Bhaj Govindam 

Today is a verse written by my favourite disciples of Guru Shankaracharya, Guru Totakacharya. He was ones called Giri. Yes, a simple Giri, is the magnificent example of how devotion to the Guru, can help one achieve what no amount of effort can. The path of spirituality is different from the ways of the material world. It is not that linear 1+1= 2, it is impossible to even explain by logic. It is a path where all logics fail. Giri, our Guru Totakacharya is the living example of this. (Refer to Verse 13 story 3)

Kabira te nar andh hai jo guru kahte aur,

Hari ruthe guru thor hai, guru ruthe nahin thor.

Kabir says people who do not believe in their guru are blind.

If God gets displeased guru is there to help, 

but, if guru gets displeased there is no salvation.

Shaat Shaat Naman to Guru Totakacharya.

Verse 15

अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं, 

दशनविहीनं जतं तुण्डम्।

वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं, 

तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम्॥

क्षीण अंगों, पके हुए बालों, दांतों से रहित मुख और हाथ में दंड लेकर चलने वाला वृद्ध भी आशा-पाश से बंधा रहता है॥

Angam Galitam Palitam Mundam

Dasanavihinam Jatam Tundam

Vrddho Yati Grhitva Dandam

Tadapi Na Muncatyasapindam

The fifteenth verse said to me - Shruti Says🌷

The body has become totally worn out and has melted away.  

The head is full of grey hair.  

The mouth has become totally toothless.  

The old man moves about leaning on his staff.  

Even then he does not leave behind his bundle of desires.

The first 4 lines are inevitable, we will all reach there eventully- Old age. However, the last statement is totally in our control - Misery or Bliss is our choice. To evolve or not to evolves is in our control.

———————————————

The verse show us how blissfully ignorant we are. Nothing worth achieving in life is every achieved without effort and hard work. To earn even the petty worldly possessions one has to strive and toil. But, we feel that the state of desire-less-ness, will dawn one fine day, and will grow as our hair become white. It is like, automatically as one ages, he/she will become all pious, holy and divine. Alas, this is the biggest lie that we tell ourselves and the most erroneous notion with which we look at our elders. Age is never a determinant of wisdom and divine love.

‘Bachpan beeta khel khel mai,

bhari jawani soya.

Dekh budhapa aab kya soche,

kya paya kya khoya.

Childhood was spent in playing,

young age we enjoyed and slept, (eat, drink and be merry)

when old age dawned and body stopped working,

one wondered what have I gained and lost.

Per

Aab pachtavat hoth kya, 

jo chidiya choog gaye khet.

What is the point of feeling sorry, when the time has gone, and life has passed. What is the point of regretting, when the bird has already destroyed the field. 

Kash ki zindagi kuch aur dhang se jee hoti,

aab tau sone ka samaay aageya hai.

I wish I had not wasted my life and lived it wisely,

now it is too late the time to die is here.

We always feel that, today we have other responsibilities, we are house-holders, we need to keep up with the social circle, we need to keep up with the children and world. But, remember the world does not stop for you, the day your pace is unable to match the speed of the world, you will find yourself in a lonely corner rotting. Harsh but truth. At that time we will have a body which is not working, the few hair which are left will be white, dentures will take the place of our teeth and walking without support will be an ancient truth. Yet, our heart will yearn.

Yearn for the want, to dance the game of the material world, to dress up and mingle, and dance to the jingle, but won't be able to fullfill this desire, the body does not support anymore. To eat to the hearts desire, but what to do, the mouth and the stomach does not digest anymore. There was so much more to see in the world, but leaning on a staff, motion is restricted. Trapped in this ailing ageing dying body, one cries for the want of unfulfilled desires. What a miserable state. A state of desire-less-ness imposed by others due to age. What a joke.

It is not too late for us, till our body is working and we are not dependent on anyone else, to save ourselves from this misery. Misery of the mind and the torture of unending desires. Desires never dry up, they are like putting oil in fire, the more we try to fulfil them them the more they flare up and grow. So what should be done one might ask. Sublimate, reach for the one who will always be there with you and will be your companion when the hustle and bustle of the world leaves. Reach out for God, with all your might. 

• Today Fast
• Today Chant
• Today Serve
• Today Visit the holy places
• Today Visit the sages
• Today Give like you have never given before

When the old age dawns, the pains and the aches won’t let you take an Asaan and do tapas. The dependence on others won’t let you go to the tiraths, which you missed out on visiting fancy places. The hard earned money will be in the control of our off springs, will leave you unable to give.

Instead, of using this energetic phase to try and capture the world, train the self to fall in love with God. Have the desire for God, and God realisation. This body is at its peak, don’t wait for it to wither away. We hear from many people, you are too young, this is the time to party and not be sitting in Satsangs. However, these people don’t realise, that when the body deplete, sitting and hearing also becomes a problem.

We push ourselves and our children in the wrong direction, towards, ‘Attach to the world and Detach from the Lord’. Not knowing the amount of practice it takes to, 'Attach to Lord and detach from the world’. Instead, we should encourage all around us, and ourselves, to start work on reaching the state of desire-less-ness NOW. Lets all make a spiritual base and then build our material world around it.

Jal mai base kamodini,

chanda base aakash.

Jo jade ko cahata,

woh tahi ke paas.

No matter where the sunflower is, its focus is always on the sun. No matter where the Kamodini flower is, its gaze is alway toward the moon. In the same way, we can continue living our lives, no one is asking us to run aways to the jungles, but let our focus be on the Lord. Let God be the centre of our world, and then with this focus, we can act in the world.

Sooner than later, one by one the worldly desires will diminish and the desire for the Lord will take over. That time when our body does not work, there won’t be agony, but a feeling of contentment in our heart. In the silent corner of our room, which will be least visited, we will not suffer from ‘Akelapan - Loneliness’, we will be basking in the glory of ‘Ekanth - The company of the Lord and the self.

The smile on our face and the calm on it, will be a witness to life well spent and when asked we would, 

What an amazing ride it was?

Hari Om