Guru Gita Discourse Four

Gurucharanam Saranam

Suuta Said:
Kailaasa-shikhare Ramye Bhakti-saadhana Hetave
Pranamya Paarvatii Bhaktyaa Sankaram Paripruchhati

At the beautiful mount of Kailas, Paarvati, bowing in devotion submits a question to Sankara (Siva), for the sake of nurturing devotion.

Paarvati said:

Bhagavan Sarva Dharmajna Vrataanaam Vratanaayakam
Bhruuhi Me Kripayaa Sambho Guru-maahaatmya-muthamam

O Lord! Knower of all Dharma! O Shambhu! You are the greatest among ascetics. Kindly disclose to me the supreme greatness of Guru.

Comments:
For a woman, her husband is her Guide, her Guru and therefore her God. This is the dharma as per Sanatana tradition. A husband should be such an elevated soul with the knowledge of dharma, karma and right spiritual knowledge. In the ancient Rishi tradition, a child is therefore sent to the ashram of Guru to get trained and educated in these concepts. When he thus completes his education from the Guru, he is directed to lead a worldly life according to dharma, based on true spiritual wisdom. Such a man becomes qualified to become a proper householder, an ideal husband.

The conjugal bliss and prosperity of home fundamentally rests on this. It is due to this, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru has given utmost importance to the institution of marriage and family, by bringing to fore this long lost Rishi tradition in the Ashram. It is the revival of Sanatana Dharma and the noble institution of family.

A husband has a sacred responsibility of elevating his wife too, to the pedestal of his attainments- both spiritual and temporal. How glad we would be to come across such blessed couples in our times! Here we find the epitome of that principle in Siva and Parvati. The example of Siva and Parvati has always been extolled in the sacred literature and by poets like Kalidasa. Kalidasa described the union of Siva and Parvati as inseparable as the 'word' is to its 'meaning'.

Parvati herself is well known for her practices of spiritual austerities. She worships Siva as the greatest ascetic and the knower of dharma. In her devotion to Siva, she finds latent in him the principles of sacred Guru-hood, which inspired her to ask him the question about the whole concept of Guru, which is very much hidden knowledge.