“The hunter replied, ‘If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?’ Narada Muni replied, ‘Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 24.257)

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व्याध कहे। — ‘धनुक भाङ्गिले वर्तिब केमने?ऽ
नारद कहे। — ‘ामि अन्न दिब प्रति-दिनेऽ

vyādha kahe, — ‘dhanuka bhāṅgile vartiba kemane?’
nārada kahe, — ‘āmi anna diba prati-dine’

On the auspicious occasion of Vyasa Puja, we present the following hypothetical situation. The premise is realization of a life gone wrong. Too many days wasted in fruitless pursuits. There was success, saphala, on the outside, related to the work, karma, but there was an unknown debit balance accruing. The individual in question was becoming a debtor, without any statement or official notice. They were borrowing happiness from tomorrow, to be redeemed today. They are fortunate enough to meet someone who points out the flaw, who is then prepared to offer guidance. In this respect, the person assuming the role of guru, of guide, might fall into one of two categories.

1. The employee

In this case, the individual needing help is ready to submit. They will render service in a humble way. They will present inquiries without challenging. They are not looking to argue. They are not desperate to embarrass someone of high stature. They are not looking to hunt a big game animal in the wild, to later be posted on the wall in the cabin. This person is ready to go along with the parameters established in Bhagavad-gita, with respect to approaching a tattva-darshi.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

In this case, the spiritual guide happens to pause. They are not sure what kind of help they can offer. You see, they have to check with the higher-ups, first. They must receive approval to act in the capacity of guru. Be it the shiksha or diksha variety, they cannot act on their own. They advise the student to send a letter to a committee. The student must also complete a training course. The teachers of that course will be different. The guru, in this case, has no say on the matter. Rather, the formalized relationship appears to help the guru more than the student. The disciple is there to make the guru look good. The guru is actually an employee in a corporation. The corporation will be the ultimate authority. They can remove the guru at any time, leaving the student to desperately search for another official guide. Otherwise, the student risks losing status within the society of students.

2. The employer

In the second case, the guru analyzes the situation, judges the sincerity of the person seeking help, and acts accordingly. The ideal example in this regard is Narada Muni. He is the son of Lord Brahma, who is the creator. Narada travels the three worlds, always chanting the names of Narayana. This is one way to understand God, to know that one person is the source of the entire population of creatures. Narada cannot stay in a single place for too long.

Narada once happened to meet with a hunter. This is not your ideal student. This is not a young child attending school, waking up early in the morning and shaving their head. This is neither a scholar nor an expert businessman. For the hunter, killing was his business. That business was going well, with a twist. The hunter was known to half-kill the victims. He took pleasure in witnessing the suffering of the animals, after they were struck with arrows.

Narada put the hunter to work. The first order of business was to break the bow. The student would give up the occupation of hunting. The student was concerned, at first. How would he eat? How would he maintain himself? Narada said not to worry. The guru would provide for the student. The student would transition to a humble setting, situated near a body of water. The student would water and tend to a sacred tulasi plant. He would regularly chant the holy names. In this way, the advice was for the hunter to become a devotee of Narayana.

Nothing about the advice was for increasing the stature of Narada. Whether the student accepted the words or not made no difference to the guru. There was no monthly quota to meet, in finding enough disciples to maintain the job in the institution. The teacher was not looking for tenure. He was not looking for a case study to use in his research that would hopefully be published by an academic press. Narada was genuinely interested in the welfare of the hunter. This is one way to identify the true acharya, who leads by example. Whether you thank them or not, their only interest is to rescue fallen souls and bring them back to the akshara realm, which is imperishable. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is one such acharya, and we honor him not only on Vyasa Puja, but every time we chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहु: परमां गतिम्
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम

avyakto ’kṣara ity uktas
tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

“That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.21)

In Closing:

Like Narada worlds travelling three,
To correct any suffering to see.

In standing nothing to lack,
Looking only to bring back.

For the rescued to proceed,
From genuine guru indeed.

Not as employee to depend,
Where help conditionally to extend.

Categories: holiday, vyasa puja

Tags: dailyprompt, guru, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry