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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

 

Without the blessings of Guru, we cannot progress even a bit in our life. Spiritual master blesses the disciple whole-heartedly when he is pleased by the behaviour and service attitude of the disciple. Even when Lord Krishna appeared on this planet, just to teach us by practice, He accepted Sandipani Muni as His guru and served him nicely. Once when His guru's wife asked Him and Sudhama to go and collect fire-wood, they went in search of it in the forest and all night they were stuck in the forest due to heavy rains. Next day when Sandipani Muni came in search of them, he was pleased by their sincere attempts to serve and blessed them saying, "You boys are first-class brahmanas, and I am satisfied with you. May all your desires be fulfilled, and may the Vedic mantras you have learned never lose their meaning for you, in this world or the next." The Supreme Lord Krishna, while recollecting this incident says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.80.34,

 

 

"I, the Soul of all beings, am not as satisfied by ritual worship, brahminical initiation, penances or self-discipline as I am by faithful service rendered to one's spiritual master."

 

yasya prasaadaat bhagavat prasaado - When Guru is pleased, Krishna is pleased. So it is important for us to render faithful service to our spiritual master. In this regard, we came across a short story from Mahabharat about a sage Dhaumya who had 3 disciples Aruni, Veda and Upamanyu. Once during a rainy day, he asked Aruni to go to the field and block the water from entering the field. Aruni went to the field at once and he tried to stop the water. But he saw that the field was becoming over-flooded. So he laid himself down to stop the flooding water. Later when the guru came and saw Aruni, he heartily blessed him for his surrender. Veda always fasted when his guru did not call him for honouring prasad. He laid on the floor and performed many austerities and was blessed by his guru. However Upamanyu was stubborn and fat. One day Dhaumya rshi asked Upamanyu how he maintained himself. Upamanyu replied, "I beg and eat well". Hearing this the rshi told him that disciple should beg only for his guru and not for himself. After few months, the sage saw that he was still fat and so inquired him about how he was maintaining himself. Upamanyu replied, "I first beg and give to you. Later I beg for myself." The guru warned him that alms collected by disciple is guru's propery and not a farthing should be taken without his permission. Later Upamanyu was found not going out much, but drinking the milk of the goshala. The guru reprimanded that the milk was meant for Bhagavan. One day Upamanyu was very hungry. So he entered the forest and ate some leaves, as a result of which he became blind and stumbled and fell into a well. Then he realised that this position was due to the fact that he had been disobeying his guru many times. He repented for his mistakes and chanted mantras from Rig Veda and invoked the presence of Ashwini kumaras, who gave him a rice-cake. But Upamanyu refused to eat it saying, "No. I cannot eat without giving to my guru first."  They told him that since he was very hungry and alone in the forest, he can take it. But he refused saying that he will not disobey his guru. At that moment, his eye-sight came back and his guru blessed him.

 

That is why Lord Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.80.43, guror anugrahenaiva / pumaan purnah prashaantaye - "Simply by the grace of the spiritual master a person can fulfill life's purpose and attain eternal peace."

 

When we disobey the orders of spiritual master, we are bound to suffer. On the other hand when we sincerely and faithfully follow his instructions, we will experience eternal bliss and peace as assured by the Lord Himself. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says, "Those who obey the elders, Guru - can never go wrong. If you co-operate with elders, Guru - your life goes very smooth."

 

I pray at the lotus feet of Srila Gurudev, Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krishna that I remember these instructions and sincerely endeavour to serve Them accordingly.

 

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.