Gurudeva centennial

 The parallels between Samsara davanala and Sri Guru carana padma

Glorifying Gurudeva by taking reference of the standard vaisnava Guru tattva prayers and correlating the various pastimes and teachings which shed further light on the Vaisnava prayers. The Vaisnava acaryas have written kirtans glorifying different manifestation of divinity. There are prayers on Sri Nama tattva, Sri Guru tattva, Sri Vigraha tattva, Prasada tattva, Vaisnava tattva, Rupa, lila and guna tattva. When we glorify the manifest acarya, we have to correlate acaryas specific teachings in reference to shastra and Acharya compiled kirtans. Vaisnava quotes sastra. We dont speak out of our mind but always base our glorification on sastra or teachings of purva acaryas. The manifest acarya is available even after being unmanifest thru the medium of sabda brahman or divine sound. There requires always a medium to communicate with something which is unmanifest 'avyakta'. Vishnu means all pervading invisible divinity but we he becomes available to us in the archa vigraha diety form. Similarly the unmanifest descends in the vibrated material sound with sevonmukha bhaav or spirit of service.

Praptasya kalyana in Samsara prayers

Krishna prapti in Guru carana padma

The secret of how to accept the kalyana which is being showered by the karunya ghana which means cloud of comapassion. The solution for the forest fire of material existence is always due to shower of mercy from the higher nirgun plane. The cloud collects the mercy form the ocean of qualities Sri Krishna. Infact when the quality of compassion evaporates due to prodding by Hladini sakti, the evaporated compassion takes form of Sri Guru. The samasti Guru which is the aprakrta instructing or teaching principle manifests along with form of Karuna inside a priya or loving associate of Prabhrahma. This amalgamation of 3 principles is Guru tattva and when manifest visible to the material eye is called Sri guru. By doing vandana(vando mui) with intense attention, concentration and total absorption in service in mind(savadhana maate), we become qualified recipient of the shower of mercy from the cloud of Sri guru. Offenses due to martya buddhi should be totally avoided, one should be very alert that martya buddhi doesnt arise in the mind while meeting Sri gurudev.

Kevala bhakti sadma in Guru carana prayers

Sri Guru is abode of causeless spontaneous love towards the infinite. Kevala bhakti means love which is even devoid of motivation of power of God. Love attracted by the sweet qualities of the infinite as village boy Kanhaiyaa of Vrindavan. it is possible to relate to the infinte in such a way.

Parallels between Samsara and Guru carana kirtans

Second para of samsara prayer (mahaprabhu kirtana nrtya gita) is about offering of divine sound by Sri guru and second para of Guru carana prayers is also about divine sound(Guru mukha padma vakya). By accepting the divine sound from the lotus mouth of Sri Guru, the rati for his sewa develops in the heart, a sense of loving attachment.(Atma rati).