Explanation of Jagadguru Aarti- Part 2

This month we shall dwell upon the second stanza of Jagadguru’s Aarti “Jayati Jagadguru Guruvar ki”. Shree Maharajji always emphasized upon the need to do “roop dhyan” on the Names, Forms, Attributes, Abodes and Pastimes of God and Guru. This stanza of the Guru aarti is dedicated to divert our minds from the world and concentrate it on the Guru. Shree Maharajji writes:

अरे मन मूढ़ ! छाँडु नारी नर हाथ,

are mana mūṚha ! chāMMḌu nārī nara hātha,

गुरु बिनु ब्रह्म श्यामाहूं न देंगे साथ ।

guru binu Brahma shyāmahūM na deMge sātha,

कोमल कृपालु बड़े कृपासिंधु नाथ, 

komala kripālu baṚe kripāsiMdhu nātha,

पाके इन्हें आज तू अनाथ हो सनाथ ।

pāke inhe āja tū anātha ho sānatha

इन्हीं के अधीन कृपा गिरिधर की गावो मिली आरती रसिकवर की ।।

inhiM ke adhīna kripā giridhara kī gāvo milī āratī rasikavara kī

The stanza urges the foolish mind to withdraw itself from the world and its people. It also asks devotees to seek shelter at the Guru’s lotus feet, for, even Shree Krishna will not help us, until we have surrendered to our Guru. Without a Guru even God will not relent. Once we have surrendered to our Guru, He will bless us with divine love. Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj is an ocean of divine love and grace. He is “Komal Kripalu” and has such a gentle heart that He graces not only fallen souls on earth but also evil spirits who have not been blessed with a human body. 

A story goes thus that an evil spirit of a woman was inducing impediments at Maharajji’s satsang. Shree Maharajji identified the spirit and started speaking to her. He also disabled her powers and prevented her from doing any further mischief. The spirit was taken aback. She went back to her master spirit and enquired why her powers were not functioning. The senior spirit replied “Whom you have challenged is Narayan Himself! My powers are useless before Him.” Maharajji not only diffused the spirit’s powers, He also inspired her to go to the jungle and do bhakti of the Lord. The spirit came back later and declared that she had started a satsang of devotees who were all spirits, and they do bhakti everyday in the jungle. Even an ‘anaath’ like the directionless spirit who has no relative to speak of, and nobody to show her the right path, became “sanaath” with the grace of Jagadguru. The spirit was graced because she had surrendered. A “jeev” may be fallen and undesirable, but God and Guru always pardon the sins of the “jeev” when his intentions are pure. 

Guru is God’s devotee and we are thus a devotee’s devotee. God wishes us to reach Him only through his devotee. If we wish to reach out to Him directly, by practicing “jap” and “tap” (austerities), He shall not accept us. So, God’s true devotee is one who has surrendered to God’s true devotee—a Guru. Bhakti can only be practiced under the guidance of a Guru.  To achieve the Guru’s grace, we must internalize the greatness of our Guru and truly love him. When we listen to our Guru’s leelas, we love him more and more and our souls are purified. After thus preparing our vessel, Guru takes us to God. 

So, why don’t we “jeevs”, pitiable orphans, put an end to our pitiable condition by surrendering to such a magnanimous master?