Sri Sadguru Mahime

Author: Charana Dasa

Translator: Shri.Ganesh Prasad

Chapter 56 :  Aruna Prashna

Whenever Gurunatha was at home or in any of his devotee’s house Aruna prashna, Rudra prashna, Purusha sukta chanting along with giving food to the needy were a regular practice. Gurunatha used to tell us about one incident many times.

Once Gurunatha had finished the areca nut business at Shivamogga and was sipping coffee at a hotel near bus stand while waiting for a bus to return home. A person came searching for him and introduced himself as a Thahashildar. He said his wife and children have left him and requested a way to get them back and set right his family.

To that Gurunatha asked him “Do you have faith in my words and will you do what I ask you to?” The thahashildar replied in the affirmative.

Then Gurunatha said “You have so much money in the bank isn’t it? That is ill-gotten money, forget about that, do not touch it and from now do not take bribe and recite Aruna prashna everyday. In so many days your family life shall be set right. That person carried out the instructions and his family got reunited.

“Of the power Eashwara has given me I have exposed only a miniscule fraction if there is such a crowd surrounding me for this if I show 1% of the power, will these people let me live?” Gurunatha used to tell us.

Even when having the power of achieving anything by a mere glance, he stayed with us mortals like an ordinary man not expecting anything from anyone wearing a small towel. This simplicity was a model for the whole world.

Last days:

Once answering a question from a seer, “all I know is four letters G U R U” he had said. I am still struggling to understand the meaning of the profound word formed by those four letters. In spite of ups and downs in my worldly personal life his nearness always gave me an untold tranquility, security and bliss. Even then my quarrels and mischief with Gurunatha continued.

Once in some context I said “Why do you tell me all this, these are of no use to me, you give everyone what they want, why are you doing this to me? Why keep me waiting so long?”

In his reply he said “Once there was a Guru and he had many disciples. Every one of them was well versed in Vedas and Vedanta except for one who was like you, no matter what he did; he could not get a grasp of any of this. But, like you he was always ahead of others in Guru’s service”. Guru left this world one day, just before his death he called this disciple like you and pointed towards something and died. When the disciple looked at the place Guru pointed at he found a old piece of cloth next to that a charcoal and a light(deepam) bit further”.

Till this day, I am still struggling to understand inner meaning of this cryptic story.

Once he changed my name and started calling me by that name. He got one silver chain to be worn around the waist by gents and tied it around me assuring me that it will relieve me of all my insecurities and difficulties.

Once he had said “I am an lchha Marani”, the one who can leave the body only when he wants to. In another instance he had said ”71St year is very uncertain for me and ifl cross that, I would go on to live till I am 83”.

A few months before he left this world he had built “sparsha paduka samadhi” of Sri Sri Sri Chandrashekhara Bharathi in many disciple’s houses. Whenever he went out of town he used to come back home before 10-30 pm. Once as he returned urgently, he had said “I was worried that I might lose life outside my town”. Repeatedly he used to say “it is getting difficult to work with this body, the weight is becoming unbearable”.

Two days before he was to leave this world, he had assembled all his devotees in Chickmagalur spoke to everyone and offered them a feast. While leaving that place in a car, he waved his hand till we could see him which was quite unusual. After taking on so many vows of other people his knees could not bear the weight any longer.They had swollen and puss had formed inside.

Some doctors had opined that it can be cured without operation. Due to professional/personal ego of a few others operation became inevitable. As was my regular practice I came to see Gurunatha after finishing my work for the day. He was sitting on a reclining chair. He said, “See, Doctors are saying that operation is necessary, I shall be out for a few days, take care of home, will you?”

I was surprised and said “Yesterday it was decided that operation will not be necessary right, why this sudden change Sir?”

His reply “It is their only wish about this physical body, let them do it”. A bit disturbed by his reply I asked him “People’s wish shall get fulfilled, but it is you who have to suffer the pain, shall I stop it?”

