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Song Lyrics: Samsara
Davanala Lidha Loka (Sri Gurvastakam)
Purport Author: A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami
This
song is offering obeisances particularly to the
spiritual master, and the symptoms of the spiritual master are described in
this prayer. The spiritual master has two kind of
symptoms in his activities. One kind is called constant, and other kind is
called temporary. So the first verse says that the constant symptom of the
spiritual master is that he can deliver his disciples from the blazing fire of
this material existence. That is the eternal qualification of spiritual master.
Trāṇāya means for deliverance, and kāruṇya means compassionate, very merciful. The
spiritual master comes to the deliverance of the fallen souls out of his
causeless mercy. Nobody has any business for the sufferings of others. The best
example is Lord Jesus Christ, that he suffered for
others. And it is the principle in the Bible that he accepted all the sins of
others. This is the sign of spiritual master, that he voluntarily accepts the
sinful activities of others and delivers them. That is the qualification of
spiritual master. How it is? Just like ghanāghanatvam.
Ghanāghanatvam means dense cloud in the sky. The
first example has been said, that this material existence is just like forest
blazing fire. Now, to extinguish the forest blazing fire, there is no use of
sending fire brigade. The fire brigade cannot approach the forest fire; neither
any man can go there to extinguish the fire. One has to depend completely on
the mercy of nature. That means one has to completely depend on the cloud in
the sky. Otherwise, there is no question of pouring water on that blazing fire.
So the example is very appropriate. As man-made engine or fire brigade is
unable to extinguish the forest blazing fire, similarly, the material existentional blazing fire cannot be extinguished by any
man-made method.
They
are planning to be very comfortable in this material existence, but they are
still more being confused and failure. That peace movement, that United Nation
movement, everything is failure. Why? These miseries of this material existence
cannot be stopped by any material means. One has to take shelter of spiritual
means. Just like the blazing fire in the forest has to wait for the cloud in
the sky, similarly, one has to wait for the merciful cloud as the spiritual
master. That is described. Trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
**. So the spiritual master is not self-made. It is not that if anyone
comes before you and bluffs you that "I have attained spiritual
perfection, and I have realized something by some method.'' No. The spiritual
master, bona fide spiritual, means he has to receive the power from authority.
Otherwise it is useless. No It is not that one can
become spiritual master overnight. He has to take the power from his spiritual
master. Therefore it is called prāptasya. Prāptasya means one who has obtained, one who has got
the merciful blessings of his spiritual master.
We
should always remember that the spiritual master is in the disciplic
succession. The original spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He blesses his next disciple, just like Brahmā.
Brahmā blesses his next disciple, just like Nārada. Nārada blesses
his next disciple, just like Vyāsa. Vyāsa blesses his next disciple, Mādhvācārya.
Similarly, the blessing is coming. Just like royal succession—the throne is
inherited by disciplic or hereditary
succession—similarly, this power from the Supreme Personality of Godhead has to
receive. Nobody can preach, nobody can become a
spiritual master, without obtaining power from the right source. Therefore the
very word, it is stated here, prāptasya. Prāptasya means "one who has obtained." Prāptasya kalyāṇa. What he has obtained? Kalyāṇa. Kalyāṇa means auspicity. He has received something which is auspicious
for all the human kind. Prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya.
Here is another example. Guṇārnava. Arṇava means ocean, and guṇa means spiritual qualities. Just like the same
example is going on. It is very nice poetry. There is nice rhethorics
and metaphor. The example is set, blazing fire, and it is to be extinguished
with the cloud. And wherefrom the cloud comes? Similarly, wherefrom the
spiritual master receives the mercy? The cloud receives his potency from the
ocean. Therefore the spiritual master also receives his power from the ocean of
spiritual quality, that is, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya.
Such kind of spiritual master, one has to accept, and vande
guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, and one has to offer his respectful obeisances
to such authorized spiritual master.
UPDATED: April 1, 2009