Śrī Saptaśatī Gurucaritra – Chapter - 41

 

श्री सप्तशती गुरुचरित्र - Śrī Saptaśatī Gurucaritra 

अध्याय – Chapter - 41

 

In this chapter, the text focuses on Saayamdeva, the ancestor of Namadharaka. He arrives in Ganagapur to serve the Guru. Shri Narasimha Saraswati tests his resolve by taking him to the river confluence and manifesting a violent rainstorm. He then explains the high cost of Guru-service by quoting the ancient Vedic story of the son of Tvashtha Deva (Vishvakarma's son), who was given impossible tasks by his Guru's family but achieved success by visiting the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi).

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निरहंकार त्वत्पूर्वज । सायंदेव कथिला तूज ।
गाणगापुरीं वसे निज । गुरुराज साक्षाद्देव ॥१॥

"The completely egoless (Nirahankar) ancestor of yours, Saayamdeva, about whom you were previously told, heard that the King of Gurus resides in Ganagapur as the living, personified Supreme God Himself.".

हीतद्वार्ता परिसून । ये घालित लोटांगणा ।
देवा पाहतां हो तल्लिन । करी स्तवन प्रेमरसे ॥२॥

Hearing this magnificent news, the Brahmin rushed to Ganagapur and threw himself flat on the ground in total surrender. Beholding the divine form of the Bhagavan, he became completely absorbed in love and began chanting a beautiful hymn of praise.

गुरु विचारिती क्षेम । येरु सांगे धरुनी प्रेम ।
भवत्सेवाकांम । धरुनी, धाम सोडियेलें ॥३॥

The Guru affectionately inquired about his well-being. Filled with profound love, the Brahmin replied, "O Master, holding nothing but a deep desire to serve Your holy feet, I have permanently renounced my home and hearth.”

घ्यावीमौजभक्तिरसाची । असी इच्छा हे मनाची ।
गुरु म्हणे सेवा आमुची । कठीणसाची नेणसी तूं ॥४॥

"My mind longs only to taste the sweet, celebratory nectar of pure devotion (Bhakti-rasa)." The Guru replied with a smile, "You do not yet know the reality; serving us is exceptionally daunting and rigorous.”

कधीं पुरामध्यें वास । ग्रामीं वनीं नदीतीरास ।
तुला होती कष्ट सायास । कां तूं त्रास पतकरसी ॥५॥

"We rarely reside inside a comfortable town; our dwelling is often out in the open fields, dense forests, or rugged riverbanks. You will have to face intense physical exhaustion and hardship. Why do you willingly invite such trouble upon yourself?”

तो करुनी अंगिकार । राहे गुरुच्या बरोबर ।
त्याला एकला बाहेर । संगमावर न्हेति गुरु ॥६॥

Accepting all the hardships with a firm heart, the Brahmin chose to stay right alongside the Guru. One day, to test him, the Guru escorted him completely alone out to the isolated river confluence (Sangam).

जो दोषौ घा स्मरणें हरी । तो संकटी त्यजि कीं हरी ।
हार्दे शिष्य परिक्षा करी । आज्ञा करी मेघा वर्षूं ॥७॥

He who dissolves all worldly sins by His mere remembrance deliberately creates crises to test his followers. Testing the deepest corners of His disciple's heart, the Guru mentally commanded the storm clouds to pour down heavily.

तेव्हां लोटुनी टांकी वारा । वर्षे मेघ मोठया धारा ।
द्विजें सांहुनी वृष्टी वारा । रक्षिलें वस्त्राश्रये देवा ॥८॥

Instantly, a violent wind whipped across the land, and the clouds unleashed massive, blinding sheets of rain. Braving the fierce wind and torrential downpour, the devoted Brahmin used his own upper cloth as an umbrella to shield and protect the Bhagavan from getting wet.

