Guru Gita- Shloka I- An Explanation

  Akhanada- Mandalaakaaram Vyaaptam Yena Charachaaram. Tatpadam Darshitam Yena Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.  I offer my salutations to the reverent Guru who revealed to me the Truth that is indivisible, infinite, of timeless divinity and which pervades the entire universe – living and non living. Meaning of the words:  Akhanda – unfragmented/indivisible; Mandalaakaaram – one infinite whole; Vyaaptam – all pervading; Yena – by which; Characharam – movable and immovable/living and non living; Tatpadam – that state; darshitam – has shown; Yena – by whom; tasmal – to that; Shri—glorioius; Gurave—Guru; Namah—my salutations.  Guru Gita is a scripture that enfolds 182 verses and is authored by Sage Vyasa. It forms a core part of the Skanda purana. It is in the form a conversation between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in which the Lord explains the significance of a Guru who leads the disciple along the spiritual path, through alleys of darkness towards eternal light. It is believed by spiritual aspirants that a recitation of the Guru Gita heals the soul of its sufferings and ushers in lasting peace. The couplets of this sacred document are a repository of spiritual nectar that destroys all path towards self realization and absolute peace. The word Guru can be broken into two syllabus, Gu meaning darkness an Ru which suggests the force that dispels darkness. Sri Adi Sankaracharya in Sri Guru Ashtakam explains the significance of the word Guru in these words,  Gu karascha andhakaroo Ru sthan niroodhakrith, Ajnaana graasaka guru Brahmaiva na samshayaha  The first Shloka of the Guru Gita introduces us to the essence of the guru which is indivisible, which is omnipresent which pervades all things- living and non-living. Guru embodies the eternal truth and awakens a realization of the same in his disciples through either Paroksha Anubhuti (indirect realization) or Aporoksha Anubhuti (direct realization). The term akhanda refers to the undivided, invisible spiritual essence that is an attribute of the Guru. An invocation of this holistic essence cures all delusions of the human mind and bestows upon it the knowledge that the human soul is the inherently indivisible as it is but a component of the unfragmented spiritual essence.  Guru is a reflection of Brahman, who is eternal and indivisible. It is mentioned in the scriptures that Brahman is “ekam eva adviteemyam” meaning it alone exists and is indivisible. Hence the spirit of Guru is indivisible and everlasting. Brahman is all pervasive…and forms the very bedrock on which the entire universe rests. Just as an earthen pot is made of clay, likewise the universe is made of Brahman. In simple terms, if the existence of the earthen pot is attributed to the clay that creates it then the existence of the universe has to be accredited to Brahman. Guru who personifies the spirit of Brahman forms the essence of the Universe which constitutes of the living and the non-living, the movable and the unmovale.  The Guru, being an embodiment of the Brahman, symbolizes the ultimate reality. The Guru stands for “Tat Tvam Asi” which means the self-in its original, pure, primordial state- which is wholly or partially identifiable or identical with the ultimate reality that is the genesis of all universal phenomena. He leads the disciples towards a realization of the ultimate reality i.e., the Brahman through Paroksha Jnaanam and ultimately through Aparksha Jnaanam. Paroksha Jnaanam is evoked in the human soul when one realizes the Brahman through the words of guru Aporksha Jnaanam is a higher spiritual state in which one, by the grace of Guru, perceives oneself as embedded in the Brahman. Thus, the Guru cures us of our pandemic ignorance and showers on us the light of knowledge. Knowledge of who we are… how we are to relate to the world and how to achieve abiding peace. Most importantly, the Guru teaches us how to transcend the mundanities of the world and reach the abode of infinite bliss.  Guru and God are manifestations of the same Divine spirit. The Guru embodies both the Saguna (characteristics) as well as the Niriguna (qualities) of the Supreme Being. As the human mind may find it difficult to engage itself with an intangible essence, the scriptures guide the human being to seek refuge in the feet of a Guru and worship his physical body as the manifestation of the divine spirit and therefore worthy of devotion and veneration.  As an abstract creator, God eludes human imagination. When the divine spirit enshrines itself in a human temple, the human mind can relate to it more intimately. Thus, God assuming the form of a Guru leads us towards our ultimately destiny. He is a personification of the divine light that removes the darkness clouding our soul, i.e., Maya. He helps us to detach ourselves from materialistic pursuits and evokes the divinity within. It is the Guru unravels the spiritual splendor lying dormant within each human being and guides the human mind being towards realization of the absolute truth.