Approach Your Guru Today - Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji

Ayaantyeva muhuh

kaamaha

Tarangaa iva saagare

Tadantam maa

prateekshasva

Sadyah sadgurumaashraya

(Purport: Just as endless waves arise in the ocean, desires too arise in the minds of human beings. Don’t wait till they subside. Approach your guru without delay.)

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Vijitashwa. In his prime age, he used to disguise himself as an ordinary citizen and carry out spying work in his kingdom to find out what his subjects thought about him. One day, when he was moving in the outskirts of his capital, he saw a dilapidated temple, from where he could hear two persons engaged in a quarrel. The king became curious to know as to what the dispute was about. He went near the place.

There were two persons inside. One of them was shouting at the top of his voice. The other person was only murmuring. The king went nearer and peeped through the window. He saw two saints inside.

Both were aged. One of them was very old. It was this old man who was shouting. The other person appeared to be his disciple. He was begging in a feeble voice. The conversation continued. A few sentences of the conversation got imprinted in the mind of the king.

Disciple: Sir! Even great sages of yore fell prey to infatuation with women. Who am I after all! You are my Sadguru. You must look after me.

Guru: It is true that elders say that disciples are the responsibility of Gurus. Just because they say like that, is it fair to hold me responsible for this sin of yours?

Disciple: I came to you as a small body. I was careful. I don’t know how it happened. But it happened. You should protect me.

Guru: Inferior people who can not control their desires don’t deserve Gurus. One should have some qualification even to approach a Guru. The disciple should wash the dirt off his heart himself. It would be wrong to expect the Guru to do that also.

The conversation continued on these lines. The king did not find anything that would interest a spy. So he left the place silently.

© "Bhaktimala" (June 2003) published by Sri Bhakti Mala Trust, Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama, Datta Nagar, Mysore 570 025. Reprinted with permission.

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