Expedient of Knowledge

"Sariiram, swaroopam tatha va kalatram yashascharu chitram dhanam merutulyam Manaschenna lagnam Gurorungripadmam tatah Kim? tatah Kim? tatah Kim? tatah Kim?" (sariiram swaroopam)you may enjoy the most handsome and healthy body (tatha vã kalatram)have the most beautiful wife

(dhanam merutulyam) possess as large a wealth as the mount Meru,

(yashaschãru chitram)enjoy fame all over the world

(tatah Kim? tatah Kim?)but, of what use are all these if your mind does not settle at the Lotus Feet of the Guru?

The disciples problems in studies that will be solved by consulting with their teacher. Otherwise they may have destruction of their education. Any student should not have jealousy, egoism, with their fellow pupils. Some may be fast to learn, some will be slow, and even others may not understand that what they have learnt. So one should realize the truth earnestly following the instructions of their teacher, that is the real and truthful penance. This will lead to their heights.

Here is an incident in Mahabaratam:-

There were two different clans Sages called Raibhya and Bharatwaja lived in the same hermitage. The both of the sages were friends and also learned sages. 

The one of Rishi has two sons and they learnt Vedas, sastras, Upanishats they became famous scholars. Another sage Bharatwaja also has a son called Yavakrida

This Yavakrida does not learn any thing neither with his father Bharadwaj nor with the Raibhya he felt jealousies of his fellow students and he hated that two sages. He has no respect with them. 

One day Yavakrida started to do penance without get permission 

Without Guru permission Yavakrida practiced a very hard Austerities penance(self-mortification for religious reasons.) to gain the grace of Lord Indiran very long time years together after so many years Indiran appeared and asked him why and what for this penance..?

Yavakrida replied: "I wish to be more learned in the Vedas than any has ever been before. I wish to be a great scholar. I am performing these severity of manner to realize that desire., Because It takes a long time and involves much hardship to learn the Vedas from a teacher. This hard ship knowledge to acquire directly from you. Bless me."

Indiran thought himself , “we our self have a guru Brihaspati with out his permission we do nothing, this human being wants without guru to learn Veda “ smiled and said: "O son of Rishi, you are on the wrong path. go home, seek a proper preceptor and learn the Vedas from him. Austerity is not the way to learning. The path is study and study alone." With these words Indiran disappeared . But Yavakrida would not give up.

He pursued his course of austerities with even greater rigor again and again, to the horror and the distress of the gods. Indiran again appeared before Yavakrida and warned him :

"You have taken the wrong path to acquire knowledge. You can acquire knowledge only by study. Your father learnt the Vedas patiently studied and now he is so superior, so you can learn from him . Go and study the Vedas. stop this shameful hurting of the body."

Yavakrida did not care of Indiran's warning and announced defiantly that if his prayer were not granted, he would cut off his limbs one by one and offer them as put into the fire., he would never give up. and continued the penance. years together..

One day morning Yavakrida during his austerities, when he went to bathe in the Ganga, be saw a very old man on the bank, with excessive effort throwing handfuls of sand into the water.

Yavakrida asked: "Old man, what are you doing?" The old man replied: "I am going to build a dam across this river., with handful after handful, I have built a dam of sand here, people can cross the river with ease. See how very difficult it is at present to cross it. Useful work, isn't it?"

Yavakrida laughed and said: "What a fool you must be to think you can build a dam across this mighty river with your silly handfuls of sand! go and take to some more useful work."

The old man said: "Is my project more foolish than yours of mastering the Vedas not by study but by austerities?" Yavakrida now knew that the old man was Indra. More humble this time, Yavakrida earnestly begged Indra to grant him learning as a personal boon. I am becoming old please bless me..

Indiran blessed, and comforted Yavakrida with the following words::-

Indiran said “O Son of Rishi I can give boon as a your gurus state, without guru no one can learn anything, for example Sankarar is one of a trinity of God but to give knowledge to human beings he incarnated as a Guru, Bhavan Sri Krishna is a one of trinity of god Sri Vishnu's incarnation but he preached gita as a guru, all devas have a guru as well as demons have a guru so you should not learn without any guru (Prospectors)

“Well, I grant you the boon you seek. With a condition that Perhaps any time knowing or unknowingly insult any guru or learned scholars all your knowledge will be vanished from you Go and study the Vedas; you will become learned.

Yavakrida studied the Vedas and became learned. He grew vain with the thought that he had acquired the knowledge of the Vedas through the boon of Indiran and not through human tutelage.

The greatness is not unusual. It can be 'seen to be possessed' by many ..It is a difficult task to reach god...it

will take years together. But It can be done with the Grace ('kripa') of Guru . So, when we take up Guru (Parampara) successors. We could find that each one has had a Guru. A Guru now has had a Guru; He has had a Guru and this Guru has had a Guru. The line winds back this way. This is called '(Jnana paramapara') Lineage of Knowledge. This is how Mahans have come .If one learn ( jnanam ) the knowledge through Guru, Bhakthi will follow and mukthi (Gods realization ) will be certain to him.

In this way our pratiksha Guru Sree His Holiness Shankaracharya Bharadadeertha Maha Swamigal of Sringeri

My sincere and truthful pranams to His Holiness..Maha Sannidhanam of Sringeri.

 

 Sri Sat Guru Padukapyam Namo Namaha.

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