Ch - 49 Sri Guru Charitra

The Gist of Guru Geeta

Namdharak bowed to Shri Siddha Muni with folded hands and said, "Gurudev, you have narrated to me the life of Shri Guru and have given me the real gnyan (knowledge) which has wiped off my karma and by your blessing, I have known the essence of religion. Devotion to Shri Guru is like the Kalpataru and Rishis like Vasishta and Shuka also follow this path. Now kindly tell me the path of Sadguru." 

Being pleased with the question, Shri Siddha said, "Namdharak, you are very fortunate as you as you have asked question regarding the eternal principles, knowing with illusion and ignorance are wiped off and the mind becomes as clear as the light of the sun. 

Once when Shri Shankar was sitting on a beautiful point of Kailas, Devi Parvati with folded hands said to him with devotion, "Great God of Gods, Guru of the universe, give me Guru mantra and kindly tell me the means by which one's soul becomes united with Brahma". 

Shri Shankar said, "Dear Devi, this is a question which has never been asked to me so far by anybody. You are my second form. So I shall tell you this gist and this will benefit all the people also". 

Veda, Shastra, Purana, Ithihas, Mantra-tantra vidya, Smriti-jaran-maran (using the power of doing miracles by the devotees of Shiva and shakti) and other various sciences put one in illusion. Without knowing the gist of devotion to Guru, people perform sacrifices, observe penance, vrata, charity, recitation and go to the holy places but only after the rise of the light of Shri Guru, difficult vidya, worldly illusion and ignorance are all wiped off. By serving Shri Guru, all sins perish and the soul becomes pure and united with Brahma. 

Taking the holy water, touched by the lotus like feet of Shri Guru, is like a bath at a holy place. This Tirth is as holy as Kashi or Prayag. 

Always remember Shri Guru. Recite Shri Guru's name all the time. Obey his orders, serve and worship Shri Guru with devotion. Doing this, one can even attain my position. 

The alphabet 'Gu' means darkness and 'Ru' means light. Guru means the knowledge of the light of Brahma that destroys darkness of ignorance. GU is the first alphabet to create illusion and other attributes. RU is the second alphabet of Brahma, which destroys illusion and vain appearance. This power of Guru is supreme and is difficult even for the Gods to obtain. 

A Sadhaka (disciple) should offer to Shri Guru good seat, bed, clothes, ornaments, conveyances etc. He should serve him with devotion for getting one's position, ashram, caste and pray him with body, senses, money, son, wife, etc. clearly and should not be ashamed to lay prostrate before him. 

Men go to hell by living in family life, as one's body is full of worms, night soil, urine, phlegm, blood, flesh and bad odor. Bow to Shri Guru, who liberates a person from the worldly miseries. 

Shri Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh and Para-Brahma. He is the cause of the creation of Universe, liberator of persons from this worldly sea and giver of the knowledge of all the Vidyas.

By applying the ointment of Shri Guru's knowledge to one's eyes, closed eyes are opened, parents, brothers, and good men who give real knowledge of worldly life, are all Gurus. Though there is diversity in the universe, yet there is oneness. Shri Guru protects one from all difficulties, showing the cause and effect. 

If Shri Shankar or Shri Vishnu is enraged, Shri Guru protects the devotees, but when Shri Guru himself is enraged, even Shri Shankar or Shri Vishnu cannot protect them.

Just as the blind man cannot see the light of the Sun, so the dull persons do not see the nectar-like appearance of Shri Guru, which is visible only to the eyes of the thoughtful. Shri Guru is like a monarch, who is witnessing the drama of creation and destruction of the universe. 

Three Nath, Ganesh, 3 Bhairava Peethas, Siddha, 3 Batus, 2 Pad, 3 Dooties, Shri Shankar, 4, 6, 8, 9 Veeresh, 5 Veeravalies are all associated with the best 'Shri Malini' mantra. Bow to this Shri Guru Mandal. 

To think about Shri Guru's body is like thinking about everlasting Shri Shiva and to recite Shri Guru's name to praise to eternal Shiva's qualities. 

Shri Guru is birthless, devoid of old age and has no beginning. He is self-created, devoid of change, full of bright bliss, minutes of the minute, greatest of the great and eternal. He is self-shining, spotless, sky pervading, everlasting and has no decrease. Vedas and Manu describe Shri Guru's penance in this way. Therefore always remember Shri Guru. 

By the knowledge of self, which is pervading the entire universe, moveable and immovable, sins of several births are atoned. There is no greater principle than the knowledge of self. There is no greater penance than the service of Shri Guru and there is no deeper knowledge than the advice of Shri Guru. 

Shri Guru is Jagannath (lord of the universe) and the Guru of the 3 Lokas. Shri Guru is the universe and our soul is the soul of all the creation. Bow to Shri Guru, who gives this knowledge.

The persons, who are proud of penance and knowledge and who are engrossed in the worldly affairs, are like the pots moving on the wheel of a pot-maker. Gods, Gandharvas, fore fathers, Yaksh, Kinnar, Rishi, Siddha, who do not serve Shri Guru, do not get salvation. 

Bow to Shri Guru, who is supreme joy and who gives the best pleasure. He is shrine of knowledge, above division, sky pervading, knower of 'Tattwam Asi' (that thou art) principle, only one, eternal, pure, immovable, who witnesses everything and who is devoid of existence and three qualities (Satwa, Rajas and Tamas). 

