Guru & Kaliyuga

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*THE GURU'S SHOW*

Namo Namah

In Dwapara Yuga there lived a very pious and an austere Rishi by name Martandaprakasha who had his beautiful Ashram in a forest around Naimisharanya. The Rishi was known for his competence in Vedas, Shastras and Shadangas (6 angas or limbs of Vedas) and people from far and wide would come and study from him. He was ably helped by his Dharmapatni Sulakshana who supported her husband in all Vedic activities. He had more than 100 students who were residing in his ashrama and learning Vedas. In the evenings, he would hold Satsangas for Gruhasthas (couples), Vanaprasthas (forest dwellers) and elderly people. He expounded the tenets of Sanatana Dharma and educated them about our Dharma Shastra and ways of righteous living, so that they can follow. 

Any new student who joined his Class / Ashrama would come with Mangala Dravyas (auspicious items as per Shastras which they need to give when they first meet their Guru) as they would come to meet their Guru to learn the rarest of the knowledge in the world, the Vedas. These Managala Dravyas will comprise a plate full of sweet smelling flowers, sandalwood, saffron, betel leaves, betel nuts, various fruits, coconut and also a bundle of Samidha (twigs used for Homa/Havan). Our Shastras mention that when you go to meet your Guru who will teach you Vedas for the very first time, you should go with these Mangala Dravyas and also appropriately traditionally dressed (dhoti / Uttareeya / Panchakaccha/ Angavastra). As soon as you see you Guru for the first time, you should fall at his holy feet like a danda (stick) and offer these Mangala dravyas and the Samidha. The Samidha signifies that the student who has come to learn Vedas is like a plain stick who wants to get burnt in the Agni of Vedic knowledge. His Guru will expose him to this Vedic fire of knowledge of mantras which will make him shine with the brilliance of Agni. Hence the Samidha is given to the Guru on the first-ever visit as per Shastras. Then Abhivadana is done which is a Sanskrit introduction of self name with Gotra, lineage and Sutra.

Also each day before the Veda pata (Vedic class), when the Guru enters the room where Shishyas are seated, as per Shastras, as soon as the Guru enters the room, the Shishyas should rise up, stand and take the seat only after the Guru sits down or indicates to the Shishyas to sit on their asanas (seat). You may ask why ?

 

The reason in Shastras for that is, as soon as Guru enters the room where Shishyas are seated, the Prana Vayu (the life breath) of Shishyas rises up, above the body over the head of the each student/disciple. But by standing up, the Shishya re-aligns his body to the upwardly moving Prana Vayu and re-captures/ re-installs it in place within his body. By not standing up when Guru enters the room, you allow the Prana Vayu to escape out on various occasions, which will affect the life span of Shishya. (Even in schools nowadays when you see the teacher the students stand up and greet the teacher), but in a Vedic class in current world, is it done, is a question

 

Rishi Martandaprakasha was so happy with all his Shishyas following all rules of Dharma Shastras and doing their Nitya karmas regularly. These Shishyas woke up early even before their Guru would wake up and after performing their Snanam (bath) and Sandhyavandana, they will arrange the class/ asana for the Guru and take all possible care that their Guru who was shaping their lives, the ocean of knowledge was taken care of, helped in each way and respected every bit, as true preceptors are rare and Vedic knowledge is invaluable.

One day, Rishi Parashara who was the Guru of Rishi Martandaprakasha visited the Ashrama to check on his Shishya after a very long time. Rishi Martandaprakasha and his disciples as well as the students of the evening Satsanga stood at the entrance of the Ashrama with Poornakumbha (a well-decorated water pot with mango leaves and coconut) in hand to give Rishi Parashara a Vedic welcome. As he arrived, they chanted Vedic mantras to receive him and did Shashtanga Danda Namaskara (falling flat on the ground to bow to the Guru) to him on his arrival. With Vedic chants they took him to the Veda Sabhagruha, the big hall where most classes happened during the course of the day and they performed the Vedic rite of "Madhuparka" (a Vedic ritual which is done if any Vedic Scholar comes to your place post welcome). Subsequently after addressing the gathering of disciples, they went for lunch and thus the day went in exchanging and learning new things from Parama Guru (Guru's Guru). In the night after dinner, Rishi Parashara and Rishi Martandaprakasha entered the sleeping area and they started chatting up one on one. Rishi Parashara was a Mahagyani and Trikala Darshi (he could see the past, present and future) and Rishi Martandaprakasha exchanged his feeling of joy and happiness that everything is going as per Dharma Shastra, all his students follow Shastras, the evening Satsanga attendees eagerly learn and practise whatever is being taught by him and the seekers are ever increasing in the Ashrama. They thus reap the benefits/merits of performance of their karma that they learn from the Guru. 

Rishi Parashara had just finished penning down a book (palm manuscript) on Kaliyuga Dharma with clear predictions of what Kaliyuga will be like. Rishi Parashara due to his Taposhakti could see into the future and, based on his deep meditative power, could exactly and clearly predict what will happen in the future. He removed the bundle of this manuscript to show Rishi Martandaprakasha. Rishi Martandaprakasha was so delighted that he got to preview it and with great eagerness and permission from his Guru, he started to read it with a big beaming smile on his face. 

But as he started and continued reading but his smile disappeared into a feeling of despair and feeling of sadness of what is written on how in Kaliyuga the entire Veda marga and Guru-Shishya relationship will change upside down. Below is one of the many slokas he read:

_Seedanticha Agnihotrani Guru Pooja pranashyati_ _Kumaryascha prasooyante tasmin kaliyuge sada_

The performance of Agnihotra will decrease and few handful of people will remain who will perform this rite. Respect and pooja of Guru will diminish. Young girls without marrying will give birth to children

Rishi Martandaprakasha asked his Guru more about it and asked him how the relation of Guru-Shishya will be in Kaliyuga ? 

Rishi Parashara replied the following:

The number of Gurus in Kaliyuga will increase and the so-called Gurus who have no knowledge of Shastras or Anushtanas or Vedas will be the ones who will have maximum Shishyas. This will happen because people will be tied with ignorance to know by themselves what is real and what is unreal. People will also go by fame / name /hearsay and popularity and ease of teachings to be followed as suggested by the so-called Guru. 

The concept of Pathashalas with Gurukula system will diminish and people will learn various things other than Vedas. Young children learning Vedas in Gurukula will be replaced by adults, middle aged and elderly people wanting to learn Vedas in a non-Gurukula system. Vedic classes will turn on-demand rather than sitting near and Guru and learning it personally (In the Gurukula system, the disciples stay with the Guru till the Vedic education is completed)

The ones who will visit / approach the Guru for the first time will come to meet casually as you meet your friends and they will not carry any Mangala Dravyas or Samidha with them. They will not be dressed in traditional attire and wear some different clothes which are nowhere written in Shastras. They will not even know their own Abhivadaye (Sanskrit introduction of Self with pravara, gotra etc). They will also be judgemental about the knowledge of the Guru in their first visit and may not turn up for the subsequent class if their heart says not to go to him. Many disciples will not even wish (saying a simple Namo Namaha /Namaskar/Pranam) their Guru on entry or exit from the class and they will just come and go to the Guru's place for learning Vedas without even wishing him. This will be highly prevalent in children/teenagers who come to visit the class on pressure from their parents.

The Guru who genuinely guides people on Shastras and Anushtanas will be taken for granted and will have the least number of people learning from him. His classes on Vedas, Shastras and Anushtanas will become like a Nataka (drama or movie in modern parlance). Students will check on what the Guru is going to teach in the next class and if they find it interesting enough they will attend, if they feel it is not interesting enough for them, they will skip. Rather than accepting all the teaching as a whole, they will attend in bits and pieces as per their choice. A Guru's teaching will no more be a Vedic Sequential Spiritual Development class but it will be GURU's SHOW. (Like we book movie ticket of our choice, similarly the students will check if topic of their choice is being taught then they will attend, like booking a movie show. Else they won't bother or regret it and may not bother to inform about their absence).

