🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 169 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 161 Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 7:  Na bhoge, na yoge, na vaa vajirajou Na kanta mukhenaiva vittesu chittam |  Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim || So far we discussed that some people feel, “I am prosperous, I have desires”. True. Still, if the mind is not absorbed in the Guru there is no use. Even if you have all the wealth, desires, fame and Karna-like magnanimity and courage (Karna is a character from Mahabharata known for his courage and generosity) , life is worthless if the mind is not absorbed in the Guru’s feet and there is no devotion towards the Guru. They stipulated that if there’s no devotion to the Guru, all these can be dismissed. Now, they are talking about sacrifice. Lot of people say, “I have no desire at all for pleasures, for Yoga, for karma (action), or for women”. They keep saying this all the time. “What’s there in money? I have no des

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 168 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 160 Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 5:  Kshma mandale bhoopa bhoopala vrundai Sada sevitam yasya padaravindam |  Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim || The kings and emperors on earth serve at your feet everyday. So, what is the use? You may think, “All the important people on earth are coming to me, they are worshipping my feet, what do you think of me? My word is gospel, it’s final”. So, what is the use? Some boast egoistically, “Everybody on the planet has to come to me.  They have to hover around my house. I know everyone personally. Actually, they don’t do anything without asking me first”. They may say, “If the phone rings, it has to be them, the important people. They will not leave the house until I ask them to. It is me that has to even select their car. It is me who needs to tell them the direction they need to face while eating. It is me who needs to

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 167 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 159 Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 3:  Shadangadi vedo mukhe sastra vidya Kavitwadi gadyam supadyam karoti | Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam Tatah kim Tatah kim, Tatah kim Tatah kim || He is well versed in Vedas, holy scriptures and all knowledge. He can give discourses without a break. He can do poetry. He won many awards and titles in the past and will continue to win in the future. So what? “He’s so great”. Okay, so what? Such a person cannot focus his mind on the Guru’s feet.  Then, what’s the use? All these are worthless. What’s the use of the number of awards won, the ability to speak eloquently without a break, the spontaneity of the mind and the intellect to create poetry and winning innumerable awards and titles if the mind does not get stabilized on the Guru’s feet? It is being said here that all these are worthless if the mind cannot be absorbed in the Guru’s feet. Guru Ashtakam, Sloka

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 166 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 158 Guru Ashtakam, Sloka 2:  Kalatram dhanam putrapautradi sarvam Gruham bandhava sarvametaddhi jatam |  Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam Tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim || The house is abuzz with joyous activity like Nanda Gokulam (where Lord Krishna grew up) with wife, wealth, children, grandsons, granddaughters. Hearing the grand child call him “grand father” is a source of so much joy. That his wife will not eat till he comes back home is a source of so much joy.  Aha! Why do they have so much love for him? The crux of the matter is “Dhanam meru tulyam” (from Sloka 1 in Guru Ashtakam, meaning wealth as big as Mount Meru). The reason is hidden in money. A man has a big diamond necklace. The heirs are waiting for him to die. The diamonds are very big. This man is always wearing it. All these people around him pretend to love him a lot. The love is not for him, it’s for the necklac

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 165 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 157 We discussed that some people are never satisfied with the wealth they accumulate. Their goal is to just keep earning. They accumulate wealth equivalent to Mount Meru (enormous mountain considered the abode of many Gods). They don’t even know what to do with all the money they saved. Finally, the money falls into the hands of the government or the thieves. We also discussed that some people adopt a child and hand over all the wealth to him. When that adopted son wastes all their wealth, all they can do is grieve over it. But since it is God that gave you all this wealth, how wonderful would it be if you adopted that God.  If we spend the money on meditating on God, on spiritual resolutions, on spiritual programs for the society, that would be equivalent to giving money to God, because we are considering God as our own child. There is so much joy when we are able to, in turn, give back to