He told me firmly that I should not speak against it, he had attained a state of disembodiment (a state where the person can free his soul from the physical body) and was not inclined to care about his body. Some disciples wanting to have their own way pressed Gurunatha’s wounds causing him immense pain, even then Gurunatha did not say a word against it.

A month before he left this world, I had made up my mind to ask Gurunatha about my job but did not get an opportunity to do so. He had taught me some yoga prakaras during that time. Probably about two weeks to the day about seven young men who had set out to restore worn out temples had come. Gurunatha gave them some money, tender coconuts and few other things through me.

Then pointing at me he said “He is trying so hard to ask me something from a week or so, no matter how hard he tried, I would not let him do it”. I have a work to be done from him; once he finishes it I will fulfill his wish. Like this, Gurunatha was adept at analyzing the slightest of variations in our thoughts and used to answer them at the right time.

A lady who was a staunch devotee had called up as her daughter had fallen ill and had been hospitalized in Thirthahalli. Gurunatha suggested her some remedies and gave assurances about her daughter’s health. A few days later she called up to inform about her daughter’s recovery. When talking to her Gurunatha joked “Would she not make some sweet and bonda (a fried dish) for him“.

The lady promised to bring the same as soon as she returned. In his reply Gurunatha said, it was fine, if she gives it Charanadasa instead of him.

Same night around 11.30pm he left this world.

A week earlier, he had said this to one of the ladies visiting the house. “Another one week, I will not be here after that, then one person asks Charanadasa who is the person who can console the family, he will take your name and Charanadasa himself will come to get you, it will about 4-30 in the morning. Please be prepared”. No one understood the inner meaning of those words. It struck us only after the things had happened as he had told. Just about two days prior to that he had called a devotee and said.

“Please come and see me once I will send a car, I shall survive another year I have many more unfinished tasks”. The lady who had got many favors from Gurunatha ignored his words. Gurunatha had told “Only 48 hours after that I will leave forever”. Generally in such a situation Gurunatha would blink his eyes and say “Sometimes we have to incite fear”. That day he was void of emotions.

In another instance he had told me “You think all as your own, once I leave this body behind you shall come to know, even those dogs will not come near you, wait and watch”

That is the reality of life; except for a few among the disciples everyone turned their back on me. Some even incited hatred against me.

“One day we should make a big program and make arrangements for a parking of more than 250 vehicles” he had said. Little did we know it was for the day he would leave us forever.

Gurunatha had a unique way of correcting people’s mistakes below were some of his regular phrases. o People’s blood transforms into a doctor’s wealth. 0 Bank means, lending other’s money for interest to earn their livelihood.

The frogs live so happily in filth. But men having curl-on mattress, a mosquito net, fan and all still the baby born will be an ugly mess can you tell me why?

“See, Charanadasa, only these dogs and donkey shall be with you in the end. Do not ignore them.”

Gurunatha used to tell us “there is no other evil creature in this world than the man, a snake has venom in his teeth, dogs have venom in their saliva but a man’s entire body is venomous. He does not have gratitude. But, to do sadhana there is no other janma (life form) better than human”.

“I shall not leave you wherever you go, your body does not belong to you but it is mine”. Reminding myself of those words I am facing all my difficulties with a grin. I am going through this life by taking things as they come.

About Madi(a washed, pure state) and Mailige(a state of dirtiness and impurity) he used to say .. what’s madi and mailige for me? Poking our nose into other’s business is mailige, not doing that is madi. It is not enough if you take bath and wear washed white clothes. You should wash your thoughts and cleanse your mind.

A lady had once come with some family problems; Gurunatha had given her a peculiar remedy. He told her..” You talk too much about others’ affairs, that is what is causing you harm, stop that now and you shall be alright”

Never think about the future, always be in the present. You shall not get even one second back from time. Spend every second in performing unselfish deeds, bearing in mind God’s name (Nama smarana).

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