|
Guru Dakshina
Guru Purnima is the occasion for acknowledging the debt of the Sadguru in bringing the disciple to the path
of liberation. Guru dakshina is a part of the ritual, involving even a symbolic payment to the guru. In the
olden days, disciples stayed with the guru in what was known as the gurukul, becoming a part of the symbiotic
learning environment. It was only upon completion of studies, when the student was ready to take his leave,
that he was to offer a payment to guru commensurate with the knowledge that he had received. This is in
keeping with the spirit of Krishna’s statement in the Bhagvadgita (Chpt. IX, no. 26):
Whatever the devotional offering, be it a leaf, flower, fruit or water
I accept its pure essence, offered as it is by the loving heart.
|
Adi Shankaracharya describes the quintessential guru in his beautiful poem on Shiva as the primordial guru
in the Dakshinamurti Stotram. Dakshinamurti means many things; one of the meanings encompasses the role of
the guru as the exalted being who has imparted all his wisdom to the deserving disciple. He is then embodied
as the figure who must receive the dakshina. More often than not, the student has paid his way through
serving the household of the guru and the gurukul. The payment of guru dakshina is thus a symbolic ritual
marking the gratitude of the disciple, not to be confused with ostentatious display of wealth or exaggerated
surrender. In the final reckoning, there is no higher payment for the guru than to see his disciple surpass
himself, or to see the disciple gain perfection in demonstrating the truth of his teachings. The devout
offering of a coconut, symbolizing the surrender of the individual, separative ego at the feet of the
master, is perhaps the highest tribute at the lotus feet of the master, not to be compared with expensive
material gifts to the person who teaches non-attachment to material objects. And when the Sadguru and
disciple are ascetics on the path who possess nothing of material worth, both initiation and completion are
marked by the offering of a ripe coconut, whose sacred innards contain the symbolic waters of life! What
measure can there be of expressing gratitude in a relationship spanning across several lifetimes, other
than pure devotion, love, and sincerity of purpose?
Shiva as guru
Spiritual progress is only possible through guidance of a guru. Without the guru there can be no release
from cycles of death and rebirth, and bondage to the world of karma and suffering. In a stern-sounding
message delivered to the Goddess Parvati by Shiva in his role as Supreme Preceptor, He says:
There is nothing greater than the guru; there is nothing greater than the guru; there is nothing greater
than the guru; there is nothing greater than the guru!
This is ordained by Shiva; this is ordained by Shiva; this is ordained by Shiva; this is ordained by
Shiva!
|
Also,
|
If Shiva is offended, the guru will grant redemption;
If the guru is offended, who can grant redemption?
|
Shiva further says that it is he himself who is the real guru spirit behind every guru, bringing ultimate
realisation to the disciple. These verses that are a part of the Hymn to the Guru or Guru Geeta, also known as the Guru Stotram. It is a poem extolling the supremacy
of the Guru, sung by none other than Shiva, as occult revelation to Parvati as disciple. It is found as
"Ishwar-Parvati Sanvad" in the Uttarkhand section of the Skanda Puran.
Guru Dattatreya
The Shaiva tradition worships Shiva as the primordial guru; and so do many sub-sects among the Natha yogis.
Shakta tradition worships the Supreme Goddess as the ultimate giver of boons, so that the illusion of
worldly reality is cut through by the disciple to attain the truth of the subtle reality of a unified
cosmos. Vaishnavas turn to Krishna as the ultimate guru guiding his gopis towards liberation; yet the full
blossoming of the guru-shishya lineage is found in the form of Dattatreya, embodied as the divine trinity.
Dattatreya is known variously as Datta, Dattaguru or Avadhoot.
Rishi Atri and his venerated wife, Sati Anusaya are the parents of the wandering naked ascetic Dattatreya,
who is worshipped as the Guru Incarnate, the Absolute principle behind each manifest guru.
Atri is one of the primordial seven sages called the Saptarshis. According to a hoary legend, Anusaya, his
wife, was so pious that the Gods began to be afraid of her superior powers. Her presence made the Sun tone
down its temperature to avoid bothering her, and many natural events altered themselves in deference to her
piety. The Gods in heavens, worried about some catastrophe befalling the universe as a result of these
changes, petitioned the higher trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh to intervene. The latter three decided
to destroy her claim to high virtue. They approached the hermitage of the sage while he had gone for his
ritual bath. In his absence, his wife Anusaya greeted the guests with due honour. They claimed to be hungry,
and demanded to be fed without further delay. When she had spread the inviting meal before them, they
demanded that she take off her clothes and serve them.
With her extraordinary intuition, she guessed that these were not ordinary guests who demanded some sort of
a test of her integrity. It did not behove her as the wife of an exalted rishi to turn away honoured guests
at mealtime without properly feeding them. So she took off her clothes, and turning to the three guests,
she transformed them into three little infants, proceeding to hold them in her lap, to nurse them one after
another at her breasts full of milk.
By then, Atri returned to the ashram, and Anusaya gave him an account of what had transpired. Using his
intuitive powers, the sage realised the true nature of the divinities, prostrating before them in loving
surrender. The Gods regained their original form, and were pleased to offer a boon to the unassuming couple.
The sage, consulting his wife, said that since they were childless, the Gods should agree to bless them by
being born in their humble abode as their son. Thus the three Gods merged into a single form as the child
Dattatreya, growing up to become a great immortal ascetic.
Archive
|
Top