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 164 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 156 As discussed earlier, right in the beginning of this hymn, we are being cautioned, “You have a beautiful body, but what is the use?” Let’s recall the sloka. Sankaracharya’s Guru Ashtakam, sloka 1:  Sareeram suroopam thatha va kalathram, Yasascharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam, Guroranghri padme manaschenna lagnam, Thathah kim thatha kim, thatha kim thatha kim What is the use of that beauty? The sculptor sculpts according to the Agama scriptures (these scriptures talk about the architectural principles for temple construction, creation of idols and much more), yet the sculpture doesn’t look like it has life in it. Similarly, it is hard to say that the body, by itself, is beautiful. Even though that sculptor has sculpted beautifully, it needs “Drishti Pradhanam”. There is a procedure called “Drishti Pradhanam” (giving the power of vision or conscious awareness to the image). Only when this is

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 163 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 155 Sloka: Yasya prasadadahameva vishnuh mayyeva sarvam parikalpitam ca |  Ittham vijanami sadatma tattvam tasyanghri padmam pranatosmi nityam || Obeisance to the lotus feet of Sachchidananda Sadguru whose grace has enabled me to grasp the principle of Supreme Truth and attain knowledge that I am Vishnu, that I am the all-pervasive soul and that the whole universe is conceived in me. Sloka:  Iti sri skanda purane uttara khande umamahesvara samvade sri guru gita samapta || Everybody should remember that the Sadguru is as essential as one’s own breath. We may say, “We read the Guru Gita, we all heard the Guru Gita, we discussed it in the form of short stories, I read it 10 times, I studied it 20 times, I did 7 Saptahas” (1 Saptaha = reading for 7 days), but we need the Guru every step of our lives, not just during the study of Guru Gita or during the Saptaha. It is only when we study the Guru G

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 162 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 154 Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah Sri Sarasvatyai Namah Sri Pada Vallabha Narasimha Sarasvati Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namah Sloka:  Svayam taritu maksamah parannistarayet katham |  Dure tam varjayet prajno dhirameva samasrayet || If he doesn’t get salvation for himself, how can he get it for others? It is also said that if he cannot climb up to the pot of curd hanging from the ceiling, how can he climb up to heaven? How will such a person uplift you? A wise man should keep away from such people and approach only a Sadguru who is courageous. A lot of people don’t understand many spiritual truths. Many of them don’t want to admit that they don’t know, so they provide baseless explanations for those concepts. They don’t know anything. And they pass on these ignorant explanations to their disciples. Once again, saluting the Guru who is of the form of Knowledge, Existence and Bliss, they are concluding

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 161 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 153 Some people want to chant the Guru Gita just to fulfill their desires. That’s tantamount to buying the Guru Gita for money. Just because you want to always feed the hungry, you should not wish for everyone to become poor. Just because you want to donate money, you can’t wish that people become penniless. That means that even though there is no need, you want to feel great doing these donations.  You may think, “Everybody should become utterly poor, they should all get hungry, so that I can donate food”. You should never wish for such things. Similarly, just for you to become Guru, you should not give initiation to just anyone. People keep giving initiation to whoever they like. That is also wrong. But, your Swamiji doesn’t let go of anyone, he even takes the ineligible ones, makes them eligible and gives them initiation. Sloka:  Atyanta pkava cittasya sraddha bhakti yutasya ca |  Pravakta

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 160 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 152 Sloka:  Guru bhakto bhavecchighram guru gita japena tu |  Dhanya mata pita dhanyo dhanya vamsya jana api |  Dhanya ca vasudha yatra guru bhaktah prajayate || One who chants the Guru Gita becomes a disciple of Guru quickly. Such disciples, their parents, their lineage and the people of their country are blessed. For people with a wavering mind, the chanting of Guru Gita is very useful. Sloka: Idam rahasyam no vacyam yasmai kasmaicana priye |  Abhakte vancake dhurte pasande nastike tatha |  Manasapi na vaktavya gurugita kadacana || Siva says to Parvati that Guru Gita should not be revealed to all and sundry particularly to non-devotees, impostors, the wicked, the fallen and the atheists. The very thought of giving them the Guru Gita should not come up. In the previous sloka, they said that even people with wavering minds can study the Guru Gita. But, here, they are specifying clearly who th

