Respecting Guru Bhakti

[Paramananda das]

In vaisnava tradition there is a song like:

Official Name: Guru Vandana

Author: Sanatana Dasa

Book Name: None

Language: Bengali

LYRICS:

(1)

āsraya kariyā bando srī guru carana

jāhā haite mile bhāi krsna-prema dhana

(2)

jīvera nistāra lāgi nanda-sutahari

bhuvane prakāsa hana guru-rūpa dhari

(3)

mahimāya guru krsna eka kari  jāna

guruājnā hrde saba satya kari māna

(4)

satya-jnāne guru vākye jāhāra visvāsa

avasya tāhāra haya vrajabhume vāsa

(5)

jāraprati gurudeva hana parasanna

kona vighne seha nāhi haya avasanna

(6)

krsna rusta ha'le guru rākhibāre pāre

gururusta ha'le krsna rākhibāre nāre

(7)

guru  mātā guru pitā guru hanapati

guruvinā e samsāre nāhi āra gati

(8)

guruke manusya-jnāna nā kara kakhana

guru-nindā kabhu karne nā kara sravana

(9)

gurunindukera mukha kabhu nā heribe

yathā haya guru-nindā tathā nā jāibe

(10)

gurura vikriyā yadi dekhaha kakhana

tathāpi avajnā nāhi kara  kadācana

(11)

guru-pādapadme rahe jāra nisthā bhakti

jagat tārite sei dhare mahāsakti

(12)

hena guru pādapadma karaha vandanā

yāhā haite ghuce bhāi sakala yantranā

(13)

guru  pādapadma nitya ye karevandana

siredhari vandi āmi tāhāra carana

(14)

sri guru caranapadma hrde kariāsa

sri guru vandanā kare sanātana dāsa

TRANSLATION

1) Having sought refuge, I  bow at Sri guru's feet, from which, O brother, one  gains the wealth of Krsna-prema.

2) To redeem the jivas Nanda's son Hari appears in the world in the likeness of Sri guru.

3) Guru and Krsna are glorified as one and so the guru's order should  always be taken to heart, knowing it is satya.

4) Whoever has deep faith  in the guru's utterances as satya-jnana certainly  dwells in Vrajabhumi.

5) Whoever courts Sri gurudeva's pleasure, no impediment  can cause him harm.

6) If Krsna gets angry Sri guru can  protect, but if guru gets angry Krsna will  neglect.

7) Guru is mother, guru is  father, guru is lord and master. Without Sri guru there is no recourse in this samsara.

8) Never look upon Sri guru as a worldly man and never lend your ears to  guru-ninda.

9) Never even look in the  face of them that speak ill of guru and avoid the place where guru ninda is heard.

10) Even if you see some  misconduct in Sri guru, never disregard him for  it.

11) One who thus cleaves to  guru's lotus-feet with firm devotion, carries with him  the great power to deliver the world.

12) Bow to such a guru's  lotus-feet, O brother, thereby all afflictions cease.

13) Whoever bows to Sri guru's lotus-feet every day, taking his feet upon my  head I salute him.

14) Hoping to retain guru's  lotus-feet within his heart, Sanatan das makes guru vandana.

This sloka gives so much power to someone acting as Guru, but the Guru of someone is not the Guru of everyone. Thus devotees in ISKCON should also regard my faith in my Guru Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja and understand how I will not take easy  to offences done to him...Also we have to respect the Guru of others but sometimes in ISKCON we have seen a Guru thinks he is the Guru of everyone that is bogus..Srila Prabhupada should be seen in this light...such a bhajan should never be misused ....

vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das