*BLESSINGS OF A GURU*
Sri Adi Shankara, known as Jagadguru, has been
one of the most divine Gurus we have ever had in our country who preached the
Advaita philosophy. Today we are going to discuss how a Guru's blessings can
change the life of a person.
Adi Shankara had a shishya by name *Giri* who
was always with him. He was serving as a true shishya, by taking care of his
Guru Adi Shankara by washing his clothes, cleaning his room, etc. But compared
to all other shishyas whom Adi Shankara had, Giri was not very intelligent. He
had an average intellect and would take a lot of time to grasp anything taught
to him.
Once Adi Shankara was about
to begin his discourse with his Shishyas and all except Giri were present. He
decided to wait for Giri who had gone to wash the clothes of his Guru in the
river. Other shishyas joked on Giri and mentioned to Adi Shankara that anyway
Giri is a slow-learner and does not understand much, so let us not wait for him
and let us start the class. However Adi Shankara saw the ego and pride
exhibited by others because of poor intellect of his shishya Giri. *Adi
Shankara through his divine powers instantaneously blessed Giri with intellect
while he was washing his Guru's clothes at the river*
*IMMEDIATELY GIRI RETURNED RUNNING FROM THE
RIVER, HIGHLY ENERGETIC (WHICH HE WAS NEVER BEFORE) AND FELL ON THE FEET OF ADI
SHANKARA, DID NAMASKARAMS TO HIM AND LOOKED INTO HIS GURU’S EYES AND STARTING
SINGING! TO EVERYONE'S SURPRISE, HE STARTED FLUENTLY CHANTING SANSKRIT SLOKAS
AND THAT TOO SOMETHING WHICH OTHER SHISHYAS HAD NEITHER HEARD NOR THEIR GURU
HAD EVER TAUGHT! What he was chanting was something TOTALLY NEW, SOMETHING
SPONTANEOUS which he composed on his Guru INSTANTANEOUSLY then and there and he
sang a total of 8 slokas in praise of his Guru, in the Totaka chandas (Totaka
meter, which has exactly 12 syllables per verse*). An amazing feat which others
could not believe. He was then christened the name *TOTAKACHARYA* by his Guru
and his 8 slokas composition in praise of his Guru came to be known as
*TOTAKASHTAKAM*. *He then became so empowered because of his Guru’s blessings
that he then composed a 179 sloka composition called 'Sruti Sara Samuddharana'
in Totaka Chandas, and went on the become the Peetadhipati for Jyotir Math at
Badri.*
*Such powerful are the
blessings of the Guru. A Guru’s position is equivalent to one's father, mother
and God*
Jaya Jaya Shankara ! Hara
Hara Shankara !
Be Blissful.
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