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 159 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 151 Sloka:  Akamata stri vidhava japenmoksamavapnuyat Avaidhavyam sakama cet labhate canya janmani If a widow studies the Guru Gita without any desires, she will attain liberation. If she chants with desire, she will be blessed with a happy married life in her next birth. Why are they specifically talking about widows here? Some people believe that one should not look at a window or touch a widow. But, if the widow is wealthy or in a position of power, the same people would give her a lot of respect.  This is not right. One should always have compassion and respect for widows. Advise them on paths for spiritual practice. That is why Lord Siva himself said this sloka. He is promising these positive outcomes in the presence of the Divine Mother. Here too, we are being advised right upfront that worship without any desires is better than worship with desires. Sloka:  Japecchaktasca saurasca gana

🌹. గురు గీత - దత్త వాక్య - 158 / Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 158 🌹 ✍️. సద్గురు గణపతి సచ్చిదానంద  📚. ప్రసాద్ భరద్వాజ్ 150 (Translation)  శ్లోక : దుస్వప్న నాశిని...  ఈ గురుగీత చెడు కలల ప్రభావాన్ని తొలగిస్తుంది మరియు మంచి కలల ఫలితాలను ఇస్తుంది (వాటిని వాస్తవికతలోకి తీసుకువస్తుంది). గురుగీత శత్రువులను నాశనం చేస్తుంది మరియు అభ్యాసకుడు బ్రహస్పతి (ఖగోళ గురువు) వలె గొప్పవాడు అవుతారు ఇక్కడ, “స్వప్న” లేదా కల పుట్టుక మరియు మరణ చక్రానికి కారణమయ్యే అజ్ఞానాన్ని సూచిస్తుంది. అజ్ఞానం నిజమైన నిద్ర. ఎందుకంటే ఇది బానిసత్వాన్ని పెంచుతుంది, ఇది చెడ్డ కల. పుట్టుక మనకు సద్గురు దయను తెచ్చిపెడితే అది మంచి కల. ఇక్కడ శత్రువులు 6 దుర్గుణాలు, అనగా, కామ (కామం), క్రోధ (కోపం), లోభా (దురాశ), మోహ (అటాచ్మెంట్), మాడా (అహంకారం), మాత్సర్యమ్ (అసూయ). “వాకాస్పత్య ప్రదిని” బ్రహ్మ స్థితిని ప్రసాదించేదాన్ని సూచిస్తుంది. స్లోకా: కోరుకునేవారికి కోరిక ఇచ్చే ఆవు (కామధేను) గురుగీత. ఇది చింతామణి (అన్ని దు s ఖాలను మరియు బాధలను తొలగించే రత్నం) మరియు ఇది అన్ని శుభ విషయాలను ఇస్తుంది. ప్రతి పద్యం నెరవేర్పును అందిస్తుంది. ఇది మీకు ప్రాపం

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 157 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 149 We discussed that money is sinful because it is earned only when someone is tormented. Great souls don’t even touch the money with their hands. So, one may wonder if the sins get wiped away when one does Yajna with such sinful money. They do. But, only the sins from this birth get wiped away, not the sins you’ve been carrying on from previous births. This is stipulated in the scriptures. Therefore, because the sins will not be completely removed, it does not say here that all sins get wiped away. It says that ignorance is dispelled. That is the specialty of Guru Gita. It’s an unparalleled feature of the Guru Gita. This unparalleled Principle in the Guru Gita is pure and unknown to most. That is why, it brings merit when one reads, listens to, writes or gives the Guru Gita to others. What does giving mean? It does not mean giving the book to someone. Teaching the Guru Gita to others, enjoy

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 156 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 148 Sloka:  Guru gitamimam devi suddhatattvam mayoditam |  Gurum mam dhyayati premna hrdi nityam vibhavaya | Siva says to Parvati that she should meditate upon him with devotion, treating him as Guru and constantly visualizing the Guru Gita and the Principle of Truth he revealed. Sloka: Iyam cedbhakti bhavena pathyate sruyatethava |  Likhyate dhiyate pumbih bhavedbhava vinasini || When one reads the Guru Gita with devotion, listens to it, writes it or gives it to others, ignorance is dispelled. There is so much power in the Guru Gita. Merely donating the book to another is enough. Giving someone the book saying, “I am giving you this book” is enough. Telling another person, “Study the Guru Gita, your difficulties will be removed” is enough. “I am going to study the Guru Gita, please sit with me and listen” is also enough. Reading, listening to or writing the Guru Gita is enough. Lot of people

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 155 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 147 The fascinating Guru Principle has been described in the Guru Gita. We are being instructed to think about and visualize every sentence, every description in the Guru Gita. How long should one go on thinking about it? Until one reaches the stage where he has no thoughts. This stage is the highest level for thoughts. In that state, there is nothing to think about, because both have become one. The process is nothing something that can be described, nor is the state something that can be described. Everyone says, “I have nothing in my mind. My mind is very calm”. When you say that, it means that your mind has not become calm . People keep saying all the time, “I am living for Swamiji”, “I am living for Swamiji”, “I am living for Swamiji”. When they say that is when you know that they are not living for Swamiji, but for themselves.  Then, they keep reminding others, “I have nothing in my mind,

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 154 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 146 You may wonder, “Why do we need Guru Gita if there is no possibility of establishing a Guru-disciple relationship until I’ve received initiation from the Guru?” There is still, however, a Guru-disciple relationship here. That is because, that disciple is eagerly awaiting initiation from the Guru while thinking of him as his Guru. The Guru too is eagerly looking forward to initiating the disciple hoping that the disciple soon gains eligibility for initiation. That means the Guru is thinking of him as his disciple. Because of the intensity of this mutual feeling, a Guru-disciple relationship is established. That is why Siva is the Guru for us all. It is clear from this that the Principle of Guru so far is an experience, a feeling, not a formal relationship. We understand therefore, that the Principle of Guru is an experience and not yet a practical, real relationship. So, when will the Guru

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 153 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 145 Since the name “Guru Gita” denotes a feminine sound, since it denotes the sound of Mother Goddess, it tells us that this scripture is verily the form of the Divine Mother. What is presented in this scripture is the Principle of Siva, i.e., the Supreme Truth.  This scripture that presented this highest truth is the form of Divine Mother, or in other words, the form of Nature. That is the uniqueness of this scripture. There’s another unique feature in this scripture. Even though Siva addressed this initiation to Parvati, it is in reality meant for all the sages and saints around them. In other words, it is the initiation meant for all beings like us that are tied down (in illusion). That means, Siva alone is the Guru to all of us. When it comes to the Principle of Truth, the relationship between the Guru and the disciple is very unique. A teacher of a certain science or a certain skill will t

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 152 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 144 Sloka:  Muktasya laksanam devi tavagre kathitam maya |  Gurubhaktisthata dhyanam sakalam tava kirtitam || Siva says to Parvati that he has described to her everything about the quality of the liberated, about devotion towards the Guru, about meditation upon the Guru and such allied topics. Siva says to his consort, “Devi, I described to you in detail how one should meditate on the Guru and how one should be devoted to the Guru. I described in such great detail that there is perhaps nothing else left to say about devotion towards the Guru, about meditation on the Guru and about worship of the Guru. But, there is always more to say and there are many more topics to talk about. It is not really possible to say that there is nothing else left. But, in the meanwhile, the initiation into the quality of the Guru I’ve given you is the most wonderful”. When an initiation is given, the greatness and

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 151 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 143 We discussed that God feels great joy when children born of Him, who had forgotten Him and had become distanced from Him, come back to unite with Him. We also discussed that to have us merge back in Him, God personally comes for us, sends many great souls for us and puts in many great efforts for us. Sloka:  Rasam brahma pibedyasca trpto yah paramatmani |  Indram ca manuterankam nrpanam tatra ka katha || One who tastes the nectar of Brahman and dwells in contentment of the Absolute, does not even care for Indra, let alone for ordinary kings. Sloka:  Desah puto janah putastadrso yatra tisthati |  Tatkataksotha samsargah parasmai sreyasepyalam || The country in which such a practicant lives becomes sacred. The people in that country become purified. The grace and association of such great souls bestows the choicest and ultimate salvation. Places where great souls meet, where great souls medit

