Hemant Dharmat
This year’s Dashehra heralds the beginning of the 100th year of Mahanirvan Divas of Shirdi Wale Sai Baba, who had cast his mortal remains this day falling on 15 October, 1918. Every year Sai devotees celebrate Baba’s Maha samadhion Dashehra with much gusto. Reproduced below is Sai Baba’s interpretation of a shaloka fromBhagwat Gita explaining the necessity of a Guru to theseeker of spiritual path.
None of Sai Baba’s devotees could ever imagine even in their wildest dreams that Baba, whom people initially mistook as a Muslim Faqir would be so well versed in Sanskrit. In fact Baba was far above any religious beliefs. Nana SahebChandorkar, Baba’s ardent devotee was a scholar of Vedanta. Besides he had studied numerous commentaries on Gita and was proud of his erudite knowledge on the subject. He was of the firm belief that Sai Baba didn’t understand Sanskrit language. One fine day, while he was massaging Baba’s lotus feet, Sai Baba said, “Are you muttering some mantra, Nana?” “I am repeating a verse from Bhagwad Gita,” He replied. Baba asked him to recite italoud.Then Nana chanted the following ‘Shalolka’:”Tadvidhipranipatenpariprashnensevya.Updekshyantitegyanamgyaninsttavdarshinah” (Gita – 4/34).
Sai Baba: Are you aware of its meaning too?
Nana: Certainly yes,Maharaj.
Sai Baba: Describe, if you know.
Nana:Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to prostrate before the gyanis-the knowers of Truth and to know that gyanthrough sincere service, humility and craft-lessquestioning adding that those gyanis who having attained the eternal (Brahm), would enable him to become familiar with it.
Baba: I am not interested in the sketchy translation. Elucidate the ‘shaloka’ further, enunciating each word vis. a vis. respective grammatical connotations. Then Nana explained the verse verbatim.
Baba: Do you think prostration before the ‘gyanis’ is enough?
Nana: I do not know any alternate meaning of ‘pranipat’.
Baba: What precisely is the meaning of ‘pariprashnen?
Nana: To ask questions.
Baba: What is the meaning of ‘prashn’?
Nana: Same, to question.
Baba: If ‘Pariprashan’ and ‘prashn’ have the same meaning, what reason Vyas used the prefix – ‘pari’? Was he out of his mind?
Nana: I am unaware if ‘pariprashnen’ could be interpreted differently.
Baba: What does ‘seva’ imply?
Nana: The same what we daily render to you, Baba.
Baba: Is this service considered sufficient?
Nana: I am ignorant of any special significance of the word ‘seva’ apart from what I have already said.
Baba: Can you describe the meaning of ‘updekshyantitegyanam’ by replacing ‘gyanam’ with any other word? Nana replied in the affirmative.
Baba: Which word?
Nana: ‘Agyanam’
Baba: By inserting ‘agyanam’ in place of ‘gyanam’ what sense the ‘shloka’ would convey?
Nana: Shankar’s text does not throw any light on this aspect.
Baba: What if itdoesn’t? What is the objection, if a better interpretation can be putwith the use of ‘agynam’?
Nana: I cannot comprehend in what manner the word ‘agyanam’ could beused in the respective ‘shaloka’.
Baba: Why did Lord Krishna advise Arjun to prostrate before the gyanis and ‘tatavdarshis’ andto inquire from them besidesrendering serviceto them. Wasn’t Lord Krishna Himself a ‘tatavdarshi’ – the very personification of ‘gyan’?
Nana: Verily, he was’Gyanaavtar’ -the Supreme intelligence incarnate. But I am unaware why LordKrishna counselled Arjunto submit to other ‘gyanis’.
Baba: Did you really not understand?
Baba’s probing questions to Nana on his knowledge of the Sanskrit ‘shaloka’ not only left him stunned but devastated his ego as well. Then Sai Baba explainedthe verse as follows:
Mere prostration by the devout is not enough. Complete self-surrender is a pre-requisite.It is not sufficient to be simply inquisitive.Questions should not be motivated,meant neither to enter into an argument and nor with the intention to find mistakes.Queries that you may have should be raised in all humility andwith eagerness,with the sole motive of attaining salvation or for gradual progression in the spiritual sphere.It is inappropriate for the seeker of truth to serve with the mindset that it is up to him to offer or refuse service. He should realize that he is not the master of his mortal body,instead it belongs to the Guruand exists only for the avowed purpose of being at hisservice. If he proceeds accordingly, Guru would enlighten him on ‘Sadvastu’-‘Brahm’.
Nana couldn’t understand in what manner a Guru who is meant to impart ‘gyan’ to his devotees could disseminate ‘agyan’.As a consequence of undergoing numerous births, the devotee is enveloped by ‘agyan'”Agyanenavritamgyanam” (Gita – 5/15).He forgets his true Self and develops the misconception that he is a weak and helpless living being;that he is the body;and that God, universe and the being are separate entities. The Guruhelps the devotee to realize this ‘agyan’ within besides helping him to shake it off.Guru dispels darkness from the mind of his disciple and leads him towards light by awakening him and acquainting him with ‘gyan’, viz. to have perception that the body is not soul and that the Self, universe and God are intrinsically interconnected and are one and the same.The Guru guides the devotee at each step he undertakes on the path of Self-realization.Baba further said: ‘Pranipat’implies ‘sharnagati’ – one should seek refuge through self-surrender; surrender of ones’ body, mind and wealth i.e. unbounded devotion. Why Lord Krishna spoke about other ‘gyanis’? To a true devotee, everything is Vasudev”VasudevahasarvmitisaMahatamadurlabaha” (Gita – 7/19). Guru is the personification of Krishna to the devotee, whereas the Guru regards his disciple asVasudev. Since Lord Krishna knew that such masters were around, he alludedto them so as to enhance their exalted stature.
But the moot point is how to find a real guru. Though India is the land of great saints and sages who adorned its spiritual landscape in every age, yet in the multitude of so many fake gurus wandering around to divest you of your pocket, exploit you in various ways, earn name and fame at your behest and deliver almost nothing in return, the search for a guru is a difficult proposition. Saint Ashtavakar advised Raja Janak, “Kritva Murtirparigyanam Chaitanayasayana kimguruh, nirvedasamtayuktyayastarayatisansriteh viz. The best qualification of a guru is his personal experience of the Self. The one who understands the real nature of pure consciousness, through complete dispassion, equanimity and logical reasoning and thus saves himself from the never ending cycle of births and deaths – would he not be the true spiritual Master?” (Ashtavakra Gita – 9/6). As per the words of wisdom in Dogri ‘Jedhabodhija’ i.e. he who responds and fulfills one’s spiritual aspirations is qualified to be a Guru. There is a word of caution, however. One must forsake the spiritual guide and shun the philosophy which cause one to tread on the evil or unrighteous path. Guru-Gita recommends us “to reject an ignorant and incompetent Guru;” for “who himself is not at peace, how would he bring peace to others?”
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