To know one's self is the supreme knowledge and the utmost goal of life. This is attained only by the favor of Shri Guru. 

Remember Shri Guru till death. Even if he is fickle minded, do not forget or forsake him. 

The wise should not speak about Shri Guru with disrespect. Do not tell a lie before him. 

Those who despise Shri Guru go to hell. Those who discuss vainly with Shri Guru become Brahma Rakshas and have to live in barren and waterless places. 

Oh Parvati, Shri Guru protects his disciples, even if god, Muni or pannag curses. Gods and Munis are weak before Shri Guru, whose curses can destroy them in no time. 

O Devi, according to Smrities and Vedas, Shri Guru is Parabrahmah. Guru is a mantra of two syllables. 

Bow to Shri Guru, who is pervading all the universe from Brahma to grass, who is eternal, whole, formless, devoid of qualities, engrossed in self-knowledge, above divisions and full of real bright-joy (Sat-Chit-Anand Roop). 

Brahma is eternal like fragrance in camphor and flowers and like the coolness and warmth in an object. This knowledge can be got only through Shri Guru. So worship and serve him with pure and clear heart and singular devotion. One, who is united with Brahma in meditation, realizes Kundalini, Brahma Randhra and formlessness and gets salvation without doubt. 

The ignorant wins over the worldly sea and the wise besides gets knowledge of actions and no-actions by following the path of Shri Guru. 

Those, who read, hear or write Shri Guru Geeta and give it in charity with money, all their desires are fulfilled. Always read Sri Guru-Geeta to get rid of the miseries of the worldly life. 

Each and every syllable of Guru-Geeta enables to win death, remove all difficulties and fear of Yaksha, Rakshas, ghosts, thieves, tigers and diseases. It gives the power of using Bhasma, mesmerism and hypnotism. 

O Devi, read Shri Guru-Geeta, sitting on a site of Kush grass (dharbhasan) or white blanket with attentive mind. Use a white seat for peace, red for mesmerizing, black for punishing the evildoers and yellow for getting wealth. For peace, sit facing the north, for mesmerizing facing the east, for punishing the evildoers facing the south and for wealth facing the west. 

Recitation of Guru-Geeta, gives one incentive power, develops one's qualities, destroys evil acts, makes good acts successful, removes fear of Grahas (planets), destroys evil dreams, gives issues even to sterile women, gives good luck to the married women (keep their husbands alive all their lives) and gives peace of mind. 

If a widow reads Shri Guru-Geeta without object, she gets salvation. If she reads with desire, she will get a good husband in the next birth and all her miseries, difficulties and curses will perish. 

Shri Guru-Geeta is like a Kamadhenu to those who read it with some expectation. It is like a Kalpataru to those, who read with desires. It is like a Chintamani to the thinkers of everything good. If you read it for salvation you get salvation, if you read it for worldly pleasures, you will get them. 

One can read Shri Guru-Geeta with some object, sitting on a bank of a river or the sea shore, in the Mandir of Vishnu, Shiva, Devi or other God, math, cowshed, under vat, awala, mango tree or near a plant of Tulsi or dhotra or in the cremation ground at a lonely but clean and neat place.

Even though a devotee of Shri Guru may be a fool, still he is great, all his good acts, penance, vrata, diksha become successful. They are never futile. 

As Shri Guru knows Brahma, he is always pure and wherever he goes, there is the presence of God, Tirth and Peeth. One who reads Guru-Geeta sitting or lying on a bed, standing, walking, speaking, riding on a horse or an elephant, is pure. He has no rebirth. 

A soul is one with God, just as the water in the sea, the milk in the milk pot, the ghee in the ghee-pot and the sky in the broken pot are one with them, similarly the Dnyani (learned), is united with God and lies lost in himself day and night. 

O Parvati, when one is blessed by Shri Guru, all his doubts vanish, goddess Saraswati resides on his tongue and he gets both the pleasures and salvation by the favor of Shri Guru. One's recitation, vrata and penance of several births bear fruit. 

O Waranane (having good face), I told you, this principle of Sankhya Sastra One God, one religion, one devotion, one penance are nothing else but Shri Guru himself. There is no higher principle than that of Shri Guru. 

The home, where is devotion of Shri Guru, parents, family and race, is fortunate. Those, who do not adore Shri Guru due to Vanity of knowledge and penance, are unfortunate. 

Even to Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Gods, Rishi, Forefathers, kinnar, Siddha, charan, yaksh, Munis, the favor of Shri Guru, is like the great holy Tirth. Shri Guru's Tirth is the root of all the Tirth. 

If one reads Shri Guru-Geeta in travel, or during war, at the time of the attack of an enemy, he gets victory in life and salvation at death. 

If Shri Guru-Geeta is read with evil acts, at evil places and with fickle mind, it gives evil effects. 

As you are dear to me, I have told this gist to you. Keep it with yourself. Tell this to one, who is not engrossed in worldly pleasures and has devotion; but do not tell it to him, who is not devoted, who is a deceit, cunning, atheist and who discusses vainly. 

Here ends the gist of Shri Guru-Geeta in the form of a dialogue between Ishwar and Parvati, included in the Uttarkhand of Skandha Purana.