THE ATTRIBUTES OF GURU (GURU LAKSHANA)
Now let us proceed to know about the attributes or lakshaNAs of a Guru. Infact, I wanted to first deal with shishya lakShaNa or who qualifies to be a disciple and receive initiation into this sastra. But, the world now abounds in self styled fake gurus who have been consistently causing harm to this great shastra by misinterpreting and misrepresenting facts. Because of such fakies and the spurious materials they propagate, Tantra has now come to be identified with Sex, black magic and witch craft, which is far from the truth. As the article progresses, one can see that it is the supreme shakti herself who decides who should practice this sastra!
Tantra says,
"guru shiShya pade sthitvA svayameva sadAshivaH
prashnottara parairvAkyaiH tantram samavatArayat"meaning,
"It is the lord sadAshiva himself who by being in the state of both the guru and the sishya, created tantra in the form of questions and answers"
This is obvious because, to worship the shakti one has to become shiva himself -"shivo bhUtvA shivAM yajet" . So much for this great sastra.
So first about the guru and then about the shiShya-s.
Even though there are many tantric literatures which describe the attributes of guru & shiShya, kulArNava is the first and the foremost among these works. so I shall be quoting from this text.
shrIguruH parameshAni shuddhaveSho manoharaH
sarvalakShaNa sampannaH sarvAvayavashobhitaH
sarvAgamArtha tatvajnaH sarvamantravidhAnavit
lokasammohanakaro devavat priyadarshanaH
sundaraH sulabhaH svacchaH bhramasamshayanAshakaH
ingitAkAravit prAjnaH UhApohavidujjvalaH
AjnAsiddhistrikAlajno nigrahAnugrahakShamaH
He is the guru whose look though may be outward, has his attention directed inwards. He is all knowing, possessing the knowledge of desha and kAla i.e the two dimensions of time and space. All the siddhis lie at his command. He is the knower of the past present and future. He is the one competent to both punish and bless.
vedhako bodhakaH shAntaH sarvajIvadayAparaH
svAdhInendriyasancAra ShadvargavijayakShamaHHe is the guru who is capable of piercing all the subtle chakras of the sishya, capable of infusing knowledge, is quiet and compassionate to all living beings. Whose senses are under his control, who has conquered the sixfold enemies of kAma krodha lobha moha mada mAtsarya or lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.
agragaNyotigambhIraH pAtrApatravisheShavit
He is the first and foremost in everything, highly solemn and knows the distinction between the person fit to receive knowledge and the one who is not. He is equal to shiva, & Vishnu, pious and who has the capacity to quell doctrines or darshanas of the unawakened fools.
Nirmalo nityasantuShTaH svatantro mantrashaktimAn
He is blemishless, ever content, possesses unbridled freedom and endowed with the powers of mantras, affectionate towards his devotees, steadfast, merciful and speaks with a blossoming smile.
alolupohyasangkalpapakShapAtI vichakShaNaH
He is the guru who is not over ambitious, without self desire and free from bias. He is the guru who is not swayed by money and does not sell mantra yantra and tantra for money
yaH shivaH sarvagaH sUkShmaschonmanA niShkalovyayaH
ata eva shivasAkShAdgururUpaM samAshritaH
bhaktyAsaMpUjito devi bhuktimuktiM prayacchhati
The siva who is all pervading, subtle unattainable by the mind, imperishable, whose form is “aprAkrta divya tejo maya” of the form of ether, eternal and infinite, how can he be worshipped ? that’s why out of compassion for his creatures, he takes the form of the guru and when so worshipped in devotion, grants liberation and fulfillment.
Shivoham nAkrtirdevi naradrggocaro nahi
tasmAt shrIgururUpeNa shiShyAn rakShati dhArmikAnShivoham nAkrtirdevi naradrggocaro nahi
O devi, siva has no binding form, nor perceivable by the human eye,. That’s why taking the form of guru he protects the disciples who sticks to dharma.
manuShyacarmaNA baddhaH sAkShAt parashivaH svayaM
The guru is none other than the supreme siva enclosed in the human skin. For the sake of bestowing grace on the true disciple, he treads the earth concealing his true form.
