[Advaita-l] Guru Worship

[Lakshmi Muthuswamy]

Namaste Kathirasanji,

Continuing on guru worship from the Sruti.

Mundaka upanishad I - 2 -12

parIkshya lokAn karmacitAnbrAhmaNo nirvedamAyannAstyakrtah krtena

tadvijnAnArtham sa gurmevAbhigacchet samitpANih srotriyam brahmanishTham.

After examining the worlds attained through karma, a brahmanA meaning a student should  develop vairAgya by becoming aware of the this fact that there exists nothing in this world which nis not the effect of karma. What is the use of karma? In order to get enlightened in Brahma vidya, he should, with fuel in his hand, approach a teacher who is well- versed in the vedas and who is himself a Brahma nishta.

Shankara Bhashyam:

 sa tam gururm vidhivadupasannah prasAdya prcchedaksaram purursham satyam.

Thus having approached the preceptor in the proper manner and having pleased him, he should ask about that indestructable Brahman.

When Shankara has uses the word 'vidhivat',  may be it has to be understood that this vidhi of approaching and worshiping the guru must be mentioned elsewhere in the karma khanda otherwise he would not have used this word.

 May be that, a person gets interested in the study of the jnAna khanda only after he has undergone the complete study and gone through the experience of Karma khanda and he is aware of the vidhi nishedha of the rituals, so an indepth explanation is not required.  When he uses the word vidhivat the student already knows the vidhis.

om namo narayanya

Lakshmi Muthuswamy




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