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Narada finds a guru
There is another fascinating legend that casts light on the importance of the Guru in spiritual evolution,
and this one concerns Narada himself. Narada is the gifted sage who alone among the sages can move around
unaccosted in all the three worldly realms of manifestation, i.e. prithvilok (earth), swargalok (heaven) and
patal lok (the underworld). He is equally venerated by the beings in all these 3 realms, although they are
often at cross-purposes with each other. He is the personage, the alter-ego of Vishnu himself, who visits
bearing the celestial musical instrument Veena, and the constant japa of Narayan (Vishnu) on his lips.
Unsurpassed in learning, Narada is also the divine prankster who loves to stir things up in stagnant
situations with a good dash of humourous mischief. Given the pride of place in popular Indian lore, his
unique messages serve to lift the veil off cherished delusions, causing much heart-burning and misery, until
the suffering protagonists are motivated by their discomfort and sorrow to seek proper resolution of their
problems. In the end, arrogant demons are vanquished, long-suffering Gods restored to their rightful place
in the heavens, and despairing lovers are reunited on earth.
One fine day when Narada arrived in heaven in the assembly of Gods (and demigods like the yaksha, gandharva,
kinnar and apsaras), the Gods were all seated on their high thrones, while the respected sage was offered a
much lower seat in the hall. The reason for this, as explained to him, was that only those who had found
their respective gurus could attain a high place of honour in heaven. Narada did not have a guru until then,
and thus he would have to occupy the much lower seat! The sage avowed that the first person he saw on
returning to earth would become his guru. As he emerged on earth, who should he behold, but the aged and
weather-beaten back of a filth-caked, stinking fisherman who was engaged in knitting his fishing net. The
sage overcame his revulsion, to approach the old man with the request to give him spiritual initiation. The
old man was awestruck looking at the radiant visage before him. “What can I teach you? I don’t know any
mantra. I’m just an ignorant man.” But Narada insisted, asking him for a mantra from his everyday ordinary
speech. So the old man told him to repeat the chant of 'O Hari Bol', 'O Hari Bol' to which the fishermen
swayed in their boats as they cast their nets in the water.
Next time when the sage visited heaven, the Gods arose to offer him a high throne, in view of the fact that
he now had a guru. The Gods insisted that they wished to meet and honour the guru of the great sage. Narada
was at a loss, wondering how the far-from-clean fisherman could be made to grace the assembly of Gods in
heaven. He returned to earth, to plead with his guru, who was also lame in the foot, to accompany him to
heaven. He would not let go of the reluctant old man, until he finally agreed to ride on Narada’s back all
the way to heaven. All the Gods were stunned to see the humble fisherman as Narada’s guru. In front of them,
the sage stretched out in prostration before the guru, to firmly place his head on the fisherman’s feet. All
the Gods too rose from their high seats to prostrate themselves in respect to the guru of the great sage.
And what did they see on lifting their heads? They saw that the dirty old fisherman was none other than the
God of Gods, Shiva himself, as Shankar, the one who grants auspicious boons. Shiva had cast his web of
illusion, maya, on the unsuspecting beings, to bring home his big catch on the path of renunciation. The
Gods watched in dismay the great spectacle of Shiva showering grace on his Vaishnava disciple Narada!
It is just as interesting that in many legends, Shiva chants the mantra of ‘Ram’, while the many avatars of
Vishnu are known to worship the Shivalingam. It is also true that all the male Gods are known to offer
devout worship to the Supreme Goddess Devi as the Primordial Being, the Creatrix of the universe.
Celebration of Guru Purnima
Devotees and disciples of living or deceased gurus and saints gather at the guru’s home, ashram, temple or
shrine, to offer worship at the feet of the Master. This tradition is observed not only by followers of
spiritual masters, but in the lineages of classical gurus in traditional performing arts as well as fine
arts, and also in schools and colleges to a greater or lesser extent. Not only that, even Muslim disciples
of honoured lineages especially in the performing arts are known to this day to participate in the worship
of the guru, following the court traditions of royal patrons of their lineage.
The devout undertake a fast on this occasion, waking up on Brahma Muhurta (between 3:30 and 4 a.m.), to
pray to the guru and meditate until sunrise. Sweet dishes like kheer are prepared as specially consecrated
naivedyam, to be offered to the guru in person or at his altar in their homes. Before offering the food, the
guru’s grace is sought by worshipping him in the glow of the lighted aarati. This ritual involves applying
the tilak on his forehead, offering him fresh flowers and leaves, applying scented oil on his wrists,
offering him a sacred coconut and fruit or sweets like kheer. Sometimes an article of gold, like a ring or
bracelet is rotated around the ghee lamp of the aarati, to cast its pure radiation on the face of the guru.
The aarati is thus overt acknowledgment of the divinity residing in the guru. The gentle flame as it is
circled around the face or entire person of the guru, helps to focus consciousness, to develop an attitude
of respect, abiding love and surrender to the guru. It is a pathway towards merging of consciousness between
guru and disciple, which is essential for spiritual advancement. The aarati is followed by the singing of
bhajans, or devotional songs, as a part of the satsang meeting in the guru’s presence. The guru also may
give a special message to the disciple on this auspicious occasion, which marks the reaffirmation of
commitment on part of both the living guru and disciple.
Many-a-time only the guru’s feet are offered worship, since they are meant to manifest the full divine grace
of the guru for the benefit of the devotees. In the guru’s absence, it is the wooden sandals, or silver or
marble replica of his feet that are thus worshipped. Realised masters are known to imbue such objects with
their Shakti, their divine energy, for the benefit of the devotees in their absence, and the feet imprints
are considered to be no less in power and presence than the living guru.
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