𝐀 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝐉𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐣𝐢 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐆𝐮𝐫𝐮, 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

𝐀 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝐉𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐣𝐢 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐆𝐮𝐫𝐮, 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲:

"Even after completing their studies, a shishya (disciple) should never feel they have learned all their Guru possesses. He should never entertain the feeling that he has learnt everything that the Guru knows, and that he is now no less than him. It could be factually true that the student has put in a lot of effort and has learnt as much as what the Guru knows. But he should never develop the feeling that he is at par with the Guru. He should continue to revere his Guru with utmost humility and respect.

There is an interesting story about this.

There was once a renowned master wrestler who knew all the nuances and tricks of the art of wrestling; and he had trained many students into able wrestlers. One among them had learnt the art exceedingly well. The Guru told him – “I have taught you all there is to know. Now you go to the surrounding kingdoms and win over all the star wrestlers in those kingdoms and come back to me. I have made you so proficient, that I am confident that no one will be able to defeat you. You will therefore definitely come back victorious.”

The disciple went to the neighbouring kingdoms, defeated all the prominent wrestlers there, and returned to his Guru with many prizes and awards. He told his Guru that he had been able to defeat all the wrestlers, as had been predicted by him. The Guru congratulated him with great joy and told him that he was very well aware that his pupil would return victorious against everyone. He told him – “You are now an exceptionally competent wrestler.”

But the pupil did not seem convinced by the Guru’s words. He told his Guru that he had not won against everyone, and that one person remained undefeated. The Guru expressed surprise, and enquired as to who was the one who still remained to be conquered. “Yourself, Sir”, replied the pupil. The Guru shrugged aside this view and said that there was no need for the pupil to fight against him to prove his competence; and that it was adequate that he had won against all the other wrestlers. But the disciple repeatedly insisted that as the Guru was extremely accomplished and well-known, he must fight against him in order to be considered an ace wrestler. The Guru finally relented.

However, the Guru toppled his pupil to the ground within a minute. The pupil was baffled. Though he had won against so many great wrestlers, he had been thrown off his feet by one new method used by his Guru, which had never been taught to him. The pupil confronted the Guru saying that he had been cheated. The Guru had not taught him this particular trick, though he had claimed that he had taught him everything.

The Guru explained that what he meant was that he had taught everything that was required to defeat other wrestlers. But if he was to fight against his Guru himself, there were more things to be known. He said that he had thought of teaching this trick to him before, but had held it back. He wanted to see the pupil’s behavior after his return from the victorious mission, and then take a call. The Guru told the disciple that as he had anticipated, the disciple had become proud and egoistic, after his triumph. He said that he had withheld teaching this trick as that would be the only way of helping him to overcome his sense of superiority and haughtiness. The student then realized his folly and learnt that he should never become arrogant towards his Guru, howsoever learned and competent he himself may be. courtesy ahambrahmaasmi. org

The essence conveyed here is that education is akin to a vast ocean, and its depths are unfathomable. Despite our efforts, we can never claim to know everything. Our Guru serves as our guiding light on this journey of knowledge. However, it's imperative that we maintain humility and reverence towards our Guru, regardless of our level of learning. Effective communication with our Guru should always be grounded in humility and respect. It's through this attitude that we can truly benefit from our education and achieve our goals in life." - From an Anugraha Bhashanam at Shri Swarnavalli Mutt - April 2024

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