Śrī Saptaśatī Gurucaritra – Chapter - 32

 

श्री सप्तशती गुरुचरित्र - Śrī Saptaśatī Gurucaritra
अध्याय – Chapter - 32

 

In this the chapter, the mysterious ascetic (the Guru) outlines the scriptural rules for widows who choose not to undergo co-cremation. He then gives the young wife a powerful blessing with sacred ash (Bhasma) and rice grains (Akshata). She wishes to visit Shri Guru, before she enters the funeral pyre at the cremation ground. The Guru stops the ceremony and miraculously restores her husband to life, transforming their profound grief into ecstatic joy.

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परतंत्र न रहावें । धवासवें सतीनें जावें ।
पदोपदीं मेघफल घ्यावें । स्थान घ्यावें पतिलोकीं ॥१॥

[The Guru said:] "A devoted wife should not remain dependent on the mercy of others; she should accompany her husband onto the funeral pyre. With every step she takes toward the pyre, she reaps the massive spiritual rewards of a Horse Sacrifice (Ashvamedha), earning a permanent place alongside him in the heavenly realm of the ancestors.

किंवा विधवाधर्म । पाळितां ही ये शर्म ।
पोर असतां कीजे भर्म । राहिजे ब्रह्मचार्‍यापरी ॥२॥

"Alternatively, if she chooses to live, she can find ultimate peace by strictly observing the rigorous duties of widowhood. If she has young children, she must maintain the family honour and live a life of complete celibacy, just like a pure student (Brahmachari).”

स्वल्प मूलही असतां । पोटीं गर्भ असतां ।
पतिशव न मिळतां । सवें जाता दोष असे ॥३॥

"However, if she has an infant child depending on her milk, or if she is pregnant, or if the physical body of her husband is unavailable for cremation, it is considered a severe spiritual sin for her to undergo co-cremation.”

ज्या मूढा केश राखती । धवासह त्यां हो दुर्गती ।
अतएव मरता पति । करो ती केशवपन ॥४॥

"Those foolish widows who proudly retain their long hair after their husband's demise sink into a dark spiritual downfall along with their deceased husbands. Therefore, upon the death of her husband, a widow must undergo the ritual shaving of her head.”

शयना तें खाटेवरी । जी करी जाय ती नारी ।
नरकीं यास्तव भूमिवरी । निजो नारी एकाहारा ॥५॥

"A widow who sleeps comfortably on a raised bed falls into hell. For this reason, she must sleep directly on the bare ground and restrict herself to consuming only a single, simple meal a day.”

भूषानु लेप तांबूल । त्यजुनी राखीजे शील ।
नेसावे शुभ्र चैल । मंगलस्नान वर्जावे ॥६॥

"She must completely cast away all ornaments, scented body pastes, and betel leaves (Tambula), focusing entirely on guarding her flawless moral character. She should drape herself only in clean, simple white attire and strictly avoid celebratory or fragrant baths.”

विष्णु पतिसम मानून । कीजे वैधव्य आचरण ।
न कीजे नरवीक्षण । चांद्रायण शक्‍त्या कीजे ॥७॥

"Looking upon Bhagavan Vishnu as her living husband, she should spend her widowhood in continuous worship. She must avoid looking at other men out of desire and perform the rigorous Chandrayana penance according to her physical strength.”

अवश्यं भावि होईजे । त्याचा शोक नच कीजे ।
मासव्रत पाळिजे । माघ ऊर्ज वैशाखीं हो ॥८॥

"Whatever is destined to happen by the wheel of time will surely pass; one must not indulge in useless, prolonged weeping over it. Instead, she should strictly observe special monthly fasts during the holy months of Magha, Kartika (Urja), and Vaishakha.”

सुमति जी वागे ऐसी । सहगमनवत् फल तीसी ।
जायी घेउनी पतिसी । स्वर्गीं ऐसी गुरुक्ती हे ॥९॥

"A wise woman (Sumati) who spends her life in this highly restrained manner reaps the exact same spiritual fruits as one who undergoes co-cremation. According to the Guru's absolute words, she eventually takes her husband by the hand and ascends to heaven.”

म्हणे पतिव्रता मातें । वैधव्य हें न रुचतें ।
तारुण्य हें विघ्नातें । देई असें माते वाटे ॥१०॥

Hearing this, the devoted young wife replied, "O holy father, this state of widowhood does not appeal to my heart at all. I feel that my youth will only bring endless spiritual obstacles and tests upon this path.

अवश्यं कुरु ऐसे । बोलुनी तो देतसे ।
चार अक्ष भस्म परीसें । म्हणतसे त्या सतीतें ॥११॥

The Guru replied, "Do exactly as you wish." Saying this, He handed her four sanctified rice grains (Akshata) and a portion of powerful, sacred ash (Bhasma) that acted with the transformative power of a wish-fulfilling philosopher's stone.

हे भूति शिरीं लावून । पतीकर्णी अक्ष बांधून ।
गुरुदर्शन घेऊन । सहगमन करीं मग ॥१२॥

He instructed her, "Apply this sacred ash (Bhuti) firmly upon your own forehead, tie these sanctified rice grains securely inside the ear/clothing of your deceased husband, and after receiving the ultimate sight (Darshan) of the Supreme Guru, proceed with your co-cremation.”