atrinetraH shivaH sAkShAt acaturbAhuracyutaH
In the human form, the guru is said to be none other than siva without his three eyes, Vishnu without his four arms, brahma without his four faces.
shrIguruM paramaM tatvaM tiShTantaM cakShuragrataH
The shrIguru appears as a human to those who are sinners, due to their sinful deeds. The guru appears as shiva to those who are doers of good deeds. The shrIguru who is embodiment of truth cannot be visualized by the less fortunate even if he stands before them, just as the blind who cannot see the rising sun.
guruH sadAshivaH sAkShAt satyameva na saMshayaH
shiva eva gururnocedbhuktimuktiM dadAti kaH
sadAshivasya devasya shrIgurorapi pArvatI
ubhayorantaraM nAsti yaH karoti sa pAtakI
Verily the guru is sadashiva and that’s true beyond doubt, for who else can give both fulfillment and liberation ?
There is no difference between lord sadasiva and guru, O Parvati ! those who differentiate are indeed sinners.
It is evident from the lakShaNa-s enumerated above that it is not easy to get a competent guru in this shAstra ! Thus the aspirant has to be intellegent enough to discriminate the genuine from the fraud. To day just as the aspiring upAsaka is 'praying' for a competent guru, spurious gurus are there everywhere 'preying' for a gullible shiShya!
As the technology advances, these self styled gurus also adapt it to suit their needs. It is not uncommon to find online gurus offering dIkShA too online ! In todays world, rules of kuladharma is followed more in the breach than in their observance. Therefore, dear aspirants, never fall prey to such false gurus if you ever aspire to be a upAsaka in this path.
Having said so, I also wish to add here that 'svapnadIkShA' or initiation by the guru in one's dream or initiation by the guru by appearing in a subtle form are not beyond the realm of possibilities. But one should understand that these are exceptions and resorted to by the all powerful guru in exceptional circumstances in exceptional cases.
However, exceptions are meant to be exceptions and can never become the rule.
'svecchAcAra' and svAtantrya are all for the guru only and not for the shiShya in his initial stages of upAsana. If there are no rules to be followed in this path, what for the tAntrik texts were created by the lord ? what for did lord parashurAma pen his kalpasUtra if no rules are required to be followed ?
Be that as it may. Having said about the lakShaNa-s of the guru, it is also necessary to know the competency of the guru i.e. the capacity of the guru that makes him the guru and distinguishes him from the ordinary, spurious gurus.
So here we proceed to know about the guru's competency..
deshikAkrtimAsthAya pashoH pAshAnasheShhataH
chhitvA paraM padaM devI nayatyenamato guruH
Because he cuts asunder the cords of pAsa completely and bestows supreme status to the pashus he is the guru.
sarvAnugraha kartrtvAdIshvaraH karuNAnidhiH
AcAryarUpamAsthAya dIkShhayA mokShhayet pashUn
Being the treasure house of grace and the repository of compassion, he the Iswara takes the form of a teacher and liberates the pasus by way of dIkShhA (Initiation in to the sastra).
siddhAntasAra vettAhaM bIjohamiti bodhakrt
avicchhinnaH sadA hrShhTahRdayo gururucyate.
He is the guru who makes one realishe, “I am the essence of all philosophies, the seed or core of everything, indestructible and ever pleased in the heart
ShhaDadhvAnaM ShhaDAdhAraM ShhoDashAdhAranirNayaM
Yo jAnAti vidhAnena sa guruH kathitaH priye
O my beloved, the one who knows the 6 adhvA-s namely varNa, kalA, pada, mantra tatva and bhuvana and the one who knows the 6 AdhAra cakras namely muladhara, svadhiShhTana, maNipUraka, anAhata vishuddhi and Agnya and the determination of the sixteen AdhAra-s from the mUlAdhArA to AgnyA 6 and the 10 above the AgnyA namely, the bindu ardhendu, rodhinI, nAda, nAdAnta, shakti, vyApikA samana, unmana & dhruvamaNdala in their proper order, he is the guru.
drshyam vinA sthirA drShhTirmanashchAlambanaM vinA
vinAyAsaM sthiro vAyuryasya syAt sa guruH priye
The one whose vision is stable and fixed without even an object to perceive, whose mind is fixed without anything to think about and the one whose prANa is stable effortlessly, he is the guru.