गुरु केवल परीक्षार्थ । अग्नि आणावया धाडित ।
विद्युत्तेजें ये गांवांत । अग्नि भांडयांत घेऊन ये ॥९॥

Purely to test his courage further, the Guru then commanded him, "Go out into the dark night and bring back live fire." Guided only by the flashes of lightning, the Brahmin bravely walked into the village and returned carrying live embers safely inside a vessel.

प्रत्यक्ष पथिं सर्पां देखे । पळतां, मठीं ध्वनी ऐके ।
प्रकाश देखे मनीं ठके । येउनि देखे एका देवा ॥१०॥

On his path back through the dark, he encountered giant venomous serpents. He ran past them, and upon reaching the monastery (Matha), he heard divine, celestial sounds and saw a blinding, radiant light. Stunned in his mind, he looked closer and saw only the Supreme Guru standing alone in His glory.

सर्प रक्षार्थ धाडिले । तुझें मन वायां भ्यालें ।
कठिण सेवा हें कळलें । साहस केलें त्वा गुरु म्हणे ॥११॥

The Guru smiled and said, "Those serpents were dispatched by me purely for your protection; your mind was terrified in vain. Now you have realized how physically challenging our service is. You have displayed immense spiritual courage today.”

हो पश्चत्ताप कीं तुला । द्विज म्हणे देवा मला ।
जाणसी, मी काय तुला । सांगूं मला न दवडीं ॥१२॥

"Do you now feel any regret or repentance for choosing this path?" The Brahmin replied, "O Bhagavan, You already know my innermost thoughts. What more can I say to You with my tongue? Please do not cast me away from Your presence.”

प्रत्यक्ष तूं ब्रह्मनिधान । गुरुसेवेचें विधान ।
सांगा तेणें स्थिर होईन । तें ऐकून गुरु सांगे ॥१३॥

"You are directly the ultimate treasure-house of the Supreme Brahman. Please instruct me on the proper scriptural code of serving a preceptor (Guru-seva-vidhan), so that my mind may become permanently steady." Hearing his pure request, the Guru began to narrate an ancient history.

कुमार त्वष्ट्रदेवाचा । विद्यार्थी हो गुरुचा ।
भाव पहावया त्याचा । गुरु साचा वदे तया ॥१४॥

[The Guru said:] "Long ago, the young son of the deity Tvashtha Deva lived as a student in his Guru’s hermitage. To test the absolute purity of his devotion, the Guru and his family laid down highly extraordinary demands before him.”

करी एक गृह निर्माण । जें न तुटे नोहे जीर्ण ।
करी वृष्टयादि निवारण । तें ऐकुन तत्स्त्री बोले ॥१५॥

"The Guru commanded him, 'Build a magnificent palace for me that can never be broken by time, never grows old or dilapidated, and completely fends off all rain and natural elements.' Hearing this, the Guru’s wife stepped forward with her demand.”

न शिंवली न विणली । अंगाबरोबर भली ।
अशी रम्य दे मज चोळी । त्यावेळीं तत्सुत बोले ॥१६॥

"She said, 'Design a beautiful blouse (Choli) for me that is neither stitched with a needle nor woven with thread, yet fits my physical body flawlessly and looks exceptionally attractive.' Immediately after, the Guru’s son made his request.”

माझ्या चरणा सुख देती । खात न लागे, मनोगती ।
दे पादुका जळींन बुडती । गुरुकन्या तीही बोले ॥१७॥

"The son said, 'Give me a pair of wooden foot wear (Padukas) that fit according to my thoughts, cause absolutely no pain to my feet while walking, and never sink when I step onto deep waters.' Finally, the Guru’s daughter spoke.”

हों अक्षयैकस्तंभघर । न हो पात्रीं पाक गार ।
काजळ न लागे त्यावर । दे सुंदर कुंडलें हीं ॥१८॥

"She said, 'Build a house for me supported by a single, indestructible pillar (Akshaya-ek-stambha-ghar). Ensure that the cooking vessels inside it never allow the hot food to grow cold, and the cooking soot never stains the walls. Also, gift me a pair of beautiful earrings (Kundale).”