तो आज्ञा अशी देवुन । गेला, साध्वी दानें देऊन ।
पतिशवा नेववुन । अग्नि घेऊन पुढें चाले ॥१३॥

Giving this command, the ascetic vanished from sight. The saintly woman distributed charities and donations to the poor, had her husband's body carried to the riverbank, and walked forward holding the sacred fire in her hands.

पाहुन नारी म्हणती । केश साडेतीन कोटी ।
होमुनी स्वर्गी घे ती । वर्षकोटी प्रतिकेशा ॥१४॥

Watching her serene, fearless walk, the surrounding women exclaimed in awe, "A woman possesses three and a half crore (35 million) hairs upon her body. By offering herself into the sacrificial fire alongside her husband, she earns a crore of glorious years in heaven for every single hair!”

सर्व चमत्कार पाहाती । स्मशानी ये मंदगती ।
अग्नि सिद्ध करोनी ती । आठवी चित्तीं उपदेशा ॥१५॥

The entire village gathered to witness this extraordinary event as she walked with measured, calm steps into the cremation ground (Smashan). As the funeral pyre was prepared, she anchored the mysterious ascetic’s profound advice firmly within her mind.

स्वचक्षुनें गुरु पाहून । म्हणे सहगमन करीन ।
विप्रें शीघ्र ये म्हणून । वदताम मनस्विनी गेली ॥१६॥

Suddenly, she spotted the Supreme Guru standing there in His true, unmanifest glory. She thought to herself, "Now that I have seen my Bhagavan with my own eyes, I shall enter the fire." As the local Brahmins urged her to hurry, the strong-willed woman walked directly toward the Guru.

जै उषःकाळी विजन । गजबजती तैसे जन ।
सवें येती गजबजून । गुरुस्तवन मार्गी करी ॥१७॥

Just as a completely deserted place suddenly bustles with noise at the break of dawn, a massive crowd of people rushed along with her, singing beautiful hymns of praise (Stavan) to the Guru all along the path.

सती यतीशा पाहून । करी साष्टांग नमन ।
पंचपुत्रा हो म्हणून । आशीर्वचन दे गुरु ॥१८॥

Approaching the King of Ascetics (Yatisha), the devoted wife fell flat on the ground in total surrender (Sashtanga Naman). The Guru immediately raised His hand and pronounced a powerful blessing: "May you be blessed with five noble sons!”

हें स्वतंत्र बोलतां जन । देती साद्यंत सांगून ।
गुरु प्रेता आणवून । करी स्नपन रुद्रतीर्थें ॥१९॥

Hearing Him utter this blessing, the surrounding crowd immediately interjected, "O Master, her husband has already passed away!" The Guru commanded them to bring the corpse forward and had the body ritually bathed with the sacred water from the Rudra Tirtha.

तव तो उठोनी बैसला । नग्न म्हणूनी लाजला ।
सर्व लोकां हर्ष झाला । न मावला साध्वी देही ॥२०॥

At that very instant, the Brahmin youth sat up alive, rubbing his eyes! Looking around and realizing he was unclad for the cremation, he felt deeply embarrassed. The entire crowd erupted in absolute, ecstatic joy, and the virtuous wife's body could barely contain her overwhelming happiness.

दैवयोगे स्वर्णघट । रंका मिळतां अवचट ।
हर्ष हो तेवी तिला स्पष्ट । उत्कट हो हर्ष तेव्हां ॥२१॥

Just as an impoverished beggar (Ranka) is suddenly stunned with wild joy upon unexpectedly stumbling across a massive pot filled with solid gold, the young wife was filled with intense, unparalleled ecstasy.

प्रेमागिरा दोघें स्तविती । श्रीगुरु वर देती ।
गेले दोष ये सद्‌गती । लोहां गती जेवी परीसे ॥२२॥

Choking with tears of love, the reunited couple sang beautiful hymns of praise to the Bhagavan. Shri Narasimha Saraswati blessed them abundantly, completely dissolving all their past sins and negative karmas, transforming their lives just as iron turns into gold upon touching a philosopher's stone.

लिहीन याला विधी लेख । धूर्त पुसे गुरु म्हणे ऐक ।
पुढचा शतायुष्यलेख । दिल्हा सम्यक मागून मी ॥२३॥

A clever devotee in the crowd curiously asked the Guru, "O Master, Bhagavan Brahma had already written a short lifespan in this man's destiny. How was it changed?" The Guru smiled and replied, "Listen, I have stepped in and personally granted him a fresh, complete lifespan of one hundred years (Shata-ayushya) from my own cosmic storehouse.”

मनश्वैत्य गुरु असें बोले । लोकीं जय शब्द केले ।
दंपतीनें स्नान केले । मठी आले गुरु त्यासह ॥२४॥

As the Guru spoke these words with absolute serenity, the entire region echoed with thunderous shouts of victory (Jai-jai-kar). The blessed couple took a holy purificatory bath and joyfully walked back to the monastery (Matha) alongside the Supreme Guru.

 

 

इति श्रीमत्परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्य श्रीमद्वासुदेवानंदसरस्वति विरचिते श्री सप्तशती गुरुचरित्रे द्वात्रिंशोऽध्यायः