A famous s̕loka on the salutation of the teacher goes like this: “Gurur Brahmā Gurur Vis̕ṇu, Gurur Devo Mahes̕waraḥ, Gurur Sākṣāt pararbrahmā, Tasmai S̕rī Gurave Namaḥ.” This means: Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vis̕ṇu, Guru is S̕iva, Guru is Supreme Brahman Itself, Unto that Guru I prostate. Kabir Das speaks of the greatness of guru in his poem, “Guru Gobind dono khaḍe, kāke lago pāñy?’ Balihāri guru āpne Gobind diyo batāy.” This means: Guru and God both are here to whom should I first bow? All glory to the guru who bestowed the path. The greatness of a teacher can be thus spoken loudly. However, these glorious stanzas will be futile, if the student does not live that greatness in one’s life. It is the guru who teaches the way, shows the way and gives the way. Living the path of Guru is a real gurudakṣiṇā, a student can offer to the teacher.
Giving gurudakṣiṇā doesn’t mean that a student should cut one’s thumb like Ekalavya. I remember five-fold characteristics upon cultivating in one’s life, a student can offer gurudakṣiṇa to the teacher. It goes like this: “kāgaceṣṭa, bakodhyānam, s̕vānanidrā tathaiva ca; alpāhāri, gṛhatyāgi, vidyārthi pañca lakṣaṇam." This literally means: The perseverance of a crow, Contemplation of a crane, sleep of a dog, limited food and abandoning house are five-fold characteristics of a student. This obviously needs some explanation.
Kāgaceṣ̕ṭa literally means the perseverance of a crow. Here we need to remember the story of the ‘crow and pitcher’. The crow in the story thinks and makes a deliberate effort to drop pebbles into the pitcher in order to quench its thirst. In other words, the student should do repeated efforts to achieve the success. At the time of high school and college results, several organizations come up with counselling centres to assist the students (and even to the parents) to overcome the fear of failure. The fear of failure is so much that even the government has changed the marking system in the matriculation exam. There is nothing called ‘shame’ if one fails in one’s exam. When Thomas Alva Edison failed several times, he only said, “I haven’t failed. I’ve found 10000 ways that don’t work.” Therefore, the student should realize that ‘failure is the stepping stone to success.’ Add to this, God has created each one differently. One may be good in one field, while the other is best in another field. Realizing one’s weaknesses and working hard to overcome them is the beginning of success.
Bakodhyāna means the contemplation of a crane. Often in the streams, rivers and ponds, we see cranes standing in one-pointed devotion and concentration (ekāgracitta) waiting eagerly to catch a fish. The slightest disturbance in the concentration will fail in attaining the purpose. The study is nothing but ‘one-pointed devotion’ (ekāgra-bhakti). It is likely to get disturbed in the modern technological world. The electronic gadgets, technological innovations, socializing websites, vehicular pollution create a ruckus atmosphere for the student. But a student should learn to ‘bracket out’ these disturbances and have an ekāgra dhyāna in one’s business.
The third characteristic is the sleep of a dog (s̕vānanidrā). One of the biggest challenges for a thief to enter a house is the wakeful state of the dog. At times it seems to us that dog is sleeping. But, the slightest sound, a pin-drop sound would be enough for a dog to bark and alert the owner. A student needs to be like this. At every time and moment, we are bombarded by a plethora of information. A responsible student should get awakened from one’s slumber, pick up the issues from here and begin to develop new skills. One can remember Archimedes’ famous dictum, “Eureka”–“I have found it.” Opportunities and ideas do not come every time. At a certain time, they appear and soon disappear. An alert student identifies them, picks them up and runs away shouting “Eureka, Eureka.”
The fourth characteristic is the alpāhāra, eating limited food. Often it is said, that students should eat good and enough food. It is the time to eat. I do not wish to contradict this, rather I affirm that sufficient nutritious food is essential at the time of studentship. But what is meant by alpāhāra is, that one should be careful about the diet one takes in. Today, in society overeating, obesity and cholesterol problems are increasing which causes lethargy and slothfulness. On the other hand, alpāhāra can also mean the quality of ‘concern for others.’ It means we eat more than what we actually need. Our saving and not wasting food can alleviate the hunger of someone in society. This ditto applies to the financial position of the student as well. If every student thinks that ‘keeping what is actually needed for oneself is that one is entitled to have and keeping what is not needed for oneself is greed, and therefore, the surplus needs to be distributed to others,’ then the world would have been different by now.
The fifth characteristic is gṛhatyāga, the sacrifice of the house. Originally this meant for the gurukula system where the student would leave one’s home and make the teacher’s home as one’s second home. The word kula in gurukula means, the ‘extended family’ or ‘domain.’ However, in the present system, it could mean a ‘hostel life.’ But the meaning I prefer goes beyond this. Gṛhatyāga could mean the ‘freedom from bondage and boundaries of home.’ There is a ready-made atmosphere or spoon-feeding inclination in every home. Students at times beep upon the success of their parents. However, a passionate student should stand on one’s own feet without building one’s life on their parent’s success, making the best use of the education received and thus be ‘self-confident’ to face the world. This would be the real gṛhatyāga.
Another important aspect to be pointed out here is the seriousness of one’s ‘studentship.’ It is an important period, a divine call. Therefore, I call it a ‘vocation to be a student.’ If one realizes this divine element in the studentship, one would be really a ‘serious student’ like ‘Arjuna’ for Droṇācārya. If not, the student will become a ‘spoiled brat’ running to the parties, flirting with opposite-sex friends, boozing, taking pleasure in erotic gadgets, becoming a slave to narcotics, goondaism and the like behaviour. This not only diverts their studies but also defames their real home and parents. In the Bhagavadgīta Kṛs̕ṇa says, “s̕raddhāvāml labhate jñānam tatparaḥ samyatendriayaḥ; jñānam labdhvā parām s̕āntim acireṇā’dhigacchati” (Gīta 4:39). It means, “The one who has faith and devotion and has mastery over the senses, gains the knowledge. Having gained this, one at once attains the supreme peace.” One who has control of one’s senses can really attain wisdom and achieve the goal in life.
To summarize what has been said - perseverance, concentration, hard-work, alertness, concern for others, sharing attitude, self-confidence, etc., are the divine qualities make student, an ideal student. It is these qualities, a guru is interested in. Having known that the s̕iṣya has inculcated these in one’s life, the teacher's life becomes meaningful (sārthaka). This is the real gurudakṣiṇā.
Some quotable quotes
Some quotable quotes
- “We need no spiritual masters, we need spiritually evoked souls, who don’t teach and preach.” Jalaluddin Rumi
- “First of all stop calling yourself a benighted soul and after that, stop calling me a guru. I’m not a guru and no one’s my follower.” Jiddu Krishnamurti
- “Make no one your guru and you’ll never be disenchanted or duped.” An Uzbeki saying
- Make your own idol carved out of your inner Self and genuflect before that. Why should you have the encumbrances of god, shrines and scriptures? The truly realized are never interested in becoming gurus.” Sumit Paul in The Speaking Tree
- “To be a spiritual master is to be doomed.” Rene Descartes
- “Guru is forever a disciple.” Ramana Maharshi
- “A real spiritual master has an aura and you immediately recognize him with that sparkling glow. He doesn’t have to blow his own trumpet.” Fariduddin Attar, a Persian poet
- “A real master has no followers, no home, no property and no social accessories. His own life is a lesson in spirituality. He’s a living enlightenment.” Jean Paul Sartre
- "Guru is forever a disciple." Ramana Maharshi
Fr. Raju Felix Crasta
