Sunday 26 August 2012

24 GURUS OF AN AVADHOOTHA IN BLISS !


FROM SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM(THE WISDOM OF GOD)


Yayati was a rajarishi, an ancestor of the Yadu clan to which  

Sri Krishna belonged. His queen was Devayani, the daughter 

of Rishi Shukracharya. The only weakness the king had was

 desire, and desire was his undoing. Cursed by the rishi on 

one occasion, to become old before his time unless he could

 exchange his old-age with someone else, Yayati sought his 

eldest son Yadu and begged him to help him out of the

predicament.

Yadu, of all the king's sons, was interested in spiritual life. He

 pondered over the situation. Seeing his father obsessed

with youth and desire, Yadu realised the impermanence of 

both.He was filled with vairagya. However, he did not want

 to grow old before his time, because he thought, 'When 

old-age comes gradually one exhausts his desires naturally

and along with them preparation period for the development

of higher consciousness
.
Sad at having to disappoint his father, nevertheless Yadu 

knew that he had to refuse. His father subsequently 

disinherited him.To Yadu, who was quite disillusioned 

with the world already, this was a boon. He walked away

 from the palace and entered a forest, seeking a guru who 

would initiate him into the mysteries of higher reality.

     During his wanderings he came across a naked ascetic,

smeared with ash, radiant with bliss, Yadu felt drawn to him
.
 'O Rishi' he asked, 'who are you?' 

'I am an Avadhootha,' said Dattatreya, for that was who

he was.

'What is an Avadhootha?' asked Yadu in innocent humility.

 'Aksharatvat, imperishability;Varenyatvat. Devout wishing 

for-these two words form the essence of an Avadhootha,' 

said Datta Prabhu. 'One who has cut himself asunder from

all things which are transient-One who has shaken off avidya 

and lives in the bliss of his own Atman. He is an Avadhootha.'


Dattatreya is said to be a saktyavesa-avatara (a living being
 empowered by the Lord to act for a specific purpose). He 
used to travel naked without any belongings. No one knew
 where he was going, and even he himself did not know.


Yadu Maharaja asked,"You appear extremely happy. I 

cannot understand your moods.Why are you  weeping, 
laughing and rolling on the ground?”
Yadu continued,"Lord,I too wish to shake off avidya. I too 
wish to know the akshara, the imperishable. Please teach me,' 


“My dear King, with my intelligence I have taken shelter of 
many spiritual masters. Having gained transcendental 
understanding from them, I now wander about the Earth in a 
liberated condition. Please listen as I describe them to you.” 
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.7.32)]
Pleased by the shraddha of Yadu, Dattatreya explained to
him the significance of discipleship in a sadhak and
proceeded to give him instances in life where he had learned

from TWENTY-FOUR GURUS. Life itself is the guru to one

rich in discipleship.

The TWENTY-FOUR GURUS are --

1)Earth 2)Air 3)Sky 4)Water 5)Fire 6)Moon 7)Sun 8)Pigeon

9)Python 10)Ocean 11)Firefly 12)Bee 13)Elephant 

14)Honey-gatherer 15)Deer 16)Fish 17)Pingala 

18)Osprey(Bird of Prey) 19)Child 20)Girl 21)Arrow-maker

22)Snake 23)Spider 24)Wasp



1)Earth

   From the earth, Dattatreya learned the qualities of
   forgiveness, unselfishness and the strength to bear
   burdens Very often progress on the spiritual path is
   hampered because a sadhak is tied to the past. A trauma
   at some time in life decides one's response to similar
   situations all through one's lifetime. Nothing is seen with
   freshness and innocence. Everything is seen through the
   eyes of fear and suspicion because of past conditioning

This quality is not just projected onto the outside but also

onto oneself. Inadequacy, lack of confidence, poor self-

esteem, are measure of one's own self-rejection.

The earth, burdened by a thankless world, stands firm and

proud. She is not demoralised. She does not punish or 

reject herself. Dharitri, one who holds, is a reflection of

Dharma, the eternal one that holds all existence. With

immense tenderness she holds theworld in her lap,

unmindful of assaults on her person.To Dattatreya she 

was symbolic of shraddha, having a capacity to hold 

together,herself and all associated with her, with great

compassion,giving of herself totally to the situation which

asks of her, with an unflinching steadiness, like the

physical body holding divinity within itself.


Mountains – on the Earth there are many mountains. 
We should learn from those mountains how to work for
the benefit of others. A mountain gives so many trees,
herbs and water, but not for itself – for others. Your life
should be for others. Also, mountains live alone, in lonely
places, and their only association is that of sadhus. So
many sadhus used to live in the Himalayas in India, and 
also at Govardhana, because those places are very 
silent and favorable for bhajan.

Trees – we also learn from the trees. You should be as 
tolerant as a tree. What are the qualities of a tree? His 
bark, root, leaves, fruits, flowers, dry wood and everything
else is for others. Even if there is no summer rain and the 
tree is going to become dry, still he does not say, “Oh,
give me water.” In  Chaitanya-Charitamrta it is said that 
one should be like a tree.

2)Air
The air to Dattatreya was a symbol of aliveness, prana 

carried in its garments. Pervading everywhere, yet

uncontaminated, carrying fragrance, but not being the 

fragrance, it reminded him of pure consciousness, present

in all manifestation, yet not being affected by the 

movements, the changes within it. It brought to him the

experience of detachment, stillness in movement.

3)Sky(Ether)

   Like the all pervading SKY is the Athma,present in the
   animate and in the inanimate.Athma which is 
   omnipresent,pure,free the wise man,even though living
   living in the body, having realised his unity with Brahman 
   never ceases to meditate.
The Athma resides in the body but it is not the body. The 

sky holds the world like a garment or canopy but it is not 

the world. It seems limited but in reality it is limitless. The 

sky was his third guru.

As sky remains unaffected by the clouds driven by the 

wind,so does a wise man remain untouched by the 

changing phenomena of the universe. 

4)Water


Like WATER ,clear,soothing,sweet and purifying, is the 

sage,like water he purifies all who revere him and who 

seek his company..

His fourth guru was water. In. its very ordinariness water

is extraordinary, It supports all life. Some simple 

organisms can live without air. However, none can live

without water. Over millions of years, water has been 

responsible for shaping the face of the earth. It nourishes 

the soil so that mighty forests can grow. It decides the 

climate. It has great stability. It cleanses, purifies, 

refreshes. To Dattatreya it was symbolic of the 

compassion of a yogi that unobtrusively flows to the world,

nourishing and refreshing.

5)Fire

His fifth guru was fire, which destroys all that is gross. Like

 the inner fire of awareness that reduces everything to its 

essence (bhasma), purifying ruthlessly whatever is poured 

into it, fire reminded him of freedom from the defects of

avidya.

He who has become fearless and self controlled through 

the practice of tapas.Though moving like FIRE.among

material objects, he remains unaffected by the evils 

therein.

As fire assumes the form of burning objects, so hath the 

all pervading Lord assumed the form of beings and things. 

6)Moon

The moon seems to wax and wane, yet there is no intrinsic 

change in it. Likewise the moods and changes in man are 

qualities of body and mind, not part of the Athma..

7)Sun

From the sun, that takes water from the ocean by 

evaporating it and returning it as life-giving rain water, 

Dattatreya realised that through the sense-organs one can

 take in the essence of the objects of perception without

being obsessed with the external form of the object. Its 

light is reflected in gutters, rivers, streams, puddles, and 

looks different according to the contents and qualities of

the water,but in itself it is the same. So to, the Athma in 

different bodies seems to take on the qualities of the

body, but in reality it is the same one everywhere. The

sun brought to his mind qualities of egoless-ness and

omnipresence.

8)Pigeon

From a pigeon that had little fledglings, which when 

caught in a net by a hunter, cried piteously, luring the

mother to her death, Dattatreya realised the dangers of

samsara. Too much involvement in samsara results

in the destruction of spirituality. It was attachment to the

family that was responsible for the destruction of 

spirituality. It was attachment to the family that was 

responsible for the destruction of the mother bird. Our 

samsara too, consisting of our prejudices, our desires,

our passions, that are born of us and from our family

destroy the spirituality within us. The higher yearning is 

smothered by preconceived notions, rigidity of mind and 

intellectual clutter sets in.

9)Python

The ninth guru was  python. Seeing it eat only what prey

comes its way and not setting out in search of feed, 

Dattatreya learned the value of surrender to GOD, being 

satisfied with whatever comes to him.He struggles not by

running behind food,because all of his energy and skill  

are rightly applied to keeping his mind united with GOD,

the supreme goal of life..

10)Ocean

The ocean receives all rivers, all the waters of the earth, 

some clean, some polluted, yet it remains unaffected 

and retains its essential 'oceanness'. Freedom from 

disturbance was the lesson from the ocean.

11)Firefly

Seeing a firefly drawn to its destruction by its infatuation

with the glittering flame, the yogi realised how desire 

can lead to destruction.

12)Bee

The twelfth guru was the bee. Flying from flower to flower,

taking honey only for its immediate need, leaving the 

flowers unbruised and unhurt, the idea of bhiksha was

born to Dattatreya. Not storing for the future, taking 

what was given voluntarily and offering goodwill in return,

was the concept of bhiksha.
.

13)Elephant

The thirteenth guru came in the form of an elephant that

hurtled down to its trap by being drawn to the female 

elephant in what is called kedda operation.Dattatreya

learned that when one has a great passion for the

highest truth, one should not be deluded by the 

distractions of sensual desire. Even a photograph a

thought of a woman, can pull one down from

one-pointedness in one's search.

14)Honey-gatherer

The fourteenth guru was a honey-gatherer. The bee 

spends his time making honey which the honey-gatherer

enjoys.Dattatreya realised that most often people spend 

their lifetimes gathering possessions in the faint hope that

they will give them happiness and security. Not only do

these possessions not give any inner security, but the 

majority of people are so busy gathering possessions that

 they do not have time to enjoy them. They are enjoyed by

other people What a waste of time, energy and emotional

investment, felt Dattatreya. Precious time should be spent,

not in acquiring but in reaching the inner self.

15)Deer

On one occasion the yogi watched a deer. Nimble and 

swift of foot, it was on guard and alert. A hunter who failed

 to catch it realised that the animal was interested in or

distracted by music. Knowing its vulnerability, he 

distracted it and caught it. Any vulnerability is a weakness

 on the spiritual path. One loses alertness. Ekagrata or 

one-pointedness is lost. In no time, the sadhak who has

raised himself with great effort is plunged into rajas and 

tamas. One should always be aware of one's vulnerable

point and be alert on the path so that one does not go

astray.

16)Fish

The fish is caught because the bait with the worm is a 

temptation. One should be wary of the sense-organs and 

desires associated with them, whether it be taste, smell, 

vision, audition or touch. The yogi was alerted to this 

obstacle while watching the fish.

17)Pingala

The seventeenth guru was a courtesan called Pingala.

On one occasion Pingala waited for her lover in great 

anguish and restlessness. Long did she wait, but he did

not come. At one point she became utterly disgusted with 

herself and thought, 'It is because of my desire and

expectation that I suffer.' At the height of suffering; she

turned her awareness within and a great transformation

took place in her. 'Had I but sought the divine beloved with 

the same ardour, I would not be in this plight now. she

thought to herself.Thus a great vairagya arose in her.

Leaving her desires aside, cutting asunder all expectations

 in one flash with the sword of viveka, she took to the 

spiritual path, Dattatreya was inspired by Pingala's life, the 

lessons she learned from her suffering, the ease with 

which she dropped her ignorance, like the dropping of a

garment and the heights to which her consciousness 

soared, free of desires, with the twin wings of viveka and 

vairagya.

18)Osprey(Bird of Prey)



Dattatreya watched an Osprey(fish-hawk) flying with a 

fish in its beak and saw it encounter big birds. Pursued 

by the big birds,harassed & pestered by pecking the 

little bird, it dropped its fish and escaped while the 

others pounced on the fish.. He realised the wisdom 

behind the instinctive action of the bird, that attachment

leads to misery.Freedom from attachment brings 

endless joy.As soon as small bird gave up the fish,it 

became free and was happy.The sadhak needs to build 

up his foundation systematically and stabilise it before 

he or she is ready to face the giant waves of the ocean 

of the mind.It is said, "Discretion is the better part of valor"

and 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread". One must

be aware of one's limitations in the early stages of 

sadhana lest one get burned out for lack of patience.

