Śrī Saptaśatī Gurucaritra – Chapter - 28

 

श्री सप्तशती गुरुचरित्र - Śrī Saptaśatī Gurucaritra
अध्याय – Chapter - 28

 

In this chapter, Shri Narasimha Saraswati delivers a detailed discourse on the specific karmic actions that cause a soul to degrade into lower lifeforms, outcast births, or demonic entities. He then details the methods of atonement (Prayashchitta) for various sins, concludes the episode with the Low caste man, and fields a final, deep question from Trivikrama Bharati. 

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जो दूरी त्यजी धर्मास । मायाबापदेवगुरुस ।
निर्दोष स्त्रीपुत्रास । चोर असत्यवादी जो ॥१॥

[The Guru said:] "He who completely abandons his personal righteousness (Swadharma), deserts his mother, father, deity, or Guru, abandons a blameless wife or child, or commits theft and speaks lies—"

जो निरंतर अशुद्ध । हरिहरां करी भेद ।
हो पाखंड दुर्वाद । पंक्तिभेद करी खळ ॥२॥

"—He who remains perpetually unclean, creates a malicious division between Bhagavan Vishnu (Hari) and Bhagavan Shiva (Hara), indulges in heretical arguments, or practices discrimination in seating arrangements during sacred feasts—"

मारी यत्‍नें जीवा क्रूर । जाळी वनग्रामघर ।
विकी कन्या गोरस मंत्र । फिरवी विप्रअतिथीतें ॥३॥

"—He who cruelly slaughters animals, sets fire to forests, villages, or houses, sells his own daughter, sells milk/cow-products for illicit profit, trades sacred mantras for wealth, or turns away a Brahmin or a guest empty-handed—"

जो निंदक श्राद्धातें । न करी फोडी कूपांतें ।
तोडी मार्गाश्रयवृक्षातें । जेवी व्रतातें सोडून ॥४॥

"—He who criticizes ancestral rites (Shraddha), neglects to perform them, destroys public wells or water tanks, cuts down trees that provide shade to travellers along the road, or breaks his religious vows mid-way—"

जो दिवापर्वणीं स्त्रीशीं । भोगी रमे परस्त्रीसी ।
करी विश्वासघातासी । दत्तदानासी घे पुनः ॥५॥

"—He who engages in marital intimacy during the daytime or on sacred festival days (Parvani), commits adultery with another's wife, commits breach of trust (Vishwasghata), or takes back a charity after formally donating it—"

जो स्वप्नोपमसुखार्थ । मारणादि करी व्यर्थ ।
परतापी करी अनर्थ । नाडी नेणत दे औषध ॥६॥

"—And he who, for the sake of fleeting, dream-like pleasures, inflicts unnecessary violence or death upon others, brings ruin through malicious plots, or acts as a physician and dispenses dangerous medicines out of sheer ignorance—"

तो पतित होयी मांग । जो करी वृषलीसंग ।
करी स्नानसंध्यांत्याग । पंचयाग टाकून जेवी ॥७॥

"—Such a fallen person degrades into the birth of an outcast (Low caste/Mang). The same fate awaits one who associates with corrupted characters, completely abandons daily prayers (Sandhyavandanam) and cleansing baths, or eats food without offering the five mandatory daily sacrifices (Panchayajna).”

जो होय वृत्तिरत्‍नहर्ता । दुष्प्रतिग्रही दुर्भोक्ता ।
मद्य पीतां ये हीनता । अनुतप्ता दोष थोडा ॥८॥

"He who steals a livelihood or precious jewels dedicated to spiritual causes, accepts forbidden or unrighteous donations, or enjoys worldly pleasures maliciously, falls into deep degradation. If he drinks alcohol, he encounters extreme loss of status, though his burden is slightly reduced if he undergoes genuine repentance (Anutapa).”

जो लुच्चा जिती विप्रात । हूं तूं करी पितृगुरुंस ।
तो होयी ब्रह्मराक्षस । हो वायस निर्मंत्राशी ॥९॥

"He who cheats or insults a virtuous Brahmin, or uses disrespectful, aggressive language against his father or Guru, is condemned to be reborn as a demonic ghost (Brahmarakshasa). He who consumes sacred ancestral offerings without reciting the proper mantras is reborn as a crow”.

तो कप्युदरीं जन्म घे । चोरुनि जो फळपत्र घे ।
जो धन चोरुनि घे । जन्म घे तो उंटाचें ॥१०॥

"He who stealthily plucks fruits and leaves belonging to others takes birth from the womb of a monkey. He who steals wealth and money from others is destined to be reborn as a camel”.

हो उत्क्रान्तीनंतर । नरकवास घोर ।
ह्या योनी त्या नंतर । दंभकर बगळा हो ॥११॥

"Upon passing away from the human form, such souls suffer terribly in the horrific realms of hell (Naraka). After exhausting that sentence, they enter these animal lineages; a highly hypocritical person is reborn as a predatory crane”.

माशी मधुहर उंदीर । धान्यहर जळहर ।
चातक पशु तृणहर । स्वर्णहर कृमिकीट ॥१२॥

"A thief who steals honey becomes a fly; a thief who steals grain becomes a mouse; a thief who steals water becomes a water-leech. A thief who steals grass becomes a Chataka bird or an herbivorous beast, while a thief who steals gold is reborn as a crawling worm or insect”.

दुर्गती आधीं भोगून । होतां पुण्यपाप समान ।
अंधपंग्वाद्यघचिन्ह । ये घेऊन येथें पुन्हां ॥१३॥

"After suffering through these lower destinies, when the soul's remaining merits (Punya) and demerits (Papa) eventually balance out equally, it is allowed to return to the human world, bearing physical birth-marks of past sins, such as blindness or lameness.”

कृमीश्व खर जारकर्मे । स्त्री नरां गती हे दुष्कर्में ।
जे वागती सत्कर्मे । स्वधर्में तरती ते ॥१४॥

"Adultery condemns both men and women to be reborn as worms, donkeys, or pigs. Conversely, those who walk the path of righteous deeds (Satkarma) and remain anchored in their personal duties easily cross over the ocean of worldly existence.”

हो परःस्पर दंपती । दोषी ऐसें गुरु बोलती ।
पुसे त्रिविक्रम निष्कृती । सांगती गुरु तया ॥१५॥

The Guru explained, "In a marriage, both husband and wife share the consequences of each other's hidden flaws and sins." Hearing this, Trivikrama Bharati respectfully asked about the methods of purification (Nishkriti), and the Guru detailed them.

तरी गृहीत ब्रह्मदंड । शरण विप्रां पापखंड ।
हो होता पाप उदंड । कृच्छ्रमुंडपूर्वक कीजे ॥१६॥

"To dissolve massive accumulations of sin, one must accept the spiritual authority of the scriptures (Brahma-danda) and humbly surrender to learned Brahmins. If the sins are immense, a rigorous penance preceded by the ritual shaving of the head must be performed.”

शक्तिहीनें गोधन द्यांवे । जप यात्रा होम करावे ।
शक्तें चांद्रायण करावें । गव्य प्यावें अनुतापें ॥१७॥

"If a person is physically weak or elderly, they should instead donate cows, perform sacred mantra chanting (Japa), undertake pilgrimages, or perform fire rituals (Homa). Those who are capable must observe the rigorous Chandrayana vow and consume the five holy products of the cow (Panchagavya) with a deeply repentant heart.”

स्वात्मत्वैश्वर्ययुक्त । गुरु वारी सर्व दुरित ।
पितृत्यागें हो पतित । होई पूत मासस्नानें ॥१८॥

"The Supreme Guru, who is the master of cosmic consciousness and inner wealth, can ward off all miseries. Even if a person becomes fallen due to abandoning their ancestors, they can be completely purified (Poot) by bathing regularly during auspicious months.”

पतितानें ते ऐकून । म्हटलें मी झालो पावन ।
घ्या विप्रांत मेळवून । ते ऐकून गुरु म्हणे ॥१९॥

Hearing this profound discourse, the temporarily transformed Low caste man fell at the Guru's feet and said, "I feel entirely purified by Your words. Please permanently admit me into the assembly of Brahmins." Hearing his request, the Guru replied:

होऊनि नृप विश्वामित्र । सायासें झाला पवित्र ।
तूं हीन वेदापात्र । ये परत्र विप्रकुळीं ॥२०॥

"Even the mighty king Vishwamitra had to undergo severe, epoch-spanning spiritual austerities to transform his status and become a pure Brahmarishi. In your current body, you belong to a marginalized caste and are not eligible to retain the Vedic knowledge. Go peacefully; you shall be reborn into a noble Brahmin family in your next life”

तो आसंन येतां स्त्रीला । स्पर्शभयें मारुं आला ।
गुरु म्हणे त्यजीन स्त्रीला । तो म्हणाला हीन होउं कीं ॥२१॥

As the man's lower-caste wife approached him to take him home, he suddenly felt a surge of fear regarding physical impurity and rushed to beat her to keep her away. The Guru gently intervened, saying, "If you abandon your lawful wife out of this temporary pride, you will slide into immediate spiritual downfall." The man understood and said, "Let me return to my normal status”.

तेतया अंगींची विभूती । लुब्धा हातीं धुवविती ।
ज्ञान जाउनी त्या ये भ्रांति । घरा प्रति गेला सस्त्रीका ॥२२॥

The Guru then instructed His disciples to wash away the sacred ash (Vibhuti) from the man's body. The moment the ash was washed off, his sudden, extraordinary Vedic wisdom instantly vanished, and his normal consciousness returned. He happily walked back to his home along with his wife.

प्रणति करी त्रिविक्रम । म्हणे वारा माझा भ्रम ।
अंग धूता ज्ञान उत्तम । जाउनी भ्रम त्या हो केंवी ॥२३॥

Trivikrama Bharati bowed deeply to the Bhagavan and asked a final question, "O Master, please clear my confusion. When the sacred ash was washed off his body, his supreme knowledge disappeared, and he returned to his original state. How is it that his profound spiritual wisdom vanished so instantly, giving way to illusion once again?”.

 

 

इति श्रीमत्परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्य श्रीमद्वासुदेवानंदसरस्वति विरचिते श्री सप्तशती गुरुचरित्रे अष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः