Meaning and Power of Gayatri Mantra

GAYATRI MATA

REPRODUCED FROM E-MAIL OF-- 

sanskriti patel - Fropki@yahoogroups.com

Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma.

This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas.

Om bhur bhuvah swah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dheemahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracho dayat

The literal meaning of the mantra is:
O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty, You are all Light.

You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator

of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon

Your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction.

The mantra, however, has a great scientific importance too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 mile s per second.

And now the alternative scientific meaning of the mantra step by step:

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH: 
Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time,hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om , which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise),but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suitedto human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy.

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM:
Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person.Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars). A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:-

BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI: 
Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under:

DHIYO YO NAH PRACHO DAYAT:
Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), pracho dayat (guide to right Direction). O God!
Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om , (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam).We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (pra****ayat) our(nah) intellect dhiyo.

So we notice that the important points hinted in the mantra are:-

1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x squre of velocity.)

2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM , the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent, viz., Amen and Ameen.

SADHANA CHATHUSTAYA OF SHANKARACHARYA

Knowledge of Truth alone redeems man from all the shackles,
 limitations and problems of life. Basically man has no
 intrinsic problem. He is that divinity itself. There is no
problem in the world too. It is a perfect creation, extremely 
beautiful too. All problems are man-made and have to 
be solved by man himself, with the help of right knowledge.
 This is what the scriptures do, provide right knowledge.

The goals of life :

There are four goals of life. Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. After experiencing first three goals-Dharma, Artha, Kama a wise person finds he is not satisfied with the life he has led, due to absence of Satisfaction, Freedom and mental Peace.He also finds that this world is transitory, there is a Supreme Force which has created this world, which is SAT-CHIT-ANANDA, he wants to know 'WHO AM I ?', he sees lives of SAINTS & GURUS who in-spite of leading a simple life with dispassion ,acquired JNANA(knowledge) of ATHMA(self)/ PARAMATHMA & were able to find mental Peace,Freedom & SPIRITUAL BLISS. True happiness is not that is achieved by body/indriyas, money & materials of the world. He wants to put an end to this trans- migratory cycle of Birth & Death ie, MOKSHA-LIBERATION.

VEDANTHA & SAINTS like BHAGAVATHPADA SRI SHANKARACHARYA have shown how to achieve MOKSHA-LIBERATION,through jnana, by the path of SADHANA CHATHUSTAYA. (repeated practice through FOUR STEPS). This is part of Tattva Bodha literally means 'Knowledge of the Truth'.

What are the four-fold qualifications referred to by the word Sadhana Chatushtaya ?

1. Viveka : Discrimination between the real and unreal.

2. Vairagya : Dispassion to the enjoyments of the fruits
                                    of one's actions.                                   

3. Shatka Sampatthi(Six Valued Qualities) :

 3.1.Sama : Mind control
 3.2. Dama : Control of senses
 3.3. Uparama or Uparati : Perform your duties & renounce 
                                               other actions
 3.4. Titiksha : Forbearance-remain neutral in pros & cons 
                           of life
 3.5. Shraddha : conviction in shastras & Guru
 3.6. Samadhana : One pointedness of mind

4. Mumukshutwa:  Yearning for liberation.

1. Viveka :

Vedanta describes it as the ability to discriminate between the Real and unreal, the Self(Athma) and the non-self(Anathma). Viveka is sometimes likened to a sword that separates Truth from illusion, the Permanent from the transient. Adi Shankara, the foremost teacher of Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of Non-Dualism, described viveka as the firm conviction that Brahman (the Absolute Reality) is real and the world is unreal.

2. Vairagya :

Detachment or Renunciation. Human beings tend to perceive the world according to their personal likes and dislikes, attractions and aversions. The result is a highly subjective and misleading view of the world and oneself. Detachment means not to be influenced by selfish desires. When there is a strong spiritual awakening, vairagya can also express itself as an intense aversion towards worldly pleasures. According to Adi Shankara, vairagya is the refusal or inability to be satisfied by the limited and transitory.