कुमार तो स्विकारुन । त्यां वंदून धरी रान ।
तेथें अवधूत येऊन । म्हणे कां म्लान मुख तुझें ॥१९॥

"Accepting all these impossible tasks without a single word of complaint, the young student bowed to them and walked out into the dense forest. Sitting alone under a tree, looking completely dejected and pale-faced, he was approached by a wandering ascetic (Avadhuta).”

मनस्समाधान करुन । बाळ सांगे सर्व नमून ।
येरु तया आश्वासून । काशीसेवन करीं म्हणे ॥२०॥

"The Avadhuta comforted him and soothened his mind. Bowing down with respect, the boy narrated all the impossible tasks he had been given. Reassuring him, the Avadhuta advised, 'Go immediately and dedicate yourself to serving the holy city of Kashi.'

जें शर्वाचें अधिष्ठान । गंगा राहे ज्या वेष्टन ।
सर्वदेवतीर्थस्नान । तत्सेन करीं शीघ्र ॥२१॥

"'Kashi is the ultimate, personal seat of Bhagavan Shiva, completely encircled and protected by the sacred waters of the Ganges. Go quickly and perform your purificatory baths across all the divine shrines and water-bodies present there.’”

न कोणिही येथ अमुक्त । म्हणोनी हें अविमुक्ता ।
विरक्त किंवा विषयासक्त । तेही मुक्त होती जेथे ॥२२॥

"'No soul remains bound or un-liberated within that sacred space; hence it is universally celebrated as the Avimukta Kshetra. Whether a person is completely detached or heavily drowning in worldly desires, they all achieve ultimate spiritual liberation (Mukti) the moment they pass away there.'”

दुजें भूमंडळीं न असें । येरु वदे मी नेणतसें ।
काशीक्षेत्र मिळेल कसें । प्रार्थितसें मी तुम्हांसी ॥२३॥

"The young boy replied, 'There is no other land equal to it on this earth, but I am entirely ignorant. How can I find the way to this great city of Kashi? I humbly pray to you to guide me.':

म्हणे तापसी मी दावीन । त्वद्योगें हो मज दर्शन ।
असें म्हणूनी त्या घेऊन । ये तत्क्षण मनोगती ॥२४॥

"The ascetic replied, 'I shall show you the way myself. By guiding you, I too shall receive the holy sight of that sacred land.' Saying this, the ascetic used his yogic power to instantly transport the boy through the speed of thought.”

घेऊनी अला मनोगति । काशीयात्रा भावभक्तीं ।
करीं यथाविधि, निगुती । पूर्ण होती मनोरथ ॥२५॥

"Transporting him instantly through his mind, the ascetic initiated him into the Kashi pilgrimage. 'Execute all the pilgrimage rituals with deep faith and devotion, and all your impossible desires and tasks will be perfectly fulfilled,' he instructed.”

तो ऐकूनि त्याचें वचन । म्हणे नेणे यात्राचरण ।
येरु म्हणे स्नान करुन । मणिकर्णिकेचें येई ॥२६॥

"Hearing this, the boy confessed, 'I do not know any of the scriptural rules or sequences for executing this pilgrimage.' The ascetic guided him gently, saying, 'Go first, take a holy bath at the highly sacred Manikarnika Ghat, and return to me.'"

तूं भेट विश्वेश्वरा । करीं अंतर्गृहयात्रा ।
मगदक्षिणमानसयात्रा । स्नानार्चनश्राद्धदानें ॥२७॥

"'Then, go and seek the holy vision of Bhagavan Vishveshwara. Perform the sacred Antargriha Yatra (the inner circuit pilgrimage), followed by the southern Manasa Yatra, completing them through sacred baths, ritual worship, ancestral rites (Shraddha), and generous charities.'”

 

 

इति श्रीमत्परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्य श्रीमद्वासुदेवानंदसरस्वति विरचिते श्री सप्तशती गुरुचरित्रे एकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः