Glory of the Guru (Personal Experiences of the Devotees with His Holiness)

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Preface

“For those people who take refuge in me and contemplate of none but me, I take the responsibility of granting everything they need and preserving everything granted” – thus proclaimed Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The same omnipotent personality of Godhead, who made His pledge in Gita as the Guru and guiding light to Arjuna, has reincarnated in our midst as the Shankaracharya of Sringeri, His Holiness Sri Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamiji. One does not need unique qualifications to receive the boundless grace of that effulgent Sun other than the willingness to surrender whole-heartedly. The generosity of His Holiness and His illimitable mercy transcend caste, creed and religion differences to fulfill the needs of those who seek Him. Our Guru, the resplendent star of the unbroken chain of Sringeri Shankaracharyas, has showered countless blessings on us. Words are insufficient to describe His glory, which is why the scriptures proclaim Guru as the embodiment of The Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Our Sadguru, Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahawamiji, is the sublime ocean of mercy who answers every prayer of His disciples. Those who contemplate Him are blessed with holistic material and spiritual existence. Akin to the celestial wish fulfilling tree, His blessings have fulfilled His devotee’s needs for progress in spirituality, guidance in devotional service, wealth and material comforts, marital harmony, career success to mention a few.

The serene majestic form of His Holiness is as radiant as the morning sun. The waves of mercy in His eyes alleviate our afflictions. His face, illumined with intellect, always bears a benign smile. His countenance, filled with grace, is like a fully blossomed lotus. His appearance, akin to the full moon of compassion, reflects the brimming divine ecstasy within Him. Words are insufficient to describe neither His divine form nor His divine persona.

The striking form of His Holiness, who is the Master of all Yoga, draws the viewer’s heart, with a flawless profile and a smile that delights the eye.

The side long glance of the supreme Guru is comparable to the celestial wish yielding tree. It overflows with the essence of mercy, quenching the longing of distressed souls. Adi Shankara refers to Sri Guru as “Ahetuka Daya Sindhu“, the ocean of mercy that does not require a reason to shower its grace.

Guru is undifferentiated from Lord Shiva. Guru is undifferentiated from God. Our Guru is the consciousness that pervades all sentient and non-sentient existence. None can describe the greatness of the Guru in all facets. None can fathom the depth or immensity of that ocean of mercy.

When we have surrendered at the lotus feet of Sri Guru, His glance filled with infinite mercy and His counsel, what more could we need to achieve Self realization? We have all been recipients of the grace of our Guru, Sri Sri Bharathi Theertha Maha Swamiji. He has showered His blessings abundantly in our lives. Situated in Sringeri Sharada Peetham the foremost of the four Peethams established by Sri Adi Shankara, our Guru bestows His benign grace for the benefit of the world. Our meritorious deeds over millions of previous births have fructified to lead us to our Gu