3. Shatka Sampatthi(Six Valued Qualities): 
 3.1.Sama : 

Control or mastery over mind.
When one's mind doesn't pose a problem or when one has control over his emotions, that person has acquired SAMA. People should not get overwhelmed by mind.One should achieve complete control over mind such that there is no occasion leading to regrets & frustration.Mano 
Nigraha(mind control) is a very important first step in the sadhana. 

 3.2. Dama : 
Control of the senses. This consists in not letting the senses run out towards the sense objects. To the question, "Why do we need to control the senses when we can directly work on sama and control the mind itself - the mind being superior and more powerful than the senses?", the vedantins answer: If one were able to control the mind perfectly, dama would be unnecessary, otherwise it is a more powerful strategy to work on the mind apparatus from all sides. Response of the mind is eventually expressed by the senses & control of senses is called 'indriya njgraha'.


3.3. Uparama or Uparati : 

Uparama is defined as the strict observance of one's own Dharma.
A man has duty towards family,friends,Guru & society.However UPARAMA means renunciation of activities which are not duties. Following the last two practices, the mind is so peaceful and calm most desires have been eradicated and there is no more reason to perform the activities in which most worldly people indulge.


3.4.Titiksha :

Endurance, forbearance of the pairs of opposites. 
The mind must become strong enough not to waver in the face of the opposites: success and failure, hot and cold, pleasure and pain, sunshine and rain, etc. ONE who has a happy frame of mind and accepts things as they are, has achieved Titiksha. Accepting things or situations either with grudge or helplessness is not Titiksha.


 3.5. Shraddha : 

Faith in the words of GURU and in Scriptures is Shraddha.
Shraddha is a very important quality. It implies Faith in our Teacher and our Scriptures. There is an attitude in the mind that they are basically right. In the beginning we may not know today as to how a particular statement is being uttered but something tells me that they are right. It is with this 'faith' that we work hard to understand what the Guru & Scriptures are revealing. Unless we have such a positive & respectful attitude towards anything, we will never even consider that object to be 'worthy of enquiry'.Those blessed with Shraddha finally do attain direct knowledge.

 3.6. Samadhana : 

It is the ability to fix one's mind on some thing. 

Samadhana is concentration with a difference. Samadhana is something more than concentration. The difference is that in the latter it is just focussing the attention on one thing but the former is more dynamic. In Samadhana both our emotions and understanding are also involved and thus it results in bringing about greater joy & better understanding of the 'object' of our attention. The mind is quiet & at peace, yet fully awake & dynamic  A person with this quality not only can understand what the teacher is talking about but also directly 'see' the thing. It indicates an integrated mind.   Whether it is worldly activities or realisation of the truth within we should have the ability to turn our entire attention wholeheartedly on one thing and keep at it till we understand & feel that thing properly. A person with Samadhana has this ability. 

4. Mumukshutwa: 
 'Let me attain MOKSHA(LIBERATION)'. This intense yearning is MUMUKSHUTHWA.

The person yearning is called MUMUKSHU.

So in short this final quality indicates to a 'state of mind' which is charged with the single pointed & intense desire for liberation. The brevity of teachers answer indicates the required single-pointedness & intensity of this desire of freedom in the mind of student. The definition doesn’t say that 'May I also be liberated'. Such a person doesn’t have any other desire in his or her mind. When such single-pointedness & intensity comes about then that person possesses this great quality specifically required for the subjective awakening within. 

To be a Mumukshu means to diagnose our fundamental problem, and thereafter with single-pointed aplication direct all our energies to handle or solve it. Mumukshu thus has a very clear goal. Know the truth of his Self. As Vedanta is the compendium of knowledge which reveals the truth of our Self, he dedicates fully & thoroughly to the study of Vedanta. This alone is his goal, rest is all secondary. He thinks of this, plans about it, reads about it, discusses about it, and works for this. In the beginning the sadhaka may not be very clear of the nature of problem, but as the problem becomes clearer & clearer, so also the intensity of desire becomes clearer. Thereafter he has no other goal. The Mumukshu wants knowledge of Vedanta, and nothing else. 

Thus a person who possesses these four-fold qualities of Viveka, Vairagya, Shatka Sampatthi & Mumukshutva is a person who is ready for the subjective awakening through the knowledge of Vedanta. He alone is the fit person for receiving this divine knowledge.

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.