Shishyas will have time for everything - sleeping, eating, engaging in entertaining activities, talking with friends, all social activities but they will not have 1-2 hours of time to spend in a week with their Guru or to even hear what he is telling. Since Gurukula system where Guru & shishya stay today will change and adults will want to learn by coming to Guru's house may be on specific free days of the week, they may remain absent from the class without informing the Guru. If asked, some will advice / argue with the Guru to mind his own work. While in ancient days even if you need to ask a simple doubt clearance with the Guru, you need to see the time, place & the state of mind of Guru before asking or clarifying even doubts or clarifications. There was nobody advising the Guru what he should do and he should not. Even if somebody in a fit of anger does it, they had to do severe penance for that. Seeker and Guru were very humble always. 

Guru's advice to put the Vedic teachings in practice will be accepted and followed by only 20% of the students. Rest 80% will start again as a fresh student in every class. Guru's request to spend some time daily for revising the teaching will fall on deaf ears. 

_Dharmo yatha abhiruchitair Anushtanair Anushtitaha_ (Dharma Shastra and Anushtanas will be followed by own will and wish and people won't comply to Shastra teachings despite Guru's repeated requests). 

 

The concept of Matha – Pita – Guru – Deivam will no more be valid. Shishyas will go to Gurus who promise them instant and the easiest way out for their problems in exchange of money. But none of these recommendations will have a Pramana in Shastras. 

Even those who attend Vedic classes will have their eyes on Guru, but mind will be somewhere else. People's concentration will diminish. Many disciples will comment and give advice to Guru on what he should do and what he should not do.

Rishi Martandaprakasha couldn't hear it anymore. But he raised one question to his Guru. Is there a way out of this Kaliyuga ill-effect on people ? How can people stay protected from such ignorance ? How can Veda marga still be protected ?

And Rishis Parashara answered as follows.

Each family should approach a Guru for spiritual guidancce. The father and mother should completely believe in the true Guru and perform all Anushtanas as per his teachings. Teachings of ancient Vedic Rishis in Dharma Shastras should be adopted as a part of lifestyle even if they may sound very old and obsolete to the diminished human brain in Kaliyuga.

If father and mother do not follow Vedic Anushtanas, they will not be able to inculcate Vedic belief in their children. Parents should perform regular Poojas, visit religious places and theertas, perform Vedic rites from time to time, celebrate all festivals as per Shastras and observe Vratas. They should preserve and teach their traditions to their children. 

So it starts from the parents and parents should lead by example and should take action much before the children go out of hand and out of control in teenage time. Earlier discipling will help. Blaming the child later on who doesn't listen to parents will not help. If the father never does Sandhyavandana or Pooja and wants his Son to do Sandhyavandana, it will never happen. The father needs to lead by example. If the father gives reasons for non performance of Karmas, the son will learn similar excuses and give it back to father. Similarly if mothers don't teach Sampradaya and festival celebrations to their girl children they will never learn. Each family should not go by hearsay but should go only with Anushtanas which are in Shastras as Rishis Vakyas (Slokas written by Rishis).

_Tasmat Shastram pramanam tey karyaakarya vyavasthitou_ 

Shastra written by Rishis are solely and the only Pramana for leading a life of a

Anushtanas with appropriate do's and don'ts

Rishi Parashara thus concluded the discussion with his Shishya and with prayers to Vedamata Gayatri, they both retired to bed in order to witness a new beginning the following day.

(The author of this story has tried to bring out the reality of Kaliyuga with Pramana from Shastra vakyas on Kaliyuga predictions by our Rishis, which is woven into a imaginary conversation between two Sages)

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