[Advaita-l] On the forms of Guru

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:26 PM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

>
> Taking shruti,  smruti & purANa  characters & their so called activities
> literally would do more harm to the stature of those noble character than
> proving the individual BMI to jnAni :-))
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
> Namaste.

Understanding the Shruti vaakya: 'Brahmaveda Brahmaiva bhavati' wrongly
literally will result in a lopsided comprehension of the Tattva.

Here is an instance of how Shuka Maharshi, in the Srimad BhAgavatam, looked
at Sri Rama as a Jnani yet as a human:

रक्षोऽधमेन वृकवद् विपिनेऽसमक्षं वैदेहराजदुहितर्यपयापितायाम् ।
भ्रात्रा वने कृपणवद् प्रियया वियुक्तः स्त्रीसंगिनां गतिमिति प्रथयंश्चचार ॥
9.10.11 ||

//  When Sri Ramachandra entered the forest and Lakshmana was also absent,
the worst of the Rākṣasas, Ravana, kidnapped Sītādevī, the daughter of the
King of Videha, just as a tiger seizes unprotected sheep when the shepherd
is absent. Then Lord Ramachanra wandered in the forest with His brother
Lakshmana as if very much distressed due to separation from His wife. Thus
He showed by His personal example the condition of a person attached to
women. //

If Shuka Muni had seen Rama as only Para Brahman, he would not have
described Him in the above terms.  He would have said something like:
अशबदमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययम्....or यत्र त्वस्य सर्वमात्मैवाभूत् तत्केन कं
पश्येत्.....or in saguNa form: यतो वा इमानि भूतानि जायन्ते...जन्माद्यस्य यतः
etc.   No.  Shuka did not do that.  Doing that would be useless for a
seeker.  He saw Rama as a MaryAdaa Purushottama, giving a lot of lessons to
fellow humans.  He saw Rama as a man with emotions, reactions and concern.
All this is possible only if the human aspect is not rejected but
purposefully retained, studied and analysed.  Look at these words of Shuka:
कृपणवद्...स्त्रीसंगिनां गतिमिति....By this Shuka did not end up 'doing more
harm to the noble stature of Sri Rama' as you have alleged.  Your allegation
stands re-directed at Shuka Muni and Veda Vyasa.  You seem to be teaching
them how to view a Jnani.

Om Tat Sat