Salvation without Guru Sewa?
There can be no emancipation without selflessly serving your Spiritual Master…
It is stated in Bhagavad Gita, “Ekantvaso laghubhojanado maunam nirasha Karanavarodha”
One should strive to stay in solitude. This is where all our instincts and senses attain composure in the divine soul.
All the enlightened holy seekers follow, “Vivikt Deshasya Sevitavam Artirjan Sansanti”. They worship and praise God in solitude, away and unnoticed from the crowd and gatherings of people.
The contentment and bliss they realize worshipping in solitude, the gains they make in their spiritual progress, and the joy they experience by devotional worship is indescribable.
The self-realized person has an exceptional disposition. Like the great Sage Ashtavakra Maharaj in Shloka 19 of chapter 19 says to King Janaka, “Oh King! Enlightened and self-realized beings are satiated and free of emotions. They are free of worldly desires. They might generally seem like they are doing activities but in effect, they do nothing.”
“Bhavabhavavihino yaas trupto nirvasano buddha, naiv kinchitkrutam tenah lokdrushtayah vikurvatah”.
People might see them doing normal activities like sleeping, eating, drinking, coming, or going, walking, speaking or listening or seeing, giving or receiving, but in essence, they are not the doers of those activities.
They neither experience enjoyment nor grief or sorrow. Their subconscious mind is always calm and content. These self-realized beings perform their everyday chores like normal human beings, but desire nothing in return and are detached from their actions.
So, in response to Parvati’s question, Lord Shiva said, “Oh Goddess! The question you have asked today hasn’t been asked ever before, by anyone. The question you have raised is going to be very helpful for the welfare of the people. The answer to your question will increase people’s devotion to their guru. This devotion, in turn, will intensify one’s love for Guru’s teachings. This love will pave way for self-realization. Because in Kalayuga, attaining self-realization is very rare and this eternal knowledge of soul cannot be achieved without Guru’s blessings.
You cannot get Guru’s blessings without devotional worship. Lord Shiva further states, Hey Devi! Those Gandharvas who turn away from the selfless service of the Guru will never attain liberation. The Charvakas, the Vaishnavas who are devoid of selfless service and devotion towards the Guru may never attain eternal knowledge. “Na Muktastu Gandharva”. The Charanas may not attain liberation, neither will Gandharvas nor the Kinnaras in the absence of the selfless services towards the Guru. Those who are devoid of selfless service and devotion towards their Guru may never attain self-realization and liberation.
“Guru bin Gyan Na Upajey, Guru bin mite Na Bhed, Guru bin Sanshay Na mitey, Jai Jai Jai Gurudeva”. We recited the Shlokas from the GuruGita in the morning. And in those shlokas, we understood that Vedas, Shastras, Puranas, Agam-Nigam, Mantra, Yantra, and performing rituals according to our scriptures are all in vain if you do not understand the essence of the Guru and the divine higher knowledge of our inner self.
Those who have understood the eternal knowledge provided by their Guru and those who have realized supreme devotion within themselves, might never read the Vedas or Puranas, they might never go on pilgrimages or perform rituals of offerings, still, they will experience the enlightening Vedic eternal knowledge within themselves by the grace and blessings of their Guru.
Those parents are praiseworthy who send their children to Gurukuls. Along with worldly education, spiritual knowledge should also be imbibed at an early age.
There are numerous schools and educational institutes around us, but the education and knowledge provided at Gurukul are unique and exceptional. On top of that, it is an added advantage if the teachers have gotten Mantra Diksha.
Those who can have a Sadguru, Guru’s Satsang, undertake Mantra Diksha and accumulate righteous virtues by the means of this Diksha are considered very fortunate.
Meeting and going for Satsang to a Sage is the best kind of association we can make. Even meeting with virtuous people is in vain if we do not share stories of Lord Rama (God). Lord Shiva says, “Svadeshkasyaiv Vachanam Chintanam” which means meditation of Shiva is synonymous with the meditation of Guru. Meditation of Guru and Meditation and contemplation of Shiva are one and the same. Singing praises of Guru is the same as singing praises of Lord Shiva and vice a versa. Thus, the Lord and Guru appear different in terms of form and structure, but their essence or element is one.