A popular verse from the 15th century Indian mystic poet, Saint Kabir, says Guru Gobind dou khade, kake laagu paay, balihaari guru aapne, Govinda diyo bataay.
The saint asks, if by some enormous luck, there comes a day in the devotee’s life when he sees both, his Guru or Master and the Omnipotent God himself, to whom should he first pay homage?
In the second line of the verse the saint offers the answer. He says, it is undoubtedly the Master who must first receive your reverence and surrender, as it is only by the Master’s Grace that the aspirant walks on the path that leads to God. The seeker is always brought ashore from the sea of turmoil in life by the spiritual master.
The festival of Guru Pratipada is celebrated on the 1st tithi (lunar day) of Krishna Paksha (waning half) of the month of Maagh. In 2022, that day falls on 17th February. It is the day when Datta Avatar (incarnation of Shree Dattatreya) Shree Narasimha Saraswati left his Paduka (sandals) behind at the temple of Gangapur and walked into the Kardali forest to merge into the Supreme. The festival is celebrated with great fervour especially in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The famous Gangapur Yatra happens during this festival.
We have several teachers throughout our lives. For the new born baby its mother is the first teacher. Then, the parents hold the hands of the child at every step teaching various lessons and habits. After that, there are those who teach him in school, and in preparing for his or her profession that help to earn a livelihood. One stage above these teachers are the ones who teach the fine arts, like music. Here, simply knowing the musical notes is not enough. Art is cultured by living and learning with the guru or teacher. From a class of a hundred students, perhaps one becomes a true musician. Above all these levels of teaching is the Spiritual Master or the Sadguru. He imparts the ultimate art of being able to communicate with the Inner Self, and merging into Param-anand or Supreme Bliss.
Most of us have been running the race of material gratification. Chasing a bigger car, a more luxurious house, everything more grand in life. This is everyone’s wish. We forget, in the material quest, that the soul is the most splendid and the Cosmic Soul is all encompassing. We forget about the Source who provides praan or life force for all. At the material level there is a gigantic store of oxygen that provides for all. But what about life-force? Where is the gigantic cylinder that provides praan required for all living organisms? How enormous might this store be that is able to provide praan for the entire world? The one who provides this precious life force-praan free-of-cost to one and all, is the Param-Atma or the Supreme Soul. But the one who introduces us to this cosmic consciousness, who takes us right up to the ultimate source of all energy is the Spiritual Master.
This special day is a chance for us to express our gratitude, to pay homage, to offer reverence to our spiritual master. It is a reminder to all seekers on the spiritual path, to invite the Sadguru or the Master everyday into their lives. The Master is the fountain of positivity that quenches the longing of many lives. A pure heart and unfailing trust are the only two requirements on this path, and the spiritual master, who is beyond time and space, can be with the devotee 24×7, with ever ready guidance.
The Sanskrit word for teacher is Guru. Guru means something that is enormous, or that which takes a person from darkness to light. The Spiritual Master, is the one who helps a person to sail through the ups and downs of life, helps avoid catastrophes and calamities and brings the devotee safely ashore, out of the vicious cycle of repetition.
A popular devotional song written by Saint Keshav Das aptly summarises the role of the spiritual master in the life of the aspirant.
Sadguru sharana vinaa, adnyaan timira talashe nahi re…,
The saint says, all the devotee needs to do is surrender to the Sadguru as his Light. His grace alone can remove the darkness of ignorance and illuminate the path to enlightenment. Let us surrender to the Master and pray that He remains with us at all times!