19)Child

The nineteenth guru was a little child Dattatreya saw 

playing relaxed and untouched by the past. A child lives

from moment to moment. He does not remember the 

abuse the pain of a moment ago, nor does he dream of 

the future. All of him is present at every moment. There 

is no tension in play, no competition, just sheer joy and

 fun and celebration, like the flowering of the trees. The 

spiritual path too can be light and full of celebration. The

sadhak should be alert against the dangers of 

succumbing to the heaviness of the ego. It is for this 

reason that santosh, contentment, is one of the qualities

of a disciple.

20)Girl

The twentieth guru was a young girl who was alone at 

home when she had unexpected visitors. Brought up in

a tradition where the unexpected guest, atithi, is 

regarded as divine, she seated them with respect and

then went into the inner room to prepare food for them

While pounding the rice her glass bangles made a 

noise knocking against each other. One by one she

broke them so that the noise would not disturb her 

guests, until she had just two on each arm. When these

too made a noise she broke one each so that she had 

just one on each arm. In a flash Dattatreya understood 

that one should walk alone on the spiritual path. Even a

close, silent companion can create mental noise that

prevents the great silence from taking place.

21)Arrow-maker

The one-pointed concentration of an arrow-maker 

reminded Dattatreya of the importance of sattva guna 

and the unruffled ekagrata of a seeker. One is

reminded of the Mundaka Upanishad which states, 

"Om is the bow, atman is the arrow and the target is 

Brahman," The arrow-maker was Dattatreya's 

twenty-first guru.

22)Snake

The twenty-second guru was the snake which taught him 

two things. One was to abandon crowds. The second was 

that familiarity and the known blunt awareness, creates

attachment. The lesson also applies to the mind. Shun the 

crowds within oneself, the market place within, and move 

closer to an uncluttered state of consciousness. Do not 

hold on to anything known, whether a thought, or an 

emotion. This will help the sadhak keep his awareness 

totally in every moment, unconditioned by previous 

experiences or thoughts.
.

23)Spider

The twenty-third guru was a spider. The spider weaves its

web with saliva from itself, and when it is done with it, 

takes it back into itself. This reminded him of the Brahman, 

the divinity that throws the cosmos out of itself and at the

end of an akaal gathers it back into itself.

24)Wasp

The twenty-fourth guru was the wasp, 'bhramara keeta'.
The wasp is said to take an insect, keep it in its nest,
and keep stinging it every now and then until the insect 
becomes one-pointed with fear. The insect is almost
meditating on the wasp in its terror, until it takes on the
characteristic of its tormentor and itself becomes a wasp
"Brahma vidya brahmeva bhavati," ("To know Brahman
is to become Brahman.") The situation is so reminiscent
of Sambhrama yoga that Kamsa practised. His fear of
Krishna made his mind so one-pointed that he attained
liberation.


Upon hearing all this Yadu was enlightened, and paying 

homage to the Guru, Dattatreya, proceeded on his way.

The story of the twenty-four gurus of Dattatreya has 

tremendous significance for any disciple. Very often

one analyses and dissects the speech and actions of 

one's Guru, moving from Guru to Guru, looking through

the eyes of the ego. Because one has not become a

disciple, one does not have the consciousness to look

beyond words into the silence, beyond form into the 

formless beyond the periphery into the centre. So, one

keeps missing again and again.For a seeker,

discipleship is very important. Discipleship is not an

emotional intention or an intellectual understanding of 

gurutwam. Discipleship is a state of consciousness. It

is like the opening of a flower. Its opening is not

calculated. It does not choose the time. It opens 

spontaneously when the bud stage is over, and as it 

opens the sunlight streams into it naturally from all sides

The sun does not choose the flower. The sun's rays are

present naturally. When the flower opens there is a 

meeting, a union.

Dattarreya's relationship with each of his gurus did not 

consist of didactic lectures, nor of intellectual 

discussions or understanding. They were the intuitive

flashes of an innocent mind, a mind innocent of concepts

and preconceived notions. His consciousness as a 

disciple was such that gurutwam streamed into him from

every side; from spiders, snakes, courtesans, children

etc.All of existence became his Guru because he was a 

disciple, and because he was a disciple he was also the 

Adi Guru. The union of discipleship and gurutwam is not 

physical; mental or emotional. It is a state of 

consciousness; two great rivers merging to find that the

water is one. Such discipleship is rare and should serve

as an inspiration for all sadhakas looking for the highest

truth.












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