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 150 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 142 We have learned that we have to take numerous births to qualify to attain that one moment of Supreme Bliss. We have understood that Supreme Bliss, that one moment of Realization during Samadhi, is very difficult to obtain. We have to take births over and over again. That state can be achieved only by the grace of Guru when we follow the path shown by Him. One should patiently continue the spiritual practice while eagerly looking forward to that moment of bliss. That profound state of ultimate bliss is described in the next 3 slokas. Sloka:  Na tat sukham surendrasya na sukham cakravartinam |  Yat sukham vitaragasya sada santushta cetasah || One who is dispassionate and ever contented, enjoys far greater happiness than even Devendra (Indra, the king of Gods), and far greater bliss than any emperor ever. That level of bliss experienced in that state, even Devendra may never experience. Even e

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 149 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 141 Sloka:  Ekamevadvitiyoham guruvakyat suniscitam |  Evamabhyasato nityam na sevyam vai vanantaram || A seeker who practices regularly and constantly thinking that he himself is the non-dual Absolute, as per the Guru’s instructions, need not go to the forest. A lot of people think, “I have to do penance, I need to go to the forest, I have purchased a farm house there, I got a house built that’s going to keep me warm. I’ll go there and meditate.” There is no need to do that, why do you need a house there to keep you warm? No need to do that. You can do it in your house in the city itself. You don’t need to leave everybody behind to do your spiritual practice. No need to leave the samsara, family life or worldly life. You can do it right here, wherever you are located. Sloka:  Abhyasannimisenaiva samadhimadhi gacchati |  Janmakoti krtam papam tatksanadeva nasyati || As the practicant goes on pr

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 148 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 140 Let’s summarize some of the most important points described in the previous slokas. We sang the verses where Siva decreed that there is no one greater than the Guru. We sang “ Siva sasanatah, siva sasanatah ”. (Siva decreed, Siva decreed). • To understand the Guru Principle and the Principle of the Self, there is no other way than to go beyond the trio of Jnatru, Jneya, Jnana (all that reveals itself, the remainder of one’s knowledge and knowledge itself). • Even though one attains the non-dual state, one should not ignore the worship of Guru. • One should never second-guess or argue with the Guru.  • You should not show off your half-baked knowledge in front of the Guru.  • You should not take anything belonging to the Guru without his consent. If he gives it to you, you should accept it as Prasadam (sacred items offered to God and then offered to devotees)  • You should never kick or to

🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 147 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 139 We discussed that the body should be punished appropriately, that we should only eat enough to survive. That is why a lot of people only drink juice. They live like that for many years.  There is a great yogi I know who’s been living on just juice for 40 years. I call her a Yogi. She has a family, she got her children and her grandchildren married too. She won’t have anything but juice. She’s been doing that for 40 years and she’s still alive. She’s a devotee very close to my heart. Father (the Yogi’s husband) passed away recently.  Her children and grandchildren live here and in the US. She does tremendous spiritual practice. Her friend, Bhayee, also used to live on juice for about 40-45 years. She was very devoted to Swamiji. This yogi is also very devoted. Without regard to her body, she’s always meditating on Swamiji. She’s constantly enquiring about Swamiji’s welfare. All she wants is

  🌹 Guru Geeta - Datta Vaakya - 146 🌹 ✍️ Sadguru Ganapathi Sachidananda 📚. Prasad Bharadwaj 138 Sloka:  Yadrcchaya copapannam hyalpam bahula meva va |  Niragenaiva bhunjita abhyasa samaye muda || In spiritual practice, the body, the clothes and food aid in development. These also act as distractions. Not only do they aid in development, they also distract. A real aspirant will not worry about food, sleep or shame during his spiritual practice.  An aspirant should let go of shame, should not yearn for food or for sleep. Nor should he yearn for a small shelter or for good clothes to cover him. He should also cast aside shame. Without worrying about any of these things, the aspirant must only focus on God. Some people gather all paraphernalia like fans, pillows and air conditioning to set up for their spiritual practice. If the fan goes out of order, they’ll have hand-fans. They’ll set up a supply of beverages and juices for themselves. What kind of meditation is that? They’ll attend t