bhUtabhavyau tantramantrau vettiyaH shAktashAmbhavaM
vedhashca ShhaDvidhaM devI sa hi vedhakaro guruH
The one who knows both the past and future, tantra and mantra shAkta and shAmbhava, the six types of vedha, he is the guru who is capable of piercing the subtle chakras.
padamantrakalAvarNa satatvabhuvanAshrayaM
shodhayet yaH ShhaDadhvAnaM sa guruH kathitaH priye
He is called the guru who is capable of refining the six adhvas namely varNa, kalA, pada, mantra, tatva and bhuvana
jAgrat svapna suShhuptishca turIyaM tadatItakaM
yo vetti panchakaM devI sa guruH kathitaH priye
He is the guru who knows the five states of jAgrat (wakeful) svapna (dream state) suShhupti (deep sleep) turIya (fourth state) turIyAtIta (beyond the fourth)
piNDam padaM tathA rUpam rUpAtItaM catuShhTayaM
yo vA samyagvijAnIti sa guruH kathitaH priye
yo vA parA~nca pashyantI madhyamAM vaikharImapi
catuShhTayaM vijAnAti sa guruH kathitaH priye
AtmavidyAshivasarvamiti tatvacatuShhTayaM
Yo vetti parameshAni sa gururnAparaH priye
ANavaM kArmaNa~ncaiva mAyIya~nca malatrayaM
Yo vishodhayituM shaktaH sa guruH paramomataH
The one who knows well the four called piNDa, pada rUpa rUpAtIta is called as the guru. Further, the one who knows the four stages of speech namely parA pashyantI madhyamA and vaikharI; the one who knows the four tatvas called atma tatva, vidyA tatva, shivatatva and sarvatatva; the one who is competent and capable of purifying the threefold impurities of ANavamalaM kArmikamalaM & mAyikamalaM (of the shiShhya) is called the guru O beloved one !
It may be seen that the tantras unambiguously and unequivocally reiterate that only a person who has raised himself to the level of sadashiva / kAmeshvara is competent to initiate others into srividya shastra by way of dIkShhA. Various tantras define the constitution of the word 'dIkShhA' to mean -
'dIyate paramaM jnAnaM kShhIyate pApasancayaH'
'dIyate paramaM jnAnaM kShhIyate pApasancayaH'
'bestows the ultimate wisdom and completely eradicates the accrued sins'
'dIyate shiva sAyujyaM kShhIyate pAshabandhanaM'
'that which bestows total identification with shiva and removes the pAsha-s'
The above attributes have been elaborately dealt with in the tantras to drive home the fact that the guru is none other than lord sadAshiva himself in human form and not everyone can become a srivdyaguru. It is also amply clear that having obtained diksha from a competent guru does not automatically confer anybody the competence to initiate others.
dIkShhitasya adhikArosti pUjAyAM caiva nishcitaM
gurutve tasya kutrApi nAdhikAraH kathamcana
a dIkShhita has the authority to do puja alone. He does not have the right to don the mantle of guru.
Hence, only the one who has reached the ultimate in this shAstra by way of divya anuShhTAna-s by the grace of shrI and who has ascended the para-apara bhUmikA-s of uttarakaula / uttarashAkta alone is competent to initiate others, having raised himself to the level of sadAshiva / kAmesha.
'dIyate shiva sAyujyaM kShhIyate pAshabandhanaM'
'that which bestows total identification with shiva and removes the pAsha-s'
The above attributes have been elaborately dealt with in the tantras to drive home the fact that the guru is none other than lord sadAshiva himself in human form and not everyone can become a srivdyaguru. It is also amply clear that having obtained diksha from a competent guru does not automatically confer anybody the competence to initiate others.
dIkShhitasya adhikArosti pUjAyAM caiva nishcitaM
gurutve tasya kutrApi nAdhikAraH kathamcana
a dIkShhita has the authority to do puja alone. He does not have the right to don the mantle of guru.
Hence, only the one who has reached the ultimate in this shAstra by way of divya anuShhTAna-s by the grace of shrI and who has ascended the para-apara bhUmikA-s of uttarakaula / uttarashAkta alone is competent to initiate others, having raised himself to the level of sadAshiva / kAmesha.
No comments:
Post a Comment