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Re: Request

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Wed Feb 20 2002 - 07:54:29 PST 


At 03:35 PM 2/17/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear Sadagopan mama,
>
> I am writing to you to ask for a favor. Could you please
>tell me (even a literal translation will suffice) the
>meaning of the Gowrimanohari compositon Gurulekha ? I will
>be very thankful. 

SrI: 

Dear BhakthAs:

A dear friend asked me for help on the above subject.
Since the topic is about Guru/AchArya , I thought  
the response would be of wider interest to the list
members.

Saint ThyagarAjA's Krithi in raagam Gowri ManOhari
and Jampa ThALam is on one of the most important subjects:
AchArya Prasamsai or celebration of One's Guru/AchAryan.
BhakthAs speaking Telegu , Please bear with my 
transcriptions/translation:

Here is the Kruthi:

Pallavi:
********
GurulEka yeDuvamDi guNikE dheliyaga BhOdhu 

Anupallavi:
***********
karukaina hrudh-rhOga gahanamunu gODDunu-sa

CharaNam :
*********
tanuvu  sutha-dhana-dhAra-dhAydhi-bhAndhavalu
janiyinchi chEdharu jaalini; karuNathO
manasunaDamka chEyumandhanuchu tatthva bhOdhana
jEsi kaapADu ThyagarAjaApthuDanu ( GurulEka)

No one , absolutely no one will be able to destroy 
the deep and dark forest of the samsAric afflictions 
without the help and anugraham of a SdAchAryan. Their
accumulated PuNya Paapa Raasis does not help them in
this matter at all. Their deliverance is solely due to 
the intervening dayA of a Sadhguru.

For that matter , one's superior health, wonderful children, 
material wealth , beautiful wife , assembly of relatives  etc.,
does not help to destroy one's aj~nAnam and viparItha Jn~Anam.
All of the above are fleeting ( Maa kuru dhana Jana youvana
garvam, Kaala nimEshAth Harathi SARVAM). A SadAchAryan alone
can protect one from the samSaaric thApams by administering with 
affection , the medicine of spiritual initiation , provide
manthrOpadEsam and uplift one from the mire of samsAram 
to keep the  mind free from attachments (Develop VairAgyam).

In a DhanyAsi Krithi paying reverence to Guru PrabhAvam,
SrI ThyAgarAja Swamy instructs us thru his dialog with
Sri Ramachandran ( Nee Chittamu niscchalamu):

CharaNam:
*********
Guruvu chillagijam-guruvE bhramaramu
guruDE bhAskaruDu guruDe bhadhraudhu
guruDE uthtama gathi guruvE nee vanukOmDi
dharanu dhaasni BHrOva Thyagaraajanutha 

Here ThyAgarAja SwamigaL compares the Guru 
to a number of things:

1. He cleanses the mind like a kataka seed 
( tEtthaNAnkottai , which clarifies the muddy
water ). 

2 He is the Bee , who transforms the pupil 
thru the powerof Naama sankIrthanam and 
Manthra Japam .

3. He is the Sun banishing the darkness of nescience.

4. He is the embodiment of all MangaLams

Guru is the highest mangaLam to be attained by a seeker.

ThyAgarAja Swamy addresses RaamA and declares that 
he has taken the Lord as THE GURU in this world to
protect him.

In the beautiful SankarAbharaNa krithi, "BuddhiRaadhu",
the Saint points out the futility of learning , charity,
money , RaamAyaNa PaarAyaNam , Yogic practises unless
there is AchArya Sambhandham and identifies the AchAryAs
as those who truly understand the six rahasyams about
the avathArams of the Lord.

There are many such krithis , where Saint ThyagarAjA 
who had Naradha Swamy as Guru sings about His GururAyan :

1. SrI Naaradha Muni GururAyA !--Bhairavi
2. SrI Naaradha! naadhasarasIruha BhrungA!--KaanaDA
3. Naarada GuruswAmy--DharbhAr
4. Vara Naaradha NaarAyaNa SmaranAnandhaanubhavamugala
   --Raagam Vijaya SrI

Asmath GurubhyO Nama:

Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
 



 








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