: "High up". The seeker then asks: "How to go there?" Baba answers: "Take a guide, he will take you straight and make you avoid the ditches and wild beasts in the jungle".

Even avatars like Rama and Krishna subjected themselves to the tutelage of worthy gurus like Vashishta and Sandipani. The guru-shishya parampara honours the teacher as God and promotes reverence for vidya (knowledge). It inculcates humility in the student and respect and gratitude in him for the dispenser of knowledge. Other noble virtues like discipline, dedication, sense of duty, sacrifice and compassion also evolve with the guru's help. A true guru guides you on the spiritual path to salvation. He promotes your furtherance on the God ward path. He is also the one who grants great inspiration to good works.

'“Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshwara,
Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma, Tasmaye Shri Guruvai Namaha.”

In this sloka the guru is compared with the trinity of Gods - Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara - because a sincere guru has to take on all the three functions of the trinity - creation (of good qualities), sustenance (of higher nature) and destruction (of negative qualities).

The best guru dakshina is to adhere to the guru's words. Once, a guru sent his pupil to collect dry 'useless' leaves from a forest as guru dakshina. The disciple searched long and hard but was unsuccessful. Whenever he tried to gather the dry leaves he would be stopped by forest folk collecting them for fuel to heat water, humus for plants, for making patravalis (plates) or for preparing herbal medicines. He went back disappointed, without the guru dakshina. His guru said that the knowledge he had gained of how 'nothing was useless', was his guru dakshina, and his purpose in sending the student to the forest was to teach him that. By the gurus' grace - guru krupa - everything auspicious is obtained.

However, the path is neither THAT EASY nor IMPOSSIBLE

& If you Study the word "IMPOSIBLE" it contains POSSIBLE) i.e. I'M -POSSIBLE. The disciple has to offer his ego at the guru's feet and accept his inscrutable methods of instruction. The guru's words may not be an explicit command (Sri Ramana Maharashi hardly uttered a word to his shishyas) - it may simply involve a subtle fine-tuning to the natural requirements of a purified conscience. As Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, the ultimate goal of the guru-shishya relationship is to make the latter attain the heights of self-awareness, whereby dependence on all external forms - even that of the guru is shed, and the Parama Guru or the Self is gloriously revealed within.

Guru Purnima is celebrated every year on a full moon night in honour of Veda Vyasa, the Loka Guru. The full moon symbolizes the cool clear light of the guru's intellect which alone can dispel ignorance. Guru Veda Vyasa has arranged and classified the Vedas in their present order and made them available for the benefit of the mankind- Hence he is called Veda Vyasa.

What is the importance of Guru's grace (Gurukrupa)? Path of Guru’s Grace (Gurukrupayoga).

1. Meaning the word krupa has been derived from the root krup which means to be compassionate. Krupa means compassion, initiation (anugraha) or a blessing (Prasad). Thus Gurukrupayoga is the path in which by means of the Guru’s grace (gurukrupa) the embodied soul is united with God.

2. Importance of the Path of Guru’s grace. In this path a seeker learns how to acquire the Guru’s grace at the earliest, bypassing all other paths instead of wasting several years fol¬lowing various paths of spiritual practice. Consequently it is only natural that one makes rapid spiritual progress by following this path.

3. Importance of the Guru’s grace (Gurukrupa) ‘One comprehends the unmanifest (nirguna) with intellect and the manifest (satguna) with spiritual love (priti). This intellect is a subtle form of the intellect acquired by studying the scriptures. This intellect destroys the anadi (one without a beginning) illusion. From the beginning of the state of the embodied soul (jivadasha) each one has the illusion (misconcept) that “I am distinct from Brahman”. By studying the scriptures one realises by means of his intellect that “I am not distinct from Brahman”. However later he begins to feel, “If I am not different from Brahman then how is it that I do not experience it?” and thus another illusion develops. This illusion having an origin is described as the adi illusion. This adi illusion is destroyed solely by the grace of the Guru. This means that on account of the Guru’s grace the love of the manifest (satguna prem) and the devotion of the manifest (satguna bhakti) derived through satsang (holy company) transform his love, that is convert love into spiritual love which is devoid of expectation and thus the form of the manifest itself vanishes. As a result, the notions originating from relative knowledge that the manifest has a form and the unmanifest is formless are destroyed. When relative knowledge gets transformed into absolute knowledge the difference between the manifest and the unmanifest with regard to form, no longer persists. If rela¬tive knowledge were to be true then its awareness would not have been destroyed. This awareness of relative knowledge that is pratyay itself is the adi illusion.

Once devotion of the manifest begins, actual realisation (sakshatkar) that the manif¬est is really unmanifest Bliss occurs, the knowledge of the unmanifest that is thinking that the unmanifest is different from the manifest dissolves and one experiences that “I am Brahman” that is one experiences non-duality. Hence, saints term the unmanifest as the most subtle among spoken topics (vachyansha) and the manifest as the ultimate target (lakshyansha), that is The Lord. Since scholars have no experience of satsang, this concept is not acceptable to them.

Rameshvar Bhatt who was in¬strumental in immersing the holy verses of Saint Tukaram in water attained Absoluteness (Purnatva) with the grace of Saint Tukaram alone.’ - Who dwells in my heart? I would never realise that without the Guru’s grace. - Saint Bhaktaraj.

Please read and reflect on the Ten Commandments of Kanchi Maha Periaval. Included for ready reference. "Dasopadesam" "The Ten Commandments of" Kanchi Paramacharya Maha Swamigal JagadGuru Shri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati

1. One of our duties as human beings is to avail ourselves of every opportunity to do good to others. The poor can serve others by their loyal work to the country and the rich by their wealth to help the poor. Those who are influential can use their influence to better the condition of the lowly. That way we can keep alive in our hearts a sense of social service.

2. Man by himself cannot create even a blade of grass. We will be guilty of gross ingratitude if we do not offer first to God what we eat or wear - only the best and choicest should be offered to Him.

3. Life without love is a waste. Everyone should cultivate "Prema" or love towards all human beings, bird and beast.

4. Wealth amassed by a person whose heart is closed to charity, is generally dissipated by the inheritors: but the family of philanthropists will always be blessed with happiness.

5. A person who has done a meritorious deed will lose the resulting merit if he listens to the praise of others or himself boasts of his deeds.

6. It will do not good to grieve over what has happened. If we learn to discriminate between good and evil, that will guard us from falling into the evil again.

7. We should utilise to good purpose, the days of our life-time. We should engage ourselves in acts which will contribute to the welfare of others rather than to our selfish desires.

8. We should perform duties that have been prescribed for our daily life and also be filled with devotion to God.

9. One attains one's goal by performance of one's duties.

10. Jnana is the only solvent of our troubles and sufferings.

Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara

Now a very important verse on Guru:-

"Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshath Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha."

“Guru is creator Brahma; Guru is preserver Vishnu; Guru is also the destroyer Siva and he is the source of the Absolute. I offer all my salutations to the Guru”



What is the nature of Guru's grace?

It is beyond thought and word. Then how can it be said that the devotee realises his true being by virtue of the Guru's grace? It is like the elephant which wakes up on seeing a lion in its dream. Even as the elephant wakes up at the mere sight of the lion, so too is it certain that the disciple wakes up from the sleep of ignorance to the knowledge of Real. It is true and certain. Ramana Maharshi The grace of the Guru is like an ocean. If one comes with a cup he will only get a cupful. It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean. The bigger the vessel the more one will be able to carry. It is entirely up to him. Ramana Maharshi Rain-water falling upon the roof of a house flows down to the ground through spouts shaped grotesquely like the tiger's head. One gets the impression that the water flows from the tiger's mouth, but in reality it descends from the sky. In the same way the holy teachings that come from the mouth of godly men (Gurus) seem to be uttered by those men themselves, while in reality they proceed from God. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

When Guru will get his due status....I am pessimistic about it. Pessimism is the art of lying that everything is wrong with the world when everything is not really wrong, but then... Optimism is the art of lying that everything is right with the world when everything is not really right. Ignorance is the mire of humanity; the one who rescues us from Avidya or Ignorance is Guru. Gu is Ignorance and Ru is light, the remover of ignorance. The medium of removal is Supreme Spiritual knowledge; the mediator is the Guru. He sheds light where there is darkness. Since Guru is the purveyor of spiritual knowledge and the dispeller of spiritual darkness, he is second only to Brahman.

There are variations in the interpretation of Guru. Considered in its parts:-
G, R, U.

The G has a function of granting of Siddhis (supernatural powers);
the R has the function of expunging the sins;
The U portrays the latent unmanifested energy of Vishnu.

The path of Guru is Guru-Krupa-Yoga (Guru-compassion-Yoga), the Path of Guru's Grace. Hymns by Adi Sankara to Guru Is a, the Supreme Lord, having been pleased with Bhakti and Vaidika Lakshana of his votaries in their very many previous births, incarnates out of compassion as Guru in a living and breathing form, inculcates in them the knowledge of the ultimate Reality and helps them cross the ocean of misery of this earthly existence.

Vaidika Laksana = Vedic marks = worship according to Vedic Scriptural injunctions. Tirumanthiram Verse 139: Illumination (of the soul) is to see the Holy Form of Guru, to chant Guru’s Holy name to hear Guru’s holy words, to reflect on the form of Guru. Guru is the intermediary between God and man; He is the representative of God on this earth; between God and Guru, Guru takes the precedence.

Verse 1: One's Sariram (body) may be of great form, Kalatram (wife) beautiful, dhanam (wealth) as big as Mount Meru;. If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail are that?

Verse 2: Wife, wealth, sons, grandsons, home and relatives: all these you may have. If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail are that?

Verse 3: Satravidya (Scriptural knowledge) may be on one's lips; one may be Kavitvadi (exponent of poetry); one may write good poetry and prose. If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail is that?

Verse 4: In foreign lands, I gain honor and fame; in my own country, I am blessed with wealth; I am of inimitable good conduct. If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail is that?

Verse 5: Kings and emperors adore his feet; but if the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail is that?

Verse 6: Virtue and generosity brought me fame and rewards from all over the world. If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail is that?

Verse 7: The mind does not dwell on Bhoga, Yoga, stallions and horses, the face of the beloved and riches; If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail is that?

Verse 8: my mind does abide in neither the forest, nor the house, nor the future accomplishments, nor the body, nor the precious. If the mind is not attached to the Lotus feet of the Guru, of what avail is that?

Verse 9: Man of virtue who studies this Guru Astakam (Octad on Guru), and whose mind abides in his sayings whether he is Yati (ascetic), Bhupati (Lord of the world), Brahmachari (student), or householder, realizes his desired goal of union with Brahman. Guru-disciple tradition should become more active for the protection of Dharma!

Gurupournima is the day to worship the Guru and to express complete gratitude for what we have received and have been receiving from Him. On this day, remembering the great Guru-disciple tradition, seekers from all faculties who represent the Sanatan Hindu culture and who preserve the Guru-disciple tradition worship the Guru. The Guru-disciple tradition is a gift of Sanatan Hindu culture to the world. The tradition is at the core of the system of imparting of knowledge and learning, in which the relationship of the one who imparts knowledge and the one who receives it are exemplary. The knowledge-giver does not shoulder the responsibility of imparting knowledge only, but also teaching the seeker life values. Here, the one who absorbs knowledge is not a student who learns for the sake of livelihood only, but is a seeker who learns with the aim of development of his knowledge. In our culture the concept of 'knowledge' is related to attainment of God. It is called the 'Supreme Knowledge', because only those who have the authority to do so - the Gurus - impart this knowledge! Words fail to describe the grandeur of a culture that boasts of worship of such a glorious Guru-disciple tradition! Despite this, Sanatan Hindu Dharma, which has given this unique gift to the world, is passing through testing times.

while worshipping the Guru on Guru-pournima, instead of expecting that 'I should get something', we should try to get the grace of the Guru to obtain necessary strength and intellect for the protection of the Dharma, which has handed down this splendid Guru-disciple tradition through generations. Jagadguru Bhagwan Sri Krushna said to His disciple Arjuna - "O Arjuna (i.e. seeker), get up with determination and fight to destroy the evil-doers." (Srimad-bhagvad Gita 2.37) The Guru Principle is active a 1000 times more on the day of Gurupournima. So the disciple gets more of Guru's grace.

“If we protect Dharma (Righteousness), Dharma will protect us”. With the same rule, if the traditions of Dharma do something for the protection of Dharma, they are not only protected but also promoted. If this happens the entire year, it will guarantee non-stop showering of Guru's grace. The Gurus in the gross form may be different, but the Principle is one. I pray at the Holy Feet of the Pujya Guruji that all seekers should get necessary strength and intellect to become pro-active for protection of Dharma and those who are already active, should continue to receive incessant flow of Guru's grace and “GUIDING LIGHTS”!

Swami Vivekananda (12th January 1863 - 4th July 1902), whose pre-monastic name was Narendranath Dutta, was one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga. He was the chief disciple of Ramkrushna Paramhans and the Founder of Ramkrushna Math and Ramakrushna Mission. He is also a major figure in the history of the Hindu reform movements. Since his childhood, he had questions about God and the presence of God. Narendra met Ramkrushna Paramhansa for the first time in November 1881. He asked Paramhansa the same question he had so often asked of others, "Mahashaya (Venerable Sir), have you seen God?" The instantaneous answer from Paramhansa was, "Yes, I see God, just as I see you here, only in a much intense sense. God can be realized." He went on, "One can see and talk to Him as I am seeing and talking to you. But who cares? People shed tears for their wife and children, for wealth or property, but who does so for the sake of God? If one weeps sincerely for Him, He surely manifests Himself." Narendra could feel that the words were honest and uttered from a deep experience. He started visiting Paramhansa frequently. At first he did not believe that such a plain man could have seen God, but gradually he started having faith in what Paramhansa said.

Though Narendra could not accept Paramhansa and his visions, he could not neglect Him either. It had always been in Narendra's nature to test something thoroughly before he could accept it. He tested Paramhansa to the maximum, but the master was patient, forgiving, humorous, and full of love. He never asked Narendra to abandon reason, and He faced all of Narendra's arguments and examinations with patience. In time, Narendra accepted Paramhansa whole-heartedly. While Ramkrushna Paramhans predominantly taught duality and Bhakti to His other disciples, He taught Narendra the Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of non-dualism.

During the course of five years of his training under Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Narendra was transformed from a restless, puzzled, impatient youth to a mature man who was ready to renounce everything for the sake of God-realisation. Swami Vivekanand was encouraged by a professor at Harvard University, to represent Hinduism in the 1893 'World Parliament of Religions' in Chicago. He was received well there, when he delivered a series of lectures. The audience arose in their seats and applauded loudly (for two minutes) when he started his first address with the famous words, "Sisters and brothers of America." A newspaper account described him as 'an orator by Divine right and undoubtedly the greatest figure at the Parliament.' Swami Vivekanand's arrival in the USA has been identified by many to mark the beginning of western interest in Hinduism, not as merely an exotic eastern oddity, but as a vital religious and philosophical tradition that actually had something important to teach the West. Swami Vivekananda belonged to that branch of Vedanta that held that no one can be truly free until all of us are. Even the desire for personal salvation has to be given up, and only tireless work for the salvation of others is the true mark of an enlightened person. Swami Vivekananda advised his followers to be Holy, unselfish and have faith. He encouraged the practice of Brahmacharya (celibacy). In one of the conversations with his childhood friend, he attributed his physical and mental strengths, eloquence to the practice of Brahmacharya. He left his body after a session of prayer at Belur Math. He was 39. The monks of the Math were convinced that he had attained mahasamadhi, as Ramakrushna Paramhans had predicted. His Punyatithi falls on 4th July. We pay obeisance to this invaluable son of Bharat.



“Let’s WIPE OUR OWN TEAR AND REMOVE OUR OWN PAIN(Only to whom ever applicable please) “by unconditionally surrendering at the “Lotus Feet of Pujya Guruji” and become absolutely fit to “REMOVE A TEAR AND WIPE A PAIN” of others whom we come across in our life.

And my beloved Readers ‘This year (2009) the most auspicious day of the year “The Guru Poornima falls on Tuesday the 07 July, 2009.