Sri Sadguru Mahime

Author: Charana Dasa

Translator: Shri.Ganesh Prasad

Chapter 146 :  A friend or a Guru or Both?

I had faint memories of seeing that person in Gurunatha’s house. He looked a like a simple and soft spoken person. Recently, we met each other through his sister. The meeting was very important for me because he was a classmate of our Gurunatha during his childhood. When I asked him to share his childhood memories he started like this..

“Just being a childhood friend of such a yogi itself has made my life worthwhile”. He became silent for a few minutes with these words, probably reliving those old days in his mind. A few minutes later he started again.

Kadur is my native place; my mother was from Sakharaya Patna. So, during vacation time we used to meet each other. You could call him naughty but he was never aggressive. We used to play a ball game called ‘Lagge’ and once I happened to fall down, injured myself and cried. After about 3 decades when we met he recalled this

incident and made fun of me. Once we played marakothi (a game of climbing trees) in a friend’s mango grove after we exhausted the eatables we had brought, we plucked and ate mangoes. But he did not eat even one. His calm and collectiveness, the quickness with which he could resolve mathematical riddles would make anyone envy him.

Whenever a function was there in any of our houses, we all used to get together and work, later eat together; Sharing one another’s joys and sorrows had become an integral part of our life then. Once he sent a word for me when in Bangalore and said “Ayya, it has been 14years since we met, I thought we should meet once. So, I sent a word.” It did not occur to my mind that my childhood friend has grown up to be a master of Vedas and an Avadhuta. Once I had a chance meeting with him at his sister’s house. But, until his sister introduced him to me I did not know who that sadhu was. He pulled me aside and made me eat sweet from his hands. Then it descended on me that he was my childhood friend and l was very thrilled.

Later, when I asked him about my son’s education, he said “who are you to educate him, the one who educates everyone is up there. Your son will get a job he likes and the salary shall also be good. He gave a little pause and then said, your son has to go to Gorakhpur on work. All that came true. From that day, I had become his devotee.”

In another instance, he called a scientist who had come with my son and told him...”Four of you will have to go to such...and such a city on such and such a date. But beware you should not take a flight on that date”. As advised he did not board the plane that day, the plane crashed at Arrakonam in Tamilnadu killing everyone aboard. Guru’s compassion had saved his life.

“Many a time I used to face a dilemma, when everyone around was addressing him with respect as a Guru, I was caught in between addressing him as a friend or as Guru. Unable to resolve this myself I brought it up with him. Then he explained quite meaningfully, “The word Guru can mean a teacher as well as a friend”. You are my friend, you can continue to address me the way you are doing now...Basically, all of us should be true to our inner self, so you be who you are..” .

Even after he left his body, his smiling face is etched in our minds. He is still with us and guides us when requested”. With these words he wiped his tears.

This incident reminded Charanadasa of what Gurunatha used to tell about being your real self...”Ayya, don’t do something to please someone or because someone else does it, whatever you do from your own instincts.. That is real”.

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