Guru Charitra Concise version - Chapters 15 & 16

Sri Guru charitram

Sri Gurubhyo namaha – Hari Aum

chapter 15

pilgrim’s greatness

 

Siddhamuni resumed his narration of guru Charitram to Namadharak who showed earnest interest and devotion. Once Sri guru addressed his disciples ‘ Listen! You have entered into sanyasa. You are not supposed to stay in a place for more than a day or two. You shouldn’t develop any type of attachment with money or worldly things. Be traveling continuously. Theertha yatra is the best penance for us’, the master proclaimed. Sri guru instructed them  how to proceed. First a yati shall have Ganga snanam. Then a sanyasi shall bath in Yamuna, Kushavathi, Sutlej, Vipasha, Venya, sharavathi and other nearby holy rivers. Then they should visit Badri, Kurukshetra and other holy places. Ayodhya, Mathura, Kanchi, Gaya, Dwaraka and other pilgrim centres should be visited. One shall visit clockwise and return three times in his life. Sreesailam, Thungabadra, Harihara and other places have to be visited.

 

After this holy journey, one shall come to Sri Guru’s place-Ganagapur. This Kshetra is on the confluence of Bhima and Amaraja rivers. There is a peepal tree, a holy pond Narasimha theertha exist there. Papanasana, Koti, Rudra theertha and Vinayaka theertha are also nearby. Kalmeshwara shiva temple is on the river banks. It was earlier known as Gandharva Bhuvana and now Ganagapura. When Jupiter enters simha rasi, a bath here blesses with prosperity and spiritual happiness. On Karkataka shankramana and Makara shankranthi days bathing here is auspicious. A holy bath in Krishna-Bhima sangam can solve many worldly problems. There are several such places around. One shall not stay more than five days even in a pilgrim centre. On the bank of Krishna many temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu are worth visiting. Narasimha temple, Kolhar, Rishyeshwar ashram are other holy places which are sacred to see. Sage Viswamithra realized Gayatri mantra at Shweta shrungha on Krishna banks.

 

Certain rules have to be observed while bathing in rivers. After Karkataka shankranthi, river waters are supposed to be polluted for two months. Ten days in Greeshma ruthu are also not auspicious. One has to avoid holy bath on such days.

 

Thus saying Sri Narasimha saraswathi sent his disciples for pilgrimage and stayed back at Puri Vyjyanth. “I was with him, lucky am I” said siddhayogi.

 

Here ends the 15th chapter of Sri guru charitram.

Sri Gurubhyo namaha!

Aum Sai Ram!

May Lord Sri Dattatreya bless us all!

 

 

 

 

 

Sri Guru charitram

Sri Gurubhyo namaha – Hari Aum

chapter 16

guru’s greatness

 

Siddhayogi resumed the narration of Sri gururcharitram to Namadharak.  ‘We stayed at Vyjanath for one year’, he added.

 

One day a learned Brahmin approached the great master and prostrated before him. He said, : “Holy sir! I have mastered the veda, vedantas and observed Tapas. But I do not know anything about myself. Please impart Jnana to me.”

 

Sri guru smiled and replied: “ How did you do all this without a Guru?”. The Brahmin said he had a guru who would always ask him to do impossible things. He didn’t teach him anything; but asked him to be calm. So he returned to the house leaving guru’s ashram. Then the master quoted an episode from Upanishad, told in the adiparvam of Mahabharatha.

 

There was a boy by name Upamanyu in the gururkula of sage dhowmya. He was undergoing studentship along with AAruni & Bynda. Once the guru asked the Aaruni to stop water in his fields which was out- flowing. Aaruni went to the field. He slept like a log and stopped the out-flow.

 

When AAruni did not return even after sunset, the master went near the field and called him by his name. He blessed AAruni with knowledge, sent him back to marry and settle down as a house holder.

 

Another day Guru called Bynda. He told him to cut paddy and stock in the ashram. After working for a few hours, he could do the job. But the cart he was pulling got struck in the watery fields. He fell in the mud.

 

When Bynda did not return late in the evening, the guru went to the field, lifted the disciple and sent him to his house. He blessed him all the knowledge he had. He told him to become a house holder and start a family.

 

The master wanted to test Upamanyu. The boy was taking cows to graze and was a glutton. He would eat a lot and sleep snoring. He never showed interest in learning. Once the master ordered him to come to the ashram only in the evening.

 

Upamanyu returned. He had stealthily gone to beg alms and the Guru objected to it. The next day he drank milk and appeased his hunger. When the master raised  his objections for this, he drank the juice of Arka plant(a poisonous juice). He became blind. Blind Upamanyu fell into a ditch. The master searched for him. When he called him by name, he replied from the ditch. He lifted him up, requested the Doctor divinity, the Ashwins, to restore his sight. Upamanyu got back his sight. Dhowmya blessed him with all knowledge and sent him home.

 

Upamanyu later started his Gurukula and trained many boys in Vedas and made them scholars. Such is Guru’s powers.

 

Thus the Guru narrated the anecdote  from scriptures and asked the Brahmin to seek a guru. Only then he can have full fledged learning. Learning books is of no avail, he added.

 

The Brahmin sought the Guru’s blessings and very soon he got it. A touch of Sri Guru made  him  a spiritually realized soul.

 

It was nearing an year after the master arrived at Puri Vyjanath. He decided to move on to Bhilwadi, on the banks of river Krishna. He sanctified the Bhuvaneshwari temple there with his divine presence.

 

Sri Narasimha saraswathi yati, then decided to stay under the Audumbura tree on the left bank of Krishna.

 

 

Here ends the 16th chapter of Sri guru charitram.

Sri Gurubhyo namaha!

Aum Sai Ram!

May Lord Sri Dattatreya bless us all!