Life goes on as it were. It goes sometime up sometime down. But someday it changes. Someday some questions arises which seems to have no such relations with that life till now. Questions arises about ourselves like “who am I?” “What will be after death?” “What is the purpose of this creation?”etc. etc. Then we start reading about spirituality. Is these readings and discussions really gives us peace? Sometime gives peace but also sometime increases the confusions. Actually without the help of a Sat-guru and practicing yoga it is impossible to solve this problem. In the very beginning we should know who is the real guru to help us to reach the ultimate goal. Here is some excerpt from Guru Gita, Skanda Puran. Guru gita is from the skanda puran, where Lord Shiva explains Goddess parvati, the significance of a Guru. Guru gita explains the nature of a guru, the significance of a Guru who is our guide in the spiritual path, its good for initial seekers to learn guru gita. In Guru Astakam written by Adi Sankaracharya , he explains the word guru thus, "Gu karascha andhakaroo, ru kara sthan niroodhakrith, ajnaana graasaka guru brahmaiva na samshayaha". The word Gu stands for darkness and ru stands for dispelling darkness , thus it means that Guru is one who dispels darkness or ignorance. Sloka -1 Akhanda mandalaakaaram vyaaptham yena charaacharam tat padam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha Word Meaning Akhanda --- Indivisible mandalaakaaram -- shape of the universe vyaaptham -- pervades charaacharam --- living and non-living tat padam -- the mahavakhya tattvam asi darshitam -- shows tasmai sree guravee namaha -- prostrating before the guru Explanation --- Guru is indivisible, he pervades the whole universe , in both the living and non-living things. He is the embodiment of the ultimate reality and shows us the ultimate reality , through paroksha and aparoksha anubhuti. By indivisible it means one without parts. Anything which has parts is subject to change, the shad vikaras ,birth and death and hence is temporary, whereas brahman is indivisible, it has no parts.Its expalined as "ekam eva adviteeyam "-- meaning it alone exists and is not divisible. Hence it stands for eternality. Hence the Guru who is brahman is indivisible as its eternal. Brahman pervades the entire universe. He is the substratum of the world.As pot is made out of mud, similarly the world is made of brahman alone, and brahman alone exists. the effect of pot has its cause as mud, similarly if the world is considered as an effect, the cause is brahman.Thus guru or brahman pervades the universe made of both living and non-living things. Guru is the person who symbolizes utlimate reality,He is brahman alone. He stands for the mahavakya "tatvam asi". He also makes us realize the ultimate reality, through paroskha Jnaana initially and also aparoskha jnaanam.Experiencing brahman through guru , by listening to him one gets paroskha jnaanam.Being established in brahman is aparoskha jnaanam.To such a Guru who is the embodiment of Brahman, who shows us the path and makes us realize the ultimate reality, I offer my prostrations. . Sloka -- 2 Ajnaana thimiraandhasya jnaanaanjana shalaakhaya chakshurunmeelitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha Word Meaning Ajnaana -- Ignorance Thimiraandhasya --- darkness jnaanaanjana shalaakhaya --- stick of Knowledge chakshurunmeelitham -- opening the eyes Explanation Comparision is done here with blind person who uses a stick as a support to walk. As a stick is the support for a blind man to walk, so also for people who are blind by ignorance, the guru like a stick of knowledge guides us into the spiritual path. He is one who leads us from darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.He removes the ignorance by imparting knowledge. Through knowledge he opens our eyes and shows us the path to bliss, leads us to self realization.To such a Guru who removes ignorance, who guides us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge I offer my prostrations.
