DUTIES OF A DISCIPLE

After the aspirant is convinced of the credentials of the Guru, He should surrender himself at the guru’s feet. One should remember that by way of dIkShA, a divine relationship is established between the guru and shiShya – a ‘divya sambandha’. Hence, the conduct and attitude of the shiShya should also be in accordance with such a divine relationship. Having realised that the guru is shiva himself in the human form, a disciple’s attitude and conduct towards his guru should be exemplary. KulArNava glorifies the divinity of the guru and the gurupAdukA. After briefly touching upon the glory of the pAduka, let us see how the shiShya should conduct himself after his initiation.

वाग्भव मुलवलये सुत्रद्यः कवलिक्र्तः |

एवं कुलर्णवे ज्जनं पदुकयं प्रतिष्ठितं ||

Just as all the sUtra-s that have originated from the subtle form of speech are absorbed in the mUlAdhAra and therefore seated there, similarly the knowledge of kula which is comparable with the ocean, is situated in the gurupAdukA

कोतिकोतिमःअदनात कोतिकोतिमःअव्रतत |

कोतिकोतिमःयाज्जत पर श्रिपदुकस्म्र्तिः ||

कोतिकोतिमन्त्रजपत कोतितिर्थवगःअनात |
कोतिदेवर्चानद्देवि पर श्रिपदुकस्म्र्तिः ||

Meditating upon the pAdukA is superior to crores and crores of great charities or crores and crores of great spiritual observances or crores and crores of great sacrifices. It is superior to chanting of mantras countless times. It is superior to crores of pilgrimages and deity -worship.

महारोगे महोत्पते महादोषे महाभये |

महापदी महापापे स्मर्ता रक्षति पादुका ||

दुराचारे दुरैअपे दुःसग्गे दुष्प्रतिग्रहे |

दुराचारे चा दुर्बुद्धौ स्मर्ता रक्षति  पादुका||

Meditation on the gurupAdukA protects the disciple from even the severest of illnesses, greatest of evil portents, greatest of afflictions, fears, calamities or sins. It protects from bad conducts, bad talks, bad company, pratigraha dosha, and bad thoughts.

सक्र्त श्रिपदुकं देवी यो व जपति भक्तितः |

स सर्वपपरहितः प्राप्नोति परमं गतिं ||

शुचिर्वाप्यशुचिर्वापि भक्त्या स्मरति पादुकं |

अनायासेन धर्मर्थकममोक्षन लभेत सः ||

O! devi, a disciple who recites the shrIpAdukA mantra even once, is freed of all since and attains salvation. Irrespective of whether a disciple is clean or unclean, meditating upon the pAdukA with devotion effortlessly yields all the four puruShArtha-s namely dharma, artha kAma & mokSha