Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Appeal of a fallible one

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. 

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
śrī guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
It is possible if we become obedient student of guru, then even though we may be dumb, deaf and dumb, still, we can become good lecturer. Mūkaṁ karoti vācālam, talk very much about Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's grace, mūkaṁ karoti... Paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim, if one is lame man, he is made to cross over the hill, mountain. This is the mercy of guru.
My dear Gurudev,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
Kindly be merciful like a father and accept my offering which is sure to be filled with mistakes.

This ungrateful one definitely cannot thank you enough, for allowing him a shelter in your soothing shade in the midst of this blazing forest fire. There are thousands upon thousands of fortunate souls who have luckily obtained a corner of your lotus feet, but it is clearly evident to anyone that it is not my own fortune that you have accepted me as your disciple. There is not one act of mine or even millions put together that can give me the benediction of attaining your lotus feet. It is only your own magnanimity, your greatness, your mercy, your compassion that you have accepted a person as low as myself.
As the scriptures say that the debt of one’s parents can never be repaid in lives together, what more can be said about the debt I have fallen into by taking opportunity of the treasure trove of your kripa nidhi, by which one jumps across the vast unfathomable ocean of nescience just like crossing over the water contained in the hoof print of a calf.

Since I am now yours, what remains with me to offer you, that which is not yet yours. So it would only be my foolishness if I feel that I have offered you anything. Even my words belong to you.
In such a state, it would only be an attempt of worshiping Mother Ganges with her own water; where else would her worshiper find holier water to worship her?
Only after reading the translation of the Mukam karoti... sloka, has my fallen self even dared to tread on this impossible path of attempting to taste a drop of your unlimited glories.
But I just realized that I will utterly fail at even trying to understand you fully, what remains to be said about singing your glories. It will infact be more of an insult than a glorification.
So I end up again, only begging for your mercy. Neither the last nor the first time, but to continue in all times and lives to come.

O Gurudev, please be merciful and do not abandon this wretched one in this horrendous world. Kindly engage me in your mission.

"But when, O my master, will you mercifully give this servant of yours the qualification to fulfill your order? Then my mind will be peaceful, I will be able to endure all difficulties and serve Sri Hari with single-pointed focus."
--- Gurudev Boro Krpa Kori,Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

your aspiring servant
gurugovinda kripa das


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Pregnant Yoga

India is a "Developing" country!

Progressively or should we use "in leaps and bounds", India is learning to manufacture newer and newer varieties of concocted psuedo Spiritual Products to Sell to the ever growing demand for cheap show bottle religious piety. SrimadBhagavatam, an ever existing source of knowledge but which was 'compiled' a few thousand years ago, prophesised boldly about such manmade religions in this age of Kali.
 There isnt one public media which doesnt prove this right. Turn on the television, surf the internet, wade through the pages of magazines or Newspapers, you will find so-called spiritualism pouring out!

Yoga, originally meaning 'connection'(with the lord), has taken so many forms and colors while having lost its Soul! Its sole purpose now has turned out to be Sense-gratification, pure and intact: No compromise.
Travelling home from office one evening, my eyes fell on a clinic with the board " _ _ _ Test tube Baby center". I wondered how many cases of success they have had. If it was so easy for scientists/doctors to produce 'Test Tube Babies', why do we have such big campaigns about endagered species? Just tilt your flask and stir the testtube in your labs and repopulate the decreasing species. Why all the propaganda to save them?
Further up the road, I noticed a big Ad. My jaws hit the floor and mind confused. Should I break into laughter or go into deep thoughts. A large white board had bold letters in navy blue written: Pregnant Yoga
That really confuses a beginner on a spiritual path, who just heard the words Karma yoga or Bhakti yoga.

I let it pass my mind just wondering what "Developed India" would look like if India was merely in its "Developing" stage now!!!